La Semaine Sainte dans le Vieux-Montréal

In the heart of the historic district, two major religious institutions offer a full Holy Week program.

NOTRE-DAME-DE-BON-SECOURS CHAPEL

Montreal's oldest stone chapel welcomes believers as follows:

Palm Sunday: 3 celebrations at 10:30 a.m. (Palm Sunday Mass), 2:00 p.m. (Easter Spring: words and music), 4:00 p.m. (Vespers to usher in the Great Week).

Maundy Thursday: 5:00 p.m. mass

Good Friday: 8:00 a.m. Welcome to participants in the Way of the Cross, procession guided by Mgr Christian Lépine, Archbishop of Montreal. 9:30 a.m. Departure of participants. 1:00 p.m.: Mary at the foot of the Cross: words and music. 3:00 p.m.: Office de la Passion Miserere d'Allegri. More information and registration for this activity are available online.

Holy Saturday: 7:00 p.m. Easter Vigil and Easter Water

Easter Sunday: Solemn Mass on Easter morning.

For full details of Holy Week, see the complete schedule.

NOTRE-DAME BASILICA

Canada's first Gothic Revival church, visited by over a million people every year, is getting ready to celebrate Easter with a special Holy Week program featuring its 7,000-pipe Casavant organ:

Palm Sunday: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. mass (in the Nave of the Basilica)

Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. mass (in the Chapelle Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur)

Maundy Thursday: 6:30 p.m. opening of doors, 7:30 p.m. Lord's Supper (Nave), 8:30 p.m. Adoration (Chapelle Notre-Dame du Sacré-Cœur)

Good Friday: Morning: Way of the Cross, meeting point at Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, 3 p.m. Passion of the Lord (Nave)

Holy Saturday: 6:30 p.m. opening of doors, 7:30 p.m. confessions, 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil (Nave)

Easter Sunday: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m. Lord's Resurrection (Nave)

For full details of Holy Week, see the complete schedule.

N.B.: Schedules and more details can be found directly on the company's website.

Photo: Sara Megan et Geneviève Giguère