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On Maundy Thursday the Church commemorates the institution of the Blessed Eucharist. On this day one Mass only can be said in the same church and that must be a public one. White vestments are worn by the priest, the altar is decked with flowers, and even the purple veil, which covers the cross during Passion-tide, is replaced by one of white.
The celebrant consecrates sufficient hosts for Good Friday, when there is no Mass.
Holy Communion is distributed.
The Blessed Sacrament is carried in procession to a place known as the Repository or Sepulchre, where it remains until the following day. After the Mass on Maundy Thursday the signs of mourning proper to Passion-tide are resumed: the altar is stripped of its coverings and of ornaments of all kind, the lights in the sanctuary are extinguished, and the door of the empty tabernacle is left open.
