We will be decorating the altar of repose for Holy Thursday in the Parish Hall on Wednesday, April 1 immediately following the 8 am Holy Mass. Please come and help us if you are in town.
Wondering what the altar of repose is and why we have it....
Purpose: It holds the Eucharist for adoration and for communion during the Good Friday service, as there is no Mass consecrated on that day.
Decoration: It is typically adorned with flowers, candles, and lights to reflect the solemnity and reverence of the occasion.
Procession: At the end of the Holy Thursday Mass, the Eucharist is carried in a solemn procession to this altar, often under a canopy, while the hymn Pange Lingua is sung.
Adoration & Vigil: The faithful keep watch with the Lord, echoing his words to the apostles in Gethsemane, “Could you not watch with me one hour?”.