Holy Week & Easter Services
From early times Christians have observed the week before Easter as a time of special devotion. As the pilgrim Egeria recorded in the late fourth century, Jerusalem contained many sacred places that were sites for devotion and liturgy. Numerous pilgrims to the holy city followed the path of Jesus in his last days. They formed processions, worshipped where Christ suffered and died, and venerated relics. From this beginning evolved the rites we observe today on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. These services provide a liturgical experience of the last days of Jesus’ earthly life, as well as the time and events leading up to his resurrection. (Definition from The Episcopal Church Glossary).
All Services (except for the Holy Saturday Liturgy in the Chapel) can be watched on Facebook Live or on the front page of our website here.
Church Open for Individual Prayer During Holy Week
During Holy Week, the church and Memorial Garden will be open and available for quiet prayer and silent meditation. The Stations of St. Paul’s are also available for viewing and/or reflection.
Palm Sunday Worship and Blessing of the Palms | Sunday, April 2 @ 10:00 a.m. | LIVESTREAM
Join us for Blessing of the Palms in the Memorial Garden with our fellow Downtown Churches (DCM). Following the Blessing of the Palms will be our Sunday worship with Holy Communion in the church.
Service of Tenebrae | Wednesday, April 5 @ 7:00 p.m. | LIVESTREAM
Held in the Atrium (in the Parish Building), our experience of Jesus’ suffering is deepened in this service of “Shadows,” using traditional chants and expressions of lament from the Hebrew Scriptures, led by the gentlemen of the St. Paul’s Choir.
Maundy Thursday Service | Thursday, April 6 @ 7:00 p.m. | LIVESTREAM
Maundy Thursday’s service will include foot washing and stripping of the altar. This very beautiful and intimate service commemorates the night Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and administered the Last Supper. Featuring the St. Paul’s Choir.
Good Friday Service | Friday, April 7 @ 12:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. | 12:00 PM LIVESTREAM
We stand at the foot of Jesus’ cross to lament the suffering that violence produces and to receive again the promise of God’s undying love for us.
- 12:00 p.m. – Good Friday Service with reflections on the Last Words of Jesus offered by St. Paul’s clergy.
- 7:00 p.m. – The Stations of St. Paul’s. Join the community as we pray these unique prayer stations that mark 14 moments in the racial history of St. Paul’s. READ MORE about the development of this special liturgical art expression. In-person only
Holy Saturday Service | Saturday, April 8 @ 10:00 a.m. on Facebook Live
A brief service of remembrance as we keep watch at the place of Jesus’ burial on Facebook Live (online only)
Great Vigil of Easter | Saturday, April 8 @ 8:00 p.m. | LIVESTREAM
After sunset, we huddle in the dark and look forward to the coming of Easter. We light the Pascal candle and hear again the stories of God’s continuing care for us. In the early church, this was the traditional time of Baptism for new converts, looking forward to their first celebration of the Eucharist on Easter morning. This service begins in the Memorial Garden with the lighting of the Great Fire of Easter, then moves indoors with readings, hymns, and the ushering in of Easter with a festive “Alleluia.” Featuring the St. Paul’s choir. (Incensed will be used in this Service).
Easter Sunday | Sunday, April 9 @ 10:00 a.m. | LIVESTREAM
- 10:00 a.m. – Festive Eucharist with Brass and Choir
- 11:30 a.m. – Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Capitol Square – Everyone will meet on the sidewalk in front of the church following the worship service and we will go to Capitol Square as a group. And if you would like to help hide eggs at Capitol Square and greet families.