The Chaplaincy of the Holy Spirit is entirely self-supporting and relies totally on donations from members, friends and visitors - please would you consider making a donation here
Fr Rodney has prepared two information leaflets which you may find useful to guide members of the our congregations in presenting both the readings and the intercessions - they are available in .pdf form to read here (intercessions) and here (readings), and can also be downloaded to print from our resources page here
The prayers set out below should be carefully read and, where necessary, amended for YOUR use
Prayers for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday
Intercessions for Maundy Thursday –
Year A – 2nd April 2026
At the Passover Feast Jesus was acutely
aware that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to
the Father.
We pray for all who are approaching
death and ask you to welcome them into paradise reunited with all
who have left this world before them.
(add names of those requesting
prayer)
(Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our Prayer
Judas Iscariot, taken over by the
devil, took the opportunity to betray Jesus for money. We pray for
all who turn to crime and violence rather than taking up honest
and worthwhile work and we remember before God those who have been
imprisoned for their crime praying that they will turn away from a
sinful life upon release.
(Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our Prayer
During supper Jesus took water and a
towel and acting as a servant washed his disciple’s feet. We
pray for all who serve, especially those who have to do menial and
unsavoury tasks. Help us never to take those who serve us in
the world for granted.
(Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our Prayer
During the meal Jesus inaugurated the
Sacrament of Holy Communion. We pray that every time we
celebrate the Eucharist we remember his passion and the sacred
mysteries of his body and blood. Help us never through familiarity
to allow the words and actions of our Communion make us apathetic
to the true cost of his love and always to surprise us afresh each
time we meet him at the Holy Table.
(Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our Prayer
At the end of the meal Jesus gave to us
the new commandment to love one another as he loved us. We
give thanks for the love that we share with our families and
friends and all of our neighbour’s in Christ and that through such
love we can be clearly seen as friends disciples of Jesus.
(Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our Prayer
After the supper was ended Jesus sang
hymns and prayed with his disciples. We give you thanks for
all who lead our worship; or our bishops, priests, deacons and
readers; for choirs and organists and music groups; for all who
write and lead intercessions and for those who do all of the other
things that make our worship meaningful and God centred.
(Short Silence)
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our Prayer.
As we leave this service on the eve of
Jesus’ Crucifixion mindful of the death that he was about to
undergo help us to be aware that it was for us that he hung and
suffered there. May we prove our love for him by giving
ourselves to him and serving him every day of our lives.
Merciful Father: accept these
prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Intercessions for Good Friday - Year
A – 3rd April 2026
(Written by Venerable Bob Langley
former Archdeacon of Lindisfarne)
On the cross Jesus paid the price of
the human beings stumbling ignorance in his generation to see the
light of the world when it was before their eyes. And we
continue to crucify people and rape God’s creation as a result of
our faithlessness.
The brokenness of our world is more
evident than ever before, from the violence and conflict of human
beings to the destruction of the natural world, from the
widespread abuse of power to our sense of powerlessness to bring
about peace and renewal.
Creator God, as we repent of our
failure to follow the light, drive away despair from our politics,
revive our dreams of justice and truth. Establish your just and
gentle rule throughout the world.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Let us pray for those who bear the cost
of our failure to ensure an equal distribution of the earth’s
resources.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Let us pray for those who are victims
of our continuing refusal to take climate change seriously, the
occupiers of those disappearing Pacific islands, victims of water
shortages, drought and flooding, wild fires and extreme weather.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Let us pray for those caught in in the
conflicts and wars which are the result of mineral or land grabs
by the powerful and rich.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Let us pray for those in our own
community who are unwell especially those who have received a
recent devastating diagnosis. At the same time we give
thanks for the astonishing advances in medicine, and express
sorrow and regret that these are not shared across our world,
often as a result of the destruction of war.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Let us pray for those who bear the cost
of other’s imposition of rigid political, religious or ideological
beliefs.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Let us pray for the humanitarian
agencies who work ceaselessly to bring support across the world to
alleviate the cost of our corporate failure.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Let us pray for the rich and powerful
that they may use their wealth and power for the good of the whole
society, alleviating the burden of the cost of our broken world
falling on those who can least afford to pay.
(Short silence)
Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer
Finally, let us pray for those in
positions of authority in government, business and church, that
they may with greater boldness help us to see, understand and
engage with the issues which confront us and speak truth to power.
Merciful father accept these prayers
in the name of your son Jesus Christ who bore the ultimate cost on
the Cross
Intercessions for Easter Sunday Year
A – 5th April 2026
Up from the grave he arose; with a
mighty triumph o'er his foes; he arose a victor from the dark
domain, and he lives forever, with his saints to reign. He arose!
He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose! (Robert
Lowry.)
As the hymns we sing echo the joy we
feel today as together we celebrate the glorious resurrection, may
our Easter exhilaration continue throughout the rest of our lives
and show in the way that we live it out.
(Short Silence)
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah!
Christ arose!
Hail the Lord of earth and heaven!
Praise to thee by both be given: (Charles Wesley Love’s
redeeming work is done.)
We pray for a world that recognises
Jesus as Lord and imagine how changed it would be; free from
hatred, violence, poverty and injustice; a place where all would
live together in love and harmony. That would be heaven here
on earth.
(Short Silence)
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah!
Christ arose!
Dying once, he all doth save; where
thy victory, O grave?
We pray for families, friends and
neighbours who have not yet recognised that Jesus died and rose
again for everyone. Help them to see and realise the possibilities
that accepting him into their live will bring, not least the
promise of life beyond the grave.
(Short Silence)
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah!
Christ arose!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal!
Christ has burst the gates of hell.
Just as the stone of Christ's tomb was
rolled away so roll away the stones of illness, despair, worry and
fear and pour the light and joy of his resurrection into their
lives.
(add names of those requesting
prayer)
(Short Silence)
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah!
Christ arose!
Lives again our victorious King;
where, O death, is now thy sting?
Lord, your love reaches beyond the
grave to raise your son to a triumphant resurrection.
When we fear our death and the death of
those we love: strengthen us in the knowledge that Christ has gone
before us to reign with you, crowned with glory and honour. We
pray for those departed this life that they too may be raised with
Christ
(add names of the recently departed
or on Anniversary list)
(Short Silence)
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah!
Christ arose!
Love’s redeeming work is done,
fought the fight, the battle won. Death in vain forbids him rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
May we go from this Easter Day service
rejoicing. Determined to live a resurrection life and show
the world that we are your disciples.
Merciful father: accept these
prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen
You can also find these prayers here
Using this link will open a .pdf file which can be read online or downloaded for printing
Yours in Christ
Rev’d Steve Foster
We have been asked by The Archbishops of Canterbury and York to continue to pray for Ukraine:
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We write to you as the world is in
turmoil following recent events in Eastern Europe
I am sure that you will agree that the horrific and unprovoked attack on Ukraine is an act of great evil
Now, more than ever, we need to place our trust in Jesus
Christ, as we remember that God is not the author of confusion but of
peace; and so I urge you to pray for a ceasefire, a withdrawal of Russian
forces and for peace to prevail
Pray for the innocent – the women, men and children who are displaced, whose lives are disrupted, and who live in fear of the atrocities of war
Pray for those with power – that they may make a resolute and public decision to never use force, to actively work for peace and seek peaceful solutions to dispute and disagreement
Pray that there may be a recognition of common and shared humanity and God’s promise of flourishing life for all people
The Bishop in Europe has asked us to join them in prayer for the chaplaincy in Kyiv and the churches that serve Ukraine
At this time of great uncertainty, we place our hope and trust in God, whose love never fails. Lord, have mercy
Fr Steve Foster
The Singing Vicar
Email: singingvicar@gmail.com