As part of the Easter church services this long weekend, the St Joseph’s Cathedral Church will conduct two Stations of the Cross devotions, both starting at 9am.

A service will be held inside the cathedral and the other starting from the Ministry of Justice building walking towards the cathedral.

The Stations of Cross devotions had to be split into two events because of the current Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health Covid-19 regulations.

For the Catholic Church, Easter is the completion of the Holy Week that ends with the resurrection of Jesus.

Each year, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. This year, Ash Wednesday was observed on March 2 – it is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares for Christ’s Resurrection.

Palm Sunday, a Christian feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter and marks the first day of Holy Week, was marked on March 10.

The programme for Holy Week for the Catholic parishes on Rarotonga are as follows:

St Joseph’s Cathedral, Avarua: Holy Thursday – Last Supper 7pm; Good Friday – Stations of the Cross 9am, Veneration of the Cross 3pm; Easter Vigil – (Saturday) starts with Service of the Light at 7.45pm (please bring your candles); Easter Sunday – one Mass only at 10am.

St Paul’s Parish, Titikaveka: Holy Thursday 5pm; Good Friday – Stations of the Cross 9am, Veneration of the Cross 3pm; Easter Vigil (Saturday) 6pm; Easter Sunday 10.30am.

Sacred Hearts Parish, Matavera: Holy Thursday 6.30pm; Good Friday – Stations of the Cross 9am, Veneration of the Cross 3pm; Easter Vigil (Saturday) 6.30pm; Easter Sunday 8am.

St Mary’s Parish, Arorangi: Holy Thursday 8.30pm; Good Friday – Stations of the Cross 9am, Veneration of the Cross 3pm; Easter Vigil (Saturday) 9pm; Easter Sunday 10am.

The Titikaveka Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) will The Last Supper Breaking of the Bread at 6pm tomorrow, Good Friday service at 10am on Frida, Sunday service at 10am and a sports day on Easter Monday.

The Matavera CICC Easter church services include: Thursday evening 6pm church service and communion, Deacons and spouses dress in white, after the evening service, the spouses change the table cloth spreads in black in Remembrance of Jesus crucifixion; Good Friday 10am; on Saturday the black table covers change back to white; Easter Sunday service at 10am and on Easter Monday a volleyball tournament is scheduled. Other CICC churches on the island follow the same programme for their church services.

The Apostolic Church will conduct their usual Sunday service at 10am with communion.

The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) churches on the island will conduct their usual services on Friday at sunset and Saturday at sunset.