| Volume 16 No. 19 | Friday 3 April 2026 |
The Friday Thought‘Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter! Today at last, the singing of the “alleluia” is heard once more in the Church, passing from mouth to mouth, from heart to heart, and this makes the people of God throughout the world shed tears of joy.’
This was the opening greeting from the late Pope Francis in his ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message to the world on Easter Day last year, reminding us that Easter Day is essentially a day for rejoicing. The Pope delivered this message from a wheelchair with his health deteriorating, and yet in spite of this he could proclaim the Easter message as one making ‘the people of God throughout the world shed tears of joy.’ The Pope’s message was not just delivered by someone nearing the end of his life, but against the background of a Middle East in upheaval, the war in Ukraine and humanitarian crises in Yemen, Sudan and other parts of the world. As we approach our Easter celebration this year we could so easily say that nothing has changed in a broken and tormented world. How then can we dare to echo the sentiments of Pope Francis and ‘shed tears of joy’ on Easter Day 2026? Pope Francis reminded us that evil has not disappeared from the world but it ‘no longer has the upper hand; it no longer has power over those who accept the grace of this day.’ In the death and resurrection of Christ the indestructible love of God has overcome sin and death giving us hope that this divine love can transform the life of the world in all its brokenness, pain and suffering. With this belief in God’s redeeming love as our love, we can play our part however small in bringing light to those places of darkness, hope where there is only despair and love where there is only hatred. Hope rooted in the transforming love of God can energise and empower us as Easter people to live and proclaim our faith with every fibre of our being. It is a tradition at St Peter’s on Easter Day, at the end of the Eucharist, that anyone from the congregation can join the choir in the chancel to sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s ‘Messiah’. This is a most resounding finale to our Easter Day worship, with us as the people of God shedding tears of joy, tears that will propel us out into the world to live our resurrection faith. ‘Easter isn’t something we remember. It’s something we live and breathe.’
Rowan Williams
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Church news & notices Friday 3 April at 12:00 pm
The Way of the Cross: An All-Age Service for Good FridayOn Good Friday at noon, we will hold a series of reflections on Christ's final hours, based around the themes, 'Jesus and His Friends', 'Jesus Alone' and 'Jesus on the Cross'. Loosely based on the structure of the traditional Stations of the Cross, the service is suitable for all ages and will last around 40 minutes. | Friday 3 April at 2:00 pm
Good Friday LiturgyThis week, we have been walking with Jesus on his path towards the Cross. Today, Good Friday, we remember the sorrow of Christ's death on a cross in a special afternoon service. Our choir will sing the Reproaches as we meditate on the Passion narrative. During the Veneration of the Cross, all are invited to kneel before an image of Christ crucified as a symbol of our faith. Whatever your faith tradition, you are welcome to participate in this service. The Good Friday Reproaches
Hymns:
90 O sacred head, sore wounded (JS Bach)
95 When I survey the wondrous Cross
517 Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle (Crux fidelis)
83 Glory be to Jesus
Anthem: Drop, drop slow tears - Gibbons arr. ASD "God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
- John 3:16
| Friday 3 April at 6:00 pm
Stainer’s CrucifixionJohn Stainer wrote The Crucifixion: A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer in 1887 as an oratorio for parish church choirs,. The piece relates the Biblical narrative of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus with text by Rev W J Sparrow Simpson, and its emotional appeal draws us deeper into the Good Friday story. In today's performance, our church choir is joined by soloists Phillip Brown (tenor) and Christopher Foster (bass). The congregation is invited to join in singing the hymns, and programme notes will be provided. This concert is free, and there will be a retiring collection to cover costs. | Saturday 4 April at 10:00 am
Spruce up for EasterPlease can you spare just an hour or two to help prepare your Church for Easter? Although the severely depleted Cleaning Teams do a wonderful job throughout the year, they could do with some help, especially during the ongoing building works. Everyone is welcome - there are jobs suitable for all. It would be helpful if you bought your own favourite duster etc. It is not all work - there is a wonderful buzz in Church and it is an opportunity to socialise too. Fr Stuart will be serving teas and coffees and homemade biscuits! | Sunday 5 April
Easter DayAfter the drama of Holy Week, we will celebrate Christ's resurrection at Easter with joyful music. 6am: Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter
- we greet the risen Christ at dawn in the churchyard 9:30am: Sung Eucharist for Easter
- a family celebration service with choral music and congregational singing. The sermon will be a special address for all ages, and children can take part in an Easter egg hunt!
Choir anthem: Blessed be the God and Father - Wesley
At the end of the service, our choir will sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. Extra singers are welcome to join in! (you can borrow a score but if you have your own, please bring it). Then please join us afterwards for a glass of prosecco in the Court House. Everyone is welcome at St Peter's this Easter. It doesn't matter if you don't usually go to church or if you don't feel very "religious" - our doors are open for you. The strife is o'er, the battle done;
Now is the Victor's triumph won;
O let the song of praise be sung.
Alleluya!
| Sunday 5 April
No Easter coffee or lunchPlease note that there will be no coffee in the Court House on Easter Sunday. Our delightful coffee baristas will be back on duty the following week as usual. Also, there will be no Sundays Together Lunch. The luncheons will resume on Sunday 3 May. | Sunday 19 April at 11:00 am
APCMThe Meeting of Parishioners and the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) will be held after our morning worship on Sunday 19 April (2 weeks after Easter). Do please make every effort to be present at these meetings - they are a significant occasion in our communal parish life. The 2025 Annual Report and Parish Accounts will be made available after Easter. | Petertide Fair 2026 – help wanted! The Petertide Fair is back! The big day will be Sunday 28 June, when we welcome the whole Berkhamsted community to St Peter's and raise funds for our Renovation Appeal. Can you help?
We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who can organise a stall, entertainment or refreshments on the day. If you're willing to help, please let us know buy filling in the online form at the link below. There will also be a paper version available in church. Nearer the time, we will also be looking for donations of bottles (for the tombola), cakes, chocolates, sweets, bric-a-brac (no clothes), books (especially fiction) and toys so please start saving items for the Fair! | Greetings cards for saleWe have another lovely selection of greetings cards designed by Ella Short, featuring beautiful watercolour scenes of nature and landscapes. The cards will be on sale for £2 each, after the 9:30am service most Sundays in the Court House, and sometimes also at the back of church. All proceeds go to the St Peter's Renovation Fund. | Mayor’s charity donations The Mayor of Berkhamsted, The Food Hub and St Francis Hospice would like to convey their thanks to St Peter's for donations, which were raised during our 800th anniversary year. In 2022 we raised £3000, and this has been shared between the two charities nominated by this year's mayor. Thank you to everyone who donated so generously.
| Digitally remasteredWe hope you will forgive the naughty little April Fool posted on our Facebook page this week. We are happy to confirm that the church clock will not be replaced by a digital display, and that the Victorian clock mechanism (installed in 1838 by Thwaites & Read of Clerkenwell to celebrate the accession of Queen Victoria to the throne) remains intact. There was some truth in the post - there have been recent reports that teenagers are struggling to read analogue clock faces, as they have grown up with digital representation of the time. While we are keen to make the church accessible to all, there are perhaps limits. |
Schools news Castle Federation governors’ newsletter The spring edition of the Castle Federation governors' newsletter is online. There's news from our church schools about a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious production of Mary Poppins at Thomas Coram School, a children's Eco Council campaigning to reduce light pollution, Fr Stuart's work with Spiritual Ambassadors from Thomas Coram and Victoria Schools, an initiatives to support maths learning and Personal Development. |
The Castle Federation is the governing body responsible for our two Church of England schools in Berkhamsted
 www.castlefederation.org
More about our schools:
www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk/about/schools
 Church of England news
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Ecumenical Easter Letter In Archbishop Sarah's first Easter letter to the Christian churches and ecumenical partners around the world, she invites us to consider how the mystery of Easter speaks with particular depth in a world marked by deep suffering and conflict.
"The cross and the empty tomb together tell us that suffering and death do not have the final word. Easter proclaims that even in the darkest places, God is at work bringing life."
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 Diocesan news
Bishop’s Easter Bulletin Bishop Richard, our Acting Bishop of St Albans, sends greetings in his Easter Bulletin, and reflects on the Church's message of hope at times of turmoil. There's news about the Easter Monday Pilgrimage at the Cathedral and the latest Diocesan Prayer Diary. Bishop Andrew will be installed at a Cathedral service later this year - the date is yet to be announced.
| Cathedral Peregrines Easter egg!
Early this week, Boudica, one of the Peregrine falcons nesting on top of St Albans Cathedral, laid her first egg. You can follow the Peregrines' progress on the Cathedral's live webcam: |  | The Parish of Great Berkhamsted is in the Church of England's Diocese of St Albans |
www.stalbansdiocese.org St Albans Cathedral:
www.stalbanscathedral.org
 Church noticeboard
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Berkhamsted community news & events Friday 3 April
Family Easter Discovery TrailThe Friends of St Peter's are running a family-friendly Easter Discovery Trail in Rectory Lane Cemetery on Good Friday 10am-1pm. Come and hunt for Easter eggs in this beautiful historic green space! Book "Early Chick" tickets online for just £3.50 per child, or £6.50 on the day. | Saturday 4 April
Pop Up Creative Art FairCome and browse original art, prints, ceramics, glass, cards, illustrations and creative gifts in the Great Hall of Berkhamsted Town Hall, meet artists and enjoy coffee and treats in the café. 10am-3pm, free entry, dogs on leads welcome. | Saturday 4 April at 2:00 pm
Wagner’s SiegfriedA performance of Wagner's fantastical opera Siegfried is being screened from the Royal Opera House at the Vyne Theatre Berkhamsted. Moments of transcendent beauty and heroic triumph sparkle in the third chapter of Wagner's Ring cycle. Tickets £18, children £12, available from: | Saturday 25 April at 7:30 pm
Ein Deutsches RequiemBerkhamsted Choral Society with English Philharmonia will perform Johannes Brahms' German Requiem in St Peter's Church, one of the most beautiful and spiritual works of the 19th century. Drawing on a range of texts from the German Lutheran bible that focus on spiritual healing, it was written to give comfort to the living rather than serve as a prayer for the dead. The programme will also include Mozart's Serenade no. 6 in D major Serenata notturna. | Berkhamsted TogetherLast year, the community hub Open Door closed its doors. Since then, a new organisation called Berkhamsted Together is forming new ideas for community support activities and events. They're setting up at different venues across town, such as Northchurch Social Centre (Community Fridge, Berko Repair Café) and Sacred Heart RC Church (Memory Café), and the Food Hub Berko is operating here in St Peter's, at All Saints' Church and the Rising Sun. Many more plans are in the pipeline - find out more in Berkhamsted Living Magazine: |
  | Worship with usThis Sunday: 5 April 2026
Easter Day |
9:30am Sung Eucharist
You are invited to join us at our main Sunday service
Next Sunday: 12 April 2026
Easter 2Music this weekHymns: | Anthem: | Blessed be the God and Father - Wesley | | Voluntary: | Toccata from Symphonie V - Widor | | Easter Vigil | | Hymns: | 334,115,104,120 |
ReadingsActs 10.34-43Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’ Psalm 1181 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures for ever.2 Let Israel now proclaim, ‘His mercy endures for ever.’3 Let the house of Aaron now proclaim, ‘His mercy endures for ever.’15 Joyful shouts of salvation sound from the tents of the righteous:16 ‘The right hand of the Lord does mighty deeds; the right hand of the Lord raises up; the right hand of the Lord does mighty deeds.’17 I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.18 The Lord has punished me sorely, but he has not given me over to death.23 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.24 This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.25 Come, O Lord, and save us we pray. Come, Lord, send us now prosperity. Gospel: John 20.1-18Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
 In our prayers this weekAnglican Cycle of Prayer:La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico/The Anglican Church of MexicoIntercessions | Diocese | ✚✚Sarah, Archbishop of Canterbury, ✚Andrew, Bishop Designate of St Albans, ✚ Jane, Bishop of Hertford, and Charles, Archdeacon of St Albans | In our
continuing prayers | Denis Beard, Mary Beard, Christina Billington, Patricia Cody, Barbara Conway, Nola Frost, Yvonne Hart, Judith Hill, John Malcolm, Ghullam Mutaheri, Frozan Mutaheri, Clare Wallington, Stacy Giles | In our
immediate prayers | Graeme Davis, Mark Few, Barbara Fisher, Peter Kirk, Gwen Roberts, Fr Chris Rogers, Peter Rolfe, David Steadmann, Charlotte Szypryt, Neata Thomson, Sienna Vallance, Liz | Weddings
(next four weeks) | | Wedding banns
called this Sunday | Sylvie Bunyan & Nathan Lodge
Harry Phillips & Evie Abbott
Eleanor Simmons & Edward Hughes
| Baptisms
(next four weeks) | Delilah Carr
| | RIP | Owen Ford, Ann Braddick, Cheryl Beauchamp | | Memorial (year's mind) | Nita Hennessey, Mavis Hickman | ☩ Funeral noticesThursday 9th April at 10am: Funeral of Ann Braddick at All Saints’ Church Tuesday 14th April at 12pm: Funeral of Cheryl Beauchamp at St Paul’s Church Langleybury, followed by a short crematorium service (family only). Reception after in Hunton Park Hotel, Kings Langley, WD4 8PN.
 RotasWe are ever thankful for our team of dedicated clergy and volunteers who support our collective worship every week. If you are new to St Peter's, we encourage you to get involved in our parish life. Listed below are rotas for this coming Sunday and the week after. You can check future rota dates on the parish website at www.stpetersberkhamsted.org.uk/rotas Sunday 5 April 2026 - EASTER| 8am Eucharist |
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| President | Fr Stuart (6AM) | | Preacher | N/A | | Reader | . | | 9:30am Eucharist |
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| President | Fr Stuart (Fr David) ((Helen Rowland)) | | Preacher | Fr Stuart | | Sidesperson | Liz Y. | | Sidesperson | Barbara J. | | MC | Libby G. | | Acolyte | Peter M. | | Acolyte | Hayley K. | | Thurifer | Chris C. | | Cruficer | . | | Reader | Robin M. | | Intercessions | Dagna H. | | Eucharistic Minister (Chalice) | Kate H. | | Eucharistic Minister (Chalice) | Pru M. | | Sunday School | . | | Sound | Jeremy D. | | Friday Thought | Fr David |
Sunday 12 April 2026 - Easter 2| 8am Eucharist |
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| President | Fr David | | Preacher | Fr David | | Reader | Ruth W. | | 9:30am Eucharist |
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| President | Fr David (Fr Stuart) ((Margaret)) | | Preacher | Fr David | | Sidesperson | Cathy I. | | Sidesperson | Carole D. | | MC | Will G. | | Acolyte | . | | Acolyte | Nick A. | | Thurifer | Emma G. | | Cruficer | . | | Reader | Barbara J. | | Intercessions | Helen R. | | Eucharistic Minister (Chalice) | Helen N. | | Eucharistic Minister (Chalice) | Bev J. | | Sunday School | . | | Sound | Michael A. | | Friday Thought | Fr Chris |
Good Friday 2pm MC Peter Matthews
Crucifer Nick Armstrong
Acolyte I Hayley Khazaneh
Acolyte II Richard Currie Sunday 5 April 6am – Easter Vigil MC Will Gore
Thurifer Mark Grego
Crucifer TBC
Acolyte I Richard Currie
Acolyte II Nick Armstrong | |
Contact Kate Campbell, ranger
0333 666 3366
