Hundreds of thousands to fill Diocese’s churches for Holy Week, Easter

Catholics throughout the Diocese of Trenton will flock to their churches March 24 for Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem for the Jewish feast of Passover and beginning the most solemn and sacred week in the Church calendar. The doors to Catholic churches throughout the Diocese of Trenton will open wide to hundreds of thousands of parishioners and newcomers alike as special services and Masses will lead believers through the week-long retelling of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will begin Holy Week on Palm Sunday with the noon Mass in St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck. Over the course of the week, the Bishop will travel to five other parishes for Masses and services.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HOLY WEEK

The annual Chrism Mass, a special event celebrated during Holy Week in Catholic churches around the world, is set for March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold. In this demonstration of the Diocese’s unity, Bishop O’Connell will consecrate the sacred oils used throughout the coming year for the conferral of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. The Chrism Mass also serves as a special day in the life of the priests as they formally recommit themselves to their ministry and service in the Diocese. Representatives of all 97 parishes of the Diocese will be in attendance for this Mass, which will be live-streamed at youtube.com/trentondiocese.

The remainder of Holy Week – known as the sacred Triduum -- begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday (March 28) and ends with the evening Mass on Easter Sunday (March 31). Throughout these three days, parishes offer many opportunities for believers to witness and participate in moving dramatizations of Christ’s Passion (Stations of the Cross), Confession, prayer services, ritual celebrations and Masses.

Rituals like the washing of feet by the Bishop and priests on Holy Thursday and the veneration of the Cross on Good Friday (March 29), will lead up to the Blessing of the new Easter fire outside Catholic churches around the world on Holy Saturday (March 30), the Great Vigil of Easter. These dramatic moments before the Vigil Mass feature liturgical ministers carrying the newly-lit Paschal Candle into the darkened churches to light candle tapers held by parishioners, one pew at a time, until the entire interior is bathed in light.

The following morning, families gather in churches for the jubilant celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection.

 BISHOP’S SCHEDULE 

Bishop O’Connell will observe the Sacred Triduum (the three days leading up to the Resurrection) and Easter Sunday with the following parish communities:

• Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper -- March 28, 6 p.m. St. John the Baptist, Allentown
• Good Friday Liturgy -- March 29, noon St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton
• Holy Saturday Mass -- March 30, 7:30 p.m., Our Lady of Good Counsel, West Trenton
• Easter Sunday Masses -- March 31, 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., St. Paul, Princeton.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH GROWS

This year, more than 750 individuals will become fully initiated into the Catholic Church through one or more of the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion or Confirmation during the Easter Vigil Masses celebrated around the Diocese.