ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES TO UNITE IN PRAYER DURING HOLY WEEK THROUGH LIVESTREAMED MASSES
April 2, 2020  |  By:   |  Archbishop Gomez, Press Releases  |  
—Archbishop Gomez will celebrate Holy Week Masses and liturgies livestreamed from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels—

For the first time in the history of the Archdiocese, Catholic churches will be closed to the public during Holy Week because of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. While church doors are closed to help prevent the spread of virus in accordance with state and local public health orders, the churches of the Archdiocese continue to serve the faithful. Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are encouraged to unite in prayer during Holy Week through live streamed Masses, starting on April 5, 2020, when Archbishop José H. Gomez will celebrate Palm Sunday Mass in English at 10 a.m. The Masses will be livestreamed from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels via LA Catholics Facebook page, facebook.com/lacatholics.

“As we enter into Holy Week, we remember that our Lord carries his cross for us,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez. “Many of our brothers and sisters are suffering in this time of the coronavirus — people are sick and dying; many families are struggling with loss, with separation from their loved ones. As Jesus carries his cross for us, we need to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in their sufferings. We will offer our sorrows and sufferings in these days for an end to the coronavirus in our world. Where there is love, there is God. So, as we continue on the path of our Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection, we pray for the grace to love one another, as Jesus has loved us.”

The Holy Week Masses and liturgies livestreamed from the Cathedral are as follows:

  • Palm Sunday – April 5 at 7:00 a.m. (Spanish) and 10 a.m. (English)
  • Chrism Mass – April 6 at 7:00 p.m.
  • Mass of the Lord’s Supper – April 9 at 7:00 p.m.
  • Passion of the Lord – April 10 at 12:00 p.m. (English) and 3:00 p.m. (Spanish)
  • Easter Vigil – April 11 at 8:00 p.m. (Bilingual- English/Spanish).
  • Easter Sunday – April 12 at 7 a.m. (Spanish) and 10 a.m. (English)

Parishes throughout the tri-county Archdiocese of Los Angeles (L.A., Ventura and Santa Barbara counties) will also be live streaming Holy Week Masses through their different platforms. A list of additional Mass broadcasts can be found on lacatholics.org/mass-for-the-homebound.

The following accommodations to the liturgical guidelines of the Archdiocese during the crisis have been added to help priests in the celebration of Masses and liturgies for Holy Week while following the recommended preventive public health orders:

  • Palm Sunday: Priests may bless palms at their parishes. If their parish is doing so, parishioners are invited to view the livestream of these Masses.
  • Chrism Mass: The blessing of the Holy Oils for the year 2020 will take place on Monday April 6, 2020 at 7:00 PM. Mass will be livestreamed online, see above. Archbishop Gomez will bless the Oil of the Sick (used for the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick) and the Oil of the Catechumen (used for the Sacrament of Baptism) and consecrate the Sacred Chrism (used for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination).
  • Holy Thursday: Holy Thursday celebrates the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the Institution of the Eucharist and Priesthood. The traditional washing of the feet that takes place on Holy Thursday will be omitted this year. Priests who are unable to celebrate Mass should instead pray Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the day. Holy Thursday Mass will be livestreamed from the Cathedral, see above.
  • Good Friday: On Good Friday, the celebration of the Lord’s Passion takes place. The Passion of Jesus is read from the Gospel of John and the Adoration of the Holy Cross takes place. This year, if more than one ministry is assisting, to express reverence to the Cross without kissing or touching it, a genuflection or profound bow would be appropriate. In the Solemn Intercessions, a special intention has been added for those affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Good Friday liturgies will be livestreamed from the Cathedral, see above.
  • Holy Saturday: The Easter Vigil Mass will take place in parishes across the Archdiocese and in the Cathedral. The Paschal Candle for the year 2020 will be lit for the first time. The Renewal of Baptismal Promises will also take place. Easter Vigil Mass will be livestreamed from the Cathedral, see above.
    • The annual Blessing of the Animals Celebration presided by Archbishop José H. Gomez and sponsored by the Olvera Street Merchants at Olvera Street has been postponed.
  • Easter Sunday: The celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection will be celebrated at Masses throughout the Archdiocese. Easter Sunday Masses will be livestreamed from the Cathedral, see above.

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Due to gathering and social distancing restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Holy Mass is being livestreamed from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angles on the LA Catholics Facebook page and https://lacatholics.org/mass-for-the-homebound/. Masses are streamed live Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. in Spanish and 8 a.m. in English; and Sunday at 7 a.m. in Spanish and 10 a.m. in English. Latest video footage and photographs are available on Archdiocese social channels @lacatholics on Facebook, Instagram andTwitter. Video footage and photographs (credit: Angelus News) of Masses celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez are also available. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is thelargest and most diverse Catholic Archdiocese in the United States with approximately five million Catholics, serving the three counties of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara. For the latest news, events and to subscribe for media alerts visit media.la-archdiocese.org.