Tenebrae Service – Holy Wednesday

At Rosary Cathedral

Please accompany some of your fellow parishioners as we plan on attending the Tenebrae service at Rosary Cathedral on Wednesday, April 16, of Holy Week. It starts at 7:30pm, but we plan on meeting in the St. Stephen parking lot on Genesee and Consaul St. to carpool at 6:30pm. We are asking you to call the parish office, if you would like to join us in carpooling—419-698-1519. 

Tenebrae is a solemn Catholic service held on Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, characterized by the gradual extinguishing of candles while psalms and lamentations are chanted. It culminates in total darkness (tenebrae means “darkness” in Latin) and a loud noise called the “strepitus,” symbolizing the earthquake after Christ’s death. A single candle, representing Christ, is then briefly hidden and returned, after which the congregation departs in silence.