Baptist

OTISFIELD — A Good Friday Church service will be held on Friday, April 15, at the East Otisfield Free Baptist Church, 231 Rayville Road, Otisfield, to which also members of the community, members of the Spurr’s Corner Church in Otisfield, and the Bolsters Mills Methodist Church are invited. Members of the 3 congregations as well as the community are also invited to attend an Easter Sunrise Service at the Community of the Resurrection at 6 a.m. on Easter day, April 17. This is located at 205 Poplar Ridge Road in Otisfield, off Route 121. At 10 a.m. there will be an Easter Service at the East Otisfield Free Baptist Church on the Rayville Road. All are welcome.

Congregational

SUMNER — On Sunday, April 17, at 8 a.m. there will be an Easter Communion Service at the Congregational Church of East Sumner. Following that, there will be a 9:15 a.m. Potluck Breakfast at 50 Main Street (Rte 219), East Sumner. For more information, call Cyndy 388-2667.

Village

WATERFORD — Please join us for Easter Services on Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. at the Village Church, and on Easter Sunday, April 16 at 6:30 a.m. for Sunrise Service at Keoka Lake Town Beach.

Catholic
AREA — The Parishes of the Western Maine Lakes & Foothills, which consists of five Roman Catholic churches in the area, have announced events for the observance of Holy Week, April 9 through 17.

At “Palm Sunday” Masses (April 9 and 10), palm branches will be blessed and distributed to commemorate the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. His passion and death are also recalled at the start of the solemn week of observances.

On Monday, April 11, a Tenebrae Service will be held at St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Norway. All are welcome to attend the service at 8 p.m. Tenebrae (Latin word meaning “darkness”) is a service that grew out of a combination of night prayer, early morning prayer, and readings focusing on the Passion of our Lord. The service includes Scripture readings and hymns commemorating Jesus’ final week, ending with his burial in the tomb. At the conclusion of each reading, a candle is snuffed out, until the final candle, the Christ candle, is carried out, leaving the room in darkness and allowing participants to reflect on the great emotional and physical pain that was very real for Jesus during his death on the Cross. The experience helps set the mood for the approaching Sacred Triduum.

During the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Saturday), Morning Prayer, also known as Lauds, will be chanted at 8 a.m. at St Joseph Church in Bridgton. All are invited to attend this time of sung prayer and reflection. Other traditional events are planned for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. The Holy Thursday Mass commemorates the Last Supper on the night that Jesus was betrayed and arrested. The Mass includes the ritual of the washing of the feet and ends with a solemn procession of the Eucharist. At the conclusion of Mass, the altar is stripped bare and after a period of prayer, parishioners leave in silence.

Holy Thursday Masses will be at 6 p.m. on April 14 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Fryeburg, and at 6 p.m. at St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Norway.

On Good Friday, Jesus’s suffering and dying on the Cross for the salvation of humankind is remembered. It is the most solemn day in the Church calendar. Catholics fast and abstain from eating meat that day. Good Friday services planned for April 15 include praying the Stations of the Cross at 3:00 pm at St Joseph Church, Bridgton, and at St. Mary’s church in Oxford. Good Friday ”Passion of our Lord” services, which include veneration of the Cross, will be held at 6 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Fryeburg and at St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Norway.

After sundown on Saturday, April 16 is the Easter Vigil. The Mass that evening welcomes Jesus’ resurrection, by which he conquered sin and death. Rituals at the Easter Vigil Mass include a bonfire, candlelit procession, Scripture readings, and sung proclamations. The Gloria is sung, Alleluia is proclaimed, and bells are rung after having been silent for the season of Lent. It is traditionally at this Mass when new members are baptized and welcomed into the Church. Easter Vigil Masses this year will be at 8 p.m. at St Joseph in Bridgton and Our Lady of Ransom in Mechanic Falls.

Concluding Holy Week is the joyous celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday morning. Masses Sunday, April 17 will be at 8:30 a.m. at St Catherine of Sienna in Norway, and at St Joe’s in Bridgton. There will also be Mass at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Ransom, Mechanic Falls, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Fryeburg.

Questions about the parishes and these events can be found by calling the parish office at (207) 743-2606.