Palm Sunday this weekend marks the start of the Holy Week on the Christian calendar, culminating the following Sunday with Easter. DavidsonNews.net has put together a list of service times and events (and also pointers on Holy Week lingo) for churches in the area.

Holy Week service times

Take note of the following dates (and see the bottom of the post if you aren’t up on this lingo):

• Palm Sunday = March 16
• Maundy/Holy Thursday = March 20
• Good Friday = March 21
• Easter Vigil/Holy Saturday = March 22
• Easter Sunday = March 23

Church of the Good Shephard (605 South Street) will have a Maundy Thursday at 6 p.m. and a Good Friday service, also at 6 p.m. The Easter Sunday worship service will begin at 9 a.m.

Lake Norman YMCA – Maundy Thursday service, with an interactive performance of the Passion, at 7 p.m. in the gym. Led by Mike Smith, Mosaic Church.  Casual dress. Easter Sunday sunrise service planned at 7 a.m. at the lakefront chapel. Led by Shelli Latham, Davidson College Presbyterian Church, and Amy Huacani, Community in Christ Lutheran Church. Casual dress. For details, call 704-716-4400.

Davidson College Presbyterian Church (corner of Main Street and Concord Road) will have Palm Sunday services at 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. The Maundy Thursday service will be held jointly with Davidson Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. The Good Friday worship service will be at noon while the Easter Vigil will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Holy Saturday. Easter Sunday services will be at 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Davidson Presbyterian Church (116 Depot Street) has services at 11 a.m. on Sundays. Palm Sunday will feature the annual men’s choir anniversary concert, a public event that brings in other church choirs from the area, starting at 3 p.m. The Maundy Thursday service will be held at (and together with) Davidson College Presbyterian Church (see above). Easter Sunday the church will have a sunrise service at 7 a.m., followed by a breakfast, and then also the regular 11 a.m. service. The church offices can be reached at 704-892-4313.

Davidson United Methodist Church (233 South Main Street) will have palm processions at all of its regular services (8:15, 9:30 and 11 a.m.) on Palm Sunday. Holy Thursday service will be at 7 p.m., led by Middle School, Senior High and Youth Handbell choirs. Good Friday service of light and darkness will be at 7 p.m. Easter Sunday will begin with a candlelight procession and service at 6:30 a.m. Other services will follow at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

The Friends Meeting of Davidson (a Quaker congregation) is held Sundays at 10 a.m. in the Carolina Inn on Main Street. The Friends can be reached at 704-895-8404.

Hopewell Baptist (18841 Davidson-Concord Road) will have a Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday. This will be followed by a breakfast in the fellowship hall. Sunday School will be at 9:45 and a second worship service will be at 11 a.m. The regular 6 p.m. Sunday evening service will not be held on Easter Sunday.

Reeves Temple AME Zion, is located at 213 Watson Street. Services are at 11 a.m. Sundays. The church can be reached at 704-892-4539.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church (301 Caldwell Lane) will hold a Palm Sunday processional to the entrance of the church at 10:15 a.m. (this will include the waving of palms). Maundy Thursday service is at 7 p.m., Good Friday services will be at 12:15 p.m. and 7 p.m., the Easter Vigil (with baptisms) will be at 7 p.m. on Holy Saturday, and on Easter Sunday worship services will be held at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (the latter two services will feature organ, trumpet, choir and baptisms).

St. Mark Catholic Church (Huntersville) will celebrate Mass in Polish at a special 3 p.m. Palm Sunday service. The church will hold an Easter Vigil Mass at 7:45 p.m. on Holy Saturday, and then on Easter Sunday will have Mass at 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m. (with a children’s Liturgy), noon, 3 p.m. (in Spanish), and 5:30 p.m. (with a teen focus).

St. Therese Catholic Church (Mooresville) will mark Good Friday with a Stations of the Cross service at 2:30 p.m. and a Good Friday service at 7:30 p.m. The Easter Vigil will be at 8 p.m. on Holy Saturday. Easter Sunday Masses will be at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 2:30 p.m. (in Spanish) and 5:30 p.m.

MORE LINGO

Not up on your Holy Week lingo? Here are a few pointers:

Palm Sunday marks the joyful celebration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, celebrates the Last Supper between Jesus and his disciples and today this service sometimes includes the ritual washing of feet.

Stations of the Cross marks the final hours in the life of Jesus, traditionally consisting of 14 specific events (the 15th being the resurrection).

Good Friday is actually rather bad as it is a time to reflect on the crucifixion.

The Easter Vigil begins after sunset on Saturday and marks the anticipation of the resurrection – this service often features baptisms.

Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection itself, the most important religous event on the Christian liturgical calendar.

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