Holy Week 2025

Here's is information about the Sacred Triduum at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, along with other events happening in Holy Week.

Monday
Stations of the Cross. Includes a reflection from Bishop Frank Dougan of the Diocese of Galloway. 7:45pm on Zoom. Register: bit.ly/stations25

Pergolesi Stabat Mater by Genevieve Evans and Emma Hocking, St Mary's Cathedral, 7:30pm.

Tuesday
Chrism Mass, St Mary's Cathedral, 7:00pm. Archbishop Cushley will bless the oils to be used in parish celebrations of the Sacraments while priests renew the promises made at ordination.

Thursday
Mass of the Lord’s Supper with Archbishop Cushley at 7:00pm in St Mary's Cathedral.

Good Friday
The Passion Liturgy with Archbishop Cushley at 3:00pm in St Mary's Cathedral (for those who cannot attend, there will be Stations of the Cross at 7:00pm). A day of fasting and abstinence.

Please note that the Cathedral may only have standing room only. Other Good Friday services in the city:

Holy Saturday
Archbishop Cushley will celebrate the Easter Vigil Mass at 8:00pm and 12 catechumens and 21 candidates will be received into Full Communion with the Catholic Church.

Please note that the Cathedral may only have standing room only on Holy Saturday. Other services in the city:

Easter Sunday
Archbishop Cushley will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass at midday in St Mary's Cathedral.

Praying for all the Faithful Departed

Archbishop Cushley was the principal celebrant at Mass this morning to mark the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls).

He was  joined at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Edinburgh by Fr Dermot Morrin, Fr Thomas-Thérèse Mannion and Fr Matthew Jarvis, Dominicans based at St Albert's Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Edinburgh (George Square).

Holy Mass for the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed at Mount Vernon Cemetery Chapel.

Archbishop Cushley said: "We have, both in our Jewish and Christian tradition, a natural longing to wish to pray for the dead. We heard in our reading (2 Machabees 12:38-46) that it is 'a fine and a noble thing to do'. And that's where we stand as Catholics.

"Those of us who have lost someone more recently will feel that more keenly. So let's remind ourselves that is a fine and noble thing to do."

We pray especially for those who have died in the Archdiocese in the last year, including priests and religious:

Clergy
Canon John McAllister (10 December 2022)
Canon William Conway (26 December 2022)

Dominicans
Fr Duncan Campbell OP (September 2023)

Carmelite Sisters, Dysart
Sr Joan of the Holy Ghost (25 December 2022)
Sr Margaret Mary of the Sacred Heart (7 February 2023)
Sr Mary of the Holy Spirit (28 February 2023)
Sr Jacinta of Christ the King (1 October 2023)

Society of the Sacred Heart
Sr Therese O’Donnell RSCJ 16 July 2023
Sr Rose Harding RSCJ 22 August 2023

Title image from left: Fr Dermot Morrin OP, Archbishop Leo Cushley, Fr Thomas-Thérèse Mannion OP and Fr Matthew Jarvis OP, at Mount Vernon Cemetery.

Archbishop in Bucharest for Family & Life Conference

Archbishop Cushley heads to Bucharest on Sunday for a three-day conference discussing the role of the family in modern day Europe.

It is organised by the Family and Life Commission, which is one of the four commissions of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE).

As president of the commission his role is to co-ordinate its work and support its initiatives.

He will be joined by Fr Nick Welsh, a priest of this Archdiocese, who is secretary to the commission.

Fr Nick said: "The title of the conference is ‘Lord, how can we know the way; the family in Europe today’.

It is hoped that they can offer some ways in which delegates might be able to help, support and sustain families in Europe.

"Those who have been asked to speak this year, including Cardinal Eijk of Utrecht, will share a diagnosis of the situation of the family in Europe.

"It is hoped that they can offer some ways in which delegates, who represent the different bishops’ conferences, might be able to help, support and sustain families in Europe."

Fr Nick is currently vice rector of The Pontifical Scots College in Rome and studying for a PhD at the John Paul II Institute, where he previously gained a licence in Marriage and Family.

Archbishop Cushley said: "We're delighted to have speakers including Cardinal Eijk and Nicola Speranza (Secretary General of Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe).

“I'm looking forward to the discussions and I’m honoured to take part."

The CCEE's commissions are: