Video from St Gerard's Catholic Parish Dandenong North, of the Procession of the Blessed Sacrament at the end of the Holy Thursday Mass through the church up to the Altar of Repose, on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2014. The priest carrying the Blessed Sacrament was Parish Priest Fr Brendan Arthur. He was assisted by then assistant Parish Priest Fr Joseph Amal, and then Priest-in-Residence Fr Joseph Hynan.
Vaxfacts: Canopy bearers for St Gerard's Processions of the Blessed Sacrament come traditionally from the Dandenong North Branch of the Knights of the Southern Cross.
Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, among other names) is the Christian holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the foot washing (Maundy) and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels.This meal is the last time that Jesus spends with his disciples, and he tells them what is to happen. It is the fifth day of Holy Week, preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.
The date is always between March 19 and April 22 inclusive, but these dates fall on different days depending on whether the Gregorian calendar or Julian calendar is used liturgically. Eastern churches generally use the Julian calendar and celebrate this feast throughout the 21st century between April 1 and May 5 in the more commonly used Gregorian calendar. The liturgy held on the evening of Maundy Thursday initiates the Easter Triduum, the period which commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus; this period includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday, and ends on the evening of Easter. The Mass of the Lord's Supper or service of worship is normally celebrated in the evening, when Friday begins according to Jewish tradition, as the Last Supper was held on the feast of Passover, according to the three Synoptic Gospels.
