Holy Week, Easter services begin March 23 at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
All are welcome to attend Holy Week and Easter services beginning with the Palm Sunday Masses March 23-24, and culminating with the glorious celebration of Easter, Sunday March 31, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1500 Brookdale Road in Naperville. Several liturgies also will be livestreamed.
On Saturday, March 23, there will be a Mass of Anticipation at 4:30 p.m. It will be livestreamed.
On Palm Sunday, March 24, join in Mass at 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 a.m. or 6 p.m.
On Monday to Wednesday, March 25-27, there will be an 8:30 a.m. Mass in the chapel, but no morning Mass on Holy Thursday.
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper will begin at 7 p.m. March 28. It will be livestreamed. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will follow Mass, ending with Night Prayer at midnight.
On Good Friday, March 29, there will be no morning Mass. At 3 p.m. during the Living Stations of the Cross, the middle school-aged youth of St. Thomas the Apostle will prayerfully depict the stations in tableaux format in a service that will help appreciate a deeper understanding of the gift of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for humanity. The liturgy will be livestreamed.
At 7 p.m., there will be a Celebration of the Passion of the Lord. This liturgy includes communal adoration of the Holy Cross and distribution of the Eucharist in the church. The liturgy will be livestreamed.
On Holy Saturday, March 30, there will be no morning Mass.
At noon, there will be a Blessing of Easter food baskets. In a custom native to several European countries, foods that will be enjoyed Easter morning are blessed on Holy Saturday. This blessing will be held outdoors at the entrance to the gathering area. (This entrance is the second one to the church on the right when using the main entrance to the parking lot.)
At 7 p.m., the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night. Mass will be livestreamed.
On Easter Sunday, March 31, Masses will be at 7:30 and 11:30 a.m. The 9:30 a.m. Mass will be held in both the church and the gym, and it will be livestreamed.
St. Thomas will resume its usual schedule of Masses on Monday, April 1. Daily Mass is celebrated at 8:30 a.m. in the chapel where a Communion service also is held at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Saturday’s Mass of Anticipation is celebrated at 4:30 p.m. Mass is livestreamed. Sunday Masses are scheduled at 8, 9:30 and 11:15 a.m., and 6 p.m.
For more information, visit www.stapostle.org, contact the church office at (630) 355-8980, or contact Scott Knisley, director of liturgy and music, at (630) 355-8980, ext. 111, or sknisley@stapostle.org.
St. Thomas the Apostle, a parish of the Diocese of Joliet, strives to bear the Good News of God’s unconditional love to all generations through worship, faith formation, witness, and service. Organized in 1984, the St. Thomas faith community numbers more than 3,000 households and over 9,000 registered members. Complete news and information on parish events, guest speakers and special programs is available at www.stapostle.org. For general parish information, call (630) 355-8980.