MEDIA CONTACT:
Please contact any of the parishes listed below.
For general questions, contact Jeanette DeMelo, Director of Communications, Archdiocese of Denver
303-715-3230 or jeanette.demelo@archden.org
April 4, 2012
Holy Thursday events bring life to “Last Supper” and
passion of Jesus Christ
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This Thursday April 5, known as “Holy Thursday,” commemorates the night before Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion and death. Masses on this day are commonly called the “Mass of the Lord’s Supper.” Events may include the following rituals:
Washing of the Feet: re-enactment of Jesus’ washing his disciples’ feet at Last Supper.
Seder meal: traditional kosher meal and prayer service in Jewish homes on the first day of Passover. Christians re-enact modified Seder meals because the Last Supper was believed to have been a Seder meal.
Eucharistic Adoration: a form of worship unique to the Catholic Church. It is the practice of exposing the Eucharist, believed to be the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of a small wafer of unleavened bread, encased in a gold monstrance.
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Denver)
1530 Logan St., Denver, CO 80203
Media Contact: Mary Ellen Lederman at (303) 831-7010
Weather permitting, there will be a procession with palms at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and at the 6:30 p.m. Mass with Bishop Conley. All processions scheduled to begin in the Marian Garden on the east side of the church, and to process into the church from that point.
5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 5
Mass of the Lord’s Supper with Bishop Conley
Most Rev. James D. Conley, S.T.L., apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Denver, will celebrate this service featuring a “Washing of the Feet” ceremony.
St. Catherine of Siena (Denver)
4200 Federal Blvd., Denver, 80211
Media Contact: Saul Saucedo at 720-982-6604
5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 5
Seder Meal
Members of the parish have been purchasing tickets* throughout the Lenten season to the parish’s annual Seder Meal, a kosher meal and prayer service traditionally held in Jewish homes on the first day of Passover. Christians re-enact modified Seder meals because the Last Supper was believed to have been a Seder meal.
The religious community governing St. Catherine of Siena Parish is unique because they give special attention to the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith. The parish’s annual Seder Meal is one of their most popular ways of living out the Jewish roots of the community’s Catholic faith. *Ticket sales have officially closed. Media are still welcome to attend with RSVP.
9:00 p.m. to midnight, Thursday, April 5
A replica of the Garden of Gethsemane
Immediately following an 8pm “Mass of the Lord’s Supper,” the priests will invite people in the parish to “keep watch” with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The basement of St. Catherine of Siena church will be transformed to look like the Garden of Gethsemane—complete with ivy, plants, rocks, candles and the exposed Eucharist.
Until midnight, Catholics are encouraged to imagine they are actually present in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus, trying to stay awake with him as he prayed in agony the night before he died.
Holy Name Parish (Englewood)
3290 W. Milan Ave., Englewood, 80027 (www.holynamedenver.org)
Media Contact: Rossana Goni at (970) 231-5190 or denverclm@clmusa.org
8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Thursday, April 5
Visit to Seven Churches*
After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (6:30-8:00 p.m., Thursday), nearly 60 people from the parish will accompany Jesus in a spirit of prayer to the seven last places that he went in between the completion of his Last Supper and his crucifixion. There will be approximately 20 minutes of reflection and prayer at each station.
Visit 1: Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Notre Dame Parish)
Visit 2: Jesus in house of Annas (All Saints Parish)
Visit 3: Jesus in house of Caiaphas (Our Lady of Lourdes Parish)
Visit 4: Jesus before Pontius Pilate (St. Louis Parish)
Visit 5: Jesus before Herod (All Souls Parish)
Visit 6: Jesus is returned to Pilate (St. Mary Parish)
Visit 7: Jesus is taken to his Passion (Holy Name Parish)
This pilgrimage is a tradition begun by Saint Philip Neri in the year 1550, when he gathered a group of youth to visit the seven Roman Basilicas during Holy Week. This local group will spend a brief moment in prayer at each station before continuing on to the next stop.
*Attention Media: Because the group is traveling by car from various sites, we recommend that reporters cover the first parish location on the pilgrimage (a.k.a., Holy Name Parish at 3290 W. Milan Ave. in Englewood).
Mother of God Parish (Denver)
475 Logan St., Denver, 80203
Media Contact: Ursula Jimenez at (303) 519-2749 or Ursula.Jimenez@archden.org
8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Thursday, April 5
Visit to Seven Churches*
Nearly 60 people from the parish will accompany Jesus in a spirit of prayer to the seven last places that he went in between the completion of his Last Supper and his crucifixion. There will be approximately 20 minutes of reflection and prayer at each station.
Visit 1: Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mother of God Parish)
Visit 2: Jesus in house of Annas (Cathedral Basilica Parish)
Visit 3: Jesus in house of Caiaphas (Holy Ghost Parish)
Visit 4: Jesus before Pontius Pilate (Holy Family Parish)
Visit 5: Jesus before Herod (Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Parish)
Visit 6: Jesus is returned to Pilate (St. Catherine of Siena Parish)
Visit 7: Jesus is taken to his Passion (St. Joseph Parish)
This pilgrimage is a tradition begun by Saint Philip Neri in the year 1550, when he gathered a group of youth to visit the seven Roman Basilicas during Holy Week. This local group will spend a brief moment in prayer at each station before continuing on to the next stop.
*Attention Media: Because the group is traveling by car from various sites, we recommend that reporters cover the first parish location on the pilgrimage (a.k.a., Mother of God Parish at 475 Logan St. in Denver).
St. Joseph Parish (Denver)
605 W. 6th Ave., Denver, CO 80204 (www.stjosephc.com)
Media Contact: Father Mario Ramirez, pastor, at 303-534-4408 or frmario@stjosephc.com
6:00 p.m. [in English]; 8:00 p.m. [in Spanish], Thursday, April 5
Mass of the Last Supper
9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., Thursday, April 5
Adoration of the Eucharist
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