We hope the following tips for serving onboard during Holy Week will be of help to you.

The key term to remember is "flexibility". Indeed, most of the time when one is onboard, one must remember to be flexible. The ship does not have a designated "chapel" and you are not in control of Mass times, etc. Being able to roll with the punches will be very important.  Think about how missionaries do their work in remote areas with far less, and you'll find a way to make it work!

  

If you are not going on a Holy Week cruise, you may still wish to check out the link for Interfaith Services. These are helpful for any cruise you may be serving onboard.

  

All the Best!

Doreen  

Just a few notes in regard to Holy Week cruises.

Any of you who have a cruise scheduled during that time will definitely want to take note.



Palm Sunday:  The cruise lines MIGHT supply Palms for Palm Sunday, if their ship agent can get it in port.  Be prepared to hold Palm Sunday without palms. You do not have to try to bring palms with you, especially if you are flying to get to your ship. Bringing plant life onboard can be a difficult issue with Customs and Border Protection.



Holy Thursday:  Keep in mind that in order to have enough consecrated hosts available for Good Friday, you will need to consecrate enough hosts on Holy Thursday.  Since there is no tabernacle on board, you will need to bring the consecrated hosts back to your room for safe keeping.  We recommend placing the hosts carefully in your room Safe.  Please DO NOT place a candle near the hosts.  Open flames on board ship are not allowed. (AOS has a dispensation for this, so this is not carelessly or flippantly done.)



Good Friday:  If you are on board for Good Friday, please realize that the cruise line will probably schedule Catholic "Mass" for the same time as daily Mass, which is usually around 8:00 a.m.  Please don't fret, they simply can't re-route their entire routine.  And it's no use arguing with a Cruise Director or Activities Manager to take the word "Mass" out of the bulletin.  Simply let Catholics know during the week that Mass on Friday will actually be a Good Friday Service.  It may not be at 3:00 p.m. but that's o.k.  Ministry onboard ship, is very much like missionary work. We must roll with the punches and do our best with limited resources and time frames.



Holy Saturday:  The only Catholic service on Holy Saturday is the Easter Vigil Mass. However, keeping in mind the missionary setting that you are in, if the only Mass time available is on Saturday morning, then at that time, please simply hold an Easter Mass.  Ordinarily, they will expect a Mass on Saturday evening, rather than Saturday morning. Again, if this is the case, we recommend you say the regular Easter Sunday Mass at this time, as you will not be able to light an Easter Fire, and you will not have an Easter Candle. You will also be confined to an hour long Mass, so the regular Easter Mass is the best to use in this limited situation.



You will want to bring your own Way of the Cross Booklets and a small Wooden Cross for Veneration.  Most of the cruise lines working with us have been very good to get the regular Liturgical Supplies.  We can not expect them to have everything.



Easter:  Depending on when your ship leaves port, or arrives in Port, Easter Mass may be held only on Saturday evening, only on Sunday morning, or possibly only on Sunday evening. Again, please understand that the ships docking and departing do not always work out for optimum Mass times.  Please be understanding of the ship's schedule. Take note that if you do an Easter Vigil service you are not going to light a fire. 

We also recommend that if you have an Easter Mass on Holy Saturday evening, that you use the Regular Easter Sunday Mass, rather than the Easter Vigil Mass. This is because you will still have only 1 hour for Mass. The additional readings will simply not work with the time frame. You will also not have the fire to light, etc, so using the regular Easter Sunday Mass is really easiest.



A few notes from Fr. Sinclair (taken from the Motu Proprio Stella Maris): Mindful of the special circumstances of the people of the sea and taking into account the privileges which over the years the Apostolic See has granted this people, the following is established:

1. Maritime personnel can fulfill their Easter Duty regarding Holy Communion at any time during the year, having first received appropriate instruction or catechesis;

2. Seafarers are not bound by the laws of fast and abstinence prescribed in can. 1251; they are advised, however, when taking advantage of this dispensation, to undertake a comparable work of piety in place of abstinence, and, as far as possible, to observe both laws on Good Friday in memory of the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ;

 

Definition of "seafarer" for Motu proprio Stella Maris: a) Seafarers are those actually on board merchant ships or fishing vessels, and all who for whatever reason have undertaken a voyage by ship;  (This would actually include Cruise Ship Passengers.)



So bottom line, we do encourage you to do your best to truly follow the guidelines of the Holy Week rites.  If and when it is not possible, we look to the Motu Proprio Stella Maris for further guidance.  The dispensing of lighted candles near the consecreted host and flexibility in Mass schedules is not carelessly done and in fact, we have permission.

 

This is usually only once a week, on Sunday. However, you may be asked to do more, especially during the major Holy Day Seasons.

 

You will want to be prepared when you go onboard,as some Cruise Lines have Interfaith Service booklets, and others do not.

 

Certainly you will want to use more hymns, and hymns that our Protestant Brothers and Sisters would be familiar with.  Using the same readings for the day keeps you from having to "reinvent the wheel".

 

Below are a couple of ideas shared by others, which may assist you in preparing for Interfaith Services onboard:



Interdenominational Service ideas from Fr Sinclair 

 

Ecumenical Service ideas courtesy of Holland America:



Ecumenical Service - Cruise Ship



Ecumenical Service Selections



Ecumenical Service Planning Sheet