Holy Week and Easter Sunday are the most sacred and important days for Christians. Despite the significance of these days, this year Catholic churches remained empty because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Signs of cancelled Holy Week services, as seen at St. Michael's Mission in St.Michaels, Arizona, hung on church doors across the United States, and many parts of the world. Although the Body of Christ was restricted from gathering physically this year, it could not be restricted from joining spiritually, after-all meditating on the Pascal Mystery is at the very heart of the Body of Christ.

As the faithful practice social distancing and adhere to government guidelines to stay in their homes, they were joined spiritually in unimaginable ways through creativity, flexibility, and perseverance. The friars of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province celebrated Holy Week as a domestic liturgy, within their friaries, and among their Franciscan brothers. After being advised to stay within their friaries by Provincial Minister Jack Clark Robinson, they celebrated an intimate and unique Holy Week. For example, Casa Guadalupe friary in Albuquerque, New Mexico celebrated Holy Thursday with a Eucharistic procession and Holy Hour among their beautiful garden. On Good Friday, San Juan Diego Friary celebrated the Lord's Passion and the Exultation of the Holy Cross in their chapel. Fr. Jorge Hernandez can be seen raising the cross to his fellow brothers who were sprinkled among the chapel to maintain social distance.

Among other Triduum celebrations, Fr. Gerry Steinmetz lead the Stations of the Cross on social media as he walked the beautiful desert hills of Laguna Pueblo. The Franciscans of St. Peter Friary in Roswell and St. Francis Friary in Gallup celebrated their Holy Week by live-streaming services, and sharing online reflections, which brought the liturgy into parishioners' homes. St. Michael Friary's moving celebration of Jesus' Resurrection was deeply rooted in Franciscan history. When the Franciscans first arrived in 1898 and could not speak the language of the Navajo people, they built a large cross outside of their mission. The cross stood as a symbol of their faith and service. On Easter morning, the cross adorned in white cloth, continued to serve as a symbol of both our Christian faith and a glimmer of hope during this uncertain time.

Photos from Around the Province