Holy Week activities

April 7, 2005
By Jenna Stevens
Staff Writer

This past week hundreds of students and staff members took time out of their busy lives to engage in the celebration of Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

The activities began on Sunday, March 20 with the traditional Palm Sunday Service. While it was too cold to perform the service outside this year, Gil Cerveli and Shawn Hancock performed a duet and helped to set the tone for success.On Monday, students began the traditional campus fast known as Fast Fest. This fast means that students take the vow to go without food for 30 hours to be in solidarity with those who are starving in the world.Students who participated had access to juice bars in the University Center to make sure they would not become dehydrated and to give them something to think about other than their hunger.

The fast ended on Tuesday night with a celebration feast for everyone involved.Those who participated were also involved in a prayer service before the feast to combine the efforts of all religions to end world hunger.

Almost $500 was raised from this activity and will be donated to the tsunami relief efforts.Thursday night was the kick off for the three main days leading up to Sunday and was celebrated by engaging in the mass of the lord’s supper. During this mass, the reenactment of the washing of the Lord’s feet was preformed and everyone was asked to wash their hands as they were called to service. This is to remind students what they are to learn in their journey towards the service of others within our community, said SAU chaplain Father Chuck Adam.

St. Ambrose did not hold Good Friday services this year, but they did celebrate Easter Sunday with a 10:30 mass of the resurrection.“Holy Week services are the most beautiful of the year and they represent the center of our faith here at St. Ambrose,” Adam said.

Everyone who participated agreed and students and staff members said this year's services were some of the best performed on campus.

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