Holy Week at Home
Below are some ideas for living Lent, Palm Sunday, Triduum & Easter Sunday at home. Share with us on social media how you’re observing Holy Week! (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
2021 Live-Streamed Liturgies
With Bishop Johnston
Below is a list of liturgies (and links to Facebook pages live-streaming) that Bishop Johnston will preside during Holy Week. If wishing to attend one of these liturgies in person, please contact the parish for advance registration requirements.
- 7 pm Holy Thursday, April 1, 2021: Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Cathedral of St. Joseph
- 3 pm Good Friday, April 2, 2021: Mass of the Lord’s Passion and Death at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
- 8 pm Holy Saturday, April 3, 2021: Easter Vigil at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
With Pope Francis on Vatican News
Click here for Pope Francis’ schedule on the Vatican website (all times are in Central European Time, 6 hours ahead of Central Standard Time). View the Vatican News livestream here.
With EWTN News
To view a PDF listing of EWTN Holy Week, Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday coverage in Rome and around the world, click here (all times are listed in Eastern Time, 1 hour ahead of Central Standard Time). Video of EWTN livestream here.
Family Resources
- How To Make the Most of Holy Week At Home (Our Sunday Visitor)
- Holy Week guidebook with liturgical readings, prayers and family activities, including an easy-to-use Stations of the Cross for families (Diocese of Phoenix)
- Holy Week from Home Resource Guide (Steier Group)
- Holy Week activities, family prayers, and downloads (Our Sunday Visitor)
- Fun crafts, recipes, and kid-friendly videos (Diocese of Youngstown, OH)
- Devotions, activities, and articles (Loyola Press)
- Holy Week devotion for teens (Life Teen)
Retreat Resources:
- March 26-28, 2021: The Easter Exultet hybrid retreat (Conception Abbey, Conception, MO)
- Holy Week Family Retreat-in-Place (Monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison, KS)
- Online Spiritual Journey: Daily Reflections from the Monks of Conception Abbey
Prayer Resources:
- Daily audio family prayer resource (School of Love)
- Holy Family School of Faith You Tube Channel- access Live Rosary meditations, a variety of Catholic podcasts, and faith formation talks
- How to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (EWTN)
- How to pray the Rosary (USCCB)
- Livestreamed Perpetual Adoration
- Magnificat (free issue online)| Magnificat (ejemplar gratuito)
- Stations of the Cross: Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word
- Stations of the Cross: Liguori- Sacred Art Series
- Stations of the Cross: Relevant Radio w/Magnificat (can listen Live at 3:30 pm CT Fridays during Lent)
- Stations of the Cross in Spanish, from Sacred Heart Parish- Conroe, TX
Ideas for Palm Sunday
- Read the Gospel of Mark’s account of the first Palm Sunday and of the Passion (Mass readings)
- Put a green branch on your door or window—before modern times, other branches would be carried when palms were not available
- Wear Red, the liturgical color of Palm Sunday
- Sing a hymn, such as ‘All Glory, Laud and Honor’ or ‘Crown Him with Many Crowns’
- Learn more on the history of Palm Sunday
- Practice your palm-folding skills with strips of paper
- Veil religious images in the home until Easter Sunday
- Hold a Palm Sunday procession in your home for the kids
Ideas for Holy Thursday
- Read the Gospel of John’s account of Holy Thursday (Mass readings)
- Wear White, the liturgical color of Holy Thursday
- Sing a hymn, such as ‘Sing my Tongue the Savior’s Glory’, ‘At that First Eucharist’ or ‘Panis Angelicus’
- Make a virtual ‘Seven Churches Pilgrimage’
- Learn the significance of Holy Thursday
- Read ’10 things you need to know about Holy Thursday’ by Jimmy Akin
Ideas for Good Friday
- Read the Gospel of John’s account of Good Friday (Liturgical readings)
- Remember to Fast and Abstain on this day
- Wear Red (or Black), the liturgical color of Good Friday
- Sing a hymn, such as ‘O Sacred Head Surrounded’, ‘What Wondrous Love is This’ or ‘At the Cross her Station Keeping’
- Pray the Stations of the Cross (or our diocese’s Stations of the Cross in Atonement for Abuse and for the Healing of All)
- Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
- Meditate on the Crucifix
- Listen to Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s meditation on the ‘Seven Last Words of Christ’
- Read ‘9 things you need to know about Good Friday’ by Jimmy Akin
Ideas for Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil
- Read the Scriptures for Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil–meditate on the multiple readings going through salvation history, and St. Mark’s account of the resurrection
- Wear White, the liturgical color of Holy Saturday
- Sing a hymn, such as ‘Alleluia, Sing to Jesus’
- Hang lights or light a candle as a reminder of the Light of Christ received at baptism
- Meditate on the Exsultet sung at Easter Vigil (More on the history of this ancient hymn here)
- Learn more about the Easter Vigil liturgy
- Read ’12 things you need to know about Holy Saturday’ by Jimmy Akin
Ideas for Easter Sunday
- Read the Gospel of John’s account of Easter Sunday (Mass readings)
- Wear White, the liturgical color of Easter Sunday
- Sing an Easter hymn
- Learn the origins of popular Easter symbols
- Pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
- Video chat with family and friends over an Easter meal
- Read ‘8 things you need to know about Easter Sunday’ by Jimmy Akin
