WATCH: Holy Week livestreaming in Diocese of Wilmington set to continue from Holy Thursday through Easter morning

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    (Some technical difficulties were encountered during the livestream, but viewers will see and hear the replay of the Holy Thursday Mass all the way through).

    Thousands of Catholics in the Diocese of Wilmington have flocked to Sunday Mass and other services live-streamed and recorded for online distribution as Holy Week begins and people turn to alternate methods of fulfilling faith while observing restrictions aimed at curbing coronavirus and protecting public health.

    Bishop Malooly’s livestream and replay of Palm Sunday Mass for the Saturday vigil attracted nearly 5,000 viewers and multiple other Masses from parishes drew more from churches in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland where public Masses and gatherings have been suspended.

    Bishop Malooly and Father Joseph W. McQuaide IV practice social distancing during the live-streamed Mass on Holy Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Peter April 9.
    Dialog photo/Bob Krebs

    As Easter approaches, viewership is expected to rise.

    “This is the Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord,” Bishop Malooly said in his homily April 4. “And we will see in this week as so much is centered around the suffering and, actually, the isolation – a word we have gotten very used to – the isolation of Jesus from others.”

    This week’s Holy Week observances will be livestreamed from the Cathedral at youtube.com/DioceseOfWilm:

    Holy Thursday, April 9, 4 p.m.

    Good Friday, April 10, 3 p.m.

    Holy Saturday, April 11, 8 p.m.

    Easter Sunday, April 12, 8 a.m.

    Bishop Malooly said Holy Week is when Catholics observe “Jesus suffer, die and rise that we may have eternal life.”

    “This is a time for us to be grateful for that death which gives each of us life. Let us seek the strength … to live in and for Christ more deeply and even more … let us walk as he did,” the bishop said.

    “I ask you during the course of this week to celebrate and to remember the Holy Week events. I ask that you do it by website, do it by video or tune in to your own parish … these very special days. We are isolated as Jesus was. He was abandoned.

    “Let us commit to that isolation in order to protect others. And let us remember the Second Commandment – Love thy neighbor. I think we need to ratchet that up a bit during this time.”

    All diocesan and parish schools, and all religious education programs, in the diocese are closed or canceled until May 18. The Catholic Youth Ministry spring sports season has been canceled.

    To keep up to date on local, national and international news during this time, visit www.thedialog.org and sign up for weekly and breaking news delivered to your email with The Angelus. The diocese also has a page with information at www.cdow.org/coronavirus.