Palm Beach churches prepare to celebrate Holy Week
Palm Beach's three churches are marking Holy Week leading up to Christianity's most important holiday, Easter, which marks the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It starts March 24 — Palm Sunday — with services featuring palm fronds, which were waved by the crowd when Jesus entered Jerusalem.
As the week moves on, the Royal Poinciana Chapel, St. Edward Catholic Church and the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, will hold commemorations that include a fire, service of shadows and bright flowers along with the secular delight of Easter egg hunts among other things.
Palm Sunday, 4 Easter services planned at Bethesda-by-the-Sea
At Bethesda-by-the-Sea, Palm Sunday means a church decorated with palm fronds and palm crosses made by parishioners, said the Rev. Tim Schenck, the church's rector. Members of the flower guild and other volunteers were hard at work on Friday decorating the church and making palm crosses.
“Of course, the church will be decorated with palms all over the place; it’s always quite stunning to see the transformation," Schenck said. "And of course, these visually arresting palm decorations get stripped away Thursday."
The stripping of the altar is part of the church's Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday service, the day marking Jesus’ last meal with his 12 disciples. That's when, the Bible says, Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him to the Romans.
Thursday's service will also include a celebration of the Eucharist and a foot washing, a nod to when Jesus cleaned his disciples' feet, said Schenck.
"We’re reminded of the commandment to love one another as Jesus has loved us. It is that sense of unconditional, all powerful and all consuming love that Jesus offers through us through the Eucharist and washing the disciples feet," Schenck said.
However, Schenck's favorite service of the year is Saturday's Easter Vigil, which begins at 7 p.m. It starts in darkness, with each parishioner given a candle to use as a personal light during the first Scripture readings.
Schenck then builds a large fire at the back of the church, before lighting the Easter candle and carrying it to the front of the church as church's lights suddenly beam bright throughout the nave.
"This service is by far the most dramatic and moving service of the year," Schenck said. "It starts in darkness and moves to light, symbolizing the move from Lent to Easter, the move from death to life."
A champagne and jelly bean reception will follow the service, a tradition brought to the church by Schenck.
For Easter Sunday, Bethesda-by-the-Sea will host four morning services, with the flower guild decorating the emptied altar with bright colored flowers. Services will feature the Bethesda Choir accompanied by brass and timpani.
An Easter egg hunt is also planned for the church's front lawn at 10:15 a.m., said Schenck.
St. Edward also celebrating Holy Wednesday
At St. Edward Catholic Church, Palm Sunday will be a day bustling with joy, said the Rev. Glen Pothier, the church's pastor. During the service Pothier will recount Jesus' journey from the Christian Messiah's perspective, accompanied by a narrator. The congregation is also invited to join as the chorus.
"It's a beautiful way for all the congregation to take part," said Pothier.
Following the service will be an egg hunt and a pancake breakfast, with the Easter bunny making an appearance at the church's Parish Hall.
Unlike the other churches on the island, St. Edward also will observe Holy Wednesday — the day noting Judas' betrayal of Jesus Christ — with a Tenebrae Service, also known as a service of shadows. During the service an odd number of candles will be slowly snuffed after each reading or hymn, cascading the church in darkness until only one candle remains, the Christ candle, said Pothier.
Following a hymn about Jesus' acceptance of death, the Christ candle is taken to a side room, with the congregation left in darkness. After a few minutes, the silence is broken by a big bang, a representation of the tomb Jesus Christ was enclosed in, said Pothier.
However, death is not the end as the candle is brought back to the front of the church, a representation of Jesus' Resurrection, said Pothier.
Like Schenk, Holy Saturday is the most profound service for Pothier, who noted that the evening service will observe the acceptance of new members to the congregation. The day also features baptisms as well as confirmations, a sacrament representing a parishioner's growing connection to the Holy Spirit, he said.
During Easter Sunday, the church will hold four services, which are expected to bring hundreds throughout the morning.
Royal Poinciana Palm Sunday - children take center stage
At Royal Poinciana Chapel, Palm Sunday will be led by the children, who will begin the 10:30 a.m. service with a palm procession and anthem.
For Maundy Thursday, the chapel will host a live reenactment of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” at 7:15 p.m. Amy Hamel, professor with Palm Beach Atlantic University's Theater Department returns as director for the performance.
Backed by the Chapel Chorus, piano and harp, last year's cast returns to the roles of Jesus’ disciples..
According to Rev. Robert Norris of Royal Poinciana Chapel, the church decided to run the biennial for a second consecutive year to make up for the time the congregation spent physically apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Good Friday, the Chapel will host choral and chamber musicians in a performance of French Romantic Composer Théodore Dubois' "Seven Last Words of Christ."
On Easter Sunday, the chapel plans two services featuring choral, brass, timpani and organ accompaniment. Following the second service at 11 a.m., eggs will flood the Great Lawn for the Children's Egg Extravaganza Easter egg hunt.
Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea
Address: 141 S. County Road, Palm Beach
Information: www.bbts.org, 561-655-4554
Palm Sunday: Palm Sunday Liturgy and Holy Eucharist, 8 a.m; 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. There will be music from the Bethesda Choir during the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. service.
Maundy Thursday: Holy Eucharist, Foot Washing and Stripping of the Altar, 7 p.m.; The Watch, in person until midnight and online until 8 a.m.
Good Friday: Good Friday Liturgy with Communion from the Reserved Sacrament, 8 a.m.; Good Friday Liturgy with Communion from the Reserved Sacrament and music by Bethesda Choir, noon; Stations of the Cross, 4 p.m.
Holy Saturday: Liturgy of the day, 10 a.m.; The Great Vigil of Easter: Lighting of the New Fire, Holy Baptism, and First Eucharist of Easter and music by Bethesda Choir, 7 p.m.
Easter Sunday: Sunrise Eucharist in Garden Chapel, 6:30 a.m.; Holy Eucharist, 7:30 a.m.; Festal Holy Eucharist with brass and music by the Bethesda Choir, 9 and 11 a.m.; Easter Egg Hunt, 10:15 a.m. There will be incense at the 11 a.m. service.
St. Edward Catholic Church
Address: 144 N. County Road, Palm Beach
Information: www.stedwardpb.com, 561-832-0400
Palm Sunday: Faith Formation Egg Hunt and Easter Breakfast following mass, 9 a.m.
Holy Wednesday: Tenebrae Service, 7 p.m.
Maundy Thursday: Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, 7 p.m.
Good Friday: Solemn Celebration of the Passion of the Lord, 2:30 p.m.; Stations of the Cross, 3:00 p.m.
Holy Saturday: Blessing of the Easter Baskets, noon; Easter Vigil, 7:30 p.m.
Easter Sunday: Easter Mass, 7 a.m.; 9 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. and noon
Royal Poinciana Chapel
Address: 60 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach
Information: www.royalpoincianachapel.org, 561-655-4212
Palm Sunday: Worship service with children leading the palm procession, 10:30 a.m.
Maundy Thursday: Visual reenactment of DaVinci’s “The Last Supper” by men and friends of the congregation in character, with Chorale soloist and Orchestra and communion, 7:15 p.m.
Good Friday: "Seven Last Words of Christ" by Théodore Dubois, performed by chorale and chamber musicians, noon
Easter Sunday: Worship service with chorale, brass, timpani and organ, 9 and 11 a.m.; Sunday school at 11 a.m. only and Children’s Egg Extravaganza on the Great Lawn, after 11 a.m. service.
Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.