Current Services

A special service for Lent that combines plainsong, readings, choral music and candlelight in a gradually darkening church. 

Tenebrae, Latin for "darkness" or "shadows", combines the ancient services of Matins and Lauds, during which candles and other lights are gradually extinguished until only a single candle, a symbol of our Lord, remains. Toward the end of the service this candle is hidden, symbolizing the apparent victory of the forces of evil. At the very end, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of the resurrection (Matthew 28:2) and the hidden candle is restored to its place. This service provides an extended meditation upon, and a prelude to, the events of our Lord's life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection.