Given current health and safety guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame will offer an adjusted schedule for Holy Week and implement a reservation request system for Easter Sunday Masses.
Triduum services, which include the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (April 1), Celebration of the Lord’s Passion (April 2) and the Easter Vigil (April 3), will be held in the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center instead of the Basilica to safely accommodate as many members of the campus community as possible.
Attendance to these Triduum services will be ticketed by assigned seat only. With a limited number of seats available, all tickets will be distributed to students followed by faculty and staff as space allows. Those who are not students, faculty or staff at the University will be unable to reserve tickets to the Triduum services in the Purcell Pavilion. Further details about obtaining tickets will be shared with students, faculty and staff in the weeks ahead.
“While this may come as a disappointment to many visitors who have made celebrating these Triduum services at the Basilica a tradition,” said Basilica Rector Rev. Brian Ching, C.S.C., “we remain hopeful for when we can once again welcome visitors back to campus.”
Easter Sunday (April 4) Masses will be offered at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., with a Spanish Mass at 4 p.m. To accommodate as many people as possible in a safe manner, the Basilica has implemented a reservation system for community members and visitors. A reservation request form, available at CampusMinistry.nd.edu/HolyWeek-Easter, will open at 8 a.m. EDT on March 22 and close at noon EDT on March 24. Results of the reservation request will be communicated via email by March 29.
While it can’t be guaranteed that a seat will be available for every reservation request given the reduced capacity of the Basilica and the volume of requests, every effort will be made to accommodate as many requests as possible.
The three Triduum services and the 10 a.m. Easter Sunday Masswill be available via livestream. Visit CampusMinistry.nd.edu/HolyWeek-Easter to access the respective links.
The Basilica continues to follow the guidelines of the state of Indiana, the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and the University to ensure the Basilica remains a place for safe gathering and worship. Click here to view the campus liturgical practices related to the coronavirus pandemic.