Vespers – March 15, 2015

WHAT: A service of sung Evening Prayer, sometimes known as Vespers, will be held on the Fourth Sunday in Lent ((Laetare Sunday), March 15 at 3:00 PM.

WHERE: St. Colman Catholic Church, 219 East North Street, Washington Court House, Ohio. The church is two blocks north and one block east of the Fayette County Courthouse. There is ample parking in lots around the church and plenty of street parking as well.

WHEN: Laetare Sunday, March 15 at 3:00 PM. Laetare Sunday is one of the two Sundays in the church year which are sometimes called ‘Rose’ Sundays in reference to the color of vestments often used. (The other such Sunday is the Third Sunday in Advent, just before Christmas, when the St. Colman Choir has traditionally presented it’s Advent Lessons and Carols service.)

It is the mid-point of Lent, the 40 days of preparation leading up to Easter, and the over-all emphasis of the day is a bit less penitential in nature than the other days in Lent (the color for which is purple).

DETAIL: Music will be provided by the St. Colman Choir, accompanied by organ and a string quartet of students from Cedarville University. As part of the music for the service, they will perform the first section of Part Two of “Messiah” by George Fredrick Handel. In addition, there are psalms sung to chant as well as a Magnificat (by Herbert Howells) and ‘Evening Hymn’ by Gardiner.

Other participants will be Seminarians from The Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, Ohio, one of whom is Brett Garland, for whom St. Colman is home parish.

The service is open to the public; there is no admission charge. A free-will offering is taken in support of music at St. Colman.