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Serving all God's people on Maundy Thursday
Pope Francis washing the feet of refugees during a Maundy Thursday mass with Muslim, Christian, and Hindu asylum seekers at a shelter in Castelnuovo di Porto, outside Rome, March 24, 2016.
Maundy Thursday
religious holiday
Also known as: Gründonnerstag, Green Thursday, Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday
- Also called:
- Holy Thursday or Sheer Thursday
- Related Topics:
- Eucharist
- Easter
- Good Friday
- Last Supper
- foot washing
Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. Key Days of Holy Week The name is thought to be a Middle English derivation taken from a Latin anthem sung in Roman Catholic churches on that day: “Mandatum novum do vobis” (“a new commandment I give to you”; John 13:34). In most European countries, Maundy Thursday is known as Holy Thursday; other names are Green Thursday (Gründonnerstag; common in Germany), from the early practice of giving penitents a green branch as a token for completing their Lenten penance, and ...(100 of 308 words)