The Catholic Church's holiest of all week's is right around the corner. Save St. Mary's at-a-glance schedule for the Easter Triduum and Easter Sunday Mass.
A description of the Easter Triduum events follows the schedule.
Please note: the Friendship Supper is a potluck dinner for which a reservation is required. Please refer to our church bulletin for details.
The Triduum - The Easter Triduum begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday and ends on Easter Sunday. The services in between form a single liturgy: our solemn celebration of the paschal mystery, God’s plan for our salvation in the dying and rising of Jesus.
Holy Thursday – The Holy Thursday liturgy at 7:00 pm celebrates Jesus’ gift of himself to us in the Eucharist. A powerful part of this liturgy is the washing of feet; a reminder that we are to be servants for one another. After the Mass on Holy Thursday the Blessed Sacrament is transferred to the place of reposition. Bring some spiritual reading to church for your meditation and spend some time in quiet prayer and reflection before the Blessed Sacrament.
Good Friday – The Good Friday liturgy (3:00 pm) is an extended celebration of the Word with Holy Communion. The silent entrance emphasizes the starkness of this day’s liturgy. The Veneration of the Cross takes place after the Liturgy of the Word. All are invited to come forward to venerate the cross by bowing or genuflecting to it or by touching or kissing it. Good Friday evening at 7:00 pm we meditate on The Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross. In this version of The Seven Last Words, you will listen to a series of reflective meditations given by those closest to Jesus on the night of his death: the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary of Magdala and St. John, the apostle.
Easter Vigil – The Easter Vigil is not the same as Saturday evening Mass. The liturgy consists of four Main parts: the Service of Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. On this night leave your watch at home or in your pocket. The Vigil begins at 8:15 pm and lasts significantly longer than an ordinary Mass, so remove whatever can distract you from the important words and actions of the liturgy. Turn to welcome the light of Christ as the fire is blessed and the lighted Easter Candle is carried through the church. Listen to the Scripture readings as if you were sitting before a campfire with your family and delighting in some of your family's favorite stories. Recall your own baptism as the new members are welcomed into the church and receive the sacraments of initiation. During the Eucharistic Prayer, offer yourself with Christ who gave himself up to death but was raised to life. If you have not experienced the Easter Vigil before, please consider attending this year.