Saint Michael the Archangel Parish

21 Manning St

Hudson, MA 01749

Sacred Paschal Triduum


What is the Sacred Paschal Triduum?


The Sacred Paschal Triduum is the three most solemn days of the Liturgical Year; Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. These most holy days celebrate the Paschal Mystery, first, the passion, suffering, and death of the Lord Jesus, followed by his Resurrection, the triumph of the holy cross, and Christ’s decisive victory over sin and death.


The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Sacred Paschal Triduum. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ's Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery is Christ's work of redemption accomplished principally by His Passion, death, and Resurrection.  The single celebration of the Triduum (meaning three) marks the end of the Lenten season, and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil.

"High Holy Days"


If there were ever three days that Catholics should want to go to church to pray, it would be the Sacred Paschal Triduum. These days rank at the head of the liturgical calendar. They celebrate the most sacred mysteries of our faith, and they ought to be celebrated with the community at liturgy. The Jews have three high holy days, three pilgrimage feasts, Passover, Pentecost, and Booths, and those who lived outside of Jerusalem made pilgrimage to the Temple to celebrate these solemn occasions. 

The three days of the Triduum are our “high holy days,” our “pilgrimage feast,” and we ought to make pilgrimage from our homes to The Church to commemorate and honor how the Lord Jesus laid down his life for us, his friends, for our salvation.


Please make it a top priority to go to church to celebrate the Sacred Paschal Triduum this year.  Reserve the time.  Rearrange your schedule if necessary.  Take some personal time off from work.  Suspend errands or jobs around the house. Drop everything. Plan to attend the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Enter into the mystery.
-excerpt from an article by Father Michael Van Sloun 


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