Skip to content

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Holy Week

March 24 - 30, 2024

Holy Week is the week before Easter Sunday, beginning seven days before with Palm Sunday. It ends with Holy Saturday. Easter is not part of Holy Week, but rather the beginning of the Easter season of the Liturgical year.

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. On this day, we celebrate the triumphant entry of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, into Jerusalem, riding a donkey. On that day, the people laid palms before Him, a gesture reserved for triumphant leaders. We celebrate this at Mass by distributing palms to the faithful who may keep them for a time for use as devotional objects. The palms are blessed at Mass. The faithful sometimes craft portions of palm fronds into crosses. Eventually, these palms are returned to the Church where they are burned. Traditionally, their ashes are saved and distributed at next year's Ash Wednesday services.

Jesus carrying his crossLater, when Jesus entered the Temple, he angrily drove out the money changers who had turned the Temple court into a place of business instead of devotion. Once the court was cleared, Jesus began teaching the masses. Meanwhile, His enemies drew plans to kill Him.

The next major event in Holy Week is Holy Thursday. On this day, Jesus celebrated the Passover feast with the disciples. We know this feast as the Last Supper. This is the night He was betrayed by Judas and arrested.

The Last Supper is celebrated at every Mass, and especially on Holy Thursday.

After supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and prayed. From this event comes inspiration for our practice of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, where we are invited to spend one hour in prayer with Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist; Body, Blood, and Divinity.

Jesus was arrested on the night of Holy Thursday.

The next day is Good Friday, and on this day, we commemorate the trial, punishment, and crucifixion of Our Lord.

On that morning, Jesus was brought before Annas, a powerful Jewish cleric who condemned Jesus for blasphemy. From there, Jesus was presented to Pilate for trial. Although Pilate found no guilt in Jesus, he agreed to have him crucified to appease the crowd of people and prevent a riot.

Christ was stripped, flogged, and crowned with thorns. He was then forced to carry His Cross to the place of His execution. There, He was nailed to the Cross between two thieves who were likewise crucified. Late that afternoon, seeking to ensure Christ's death, a Roman guard stabbed him in his side with a spear. When Jesus died, an earthquake is said to have occurred as well as a great darkness which covered the land. Suddenly, many people knew Jesus was the Son of God.

Jesus was taken and laid quickly in a borrowed tomb, in accord with Jewish law, which required the dead be buried by sundown before the Sabbath.

In our churches, the Tabernacle is left empty, to show that Christ is departed.

On Holy Saturday, there is no Mass. Parishes may hold services, but there is no distribution of Communion.

On Holy Saturday, we remember that Jesus was descended into hell where He preached the Gospel to those who died before and opened the way to heaven for all those who were worthy.

This concludes Holy Week. The following day is Easter Sunday, the day on which it was discovered the Tomb was empty, and our Lord was resurrected, triumphing over death once and for all time.

Printable PDF of Holy Week


More Lent & Easter

Easter 2024 / Lent 2024

Begins on Wednesday February 14, 2024

Ends on Thursday March 28, 2024

'So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead'
Luke 24:46

Lent Event

Importance

Stations of the Cross

Every Friday

Image of Stations of the Cross

Living Lent

February 14, 2024 - March 28, 2024

Image of Living Lent

Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday

February 13, 2024

Image of Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday

Ash Wednesday

February 14, 2024

Image of Ash Wednesday

Palm Sunday

March 24, 2024

Image of Palm Sunday

Holy Week

March 24 - 30, 2024

Image of Holy Week

Image of Holy Thursday / Last Supper

Good Friday

March 29, 2024

Image of Good Friday

Easter Sunday

March 31, 2024

Image of Easter Sunday

Ascension of Our Lord

Thursday May 9, 2024

Image of Ascension of Our Lord

Pentecost

Sunday May 19, 2024

Image of Pentecost

Fasting and Abstinence

Every Friday

Image of Fasting and Abstinence

Image of What did you give up for Lent?

Image of Lent FAQ's

Image of Transformed by Easter

Image of Easter Bunny

Image of Appearances

Image of Easter Gifts

Easter / Lent News

Where do the palms for Palm Sunday come from? Watch

Image of

With Palm Sunday right around the corner, Catholics across the globe will soon be handed leaves as they walk into church. Some might fold ... continue reading


When Did We See You Hungry? Lent and the Love of Preference for the Poor Watch

Image of Francis hugs the poor.

The option or love of preference for the poor. This is an option or a special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity to ... continue reading


Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Ask Dr. Denton: It's Lent. Can You Explain the Effects of Fasting? Watch

Image of Remember prayer time in the morning to set the right priorities. Start the day right and you will finish right.

Fasting gives us, body and soul, a spring cleaning. PORTSMOUTH, VA. (Catholic Online) - Dear Dr Denton: As the Lenten season unfolds, can ... continue reading


Lenten Reflection: A Barren Heart, God is in the Desert

Image of If God has chosen this desert for me for now, I will follow Him into it.  I don't believe I go there alone; He is leading me.

Though I hate the desert, may I wait for Him there. Whether He speaks or not, I will pray. If I feel nothing at all, I will praise Him. ... continue reading


It's Lent - an 'Outward Bound' for the Soul Watch

Image of Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

By the 1960's a movement of outdoor education and character formation called Outward Bound began transforming lives through exposure to ... continue reading


We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Prayer of the Day logo
Saint of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.