Easter 2021: A message from the UCL Chaplain and Interfaith Adviser

Now that Spring is finally here, I am sure that whatever your faith, you will be looking forward to a well-earned break away from your screen and the opportunity for some more time outdoors as restrictions ease and of course chocolate. We are approaching Holy week and Easter which is the most sacred and important time for Christians of all denominations.

Wherever you are celebrating, Easter this year still involves Churches who open their buildings maintaining strict social distancing. If you find yourself in London this Easter, places of worship including cathedrals such as St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey will be open this Easter if they are able to, but check online first as you may be required to book a place in advance due to restrictions on the numbers of people able to attend in person. This still applies to places of worship of all faiths.

Most places of worship are also still offering Holy week and Easter services and prayers online, including both traditional and modern services, as a way of coming together. Many churches are still in the process of planning and advertising their services; however, some of the usual celebrations around food will not be going ahead this year.

Easter is a special time. During Holy week, Christians remember the events leading up to crucifixion of God’s Son, Jesus with a variety of liturgical services. Good Friday is traditionally a time to eat hot cross buns and Easter day chocolate Easter eggs, However, Good Friday is when Christians commemorate Jesus’s death believing that Jesus willingly died as our saviour and deliverer. He took our sin upon himself so that we might be set free from it. The good news is that on the first Easter morning Jesus rose from the dead and was seen by eye witnesses who wrote down their accounts in the gospels we still read today in the Bible. The power of God raised Jesus from the tomb on the first Easter Sunday, so we celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive. One of the implications of this is that if death was not the end for Jesus it is not the end for us who trust in what God has done. Christians know that in relationship with Jesus they will also have eternal life in God’s presence. Definitely something to celebrate!

If you are wanting to celebrate Easter with other Christians, there are many churches in Bloomsbury and the surrounding area where you will find beautiful buildings, a warm welcome and worship styles to suit all tastes.

Here is a list of just some of the churches offering a variety of Holy week and Easter services and support.

Please check the individual website for what is available over the Easter period as this may change.

• St Pancras Church (Liberal Church of England) — Euston Road — www.stpancraschurch.org
• Euston Church (Evangelical Church of England) — Gordon Square — www.eustonchurch.com
• All Souls Church (Evangelical Bible teaching and orchestral worship, Church of England) — Oxford Circus —www.allsouls.org
• Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church — Shaftsbury Avenue — www.bloomsbury.org.uk
• St Aloysius Roman Catholic Church — Somers Town by Euston — www.parish.rcdow.org.uk/somerstown
• St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church — Soho Square — www.stpatricksoho.org
• Holy Trinity Brompton — Knightsbridge — Evangelical Church of England — www.htb.org
• Hillsong International London — Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road — www.hillsong.com/uk/centrallondon

Once again, have a very happy Easter. 

The Rev'd Lizzie Baughen, UCL Chaplain and Interfaith Adviser 

Read more about the UCL Chaplain and faith support available to students