Holy Thursday 2016

It has been a long tradition at Trinity High School to mark Holy Thursday with a special two-part prayer service with a Liturgy of the Word and Stations of the Cross with the students and staff from St. Joseph Regional Junior High School.  We began this year's prayer service with an opening hymn by our choir, followed by a few words from me, and our choir singing the beautiful song "Jesus the Lord."  When I was a postulant with the Congregation of Holy Cross, we used to sing this song frequently at Thursday Compline and I absolutely loved it.  I ask Mr. Maurier '72 and Mrs. Trachim P'08, '10, who run our choir, if they can sing it every few years at our prayer service.  As always, the choir did an amazing job.

Following this, Mr. Pascoal of our English department read the washing of the feet story from St. John's gospel which is the gospel for Holy Thursday Mass.  As I mentioned in my opening words, this event is a reminder that none of us are better than anyone else and we are all called to serve one another, no matter our titles or states in life.  If Jesus, literally the greatest thing since sliced bread, can get on His hands and knees and wash the feet of 1st century men who wore sandals in the desert, certainly we can do the same.  Thus, our principal Mr. Mailloux '72 once again washed the feet of twelve members of the Trinity and St. Joe's communities (10 students and 2 staff).

From here, we transitioned into praying the Stations of the Cross.  Mr. Carnevale's Mod H theology class generously acted out the stations and did a marvelous job despite my last minute planning!  Jason Dufour '16 read each station and the other students performed them.  We turned the lights out for this and shone the spotlight for each station.  In between each one, the choir sang a short verse of various songs.

The service concluded with a final hymn from the choir.  I also encouraged everyone to leave the gym  in complete silence in the spirit of what we just celebrated...and they did.  You could have heard a pin drop as the students left.

Tonight is another tradition - the Holy Thursday pilgrimage.  Tonight we will visit and pray at five churches in Manchester starting at Saint Anselm Abbey Church.  All are welcome to join us on the front steps of the Abbey Church at 7:15pm.