Manila Cathedral releases its scheduled activities for the Holy Week

It's business as usual for the newly-renovated Manila Cathedral, and rightly so now that Holy Week is almost upon us.

After its much-anticipated reopening on Wednesday, the administration of the Manila Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception released its schedule of activities in the observance of Holy Week 2014.

The cathedral was formally reopened after temporarily being closed down in 2012 due to needed restoration and retrofitting work on its structure.

“We invite the public particularly the frequent visitors of the cathedral during Holy Week to visit our Manila Cathedral," said rector Msgr. Nestor Cerbo in a telephone interview.

The Holy Week schedule is as follows:

The Holy Week celebration will begin at 7 a.m. on Palm Sunday, April 13, with a Mass and a Palm Blessing. It will be officiated by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Tagle will also officiate masses on Maundy Thursday, April 17: the Chrism Mass at 7 a.m. and Mass of the Lord's Supper with washing of the feet of the Twelve Apostles. He will also oversee Good Friday Mass on April 18—the Commemoration of the Lord's Passion—at 3 p.m.

On Black Saturday, Cerbo will lead the Meditation on the Sleep of Death of Christ at 10 a.m. while the head of the Archdiocese of Manila will officiate the Easter Vigil Celebration at 8 p.m.

On Easter Sunday, April 20, the schedule will be the same as regular Sunday Community Mass schedules (7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 6 p.m.).

To know of the other activities of the Manila Cathedral, visit the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila website.  — VC, GMA News