Lent

Illuminated by the glow of the Paschal candle, Bishop Richard Reidy commenced The Liturgy of Light (Lucernarium) to start the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick on Holy Saturday, April 4th.  "Sanctify this fire, we pray, and grant that, by these Paschal celebrations, we may be so inflamed with Heavenly desires, that with minds made pure, we may attain festivities of unending splendor through Christ, Our Lord," the bishop intoned before blessing the Paschal candle.  Father Brian Romanowski then carried the lighted candle down t...

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"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me." (Is 61:1) The 2026 Chrism Mass was celebrated on Tuesday, March 31, at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Norwich. The Most Rev. Richard F. Reidy, Bishop of the Diocese of Norwich, presided over the sacred liturgy, which marks a highlight of Holy Week. This special Mass featured the bishop's blessing of the holy oils — used throughout the year for sacraments such as Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders — and the Renewal of Priestly Promises by the clergy ...

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Carpe diem is an old Roman expression frequently translated as “seize the day.” It reminds us to take advantage of the present moment and not to let opportunity pass us by. Whether an athlete in competition, an investor in the market, or a suitor in love, opportunities must be recognized and grasped, or they can pass away and be lost. Holy Week is one such opportunity. It is the most important week of the Church’s year because it commemorates the most important events of history. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and our faithful acc...

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The Week that Changed the World I’ll admit it, I look forward to Holy Week even more than Christmas. Every year, Palm Sunday feels like the Church is saying, “Come in close. Pay attention.” We start with palms, procession, and Hosanna—remembering the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem—and then, almost immediately, we hear the Passion. That shift isn’t jarring by accident. It’s the Church giving us the full Gospel in one sweep: the praise, the suffering, the Cross, and the promise of the Resurrection. Palm Sunday doesn&rsq...

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Experience the Sacred Journey of Holy Week Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Norwich The Cathedral of Saint Patrick invites the faithful to enter more deeply into the sacred beauty of Holy Week through a series of solemn liturgies with the Most Reverend Richard F. Reidy. From Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, these sacred celebrations offer an opportunity to walk with Christ through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Holy Week is the heart of the Church’s liturgical year—a time to reflect, remember, and rejoice in the hope of Easter. Holy Week Liturgic...

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Each year during Holy Week, the entire Diocese of Norwich—priests, deacons, consecrated religious, and laity—gather with the Bishop at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick to celebrate the Chrism Mass. This event is a profound expression of unity, as our diocesan family comes together to witness the consecration of Sacred Chrism and the blessing of the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick. These oils are a tangible sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the sacramental life of the Church. From this one celebration, the oils are distributed to representat...

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The Most Reverend Richard F. Reidy celebrated the Saint Patrick Mass at noon on March 17 at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Norwich, drawing the faithful together to honor Ireland’s patron saint and to pray as a Church during the Lenten season. The liturgy was both joyful and prayerful, a fitting celebration of Saint Patrick’s lasting witness to courage, missionary zeal and unwavering trust in God. In his homily, Bishop Reidy pointed to Saint Patrick not simply as a figure from the distant past, but as a living example of what it means to belong completely ...

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The Sacred Triduum is often described as the summit of the Church’s liturgical year. For adults, it is a time rich with theology, Scripture, and tradition. For a child, however, the Triduum is experienced less through explanation and more through wonder. It is felt before it is understood, and remembered long before it is fully comprehended. Children encounter the Triduum with a heightened awareness of what is different. On Holy Thursday, they notice the absence of the usual routines. The tabernacle stands empty. The altar is stripped. When the priest kneels to was...

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The Easter Triduum is the most sacred three-day period in the liturgical year, commemorating the Paschal Mystery—Christ’s Passion, Death, Burial, and Resurrection. It begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and concludes with Vespers on Easter Sunday. These holy days form the summit of the entire liturgical year and unite the Church intimately with Christ through powerful liturgical signs. Had there been no Easter Triduum, there would be no Christianity, and the world would be a far more barbarous place. For many, the Easte...

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In the stillness of the early morning, Mary Magdalene stood at the entrance of the empty tomb, her heart heavy with grief. “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher)” (Jn 20:15-16). The One she had followed, the Teacher who had changed her li...

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