Mass is central to traditional Christian worship, and so forms the core of life at St Barnabas. We celebrate Mass according to the Roman Rite, which will be familiar to Christians of many denominations. As part of the “high church” Anglo-Catholic tradition, Mass at St Barnabas includes elements such as organ music, incense, vestments, and the provision of the Eucharist, continuing and preserving the ancient heritage of Catholic worship within the Church of England for future generations.
Mass takes place every Sunday at 10am, and you are warmly invited to join us. After the service, we have tea and biscuits in the church hall — it’s a great opportunity to get to know others in your local community, and we’d love to meet you.
Can I attend?
Yes! We welcome everyone, regardless of background or faith. Our congregation includes members of differing faith, as well as a mixture of all ages and ethnicities. The church and church hall are fully wheelchair accessible, and we have large print bibles and hymnals available for the partially-sighted. Families and children are welcome — we do ask that you be mindful that there will be moments during the service in which a peaceful atmosphere of silent reflection and reverence should be maintained.
Attending your first Mass
If you haven’t been to a traditional Mass service before, it may seem daunting, but you needn’t worry. Everything you need to follow along with the service can be found in the bundle of books you will find as you first enter, and our welcoming congregation are always happy to assist if you need help with following the service.
Hymns
You can find the lyrics to the hymns in the New English Hymnal. Hymns are indexed by number, and you can find the ones to be used for today’s service on the wooden board to the left of the altar. Don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with the tune — the organist will play through a verse alone before the congregation starts singing.
Order of Mass
You can follow along with the service in the yellow St Barnabas book. Sections in bold are recited by the whole congregation. Some parts, such as the Gloria and the Creed, are sung to music (the widely used John Merbecke setting) — if you don’t know the tune yet, it’s okay to speak along instead.
Readings
You can find today’s readings and psalm on the red-and-white sheet titled “The New Liturgy”. Most services will contain two bible readings and a responsorial psalm, read by an altar server, and a gospel reading, read by the priest.
Photography by Alwyn Ladell