Join us as we welcome new members into the Church and celebrate the many Liturgies that contribute to this most beautiful of celebrations.
The Liturgy of Light (Lucernarium)
First there is the fire that becomes light. As the procession makes its way through the church, shrouded in the darkness of the night, the light of the Paschal Candle becomes a wave of lights, and it speaks to us of Christ as the true morning star that never sets – the Risen Lord in whom light has conquered darkness.
The Easter Proclamation
When the Easter candle arrives in the sanctuary, the deacon chants the “Easter Proclamation” (also called the Exsultet, from its first word in Latin, “Rejoice”), an ancient hymn that speaks of the many mysteries of this night.
The Liturgy of the Word
A number of readings are read, still in the darkness of the church. From Genesis through the New Testament, God’s marvelous plan is unfolded. The readings are often interspersed with chanted passages or hymns.
The Baptismal Liturgy
This is the liturgy at which all those who have been preparing to join the Church, or to complete their sacraments as older children or adults, are initiated into the Christian community. The celebration of Baptism (for those who were not Christian) or a Profession of Faith (for those Christians already baptized in a Protestant tradition who are becoming Catholic) and Confirmation takes place at this time. Later on in the Mass, the neophytes, as they are now called, will receive their First Communion.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The liturgy draws to its culmination and conclusion with the celebration of the holy Eucharist, in which the newly baptized will partake for the first time.