News and Events

Media Alerts

Good Friday and Easter Weekend Events 2024

MEDIA ALERT – Archdiocese of Chicago Clergy and Parishes to Participate in Good Friday and Easter Weekend Events 2024

Various Archdiocese of Chicago clergy and parishes will participate in or host events to observe Good Friday and Easter weekend.

Below is a sampling of events happening this weekend open to media.

Good Friday, March 29:

WHAT: The Archdiocese of Chicago will live-stream the 2024 Living Stations of the Cross from Little Village (Via Crucis Viviente 2024 desde La Villita) starting at 9 a.m. from Epiphany Parish located at 2524 S. Keeler Ave. in Chicago. The two-hour procession will continue east on 26th Street and conclude at La Villita Park.

Participating Catholic parishes, and their pastors, include: Cristo Rey with Rev. Sergio Rivas Tamayo, St. Agnes of Bohemia with Rev. Marco Antonio Franco Luna and Mother of the Americas with Rev. Thomas J. Boharic.

Link to livestream: https://youtube.com/live/TDZpYiwtCPQ?feature=share
If media are interested in covering additional Living Stations of the Cross or Via Crucis throughout the archdiocese, a sampling of those can be found here:
https://pvm.archchicago.org/events/lenten-resources/via-crucis

WHAT: Way of the Cross: Organized by the Lay Ecclesial Movement Communion and Liberation and supported by the Lay Ecclesial Movements of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the annual Way of the Cross will take place through downtown Chicago. Bishop Jeffrey Grob and Bishop Mark Bartosic, auxiliary bishops of Chicago, will lead the procession.

 WHEN AND WHERE:
8:30 a.m.: Gather and introductions at Daley Plaza, Dearborn Street and Washington Street
9 a.m.: The walk begins.
TENTATIVE ROUTE: Veterans Memorial (Riverwalk at State Street and Wacker Drive), Wrigley Building (Michigan Avenue at the Chicago River), Water Tower Plaza (Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue)
11:40 a.m.: The walk ends at Holy Name Cathedral (State Street and Superior Street)
12 p.m.: Conclusion
More information can be found at http://wayofthecrosschicago.org/index.html

Easter Basket Blessings starting on Saturday, March 30:

WHAT: Various archdiocesan parishes will host Easter basket blessings for children and families. A sampling of those can be found at this link:
https://pvm.archchicago.org/events/lenten-resources/easter-basket-blessings
Contact: Media Relations Office, 312-534-8227.

March 24 - March 31

MEDIA ALERT – Planning Information for Holy Week Mass Schedule 2024; Prerecorded Broadcast and Online Holy Week and Easter Liturgies Included

WHAT: Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, will observe Holy Week with liturgical celebrations at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State Street, Chicago.

Prerecorded Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday Masses in Spanish and Polish, to air on WGBO/Univision Chicago and Polvision respectively, are provided below as are links to Holy Week services. Media are welcome to use excerpts from all these events. Please credit the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Holy Week is the last week of Lent, immediately preceding Easter Sunday. Observed by Catholics as a time to commemorate the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, various special liturgies are celebrated during the Paschal Triduum, the three days before Easter.

PRERECORDED PALM SUNDAY AND EASTER SUNDAY MASSES IN ENGLISH, SPANISH AND POLISH LISTED BELOW:

• Prerecorded Palm Sunday Mass, March 24, with Cardinal Cupich will air on WLS/ABC7 at 9:30 a.m.

• Prerecorded Palm Sunday Mass will air in Spanish on La Hora Católica: Misa y Más from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Archdiocese of Chicago at 9 a.m. on WGBO/Univision Chicago. The main celebrant is Rev. Jesus Puente, associate rector of the Shrine.

• Prerecorded Palm Sunday Mass will air in Polish on Polvision from St. Francis Borgia Parish at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The main celebrant is Rev. Marek Smolka, pastor of the parish.

• Prerecorded Easter Mass, March 31, with Cardinal Cupich will air on WLS/ABC7 from 9 – 10 a.m.

• Prerecorded Easter Mass will air in Spanish on La Hora Católica: Misa y Más from the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Archdiocese of Chicago at 9 a.m. on WGBO/Univision Chicago. The main celebrant is Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the Shrine.

• Prerecorded Easter Mass will air in Polish on Polvision from St. Francis Borgia Parish at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The main celebrant is Rev. Marek Smolka, pastor of the parish.

  LIVE, IN-PERSON MASSES WITH CARDINAL CUPICH:

Palm Sunday
WHAT: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Mass
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, which celebrates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem days before He died. During this observance, the Church celebrates the beginning of Jesus’ passage from life to death to new life. In accordance with the Gospel, the faithful hold palms during Mass in homage to Jesus’ followers covering His path in palm fronds on the day He entered Jerusalem.

WHEN: Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St., Chicago
WHO: Cardinal Cupich will preside and offer the homily.

LIVESTREAM LINK

Holy Thursday
WHAT: Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, when He established the sacrament of Holy Communion prior to His arrest and crucifixion. Cardinal Cupich will celebrate the Mass of The Lord's Supper followed by Eucharistic processions. The Archdiocese of Chicago will welcome 12 people from various walks of life and experiences to participate in the washing of the feet ritual with Cardinal Cupich. The symbolic act of feet washing imitates the example of Jesus at the Last Supper who washed the feet of the 12 disciples as a gesture of His servitude, humility and love to all.

There will be evening adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until midnight with a night prayer beginning at 11:45 p.m.

WHEN: Thursday, March 28 at 5:15 p.m.
WHERE: Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St., Chicago
WHO: Cardinal Cupich will preside. Rev. John Boivin, resident priest at Holy Name Cathedral, will offer the homily.

LIVESTREAM LINK

Good Friday
WHAT: Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion
The Liturgy of the Word of the Lord’s Passion is not a Mass but rather a reading of the Passion, veneration of the cross and Communion. The Eucharist received on Good Friday was consecrated at the Holy Thursday liturgy.

WHEN: Friday, March 29 at 5:15 p.m.
WHERE: Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St., Chicago
WHO: Cardinal Cupich will preside. Rev. Don Cambe, associate pastor at Holy Name Cathedral, will offer the homily.

LIVESTREAM LINK

Easter Vigil
WHAT: The Great Vigil of Easter - Please note: For coverage of this event, TV photographers are asked not to use their lights during the candlelit portion of this service. You are welcome to record this portion of the service by boosting your camera’s gain.

Easter Vigil is held on the evening before Easter and is the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.

The service begins outside Holy Name Cathedral, in its courtyard, where the Easter fire is lit to symbolize the Light of Christ. From the fire, the Pascal Candle will be lit, which will be burned throughout the entire Easter season. Cardinal Cupich will lead a solemn procession into the Cathedral in darkness with the procession concluding with the entire congregation lighting their own small candles followed by the Exsultet, or Easter proclamation. During this service, the Church welcomes new members with the sacraments of Baptism and First Communion. This is a two-hour liturgy.

WHEN: Saturday, March 30 at 8 p.m.
WHERE: Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St., Chicago
WHO: Cardinal Cupich will preside and offer the homily.

LIVESTREAM LINK

Cardinal Cupich’s Easter reflection, in three languages, will be available on Saturday, March 30 at 8 p.m. on the archdiocese’s Catholic Chicago YouTube Channel. Links are available here:

English | Spanish | Polish (in English with Polish subtitles)

For the Faithful to have access to the grace and comfort of Holy Mass, all of the services and Masses will be available on:
• the archdiocese’s YouTube Channel Catholic Chicago
• the archdiocese’s Facebook page
Contact: Media Relations Office, 312-534-8227.