The Holy Triduum is the three-day celebration beginning on Holy Thursday and culminating on Easter Sunday that commemorates Jesus Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. It includes Holy Thursday which celebrates the institution of the Eucharist, Good Friday which commemorates Christ's crucifixion without mass, and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday which begins with the blessing of new fire and Paschal candle and includes baptisms and mass, proclaiming Christ's triumph over death. The Triduum is the most important part of the liturgical year for Catholics.

1. The Paschal Triduum
Celebrating the Great Mystery of our Faith

2. What is the meaning of the word
Paschal and Triduum?
The word Paschal
means:
Passover.
The word Triduum
means:
Three days.

3. What are the days of the Holy
Triduum?
The days of the Holy
Triduum are:
A. Holy Thursday
B. Good Friday
C. Holy Saturday

4. What is the Holy Triddum?
A. The Triduum is a
celebration of the
three holiest days in
the liturgical cycle.
B. The Triduum is the
climax of Holy Week.
C. The entire season of
Lent is a preparation
for these three days.

5. Why is the Holy Triduum so Important?
The Triduum is a
celebration that highlights
the Paschal mystery.
Through the liturgy of these
three days the Church
remembers that Christ
suffered and died, but that
he also came to life.
The Triduum is the
celebration of the Church’s
salvation through Christ.

6. What is the connection between Lent
and the Easter Triduum?
The forty days of Lent are a time
of spiritual preparation for these
three holy days.
Lent’s renewal through
prayer, fasting and almsgiving
helps us prepare to understand
the meaning of each of these
three holy days.

7. What does the Holy Triduum remember
and celebrate?
A. The Holy Triduum
remembers and celebrates
Christ’s victory over sin and
death.
B. The Church celebrates
Christ ’ s victory over the
power of death from Easter
Sunday to Pentecost
Sunday.
C. Fifty days of joy and
celebration.

8. How are the days of the Holy Triduum
counted?
The days of the Holy Triduum
are counted the way the
Hebrews counted their days.
From dusk to dusk. For
example:
From the evening of Holy
Thursday to the evening of
Good Friday one day.
From the evening of Good
Friday to the evening of Holy
Saturday a second day.
From the evening of Holy
Saturday to the evening of
Easter Sunday another day.

9. The Holy Triduum
Lent officially ends on Holy
Thursday.
The Holy Triduum begins on
the evening of Holy Thursday.
On Holy Thursday there is only
one mass.
The mass of the Lord’s supper
which is celebrated in the
evening, and includes the
ceremony of the washing of the
feet.
No morning masses are
celebrated on this day.

10. Holy Thursday
A. The faithful gathers in church to
celebrate the institution of the
Eucharist and priesthood.
B. The washing of the feet is a
reminder of Jesus’ command to serve
one another.
C. At the end of the mass the Blessed
Sacrament is moved to the Altar of
Repose during a solemn procession
followed by Adoration.
D. The faithful is invited to stay in front
of the Altar of Repose to pray before
the Blessed Sacrament until midnight.
E.. The sanctuary is cleared. All
decorations are removed from the
church.

11. Good Friday
A. This is a holy day of fasting
and abstinence.
B. Is the only day in the liturgical
calendar that a mass is not
celebrated.
C. The liturgy of the Lord ’ s
passion is celebrated, followed by
a homily, the General
intercessions, communion, and
the veneration of the cross.
D. There is no solemn procession
on this day.

12. What is the veneration of the
Cross?
The veneration of the
cross is the last section
of the Liturgy of Good
Friday.
The faithful are presented
with the cross, then the
faithful venerate the cross
with a kiss, as a sign of
respect and devotion.

13. Holy Saturday Easter Vigil
A. The Easter Vigil is the
highest point of the Easter
Triduum.
B. The Easter Vigil begins
on the evening of Holy
Saturday.
C. This is the longest
celebration in Catholic
worship.
D. The Easter Vigil
celebration proclaims
Jesus ’ triumph over the
powers of evil and death.

14. Easter Vigil
A. The Easter Vigil begins
at night with the blessing
of the fire, a solemn
procession and the singing
of the Exultet.
B. The Exultet is a song
sung by a Priest, Deacon
or cantor proclaiming the
salvation of the risen
Christ.

15. Easter Vigil
A. The fire is blessed, from
this fire the Paschal candle
is lit.
The Paschal candle is a
symbol of Christ
resurrected.
B. The priest blesses the
candle reminding the
people of God that Jesus is
the alpha and the
omega, the beginning and
the end. All time belongs to
Christ.

16. Easter Vigil
A. The Paschal candle is
carried by a priest or deacon
into the darkened church.
B. As the procession
progresses the lights of the
church are gradually turn on.
C. People light their own
candles from the Paschal
candle carried by the priest or
deacon.
D. At the end of the procession
a priest or deacon sings the
Exultet or exultation song. The
people hold their candles
during the song which proclaim
God’s salvific actions.

17. Easter Vigil
The darkened church, the
procession, the paschal
candle ,the fire, and the
exultet are all symbols that
remind us that Christ ’ s
resurrection defeated the
darkness of evil.
This ceremony reminds us the
power of Christ cannot be
defeated nor those who have
his power.

18. Easter Vigil
A. After the Exultet is sung the
history of salvation is proclaimed
through a series of seven
readings from the Old Testament.
B. The readings from the book of
Exodus are giving special
attention on this night.
C. After each reading a psalm and
a prayer is said.
D. At the end of the last reading the
Glory is sung.
E. The altar and the sanctuary are
decorated and the bells, and the
choir proclaim the joy of Easter.

19. Easter Vigil
A. During the Glory, in certain
churches, a group of people
are in charge of decorating the
bare altar and sanctuary with
banners, linens, and flowers.
B. All the lights of the church
are turned on as a symbol of
the resurrection.
C. After the Glory an epistle
from Paul is read followed by
the Alleluia which is sung for
the first time after Lent.
D. Then, the Gospel of the
resurrection is
proclaimed, followed by a
homily or reflection.

20. Easter Vigil
A. After the homily the baptismal
water is blessed with the Paschal
candle.
B. The catechumens and
candidates are initiated with the
sacraments of initiation.
C. The congregation renews their
baptismal vows.
D. After the baptismal ceremony
the second part of the mass, the
liturgy of the Eucharist, continues
as usual.
E. This is the first mass of Easter
day, and the beginning of the
Easter season, fifty days of
celebration that end on Pentecost
Sunday, the feast of the Holy
Spirit.

21. The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!