Thou shalt not pre-record Holy Week services: Archbishop releases Easter guidelines

The sacred celebrations of Holy Week and the Triduum can be livestreamed as long as all the precautionary COVID-19 outbreak measures are in place – but they cannot be pre-recorded.

That’s one of the guidelines Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller set out March 30 to offer priests guidance on how to celebrate the holiest week of the year during this time of pandemic.

There will be no public celebrations of Masses with a congregation during Holy Week, as has been the norm since March 21. Many pastors have been offering live streaming of weekly Masses to keep parishioners engaged, and Archbishop Miller says that this good practice should continue. 

“Parishes with livestreaming capabilities are encouraged to livestream a Palm Sunday Mass, the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday Mass,” he said.

In churches without the ability to livestream, pastors should share the times of Masses and services with parishioners, so the people may “prayerfully unite themselves with the celebrations” as they happen. They can also tune into Holy Rosary Cathedral’s or other parishes’ livestream of Holy Week and Triduum services.

Unfortunately, in keeping with proper social distancing and sanitary measures, Archbishop Miller said other changes must be made as well.

There can be no procession of palms on Palm Sunday, no washing of feet on Holy Thursday, no kissing of the Cross on Good Friday, and no Baptisms or Reception into Full Communion at the Easter Vigil.

Those who have been preparing for baptism or reception into the Church at Easter may receive these sacraments at Pentecost, May 31, which is “also an appropriate time for Baptism according to ancient tradition,” or, at the discretion of the pastor, be received one at a time on any Sunday during the Easter season 

At the pastor’s discretion, Archbishop Miller said, churches may remain open for private prayer during Holy Week, outside the time of the Liturgy, as long as they maintain a clean environment, ensure two metres of space between everyone, and don’t exceed the publicly mandated limit on the number of people allowed in a room (at press time 50 people).

Archbishop Miller encouraged the faithful to place a cross or crucifix in a prominent place in their homes and venerate it with genuflection or bowing while participating in the livestreamed Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday.

For online Holy Week and Easter services at parishes in the Archdiocese visit https://rcav.org/coronavirus/#streaming. For Holy Rosary Cathedral, visit the cathedral’s YouTube page at these times:

• Palm Sunday: April 5, 11 a.m. 
• Chrism Mass: April 9, 10:30 a.m. 
• Holy Thursday: April 9, 7:30 p.m. 
• Good Friday: April 10, 3 p.m. 
• Easter Vigil: April 11, 9 p.m. 
• Easter Sunday: April 12, 11 a.m.