Media Advisory: Holy Week and Easter Celebrations

Holy Week and Easter Celebrations
Liturgies for the holiest time in the Christian year are open to all and will be livestreamed

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Beginning with Palm Sunday on March 29 and culminating in Easter Sunday on April 5, Catholics will gather in prayer during Holy Week, the most sacred time in the Christian calendar.

Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, will celebrate most of the principal Holy Week liturgies at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, ending with a joyous celebration of Mass on Easter Sunday at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Media are asked to please RSVP at [email protected] if they plan to cover any of the Holy Week Masses.

The liturgies will be livestreamed and posted on the Archdiocesan YouTube channel.

All Catholic parishes throughout the Archdiocese will offer similar schedules for Holy Week and Easter in many languages. At the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday, April 4, hundreds of people will be baptized into the Catholic Church at parishes across the Archdiocese. Defying modern trends of declining religious affiliation, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is witnessing a significant surge in faith, with 1,755 people — including a large influx of young adults — entering the Catholic Church this Easter, the largest number in the past 15 years.

Holy Week Schedule (Eastern Time)

Palm Sunday – March 29
In Spanish
Palm Sunday Mass with Bishop Evelio Menjivar, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
12:15 p.m. – Procession along Connecticut Ave. to DuPont Circle and back | 1:00 p.m. – Mass

Monday of Holy Week – March 30
Chrism Mass to Commemorate the Establishment of the Priesthood with Cardinal McElroy
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
1:50 p.m. – Music begins | 2:00 p.m. – Mass
Watch Live

Holy Thursday – April 2
Mass of the Lord’s Supper with Washing of the Feet with Cardinal McElroy
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
5:30 p.m. – Mass
Watch Live

Good Friday – April 3
In English
Good Friday Liturgy with Cardinal McElroy
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
12:00 p.m. – Seven Last Words of Christ Reflection | 1:00 p.m. – Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion
Watch Live

In Spanish
Good Friday Liturgy with Bishop Evelio Menjivar
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
4:00 p.m. – Viernes Santo de la Pasión del Señor Jesucristo
Watch Live
7:45 p.m. Bishop Menjivar will also participate in the Good Friday Procession at Shrine of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 3211 Sacred Heart Way NW, Washington, DC 20010

Holy Saturday – April 4
Easter Vigil Mass with Cardinal McElroy
The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
8:00 p.m. – Mass
Watch Live

Easter Sunday – Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord – April 5
Easter Sunday Mass – Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord with Cardinal McElroy
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
12:00 Noon – Mass
Event Info
Watch Live

Details about each day of Holy Week, including guides to celebrating and the schedule of Masses in ASL, are available on the Archdiocese’s Holy Week webpage.

The full Archdiocesan Holy Week schedule, along with all livestream links and worship aids, is available on the Events section of the website.

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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is home to more than 655,000 Catholics, 140 parishes and 90 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.

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