As the season of Lent draws to a close, and as Catholics prepare to observe Holy Week to commemorate Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, nearly 1.3 million faithful worshiping in the Archdiocese of Newark’s 212 parishes throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties will mark the days leading to Easter Sunday March 31 with a full range of liturgies, many of which will be celebrated by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark.
His presider schedule includes:
March 24 | Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Cardinal Tobin will preside at the noon Palm Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Verona. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant arrival in Jerusalem. During Mass, Catholics will hear the gospel account of the Passion and Crucifixion of Christ. Blessed palm fronds representing the palm branches the crowds scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into the city will be distributed.
March 25 | Chrism Mass | Mass of the Holy Oils
Cardinal Tobin will preside at the 8 p.m. Chrism Mass at Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Catholics will witness the blessing of the Chrism, a mixture of oil and balsam, or balm, used in archdiocesan parishes throughout the coming year for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, the anointing of the sick, and to anoint newly ordained priests and deacons and to bless altars and churches.
At the conclusion of the Mass, representatives from each parish receive the newly blessed oils in the name of their communities. The Mass, celebrated annually in every diocese of the Universal Church, also calls on all clergy of the archdiocese present to renew their promises of ordination. This Mass welcomes all those who share in church ministries, including those in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), baptism, and confirmation programs.
March 28 | Holy Thursday | Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Cardinal Tobin will preside at the bilingual 7:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, which commemorates Christ’s washing of the feet and the Eucharist’s institution during the Last Supper. During this Mass, in imitation of Jesus’ humility and actions at the Last Supper, Cardinal Tobin will wash the feet of representatives of the Cathedral Basilica’s parish community. After Mass, the Cathedral Basilica’s sanctuary will be stripped of all décor, and the crucifix will be covered by purple cloth in preparation for the solemn Good Friday liturgy.
March 29 | Good Friday | Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
Cardinal Tobin will preside at the 3 p.m. Good Friday Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart to commemorate Christ’s suffering and death through prayer, silence and Adoration of the Cross. A Spanish-language liturgy will then commence at 5 p.m., followed by a choral adaptation of the Stations of the Cross performed by the Cathedral Choir at 8 p.m.
March 30 | Holy Saturday | Easter Vigil
Cardinal Tobin will celebrate the bilingual Easter Vigil Mass beginning at 8:30 p.m. in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The vigil, which begins after nightfall, is the first and most important celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection.
At this liturgy, Catholics celebrate the festival of light, symbolizing the Light of the Resurrection seen in the new fire, the Easter or Paschal candle lit within a darkened cathedral. The “Alleluia” will be praised for the first time since the start of Lent. New members of the Catholic Church — the RCIA catechumens — also will be welcomed into the faith at this Mass and will receive the sacraments of baptism, Eucharist and confirmation.
March 31 | Easter Sunday | Jesus’ Resurrection
Following an English-language Mass at 8:30 a.m. and a Spanish-language Mass at 10 a.m., Cardinal Tobin will celebrate his own Easter Sunday liturgy at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart at noon. The Easter Sunday Mass adheres closely to the traditional liturgical format, so it does not include the solemn ceremonies featured in the Easter Vigil. However, each liturgy commemorates the miracle of Christ’s Resurrection.
All of the aforementioned Holy Week liturgies will be livestreamed through the Archdiocese of Newark’s YouTube channel and Facebook page as well as the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.