30 Mar 2026
The older lady came across to me where I was sitting, drinking coffee. “Do you want this?” she said, offering me a copy of that day’s newspaper. “A friend just gave this to me,” she explained, “but I can’t bear to open it. The news is just so awful every day.”
She is not alone. Increasing numbers of people are avoiding the national and international news. The headlines are just so gloomy – with little potential for them to get any better.
Christians across St Albans, Harpenden and the district around will be marking the bad news and good news of Easter in the days ahead.
On Good Friday, we remember the darkest day of our faith, when Jesus Christ – God, living as a man with us – was sentenced to death and crucified. It was a shocking execution, designed for maximum pain and humiliation. Excruciating to endure, painful to watch.
On Easter Day, Christians celebrate the good news of the resurrection, with Christ coming back from the dead to bring new life to the world, and the opportunity for a new start for anyone who puts their faith in him. The resurrection started a movement that is still growing across the world today.
The saddest day, and the most joyful day, and just days apart.
Here’s a listing of more than 70 local church services that will be held across the district to mark Good Friday, and joyfully to celebrate Easter Day. All of the services are open to visitors, and many will also be live-streamed. You’re welcome to drop in.
In addition to these, St Albans Cathedral has a full programme of services across the Easter weekend.
The headlines may be gloomy, but Christians believe that there is good news in Christ’s death and resurrection, and that it brings hope to our troubled world. Why not visit a local church to find out more?
Rev Peter Crumpler
Associate minister, St Paul’s Church, Fleetville
St Paul’s Church, Fleetville
Corner of Hatfield Road and Blandford Road, AL1 4JP
Good Friday: 10am a quiet Good Friday service, reflecting on Christ’s death (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 8.30am Easter Communion service (online and in church), 10.30am Easter celebration with Communion for all ages (online and in church).
St John Fisher School Mass Centre
Hazelmere Road, AL4 9RW
Easter Sunday: 8.30am Mass (in church only).
St Luke’s Church, St Albans
46 Cell Barnes Lane, St Albans AL1 5QJ
Good Friday: 2pm Hour Before the Cross (online and in church).
Easter Sunday: 10am all-age Easter Day celebration wtih Communion (online and in church).
St John’s Church, Harpenden
5 St Johns Road, Harpenden. AL5 1DJ
Good Friday: 10am Messy Church (in church only), 2pm Good Friday Liturgy (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 8am Holy Communion (in church only), 10am all-age Eucharist with Easter Egg hunt (online and in church).
St Peter’s Church, St Albans
St Peter’s Street, St Albans, AL1 3HG
Good Friday: 1pm reflections on the Cross (in church only), 6pm choral Evensong (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 8am Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion (in church only), 10am Easter Day all-age Communion (online and in church), 11.30am Easter Day Mattins (in church only), 6pm Easter Day Evensong (in church only).
St Leonard’s Church
Church End, Sandridge, AL4 9DL
Good Friday: 10am Craft Church drop-in for families with egg hunt (in church only), 2pm Final Hour reflective service (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 10am Holy Communion for all with bonfire, refreshments and eggs (in church only).
Verso Vineyard Church
Brick Knoll Park, Ashley Road, St Albans, AL1 5UG
Good Friday: 11am a family communion service to reflect and remember Jesus’ sacrifice (in church only), 8pm Communion and reflective service (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 9.30am, 11.30am joyful Easter celebration with worship and children’s groups (9.30am service online and in church, 11.30am online only).
Hatfield Road Methodist Church
133B Hatfield Road, St Albans AL1 4JX
Good Friday: 10.30am reflective service (online and in church).
Easter Sunday: 10.30am all-age celebration and baptism (online and in church).
City Church
Lyon Way, St Albans, AL4 0LB
Good Friday: 10am Good Friday reflection and Communion (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 10am Easter Sunday celebration and believers baptism services (online and in church).
St Bartholomew’s Catholic Church
47 Vesta Avenue, St Albans AL1 2PE
www.stalbanssouth@rcdow.org.uk
Good Friday: 3pm Solemn Liturgy of the Passion (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 9.30am, 11.30am Mass (in church only).
St Alban and St Stephen RC Church
14 Beaconsfield Road, St Albans AL1 3RB
Good Friday: 10.30am children’s Way of the Cross (online and in church), 12noon Stations of the Cross, 3pm and 5.30pm solemn Liturgy of the Passion (online and in church).
Easter Saturday: 8pm Stations of the Cross (online and in church).
Easter Sunday: 8am, 10am, 12 noon Mass (online and in church).
Spicer Street Church
Spicer Street, St Albans AL3 4PQ
Good Friday: 10.30am Good Friday service (online and in church)
Easter Sunday: 9.30am Easter service (online and in church), 11.15am Easter service (in church only).
ChristChurch Harpenden
Roundwood Park School
www.christchurchharpenden.org.uk
Good Friday: 10am an all-ages opportunity to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 10.30am an all-ages celebration for the risen Christ (in church only)
St Mary’s Church, Redbourn
Hemel Hempstead Road, Redbourn, AL3 7NL
Good Friday: 10am all-age informal worship with refreshments after (in church only), 2.30pm Good Friday Liturgy with Veneration of the Cross and Communion (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 6am The Vigil, the service of light, the Easter ceremonies and celebration (in church only), 8am Holy Communion (BCP) (in church only), 10am Parish Eucharist and Easter Egg Hunt (in church only).
Churches Together in Redbourn
Start at St John Fisher, Dunstable Road, Redbourn, AL3 7PN
11.30am: Walk of Witness around the village.
St Saviour’s Church
Sandpit Lane, St Albans, AL1 4DF
Good Friday: 2pm Liturgy of the Cross and Holy Communion (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 8am Quiet Communion (in church only), 10am Parish Mass for Easter Day (in church only).
St Nicholas Church
Church Green, Harpenden, AL5 2TP
https://parishofharpenden.org/
Good Friday: 12 noon Liturgy of Good Friday (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 6am Dawn Service – Easter Fire and First Eucharist of Easter (in church only), 8am Holy Communion in traditional language, 9.30am Easter Sun Eucharist (online and in church), 11.30am Easter Praise with Holy Communion (in church only).
St Mary’s Church, Marshalswick
Sherwood Avenue, St Albans, AL4 9QA
Good Friday: 11am Family crafts and Easter garden (in church only), 2pm quiet reflective service ‘An Hour at the Cross’ (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 5.30am Easter dawn service with Easter fire and Communion (in church only), 10am family service (in church only).
Dagnall Street Baptist Church
Cross Street, St Albans, AL3 5EE
Good Friday: 10.15am informal contemporary worship (online and in church).
Easter Sunday: 10.30am informal contemporary worship (online and in church).
St Mary the Virgin Church
Luton Road, Harpenden, AL5 3QE.
Good Friday: 9am Stations of the Cross (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 9.30am Easter Family Communion (online and in church).
All Saints’, Harpenden
Station Road, Harpenden, AL5 4UU
Good Friday: 10am Reflective service followed by hot cross buns at Batford Methodist Church (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 6.30am First Communion of Easter starting in church garden around firepit (in church only), 10am Celebratory Easter Holy Communion with Easter Egg hunt after the service (online and in church).
St Albans URC Homewood
Homewood Road, St Albans, AL1 4BH
Good Friday: 2pm contemplative service (in church only).
Easter Sunday: 10.30am, Easter Day Family Service, including Holy Communion (online and in church).
