Sacred Triduum The Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday) liturgies are in one sense unique inasmuch as they are celebrated but one time in the course of our liturgical year. They focus our attention on the institution of the Eucharist and the ministerial priesthood, and on the Lord’s passion and death as we await the celebration of Christ’s resurrection at the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday. To heighten the Christian’s reflection and mediation upon these realities, the Church universally restricts the celebration of the sacraments on these holy days. On Holy Thursday, a priest may celebrate only the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper; no other Mass (except for the Chrism Mass) is to be celebrated on this day. On Good Friday, no Mass can be celebrated. The Good Friday liturgy focuses on the Lord’s passion and death on the cross. On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord’s tomb meditating upon his suffering and death. The sacrifice of the Mass cannot be celebrated during the day. The Easter Vigil is to be celebrated only after sunset on Saturday, as it recalls our need to keep vigil for the return of the Lord in His glory (see Luke 12:35ff).

As a result of these liturgical proscriptions, there are certain practical implications for our public prayer.

~ No funeral Mass can be celebrated during the Sacred Triduum. A funeral liturgy without the Mass can be celebrated, and the deceased loved one can be buried using the customary committal ritual.

~ Holy Communion can only be distributed to the faithful who attend the liturgical services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, or the sick who are physically unable to attend. On Holy Saturday, Holy Communion as Viaticum may be given outside of Mass only to those who are dying.

~ On Holy Thursday, there will be Mass only at Sacred Heart. After Mass adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will occur in St. Theresa’s chapel until 10:00 PM at which time the night prayer of the church will be prayed. The chapel will be closed following the celebration of night prayer.

As a pastoral matter, you should be aware of one practical matter impacting our Good Friday celebrations at 12:05 pm at Corpus Christi and Sacred Heart. To accommodate the many people who are using their lunch hour to assist at this celebration, following the Liturgy of the Word, the cross will not be venerated individually during the service. The cross will be venerated in silence and with a communal response. The service will then conclude with the Communion rite. The cross will be available for individual veneration following the noon services. The cross is venerated by making a simple genuflection or some other appropriate sign of reverence (e.g., kissing the cross). The other Good Friday celebration will incorporate the individual veneration of the cross within the service itself.

As regards to the Easter Vigil, Holy Trinity will celebrate it singularly at 8:00 PM in Sacred Heart. The Easter Vigil celebration will involve baptisms and celebrate the reception of candidates into full communion in the Church; hence, the Easter Vigil will include the brief service of light, the liturgy of the word, baptism, the reception and confirmation of the candidates and the liturgy of the Eucharist.