Visiting 7 Churches During Lent

[Seamus_L]

There seems to have been some variation of this traditonal practice. Nowdays, those who practice it, make there visits on Holy Thursday, but many decades ago, it was practiced throughout Lent or just on Good Friday. I’ve managed it over 2 decades now, and it’s a labor of love, but I always do it Holy Thursday and Good Friday. This year, I made it to 5 churches on Holy Thursday and 3 on Good Friday. Sadly, 4 churches we visited on GF were locked between 12-3, which makes absolutely no sense.

 

[Rosebud77]

I had never heard of this before. So it is ironic that unintentionally I have done this - if ruined Monastic Churches count… Historic churches are a passion with me and here in Ireland we have so many… During Lent I have visited and prayed in Killarney Cathedral, a fine small church out near Beaufort, a several ruined cemetery chapels, ( love burial grounds) Muckross Abbey, a round which was being prepared for a wedding, a round tower and its church at Rattoo…and several more. And a few more entire Churches…

 

[Oneofthewomen]

Sadly, 4 churches we visited on GF were locked between 12-3, which makes absolutely no sense.

While it is sad, it is going to become the norm for all Churches to be locked almost all of the time.
My husband & I both work for our Cathedral, which is in a residential, city neighborhood and not only are the doors locked most of the time, we must have a security guard on duty most evenings when there are activities going on. It is very sad, but we have had so many problems with roving bands of youth vandalizing the building, breaking into cars in the parking lots and just wreaking general chaos that this is what it has come to.

I think the worst part of the whole thing is that the police can’t do anything and, for the most part, the parents don’t care what their children are doing, or think that they should be able to do whatever they want.

 

[Seamus_L]

Sadly that’s understandable most days of the year, but to have a church locked on Good Friday during the hours Our Saviour hung on the cross leaves me at a loss for words.

 

[Convert1]

Sadly that’s understandable most days of the year, but to have a church locked on Good Friday during the hours Our Saviour hung on the cross leaves me at a loss for words.

I can’t even hardly read this. Totally agree, Seamus L. Makes me know I will include this in my prayers tonight at Easter Vigil.

 

[Rosebud77]

I can’t even hardly read this. Totally agree, Seamus L. Makes me know I will include this in my prayers tonight at Easter Vigil.

Maybe help by volunteering to be there when the Church is open… always a way when folk think… Would help so many and make community stronger by being actively responsible.

 

[Seamus_L]

One of the problems is that more and more churches are holding mass for Good Friday at 6-7 pm. The 4 churches we couldn’t get into on Good Friday are all fairly well attended, but had nothing scheduled till much later.

 

[JakeWI]

We did this on Holy Thursday after 7pm Mass. A small group of us from our Parish went to 6 churches (we ran out of time to go to 7). From one side of the city to the other. It was a beautiful event. My wife and I really enjoyed it. We saw a busload of people come to the local Basilica from a Parish to do the same exact thing we were doing.

I know most Parishes in our area had Good Friday liturgy during the day during the lunch hour (most were 12:30), and then offered time for people to pray following. I can tell you that having it then at our Parish didn’t deter people from attending… I got there a few minutes before it started, and had to stand the entire time. All 1,200 seats of our church were filled.

Our Parish offered a Tenebrae service later on Good Friday… which was also absolutely beautiful.

Experiencing the entire Easter Triduum this year really completed that puzzle for me, as all the services/Masses I experienced Thursday to Saturday at the Easter Vigil all connected. It was the coolest thing.