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The Easter Candle

The Easter candle is a single tall, thick candle that is lit on Easter day, and burns each Sunday throughout the Easter season. it stands as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus (the 'light of hope') It is pierced with five knobs of incense, in a reference to the five wounds that Jesus suffered, is marked with the date, in a reference to the number of years since Jesus' death and resurrection.  In St Clare's at the Easter Vigil Mass in the early hours of Easter Sunday the Paschal or Easter Candle is lit  from a charcoal fire located in the church garden . Candles held by the whole congregation are lit from the paschal candle, the candlelight sweeping through the church from that single source, in representation of the spread of the light of Christ.

The paschal candle sits at the chancel end during the Easter season and is then moved to sit alongside the font at the rear of the church where it is lit during baptisms. Its flame is used to light a candle that is presented to the newly baptised person or where it is a baby by way of its godparents.

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