City churches mark Maundy Thursday with special prayer services
Times of India | 18 April 2025
1234 Kolkata: Churches across Kolkata observed Maundy Thursday with special mass and prayer services attended by devotees. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus and his disciples had their last meal together before he was crucified. Priests in different churches also prepared for their sermons on Good Friday the next day. Churches and members of the community distributed food and clothes among underprivileged families as a part of their community outreach.
At St Teresa of Avila Church, Moulali, the special mass for Holy Thursday started at 6 pm. At St Mary's Church on Elgin Road, Father Biswajit Biswas conducted a special prayer service. "The occasion is a very solemn ceremony in which members commemorate the Last Supper," said Father Biswas. Several members also congregated at St Andrew's Church on Brabourne Road for the special prayer service. "I will be back again for the Good Friday prayers tomorrow," said a member of the church.
Priests washed the feet of 12 chosen parishioners in each church, replicating Jesus washing the feet of his disciplines on that day, signifying humility and services to others. The communion service was followed by the stripping of the altar where all decorations, flowers and linen were removed from the altar, symbolizing the humiliation Jesus had to suffer at the hands of the soldiers.
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday also marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum, the period commemorating the final days in the life of Jesus from his crucifixion and death to resurrection, ending with evening prayers on Easter Sunday
Adding a touch of kindness to the spiritual preparations, the Catholic Association of Bengal distributed hot cross buns on Maundy Thursday to special-need families connected to Thakurpukur Church. "It's a gesture of love and inclusion during this holy week," said Angelina Mantosh Jasnani, president of CAB.
Churches were also preparing for Good Friday, one of the most sacred days in the Christian calendar. At Prabhu Jishu Girja on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, church volunteers and clergy were busy coordinating logistics, route planning, and prayer schedules for the Seven Church Walk at 5.30 am on Friday. "We visit seven churches, offering prayers, singing hymns, reciting the Rosary dedicated to Mary, our Mother. It is a deeply spiritual journey. After completing the walk, we return to Prabhu Jishu to conclude with our final prayer," said Father Dipak SJ, as his team worked on final arrangements at the church. "The route will include stops at Little Sisters of the Poor, Loreto Day School (Elliot Road), St Mary's Church, The Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, Our Lady of Providence, Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, and St Teresa's Church."
Volunteers were preparing decorative lights for the pre-dawn procession, with a group assigned to carry a large wooden cross through the city's streets. "We'll be holding two services in the morning—one from 8.30 am to 11 am and another from 11 am to 1 pm. Our choir has been rehearsing, and special prayers have been printed and distributed," said Father Deepak Naskar of the Assembly of God Church.
At Sacred Heart Church, the theme this year is ‘Love Conquers Fear'. "Our service will begin at 2 pm with the Stations of the Cross, followed by a homily and the veneration of the crucifix—a tradition observed only on Good Friday," said Father Peppin Gnana, overseeing the arrangement of the sanctuary. St Andrew's Church will host its morning service at 9.30 am, reflecting on ‘The 7 Last Words of Jesus'. "We expect around 200 people. We've arranged for seating, sound systems, and prayer booklets," said Father Swarup, as volunteers set up banners and candles.