Bishop Deeley presides over the Celebration of the Passion of Our Lord

“May abundant blessing, O Lord, we pray, descend upon your people who have honored the death of your son in the hope of their resurrection. May pardon come, comfort be given, holy faith increase, and everlasting redemption be made secure.” ---Bishop Deeley

Following a shortened opening procession conducted in silence, Bishop Robert Deeley began the Good Friday celebration of the Passion of Our Lord by making a reverence at the altar and then laying prostrate in a sign of sorrow for Jesus’ death on the cross and humility to the will of God. The large gathering at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Friday evening knelt in silence.

From the earliest days of Christianity, no Mass has been celebrated on Good Friday, the only day of the year on which that occurs. Instead, the faithful gather for a special liturgy focusing on the cross to commemorate the saving Passion, crucifixion, and death of Jesus. The vestments worn are red, the symbol of martyrdom and blood, and it is a day of fasting and penance in solemn remembrance.

The Good Friday service was a grace-filled experience combining times of quiet and sometimes silent prayer with solemn musical accompaniment. The liturgy took place in three parts: Liturgy of the Word, Solemn Adoration of the Cross, and the distribution of Holy Communion.

For the Liturgy of the Word, the Passion of the Lord was proclaimed, recalling Jesus' death on the cross at Calvary, by Fr. Seamus Griesbach, Fr. Agustin Sebasthiyan, HGN, and Deacon Luis Sanclemente. The faithful at the Cathedral also joined Catholics around the world in praying for the same ten intentions offered for the unity of the universal Church: for the holy Church, for the pope, for all orders and degrees of the faithful, for catechumens (those preparing to enter the Church), for the unity of Christians, for Jewish people, for those who do not believe in Christ, for those who do not believe in God, for those in public office, and for those in tribulation (the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned, the traveling, and the dying).

Fr. Kevin Upham, a parochial vicar of the Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes and a chaplain at Maine Medical Center and Northern Light Mercy Hospital, served as the homilist on Good Friday. He said that hearing the Passion proclaimed makes it clear how Jesus enters the “messiness” of our lives.

“We prayed for an end to the pandemic, only to find an increasingly violent world. We need Jesus Christ now more than ever,” said Fr. Upham. “More and more people are discovering that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of our government are not the trinity we ultimately turn to, but it is the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of the One True God. More and more people are discovering that to have true compassion means to willingly suffer with others.”

Avoiding “spiritual traps,” particularly during Holy Week, is crucial to growing in faith as well as closer to Jesus and his love for us.

“The spiritual pitfall is to focus so much on staying busy and filling up our calendars and ‘to do’ lists that we forget to pray and to be aware of God’s presence during this very special time,” he said. “May we not become so busy that we inadvertently ignore God who is source of our every good gift.”

Following the homily, a large cross was carried up the center aisle to the front of the church with Deacon Luis Sanclemente accompanying the procession.

“Behold the wood of the cross, on which hung the salvation of the world,” sang Deacon Sanclemente each of the three times the cross was elevated, with the third time being at the front of the sanctuary.

“Come, let us adore,” responded the congregation each time.

Led by Bishop Deeley, all present then came forward for adoration of the cross, some kissing the cross, others touching it, genuflecting before it, or gazing at it and praying silently. The cross is venerated as a remembrance of Christ who offered his life for the forgiveness of every person's sins and for the salvation of the world, and serves as an opportunity for the faithful to revere the Cross and ponder the enormity of Jesus’ salvific act.

The hosts used during the distribution of holy Communion on Good Friday had been consecrated during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Cathedral. The cathedral's tabernacle will remain empty until the Easter Vigil, and the altar was also stripped. Only the cross remained.

“May abundant blessing, O Lord, we pray, descend upon your people who have honored the death of your son in the hope of their resurrection. May pardon come, comfort be given, holy faith increase, and everlasting redemption be made secure,” prayed Bishop Deeley at the end of the service.

Just as they had arrived, the celebrants and assembly departed in silence on Friday, awaiting the joy of Easter.

A special collection was taken during the service for the preservation of the sacred sites in the Holy Land. The collection was organized by the Northeastern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, which supports the work of the Latin patriarch, the Catholic archbishop responsible for Roman Catholics living in Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. That work includes providing funding for schools in the Holy Land, which are currently educating thousands of students, both Christian and Muslim. To contribute or for more information, visit www.eohsjeastern.org/donate.

Bishop Deeley prostrates himself before the cross.
The choir
Bishop Deeley and Deacon Luis Sanclemente lie prostrate
The reading of the Passion of Our Lord according to John.
Father Kevin Upham
Altar servers carry the cross.
Veneration of the cross.
Veneration of the cross.
A family venerates the cross.
Veneration of the cross.