With Holy Week having started Sunday with Palm Sunday, churches of the Mahoning Valley are celebrating Easter with annual traditions and new events.

Taking place this week are observances such as feet washing, placing flowers on crosses, blessing of Easter food and lighting luminaria.

At Harvest Point Church in Lordstown, for example, Pastor David Cross said it has become a tradition that foot washing takes place on Maundy Thursday for adults and children who are old enough to understand.

“It has been a tradition for the church to hold foot washing on Maundy Thursday. It is just as important to people as baptism and communion. Members of the church look forward to this during Holy Week and appreciate that it is held,” Cross said.

He said people can participate in the foot washing, or they can observe. He said many young children watch the foot washing.

This year’s foot washing is set for 6 p.m. Thursday.

Cross said for Palm Sunday, the children helped distribute the palms.

YOUNGSTOWN DIOCESE

At the Diocese of Youngstown, several events will take place during Holy Week.

The Rev. Michael Balash, director of the office of worship, said the week began with Palm Sunday Mass and the reading of the Passion of the Lord. Balash said the day marks Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

Holy Tuesday, he said, is when parishioners from across the Diocese — representing the 80 parishes, mission and schools in the six-county Catholic Diocese of Youngstown — will demonstrate the unity of the diocesan church. They will gather for the Mass of Holy Chrism at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Columba Cathedral.

“The Mass of Holy Chrism will only be held at St. Columba Cathedral. This allows everyone in the Diocese to come together in unity. The bishop also blesses the oils, which are used at all the parishes,” Balash explained.

He said a main part of the liturgy will be the consecration of the sacred chrism and blessing of the oil of the sick and the oil of catechumens. At the close of Mass, each pastor will receive sacred chrism and the other holy oils for use in their parish.

He said the oil of the sick is used for anointing those who are ill while oil of the catechumens is for adults who will be baptized into the church at the Easter vigil on Saturday. Balash said the oil of the sacred chrism is for those being ordained into the priesthood.

Balash said foot washing is offered for Mass of the Last Supper on Thursday. It also marks the beginning of the Triduum liturgy that also includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

He said the Mass of the Last Supper is when Christ instituted the Eucharist.

On Good Friday during the Passion of the Lord and Veneration of the Cross service is the annual collection for the Holy Land, which helps preserve the holy places of Christ’s homeland and helps alleviate the suffering of the poor of every faith in the Holy Land.

Balash said on Saturday is the blessing of the Easter food, which is an Eastern European tradition, at various parishes.

“The blessing of the Easter food that families will eat for Easter dinner is held on Saturday afternoon at the parishes. The Easter vigil is required to be held Saturday evening at 8 p.m,” he said.

WARREN CHURCHES

At First Presbyterian Church in Warren, the Rev. Betty Angelini said families will be taking part in Holy Week events.

She said for Palm Sunday was the “joyful entry of the children waving palms.” This was a big highlight of the service as families watch their children walk down the aisles in the sanctuary handing out palms.

Angelini said the church is planning for Maundy Thursday a meal and communion around the tables in fellowship hall.

“We will all eat together at the big tables — truly like they did for the Last Supper,” Angelini said, noting families will be able to gather around.

“On Thursday, one of the traditions at the end of the service will be people take away all the decorations on the communion table, on the chancel and the altar. We will strip it all naked in a symbolism of what is to come. It will be very powerful,” Angelini said.

For Good Friday from noon to 3 p.m. — which were the hours when Jesus was on the cross and died — “We will take time to pause for meditation and contemplation and music,” she said.

Angelini said an Easter sunrise and Easter regular service will both be Sunday.

“It has been a tradition to hold an Easter sunrise service outside the church. We will decorate a cross with flowers both outside and in the sanctuary to symbolize the resurrection,” she said.

Angelini said families will be asked to put flowers on the cross.

New this year will be luminaria, more common at Christmas, on Saturday evening that will stay lit until Sunday morning. These symbolize the coming of the light, showing how the darkness did not overcome the light.

At One National Kingdom Ministry in Warren, Pastor Kent Barnes said he wants the members to be part of Holy Week activities.

Barnes said at 7 p.m. on Good Friday, seven women of the church take part in “Last Seven Sayings of Jesus” with each given 10 minutes to discuss and explain sayings of Jesus.

“The women always do a great job with this. It is unique at our church for this to be done on Good Friday. We started doing this four years ago,” he said.

The non-denominational church also has services at 3 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. on Easter to celebrate the holy weekend.

At Christ Episciopal Church in Warren, a Palm Sunday service started outside where people could pet a “donkey” which was a small pony followed by a procession of the congregation waving palms and heading into the church.

IN BOARDMAN

At Boardman United Methodist Church, it is a tradition for families on Easter Sunday to place flowers on a cross at the front of the sanctuary.

Julie Skelly, church secretary, said: “Families who attend on Easter and when they come into the sanctuary can place a flower on the cross we have set up. This has been done for many years.”

She said on Palm Sunday, the church hosted the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ service where the choir sang many songs. Skelly said children helped on Palm Sunday by handing out palms to those attending.

She said the church is decorated with Easter lilies and other flowers for the holiday.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com