Holy Week and Pascha 2026

Services of Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha – 2026

THE SERVICE SCHEDULE ON THIS PAGE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, TO SEE THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE THE CALENDAR HERE.

Lenten Services:

First week of Lent:

Sunday, Feb 22, 4 pm – Forgiveness Vespers

Monday, Feb 23, 6:30 pm – Great Canon of St. Andrew

Tuesday, Feb 24, 6:30 pm - Great Canon of St. Andrew

Wednesday, Feb 25, 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Thursday, Feb 26, 6:30 pm - Great Canon of St Andrew

Friday, Feb 27, 6:30 pm - Presanctified Liturgy

Saturday, Feb 28, 5 pm – Vespers, Triumph of Orthodoxy

First Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 1, 10 am - Divine Liturgy, Triumph of Orthodoxy

Sunday, March 1, 6 pm - Pan-Orthodox Vespers at Sts. Constantine and Helen Serbian Orthodox Church in Galveston, Texas

Wednesday, March 4, 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, March 6, 6:30 pm - Presanctified Liturgy

Saturday March 7, 5 pm - Vespers, St. Gregory Palamas

Second Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 8, 10 am -Divine Liturgy, St Gregory Palamas

Wednesday, March 11, 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, March 13, 6:30 pm - Presanctified Liturgy

Saturday March 14, 5 pm - Vespers, Veneration of the Cross

Third Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 15, 10 am - Divine Liturgy, Veneration of the Cross

Wednesday, March 18, 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy (Feast of St Cyril of Jerusalem)

Friday, March 20, 6:30 pm - Presanctified Liturgy

Saturday, March 21, 5 pm – Vespers, St. John of the Ladder

Fourth Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 22, 10 am – Divine Liturgy, St. John of the Ladder

Tuesday, March 24, 6:30 pm - Vespers, Annunciation

Wednesday, March 25, 10 am – Divine Liturgy of Annunciation

Friday, March 27, 6:30 pm – Small Compline with Akathist Hymn.

Saturday, March 28, 5 pm – Vespers, St. Mary of Egypt

Fifth Sunday of Lent:

Sunday, March 29, 10 am – Divine Liturgy, St. Mary of Egypt

Wednesday, April 1 6:30 pm – Presanctified Liturgy

Friday, April 3, 6 :30 pm – Final Presanctified Liturgy

Holy Week:

Saturday, April 4, 10 am – Lazarus Saturday Divine Liturgy

Saturday, April 4, 12 pm – Parish Work Day

Saturday, April 4, 5 pm – Vespers of Palm Sunday

Sunday, April 5, 10 am – Palm Sunday Divine Liturgy

Sunday, April 5, 4 pm – First Bridegroom Matins

Holy Monday, April 6, 6:30 pm – Bridegroom Matins

Holy Tuesday, April 7, 6:30 pm – Bridegroom Matins

Holy Wednesday, April 8, 6:30 pm – Holy Unction (Anointing of the Sick)

Holy Thursday, April 9, 10 am – Vesperal Divine Liturgy of the Mystical Supper

Holy Thursday, April 9, 6 pm – Matins with the 12 Passion Gospels

Holy Friday, April 10, 10 am – Royal Hours of Holy Friday

Holy Friday, April 10, 4 pm – Vespers with the Taking Down from the Cross

Holy Friday, April 10, 7 pm – Matins with the Lamentations at the Lord’s Tomb

Saturday, April 11, 10 am – Holy Saturday – Blessed Sabbath Liturgy

HOLY PASCHA:

Saturday night April 11, Begins at 11:00 pm - Midnight Service, Matins, and Divine Liturgy, followed by the blessing of baskets

Sunday, April 12, 3 pm - Agape Vespers and Picnic. Children’s egg hunt (weather permitting)

Explanations of Holy Week Services

Lazarus Saturday

Lazarus Saturday concludes Great Lent. This celebration remembers Christ's raising of Lazarus from the dead and the promise of universal resurrection for all. Lazarus Saturday provides a bridge to Holy Week during which the Church services remember Christ's last week before his crucifixion and resurrection, his passion.

Bridegroom Matins

The first three days of Holy Week remind us of Christ's last instructions with his disciples.The Matins services of the evenings of Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, and Holy Tuesday, anticipating the events of the next day, share a common theme. These Services call for preparedness at the Second Coming, for the "thief comes in the middle of the night." (Matt. 26:1-13)

Sacrament of Holy Unction

This Holy Mystery is celebrated for the healing of the sick. After a canon is sung, praying for our healing, seven epistles and gospels are read, and seven prayers are prayed in blessing of the oil. All Orthodox Christians may be anointed with oil of the healing of bodily and spiritual illnesses. We will also have other holy oils available for any (including non-Orthodox) who wish to be anointed with them after the service.

Mystical Supper Divine Liturgy

This Liturgy commemorates the first Divine Liturgy ever celebrated, when Christ celebrated it in the Upper Room in Jerusalem on Holy Thursday night. We also remember Judas’ betrayal of the Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

Twelve Passion Passages

In this service we read twelve gospel passages recalling Christ’s final words to His disciples on Thursday night, His betrayal by Judas, His trial before the High Priest, His trial before the Roman governor, His scourging and mockery, and His Crucifixion.

Friday Afternoon - Vespers with the Taking Down from the Cross

This service recalls the Crucifixion and death of Christ, and His holy body being taken down from the Cross, anointed for burial, and being laid in the tomb by His disciples. (Fasting potluck supper follows the service.)

Friday evening - Matins with the Lamentations

In this service we sing the burial hymns before the tomb of our Lord, and process around the church carrying the icon of Christ in the tomb. We ponder the mystery that He who is Life itself and who gives Life to all, now is lying in the grave.

(All night vigil reading psalms at the tomb - see sign up sheet in church.)

Saturday morning - Divine Liturgy of the Blessed Sabbath

As the Lord observes the “sabbath rest” in the tomb with His body, and as His soul descends to Hades to bring light and salvation to those held captive there, we have the Vesperal Liturgy with 13 Old Testament readings, each expressing in some way our faith in Christ’s resurrection and saving us through the water of baptism.

Saturday night - HOLY PASCHA

Christ our Savior breaks the bonds of Hades and rises from the tomb, and we celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior and His triumph over death!

(Pascha baskets will be blessed after the service in the hall.)

Sunday afternoon - Agape Vespers (Vespers of Love)

Our celebration of Christ’s Resurrection continues with this special Vespers service, with the reading of the Gospel in various languages, followed by a potluck picnic and egg hunt (weather permitting).