xxx

Can someone tell me the difference between these services?<BR><BR>*choral mattins<BR>*choral Eucharist/Eucharist including Blessing of the Easter Garden<BR><BR>Both are offered at St Paul's Cathedral on Easter Sunday. We would like to attend one, but not sure which. Would like to know what to expect. <BR><BR>Thank you!

sylvia

Mattins is the Anglican morning service and Eucharist is the communion service. The Anglican version is almost identical to the Catholic Mass. Mattins will have the choir singing the psalm and canticles and there will be an anthem, but personally as it's Easter I'd go for the choral Eucharist.

xxx

Sylvia --<BR><BR>So the mattins service is mainly singing? The Eucharist will have singing as well, but a sermon will be included? I'm sorry to be so dense, but I'm not even Catholic -- so have nothing to compare.<BR><BR>If there is communion involved -- is it all right if we don't partake?<BR><BR>Also, what do you estimate the length of these two services to be? The website doesn't say.<BR><BR>Thanks for your help!

Ruth

The St Paul’s website answers some of your questions: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/rindex.htm<BR>by going to “Worship” where there are descriptions of all their services and estimates of how long they last (generally between 1 h and 90 min). At Easter, the number of people taking communion may be large, so the Eucharist service may take longer than usual (but as this is near the end of the service, you would be able to leave at this stage). <BR><BR>Sylvia is right, Eucharist includes a communion, Mattins does not. Traditionally, Mattins has readings, prayers and a sermon, but usually a Eucharist service has these too. The amount of music depends on the particular church and the occasion. There is no problem with not taking communion – you can choose either to stay in your seat, or go forward for a blessing (keeping your hands by your side usually signifies that you do not wish to receive communion). I would expect that this would be made clear either during the service, or in a note on the service sheet. Anglican priests are generally happy to give communion to baptized members of any christian church – they won’t ask for a certificate!

carolyn

We attended the Easter service at St. Paul's a few years that included the blessing of the garden. Communion is served at the end, and the crowd was so large that sections went forward when indicated to very long tables where many communicants were served. It took about half an hour, and they were extremely organized. If you do not wish to participate, you should just remain seated, or you could leave at that point. Many people were dressed up for Easter Sunday, but a young girl sat in front of me who was wearing jeans and a back pack. No problem.