Triduum and Easter
Holy Thursday - The Ratisbonne community celebrated the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist in the house chapel. Fr. Francis was the main celebrant at the Mass. Twelve of the brothers, mostly of the deacons and 3rd year students (to be deacons) had their feet washed as part of the rite. They were reminded of the duties they had or were about to take on in Orders. The Mass was followed by a a period of adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, which had been moved to a repository in the oratory chapel.
Good Friday - the morning of Good Friday the community woke early to celebrate the Office of Readings and Morning prayer in the Chapel of Condemnation, part of the larger Flagellation church and Franciscan school. Following morning prayer the community made the stations of the cross down the Via Dolorosa (the Flagellation Church is the 1st Station). This was a good time to make the stations, since from experience of other years shows that the later one begins the stations the more difficult it is to prayerfully process through the streets. All in the community agreed that it was a very prayerful morning. In the afternoon and evening some of the brothers went to various churches around for other Good Friday celebrations, including the Funeral of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre (a unique Holy Land experience)
Holy Saturday - in the evening the Ratisibonne community was joined by members of the Filipino community for the Vigil Mass. Fr. Gianni Caputa presided at the Mass. From the lighting of the new fire through the sprinkling of newly blessed holy water, the various rites of the liturgy were celebrated with very moving reverence.
All these experiences put together, including the Easter Sunday Mass as a community formed a very beautiful and prayerful three days at the Salesian house in Jerusalem.