The faith families of St. Mary’s Church in Hamilton, St. Joan of Arc Mission in Morrisville, and the Colgate University Newman Community joined together in a new way to celebrate Holy Thursday March 29.
“Our Pastoral Councils have been working in collaboration with Colgate Newman Community on how to strengthen our relationship as communities of faith during Holy Week,” St. Mary’s and St. Joan’s Pastor Father Jason Hage explained in the March 25 parish bulletin. “The Colgate Newman Community agreed to no longer have their 10 p.m. Holy Thursday Mass on campus in order to join us for our Holy Thursday Mass at 7 p.m. Some members of the Newman choir will be singing for us at the Mass. The one great idea our whole group came up with this year was to process the Blessed Sacrament from St. Mary’s to Colgate’s Memorial Chapel immediately following the 7 p.m. Mass. This will be a beautiful sign of our unity as one worshipping Catholic community as we quietly and simply process our Eucharistic Lord through the streets of Hamilton to the chapel on campus.”
Holy Thursday marks the end of the season of Lent and the beginning of the most sacred time in the Church’s liturgical year: the Paschal Triduum.
“On this night we as a Church gather in the evening and our attention is directed to the ordained priesthood, the Holy Eucharist with the washing of feet, the solemn celebration of the Eucharist, and the procession with the Eucharist to the altar of repose where we adore Christ and keep watch with him. Holy Thursday reminds us that Christ has given us a new commandment: to love one another as he has loved us. He himself showed his love to us by sacrificing himself on the Cross. His love and the salvation he won for us are made new and present in our midst whenever the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist is celebrated.” (Read Father Christopher R. Seibt’s 2015 Holy Week meditation in full here.)
Father Hage was joined by Deacon Mark Shiner, Colgate’s Catholic Campus Minister, and Deacon Paul Lehmann for the celebration of the Mass.
See photos from the Mass and Eucharistic Procession below; see more at facebook.com/SyrCatholicSun.
Father Jason Hage preaches at Holy Thursday Mass March 29, 2018. (Sun photo | Chuck Wainwright)
Priests, deacons, and servers pray before the Blessed Sacrament at the Colgate University chapel following Holy Thursday Mass at St. Mary’s in Hamilton March 29, 2018. (Sun photo | Chuck Wainwright)
Father Jason Hage processes the Blessed Sacrament out of St. Mary’s Church following Holy Thursday Mass March 29, 2018. (Sun photo | Chuck Wainwright)
Father Jason Hage washes the foot of a parishioner during Holy Thursday Mass at St. Mary’s Church in Hamilton March 29, 2018. (Sun photo | Chuck Wainwright)
Holy Thursday at St. Mary’s Church in Hamilton March 29, 2018. (Sun photo | Chuck Wainwright)
Watch video about and from the Mass, courtesy Syracuse Catholic Television:
