Week Ahead: Easter Observances Set
Episcopal News Service. March 23, 2005 [032305-1-A]
During Holy Week, Christians commemorate, through various observances and worship services, the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Holy Week includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Day.
Easter Day is the annual feast of the resurrection, the pascha or Christian Passover, and the eighth day of cosmic creation. Faith in Jesus' resurrection on the Sunday, or third day following his crucifixion, is at the heart of Christian belief. In the West, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox. Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25 inclusive. Following Jewish custom, the feast begins at sunset on Easter Eve with the Great Vigil of Easter. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter on the first Sunday after the Jewish pesach or Passover (which follows the spring full moon). Although the two dates sometimes coincide, the eastern date is often one or more weeks later.
In the early church, the Saturday before Easter was a day of fasting and preparation for the Easter Vigil. There is no celebration of the eucharist on this day, in accordance with church tradition. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) uses the title "Holy Saturday" for the Saturday before Easter.
The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday is intended as the first celebration of Easter and is also known as the Great Vigil. The service begins in darkness, sometime between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Day, and consists of four parts: the Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle, the Exsultet); the Service of Lessons (readings from
the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers); Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows; and the Eucharist. Through this liturgy, the BCP recovers an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast. Believers would gather in the hours of darkness ending at dawn on Easter to hear scripture and offer prayer. This night-long service of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light and the Easter Eucharist. Easter was the primary baptismal occasion for the early church to the practical exclusion of all others. This practice linked the meanings of Christ's dying and rising to the understanding of baptism.
Many Episcopal Cathedrals and churches will be holding services throughout Holy Week. Please check with your local Episcopal Church for details of services in your area. A list of Episcopal Cathedrals, along with web links and contact details, is available online at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_51512_ENG_HTM.htm.
Coming up Maundy Thursday, March 24, 2005...
WILKES-BARRE, Pennsylvania - The Chrism Mass of the Diocese of Bethlehem will take place this year at 11 a.m. on Maundy Thursday, March 24, at St. Stephen's Pro Cathedral, Wilkes-Barre.
Bishop Paul Marshall of Bethlehem will bless the oils to be used in local congregations for baptism, confirmation and anointing of the sick. The Oil of the Sick is used in healing services and to strengthen those who are sick. The Oil of the Catechumens is used to anoint those preparing for baptism. Holy Chrism is used at baptism and confirmation to anoint Christians that they may be empowered for God's service.
St. Stephen's Pro Cathedral, 35 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18701. Tel: 570.825.6653. http://www.ststephenswb.org/.
Coming up Good Friday, March 25, 2005...
BOSTON - A service of music, prayer, reflection and silence from 12 noon to 3 p.m. will be held on Good Friday, March 25, in the chapel at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Co-sponsored by the MGH Chaplaincy and Episcopal Church Women, the service includes reflections on the words from the cross -- commonly called "the seven last words" -- from chaplains as well as clinicians who have completed studies in spiritual care, and is open to all.
The structure of the service allows patients, families, visitors, and staff to come and go as they are able. Those unable to come to the chapel can watch on channel 16, MGH's closed circuit television, available free in all patient rooms.
Reflections will be offered by Elizabeth Johnson, RN, CNS, clinical nurse specialist, Ellison 14 Oncology-Bone Marrow Transplant floor; John Murphy, RN, nurse manager, Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit; Daphne B. Noyes, deacon and MGH per diem chaplain; Colby Phillips, chaplaincy staff; and Nancy Raines, staff chaplain.
Musical selections for voice, piano, and cello include the tenth-century chant "Pange Lingua"; Charles Brown's "Song Without Words"; Hildegard von Bingen's "In Principio"; and "Es ist vollbracht" from J.S. Bach's St. John Passion. Suzanne Ehly is soprano soloist, accompanied by Noriko Yasuda, piano, and Kate Kayain, cello. All are invited to join in the familiar hymns that will be interspersed throughout, including "O sacred head, sore wounded," "There's a wideness in God's mercy," and "Were you there when they crucified my Lord."
Further information, contact Daphne B. Noyes, 617.354.2540, or Colby Phillips, 617.726.2220.
POMPTON LAKES, New Jersey - The preacher for this year's Good Friday observance at Christ Church in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, will be the Rev. Clement W.K. Lee, telecommunications director for the Anglican Communion and priest associate at Trinity St. Paul's in New Rochelle, New York. Lee is also on the editorial board of the Episcopal New Yorker newspaper, the board of managers of Episcopal Social Services, and a member of the Diocese of New York Ezra Project Team developing a new congregation in the city of Yonkers. Lee recently retired from the national Episcopal Church Center where, since 1986, he was video and multimedia producer.
All are invited to attend all or any part of the service. A free-will offering will be received for the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East.
Christ Church, 400 Ramapo Avenue, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. Tel: 973.835.2207. http://www.christchurchpompton.org/direct.html.
WILMINGTON, Delaware - Bishop Steven Charleston, president and dean of Episcopal Divinity School, will preach at the Good Friday service at 12 noon on March 25 at Saints Andrew and Matthew Church in Wilmington, Delaware.
This inner city parish is the result of the merger of an all-white and an all-black parish many years ago and has been described by Charleston as one of the "top five truly integrated Episcopal Churches he has seen." The service has become a "must see" event in Delaware with people traveling from throughout the state to participate.
The service will feature music by the SsAM Adult Choir and Choral Scholars with David Christopher, organist and director. The theme of this three-hour service is the "Seven Last Words of Jesus."
Charleston is president and dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the historic theological seminaries that trains lay and ordained leadership for the church. A citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Charleston was born and raised in an Oklahoma family with a long history of service in the Native American Christian community. His grandfather and great-grandfather were ordained ministers of the Presbyterian Church and served among the Choctaw People in rural Oklahoma. Charleston received his bachelor's degree in religion from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1971, and his master's of divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School in 1976. He holds two honorary doctorates, one from Alaska Pacific University and the other from his alma mater, Trinity College. http://www.ssam.org/
YORKTOWN, Virginia - The premiere of a new musical work, "The Seven Last Words of Christ," will be performed during the 7 p.m. Good Friday service at Grace Episcopal Church in Yorktown, Virginia, on March 25.
The music is for full choir, organ and cello and will be performed by the Grace Church Con Brio Choir under the direction of Mrs. Greta Reed with organ accompaniment by Elsa Bakkum, and cello by Donna Taylor.
Grace Episcopal Church, 111 Church Street, Yorktown, Virginia. Tel: 757.898.3261. http://www.gracechurchyorktown.org/.
Coming up Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005...
KINGSTON, Pennsylvania - The Caressi Trio, a group of senior music students at the Royal College of Music in London, England, will perform at the 10:30 a.m. Easter Eucharist on March 27 at Grace Episcopal Church in Kingston, Pennsylvania.
These highly accomplished musicians -- Peter Povey (Violin), Lydia Bunn (Viola), Lawrence Durkin (Cello) -- have performed for Prince Charles, British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Lancaster House and in the House Of Commons among other concerts throughout Britain. The trio was founded in 1998 by Peter Povey while in high school.
Chosen as artists in residence at the Performing Arts Institute, Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, the Caressi Trio will be visiting the campus for ten days in March and will appear at Grace Church at the behest of parishioner Sophie Till. The Performing Arts Institute is Wyoming Seminary's summer music program.
Grace Episcopal Church, 33 James St., Kingston, Pennsylvania 18704. Tel: 570.287.0932.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Holy Trinity Philharmonic Orchestra and the boys choir and guests will perform G.F. Handel's Messiah -- second and third sections with the Passion and Resurrection at 1 p.m. on Easter Sunday at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
SAN FRANCISCO, California - A Jazz Evensong for Easter Day will feature the Boys of the Grace Cathedral Choir join with vocalist Pat Yankee, Bob Schulz and his Frisco Jazz Band. The service will begin at 3 p.m. in the Great Quire of Grace Cathedral San Francisco on Sunday, March 27.
Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St. (at Taylor St.), San Francisco, California 94108. Tel: 415.749.6300. http://www.gracecathedral.org/.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Easter Day at Washington National Cathedral. 8 a.m. Eucharist: the Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane, bishop of Washington, preacher; the Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, dean of the Cathedral, celebrant. Choir of Men and Girls. Sign language interpreted.
11 a.m. Eucharist: The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, dean of the Cathedral, preacher; the Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane, bishop of Washington, celebrant. Choir of Men and Boys. Sign language interpreted.
Free passes are required for the 11 a.m. service. No passes are required for the 8 a.m. service. Please click here for Easter Pass
Information: http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/worship/easterpass.shtml
State Day prayers this Sunday will remember Nebraska in liturgies at Washington National Cathedral, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues Northwest (Mount St. Alban), Washington, D.C., 20016; 202.537.6200; http://www.cathedral.org/. Next Sunday, April 3: State Day prayers will remember North Dakota.
ANGLICAN COMMUNION - The Anglican Cycle of Prayer, this Sunday (Easter Day) offers the following prayer:
REJOICE NOW, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels, and let your trumpets shout Salvation for the victory of our mighty King.
Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth, bright with a glorious splendor, for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.
Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church, and let your holy courts, in radiant light, resound with the praises of your people.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Anglican Cycle of Prayer can be accessed online at: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/main.cfm.