Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)

The Easter Vigil is a Mass celebrated on Holy Saturday. It begins with a bonfire outside the church at 7:00 p.m., where everyone lights a candle. Mass attendees then process inside the church, filling the dark church with light.

The Easter Vigil is sometimes multiple hours long because the Mass includes a number of special readings from the Old Testament that foreshadow Jesus’ death and Resurrection. If the parish has any new catechumens (people who are entering the Catholic Church), oftentimes they will receive their Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation at the Easter Vigil.