The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue (at 112th Street), in Harlem, NY, will welcome all visitors to gather for the first time to celebrate Holy Week and Easter.
Since before the COVID-19 pandemic during services for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter from April 10-April 17, 2022.
While the Cathedral returned to in-person Sunday services in 2021, these most sacred days of the Christian calendar are the first major holidays to be celebrated communally since the start of the pandemic.
Majestic music by the Cathedral Choir, Chorale, and Orchestra, and sermons by The Right Reverend Andrew ML Dietsche, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and The Right Reverend Clifton Daniel III, Dean of the Cathedral, will add to the glory of the week of services.
Within the Cathedral’s Gothic interior, a new work on view in the Nave speaks powerfully to the Lenten and Easter seasons: artist Jacques Jarrige’s 10-foot tall Christ Sculpture, made of hammered aluminum and suspended 90 feet in the air, will be shrouded as is customary during Lent and unveiled for the start of Easter before the evening Mass on April 16, 2022.
On April 10, Palm Sunday, the Cathedral will hold an in-person worship service at 10:30 am, bringing participants on a journey from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem through the Passion story of his betrayal, persecution, and death.
Palms will be distributed during the service. The service will also be livestreamed on the Cathedral’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
- 10:30 AM: Palm Sunday In-Person and Livestream Service
April 12, Holy Tuesday, is a time to celebrate the renewal of their clergy’s ordination vows and to bless the Chrism for the following year. All are welcome to attend this in-person and livestreamed liturgy at 10:30 AM.
- 10:30 AM: In-Person and Livestream Holy Tuesday Service
April 14, Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the three-day Easter Triduum: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Cathedral will observe this holy day with an in-person and livestreamed service at 7:30 pm.
- 7:30 PM: In-Person and Livestream Maundy Thursday Service
April 15, Good Friday, is a solemn day marking the crucifixion of Jesus. At 9 am, the Cathedral will hold a brief liturgy, including distribution of Holy Communion in the Baptistry.
At 12 pm, the Triduum continues with the reading of the Passion, prayers, and a short homily. At the close of the service, the congregation will proceed to the steps of the Cathedral, where a cross will be unveiled for veneration until 3 pm.
Community members are welcome to join the Chapter on the steps.
- 9 AM: Good Friday In-Person Service of the Sacrament
- 12 PM: In-Person and Livestream Good Friday Liturgy
- 1 PM to 3 PM: Veneration of the Cross on Steps of Cathedral
April 16, Holy Saturday, marks the beginning of the Cathedral’s Easter celebrations. The 7:30 pm Easter Vigil opens with the kindling of a fire, then a series of readings sketching out God’s saving acts in Jewish and Christian biblical history.
The Eucharist – the first Eucharist of Easter – marks the first time the newly baptized will join other Christians in partaking of the Lord’s Supper.
- 7:30 PM Easter Vigil In-Person Service
April 17 is Easter Day, traditionally one of the largest and most joyful Cathedral services. This year, the Cathedral offers a 10:30 am service with a 10 am organ prelude.
The service will include a special sermon by The Right Reverend Andrew ML Dietsche, Bishop of New York. The morning service will also be available to stream on the Cathedral’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Concluding the day of joyous gatherings, the Cathedral will hold a celebratory Evensong service at 4:00 pm.
- 10:30 AM: Easter Day In-Person and Livestream Service
- 4:00 PM: Easter In-Person Evensong
More information on the Cathedral’s COVID-19 guidelines can be found here.
The Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. It is chartered as a house of prayer for all people and a unifying center of intellectual light and leadership.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cathedral has responded to changing needs in the local community and across the city and state.
People from many faiths and communities worship together in daily services held online and in person; the soup kitchen serves roughly 50,000 meals annually; social service outreach has an increasingly varied roster of programs to safely provide resources and aid to the hardest-hit New Yorkers; the distinguished Cathedral School prepares young students to be future leaders; Advancing the Community of Tomorrow, the renowned preschool, afterschool and summer program, offers diverse educational and nurturing experiences; the outstanding Textile Conservation Lab preserves world treasures; concerts, exhibitions, performances and civic gatherings allow conversation, celebration, reflection and remembrance—such is the joyfully busy life of this beloved and venerated Cathedral.
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