St. Mary Parish in Waterloo will host a Tenebrae service April 8 at 7 p.m. at the church, located at 25 Center St.
The Tenebrae service will commemorate the final hours of Jesus’ life on earth. The word Tenebrae is Latin for "darkness" or "shadows," and Tenebrae services are a church tradition dating back thousands of years.
Fourteen lit candles will adorn the church at the beginning of the service, and as the Gospel account of Jesus’ passion is proclaimed, 13 of the candles will be extinguished one at a time to represent the apostles’ fading loyalty. The last remaining candle represents Christ, and toward the end of the service this candle will be hidden to signify the apparent victory of evil when Jesus was crucified. This candle will be restored at the end of the service, however, representing Christ’s victory over evil and death.
For more information, contact St. Mary Parish at 315-539-2944 or Colleen Spellecy at 315-539-3031.
