HOLY WEEK AND SACRED TRIDUUM AT CONCEPTION ABBEY

Today on Passion or Palm Sunday we begin that all important week that we call Holy Week. The last days of the week we call The Sacred Triduum. How do we celebrate this week at Conception?

PALM SUNDAY: We try to have the blessing of palms some place other than in the church. This morning it was cloudy, cool and quite windy so we went into the first floor of St. Michael Hall and had the blessing in a large room there.
Usually if the weather is o.k. we have the blessing outdoors in the front of St. Michael Hall as you see in the picture to the right. We begin a little earlier than on a normal Sunday but still it is usually about 12:00 noon when we finish, Reading the account of the Passion of course takes extra time. On Palm Sunday the Abbot reads the words of Christ, the Prior reads the narrator part and the Subprior the part of other speakers.

HOLY THURSDAY: The Triduum does not begin until the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper at 5:00 PM for us at the Abbey. Our morning schedule is the same as for all days with Vigils at 6:00 AM, Morning prayer at 7:15 AM. However, on this day we have a Penance Service or Service of Reconcilation for the monks, seminarians and guests at 11:00 AM. Usually about eight confessors are assigned to be available at various places in the basilica for confessions. After the noon meal on this day we do not have any more recreation until Sunday after the Easter Vigil. We try to keep a spirit of silence during these days. At the evening Mass which begins at 5:00 PM, the Abbot washes the feet of 12 people. At the end of Mass the hosts that were consecrated for Good Friday are carried in procession to the tabernacle. Until midnight we have adoration of the sacrament. Then at about 7:00 PM we all gather in the student and guest refectories for an agape meal. Everyone is encouraged to spend some time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament after this until midnight.


GOOD FRIDAY: On this day, which is a day of fast and abstinence, our meals are very simple. We rise about 6:30 AM, eat a light breakfast in silence and then assemble in the basilica for Vigils and Morning Prayer at 7:50 AM. The students and guests join us for this. It takes a little over an hour. We pray daytime prayer at noon, and then have a light lunch. At 3:00 PM we again gather in the basilica for the Good Friday service. This includes readings, including the reading of the Passion according to St. John, a homily, prayers, adoration of the cross, and communion. After a simple supper, we pray compline at 7:15 PM.

HOLY SATURDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY: Holy Saturday is a quiet day as we await the resurrection on Easter Sunday. We pray Vigils and Morning prayer together at 7:50 AM, daytime prayer at noon, and vespers at 5:40 PM. Meals are all eaten in silence as are those on Good Friday.

And then at 4:30 AM on Easter Sunday morning
we gather outdoors in front of the basilica for the blessing of the new fire and lighting of the Easter candle for 2010. The Easter Vigil takes at least two and a half hours or more. It includes the reading of seven Old Testament readings, the blessing of water, the renewal of baptismal promises. In many parishes this is the night when new members enter the Church, are baptized or make their profession of faith. It is a beautiful ceremony. At the end all go forth with joy in their hearts and ALLELUIAS on their lips.

Many guests are usually with us for these days and the seminarians do not leave for vacation until after the Easter Vigil. They are then off all of Easter Week.

Christ is risen, ALLELUIA. A Blessed Easter to each and everyone of you.

Some News Items

Sorry I haven't written on this blog for a while.

Board of Regents: The seminary board of regents met last weekend. This is an advisory board made up of some of the bishops who have students here in the seminary, vocation directors and other priests and lay people. They are an advisory board to the seminary administration but a very important part of the seminary and decisions that effect the seminary.

Open house in St. Stephen Health Care Center: Last Sunday, March 14, we had an open house in our newly renovated Health Center. It was well attended by many people from the area. There are still a few pieces of furniture to arrive yet but, for the the most part, it is completed and of course in use. For anyone who had seen it before the renovation it's hard to imagine it is still the same building.

Weekend pastoral help: It seems there has been a lot of requests for weekend help lately. On the weekend of March 6-7, I went to Montrose and Butler, MO. These two parishes are served by one priest and there are two Masses at each parish so it was a busy weekend and a long drive. Then on Saturday, March 13, I went to St. Joseph, MO where I heard confessions and celebrated the 4:00 PM Mass. On Monday evening, March 15, I went with Fathers Xavier and Peter to the parish at Savannah, MO to help hear confessions at a penance service. This coming weekend, March 20-21 I go to the parish at Cameron, MO for Masses. At this time of year, with Easter coming soon, there are many penance services and frequently the pastors ask for help for these.

Snow is about all gone: As most of you know we had a lot of snow this winter and fortunately it is now just about all gone. The weather warmed up and we have had rain which helped get rid of the snow. However, that means we also have a lot of mud. If you get off of roads and sidewalks, the mud is deep and messy.

I am including some more photos of the Health Care Center, including some from the open house this past weekend.

A good friend, Maryann Ceckowski, sewing
valances for some of the windows.

Some of the people at the open house -- This
photo by seminarian Geoff Brooke