Following the strict mandates of the federal government, the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland in strengthening stay-at-home orders and prolonging social distancing in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), there will be no public Masses or other public liturgical services for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter in the Archdiocese of Washington.
Masses and liturgical services for the holiest week in the Catholic calendar will be celebrated by Archbishop Wilton Gregory and by priests in parishes throughout the archdiocese. Those services will not be open to the public, and many of them will be livestreamed on the Internet.
The temporary halt on public worship in Catholic churches in the archdiocese was announced by Archbishop Gregory on March 12 and began on March 14.
The archbishop – saying that his “number one priority as your archbishop is to ensure the safety and health of all who attend our Masses ...” - announced that in an effort to contain COVID-19, Masses and other public liturgical events would not be celebrated until further notice.
The decision to continue the halt through Easter follows local and federal mandates prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people and limiting other social interaction.
On March 31, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser each announced they had extended and toughened restrictions on public gatherings in their state and the city respectively. The Archdiocese of Washington includes the District and five surrounding Maryland counties: Montgomery, Prince George's, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's.
Hogan said, “We are no longer asking or suggesting Marylanders to stay home. We are directing them.” Bowser said residents may only leave their homes “to engage in essential activities.” Neither official announced when those restrictions would be lifted.
On March 29, President Donald Trump announced that he had extended federal social-distancing guidelines until April 30.
Sunday, April 5, is Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord) and the start of the holiest week in the Church's calendar. During Holy Week, Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Washington, and the rest of the world, participate in sacred liturgies remembering the death of Christ and celebrating His resurrection on Easter Sunday.
This year, Holy Week liturgies celebrated by Archbishop Gregory at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle will not be open to the public. The liturgies will be in both English and Spanish with sign language interpretation and will be live streamed on the Archdiocese of Washington’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/adw.org/) and on its YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/washarchdiocese ).
The archbishop's Holy Week schedule is as follows:
April 9: Holy Thursday, 5:30 p.m.
April 11: Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.
April 12: Easter Sunday, 10 a.m.
In addition, many parishes stream their Masses and liturgies on their websites and Facebook pages. Parishioners should check their local parishes for a schedule of online Masses and other Holy Week observances. The archdiocese has also made available a list of online Masses and prayer services at https://adw.org/live-streamed-masses-and-prayers/.
Father Martino Choi, director of the archdiocese's Office of Worship, told the Catholic Standard in an e-mail that Holy Week liturgies will be somewhat different than in past years and that “a lot of the differences in this year’s Holy Week liturgies are directed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome.”
Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 and the strict social distancing measures that are in effect, Father Choi pointed out that the faithful who will stream Holy Week Masses and liturgies will notice these changes this year:
Palm Sunday: the blessing of palms and entrance procession is simplified – in normal parishes, they are omitted altogether. In most places, including the Archdiocese of Washington, palms will not be distributed at this time due to health concerns.
Holy Thursday: the Washing of the Feet, which is already optional, is omitted; the Transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose that takes place at the end is also omitted.
Good Friday: an intercession is added for the sick, the dead, and those who feel lost or dismayed due to the coronavirus.
Holy Saturday: the opening Solemn Beginning of the Vigil (Lucernarium) is greatly simplified; there is no Easter fire or procession, just the lighting of the Paschal Candle and the Easter Proclamation (the Exsultet). The Baptismal Liturgy is also greatly shortened – just the Renewal of Baptismal Promises.
He also noted that “for those who were to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil, that’s all unfortunately been postponed.”
“We are hoping that we’ll be able to resume large gatherings during the Easter Season,” he said. “The Pentecost Vigil, which traditionally was also a time when the Sacraments of Initiation were conferred, in the early Church, would be an appropriate time for them to receive the sacraments, and we hope it can happen.”
