With the celebration of Palm Sunday yesterday, we have begun Holy Week. As you will see below, we had a large attendance at Masses over the weekend—over 3,500 people.

Later today, at 11:00 a.m., we will celebrate the Chrism Mass here at the Cathedral. This will be the first Chrism Mass for Bishop Keehner. At this Mass he will bless the oils that will be used for the celebration of the sacraments throughout the year. This is also the Mass at which all priests renew our priestly promises—the promises we made at ordination (in my case, almost 13 years ago).

On Thursday we begin the three holiest days of the year, when we remember Our Lord’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. One of the things I love about our parish is that our Triduum celebrations are usually well attended. We don’t reach the numbers we see on Palm Sunday, but the Cathedral is typically full. If you have never attended the liturgies of the Triduum, I encourage you to do so.

Holy Thursday
Mass on Holy Thursday will be at 5:30 p.m. This is one of the few times in the parish when we have only one Mass, and all three language communities are represented. On Holy Thursday we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood. Many remember this Mass especially because of the washing of the feet. At the end of Mass, we are invited to keep vigil with Our Lord, as He asked His apostles when He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Adoration will be available from the end of Mass until 10:00 p.m.

Good Friday
Good Friday is the only day of the year when there is no Mass. Instead, we commemorate the Lord’s Passion and Death, and Holy Communion is distributed from hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday. Although the Church strongly recommends that the liturgy be celebrated at 3:00 p.m.—the traditional hour of Our Lord’s death—we will celebrate it at 12:00 noon in English and at 5:30 p.m. in Spanish, so that those who work may be able to join us.

Holy Saturday / Easter Vigil
On Holy Saturday we continue our fast until the Easter Vigil, when we celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection. The Vigil should begin after nightfall, and therefore this year it will begin at 8:00 p.m. It is also at this Mass that we welcome new members into the Church through the celebration of the three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist.

Easter Sunday
On Sunday we continue the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection with our usual Mass schedule. Please note that the Mass in Latin will take place at 8:00 a.m., instead of 8:30 a.m., due to the complex schedule that requires priests and musicians to move from one location to another.
I hope I will see you at many—if not all—of these celebrations. If I don’t, Happy Easter!

• Next meal: No April meal due to Easter. Next meal will be May 2nd and 3rd.
• Bilingual Silver Rose Ceremony: Tuesday, April 21, following Mass. A reception will follow in Cathedral Hall.

Each year, from early March through mid-December, Silver Roses are stewarded by councils along routes from Canada to Mexico. Every stop the Silver Rose makes throughout the pilgrimage is a rosary-centered occasion for Knights, parishioners, and community members to pray for respect for life, for the spiritual renewal of each nation, and for the advancement of the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe.