Christians In Mumbai Mark Holy Triduum With Theme Of Hope Ahead Of Jubilee Year 2025

Mumbai: Christians began the Holy Triduum, the three last days of Holy Week, with Maundy Thursday. This is followed by Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and ends with evening prayer on Easter Sunday. The Holy Week began on Palm Sunday on April 13, marking the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as a triumphant King to the adulation of crowds waving palm fronds.

Father Harry Quadros, assistant parish priest at St John the Evangelist Church, Marol, Andheri East, said that the theme for the Holy Triduum this year is hope because the Roman Catholic Church is observing 2025 as a Jubilee Year, a spiritually important period. 

Maundy Thursday marks the act of Jesus Christ washing his disciples' feet before the Last Supper. The word 'maundy' means command in Latin and refers to the instructions given by Christ to his disciples at the gathering. This is the day that we as a church celebrate the institution of both the priesthood and the Holy Eucharist, said Father Nigel Barrett, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay. "On this day, we are given a new commandment to love one another as Christ loves us, and Jesus displays what this love entails through Servant leadership. He washes his disciples' feet and says 'If I, your Lord and Master, have bent down and washed your feet, you are called to do the same'", said Barrett. 

At St Paul's Church, Dadar, the priest washed the feet of a group of church members to mark the day. "It is a commemorative service on Thursday evening. It symbolises humility and kindness," said Charmaine Bocarro, a church member. 

Bocarro added that earlier, the ceremony involved only men. "That restriction is not observed anymore, and women are part of the ritual now," Bocarro said.

Good Friday marks the day Jesus was crucified. The resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, signifying the fulfilment of God's plan for redemption and offering believers the promise of eternal life, said Barrett. "It is a day of immense joy and hope, as Christians celebrate the victory of light over darkness, life over death, and the triumph of God's love for humanity. Easter Sunday serves as a profound reminder of the transformative power of faith and the enduring message of hope that resonates throughout the ages," Barrett said, adding that people of other faiths often ask Christians why they call such a cruel day 'Good Friday'. "The short answer to this very appropriate question is: it is good because when man was at his worst, God was at his best," Barrett added.

The 'Way of the Cross', a prayer that reflects on 14 key moments in Jesus’s final hours on earth, will be conducted across the city. The United Christians of Mumbai will organise a 'Resurrection Day Easter Eve Procession' on Saturday at 3.30 pm. The procession will start from St Andrew's Marathi Church, Agripada, and travel through Byculla, Nagpada, and Mumbai Central. The Easter Vigil Service will be celebrated by John Rodrigues, Archbishop of Bombay, on April 19 at the Holy Name High School Quadrangle, Colaba, from 8:00 pm onwards.