Holy Week begins on Sunday, April 9—Palm Sunday—and has many Catholic observances such as Palm Sunday and the blessing of the psalms, Tuesday’s Chrism Mass at the Cathedral in Hartford when the priests of the Archdiocese renew their priestly promises of Ordination before the Archbishop and the congregation, the Sacred Oils used in the Sacramental Life of the Church—Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination and the Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum, Holy Thursday and the Washing of the Feet and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and His institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood; and Good Friday’s Passion celebration. With the end of Holy Week the Church enters into the Easter celebration with its Vigil Mass and the welcoming of new Catholics into the faith and Easter Sunday Masses—going on into the Octave of Easter.
The Chrism Mass is a beautiful Mass at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral on Farmington Avenue and begins at 11 a.m. It is open to the public and if you have never attended I would strongly recommend attending. It illustrates the Sacramental and Apostolic nature of the Catholic Church—and how we possess the fullness of Christ as He instituted her to be—with the real and true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the profession of vows of the Catholic Priests and their role in the Sacramental Life of the Church, i.e., the bringing into being the Body and Blood of Christ at every Mass, as well as the blessing and distribution of the Sacred Oils to each parish in the Archdiocese for the carrying out of Christ’s Command to “Go forth and baptize all nations, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” as well as to grant the fullness of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation and the anointing of priest’s hands at Ordination and the Anointing of the Sick through this final sacrament. It is a mixture of beauty, ritual and faith all coming forth in a community of believers gathered in faith. I hope you will desire to be part of it.