Holy week celebrations will look a little different this year due to COVID-19, and in part due to the ongoing renovations at St. Peter Cathedral, Erie. The changes, however, are not as drastic as last year, when public worship was not permitted.
Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Holy Thursday, April 1 at 5:15 pm, St. Peter Cathedral
The most dramatic element of this annual Mass, the foot-washing by the principal celebrant — in this case, Bishop Lawrence Persico — will be eliminated.
The usual stripping of the altar in preparation for Good Friday will occur at the end of Mass. All cloths and ornamentation is taken away, and the bishop will process from the altar with the Eucharist.
Tabernacles around the world will remain empty through Good Friday, the one day of the year on which no Masses are celebrated.
Communion Service and Veneration of the Cross, Good Friday, April 2 beginning at 2 pm
The Catholic Church does not celebrate Mass on Good Friday. In fact, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday does not include a final blessing.
On Good Friday, St. Peter Cathedral Parish will hold a Communion service and celebration of the Lord’s Passion. It includes the reading of the Passion of Christ, a homily, solemn intercession prayers, veneration of the cross and distribution of Communion reserved from Thursday. Veneration of the cross will be adjusted this year. People will come forward to genuflect before the cross, but will not have the usual option of touching or kissing it. Veneration is done as a sign of devotion.
Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 3 at 8:30 pm
The Easter Vigil is the high point of the liturgical year for Catholics. Again due to restrictions and renovations, this year will feature adaptations. While Mass usually begins with lighting a fire outside the church, which is then used to light the paschal candle, this year, a small fire will be lit right in the church for this purpose. The paschal candle will be lit at Masses during the Easter season (through Pentecost, which is May 23 this year) as well as throughout the year at events including baptisms and funerals.
Parishes throughout the diocese are holding similar events; please visit our homepage, www.ErieRCD.org, for a link to Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses throughout the diocese. The direct link is: https://www.eriercd.org/easter.html#masses.
