Bishop Paul Bradley marked the beginning of Holy Week on Sunday, April 2, in a Twitter post. The celebration ends with Holy Saturday on April 8.

"As we begin Holy Week, the most important week of the year, we remember that Jesus, the Son of God, destroyed the infectious power of sin affecting all humanity; but what a price He paid," he wrote. "May we show our gratitude by turning from sin & following Jesus, not just this week, but always."

Holy Week is a period in the Christian calendar that commemorates the events before and during the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, according to Catholic Online. It begins seven days before Easter, consisting of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. While Easter Sunday marks the start of the Easter season in the Liturgical year, it is not part of Holy Week.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem on a donkey as people laid palms before him as a sign of triumph. Palms are handed out to the faithful at Mass, blessed, and can be used as devotional objects or crafted into crosses, Catholic Online explained. The palms are eventually returned to the church and burned. The ashes are saved and distributed at Ash Wednesday services the following year.

Holy Thursday, the next significant day of Holy Week, marks the Last Supper, where Jesus celebrated the Passover feast with his disciples. It is described in the Bible as the night Judas betrayed Him, leading to his subsequent arrest. Every Mass commemorates the Last Supper, particularly on Holy Thursday. After the meal, Jesus went to pray on the Mount of Olives, inspiring the practice of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.

Good Friday is the day the faithful remember the trial, punishment and crucifixion of Jesus. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops- USCCB- stated that Good Friday is traditionally a day of fasting and abstinence from meat in the Catholic Church. The Church does not celebrate any sacraments that day except confession and the anointing of the sick, the USCCB stated. Instead of Mass, the Church typically holds a service with pre-sanctified communion on Good Friday, Fox News reported. Members of the Church can still participate in the Stations of the Cross.

Holy Saturday is the day before Easter. It is believed that Jesus' body was in the tomb and that he descended into hell on this day. While Mass is not held on Holy Saturday, some parishes may have services without distributing communion. This day marks the end of Holy Week, according to Catholic Online.

Pope Francis will preside over various liturgies during this year's Holy Week. He conducted Mass on Palm Sunday and a chrism Mass on Holy Thursday. A Passion of the Lord celebration is scheduled for early evening on Good Friday, with the Stations of the Cross devotion later in the evening. The Easter Vigil is on Holy Saturday. On Easter, he will preside over Mass in St. Peter's Square and give the annual Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. According to the National Catholic Register, Pope Francis will bless oils, preach, lead devotions, and baptize new Catholics during these liturgies.