Dear Faithful of ICC,
I wish you all a very happy Holy Week. I just want to give you a few notes on the ceremonies for this weekend.
Tonight, Spy Wednesday, we will have confessions beginning at 5:00 pm, mass at 6. Following mass, we will have the first day of Tenebrae. Tenebrae is the singing of the Divine Office of Matins and Lauds for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday anticipated to the evening before. It consists of 3 “Nocturns,” each consist of 3 Psalms, and 3 Readings with hymns and chants in-between. The Psalms particularly relate the prophecies and events surrounding the coming Messiah, and the readings center around the Lamentation of the prophet Jeremiah as he calls for the conversion of the Jewish people back to God. These readings also represent to us in the Church a dire reminder and warning to remain Faithful to Christ. We will sing Tenebrae Wednesday, Thursday (after the stripping of the Altars), and Friday at 7:00 pm.
Maundy Thursday – Confessions will be offered from 5:00 pm to 5:50pm (maybe longer if possible). The Mandatum ceremony, aka Foot Washing will begin at 6:00 pm. The Sung Mass of the Lord’s Supper will begin at 6:30 pm. This mass commemorates for us the great gifts of the Eucharist and the Holy Priesthood but is also marks the beginning of our Lord’s passion and concludes with a procession of the Chalice containing the Eucharist as we bring Him to the Altar of Repose where we keep vigil with Him until Midnight.
Good Friday – Confessions will begin at 1:30 and go until 2:50. Stations of the Cross begin at 2:00 pm and the Liturgies begins at 3:00 pm. The Liturgies begins with the Prophecies and the singing of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, followed by the solemn prayers where we ask for God’s intercession in guiding, protecting, and converting every soul back to Christ. Then follows the adoration of the cross and the mass of the Pre-sanctified.
Holy Saturday – Confessions will begin at 5:30 and Vigil will begin at 7:00 pm.
Easter Sunday masses will be; 7:30 am Sung Mass, 10:00 am Sung Mass, and 1:00 pm Low Mass with confessions before each mass.