Christmas 2023
We warmly welcome you to celebrate with us this Christmas.
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As always, our churches are open daily during Christmastide for you to pray and visit the Crib.
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Saturday 16 December
7.45am 'Rorate' Mass of our Lady by candlelight (St John's)
followed by coffee and bacon rolls
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Sunday 17 December: Third Sunday of Advent
Blessing of the Christmas Tree after 11am High Mass in the Presence of the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
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Monday 18 December
7.30pm LGBT+ Carol Service (St John's)
Preacher: The Revd Richard Washington, Assistant Curate of Attleborough with Besthorpe
followed by refreshments
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Sunday 24 December: Christmas Eve
9am Low Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Advent (St Julian's)
11am High Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Advent (St John's)
5pm Carol Service with Christmas readings (St Julian's)
lasting half an hour
11.30pm Midnight Mass and Procession (St John's)
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Monday 25 December: Christmas Day
10am High Mass of the Day (St John's)
followed by sherry and mince pies
6pm Evening Prayer at the Crib (St Julian's)
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Tuesday 26 December: St Stephen
12 noon Low Mass (St John's)
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Wednesday 27 December: St John, Apostle & Evangelist
10am Low Mass (St Julian's)
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Thursday 28 December: The Holy Innocents
12 noon Low Mass (St John's)
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Friday 29 December: St Thomas Becket
5pm Low Mass (St Julian's)
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Saturday 30 December: in the Octave of Christmas
12 noon Low Mass (St John's)
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Sunday 31 December: in the Octave of Christmas
9am Low Mass (St Julian's)
11am Procession and High Mass (St John's)
6pm Evening Prayer and Benediction (St John's)
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Monday 1 January: Mary, Mother of God
11am Solemn Mass (St John's)
followed by sparkling wine for New Year's Day
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Friday 5 January: Eve of the Epiphany
7.30pm Procession, Blessing of the Epiphany Crib and High Mass (St John's)
followed by mulled wine and cake
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Saturday 6 January: Feast of the Epiphany
12 noon Low Mass (St John's)
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Sunday 7 January: Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord
9am Low Mass (St Julian's)
11am High Mass (St John's)
Confessions before Christmas
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A priest will be in St John’s to hear Confessions, give spiritual advice and pronounce the forgiveness of sins at the following times before Christmas.
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Tuesday 19 December
11am to 12 noon
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Thursday 21 December
10am to 11am
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Friday 22 December
12 noon to 1pm
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Saturday 23 December
11am to 12 noon
Christmas collections
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This Christmas, as usual, the collections at our main services will all be given away. This year, our giving will be divided between the John Aves Education Project (improving access to university education for young people in Bethlehem's Dheisheh refugee camp), Home Start Norfolk (helping children across Norfolk by supporting their parents to grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children, learn to cope with the challenges they face and widen their links with the local community), and the Red Cross Emergencies Fund (enabling the Red Cross to respond rapidly to crises all over the world and give people help which they urgently need).
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Please give generously.