The Mass

(above) Ringing of bells at the Gloria.

The Procession

The Altar of Repose

The Stripping of the Altar

March 23 | TENEBRÆ
7:00 p.m. The complete office of Matins & Lauds for Holy Thursday
Tenebræ responsories (Lassus & anon. German, ca. 1550)
Miserere (George Malcolm)

March 24 | MAUNDY THURSDAY
7:00 p.m. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Missa Nos autem gloriari (La Rue)
O bone Jesu (Compère)
O vos omnes (Hieronymus Praetorius)
Ave verum corpus (Mawby)
Pange lingua (Victoria)
8:30 p.m. Vespers and Stripping of the Altars
9:00 p.m. All-Night Vigil

March 25 | GOOD FRIDAY
11:00 a.m. Via Crucis (Spanish)
12:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross (English)
3:00 p.m. The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion
Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem (Byrd)
The Reproaches (Senfl / plainsong)
Ecce lignum / Crux fidelis (Willaert)
Velum templi (Clemens)
Maria plena virtute (Fayrfax)
Vexilla Regis prodeunt (Roman tone) (Victoria)
Miserere (Victoria)
7:00 p.m. Outdoor Procession
8:00 p.m. Compline and All-Night Vigil

March 26 | EASTER VIGIL
2:00 p.m. Blessing of the Easter Food
7:00 p.m. The Great Paschal Vigil & First Mass of Easter
Messe solennelle (Widor)
Regina cæli (Aichinger)
Angelus Domini descendit (Lassus)
Dum transisset Sabbatum (Taverner)
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes (Byrd)
organ music of Tournemire

March 27 | EASTER SUNDAY
9:30 a.m. The Mass of Easter Sunday
Missa Pascale (Senfl)
Hæc dies (Byrd)
Congratulamini mihi omnes (Willaert)
organ music of Bach and Tournemire

The following churches will offer the Sung Office of Tenebrae this Wednesday evening:

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, 7 pm (Traditional Mass at 6 pm)
Tenebræ responsories (Lassus & anon. German, ca. 1550)
Miserere (George Malcolm)

Church of the Holy Innocents, New York, 8 pm (Traditional Sung Mass at 6 pm)

St. Anthony of Padua, Jersey City, 7:30 pm

Also known as Palm or Pussy Willow Sunday (there are no palms this time of year in Russia). As celebrated at St. Michaels’ Russian Catholic Chapel, New York.

(Photo courtesy of Thomas Stadnik)

Palm (or Olive Branch) Sunday in the Traditional Ambrosian Rite. As celebrated  at the church of the Traditional Ambrosian Rite Catholics in Milan:  Santa Maria della Consolazione.

(Above) The full schedule of Traditional services at St. Anthony’s

JERSEY CITY – The Office of Tenebrae of Holy Thursday will be anticipated on Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30PM as part of this year’s schedule of Holy Week services at the historic downtown church of St. Anthony of Padua, located at Monmouth St. between 6th and 7th.

This ancient service generally referred to as the Holy Week Office of Shadows or Darkness consists of the Office of Matins and Lauds for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The name derives from the Latin meaning of Tenebrae which means “shadows.” It is also referred to as “Christ’s Funeral.”

As the name suggests, the service is conducted in a darkened church while the choir chants Psalms, Lamentations, Responsories and Lessons. After the completion of each Psalm one candle is extinguished from the “hearse” holding fifteen candles gradually reducing the lighting throughout the service. The six altar candles are put out during the Benedictus, and then any remaining lights in the church. The last candle is hidden, and the service ends with the strepitus (Latin for “great noise”) symbolizing the earthquake that followed Christ’s death. This beautiful and moving service is very rarely experienced in parish churches.

The resident choir, Cantantes in Cordibus will lead the Gregorian chant and other musical settings by Allegri. Its director, Maestro Simone Ferraresi, studied at the Conservatory of Music in Ferrara, Italy where he earned his degree with highest honors; at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna he studied with world renowned pianist and musicologist Paul Badura-Skoda. Maestro Ferraresi specialized in interpretation of classical composers; at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was awarded the Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music – the highest examinable award given by the Royal Academy. He was also awarded three special prizes for best performance in the final recital. He is the founder and artistic director of the Ferrara International Piano Festival.

St. Anthony’s Church is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Sites. The church, built in the Victorian Gothic Style, is a pristine example of a church untouched by modern elements and remains a true example of Roman Catholic aesthetic rarely seen today. The church parking lot is located on 6th St. between Coles and Monmouth Street and is easily accessible from the Grove Street PATH, the Newport PATH and Light Rail stop.

Through the generous support of Very Rev. Canon Joseph Urban, Pastor of St. Anthony’s, this is the first time Tenebrae will be available at St. Anthony’s. We invite everyone to attend this moving service during the most important and significant week of the Liturgical Year. Please visit the parish website at stanthonyjc.com for more information about the other traditional services during Holy Week.

(Images in Church of the Holy Redeemer, New York)

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT

Palm Sunday, Solemn Mass 9:30 am
Wednesday, March 23, Tenebrae, 7 pm
Holy Thursday, Mass of the Last Supper, 7 pm; Stripping of the Altars and Tenebrae, 8:30; All night vigil before the Blessed Sacrament
Good Friday, Good Friday Liturgy, 3 pm, Outdoor Good Friday procession, 6:30 pm, all night vigil
Holy Saturday, end of vigil, 12 noon; Easter Vigil Mass, 7 pm
Easter Sunday, Solemn Mass, 9:30 am

St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven, CT
Palm Sunday, High Mass,2 pm
Good Friday, Sung, 12 noon
Easter Sunday, High Mass and Benediction, 2 pm

Church of the Holy Innocents, New York
Palm Sunday,Sung Mass,10:30AM, Sung Vespers 2:30PM
Monday in Holy Week, Mass at 6PM
Tuesday in Holy Week, Mass at 6PM
Spy Wednesday, Sung Mass at 6PM; Tenebræ Service at 8PM
Holy Thursday, Sung Mass at 7:30PM. The church will remain open for prayer at the Altar of Repose.
Good Friday, Seven Last Words at 12 Noon – Musical setting: Théodore Dubois: Liturgy of the Passion (Pre-Sanctified) at 3PM
Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil at 9:30PM; Easter festive reception immediately after the Easter Vigil
Easter Sunday, 10:30AM; Festive Coffee Hour after Mass; Sung Vespers for Easter at 2:30PM

St. Patrick’s Church, Newburgh,  NY (55 Grand Street, Newburgh, NY 12550)

Easter Sunday Mass, 3:00 pm.

Immaculate Conception Church, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Palm Sunday, Missa Cantata, 3:00 pm (with Procession/Blessing of Palms/ Chanting of the Passion)

Easter Sunday, Missa Cantata, 1:30 pm

Our Lady of Peace, Brooklyn, NY
Palm Sunday, Missa Cantata with blessing of palms and procession, 9:20 am

St. Anthony of Padua, Jersey City, NJ
Spy Wednesday, Tenebrae, 7:30 PM (please be advised to bring your 1962 or earlier Roman missal)
Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 6:00 PM
Good Friday, Liturgy of Our Lord’s Passion, 5:00 PM
Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil and Mass, 10:00 PM
Easter Sunday, Low Mass, 9:00 AM

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Newark, NJ

Holy Thursday, Solemn Mass, 7 pm

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, West Orange, NJ
Palm Sunday: 7:30 am, 10:00 am; Vespers 3:00 pm
Holy Thursday: 9:00 a.m. Tenebrae; 7:00 p.m. Solemn High Mass; 8:30 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration at the Altar of Repose
Good Friday: 8:00 a.m. Tenebrae; 3:00 p.m. Liturgy of the Passion & Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Holy Saturday: 8:00 a.m. Tenebrae; 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass
Easter Sunday: 7:30 a.m. Low Mass; 9:00 a.m. Low Mass with Hymns; 11:00 a.m. High Mass

Our Lady of Fatima, Pequannock, NJ
Note: The Sacred Triduum will be held at HOLY CROSS CHURCH in Wayne, NJ
HOLY THURSDAY MASS : 6 pm followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight
GOOD FRIDAY MASS OF THE PRESANCTIFIED: 3 pm
EASTER VIGIL : 10 pm
EASTER SUNDAY MASS, in Our Lady of Fatima Chapel
10:00 AM Solemn Mass; There will be no Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and no 5:00 PM Mass on Easter Sunday

(Stained glass window in St. Monica Church, New York)

Feast of St. Patrick, Thursday March 17

Holy Innocents Church, New York, Solemn Mass at 6PM

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, Vespers according to the Extraordinary Form, 5:30 pm, featuring children’s schola cantorum

(Image is in the Asamkirche, Munich, Germany)

Feast of St. Joseph, Saturday, March 19

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, Missa Cantata, 9:00 am
Missa sine nomine à 6 (Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, c.1525-1594)
Gregorian Mass of St. Joseph: Justus ut palma
Motet at the Offertory: Beatus vir qui timet Dominum (II) (Claudio Monteverdi, 1567-1643)
Hymn at the Communion: Magne Joseph, fili David (plainsong)

Holy Innocents Church, Solemn Mass, 1 pm. Following the Mass, there will be a reception in the Church Hall with St. Joseph’s Table.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Newark, NJ, Solemn Mass, 12 noon, followed by a St. Joseph’s table

Our Lady of Peace Church, 400 Maywood Ave., Maywood, NJ, 7:30 pm

Other masses for this coming week (Passiontide):

March 13, Passion Sunday
Holy Name of Jesus Church, Brooklyn, Solemn Mass, 5 pm

March 15, Tuesday of Passiontide
St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT, Missa Cantata, 7:30 pm

March 16, Wednesday of Passiontide
St. Mary Church, Roslyn Harbor, NY, Missa Cantata, 7 pm
St. Mary Church, Norwalk, 6 pm

Dear Friends,

We have a nearly full house for the 24th Annual Summer Symposium at Gardone, with application still open until March 31st. Unfortunately, we also have some very serious hurdles to overcome in order to offer our normal program.
As you know, the Roman Forum no longer has any endowment whatsoever, and now relies solely on donations for all of its activities. We are still $10,000 short of the $30,000 that we need to run the Summer Symposium. The money is used to pay for our twelve speakers’ participation (airfare, room and board), as well as scholarships for priests, seminarians, and students. We have nine more speakers to support, and a backlog of fifteen scholarship applicants.
We are planning to put all of our talks online from this summer forward, including a redoing of all twenty five years of the New York Church History Lecture Series, but we desperately need your help to be able to do so. I wish that I could think of new words to indicate what an enormous blessing the twenty four years of this Summer Symposium has been, not just for the people taking part in it, but for the broader work of building up scholarly contact and cooperation among Traditionalist Catholics and providing major texts in Church History and Social Thought. Our speakers now come from Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Sweden, and Australia in addition to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Alas, I simply cannot think of anything else to say.
Fundraising is a very, very unpleasant work, and I promise that this, my second general request for help, will be my last appeal for help for this project. Quite frankly, I have a great fear that without your immediate assistance we may no longer be able to keep the Roman Forum going past this summer at all.

Warm regards,
John Rao (D.Phil., Oxford; Associate Professor of History, St. John’s University)
Chairman, Roman Forum