For the first time in two years, significant numbers of Catholics in Western Washington can attend Holy Week and Easter liturgies in person — although there are still limitations because of the pandemic.

“We’re going to celebrate it with great joy,” said Ed Brands, administrator at Holy Redeemer Parish in Vancouver. “We have a lot of really devout and blessed parishioners.”

More than a year after Archbishop Paul D. Etienne suspended public celebrations of Mass because of COVID-19, Holy Week will be different in 2021.

Feet washing won’t happen during Holy Thursday and worshippers can’t touch the crucifix during veneration on Good Friday. However, the passing of the light from the paschal candle to the candles of the assembly is allowed during the Easter Vigil, and the congregation can be sprinkled with holy water as usual during the Easter liturgies.

Under the state’s Phase 3 guidelines, churches can fill to 50 percent of capacity, rather than the previous 25 percent restriction. Livestreams of Holy Week liturgies are available at various parishes and St. James Cathedral to make the holiest celebrations of the liturgical year accessible to everyone. (Check individual parishes for their Holy Week schedules; for the archbishop’s and auxiliary bishops’ schedules, click here.)

Some parishes are still using registration systems to make sure people won’t be turned away at the door when the allowed capacity is reached.

“If we get to a point where we have to turn people away, we want to know beforehand,” said Father Phillip Bloom, pastor at St. Mary of the Valley in Monroe.

At Holy Redeemer, the governor’s recent easing of gathering restrictions means 400 people can attend Mass in the church, while another 150 people can watch the livestream from the parish hall.

“Now I won’t have to turn anyone away,” Brands said, adding that the parish will celebrate an extra Mass on Easter Sunday.

Stations of the Cross and Good Friday


One of the Stations of the Cross at St. Andrew Church in Sumner. Photo: Stephen Brashear

On Holy Thursday, Immaculate Conception Regional School will conduct living Stations of the Cross that will be livestreamed, said Janette Strand, pastoral assistant for music and liturgy for Skagit Valley Catholic Churches, which includes four parishes — Immaculate Conception in Mount Vernon, St. Charles in Burlington, Sacred Heart in La Conner and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Sedro-Woolley — and St. Catherine Mission in Concrete.

On Good Friday, some parishes around the archdiocese will offer in-person Stations of the Cross and most will have in-person Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.

Parishioners at Holy Redeemer will meet in the church Good Friday morning for an opening prayer, then each can decide how to pray the Way of the Cross — inside the church or on walking routes of a half-mile to 3.5 miles. That evening, parishioners will gather for the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.

During the Good Friday liturgy at St. Louise de Marillac Parish in Bellevue, parishioners can venerate the cross with a bow or gesture of reverence, but without touching it, said Lynnette Basta, the parish’s worship director.

Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday

The registration system for Masses at the Skagit Valley parishes will allow for preassigned seating during the Easter Vigil Masses in Mount Vernon, Burlington and Sedro-Woolley, Strand said. That means parishioners can gather around the fire at the vigil before processing into the darkened church. This year, 21 adults will be initiated into the church at the parishes, according to Shari Mentel, pastoral assistant for administration and ministry support.

At St. Louise, only the five elect, three candidates and their families will be able to gather around the Easter Vigil fire, said Basta. And instead of an immersion baptism, the elect will stand on a new platform erected in the baptismal font, where water will be poured over them, she explained.

St. Mary of the Valley has added extra Masses for Easter Sunday, with room for about 320 people in the church, and 60 more participating by livestream in the parish hall, Father Bloom said.

Even with restrictions, this year is a definite change from 2020, when only eight people per Mass were allowed to participate in person, with everyone else watching by livestream.

“Back then we were so grateful to just have Mass,” Strand said. “Last year, no one knew how long [that] would last.” This year, “we’re trying to do as much of the liturgy as we can and maintain safety precautions,” she added.