“Palm Sunday” Pickup, streaming services, and other ways Southborough churches are leading remote worship (Updated)

With congregations unable to gather in pews and Holy Week approaching, I’m taking a look at how churches are reaching parishioners in Southborough.

As weekly churchgoers know, a state order closed down church services in March. With Holy Week and Easter approaching, I checked in to see how churches are helping residents continue to worship. Here are some highlights.

Pilgrim Church

Pilgrim Church is posting virtual services through streamable audio recordings each Sunday services each week here. Easter Sunday services will be posted that day. It is also using Facebook to communicate with its congregation.

St Anne’s Church

For Palm Sunday on April 5th, St. Anne’s Church is making blessed palms available for pickup or even delivery:

Blessed palms will be available for pickup at the entrance of the Parish Hall (between the glass and wooden Parish Hall doors) on Sunday, April 5 between noon and 6:00 p.m.

Palms will be placed in a plastic bag so that no one touches the other palms. You are welcome to pick them up during the above- mentioned times. If someone is inside the foyer of the parish hall, please wait in the car until the person leaves with palms. (Keeping up the social distance policy).

If someone is unable to come to our parish, please call the office or send email to stanne403@stannesouthborough.org and Fr. Albert will deliver it to your mailbox or leave it in front of your door.

Streaming services

St. Anne’s has been streaming Sunday services online. (See website for details.) For Holy Week, they will also stream the following special services:

  • Holy Thursday (The Lord’s Supper) Mass will be celebrated on April 9 at 7:30 p.m. There will be no washing of the feet or procession to the repository.
  • Good Friday (Passion of the Lord) Liturgy will be held on April 10 at 7:30 p.m. in our parish. The Stations of the Cross will be live streamed at 3:00 p.m.
  • Easter Vigil on April 11 at 7:30 p.m. will be celebrated. There will not be the blessing of fire or the procession. The Liturgy will begin with the lighting of the Paschal Candle in the sanctuary.
  • EASTER MASS will be celebrated on April 12 at 10:30 a.m.

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

Streaming & materials:

The Church is posting bulletins and readings related to services on its Virtual St. Mark’s page. It’s also posting the streams there. And it’s posting PJ Prayers storytimes with Father Phil on its Facebook page. The page also has a link for its zoom meetings.

Lent: Stations of the Cross — 7pm Wednesday in Lent — Walk the way of the cross at St. Mark’s virtually. Held on Zoom, live-streamed from St. Mark’s Church. The booklet for the service can be downloaded here

April 12 Easter Day — Easter Morning Prayer @9:45am stmarks-sb.org/live

St. Matthew’s Church

For Palm Sunday palm pickup:

PALMS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP — On Palm Sunday AFTER the 10:00am Livestream Mass. The Palms will be located outside of the church entrances. Please remember to give each other space and adhere to social distancing guidelines as you are picking up palms.

Live Stream – Father Flynn will use his Facebook account (James B. Flynn) to live stream the following services for Palm Sunday and Holy Week

  • Palm Sunday, April 5 10:00am
  • Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, Mass at 8:00am
  • Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper 5:00pm
  • Good Friday, Stations of the Cross at 3:00pm
  • Liturgy of the Passion at 7:00pm
  • Easter Sunday, Mass of Resurrection at 10:00am.

St. Matthew Prayer Day:

Join fellow parishioners on Thursday, April 9th as we pray together while apart, on this day, for an end to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Day of Prayer Letter from Fr. Flynn
Suggested Prayers: Prayer in a Time of Pandemic.

Additional streaming – The church is sharing how to stream services by the Worcester Diocese and from the Vatican on its website.

Other Churches in town

  • St. Matthew’s Church and hasn’t gotten back to me yet and didn’t post information on their website.
  • The Chinese Gospel Church didn’t have information specific to Holy Week activities posted but did its regular schedule and links to videos here
  • As of writing this post, JFM Southborough Church only posted online service details for this Sunday.

Updated (4/4/20 5:51 pm): I added St. Mark’s Easter service information.

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