Welcome to the website of the community based here at St John’s in Bath.

We find ourselves in a most strange and unique position of building up community in a new way... electronically and digitally. Something so central to ‘who we are’ and what makes us a community is suddenly stripped from us. The ability to come together in prayer and in faith and in support of one another is no longer possible at the moment. That simple routine that we have of our celebration of the Eucharist is no longer within ‘reach’ whilst we tackle the virus that threatens the well being of so many, of us all.

Whilst so much is closed or cancelled, it is important for us – as a community – to appreciate that we can still journey through Holy Week and enter into the narrative of God’s redeeming love for us. We may have to find new ways of praying and keeping in touch with one another, we may have to find virtual ways to be fed and nourished, still we can make Jesus’ journey to the cross and to the tomb our own.

Lent has found us deep in prayer, fasting and acts of charity... and those things can still continue all be it in different ways... and there’s just one more week of Lent to go.

I hope you can find something useful to help you at this time by way of connecting with one another through our daily livestreaming of the Mass or the Rosary. You may be able to participate in some of the Holy Week liturgies and reflections all by way of making something of Holy Week this year and allow the hush and the stillness that we find ourselves living though at the moment as an opportunity to know God’s nearness still and the constant love he seeks to show us.

We can still be instruments of peace, of joy, of faith and love in so many ways. We are a community of hope and faith and love, and we can still be proclaimers of the Gospel even when our normal, everyday routine is upset. May God watch over each and every one of us, and remind us – always – that he is near.

God bless you.

Fr Christopher