Holy Week & Easter 2020

From St. Columbkille

As you probably know, we will sadly not be able to gather together to celebrate Holy Week and Easter this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, we will broadcast Masses on the parish YouTube page on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.

For this year, we will celebrate together with St. Joseph the Worker with staff from both parishes assisting with the liturgies. All celebrations will be held at St. Columbkille. St. Joseph the Worker will remain open for private prayer.

For everyone's safety, we are limiting those attending these liturgies to 10 people or less. This includes the priests, deacons, music ministers, lectors and sacristan. We also ask that no more than 10 people are in SJTW at a time and that everyone practices safe social distancing.

We will also have Sunday at Home posts for each of the celebrations of the Triduum. They will contain the readings, suggested songs, Father's homily, petitions and more to help you celebrate the Triduum in your home. You will find those on our blog.

You can also watch the live stream of the Archbishop's celebration of the Triduum. You can learn more by reading below.

Thank you for your patience and prayers during this difficult time. Please remember that even though we can't celebrate together, this is still the holiest time of the year. So make sure to spend some time in prayer as we remember Jesus' great act of love for us!

From the Archdiocese of Dubuque

We will unfortunately NOT be able to have public celebrations of the Holy Week and Easter Sunday services.

The priest(s) will celebrate alone, or with the assistance of a few liturgical ministers (not more than 10 people gathered, and practicing social distancing).

Neighboring priests might think about joining together for the Holy Week and Easter Sunday services, if they aren’t livestreaming from their own parish. Reminder: services offered online should not be pre-recorded on a day different than when they are normally celebrated (e.g., Easter Vigil after dark on Holy Saturday).

The Archbishop’s celebration of the Holy Week and Easter Sunday services in the Vianney House chapel will be livestreamed here.

The Congregation for Divine Worship has provided some general indications for the celebration of Holy Week services without a community:

Palm Sunday: There will be no blessing of palms, and no procession either outside or inside the church. Palms will not be left out for people to pick up as that could be an occasion for transmitting the Coronavirus.

Chrism Mass: This celebration will be postponed until such time that the priests are able to gather to renew their promises. The oils will be blessed and consecrated at that time.

Holy Thursday: The washing of feet, which is optional, is to be omitted. The procession with the Blessed Sacrament at the end of Mass is omitted, and the Eucharist is to be kept in the tabernacle.

Good Friday: The Solemn Intercessions will include a prayer for an end to the coronavirus pandemic (see below). If a priest celebrates the Good Friday service by himself, it would make sense to omit the procession with the cross, and go directly to venerate the cross.

Easter Vigil: The preparation and lighting of the fire is omitted. The Easter candle is prepared and lit. The procession is omitted, and the Exultet (sung or said) follows. After the Liturgy of the Word, the Baptismal Liturgy is omitted, except the Renewal of Baptismal Promises.

Easter Sunday: The date for the celebration of Easter cannot be changed.

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Prayer for an end to the pandemic 

Let us pray, dearly beloved, for a swift end
to the coronavirus pandemic that afflicts our world, that our God and Father will heal the sick, strengthen those who care for them,
and help us all to persevere in faith:

Almighty and merciful God,
source of all life, health and healing,
look with compassion on our world, brought low by disease; protect us in the midst of the grave challenges that assail us and in your fatherly providence
grant recovery to the stricken,
strength to those who care for them,
and success to those working to eradicate this scourge. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.