Pilgrims wave as Pope Francis arrives for his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Feb. 27, 2019. (CNS photo/Yaraara Nardi, Reuters)
By Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis and top officials of the Roman Curia will leave the Vatican March 10-15 for their annual Lenten retreat, which will be led by Benedictine Abbot Bernardo Gianni of the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte in Florence, the Vatican announced Feb. 27.
And, as is customary when first publishing the pope’s calendar for Holy Week, the Vatican did not provide the time or place for his celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Pope Francis has made it a tradition to celebrate the Mass and foot washing ritual at a prison or detention center, refugee center or rehabilitation facility.
Here is the schedule of papal liturgical ceremonies for March and April released by the Vatican Feb. 26:
- March 6, Ash Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. penitential procession from Rome’s Church of St. Anselm to the Basilica of Santa Sabina for Mass with the imposition of ashes.
- March 10-15, Lenten retreat with the Roman Curia at the Pauline Fathers’ retreat center in Ariccia, southeast of Rome.
- March 29, 5 p.m., penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica.
- March 30-31, papal trip to Morocco.
- April 14, Palm Sunday, 10 a.m. Mass in St. Peter’s Square.
- April 18, chrism Mass, 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica.
- April 19, Good Friday, 5 p.m. liturgy of the Lord’s passion in St. Peter’s Basilica.
- April 19, Way of the Cross, 9:15 p.m., Rome’s Colosseum.
- April 20, Easter vigil Mass, 8:30 p.m., St. Peter’s Basilica.
- April 21, Easter morning Mass, 10 a.m., St. Peter’s Square, followed at noon by the pope’s blessing “urbi et orbi” (the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
