The heart of the Christian faith is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the events we commemorate during Holy Week are the central pieces of our faith. This page gives an overview to the particular way we tell the story of Holy Week at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Sunday, April 17: Easter Day
After the walk through Holy Week and its complicated rites, the Easter Eucharist is straightforward; distinctive only in the intensity of joy and hope in the readings, music, and the flowering of the cross.
- 9:00 AM — Easter Service in English (Rite I) - Download the Bulletin
- 10:30 AM — Easter Service in English (Rite II) - Download the Bulletin - Join the Service Online
- Easter Egg Hunt immediately following the 10:30 AM service (about 11:30 AM)
- 1:00 PM — Misa del Pascua en Español - Descargar el Boletín
- Búsqueda de huevos de Pascua inmediatamente después del servicio (alrededor de las 2:00 p. m.)
10:30 AM Service |
10:30 AM Sermon |
1:00 PM Sermon |
Saturday, April 16: Holy Saturday and the Great Vigil
Holy Saturday is a day of both silence and intense activity. This holy day is observed with a simple liturgy to commemorate the burial of Jesus. This is an empty day as the Church prepares for the Great Vigil of Easter. At St. John’s, the preparations to transform the sanctuary into a place of beauty and splendor are briefly interrupted to remember Christ’s burial in the tomb. Mother Minerva has extended the invitation to this service to the congregation. Come to St. John's on Saturday at 11:00 AM.
The Great Vigil of Easter is the most ancient of the Church’s liturgies. It is by far the most dramatic and moving service of the year as the movement from death and darkness to resurrection and light is powerfully told in word and action. The Great Vigil consists of four parts:
Then the central moment of the church year occurs: the announcement of the resurrection by the Celebrant with the words “Alleluia, Christ is Risen.” The people respond “The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia” and the veil of darkness is lifted as the lights are turned on, the people ring bells, the Gloria is sung, and the service continues for the first Eucharist of Easter. The crosses that had been draped in black are now radiant in white. Before that Eucharist, however, we renew our Baptismal Vows to remember that we have died to sin and have been raised to new life in Jesus Christ; that we have “passed over” from darkness to light.
The Great Vigil of Easter is the most ancient of the Church’s liturgies. It is by far the most dramatic and moving service of the year as the movement from death and darkness to resurrection and light is powerfully told in word and action. The Great Vigil consists of four parts:
- The Service of Light.
- The Service of Lessons.
- The Renewal of Baptismal Vows.
- The Holy Eucharist.
Then the central moment of the church year occurs: the announcement of the resurrection by the Celebrant with the words “Alleluia, Christ is Risen.” The people respond “The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia” and the veil of darkness is lifted as the lights are turned on, the people ring bells, the Gloria is sung, and the service continues for the first Eucharist of Easter. The crosses that had been draped in black are now radiant in white. Before that Eucharist, however, we renew our Baptismal Vows to remember that we have died to sin and have been raised to new life in Jesus Christ; that we have “passed over” from darkness to light.
- 11:00 AM -- Holy Saturday Service
- 8:00 PM — Great Vigil service in English - Download the Bulletin - Join the Service Online
Easter Vigil Service |
Easter Vigil Sermon |
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Friday, April 15: Good Friday
This day is a day of both mourning and triumph. It is a day of mourning because it is our sin that has crucified Christ; simultaneously it is a day of triumph because our Lord transforms the cross into the instrument of our salvation. The opening rite is primitive in its starkness. The church, stripped of its furnishings and adornments on Maundy Thursday, reflects the somber mood of a people whose Savior has been crucified. The clergy enter and all kneel for silent prayer before the opening acclamation and collect. By ancient tradition, The Passion according to St. John is read on Good Friday. The Solemn Collects, an extended form of intercession, take the place of the Prayers of the People. A large wooden cross is brought before the people and draped in black. The church is left in silence, bleak and bare as the tomb.
The devotion known as the Way of the Cross, or Via Crucis in Spanish, is an adaptation to local usage of a custom widely observed by pilgrims to Jerusalem: the offering of prayer at a series of places in that city traditionally associated with our Lord’s passion and death. The number of stations, which at first varied widely, finally became fixed at fourteen. Of these, eight are based directly on events recorded in the Gospels. The remaining six numbers (3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 13) are based on inferences from the Gospel account or from pious legend.
The devotion known as the Way of the Cross, or Via Crucis in Spanish, is an adaptation to local usage of a custom widely observed by pilgrims to Jerusalem: the offering of prayer at a series of places in that city traditionally associated with our Lord’s passion and death. The number of stations, which at first varied widely, finally became fixed at fourteen. Of these, eight are based directly on events recorded in the Gospels. The remaining six numbers (3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 13) are based on inferences from the Gospel account or from pious legend.
- 11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon -- “Keeping Watch” Prayer Garden in the Narthex
- NOON — Good Friday Service in English - Download the Bulletin - Join the Service online
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM -- “Keeping Watch” Prayer Garden in the Narthex
- 7:00 PM — Via Crucis y Viernes Santo Misa en Español - Descargar el Boletín
12:00 Noon Service |
12:00 Noon Sermon |
Thursday, April 14: Maundy Thursday
This service takes its name from the Latin word Mandatum, meaning “commandment.” At the Last Supper, Jesus gives the new commandment, “love one another as I have loved you.” This day also commemorates the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper as Jesus tells his followers to “do this in remembrance of me.” At the end of the service, after the lights are dimmed in the church. The Stripping of the Altar, the removing all ornaments, linens, and paraments, is an ancient custom that is symbolic of the humiliation of Jesus at the hands of the soldiers. As the altar is stripped bare, we are reminded that Christ’s crucifixion leaves a void in our church and in the world. The Maundy Thursday service concludes in darkness and silence.
- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM — “Keeping Watch” Prayer Garden in the Narthex
- 7:00 PM — Maundy Thursday Service in English - Download the Bulletin - Join the Service online
- 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM — “Keeping Watch” Prayer Garden in the Narthex
7:00 PM Service |
7:00 PM Sermon |
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Sunday, April 10: The Passion of our Lord: Palm Sunday
The day’s full name indicates its dual focus. The reading of the Passion Narrative (the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion) is preceded by the commemoration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Liturgy of the Palms is the entrance rite but the Passion Gospel is the central focus. The euphoria and triumph of Jesus’ entry is short-lived and the tone of the day changes dramatically. We, who moments earlier shouted “Hosanna,” now cry “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The stage is set for the rest of the week.
- 9:00 AM — Holy Eucharist in English (Rite I) - Download the Bulletin
- 10:30 AM — Holy Eucharist in English (Rite II) - Download the Bulletin - Join the service online
- 1:00 PM — Misa en Español - Descargar el Boletín
10:30 AM Service |
10:30 AM Sermon |
1:00 PM Sermón en Español |
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