If you are planning on being in Rome for Holy Week during this Jubilee year, you should certainly make an effort to attend services in the Byzantine Rite at the church of St Anthony the Abbot on the Esquiline Hill, the Russian Greek-Catholic church in urbe. The quality of the music there is always very high, but for Holy Week and Easter, the choir is joined by a group from Switzerland, the “Romanos der Melode Chor”, and the music is among the finest to be heard not just in the Eternal City, but I dare say, in the world. Here is the full schedule from Lazarus Saturday (April 12) to St Thomas Sunday (April 27); the church is located at via Carlo Cattaneo 2A, less than a minute’s walk from Santa Maria Maggiore.
– Matins, 8:00 am
– Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am
– All-night Vigil of Palm Sunday, 6:00 pm
April 13, Palm Sunday
– Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am
– Great Vespers, 6:00 pm
– Great Vespers, 6:00 pm
April 14, 15 & 16 Great and Holy Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
– Bridegroom Matins, 8:00 am– Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, 6:00 pm
April 17, Great and Holy Thursday
– Matins, 8:00 am– Vespers and Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am
– Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels, 8:00 pm
– Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels, 8:00 pm
April 18, Great and Holy Friday
April 19, Great and Holy Saturday
– Vespers and Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am– Readings of the Acts of the Apostles and the Midnight Office 9:00 pm
– Procession, Paschal Matins and Paschal Hour, Divine Liturgy, beginning at 10:00 pm (The Divine Liturgy starts around 12:30am.)
April 20, Easter Sunday
– Divine Liturgy, 12:30am (see above)
– Paschal Vespers, 6:00 pm
– Paschal Vespers, 6:00 pm
April 21, Easter Monday
– Matins, 8:00 am
– Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am
– Matins, 8:00 am
– Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am
April 26 (Saturday)
Great Vespers of St Thomas Sunday, 6:00 pm
April 27, Sunday of St Thomas
Divine Liturgy, 10:00 am
