Feast of The Sacred Crown of Thorns of Our Lord Jesus Christ celebrated on the Friday after Ash Wednesday – One of the “Seven Passion Feasts” – celebrated on the the Friday after Ash Wednesday – 16 February 2024
The first Feast in honour of the Sacred Crown of Thorns (Festum susceptionis coronae Domini) was instituted at Paris in 1239, when Saint Louis IX of France brought there the Relic of the Crown of Thorns which was deposited later in the Royal Chapel, erected in 1241–1248 to guard this and other Relics of the Passion. The Feast, observed then on 11 August, though at first special to the Royal Chapel, was gradually observed throughout the north of France.
In the following Century, another festival of the Holy Crown on 4 May, was instituted and was celebrated along with the Feast of the Finding of the True Cross in parts of Spain, Germany and Scandinavia. It was later kept in Spanish Diocese and is observed by the Dominicans on 24 April.
A special Feast on the Monday after Passion Sunday was granted to the Diocese of Freising in Bavaria, by Pope Clement X (1676) and Pope Innocent XI (1689), in honour of the Crown of Thorns of Christ. It was celebrated at Venice in 1766 on the second Friday of March. In 1831 it was adopted at Rome as a Double Major and is observed on the Friday following Ash Wednesday. As it is not kept universally, the Mass and Office are placed in the appendices to the Breviary and the Missal. The Hymns of the Office, which is taken from the 17th Century Gallican Breviary of Paris.
This Feast became a part of The Seven Passion Feasts – special Masses related to the Passion of Christ which are celebrated as Feasts on particular days each week, from Septuagesima to the Fourth Week in Lent.
The Feasts and their appointed days are as follows:
The Prayer of Our Lord Jesus Christ (in the Garden of Gethsemane)—on the Tuesday after Septuagesima Sunday.
The Commemoration of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Votive Mass of the Passion)—on the Tuesday after Sexagesima Sunday.
The Sacred Crown of Thorns of Our Lord Jesus Christ—on the Friday after Ash Wednesday.
The Sacred Lance and Nails of Our Lord Jesus Christ—Ember Friday in Lent (1st Week of Lent).
The Most Sacred Shroud of Our Lord Jesus Christ—on Friday of the Second Week in Lent.
The Five Sacred Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ—on Friday of the Third Week in Lent.
The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ—on Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent.
These Feasts are crowned by the observance of The Compassion of Our Lady (The Seven Dolours of Our Lady) on Friday in Passion Week—1 week before Good Friday.
In this way the Mystery of Christ’s Passion is continually kept before the eyes of the faithful as they journeyed through Lent.
These Feasts no longer form part of the Vatican II Roman Missal.
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