St. Mary's Episcopal Church
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
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  • Home
  • Worship
    • Worship Schedule
    • Sermons
    • Church Calendar
    • Recordings and Service Bulletins
    • Marian Antiphons
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • What We Believe >
      • The Sacraments
    • Membership
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Ministries
    • Our History
    • Weddings
    • Photos
    • St. Mary's Pipe Organ
  • News
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • Calendar
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Parish Email List
  • Support St. Mary's
    • Donate
    • Pledge Card
  • Partners
    • William Baker Festival Singers
  • Links

Altar of Repose

Picture
Maundy Thursday is the day we commemorate the Lord’s Institution of the Eucharist, during which he blessed bread, broke it and gave it to the disciples. After this, he took the cup of wine, blessed it and gave it to the disciples to drink. When the supper was finished, he washed the feet of the disciples. He then said to them: “I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. By this shall the world know that you are my disciples: That you have love for one another.”

At St. Mary's, our Maundy Thursday Mass is celebrated in the evening because the Passover began at sundown. During the Mass, extra bread and wine is consecrated for use during the Good Friday liturgy the following day. After the Mass, the Sacrament for the Mass of the Presanctified is taken in solemn procession to the Altar of Repose, a free-standing altar typically placed in the back of the nave, and a vigil is kept.

At the Altar of Repose, parishioners keep vigil in silent prayer and adoration, recalling our Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and his rebuke to his disciples: “What? Could you not watch one hour with me?” Those keeping vigil at the Altar of Repose further recall and respond to Jesus’ admonition to his disciples to stay awake to pray with him until the Roman soldiers come to arrest and imprison him. The vigil concludes at midnight.


    Sign up for one-hour increments to keep vigil

Submit

To the Glory of God and in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary

St. Mary's is a parish of the Diocese of West Missouri, The Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Communion.

Address

1307 Holmes Street
​Kansas City, Missouri 64106

Telephone

(816) 842-0975

Email

stmarykcmo@sbcglobal.net