The Journey to Pascha, 2025
Wednesday, April 2
Presanctified Liturgy, 7:00 PM
followed by communal agape (meal)
Weekend of April 5 – 6
Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt
Saturday: Lenten Retreat with Fr. Sergius, Abbot of St. Tikhon’s Monastery, to be held at St. John the Theologian in Shirley, NY, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: Great Vespers & Confessions, 7:00 PM
Sunday: Divine Liturgy, 9:30 AM, followed by Coffee Hour.
Wednesday, April 9
Presanctified Liturgy, 7:00 PM
followed by communal agape (meal)
Note: in our parish practice, this will be the final Presanctified Liturgy of 2025.
Friday, April 11:
40th and final day of the Great Fast
Saturday, April 12:
Feast of the Raising of Lazarus
Festal Divine Liturgy, 9:30 AM, followed by a lenten brunch, confessions, cleaning, and assembly of palms.
Weekend of April 12 – 13:
Great Feast of the Entrance into Jerusalem (‘Palm Sunday’)
Saturday: Festal Vigil & Blessing of Palms, 7:00 PM
Sunday: Festal Divine Liturgy, 9:30 AM, and procession with palms, followed by Coffee Hour. Bridegroom Matins of Holy Monday, to follow, 12:30 PM
Great & Holy Monday – April 14
Bridegroom Matins of Holy Tuesday, 7:00 PM
Great & Holy Tuesday – April 15
Bridegroom Matins of Holy Wednesday, 7:00 PM
Great & Holy Wednesday – April 16
Sacrament of Holy Unction, celebrated by His Eminence Archbishop Michael, 7:00 PM
Great & Holy Thursday – April 17
Vesperal Liturgy of the Mystical Supper, 9:30 AM
Matins of Holy Friday, with the reading of the twelve Passion Gospels, 7:00 PM
Great & Holy Friday – April 18
Royal Hours, 9:30 AM
Great Vespers & veneration of the winding-sheet, 2:00 PM
Matins of Holy Saturday, with a procession and veneration of the winding-sheet, 7:00 PM
Great & Holy Saturday – April 19
Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Saturday, 9:30 AM, followed by a solemn agape of bread and wine
Nocturnes, 11:30 PM
THE FEASTS OF FEASTS, HOLY PASCHA – April 20
Paschal Vigil – Midnight, followed by the blessing of baskets & a festive agape
Paschal Vespers – Noon
Bright Monday – April 21
Paschal Liturgy, 9:30 AM, followed by a festive agape
Weekend of April 26 – 27 (Antipascha – Sunday of St. Thomas)
Saturday: Great Vespers; 7:00 PM
Sunday: Divine Liturgy, 9:30 AM, followed by Coffee Hour
a Great Feast of Christ or the Theotokos
(one of the Twelve Great Feasts, and other feasts of Christ)
a “Vigil-rank” feast for a saint
(a major celebration for which Vespers & Matins are combined)
a “Polyelei-rank” feast for a saint
(a celebration at which the ‘Many Mercies’ is sung during Matins)
The symbols above denote the ‘rank’ of the feast being celebrated, as used in the Typikons (the books containing liturgical instructions for the year) of the Orthodox Churches.