On a festive Palm Sunday, March 28th , the Cathedral commemorated the day with the congregation holding palms and willow branches throughout the Liturgy and then all were blessed “by the sprinkling of Holy Water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”  Later on, the first of six consecutive evenings of services commenced with the Bridegroom Matins for Holy Monday. 

Holy Wednesday evening provided the opportunity for baptized Orthodox Christians to receive the Sacrament of Holy Unction. Everyone shared in the expression of a hymn from that service: “Have mercy by Your oil on those who draw near in faith, cleanse them of every kind of sickness and make them worthy, O Lord, of Your incorruptible delight.”

The Lord's Supper celebrated on Holy Thursday Morning brought all Orthodox Christians in attendance to remember our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ through participating in Holy Communion with Him. Later in the evening during the Matins of Holy Friday, the faithful were taken to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray with Christ, were betrayed there with Him, were led to the Pavement to be judged by Pontius Pilate, and taken to Golgotha to be crucified, through the readings of the twelve Gospels.

Holy Friday continued with the Royal Hours served in the morning. Those in attendance were reminded that “The tyrant has been destroyed by Thy Crucifixion...” Christ's glorification on the Cross is understood in terms of the fulfillment of His Ultimate Saving Act. At Vespers on Holy Friday, the faithful died with Christ, and were placed in a new tomb with Him.

The faithful who attended the Matins of Holy Saturday mourned Christ with the joyful expectation of His fast approaching Resurrection. The prophecy of Ezekiel read during this service reminds all that the Resurrection is fast approaching!

The bright and beautiful morning of Holy Saturday heard the proclamation that has gone out into all the earth: Christ is Risen! The tomb is empty! The faithful were raised with Christ from death to Life. This first announcement of our Lord's Resurrection was greeted with joyful solemnity during the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

Early in the morning on the first day of the New Creation, during the Paschal Matins and Holy Liturgy, the faithful were led by His Grace, Bp Maxim with the resounding cry of CHRIST IS RISEN! As all celebrated the Eucharistic Liturgy of the Resurrection, the overwhelming joy of the Feast of Feasts permeated all present in the Cathedral.

This joy spilled over into the wee hours of the morning with an Agape meal and fellowship shared by all in the Risen Lord. The Feast continued later on that day with the Paschal Vespers, at which nearly 1000 people heard the message of Christ's Resurrection in seven different languages. After the Vespers Service, the wonderful and delicious Paschal Banquet was prepared by the St. Steven's Women's Auxiliary. All present enjoyed the fellowship of our Risen Lord, as the popular band Srbija played on into the early evening.