During the holiest week of the Liturgical Year, there are a variety of opportunities for your family to gain plenary indulgences.

Below is a list of the special opportunities available during the Triduum.

NOTE: If you need to learn what is required to earn any indulgences, here’s a blog post with additional background on what indulgences are (just scroll down on that post a bit!).

And remember: you can get a plenary indulgence for yourself –OR– for the deceased, but NOT for any other person still alive on earth.

So, think of all your friends, family, acquaintances who have died, during this past difficult year or whom you remember from even longer ago. We like to discuss in our family for whom each of us are asking the indulgence and “plan” a bit, so we don’t “double up” and recall all whom God in His Providence has given us to pray for!

Holy Thursday

1. During the solemn reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, which follows the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, you recite or sing the Eucharistic hymn Tantum Ergo.

Did you know that this hymn is actually just the last two stanzas from the Pange Lingua composed by St. Thomas Aquinas? A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite it anytime and a plenary indulgence is granted to those who recite it on Holy Thursday or Corpus Christi.

2. Adoration of the solemnly reserved Blessed Sacrament for a half hour.

Good Friday

1. Veneration of the Cross in the solemn celebration of the Lord’s Passion. Veneration of the Cross is part of the liturgy celebrated on Good Friday–processing up one by one and kissing the cross. One year, our parish had a relic of the True Cross which we all kissed!

For kids coming to Good Friday service, download this Good Friday Coloring Companion is a helpful resource during the longggg Gospel Reading.

2. Pious participation in the Stations of the Cross. (Scroll down for our helpful aids to do this as a family at home if you can’t do it in a church!)

Holy Saturday

1. Two or more people praying the Holy Rosary. Five decades suffices!

2. Attending the celebration of the Easter Vigil at night and renewing your baptismal promises, which is part of the liturgy of that Mass.

To gain any of these plenary indulgences, the usual conditions must apply:

1. Detachment from all sin, even venial.

 2. Sacramental confession (within 20 days), Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope.

A single sacramental confession is sufficient for several plenary indulgences.

A separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father are required for each indulgence.

In addition to attending the Triduum liturgies (or if you are unable to attend), take time during the next few days to set aside time to reflect and pray as a family.

You can pray the Stations of the Cross with our MP3 (get instant access here). We also have a list of ways you can engage children in the Stations of the Cross from home–check out the complete list of suggestions here.

Pray along with us for the Holy Rosary. We’ve added instant MP3 downloads of our Scriptural Rosary (in English and in Spanish, too). See all our rosary aids here.

FREE for the KIDS:

You can also set up our FREE Lent Triptych on your family altar during Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Then, replace it with our FREE Easter Triptych for Easter!