Thursday, April 09, 2009

Holy Week at Our Saviour's, New York



A friend from my former New York parish the wonderful Church of Our Saviour at 38th and Park, relays the following info about their Triduum schedule. I say former, as I have just moved to Milwaukee for a new and exciting job, and will be splitting my Triduum time between a number of local well-done Novus Ordo and Tridentine parishes.

As to Our Saviour's, I can speak from personal experience that its liturgies are among the best I have experienced in a smaller-sized parish, and Fr. Rutler's Three Hours Devotion preached from noon to three is a New York institution in and of itself:

The Church of Our Saviour at Park Avenue and 38th Street in Manhattan is a parish that embraces the Reform of the Reform and also celebrates the Extraordinary Form on a weekly basis.

The above photos show the sanctuary layout before the Extraordinary Form on Palm Sunday. The astute viewer will note the table with palms veiled in white and the temporary ambo with red antependium for the reading of the first Gospel--unfortunately, the sedilla with the violet chasuble for the Mass itself is not visible in the picture. The Mass was sung by the celebrant and pastor, Fr. Rutler, who also sang the complete Passion in Latin Gregorian Chant.

The remainder of the schedule for Holy Week is posted on the Parish web site.

The Triduum is celebrated in the Ordinary Form. On Good Friday, Fr. Rutler will preach the Three Hours devotion, followed by the solemn liturgy for the day when three singers from the parish choir will sing the Passion (in English). Of particular note, on Holy Saturday the Exsultet will be sung in Latin and all seven of the prophecies will be chanted in English.
This is the first time the Easter Vigil will feature fully chanted readings at this parish, and shows a particular admirable attention to detail.

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