Holy Week is the most important week of the year in Catholicism. This week follows the final eight days of Jesus' life – from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
On Palm Sunday, Catholics recount Jesus’s triumphant arrival into the city of Jerusalem. The parishes of Gary have traditionally gathered for a procession and will again this Palm Sunday, starting at Ss. Monica and Luke at 10:30 a.m. on March 29. The priests of the Order of Friars Minor will lead the walk to the Cathedral of the Holy Angels, where Mass will be held.
A few days later, on Thursday, April 2, Bishop McClory will preside at the diocese’s Chrism Mass starting at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Angels. Faithful from around the diocese gather every year to celebrate this special liturgy with the local priests. At this Mass, the priests renew their commitment to ministry. The Oils of the Sick and Catechumens are blessed, while the Sacred Chrism Oil is consecrated by the bishop.
After the oils are blessed and consecrated, the vessels are brought to a number of volunteers who help prepare them for distribution. They fill over 300 bottles, which are given to every parish throughout the diocese along with Catholic hospitals. Either a priest or representative from each parish traditionally picks up the oils.
“It is humbling to know that the oils I help distribute will be used throughout the entire year in the different parishes from baptizing babies to anointing the sick and those close to death,” said Sue Kresich of St. James the Less in Highland. “That evening after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, I often visit area churches to pray by their altar of repose and most have the holy oils displayed.”
By attending the Chrism Mass, Kresich said, people get to see the beauty of the Cathedral. She has noticed that people stay afterwards to explore the inside of the church building a bit. She also feels it is nice for parishioners to see their priest in the long opening procession and renew his commitment to the priesthood, and added it is profound to know the oil that is blessed and consecrated here will be used in the celebration of many sacraments throughout the diocese.
Holy Thursday evening, parishes around the diocese will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. The bishop will join the congregation of St. Thomas More at 7 p.m. to recall the events of the last meal Jesus shared with his disciples.
“It is the time we remember the Lord instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper, the source and summit of our lives of faith,” said Father Michael Yadron, pastor of the Munster parish.
During the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, several important elements take place. The first is the Mass itself as a remembrance of the Last Supper, when Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist.
The second key feature is the ritual of the washing of the feet, where the priest washes the feet of several members of the congregation. This act symbolizes Jesus' humility and His call to serve others.
“As Christ washed the feet of His apostles, he told them to go and do the same,” said Father Yadron. “We remember that each year at the Mass of the Lord's Supper.”
The third key aspect is the fact that the altar is stripped bare after Mass, which symbolizes the abandonment of Jesus by His disciples and the preparation for His Passion. Finally, following the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is taken in procession to a place of repose, where it is kept for adoration. At that time, the faithful are invited to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, reflecting on Jesus’ sacrifice and His love for his people.
Not just for Holy Thursday but for the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday), Father Yadron shared that the parish makes sure all the necessary preparations are ready in advance.
“We are planning how the church will be decorated, the choirs are rehearsing diligently, and the servers will have extra practices so that the services of Holy Week come off without a hitch,” he said. “These are the most important days in the liturgical calendar and in our hearts.”
Good Friday is a solemn day of mourning and reflection for Christians, who often attend special church services and prayer vigils, marking the crucifixion of Jesus. At noon at The Shrine of Christ’s Passion in St. John, the bishop will lead members of the diocese, as well as faithful from surrounding areas, through the Stations of the Cross.
Paul Anderson, general manager at the shrine, estimates that 8,000-10,000 people come through the doors of the shrine on Good Friday, and during the week, a total of between 25,000-30,000. When the bishop is walking the path and praying at the Stations, he approximated, there are 2,500-3,000 people along the path.
“To see the number of people on the path with the bishop on Good Friday makes me feel that there is hope for the world; it's just amazing!” Anderson said.
Anderson added that he always makes sure there are enough employees and volunteers on duty in the store and in the parking lot that day, because “everyone wants everything to go smoothly.”
That evening, Bishop McClory will head to LaPorte County for the Lord’s Passion at 7 p.m. at Queen of All Saints in Michigan City.
Lucia Bim-Merle, pastoral associate, said the Good Friday liturgy is an opportunity for believers to enter deeply into the mystery of our Salvation by walking with Jesus in the final hours of His Passion. She believes the powerful readings of the Good Friday liturgy can take faithful “right to the foot of the cross where we realize the immense love of Jesus and His desire to save us by offering Himself to the Father on our behalf.”
“When you ponder the words that Jesus uttered while on the Cross, how can we not be moved to repentance?,” she shared. “Good Friday helps us to focus our attention on the suffering of Jesus in order to be truly thankful for this gift.”
Bim-Merle explained Catholic churches remain empty and silent on Good Friday evening. Those in attendance feel the absence of the Lord that night as the tabernacles in all the Catholic churches are bare – a stark reminder of how empty a life is without faith and the sacraments.
“I love Good Friday because it reminds me how incredible God's love is for us,” Bim-Merle said. “It also puts suffering into perspective. When we participate on Good Friday, all our sufferings, when united to Christ on the Cross take on a whole new meaning. We often complain about trivial things but Good Friday helps to remind us how grateful we should be for all that the Lord has done for us.”
A special event that the QAS community hosts on Good Friday evening is the "Condolences of Mary" also known as "El Pesame." Parishioners gather at 8 p.m. on Good Friday in silence to meditate on the sorrow that Mary experienced at the Cross. They then process around the perimeter of the church (outside if the weather permits) with the statues of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Body of Jesus. Those carrying the statues are dressed in black, and the sound of a beating drum sets the pace of the procession. Afterwards, the "Sorrows of Mary" is read as the community listens in silence.
“It is a profoundly beautiful service that I encourage everyone to try at least once,” Bim-Merle said.
Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, noting the time when Christ laid in the tomb. It is a day of silence, waiting and expectation.
The Church contemplates Christ’s descent to the dead, where He preached to the souls who had gone before Him, opening the gates of heaven. It is a day of hopeful anticipation for the Resurrection. During the day, the Church observes a quiet stillness – there is no Mass, and the altar remains bare. Some churches may offer the Liturgy of the Hours or reflections on Christ’s Passion.
At night, the Easter Vigil – the most solemn liturgy of the year – takes place. Bishop McClory will preside at an 8 p.m. service at Our Lady of Grace in Highland. This includes The Service of Light (the Paschal candle is lit from the Easter fire, symbolizing Christ as the Light of the World), The Liturgy of the Word (several readings recount salvation history, from Creation to Christ’s Resurrection), The Baptismal Liturgy (Catechumens are baptized, and the congregation renews its baptismal promises) and The Liturgy of the Eucharist (the first Mass of Easter is celebrated with great joy).
Pastor Brian Chadwick said he enjoys chanting the Exultet and the story of salvation history contained in the Scripture readings.
“Everything culminates in the liturgy of the Eucharist,” he said. “The second Old Testament reading from Genesis has Abraham telling his son Isaac that God Himself will provide the lamb for the slaughter, and that is his Son who suffered and died for us and is raised from the dead. The Easter Vigil proclaims the Paschal Mystery, and we are called to participate and live in it.”
Celebrating the Risen Christ, the bishop will return to the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary at 11 a.m. for Mass on Easter Sunday, April 5.
One of Father Mike Surufka’s favorite experiences at the cathedral occurred a couple years after the COVID pandemic when there was a lower attendance at the celebration. The pastor was feeling a little disappointed as the service began, because the staff had worked hard to make sure everything was beautiful, but there weren't many people there.
Father Surufka noticed two kids from the parish, one who is the older brother and was serving as an altar server. He was the only server at the Mass for the Easter Vigil, and he was enthused about being there. As those who were in attendance gathered around the baptismal font, his younger sister was standing by the font and began dancing, swirling and singing to the responses. Even her older high school brother was singing the “hallelujahs” as he held the book for the cathedral rector.
“I have to tell you, those two kids made that Mass for me,” Father Surufka said. “I told him that a couple of years later, and of course their dad, that the power of kids to bring joy to a celebration, happens in times when you don't often expect.”
That altar server was Luis Gutierrez of Hobart, now age 20. He feels honored to have been a part of the services there for many years and shared he still gets a feeling of joy when he enters the cathedral.
“Everyone at Holy Angels is welcoming,” he said. “Everyone knows everyone and everyone is really friendly. It’s more like a family, not just a bunch of strangers going to church.”
Bishop McClory's Holy Week 2026 Schedule
Holy Thursday, April 2:
10:30 a.m. Chrism Mass, Cathedral of the Holy Angels, Gary
7 p.m., Mass of the Lord’s Supper, St. Thomas More, Munster
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, April 3:
12 p.m., Stations of the Cross, The Shrine of Christ’s Passion, St. John
5 p.m., Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion (Spanish), Queen of All Saints, Michigan City
Holy Saturday, April 4:
8 p.m., Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, Our Lady of Grace, Highland
The Resurrection of the Lord, April 5:
11 a.m., The Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday), Cathedral of the Holy
Angels, Gary
