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Easter Vigil

On this page, some of the Congregation's monasteries share how they celebrate Easter

Easter Vigil in Heliga Hjärtas Kloster, Omberg-Vadstena, Sweden

We celebrate the Easter Vigil together with our resident guests, those from our parish who can get here, but also people who live near us but belong to the Lutheran Church.

We start by lighting the Easter fire in our courtyard, where the Easter candle is blessed and lit. Our Easter candle has been decorated with a painting by a sister. We then carry it through the convent and into the dark church.

A sister usually sings Exsultet. Then follows the long seven readings from the Old Testament with their responsories. We follow the old monastic tradition and sing the Latin antiphons. Gloria is sung to the sound of the church bells.

Towards the end of the Mass, is the blessing of the Easter food and the small Easter candles for our guests.

After Mass, we gather in our atrium for some juice and Easter cookies. We greet each other with the Easter greeting and sing a resurrection song all together. Nowadays it is our congregational song "let us arise".

Sisters and Brothers Benedictines of Egmond

Feast of the Resurrection, new life new beginning.

A night full of blessings.

We open the Easter vigil 23.15 h outdoors, with the blessing of the Easter fire, in the courtyard in front of the church. Besides the Easter candle, all sisters and guests have a candle. Once these are lit, we enter the church in procession. There, the hymn 'the Exsultet' is chanted. After the readings and hymns, which unify the First and Second Testaments and culminate in the Resurrection, the bells will ring again at the Gloria. Also this night, the water in the baptismal font is blessed and all come to receive from the water of baptism and renew the baptismal vows. Then the celebration continues with the Eucharist. After the Eucharist, guests are wished a Blessed Easter and a nightly breakfast follows. Thus began the first day of 50 days of Easter celebrations. 

Benedictine Sisters of Liège

The Easter Vigil begins with the lighting of the New Fire in the entrance courtyard, under the open sky on the boulevard of the city center; right away, at the heart of this most holy night, we are in communion with the residents of the city.

In the twilight of the church, the first cantor sing the Exultet and the assembly joins in, singing in its turn: "O night of great light, night of worship to the Father, for ever.

In the illuminated church, the Vigil continues with the seven readings which retrace the history of the people of God and culminate in the joyful announcement:

"He is risen Christ, our hope!"

Benedictine Sisters  of Kaunas

We celebrate the Easter Vigil with all those who attend our church. Usually the church is full and there are many children preparing for their First Communion. We celebrate the Mass according to the Roman Missal, with one difference - we read all readings in the dark, and when the Glory begins, the bells ring to the music of the hymn. Often there is an adult Baptism, so the service ends at midnight. It is followed by a blessing of meal, which necessarily includes Easter eggs (boiled eggs coloured in various ways). 

Benedictine Sisters  of Hurtebise

The "Mother of Vigils" at Hurtebise:
To better enjoy the beautiful texts of the Easter Vigil, we draw inspiration from the Jewish way of living the Easter liturgy. Each reading from the First Testament is introduced by a child's question to an elder. This method has the great advantage of weaving a beautiful thread between the readings and sustaining the attention of the whole assembly.
Another rite that we appreciate very much is the renewal of the monastic vows, which follows the renewal of the baptismal vows. This rite gives our monastic commitment a meaningful depth.

Benedictine Sisters  of Alexanderdorf

Our Easter celebration begins on Easter Sunday in the early morning hours at 4 a.m. Sisters and guests gather in front of the church by the Easter fire as the Easter candle is lit.

The Service of the Word is long, with solemn readings and hymns. After the proclamation of the Gospel, we walk in solemn procession once around the monastery, while we sing Easter hymns, carrying our lit candles.

After Mass, everyone gathers, and we proclaim the Easter message to one another:

Christ is risen. Hallelujah. He is truly risen. Hallelujah.

Benedictine Sisters  of Dinklage

Our Easter Vigil in Dinklage begins early in the morning. We gather in our mediaeval courtyard in complete darkness, the sisters, the guests, and often many others too. After the lighting of the Easter fire and the candles, we process with our candles into the dark church for the Exsultet and the seven readings.  At the renewal of the baptismal vows everyone is invited to come forward and cross themselves with the newly blessed baptismal water.  Through the windows, we can see that morning is coming.  The first birds begin to sing and we sing the praises of Laudes. When all is over, we continue to celebrate together with hot coffee and current buns in the courtyard, finishing with ring dances round the fire.