Lent begins on Ash Wednesday
You are invited to join us on
18th February 2026 for Ash Wednesday Service
Solemn Mass with imposition of Ashes, 7.30pm
During the 40 days of Lent, services will be at the usual times:
Sunday (said mass) 8.30am
Sundays (solemn mass)10.15am
Tuesday (said mass) 10.00am
Thursday (said mass) 7.00pm
Thursday Lent Study 8-9pm (access webinar here)
Friday Stations of the Cross 3pm Read more about the Stations of the Cross in the CoE website
Lent Appeal 2026 This year donations to the Lent Appeal will go to the Manna Society Bermondsey to continue supporting their mission in London. If you’d like to make a donation follow the link to our donation page donate.mydona.com/st-hildas-crofton-park
Hilda’s Church wish you a Holy and happy Lent!
The Church of England’s theme for Lent 2026 is
Draw Near: Life-giving habits for Lent.
This year’s resources have at their heart the theme of a ‘rhythm of life’ – habits and patterns which help us grow as disciples of Christ day by day, especially as we prepare to celebrate the great mystery of God’s saving love at Easter.
Please ask Fr Julian if you’d like a copy.
Lent Letter 2026
Dear Friends,
In one of my recent sermons, some of you will have heard me allude to a drawing I saw at Christies Saleroom. I happened to be walking past a couple of months ago, and seeing that there was an auction viewing on, I decided to take a look.
In the centre of the exhibition, was a five-inch, fragile, Michelangelo drawing, executed in a luminescent red chalk, depicting the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl, a blonde prophetess wearing a creamlike gown which he later painted onto the Sistine chapel’s eastern end. Her bare feet are bent because she’s stepping down from a throne while carrying a heavy book. Another sketch of her belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This sketch dates from the early 1500’s.
This previously undiscovered work had a pre-sale estimate of around 1.5 million pounds. The sketch went on to sell in New York for 16.9 million. It is an extremely rare and important discovery, which was submitted for a routine valuation by a private individual alongside some other pictures, lucky them!
Perhaps this story can teach us a valuable lesson as we consider what we are seeking to change in our lives during Lent. Often, we start out with a ‘grand plan’ which is almost doomed to failure even before we have started. It often the small things in life which are so valuable. The parallel I guess, is that like the rediscovery of this tiny, long forgotten, fragment of paper with a chalk sketch on it, we quite often pass over the small things (sometimes for a lifetime).I am referring to those habits or ways of doing things which seem insignificant, but in reality, could bring about radical transformation in our lives, in the lives of those around us, but most importantly in our relationship with God if we paid attention to them.
Please forgive me if you feel that the connection between this spiritual lesson and the Michelangelo drawing is tenuous or doesn’t really work for you. I am a very visual person and seek inspiration from art. The bottom line is that it is often in the small, long forgotten things, that we can bring about a transformation for the better, which is always going to bring about far greater impact than some grand Lenten act with fizzes out after a few days. Carpe Diem!
With my love and prayers,
Father J
Copyright Christies International
This Lent we will be raising money for the Manna Society, a Christian charity which provides food and clothing for homeless people in central London. I look forward to sharing more about the charity over the course of Lent.
Holy Week
10.15am Palm Sunday
Palm Procession and Solemn Mass
Our Lord’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is celebrated with the rite of blessing and distribution of Palm Crosses and a procession, immediately followed by Solemn Mass.
Holy Week ends with the Triduum – ‘Three Great Days’ celebrated at St Hilda’s
with the proper ceremonies. We welcome vistors every year. We sit in the chancel of the church (numbers permitting) so our sense of participation is heightened. There are cantors who sing some of the traditional music – tradtional texts are generally used throughout. Collections on Thursday and Friday are given to support the work of the Diocese of Jerusalem’s work to relieve the people of Palestine and the Middle East.
The Great Three Days and their services:
8pm Maundy Thursday Liturgy of the Last Supper
with (ceremonial) washing of feet, Eucharist, procession of the Sacrament to the Altar of Repose and stripping of Altars.
3pm Good Friday Liturgy of Our Lord’s Passion –
Corporate reading of Passion according to John, Veneration of the Cross; Mass of the pre-sanctified, burial of Jesus reading is sung to end the Liturgy. The Fast is broken with tea and toasted hot cross buns.
