The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, reaching its high point in the Easter Vigil,
and closing with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday.
Holy Thursday – Thursday, April 6th
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Polycarp – Mass at 7pm
Live Streamed at https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE
(Collection is for the Shrines in the Holy Land.)
Good Friday – Friday, April 7th
Good Friday is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. The norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin (Roman) Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. ~USCCB
Passion of the Lord at St. Dennis – Service at 3pm at St. Dennis
(No service at St. Polycarp. All parishioners are strongly encouraged and invited to attend the 3 pm Passion of the Lord Service at St. Dennis)
Live streamed from St. Dennis at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Dl3AJWCXaPXy7Fqhkg2yg
Please note that there will be no Divine Mercy Devotion at St. Polycarp Church on Good Friday. We hope you will attend the 3pm service at St. Dennis.
There are no Stations of the Cross/Benediction at St. Polycarp on Good Friday.
Holy Saturday – Saturday, April 8th
No Confessions at either Parish
The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night at St. Polycarp – Mass at 8pm
Easter Sunday – Sunday, April 9th
St. Polycarp Masses at 8am and 10am
8:00 am Live Streamed at https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE
St. Dennis Masses at 8am, 9:30am and 11am (Hispanic)
(Second Collection is the Easter Offering.)
READINGS FOR HOLY THURSDAY: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040623.cfm
READINGS FOR GOOD FRIDAY: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040723.cfm
READINGS FOR EASTER SUNDAY: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040923.cfm
LIVE-STREAMING: Visit https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE (See above for live streaming times)
8:30 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
PARISH WEBSITE: Visit: www.saintpolycarp.org/.
WEEKLY PARISH BULLETIN: CLICK HERE . (new Bulletins are posted on Fridays) BULLETIN OVERFLOW: Bulletin Overflow – CLICK HERE
THE PARISH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED Thursday, April 6th, and remain closed through Monday, April 10th. The Parish Office will reopen on Tuesday, April 11th, at 9 am.
HOLY THURSDAY
The evening Mass on Holy Thursday is referred to as The Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This is where the Church re-lives the institution of the Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Last Supper, as well as the institution of the priesthood, which took place the evening before Jesus was crucified.
After the homily there is an optional “washing of the feet” ceremony, where the priest washes the feet of others to signify his role as servant—just as Jesus did with his disciples. Extra hosts are consecrated at this Mass to be used on Good Friday when no Mass will be celebrated.
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday concludes with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the “altar of repose,” a place where the consecrated Host is kept, away from the main altar where Mass is normally celebrated.
Many parishes will create space for people to stay and pray with the reposed Eucharist at this altar of repose late into the night, remembering Jesus’ request in the Garden of Gethsemane for someone to “watch and pray” with Him.
GOOD FRIDAY
Good Friday is a mandatory day of fasting and abstinence. This is the day of the crucifixion, the day Jesus died for the sins of the world.
The parish altar looks very different on Good Friday: it is plain and bare. There is no consecrated Host in the tabernacle at the main altar of the church; it was carried away on Holy Thursday night to the “altar of repose” to signify Jesus’ death. The candle by the tabernacle is blown out, and the tabernacle doors are left open to show that it is empty. Jesus is gone. This is quite dramatic, reminding us that Good Friday is a solemn day of mourning and prayer.
The ceremony on Good Friday is not a Mass—it is a communion service using the consecrated hosts from Holy Thursday. Good Friday is the only day of the year on which no Masses are offered.
These Good Friday services often take place at 3 p.m., the hour that Jesus breathed his last on the cross. Often the priest will begin the service by prostrating himself in front of the altar. Veneration of the Cross usually takes place at this service, in which the priest and the faithful kneel before a cross and kiss it.
EASTER VIGIL / EASTER SUNDAY
A vigil Mass is held after nightfall on Holy Saturday, or before dawn on Easter Sunday, in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. This is called the Easter Vigil: the most glorious, beautiful, and dramatic liturgy for the Church.
The vigil is divided into four parts.1) the Service of Light, 2) the Liturgy of the Word, 3) the Liturgy of Baptism, and 4) the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
This is also the Mass in which many RCIA catechumens are brought into full communion with the Catholic Church.
EASTER SUNDAY
Easter Sunday is what we’ve all been waiting for! The forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during Lent was in preparation for this day, when our hearts and souls can drink in deeply the culmination of the Paschal mystery: the Resurrection.
GLUTEN FREE? Do you have an intolerance to gluten? If so, our parish offers gluten-free wafers to be consecrated for you. Please see our Sacristan 10 – 15 minutes before Mass and let them know that you need a gluten-free wafer put in the pyx. At Communion, please proceed down the aisle to the priest who will have the pyx in his hand and let him know you need a gluten-free host. (Not sure who the Sacristan is, the ushers will be able to help you.)
FORMED: Have you had the opportunity to dive into FORMED? To sign up visit www.formed.org. Type in our Parish zip code (19977) and follow the steps to sign up or you can use the QR code below. Take advantage of your free subscription to FORMED! Enjoy thousands of hours of quality Catholic content!
BULLETIN SPONSORS: Thank you to all of our weekly bulletin sponsors for your support during the year! Your support has not gone unnoticed by our parish community and is so appreciated!
USEFUL LINKS:
WEBSITE: www.saintpolycarp.org.
BULLETIN: https://www.jppc.net/onlinebulletins/301template.pdf
BULLETIN OVERFLOW: https://saintpolycarp.org/this-weeks-bulletin/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SaintPolycarpCatholicChurch/
ONLINE GIVING: Please consider becoming an e-giver. It is easy to make your weekly or one time contributions in support of the Parish. For more information and to sign up for online giving, visit faith.direct/DE831
ST DENNIS: http://www.stdennischurch.org
DIOCESE OF WILMINGTON – LIVE STREAMING https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofWilm
FOR THE SAKE OF GOD’S CHILDREN: https://www.cdow.org/giving/fsgc/
THE DIALOG: http://thedialog.org/ Newspaper of the Diocese, copies available as you leave Church or online
EWTN: ewtn.com
FROM THE DIOCESE:
CATHOLIC FORUM/RELEVANT RADIO: Saturdays at 1:30 pm on Relevant Radio 640AM. Hear Bishop Koenig’s Easter message on the April 8th episode of Catholic Forum. CLICK HERE You can listen online at cdow.org/CatholicForum, or by searching “Catholic Forum” on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Amazon Music podcasts. “Like” Catholic Forum on Facebook at facebook.com/CatholicForum @CatholicForum.
LET US PRAY:
John 11:25-26
I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Christ yesterday and today,
the beginning and the end,
Alpha and Omega,
all time belongs to You,
and all ages;
to You be glory and power,
through every age and for ever. Amen
