www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Polish Holy Thursday and Good Friday practices

Is anyone familiar with what the Polish RCs do on Holy Thursday and Good Friday? I am curious about anything different in the Tenebrae service and the tomb that apparently is used by Poles also. I will appreciate any information.

I don't know anything particular about a Polish Tenebrae, but I know that Poles have a large decorated Tomb with a statue of Christ (which I believe they also use as the repository for the Blessed Sacrament), bless Easter baskets and have an early morning procession on Pascha.

One place that does a good Polish Holy Week is Most Sacred Heart in Wallington, NJ. Their website is: http://www.mostsacredheart.org/

Their pastor, Canon Felix Marciniak, sets up a "mini Jerusalem" in their parish auditorium, complete with a small Church of the Holy Sepulchre (decorated with numerous icons and lampadas) wherein he keeps the Blessed Sacrament and the "3-D Plascanica."

Also, a good site with photos, videos and an overview of a Polish Holy Week and Easter is: http://acweb.colum.edu/users/agunkel/homepage/easter/easter.html

Dave

Dear Dave,

CIX!

Thanks for the links and the information. I am particulary curious about this using the tomb as a respository for the Blessed Sacrament. It seems it would be moved there at the Tenebrae, right? I am not too familiar with Latin services but that seems to be when the altar is stripped, etc.

Tony

CHB!

I am not really certain when the Solemn Transfer occurs, but I think it may be after the evening Mass on Holy Thursday.

I am not sure if all Polish churches keep use the Tomb as the repository or if it is just part of the Rite of Wallington, NJ. It does seem that most Poles keep at least a monstrance at the Tomb.

Dave

Dear Tony,
the Blessed Sacrament is taken in procession to the Altar of Repose after the Mass of Holy Thursday, which marks the end of Lent and the beginnging of the Easter Triduum in the Roman Church.

Cheers,
Manuel.

Dave,

Some Ruthenians had the same practice and may yet in some places. I would imagine it is/was regular among Poles. I would like to get more information about the origin of this practice.

Thanks for your help.

Tony

Yes, I have heard of some keeping a ciborium from inside the tabernacle in the Tomb. I don't know how common it is anymore. I've never experienced it, only heard reports of this practice from the past, in parishes of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic, ACROD, Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox jurisdictions.

Perhaps this custom originated with the Poles adding an statue of the dead Christ to their Repository, in imitation of Byzantine practice of the Shroud, and it all grew from there.

Dave

Tony and Dave,

The whole 40 hours devotion and liturgy is based on the fact that it is believed the Body of Christ laid 40 hours in the tomb. The Church of Milan started this practice, some say it was St. Charles Borromeo other say he only organized the rules and ordo concerning it.

In the Tridentine use a Host from the Mass of the Lord's Supper is placed in a monstrance or ciborium on an altar of repose until its consumption at the Mass of the Presantified on Good Friday. Now it seems the Latin Slavs took to making a tomb for the altar of repose, in immitation of their Orthodox neighbors perhaps? It then seems Greek Catholics borrowed from their Latin neighbors the practice of placings the Holy Gifts in the tomb. I don't know exactly when they would have been placed in the tomb but I assume along with the Shroud and then removed during the Sat morning Vesperal Liturgy.

Fr. Deacon Lance

That's very interesting!

You learn something new every day.

Dave

Deacon Lance,

Thanks. In speaking with a BC priest about this the very same issue came up, well almost. He said that if the Blessed Sacrament is reserved at the Tomb then one can make a visit to the Tomb and the Blessed Sacrament at the same time. Well, that sounded a bit far-fetched to me. Guess it just goes to show how much of that I understand.

I wish all a profitable remainder of Great Week and Bright Pascha.

The use of a "tomb" of sorts over Good Friday and Holy Saturday in the Western Rites is not unknown. The old Sarum rite had the Monstrance and Crucifix placed in an elaborate "tomb" which would be guarded by members of the parish in rotation, and during the Resurrection Vigil ceremonies the Host and Crucifix would be taken out.

Here's something to resurrect this old thread.

http://www.mostsacredheart.org has photos of their Tomb from this year. Just go to the "Photo Gallery." I think the photos were taken on Holy Thursday, since I don't see a statue of the dead Christ.

Dave