NEW YORK — Holy Week is fast approaching, and many Catholics in New York City are ready to participate in local Masses and community events that take place throughout the week.
Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday, includes liturgical activities on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. This year the religious holiday of Good Friday falls on April 7. A full schedule for Easter can be found here.
According to Britannica, Good Friday was observed from the earliest days of Christianity as a day of sadness, penance and fasting, a characteristic that is expressed in the German word “Karfreitag” (“Friday of Sorrows”). In English, se debate the origin of the term “Good” (Good Friday): some believe that it developed from an older name, “God’s Friday”.
In the Roman Catholic Church, mass is not celebrated on Good Friday, although a liturgy is performed. The liturgy of Good Friday consists of the reading of the Gospel account of the Passion, the adoration of the cross and Communion.
In New York City, Catholics will have several opportunities in the boroughs to see a street procession enacting the Stations of the Cross.
To get involved in one of the local Good Friday events, here are some churches in New York City that have liturgies planned:
St. Simon Stock Parish – St. Joseph (The Bronx)
The street procession will be at noon and the service will be at 7 pm The address is 2191 Valentine Ave.
Parish of San Antonio de Padua (The Bronx)
A bilingual procession will begin at 4:30 pm in front of the church. At 7 pm, the church will hold its Passion Commemoration in Spanish. The church is located at 832 East 166th Street.
(esquina de166th Street y Prospect Avenue).
St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Manhattan)
While the well-known cathedral will not have a street procession in the city center, you can still visit the Solemn Liturgy of the Passion and Death of the Lord at 3:30 pm, which will also be broadcast live.
Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (Manhattan)
Their procession will take place at 1 pm and they will also perform a liturgy at 4 pm in Spanish.
