What happens at Easter Vigil?

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I’m in RCIA with just two weeks left before Easter Vigil. My wife and I are Evangelical Protestant converts and looking to invite a lot of our Evangelical Protestant friends. I would like to share a bit about what will happen beforehand to help the experience be richer for them - many who have never been inside a Catholic parish.

It’s a few days before our next RCIA class and I’d really like to get invitations out today, so if I was on top of things last week I would’ve just asked our priest. But I’m hoping the CA community will have more than enough answers. Thank you.

Could you please outline the liturgy of this special mass? (especially how it differs from a regular mass?)

Our class of about 15 people will be entering or returning to the Church, and my 6 month old son will also be baptized.
 
Welcome home.

THE SERVICE OF LIGHT
**
Blessing of the Fire**
The fire might be in a brazier or be a bonfire outside, it all depends on the parish. In ours, those who are able gather outside.

Preparation of the Candle
The Paschal Candle has a few symbols that are traced on it (the cross, the alpha & omega, the year)and 5 grains of incense embedded in it (the 5 wounds of Christ).

Lighting of the Paschal Candle from the new fire.
The Paschal Candle symbolizes the Light of Christ in the world.

Procession with the Easter (Paschal) Candle
The Priest (or Deacon) takes the candle and, three times during the procession to the altar, lifts it high and sings alone “Christ our light” to which the people respond “Thanks be to God”.
After the second such response all the people light their candles with a flame taken from the Easter Candle

The Exsultet (Easter Proclamation)
Sung by either the Deacon, the Priest or a cantor.

LITURGY OF THE WORD
7 readings from the Old Testament (our history), each followed by a Psalm and a prayer (at last 3 must be read)
Gloria
Opening Prayer
Epistle
Solemn Alleluia
Gospel
Homily
**
CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION AND THE RITE OF RECEPTION**

Celebration of Baptism:
Invitation
Litany of the Saints
Blessing of the Water
Renunciation of Sin
Anointing with the Oil of Catechumens
Profession of Faith
Baptism
Anointing after Baptism (with Sacred Chrism)
Clothing with a Baptismal Garment
Presentation of a Lighted Candle

Renewal of Baptismal Promises (whole community including candidates)
Invitation
Renunciation of Sin
Profession of Faith
Sprinkling with Baptismal Water
**
Celebration of Reception**
Invitation
Profession by the Candidates
Act of Reception
**
Celebration of Confirmation**
Invitation
Laying on of Hands
Anointing with Chrism

Prayers of the Faithful
**
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST **
As usual
**
BLESSING & DISMISSAL**
 
Wow, this is fantastic. Thank you Phemie.

If the vigil starts at 8 when should I tell my friends it will finish?

Anything else you might want to share with non-Catholic Christians witnessing the mass?
 
ryanmac said:
Wow, this is fantastic. Thank you Phemie.

If the vigil starts at 8 when should I tell my friends it will finish?

Anything else you might want to share with non-Catholic Christians witnessing the mass?
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We don’t usually have any candidates or elect and ours takes at least 2 hours (we do all the readings and sing all the Psalms). With that many sacraments tell them not to expect to go home before 10:30.

Easter is late this year so sundown is also late. In our neck of the woods we can’t start our Vigil until 9 p.m. because it won’t be full dark until then.
 
I went through RCIA last year…

It is a BEAUTIFUL mass…

All the lights were out and we (RCIA class) came in holding candles… it was gorgeous.

The whole serrvice is absolutely amazing.

Congatulations!!! Anyone who attends will love it.
 
ryanmac said:
I’m in RCIA with just two weeks left before Easter Vigil. My wife and I are Evangelical Protestant converts and looking to invite a lot of our Evangelical Protestant friends. I would like to share a bit about what will happen beforehand to help the experience be richer for them - many who have never been inside a Catholic parish.

It’s a few days before our next RCIA class and I’d really like to get invitations out today, so if I was on top of things last week I would’ve just asked our priest. But I’m hoping the CA community will have more than enough answers. Thank you.

Could you please outline the liturgy of this special mass? (especially how it differs from a regular mass?)

Our class of about 15 people will be entering or returning to the Church, and my 6 month old son will also be baptized.
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WELCOME!!!🙂

Phemie has actually answered your question wonderfully.🙂

The only thing I would add…it will be ~crowded~. I hope that your parish is large. It probably is considering you said there was 15 candidates. My parish is small… therefore, seating becomes an issue at Vigil. You might want to consider that whenever inviting all your friends.

Welcome & you’ll be in my prayers!
 
SassysMum said:
WELCOME!!!🙂
The only thing I would add…it will be ~crowded~. I hope that your parish is large. It probably is considering you said there was 15 candidates. My parish is small… therefore, seating becomes an issue at Vigil. You might want to consider that whenever inviting all your friends.

Welcome & you’ll be in my prayers!
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Would that that were the case in our parish. We are small but, unfortunately, we have lots of empty seats for the Vigil.
 
Phemie said:
Would that that were the case in our parish. We are small but, unfortunately, we have lots of empty seats for the Vigil.
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That surprises me. I guess each location is different.🙂

‘Easter Vigil’ and ‘Christmas Eve - Midnight Masses’ are remarkable in my area. Father refers to them as the “Chris-Easter Catholics” (they only attend at Christmas & Easter).
Of course…not all in attendance are Catholics. This is when the curious Protestants choose to come and see how Catholics worship. I know because I’m in a heavily Protestant area and most my friends are Baptist/Evangelicals. I’ve had a few quiz me about the Midnight Mass Service & Easter Vigil. It always goes…“I bet it’s a pretty service…I would like to go, *just *to see what you do. Would it be wrong for me to go just because I’m curious?” 🤷
In the end…the only one that has ever went with me is my sister-in-law. And she doesn’t attend any church but was raised Baptist.🙂

We attended midnight Mass in 2006 at the Basilica (about 60 miles away). I’m still amazed! We arrived at 11PM and it was packed. My husband & I were the last to get a seat. And people kept coming. Folks sat on the floor until there was no more space left. Lastly, people were standing in the back, lined out the doors and down the side walk. 🙂
 
SassysMum said:
That surprises me. I guess each location is different.🙂

‘Easter Vigil’ and ‘Christmas Eve - Midnight Masses’ are remarkable in my area. Father refers to them as the “Chris-Easter Catholics” (they only attend at Christmas & Easter).
Of course…not all in attendance are Catholics. This is when the curious

We attended midnight Mass in 2006 at the Basilica (about 60 miles away). I’m still amazed! We arrived at 11PM and it was packed. My husband & I were the last to get a seat. And people kept coming. Folks sat on the floor until there was no more space left. Lastly, people were standing in the back, lined out the doors and down the side walk. 🙂
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For Midnight Mass we also have empty pews although there are more people than at the Vigil because students home from university usually still want to attend Midnight Mass.

I’m sure that ff the Vigil were at 4 p.m. it would be standing room only, just like the 5:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. But after dark on a Saturday night? No, if it’s anything like last year, most of the congregation will comprised of the families of those who are either in the choir or are readers & EMHCs
 
The Vigil is a minimum 2 hours long (with 15 coming in, you will likely go 2 1/2 or even 3 hours), and then there is the reception - we won’t leave the Parish until the wee small hours of the morning. Check and see if there is a reception, and if you can invite guests to the reception.

I’ve seen many Standing Room Only Easter Vigils, let those you invite know to arrive early.

There will be a “program” or missalette for your visitors to follow along. Chances are they will not be sitting with your family (your family and your sponsors will have reserved seats up front).
 
Stjudeprayforus said:
I went through RCIA last year…

It is a BEAUTIFUL mass…

All the lights were out and we (RCIA class) came in holding candles… it was gorgeous.

The whole serrvice is absolutely amazing.

Congatulations!!! Anyone who attends will love it.
Click to expand...
You came in at the Processional with candles? When were they lit? Were you being baptized at the Vigil? I have some difficulty with this. First of all, if you were Elect you should not have a candle until you receive it at your baptism. Secondly, you should have not been in the procession. But then again, people in charge often don’t read the rites, so anything could happen.
 
Joannm said:
You came in at the Processional with candles? When were they lit? Were you being baptized at the Vigil? I have some difficulty with this. First of all, if you were Elect you should not have a candle until you receive it at your baptism. Secondly, you should have not been in the procession. But then again, people in charge often don’t read the rites, so anything could happen.
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Do you mean that the elect cannot participate in the Service of Light and have tapers lit from the Paschal candle after the 2nd “Christ our Light” as we all process back into the church?
 
Joannm said:
You came in at the Processional with candles? When were they lit? Were you being baptized at the Vigil? I have some difficulty with this. First of all, if you were Elect you should not have a candle until you receive it at your baptism. Secondly, you should have not been in the procession. But then again, people in charge often don’t read the rites, so anything could happen.
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From what I understand… I wasnt an elect, I was a candidate. (after the rite of elect)
Also… the Bishop sets the standard for each parish.

I wasnt baptized at the vigil… I was baptized when I was a baby. Others were baptized.
 
Our church is always packed and how long it lasts depends on how many people are received into the church

It will be late when it is finished…We have gotten home after 11 pm many times
 
Phemie said:
In our neck of the woods we can’t start our Vigil until 9 p.m. because it won’t be full dark until then.
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I wish we had that rule in the Episcopal Church. My old parish in NC started at 8 or 8:30, but the one I attend now starts at 5:30, and usually only uses four readings. I’m preaching this year (yes, I was rather shocked too when the priest asked me–we don’t have a rule preventing laypeople from preaching, and I’ve preached before, but at the Easter Vigil?) and have managed to get another reading included. We actually have a total of 9 in the Prayer Book. I didn’t know that you guys have only seven.

I think we both have abridged versions of the Exultet, unfortunately. Do you guys usually use the “Felix Culpa” passage? We don’t.

I have only been to a Catholic Easter Vigil once (the first year I was in grad school when I was first exploring Catholicism). The next year there was a family emergency that prevented me from attending, and the year after that I became involved with the Episcopal Church. Although given how early ours ends, I could probably go down the road and do it twice!

Edwin
 
Contarini said:
IWe actually have a total of 9 in the Prayer Book. I didn’t know that you guys have only seven.

Edwin
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No, we also have a total of 9:
7 from the OT, from which we must generally do at least 3 (2 if the flood waters are rising). Regardless of how many we do, the reading from Exodus & its canticle must never be omitted. I’ve never known Genesis 1 to be omitted.

Epistle (Romans 6: 3-11)

Gospel
 
ryanmac said:
I’m in RCIA with just two weeks left before Easter Vigil. My wife and I are Evangelical Protestant converts and looking to invite a lot of our Evangelical Protestant friends. I would like to share a bit about what will happen beforehand to help the experience be richer for them - many who have never been inside a Catholic parish.

It’s a few days before our next RCIA class and I’d really like to get invitations out today, so if I was on top of things last week I would’ve just asked our priest. But I’m hoping the CA community will have more than enough answers. Thank you.

Could you please outline the liturgy of this special mass? (especially how it differs from a regular mass?)

Our class of about 15 people will be entering or returning to the Church, and my 6 month old son will also be baptized.
Click to expand...
My advice–don’t worry about it. Experience it. Celebrate it. Later, afterwards, there will be time for talking, understanding, reflecting, and so on. This is what “mystagogia” is for.
 
I found a copy of the missal for Easter Vigil online. Google can only find one copy of the Easter Vigil liturgy, so I’m reposting here just in case it gets pulled offline eventually. I’ll have to break it up into several posts so bear with me.
 
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