Holy Saturday - April 4, 2026
8 PM Easter Vigil Mass
Easter Sunday - April 5, 2026
7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, & 11:30 AM Masses
Holy Week—also known as Great and Holy Week by the Eastern Catholics and Orthodox—is the week preceding Easter and the final week of Lent. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.
Holy Week includes Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday) and Good Friday, which, together with Holy Saturday, are known as the Triduum.
Before the revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969, Holy Week was the second week of Passiontide; in the current calendar, Passiontide is synonymous with Holy Week.
When is Holy Week 2026?
This year, Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday: March 29, 2026. It ends on Easter Sunday: April 5, 2026.
How to Observe Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday is a day of preparation for Easter. For some families, this might mean praying together, preparing their home for guests, and dyeing Easter Eggs. Although there is no Mass offered in the morning, many churches host a short prayer service. When night falls, the Church officially begins its first Easter Celebration at the Easter Vigil Mass! You can reflect on Holy Saturday by watching a Holy Saturday Reflection.
A Prayer for Holy Saturday
The most dominant emotion in our modern society is fear. We are afraid of losing the things we have worked hard to buy, afraid of rejection and failure, afraid of certain types of people, afraid of criticism, of suffering and heartache, of change, afraid to tell people how we really feel.
What was the dominant emotion of Jesus’ followers on Holy Saturday? Fear. Fear that they had been misled. Fear that God didn’t have a plan. Fear that God had forgotten them.
We all have fears, too. And sometimes, we let those fears paralyze us.
Today, on Holy Saturday, take a few moments to reflect on the fears that are stopping you from living your dreams, the fears that are making it hard for you to trust fully in God, and pray for the courage to overcome those fears:
Jesus,
You are courage incarnate. As you hung on the cross for my sins and the sins of the world, you showed me that all things are possible. You knew that life did not end on the cross. It was only the beginning of a new and glorious eternal life.
Jesus, there are areas of my life that make me feel stuck. There are areas of my life I feel like you have forgotten. There are things I have asked for for years, and it seems that you have no answer. I bring all of these things to you today, and I ask you to renew my trust that you have a plan for them.
Fill me with courage, Jesus. And give me the strength to face all of the difficulties and uncertainties of this life with hope in your wonderful dream for my life.
Amen.
What is the Easter Vigil?
The Easter Vigil is a Mass celebrated on Holy Saturday. It begins with a bonfire outside the church, where everyone lights a candle. Mass attendees then process inside the church, filling the dark church with light.
The Easter Vigil is sometimes several hours long because the Mass includes several special readings from the Old Testament that foreshadow Jesus’ death and Resurrection. If the parish has any new catechumens (people who are entering the Catholic Church), oftentimes they will receive their Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation at the Easter Vigil.
What is Easter Sunday?
Easter Sunday is the day we celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection. It is the most important day in history.
The whole world changed on Easter Sunday. It was an earth-shattering, life-changing, historic event, and the ultimate proof that Jesus truly is God. Catholics have been celebrating Easter Sunday for over 2,000 years.
How to Celebrate Easter
Easter is not just a one-day celebration; it's an entire season! The time of celebration begins on Easter Sunday and continues through Pentecost.
As Catholics, the one thing we do more than anything else is celebrate. We celebrate life, death, new life, and eternal life. We celebrate education, innovation, discovery, love, truth, beauty, goodness, forgiveness, reconciliation, unity, family, and new life. We are a people of celebration. And here's the thing—you become what you celebrate. If you celebrate death and destruction, you will become death and destruction. If you celebrate life and creativity, you will become life and creativity. The Church's constant invitation is to celebrate the right things with great vigor, enthusiasm, and regularity.
There are many ways to celebrate Easter. The world celebrates with chocolate eggs, the Easter Bunny, and parties. While Catholics might join in on these festivities, that’s not where the celebration ends. First and foremost, Catholics celebrate Easter by attending Mass on Easter Sunday or the Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Another great way to celebrate is to read the accounts of the Resurrection in the Gospels and spend time in prayer, meditating on the scenes. How would you respond to the empty tomb? Who’s the first person you would tell? Third, reflect on how God is inviting you to bring new life into your relationships, your faith, and your community this Easter Season.
You can also watch an Easter Sunday Reflection.
A Prayer for Easter Sunday
What is it in your life that needs to be resurrected this Easter? Perhaps it’s a relationship, maybe your personal finances, perhaps your health, or maybe your career or spirituality. Bring it all to Jesus in prayer on Easter, and you’ll be amazed at how he fills you with new life!
Jesus,
Unleash the power of the Resurrection in my life today. Resurrect the area of my life that needs it today. Help me to stop resisting your grace, stay out of your way, and let you work in me and through me in whatever ways you want.
Jesus, you have conquered death and hatred with love. Teach me to do the same in some small way in my own life. Give me the courage to love when I feel rejected, ignored, unappreciated, forgotten, and taken for granted.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you. I pray I never let a day pass without these words crossing my lips. Jesus, on this Easter we pray for all those who have lost faith in you, and for anyone who has never encountered you in a way that allowed them to embrace you.
May the power of your Resurrection reignite faith in my life, in the lives of all those I love, and in the lives of the entire Church.
Amen.
