The celebration of Holy Saturday commemorates Christ’s descendent into hell after his death. The Church waits at the Lord’s tomb, meditating upon his passion, death and his descending into hell, and hopefully awaits his glorious resurrection with prayer and fasting. This accounts for the silence that is observed throughout the earliest hours of the day. However, during the liturgy of the vigil (at night), Christ’s faithful assemble to commemorate that Holy night when the Lord rose from the dead. 

The seminary community, in her usual way, also participated in this glorious celebration in union with the Universal Church. The celebration which was presided over by Rev. Fr. Dr. Hubert Opara, began at 10p.m. with the Service of Light, the Lucernarium, with a procession from the sacristy to the front of the seminary chapel, where the faithful were gathered round for the blessing of the new fire; the fire which signify Christ as the One who illumines the darkness of the world. Following the rituals of the blessing of fire, the lighting of the Paschal Candle and other candles in the Church, the Easter proclamation (exulted) was sung. This was immediately followed by the Liturgy of the Word wherein seven (7) readings were read from the Old Testament before the Gloria, after which two (2) readings from the New Testament were taken. The Gloria in Excelsis Deo was sung on this day, and the Church bells, Angelus bells and other bells, which had long been left silent since the Holy Thursday Mass, were rung signifying the joyous moment which the Lord had won for humanity. Added to this celebration was the blessing of water, the baptismal liturgy (which replaced the recitation of the Creed), and the sprinkling of Blessed water. The Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful) was said, and other parts of the Mass were celebrated as usual. It was indeed a joyous atmosphere, as all Christ’s faithful were reinvigorated with Christ’s victory over death.