Holy Week is the last week of Lent and the most important week of the entire Christian year. In 2027 it begins on Palm Sunday, March 21, and runs through Holy Saturday, March 27, with Easter Sunday following on March 28. Over these seven days the Church walks with Christ through his entrance into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Cross, the tomb, and — at the Easter Vigil — the Resurrection.
The Catechism calls the celebration at the heart of this week the summit toward which everything else points: Easter is "the Feast of feasts," and the week that leads to it carries more liturgical weight than any other stretch of the calendar (CCC 1168–1169). The Church does not merely remember these events from a distance. In the liturgy they are made present, so that the people who show up are drawn into them (CCC 1163–1165).
If you have never attended anything beyond Sunday Mass — or if it has been years since you attended anything at all — this is the week to come back. Nothing in Catholic life will teach you the faith faster than being physically present for these liturgies. This page walks the week day by day, so you know exactly what happens and when.
The week at a glance
Here is the whole shape of Holy Week 2027. The first days belong to Lent; the last three form the Sacred Triduum, which the Church counts as its own season — the shortest and highest of the year:
- ◆Palm Sunday (March 21) — Jesus enters Jerusalem. Palms are blessed and the Passion is read at Mass.
- ◆Monday–Wednesday (March 22–24) — quieter days; in most dioceses the Chrism Mass is celebrated at the cathedral during this stretch.
- ◆Holy Thursday (March 25) — the Mass of the Lord's Supper in the evening: the Last Supper, the washing of feet, the procession to the altar of repose.
- ◆Good Friday (March 26) — the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord, usually around 3 p.m. The only day of the year with no Mass. Fasting and abstinence are obligatory.
- ◆Holy Saturday (March 27) — a day of silence at the tomb. After nightfall, the Easter Vigil — the greatest liturgy of the year.
- ◆Easter Sunday (March 28) — the Resurrection. See our full Easter guide.
Palm Sunday: the week begins
Palm Sunday — formally, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord — opens the week with a deliberate whiplash. Mass begins with the blessing of palm branches and often a procession, commemorating the crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem shouting "Hosanna to the son of David" (Matthew 21:9, Douay-Rheims). Minutes later, the same congregation hears the entire Passion narrative read aloud — the longest Gospel reading of the year — and takes the part of the crowd that shouts for crucifixion.
That is the point. The liturgy will not let you watch from the outside. The crowd that cheered on Sunday condemned him by Friday, and the Church makes you say both lines so you cannot pretend you would have done otherwise.
Bring the blessed palm home. Traditionally it is kept behind a crucifix or holy image through the year, then returned to the parish to be burned into the ashes for the next Ash Wednesday. The vestments are red — the color of the Passion.
Monday, Tuesday, and Spy Wednesday
The first weekdays of Holy Week are outwardly quiet, and that quiet is worth keeping. The daily Mass readings follow Jesus through his last days of teaching in Jerusalem — the anointing at Bethany, the growing conspiracy against him. Wednesday is traditionally called "Spy Wednesday," the day Judas agreed to hand him over for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16).
During these days, in most dioceses, the bishop celebrates the Chrism Mass at the cathedral — often on the morning of Holy Thursday, but frequently moved earlier in the week so priests can attend. At this Mass the bishop blesses the holy oils used in the sacraments throughout the coming year, and every priest of the diocese renews the promises he made at ordination. It is one of the clearest pictures of the diocese as a family gathered around its bishop, and it is open to anyone.
Practically, these are also the last ordinary days before the Triduum begins — which makes them the natural window for one thing above all: confession.
Go to confession this week
Almost every parish adds confession times during Holy Week, and many dioceses hold extended or even all-day confessions. If you have been away from the sacrament for years, this is precisely the week priests expect to hear that — you will not surprise anyone, and you will be welcomed. Our guide to confession walks you through exactly what to do, step by step.
The Sacred Triduum: three days, one liturgy
At sundown on Holy Thursday, Lent ends and the Sacred Triduum begins — three days the Church treats as a single, continuous celebration stretching from Thursday evening to Easter Sunday. The word simply means "three days." The liturgies of these days flow into one another: Holy Thursday's Mass has no dismissal, Good Friday's liturgy has no beginning greeting and no dismissal, and the arc only closes at the Easter Vigil.
Each day has its own page on this site with a full walkthrough, but here is the skeleton:
- ◆[Holy Thursday](/liturgical-year/holy-thursday) — the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper: the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, the washing of feet, and the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the altar of repose, where the faithful keep watch late into the night.
- ◆[Good Friday](/liturgical-year/good-friday) — the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord: the reading of the Passion according to John, the veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion from hosts consecrated the night before. No Mass is celebrated anywhere in the world.
- ◆[Holy Saturday](/liturgical-year/holy-saturday) — the Church waits at the tomb in silence all day. Then, after nightfall, the Easter Vigil: the new fire, the Paschal candle, the readings tracing all of salvation history, and the baptism of new Catholics.
How to attend the Triduum if you never have
None of the Triduum liturgies are holy days of obligation — you are not required to attend any of them. That surprises people, and it cuts both ways: nobody will check whether you came, and the people who do come are there because they want to be. If you have never gone, here is how to do it without anxiety:
- 1Find the schedule now. Every parish publishes its Holy Week schedule — check the bulletin or website, or use our find-a-parish guide. Times vary: Holy Thursday is in the evening, Good Friday is usually at 3 p.m. (often with an evening option), and the Easter Vigil must begin after dark.
- 2Pick at least one liturgy. If you can only attend one, most lifelong Catholics would tell you the Easter Vigil is the summit — but Good Friday at 3 p.m. is shorter, starker, and unforgettable.
- 3Arrive early. These are the best-attended liturgies of the year after Christmas and Easter morning, and the Vigil in particular fills up.
- 4Do not worry about getting it right. The congregation sits, stands, and kneels together; follow the people around you. Nothing is expected of a newcomer except presence.
- 5Stay for the strange parts. The silent procession on Thursday night, the bare altar, the church in darkness at the start of the Vigil — the moments that feel unusual are the ones the Church has kept for over a thousand years, and they are the reason to come.
Making the week holy at home
The liturgies are the spine of the week, but the days between them belong to you. A few time-tested practices, none of them complicated: keep the Friday fast and abstinence exactly (the rules are on our Good Friday page), and consider the ancient custom of extending the fast through Holy Saturday until the Vigil. Reduce noise deliberately — many families keep screens off from Thursday night through Saturday. Read the Passion narratives slowly. Pray the Stations of the Cross on Friday.
And if the week stirs something in you that has been dormant for years — that is not an accident. The person who slips into the back pew on Good Friday after a decade away is one of the oldest stories in the Church, and every parish has seen it a hundred times. Come back. This is the week for it.
Common Questions
When is Holy Week in 2027?
Holy Week 2027 runs from Palm Sunday, March 21, through Holy Saturday, March 27. The Sacred Triduum — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday — falls on March 25, 26, and 27, and Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027.
Am I required to attend the Triduum liturgies?
No. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil are not holy days of obligation, so there is no requirement to attend. The obligation that does bind is Easter Sunday Mass — and attending the Easter Vigil on Saturday night fulfills it. Most Catholics who attend the Triduum do so freely, because these are the most powerful liturgies of the year.
What are the fasting rules during Holy Week?
Good Friday is a day of both fasting and abstinence from meat. Fasting binds Catholics ages 18 to 59 — one full meal, plus two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal. Abstinence from meat binds everyone 14 and older. Those who are sick, pregnant, or nursing are excused; when in doubt, ask your pastor. Holy Saturday fasting until the Vigil is recommended but not required.
What is the Chrism Mass?
A Mass celebrated by the bishop at the cathedral during Holy Week — traditionally Holy Thursday morning, though many dioceses move it earlier in the week. The bishop consecrates the sacred chrism and blesses the oils of catechumens and of the sick, used in sacraments across the diocese all year, and the priests renew their ordination promises. Anyone may attend.
Can I go to Mass on Good Friday?
No — not because you are excluded, but because there is no Mass to attend. Good Friday is the one day of the year on which Mass is not celebrated anywhere in the world. Instead, the Church celebrates the Passion of the Lord, usually at 3 p.m., with the reading of the Passion, veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion from hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday.
What should I do if I haven't been to church in years?
Come to any of the Holy Week liturgies — no registration, no questions, no expectations beyond presence. If you want to return fully, go to confession first; parishes add extra confession times all through Holy Week precisely for people in your situation. Our confession guide explains exactly what to say, even after decades away.
Sources & Church Teaching
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 1168–1169 (Easter as the Feast of feasts), 1163–1165 (the liturgy makes the mystery present)
- Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar 18–21 (the Triduum as the culmination of the entire liturgical year)
- Code of Canon Law, cc. 1249–1253 (days of penance; fasting and abstinence on Good Friday)
- Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution Paenitemini (1966) — the discipline of fast and abstinence
- Congregation for Divine Worship, Paschale Solemnitatis (1988) — the preparation and celebration of the Easter feasts, including the Chrism Mass and the Holy Saturday fast
- Matthew 21:9; Matthew 26:14–16 (Douay-Rheims)
- Dates for 2027 computed and verified August 2026: Palm Sunday March 21; Triduum March 25–27; Easter March 28