Greetings of peace. We would respectfully ask you to pay special attention to the special liturgy times at the Shrine during this sacred time of Holy Week. The Arch Street Band will provide all of the music for the services below, except where noted.
Mass of the Lord’s Supper is on Holy Thursday at 5:15 pm. This is the only Mass on this day. I will preside at that Mass.
On Good Friday, Fr. Richard Flaherty will preside at the 3:15 pm service in the second-floor church and Fr. Gene will preside at the 3:30 pm service in the first-floor church. The Friars (Fr. Joe, Br. Tony, and Fr. Damian) will do the music for the 3:30 pm service. Dramatic Stations are in the second-floor church at 11 am, Noon, 1 pm and 5:15 pm. Traditional Stations, without the Arch Street Band, are on the first-floor church at 12:15 pm and 2 pm. On Holy Saturday, we celebrate the Easter Vigil at 8 pm. This is the only Mass on Saturday. Fr. Michael will preside and Fr. Damian will sing the Exsultet.
On Easter Sunday, Masses in the second-floor church will follow the usual Sunday schedule through the morning. Fr. Ray will preside at 6 am, Fr. Jeffery at 7:30 am, Fr. Joe at 9 am, Fr. Frank at 10:30 am, and Fr. Richard at Noon. The two early Masses (6 am and 7:30 am) will be without music. There is an additional Mass at 1:30 pm and I will preside at that Mass. Also on Easter, in the first-floor church, Fr. Damian will preside in English at the 9:30 am Mass, Fr. Brian in English at the 10:45 am Mass, and the Band will be at both of those Masses. Fr. Gene is the presider for the first-floor Noon Mass in Spanish, with music, and Fr. Alonso Morales, OFM, will preach. Fr. Alonso serves as the General Secretary for Missions and
Evangelization for the Order of Friars Minor in Rome and we are fortunate to have him as a guest at the Shrine this month.
The Shrine closes at 2:30 pm on Easter Sunday. I am grateful (and a little overwhelmed) by the amount of teamwork that all of these events require. Thank you all for your generosity and your cooperation.
Fr. Thomas Conway, OFM
Executive Director