Bishop Julius celebrates Easter Triduum at St Mary’s Cathedral

Sandakan : Bishop Julius celebrated Easter Triduum, the most intense period in the liturgical year, beginning with Holy Thursday on 1st April followed by Good Friday Service the following day and Easter Vigil on Saturday, 3rd April at St Mary’s Cathedral which was filled to full capacity and overflowing with parishioners coming from far and wide of the Cathedral Parish.

Holy Thursday found Bishop Julius washing the feet of 12 chosen parishioners of the Cathedral Parish, recalling the acts of Jesus at the last supper when he instructed his apostles to serve one another (Jn 13: 3-17). The humble act befits the motto of the prelate, ‘Serve one another with God’s love.’ The celebration encompasses the threefold, most high gifts of the ministerial priesthood, the Eucharist and the new commandment of love.

Good Friday, we are drawn into the most sorrowful mysteries, the death of Jesus on the Cross. It commemorates the happenings between Christ’s condemnation to death and his crucifixion, is a day of penance, fasting and prayer and participation in the passion of the Lord. At around 9.00 am, a huge crowd of devoted parishioners from the three language communities gathered at the Cathedral and walked the Way of the Cross for the final time during the Lenten season. They walked the 14 stations with the last station at St Mary’s Convent, commemorating at each station with prayers and hymns.

On Easter Vigil, which is regarded as the ‘Mother of all holy vigils’ and at 8.00 pm, Bishop Julius began the ‘Service of the Light’ at the frontage of the Cathedral. The elect and candidates who had journeyed in the RCIA process together with the congregation proceeded into the darkened Cathedral bearing lighted candles.

For in this night the Church awaits in vigil the Resurrection of the Lord and celebrates it with the Sacraments of initiation. This year around, the prelate and his brother priests baptized a total of 371 elects and candidates in the entire Diocese of Sandakan as follows;

St Mary’s Cathedral, Sandakan - 129
Holy Trinity Church, Tawau  - 62
St Dominic’s Church, Lahad Datu - 105
St Martin’s Church, Telupid - 75

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