Holy Water on Holy Thursday

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Okay I feel really dumb that I don’t know this, but its Holy Thursday, I went to the Lord’s Supper tonight and there was no Holy Water. There were also no candles to light either, so why?

Yes, I feel ridiculous that I don’t know, but maybe I’ve just never paid that much attention, or thought that much into it. So, please let me know what’s up?!?!?!?!!!
 
USMC_Convert said:
Okay I feel really dumb that I don’t know this, but its Holy Thursday, I went to the Lord’s Supper tonight and there was no Holy Water. There were also no candles to light either, so why?

Yes, I feel ridiculous that I don’t know, but maybe I’ve just never paid that much attention, or thought that much into it. So, please let me know what’s up?!?!?!?!!!
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I think they are supposed to wait until after mass is over on Holy Thursday to drain the fonts.

Its sounds like they jumped the gun, got ahead of themselves a little bit at your church.
 
No Holy Water here either. I assume you mean the offertory candles at the rear of the church or in some chapel? Those remain off. The Altar candles should have been lit during the celebration of Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
 
Yes sorry, I was talking about the candles in front of the Blessed Mother and St Joseph.
 
Kielbasi said:
I think they are supposed to wait until after mass is over on Holy Thursday to drain the fonts.

Its sounds like they jumped the gun, got ahead of themselves a little bit at your church.
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They did at my parish too. Things were “off” in other ways too. The Tabernacle wasn’t empty; the bells, which had been silent all through Lent, weren’t rung during the Gloria but were used at the Consecration; and the door to the Tabernacle at the Altar of Repose was left open.

Most jarring though, instead of praying silently at the altar of repose, then quietly leaving to unvest, Fr. launched into an off the cuff review of the Passion, then general intercessions, then led us in the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, and Glory Be. I’d never experienced that in 50 years of attending the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
 
We had plenty of both at my parish.
But we also have plenty of staff and volunteers. If your priest has no one to help him and his lone volunteer could only come yesterday? That may have be why things happened the way they did.
Also, your sacristan may be ill.
 
Some parishes keep the custom of emptying the holy water fonts and some don’t. I’ve seen both. Parishes usually take the votive candles out of their holders for Holy Thursday. Ours were out on Wednesday before Tenebrae, but that may have been because of time issues, trying to get everything done. We had water in the fonts last night. Also, our parish does not drape statues, etc. Customs vary among parishes.
 
lol, I noticed that the first time when I came back to the faith after a LONG period as a lapsed Catholic (didn’t even know the Nicene Creed had been updated). Kinda made me think of how I never even noticed it as a child:bigyikes: But maybe I just was never in a parish that did it… hopefully!
 
The holy water near the doors has been empty the last two sundays, only the baptismal font remained full (near the altar). If you wanted a blessing you needed to ‘make the journey’. Last night even that was drained. The altar was bare, the crucifix covered in a black shroud. All the lights were out. It wasn’t dark yet, but as the mass progressed it got to that point, then as the deacon blessed the congregation with incense, the lights came up, the altar was dressed, and mass progressed. All very meaningfully and with great reverence.
 
Traditionally the stripping of the altar happens following Holy Thursday Mass. However this is in some churches not easy to do; so it doesn’t surprise me some smaller churches do this beforehand, because the altar needs to be stripped on Good Friday. Typically the stripping of the altar occurs right after the Priest does the adoration. The stripping of the altar happens next by volunteers and church servers. As Holy Thursday Mass begins the Triduum there is no formal concluding blessing, as in the churches eyes the Triduum is one event.
 
jas84173 said:
Traditionally the stripping of the altar happens following Holy Thursday Mass. However this is in some churches not easy to do; so it doesn’t surprise me some smaller churches do this beforehand, because the altar needs to be stripped on Good Friday. Typically the stripping of the altar occurs right after the Priest does the adoration. The stripping of the altar happens next by volunteers and church servers. As Holy Thursday Mass begins the Triduum there is no formal concluding blessing, as in the churches eyes the Triduum is one event.
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How is stripping the altar after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper not easy to do?? It can easily be done reverently by the priest himself, as our last Pastor did, or by two volunteers as I often did it with the sacristan in previous years.
 
If your altar is an old style large one like a cathedral,in which you need ladders to strip some things, it is not the easiest thing. My church has a lot to strip however I know my church is more of a cathedral like altar than many churches are now.
 
jas84173 said:
If your altar is an old style large one like a cathedral,in which you need ladders to strip some things, it is not the easiest thing. My church has a lot to strip however I know my church is more of a cathedral like altar than many churches are now.
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Oh, I see. All that’s involved with stripping ours is removing the small crucifix and the cloths since nothing else remains on the altar after the purification. I wasn’t picturing anything so large that it would require ladders. But what exactly is being removed?
 
USMC_Convert said:
Okay I feel really dumb that I don’t know this, but its Holy Thursday, I went to the Lord’s Supper tonight and there was no Holy Water.
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The holy water fonts are supposed to be emptied after the Holy Thursday mass. Someone jumped the gun.
 
Phemie said:
Oh, I see. All that’s involved with stripping ours is removing the small crucifix and the cloths since nothing else remains on the altar after the purification. I wasn’t picturing anything so large that it would require ladders. But what exactly is being removed?
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On the altar there are all of the Palm branches, there’s a holy book and candles way up which need to be removed by ladder, there’s also some relics my church has which are quite high on the altar. Here’s a link that has some pictures of the Church altar. You may be able to see why it isn’t easy to strip it.

stjoect.connectingmembers.com/AboutUs/PriestsPastandPresent.aspx
 
jas84173 said:
On the altar there are all of the Palm branches, there’s a holy book and candles way up which need to be removed by ladder, there’s also some relics my church has which are quite high on the altar. Here’s a link that has some pictures of the Church altar. You may be able to see why it isn’t easy to strip it.

stjoect.connectingmembers.com/AboutUs/PriestsPastandPresent.aspx
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All of that is removed? I guess I only pictured them stripping the altar that is in front. And perhaps covering the statues above the high altar.
 
Phemie said:
All of that is removed? I guess I only pictured them stripping the altar that is in front. And perhaps covering the statues above the high altar.
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Yah they strip the whole thing in the back
 
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