• Holy Week is an important time for many Christians.
• Holy Week observances vary for each congregation.
• The Tenebrae service is a popular service in multiple denominations.

Members of the many Christian denominations may observe the events of Holy Week differently, but it remains an important time in the church year for many of them.

"Every congregation has its own customs," said John Willie, president of the South Wisconsin District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

Although it varies for each congregation, all Lutheran churches have something going on for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Willie said.

The same can be said for other denominations.

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, is a time to remember the events of the Upper Room, where Jesus celebrated Passover with his disciples, said Hunter Hoffmann, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1046 N. 9th St.

The focus of Maundy Thursday is on the Lord's Supper, which Hoffman said is a celebration of the accomplished act of Jesus' sacrifice.

The term Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin word Mandata meaning commandment, Willie said. The term is sometimes used for Holy Thursday because Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment, he said.

At Trinity, the altar is stripped of ornaments at the end of the service to symbolize the humiliation Christ went through, Hoffmann said. The altar remains this way for Good Friday, he said.

Summerfield United Methodist Church, 728 East Juneau Ave., is trying something new this year, said Jennifer Emert, associate pastor at Summerfield UMC. The service includes a full meal as part of the Eucharist, an interactive walkthrough of what happened that night, and a foot washing, she said.

All of these elements are common in a Maundy Thursday service, because Jesus participated in those events, Emert said.

At most Catholic parishes, a priest will wash the feet of a week parishioners as part of the Maundy Thursday mass, Caldwell said.

Following the service at St. James, parishioners are invited to join in a watch, said Debra Trakel, rector of St. James Episcopal Church, 833 W. Wisconsin Ave. People can spend time in prayer and keep watch like the disciples in a room decorated like the Garden of Gethesmane, she said.

Good Friday

For Catholics, Good Friday is a day of silence as well as a fast day when abstinence from meat is required, Caldwell said.

In the Lutheran Church, Good Friday is historically observed without communion, but some churches today do partake in the Eucharist, Hoffmann said.

Willie said Lutherans usually observe Good Friday with a Tenebrae or Tre Ore service.

Catholic churches also have these services, Caldwell said. The Tre Ore service is a three hour service that traditionally lasts from noon to 3 p.m., when Christ is believed to have been on the cross, he said. During this time people are supposed to pray, Caldwell said.

The Tenebrae service is an ancient service of darkness where candles are periodically extinguished to represent the slow death of Jesus, Willie said.

Catholics started this service and continue to follow it, Caldwell said.

Some Methodist churches have a Tenebrae service Good Friday while others have a joint service on Thursday, said Barry Bryant, associate professor at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.

At the end of the service the altar is stripped, the cross is covered, there are no visible symbols of Chrisianity, and the church is dark, he said.

"For that brief moment, you get a glimpse into a world without a resurrection," Bryant said. "I've always found that a particularly moving service."

Easter Vigil

The Easter Vigil for Catholics is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, Caldwell said. Many Old Testament passages that look forward to the resurrection are read. then the Scriptures are fulfilled, he said.

The Catholic service begins with one lit candle that all the other candles are lit from, said Caldwell. This symbolizes Christ giving life to everyone, he said.

For the Catholic Church, the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday is a time for nonmembers to be baptized and for those already baptized to join the Church, Caldwell said. It recalls baptism for everyone, he said.

Episcopalians celebrate the Easter Vigil in a similar way, said Trakel. Lent provides a time for people who want to be Episcopalian to learn about the Church and join, she said.