Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
Ash Wednesday Mass
The holy season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (February 18 in 2026), a day of fasting and abstinence as we prepare to enter into the penitential season.
Traditionally, each year on Ash Wednesday, the Holy Father celebrates an evening Ash Wednesday Mass in the church of Santa Sabina. Tickets to attend this Mass are extremely limited, since the church of Santa Sabina is so small. For this reason, it is usually not possible to attend.
Ash Wednesday Audience
In the morning on Ash Wednesday, the Holy Father also usually gives a General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, which is much easier to receive tickets for than the Ash Wednesday Mass! If you have not already done so, you can submit a request using this form:
If you would like to attend the 10 AM audience, we suggest you plan to be at St. Peter’s Square between 7-8 AM.
Station Masses in English, throughout Lent
As an alternative to the Holy Father’s Ash Wednesday Mass, or on another day during Lent, you might be interested in the Station Masses in English, organized by the Pontifical North American College. You can find more information about those Masses here: The Roman Station Masses. Their Ash Wednesday Mass will be at Santa Sabina, the same church where the Pope goes, but it is usually at 6:45 AM, rather than in the evening. The times and locations of the other station Masses throughout Lent 2026 are included on the Roman Station Masses page.
Holy Father’s Annual Retreat
Traditionally, the Holy Father has a week of spiritual exercises (retreat), along with the Roman curia, near the beginning of Lent. There are no public Papal events while the Holy Father is on retreat. This year, please join in praying for Pope Leo XIV during his retreat from the evening of February 22 through the morning of February 27, 2026.
Recommended Lenten Sites in Rome
Throughout Rome, there are many sites related to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ which pilgrims especially like to visit during the season of Lent. Here are our top recommendations:
The Scala Santa – Brought to Rome in the 4th century under the direction of St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, the Holy Stairs are the stairs which Jesus climbed on his way into the Praetorium in Jerusalem, where he would be condemned to death. Pilgrims ascend the stairs on their knees, meditating on the Passion of Our Lord.
Santa Croce in Gerusalemme – This basilica houses relics of the True Cross, one of the nails used in the crucifixion of Jesus, fragments of the grotto of His Nativity and of the Holy Sepulchre, the joint of the finger of St. Thomas the Apostle, a part of the cross of the Good Thief, two thorns from Christ’s crown of thorns, and the Titulus Crucis (the wooden inscription made by Pontius Pilate in Hebrew, Greek and Latin: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”) Entrance to the chapel of the relics is free and no reservation is required, but during liturgical celebrations in the Basilica the chapel of the relics is not accessible and tourist visits are not permitted.
Santa Prassede – This lesser-known basilica houses a marble column, brought from Jerusalem in the 13th century, that is traditionally held to be the column at which Jesus was scourged during his Passion.
Basilica of Saint John Lateran – Above the altar of the Blessed Sacrament, in the left transept, there is a panel traditionally held to be part of the table of the Last Supper of Jesus.
Ponte Sant’Angelo – This scenic foot bridge that crosses the Tiber River, near the Vatican, features ten Bernini statues of angels, each holding a different instrument of Christ’s Passion. We recommend taking some time to notice and pray with each statue as you cross the bridge.
Friday Way of the Cross in St. Peter’s Basilica
Typically, every Friday afternoon during Lent, St. Peter’s Basilica holds a celebration of the Stations of the Cross, to which all are invited (no reservation or tickets required). Times and details may become available on either the St. Peter’s Basilica website or the Vatican News site near the beginning of Lent.
Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square
On Palm Sunday, NO tickets are needed to attend Mass with the Holy Father! The Mass will be in St. Peter’s Square on March 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM.
Masses in St. Peter’s Square are always well-attended. The Square can hold up to 60,000 people with overflow available down the road. We recommend that you arrive early to St. Peter’s Square – at least two hours before the Mass – to pass through security. We would also advise you to come prepared for being outdoors for a few hours (i.e. you might want to bring sunscreen, a hat, a disposable water bottle, etc.).
Wednesday General Audiences
The Holy Father offers Wednesday General Audiences in St. Peter’s Square or the Pope Paul VI Hall (near the Square) most Wednesdays, including April 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. The Wednesday General Audience is not a Mass, but a time of catechesis and prayer together with Pope Leo XIV. If you would like to request tickets to an audience, please fill out this form: AUDIENCE REQUEST FORM
Chrism Mass
At 9:30 AM on April 2, 2026 the Holy Father will celebrate the annual Chrism Mass for the Diocese of Rome in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tickets are required to attend this Mass inside the Basilica, and unfortunately, they are very limited. However it will be possible to follow this liturgy on the large video screens located outdoors in St. Peter’s Square, with seating accommodation provided. Tickets are not required for the outdoor areas.
Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper
At 5:30 PM on April 2, 2026, the Holy Father will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, which is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and also houses a relic of the table of the Last Supper. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper begins the holy liturgical season of the Triduum, the three days of the Lord’s Passion and Death, leading up to His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Tickets are required to attend the Holy Thursday Mass inside St. John Lateran, and unfortunately, they are extremely limited due to the relatively small size of the Basilica. This year, our office does not have tickets to distribute for this event.
Good Friday Service in St. Peter’s Basilica
At 5 PM on April 3, 2026, the Holy Father will celebrate the Triduum liturgy of the Passion of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tickets are required to attend this service indoors, and unfortunately, they are very limited. This year, our office does not have any tickets to distribute for this event. However, it will be possible to follow the liturgy on the large video screens located in St. Peter’s Square, with seating accommodation provided. Tickets are not required for the outdoor areas.
Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum
At 9:15 PM on April 3, 2026 the Holy Father will lead the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum. NO tickets are required to attend! We recommend arriving at least 2.5 hours early if you would like to participate, as this is always a well-attended event. Alternatively, many churches throughout Rome will hold Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, which you are welcome to attend, also without any tickets.
Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica
At 9 PM on April 4, 2026, the Holy Father will celebrate the Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tickets are required to attend this Mass indoors, and unfortunately, they are very limited. This year, our office unfortunately does not have any tickets to distribute for this event. However, it will be possible to follow the liturgy on the large video screens located in St. Peter’s Square, with seating accommodation provided. Tickets are not required for the outdoor areas.
Other Triduum Celebrations in Rome
Very many churches in Rome hold celebrations of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Passion of Our Lord, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday Mass. Most celebrations are in Italian. Once you arrive in Rome, you can look in the entryway of any of the churches near you for a poster showing the times of their Triduum celebrations.
Holy Thursday Altars of Repose
After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, many churches display beautiful Altars of Repose, keeping their doors open until about midnight so that pilgrims can visit to pray and adore the Blessed Sacrament. It is a common practice in Rome to make a pilgrimage to seven different Altars of Repose on Holy Thursday evening.
Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square
On Easter Sunday, NO tickets are needed to attend Mass with the Holy Father! The Mass will be in St. Peter’s Square on April 5, 2026, at 10:15 AM, and will be followed by the Pope’s twice-annual Urbi et Orbi blessing at 12 noon. Just like on Palm Sunday, we would recommend arriving very early (at least 2-3 hours before the Mass).
Urbi et Orbi Blessing
On Easter Sunday each year, at 12:00 noon, the Holy Father gives the Urbi et Orbi (‘to the city [of Rome] and to the world’) blessing together with an Easter greeting, from the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Urbi et Orbi is the most solemn form of blessing in the Catholic Church, reserved for the most solemn of all occasions, including Christmas, Easter and the proclamation of a newly elected Pope. No tickets are required to attend the Urbi et Orbi. Plan to arrive in Saint Peter’s Square by at least 11:30 AM to pass through the security checkpoint.
Sunday Mass in English by St. Peter’s Square
Finally, we would also like to invite you to join us for the celebration of Holy Mass in English, offered every Sunday, including Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, at the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, at 9:00 AM. The Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia is only three blocks from St. Peter’s Square on Via dei Penitenzieri 12 (00193 Roma) and has been hosting pilgrims to Rome since the 8th century. The Mass will end in plenty of time for you to attend the Angelus or Urbi et Orbi at 12 noon.
