Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and Greensburg officials have announced that Holy Week activities will be livestreamed as churches remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This Holy Week will be unlike any other that I’ve ever celebrated, and the same is true for you, too,” Bishop David Zubik said via press release Saturday. “Clearly, we’re going to miss the opportunity to be with so many people during the course of these holiest of days, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the opportunity to really look for ways to connect with God and connect with each other. This pandemic has limited us, but it has not and cannot limit what God can do for us through the power of his love and grace.”
Zubik will celebrate Mass and prayer services daily via livestream from the chapel at St. Paul Seminary. The stream can be accessed through the diocesan website, diopitt.org.
Here is the schedule of activities announced by the Pittsburgh diocese:
Palm Sunday
• Adoration, 8:30 a.m.
• Morning prayer, 9:30 a.m.
• Holy Mass, 10 a.m.
• Divine mercy, holy rosary and evening prayer, 5 p.m.
Monday-Wednesday
• Adoration, 6 a.m.
• Morning prayer, 6:45 a.m.
• Holy Mass, 7 a.m.
• Divine mercy, holy rosary and evening prayer, 5 p.m.
• Adoration, 8 p.m.
• Night prayer with benediction, 8:45 p.m.
Holy Thursday
• Adoration, 7 a.m.
• Morning prayer, 8 a.m.
• Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.
• Adoration: “Stay with me, pray with me, watch and pray,” 8 p.m.
• Divine mercy chaplet, 9 p.m.
• Holy rosary, 9:30 p.m.
• Night prayer, 10 p.m.
Good Friday
• Office of readings, 8 a.m.
• Morning prayer, 9 a.m.
• Stations, noon
• Divine mercy, 12:45 p.m.
• Rosary, 1 p.m.
• Celebration of the Lord’s passion, 1:30 p.m.
• Seven last words, 5 p.m.
• Tenebrae, 8 p.m.
Holy Saturday
• Office of readings, 8 a.m.
• Morning prayer, divine mercy and holy rosary, 9 a.m.
• Easter vigil in the Lord’s holy night, 8:30 p.m.
Easter Sunday
• Adoration, 8:30 a.m.
• Morning prayer, 9:30 a.m.
• Holy Mass, 10 a.m.
• Evening prayer, 5 p.m.
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Greensburg diocese’s Virtual Holy Week services will be streamed on the diocese website, Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Bishop Edward C. Malesic said parishioners should “use the Easter season to stay connected to our faith and be ready to help the world heal (from) the darkness of a global pandemic.”
Greensburg’s activities
• Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, 9 a.m. April 5
• Thursday of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday), 8 p.m. April 9
• Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday), 7 p.m. April 10
• Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, 10 a.m. April 12. The Easter Sunday Mass also will be broadcast at noon on WAOB FM 106.7.
The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night on April 11 will be celebrated by Archbishop Nelson J. Perez of Philadelphia, with details to be announced.
Among other resources to be made available online are:
• A special Holy Week edition of “The Catholic Accent” newspaper, with a guide to preparing and worshiping at home, daily prayers, how to make a spiritual communion and Easter traditions.
• Bishop Malesic’s reflections on the daily readings during Lent, posted Sundays on his own Facebook page and the diocese Facebook page.
• Blessing of Easter baskets, noon April 11.
Parishioners desiring alerts and reminders can text the word “Faith” to 724-305-3057. Further information is available at dioceseofgreensburg.org.
