St Edmund's Catholic Church

Welcome to St Edmund’s Catholic Church

in Bury St Edmunds

We are a friendly Catholic community who welcome others to join us in our worship and service of God.

We hope that you will find this website useful and that it will help you encounter Jesus Christ who is our life.

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First Holy Communion

Getting Married

Exploring Catholicism

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Mass Times

Saturday

18:00 St Edmund (Vigil)

Sunday

08:30 St Edmund

10:30 St Edmund

10:30 Montana

16:45 St Edmund (Polish Language)

For weekday Mass times see the parish newsletter

Holydays of Obligation

09:00 St Edmund’s Primary School

Term time only

12:00 St Edmund

19:00 St Edmund

Syro-Malabar Rite Masses

15:00 St Edmund

1st & 3rd Saturday of Month

Adoration & Prayers for Peace

10:30 Wednesday

Confessions

10:30 Wednesday & Saturday

Veiling the Sacred:

The Tradition of Covering Statues from the Fifth Sunday of Lent

During the last two weeks of Lent, as our liturgies focus more and more on the impending passion of Jesus Christ, it is traditional to cover all statues in the church and any images of Jesus on the cross with a purple veil.

At one stage, the Gospel for this Sunday would have been taken from John 8: 46-59, ending with the line: “So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” In churches around the world, the images of Jesus were literally hidden from view from this point until Good Friday. Since the readings of the Mass were reformed, however, the Gospel for this Sunday is now the story of the raising of Lazarus. Nevertheless, the practice of covering up images remains.

Some scholars have suggested that the origins of this custom actually go back to the German Church in the ninth century. There, for the whole of Lent, a large purple veil called a hungertuch hid the altar from the view of the people and was torn down on the Wednesday of Holy Week during a reading of the Passion with the words: “And the veil of temple was torn in two.”

Whatever its origins, the custom of veiling adds drama to the end of Lent. The crucifix is hidden from view until we solemnly venerate it on Good Friday, and the statues of saints remain covered until the Easter Vigil. Then, only in the light of the Easter Candle – the symbol of Christ who has risen from the dead – do we see their likeness. This reminds us that the glory of any saint is always a reflection of the light of Christ shining upon them, through them and in them.

Reflecting on the Mass

During Lent, we reflected on the different parts of the Mass in order to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the Sacred Mysteries.

These downloadable articles explore different parts of the liturgy, explaining not just what happens, but why it matters.

Whether you are new to the Mass or have attended for many years, these reflections are intended to enrich your experience, strengthen your connection to the prayers and rituals, and invite you into a more meaningful participation in this central act of our faith.

The Fourfold Presence of Christ

The Introductory Rites

The Liturgy of the Word

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Concluding Rites

Fifth Sunday in Lent

At that time:

The sisters of Lazarus sent to Jesus, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’

Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’

She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’ Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?’

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be a smell, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.

John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

Learn more

Pilgrimage to Assisi

14-18 September 2026

Fr Sean will be leading a pilgrimage to Assisi in 2026 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of St Francis’ death.

The cost is £1,210 per person based on a shared room. This covers flights, accommodation, transfers, half board, all entrance fees, a professional tour guide and gratuities. There are a limited number of single room supplements at £50.

Deposit of £300 and completed booking form required by 27 February 2026 with balance and any single supplement due by 29 June 2026.

To book, click on the button saying “Book your Place’, enter Italy as your destination, then click on the dates drop-down box and select the pilgrimage: St Edmund’s Parish, Bury St Edmunds.

Itinerary

Book your place

If you prefer to use a paper booking form, please contact the parish office.

For more information, contact Pilgrimage People 01223 968363

Bury Teens

Bury Teens is our recently started youth group for the parish, open to all in Years 9, 10 and 11. Meeting once a month in the crypt on Saturdays from 19.00 until 21.00, each session will include a meal together, lots of fun activities and chance to socialise, and some prayer. Participants need to be registered by their parents/guardian before their first attendance. Registration forms can be downloaded here. For more information email buryteens@gmail.com

Registration Form

Bethany Bereavement Support Service

Most of us will suffer bereavement at some point in our lives. Our parish runs a bereavement support programme which has been described as ‘a journey from heartbreak to hope.’

The Bethany Team offers support for anyone (all faiths and none) who is over the age of 18 years old and living in the Bury St Edmunds area.

The team offers individual and group sessions to support someone through the stages of grief and bereavement and will suggest other services as needed.

Telephone 07593 344408

St Josephine Bakhita

Feast Day: 8 February

St Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. There are 50 million victims of human trafficking across the world and as many as 5,000 in the Diocese, hidden in plain sight in your neighbourhood. Pope Francis describes human trafficking as “blood money” and a “crime against humanity”. We are all called to combat this evil trade. To find out more and what you can do click the button below.

Find out more

Santa Marta Group

Praying for Peace

There seems to be so much conflict going on around the world and sometimes, albeit on a much smaller scale, even within our own lives. As Christians, we are particularly sensitive to conflicts taking place in the Holy Land of Jesus’ birth and it is terrible to see the plight of the people of Gaza, as well as witnessing the terror attacks on those who live in Israel. As people living in Europe, it is shocking to see another European country engaged in such a long and brutal war with Russia. Each Wednesday, after Mass, we pray before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and ask for peace in our world. You can join us in person, or online using the parish’s live stream, or simply use the prayers provided here to pray at home whenever you can.

Prayers for Peace

Retrouvaille

Retrouvaille is the name of a programme designed to help heal and renew marriages. It all began in 1977 as a French language weekend for couples in Canada who were experiencing difficulties in their marriage. The word ‘Retrouvaille’ simply means ‘rediscovery’ and the programme offers the chance to rediscover yourself, your partner, and a loving relationship in your marriage. Retrouvaille now offers support and a lifeline for married couples facing difficulties in the UK and elsewhere around the world.

Find out more

A Dementia Friendly Parish

A number of parishioners recently completed a dementia awareness course as our first step in ensuring that we are a dementia friendly parish. The five key takeaways seem obvious, but they challenge how we often think about dementia: (1) that dementia is not a natural part of ageing; (2) that dementia is caused by diseases of the brain; (3) that dementia is not just about losing your memory - it can affect thinking, communication and completing everyday tasks; (4) that it is possible to live well with dementia; and (5) that there is more to a person than the dementia.

Find out more

Prayer