The Easter Vigil is celebrated after nightfall on Holy Saturday, which in 2027 is Saturday, March 27. It is “the mother of all holy vigils,” the most beautiful and solemn liturgy of the Church’s year. In the dark, a new fire is lit and the Easter candle is carried into the church; the Church listens to the great story of salvation; new Christians are baptized; and the first Mass of Easter is celebrated with the joyful return of the Alleluia.
This guide explains each part of the Easter Vigil, the readings, how long it lasts, and why it fulfills the Easter obligation.
The Easter Vigil at a glance
| Date | Saturday, March 27, 2027, after nightfall |
| Time | It must begin after dark and end before dawn; most parishes start between 8 and 9 p.m. |
| Length | Usually 2 to 3 hours |
| Color | White |
| Gospel (Year B) | Mark 16:1–7 |
| Counts for Easter Sunday? | Yes |
1. The Service of Light (Lucernarium)
The church is in darkness. Outside, the priest blesses a new fire and prepares the paschal candle: he cuts a cross into it, the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, and the four numbers of the year 2027, saying that Christ is the beginning and the end and that all time belongs to him. Five grains of incense, recalling the five wounds of Christ, may be set into the cross.
The candle is lit from the new fire and carried into the dark church. Three times the deacon sings “The Light of Christ,” and the people answer “Thanks be to God” as everyone’s small candle is lit from the paschal candle, until the whole church glows.
Then the deacon or priest sings the Exsultet (the Easter Proclamation), an ancient hymn of praise for this night “in which Christ broke the prison-bars of death.”
2. The Liturgy of the Word
The Church keeps vigil by listening to the history of salvation. The Lectionary offers seven Old Testament readings, each followed by a psalm and a prayer:
| Reading | Story |
|---|---|
| Genesis 1:1–2:2 | The creation of the world |
| Genesis 22:1–18 | The sacrifice of Isaac |
| Exodus 14:15–15:1 | The crossing of the Red Sea (always read) |
| Isaiah 54:5–14 | God’s everlasting love for his people |
| Isaiah 55:1–11 | “Come to the waters” |
| Baruch 3:9–15, 32–4:4 | The fountain of wisdom |
| Ezekiel 36:16–17a, 18–28 | A new heart and a new spirit |
Parishes may shorten the series, but the reading from Exodus is never omitted. After the last Old Testament reading the altar candles are lit, the Gloria is sung and the bells ring for the first time since Holy Thursday. Then comes the Epistle, Romans 6:3–11, and the solemn triple Alleluia, silent since Ash Wednesday. The Gospel in 2027 (Year B):
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that coming, they might anoint Jesus.
And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre, the sun being now risen.
And they said one to another: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
And looking, they saw the stone rolled back. For it was very great.
And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed with a white robe: and they were astonished.
Who saith to them: Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him.
But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you.
The first reading begins at the very beginning:
In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.
And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.
And God said: Be light made. And light was made.
And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness.
And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.
3. The Baptismal Liturgy
Adults and older children who have prepared through OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) are now baptized, confirmed and receive their First Communion. The Litany of the Saints is sung, and the priest blesses the baptismal water, sometimes plunging the paschal candle into it.
Then the whole congregation renews its baptismal promises, rejecting sin and professing the faith, and is sprinkled with the newly blessed water. St. Paul explains why baptism belongs to this night:
Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in his death?
For we are buried together with him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.
Christians who were already baptized in another church may also be received into full communion and confirmed.
4. The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Vigil ends with the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the first Mass of Easter, in which the new Catholics receive Holy Communion for the first time. The dismissal includes a double Alleluia, used throughout the Easter Octave and at Pentecost.
Tips for attending the Easter Vigil
- Arrive early and bring patience: it is long but unforgettable.
- Children often love the fire and the candles; bring older children, and consider the Easter morning Mass for very young ones.
- Read the readings in advance so you can follow the story.
- Hold your candle carefully and bring a small cup or paper guard for the wax.
- Celebrate afterward: many families break the Lenten fast with a late Easter feast.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Easter Vigil count for Easter Sunday Mass?
Yes. The Easter Vigil is the first Mass of Easter and fulfills the obligation of Easter Sunday.
What time does the Easter Vigil start?
After nightfall. In much of the United States in late March that means a start between 8 and 9 p.m. Check your parish schedule.
How long is the Easter Vigil?
Usually two to three hours, depending on the number of readings and of people being baptized.
Why is the Vigil at night?
Because Jesus rose during the night, and the Church keeps watch as the Israelites did on the night of the Passover. The liturgy moves from darkness to light, from death to life.
What is the Exsultet?
The Easter Proclamation, a long, ancient hymn sung by the deacon beside the paschal candle at the beginning of the Vigil, praising God for the night of our redemption. Read the full text of the Exsultet in English and Latin.
More Holy Week pages
- Psalm 30 (You have turned my mourning into joy)
- Psalm 16 (You are my inheritance)
- Psalm 19 (The heavens declare the glory of God)
- Psalm 42 (As the deer longs)
- Psalm 118 (This is the day the Lord has made)
- Victimae Paschali Laudes
- OCIA: how to become Catholic
- Holy Week 2027
- Good Friday
- Easter 2027
- Catholic Easter prayers
- The seven sacraments
- The Litany of the Saints
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Mark 16:1–7; Genesis 1:1–5; Romans 6:3–5, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain. Reading references follow the Lectionary for Mass, the Easter Vigil.
- Roman Missal, The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night (rubrics for the time of the Vigil, the paschal candle, the readings and the baptismal liturgy).
- St. Augustine, Sermon 219: the Easter Vigil as “the mother of all holy vigils.”