Holy Week is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, or the last week of Lent.
Marquette’s Campus Ministry hosts Ignite on Wednesdays, where students are invited to a dinner and an opportunity to learn about the Catholic faith from speakers and community engagement. These dinners are open to people of any faith. In addition to Ignite, Campus Ministry has a variety of events and groups for students to connect to their faith.
On April 9, the Ignite theme was “Leaning into Holy Week,” where students were invited to reflect on their experience throughout Lent and how to finish strong.
Lent is the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter and is typically a time of reflection and sacrifice. Since Holy Week is the final stretch of this season, those at Marquette who participate in it may need support to finish strong or share their journey.
Stephen Blaha, director of Campus Ministry, was the speaker at this week’s Ignite and he spoke about the different days of Holy Week and what Catholic Mass celebrations go along with them.
Blaha said that on Palm Sunday Catholic Masses have a processional and pass out palm leaves. On Holy Thursday, there will sometimes be washing of the feet at Mass. On Good Friday, there is no consecration of the Eucharist and at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday, there is often an outdoor fire at the church and new Catholics are initiated into the church.
At a university level, Marquette interviews students, faculty and staff on their Lenten experiences. The university has been publishing a daily series called “Lenten Reflections,” where real people share their stories and offer advice based on different Bible verses.
On April 2, Sarah Feldner, acting provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, was featured in a Lenten reflection on John 5:30.
“As I reflect on this in a time of Lent, it is a good, gentle yet tough reminder that it’s not always about me and what I want to do,” Feldner said.
During Lent, a number of Marquette students gave something up as a sacrifice, or tried to form new habits that connected them deeper to their faith.
“I’ve been looking closer into what’s most important to me in my life. Some things I have found not so important include caffeine and hanging out with people at unnecessary times,” Ayanna Singh, a first-year student in the College of Communication, said.
Some Christians chose to pray more, and Marquette offers Sacred Spaces for individuals of any faith to have a place to go and practice prayer or meditation.
Another Lenten practice is abstaining from meat on Fridays. Marquette Dining offered meatless options at all of their locations during Lent so students who practice giving up meat, regardless of the season, are accommodated.
As Easter Sunday approaches, some students may reflect on the impact of Lent this year if they engage in certain practices. Regardless of religious affiliation, the Marquette community can soon enjoy their Easter break.
This story was written by Ellie Golko. She can be reached at elizabeth.golko@marquette.edu.
