WELLS CATHEDRAL

RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS

In addition to its daily round of services the cathedral gives particular acknowledgement to Saints' Days; Major Saints' Days; and Religious Festivals.

	Saints' Days are marked by special psalms and readings at morning and evening prayer and a Holy Communion service at 9.30am. The colour of the vestments and altar frontals indicates the nature of the saint.
	Major (or ‘Red Letter’) Saints' Days have a 9.30am service of Holy Communion and sometimes a special (or ‘solemn’) Evensong. The altar frontals and vestments also change.
	Religious Festivals such as Epiphany, Ascension Day, All Saints Day, etc., have a special Evensong and the 9.30am Holy Communion with the appropriate altar frontals and their matching vestments. All Souls Day is celebrated with a Eucharist at 5pm.
	Advent and Christmas; Lent and Easter are special seasons.

Starting with the Cathedral Advent Carol service at 5pm on Advent Sunday and until Christmas Eve a series of Carol services or Carol concerts is held in the Cathedral.

On Christmas Eve there is a Crib service for ‘children of all ages’ at 3.30pm and a Midnight Eucharist celebrated by the Bishop at 11.30pm.

On Christmas Day a series of services celebrate the birth of Christ starting with 8am Holy Communion (said) and followed by Sung Eucharist at 9.45am and Sung Mattins at 11.30am.

Through Advent and Christmastide around 35,000 people will take part in religious services and concerts in the Cathedral.

The season begins on Ash Wednesday with Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes at 8.00am and 9.30am and again in the evening.

During Lent there are lectures at 7.30pm and on each Friday at 12.05pm the Stations of the Cross.

Holy Week opens with a congregational processional service at 10.00am on Palm Sunday. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday there are special services or other events leading up to Maunday Thursday.

On Maundy Thursday at 10.00am the Diocesan Bishop presides at a service for his clergy of the Blessing of the Oils and the Renewal of Ordination Vows and at 7.30pm a Eucharist to commemorate the Last Supper takes place followed by the symbolic Stripping of the Altars.

Good Friday has sung Mattins at 10.00am with the Three Hours Devotion from 12noon to 3pm and, traditionally, a recital of sacred music by the Bath Camerata in the evening.

The Easter Vigil with the Blessing of the New Fire and the Renewal of Baptismal Vows takes place at 9pm on Easter Eve.

On Easter Day the services are:

8.00am	Holy Communion
9.30am	Sung Eucharist
11.30am	Sung Mattins
3.00pm	Sung Evensong