Holy Week Easter Vigil

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billcu1

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Is one required to go to the Easter vigil on Sat. and the Sun. Easter Mass? I think Thursday my priest told me the congregation was going to “do the stations”. I thought that was something you did yourself during Lent.

Bill
 
No - you can go to either one since the vigil (like any other vigil) is effectively a celebration in advance. On a side note, the Easter Vigil does tend to be quite long - exactly how long depending on how many baptisms and / or confirmations are taking place, and on how many of the readings (a minimum of three and maximum of seven) are chosen…

As far as the Stations of the Cross are concerned, this can be a public or private devotion. When done in common (i.e. with others) a few hymns and / or reflections are usually included.
 
billcu1 said:
Is one required to go to the Easter vigil on Sat. and the Sun. Easter Mass? I think Thursday my priest told me the congregation was going to “do the stations”. I thought that was something you did yourself during Lent.

Bill
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Completely different issues.

No, one is obligated to attend one Easter Mass—whether that’s the Easter Vigil or on Sunday morning/afternoon is entirely up to you. While the Vigil Mass is special, in terms of the obligation, they all equally fulfill the obligation.

As far as the Stations are concerned it would be very odd for a parish to replace the Vigil with Stations. There’s probably some misunderstanding there. Maybe he thought you were asking about a different day (maybe Good Friday night?).
 
FrDavid96 said:
Completely different issues.

No, one is obligated to attend one Easter Mass—whether that’s the Easter Vigil or on Sunday morning/afternoon is entirely up to you. While the Vigil Mass is special, in terms of the obligation, they all equally fulfill the obligation.

As far as the Stations are concerned it would be very odd for a parish to replace the Vigil with Stations. There’s probably some misunderstanding there. Maybe he thought you were asking about a different day (maybe Good Friday night?).
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Yes sorry. He said Friday the stations then “Veneration of the Blessed cross” whatever that is. Your not obligated to attend any Easter Mass? Is that right?

Bill
 
You are obligated to attend mass either Sat. night or Easter Sunday, just like any other Sunday.
 
billcu1 said:
Yes sorry. He said Friday the stations then “Veneration of the Blessed cross” whatever that is. Your not obligated to attend any Easter Mass? Is that right?

Bill
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Veneration of the Cross is not Stations. The Veneration is a special Good Friday only service. That’s where the cross is unveiled (“Behold the wood of the cross…”). I can see how one might think the priest meant Stations, but they’re different.

All Catholics are obligated to attend one Easter Sunday Mass, but only one. Whether that’s the Vigil or Sunday morning etc. is your choice; but you are still obligated to attend one.
 
You may either/both go to the Vigil or the Mass during the Day. Both fulfill your obligation to go to Mass on Easter Day
 
billcu1 said:
Yes sorry. He said Friday the stations then “Veneration of the Blessed cross” whatever that is. Your not obligated to attend any Easter Mass? Is that right?

Bill
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As FrDavid posted, veneration of the Cross is something entirely different. On Good Friday, we are not allowed to have Mass. There are literally NO Masses said anywhere in the world from after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday until the Easter Vigil (which, in our area, begins after sundown). On Good Friday, we have the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. This is in 3 parts: the Liturgy of the Word, veneration of the Cross (Father will bring a covered cross up the aisle and uncover parts of it along the way; then the congregation is invited to come up and kiss or touch the cross), and Holy Communion. We depart in silence.

You MUST attend either Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday, but it is not required to attend both, as they are both Easter Masses. Personally, I prefer to go to Easter Vigil as it is a very beautiful Mass, although people who have young children might prefer to go to Easter Sunday Mass instead (especially as Easter Vigil, at least in our area, cannot begin before sundown and it’s usually quite lengthy, especially if you are in a larger parish where there are many catechumens and candidates for Baptism and reception into full communion).
 
His_helpmeet said:
As FrDavid posted, veneration of the Cross is something entirely different. On Good Friday, we are not allowed to have Mass. There are literally NO Masses said anywhere in the world from after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday until the Easter Vigil (which, in our area, begins after sundown). On Good Friday, we have the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. This is in 3 parts: the Liturgy of the Word, veneration of the Cross (Father will bring a covered cross up the aisle and uncover parts of it along the way; then the congregation is invited to come up and kiss or touch the cross), and Holy Communion. We depart in silence.

You MUST attend either Easter Vigil or Easter Sunday, but it is not required to attend both, as they are both Easter Masses. Personally, I prefer to go to Easter Vigil as it is a very beautiful Mass, although people who have young children might prefer to go to Easter Sunday Mass instead (especially as Easter Vigil, at least in our area, cannot begin before sundown and it’s usually quite lengthy, especially if you are in a larger parish where there are many catechumens and candidates for Baptism and reception into full communion).
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What about Good Friday? I don’t really want to go if there’s no Mass. Is it obligated? Oh and at confession today, I told him I might not be able to come to the vigil because it starts at 8PM and lasts a long time and the buses quit at 10PM. I don’t know how I’d make it to vigil. Sunday the buses don’t run. He didn’t say anything.

Bill
 
billcu1 said:
What about Good Friday? I don’t really want to go if there’s no Mass. Is it obligated?

Bill
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My understanding is that it is not obligatory, but strongly encouraged. It is actually quite a beautiful service and helps us to understand more fully the whole Paschal mystery.
 
billcu1 said:
What about Good Friday? I don’t really want to go if there’s no Mass. Is it obligated? Oh and at confession today, I told him I might not be able to come to the vigil because it starts at 8PM and lasts a long time and the buses quit at 10PM. I don’t know how I’d make it to vigil. Sunday the buses don’t run. He didn’t say anything.

Bill
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The Good Friday services are unique to that day.

I understand when you say “I don’t really want to go if there’s no Mass” but consider that the Church has very good reasons for giving us the Good Friday services. We should trust that when the Church tells us that Mass is not appropriate on this day, but instead something else is appropriate, Holy Mother Church is acting for the sake of the good of our souls.

No, there is no obligation for anyone to attend on Good Friday—at least not a binding one in canon law. But for the good of our souls, we should try to attend if it’s possible.

As far as the Easter Vigil on Saturday, maybe you can find someone to drive you home after Mass? Just a thought.🙂
 
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