Holy Thursday Procession
  • daniel
    Posts: 75
    I think I read somewhere that the Holy Thursday procession should not just move from the main altar to the altar of repose, but that it should move through all the aisles of the church. Has anyone else read that? Also - should the laity get our of their pews and walk in the procession, or just the servers and clergy? Any documentation for any of this?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Bp. Peter Elliott's book "The Ceremonies of the LIturgical Year" (p. 97) makes a relevant point:

    If the church has a Blessed Sacrament chapel, it is appropriate for this to become the place of reposition. However, it may seem preferable to prepare some other chapel or area that is not normally used for eucharistic reservation, especially if this is some distance from the sanctuary, to allow for a significant procession. For the same reason, the place of reposition should not be set up in the sanctuary because the Eucharistic Procession itself represents a distinct movement from one place, the "Cena Domini", to another place, the Garden of Gethsemane.


    Because the faithful are invited to remain with the Lord at the place of reposition, that implies that the faithful should join in the procession in order to get there, necessarily so if the place of reposition is apart from the church.

    On the other hand, if the altar of reposition is within the church, considerations of space may make it impossible for the faithful as a whole to walk in the procession.
  • Adam Schwend
    Posts: 203
    The rubrics say "The Blessed Sacrament is carried through the church in procession, led by a cross-bearer and accompanied by candles and incense; to the place of reposition prepared in a chapel suitably decorated for the occasion."

    While one could say "what's your definition of 'through the church'", based on tradition, I'd think it wise to process more than just the center aisle out the door.
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