Bishop Alfred Schlert marked the beginning of Holy Week on April 2 in a Twitter post, a celebration that will end with Holy Saturday on April 8.

"Lord, help us to be a faithful follower with You this Holy Week," said Schlert, of the Archdiocese of Pennsylvania.

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

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, while 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, which marks the Last Supper, in which Jesus celebrated the Passover feast with his disciples, is the next significant day of Holy Week. It is described in the Bible as the night Judas betrayed Him, leading to his subsequent arrest. The Last Supper is commemorated in every Mass, 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 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, and it is believed that Jesus' body was in the tomb, and he descended into hell on this day. Mass is not celebrated on Holy Saturday, but some parishes may hold services without distributing Communion. This day marks the end of Holy Week, according to Catholic Online.

Pope Francis is scheduled to preside over various liturgies during Holy Week this year, having already conducted Mass on Palm Sunday, followed by a chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, a Passion of the Lord celebration early evening on Good Friday with the Stations of the Cross devotion later in the evening, and the Easter Vigil 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. During these liturgies, Pope Francis will bless oils, preach, lead devotions, and baptize new Catholics, according to the National Catholic Register.