Welcome to Saint Mary of the Assumption
Roman Catholic Church in Milford, MA
is a culturally rich and diverse Catholic family; through our worship, educational, youth, and outreach ministries, we endeavor to welcome, to love, to evangelize and to serve, making Jesus Christ present in Word & sacrament.
Holy Week & Easter Sunday Schedule
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Regulations on fasting a& Abstinence
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.
Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are to observe the particular law of their own sui iuris Church.
If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the "paschal fast" to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection.
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The following is our parish schedule for Holy Week and Easter Sunday:
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion - Sunday, April 14, 2019
The Mass schedule is the usual Sunday schedule, but we invite parishioners to join us in the lower church 15 minutes before the usual time for the blessing of the palms and a procession to the upper church. The following is the schedule for the weekend of Sunday, April 14, 2019:
- Saturday, April 13th:
- 3:45 PM Blessing of Palms (in English in the lower church & procession)
- 4:00 PM Mass (in English in the upper church)
- 6:45 PM Blessing of Palms (in Portuguese in the lower church & procession)
- 7:00 PM Mass with the Brazilian Community in the upper church
- Sunday, April 14th:
- 7:30 AM Mass in English in the upper church
- 8:45 AM Blessing of Palms (in Portuguese in the lower church)
- 9:00 AM Mass in Portuguese in the upper church
- 10:15 AM Blessing of Palms (in English in the lower church)
- 10:30 AM Mass in English in the upper church
- 11:45 AM Blessings of Palms (in Spanish in the lower church)
- 12:00 PM Mass with the Latino Community in the upper church
- 6:00 PM Mass in English in the Upper Church (followed by 15 minutes of adoration and Benediction)
- Thursday, April 11, 2019
- 10:30 am Chrism Mass-Cathedral of St. Paul, Worcester At this Mass, Bishop McManus will consecrate the three oils that are used throughout the year in sacramental celebrations in every parish in our diocese:
- Oil of the Catechumens: Used to strengthen those preparing for baptism as they prepare to be buried with Christ to rise with Him to new life
- Oil of the Sick: Used by priests in the Sacrament of the Anointing for healing (physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual)
- Sacred Chrism: This perfumed oil was used in the Old Testament to anoint Priests, Prophets and Kings. It is used in our sacraments to configure the one anointed in the image of Christ. It is used at baptism, confirmation, and the ordination of priests and bishops. It is also used to consecrate altars and churches to dedicate them for Catholic ritual and worship.
- At this Mass, those priests celebrating a significant anniversary of their ordination are recognized and celebrated as all priests renew the promises of their ordination.
- 10:30 am Chrism Mass-Cathedral of St. Paul, Worcester At this Mass, Bishop McManus will consecrate the three oils that are used throughout the year in sacramental celebrations in every parish in our diocese:
- Monday, April 15, 2019
- 9:00 am Mass (Lower Church)
- Tuesday, April 16, 2019
- 9:00 am Mass (Lower Church)
- 7:00 pm Confessions (Lower Church)
- Wednesday, April 17, 2019
- 9:00 am Mass (Lower Church)
- 11:00 am to 12 Noon & 4 to 5 pm: Confessions (Upper Church)
- 7:00 pm Tenebrae (NO Confessions) (Upper Church)
The Sacred Triduum
The Sacred Triduum is the most sacred and solemn feast of the Church's year. It begins at sunset on Holy Thursday and marks the end of Lent. It last for three days and involves four separate, distinct, and wholly unique liturgies whose details date the early centuries of the Church's prayer and practice.
Good Friday is not a holyday of obligation. The Church prohibits the celebration of the Mass so that we may feel the separation from the Lord that the disciples did in abandoning him. It is however a day of fast and obligation. Beyond any Lenten practice or discipline that the faithful have kept during the 40 days of Lent they are encouraged to continue the same from after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday until the celebration of the Resurrection at the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening. On Holy Saturday, Mass may only be given as viaticum to the dying and Mass may not begin before sunset so that it takes place in whole darkness.
Since we are limited to only one liturgy during these days, we invite those who usually attend morning Mass to join us in praying the Liturgy of the Hours at the usual morning time of 9 AM on these days.- Holy Thursday, April 18, 2019
- 9:00 am Morning Prayer (Lower Church)
- 7:00 pm Tri-Lingual Lord’s Supper-Washing of the Feet
- After Mass-Solemn Adoration in the lower Church until Midnight
- Quiet Adoration until 7 am on Friday
- Good Friday, April 19, 2019
- 9:00 am Morning Prayer (Lower Church)
- 11:00 am Living Stations & Communion (Spanish)
- 12:00-3:00 pm Seven Last Words of Jesus (at Trinity Episcopal)
- 3:00 pm Living Stations (Grades 7 & 8) (English) (Upper Church)
- 6:30 pm Portuguese & Brazilian Passion of the Lord (Upper Church)
- 7:00 pm Passion of the Lord (English) (Lower Church)
- 8:00 pm Silent Procession through neighborhood streets with Our Lady of Sorrows
- Holy Saturday, April 20, 2019
- 9:00 am Morning Prayer (Lower Church)
- 8:00 pm Easter Vigil (Tri-Lingual) (Upper Church)
(Please Note: There are NO confessions or 4:00 pm Mass)Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 21, 2019
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7:30 am Mass (English/ Upper Church)
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9:00 am Mass (Portuguese/ Upper Church)
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10:30 am Mass (English/ Upper Church)
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12:00 pm Mass (Spanish /Upper Church)
(No 6:00 pm English Mass)
- Saturday, April 13th: