SiriusXM announces Holy Week programming on The Catholic Channel

-     Live broadcast of Easter Sunday Mass from the Vatican, celebrated by Pope Francis
-     Coverage of canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII

TORONTO, April 17, 2014 /CNW/ - SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), the country's leading audio entertainment company, today announced it will offer a special lineup of Holy Week programming on The Catholic Channel, SiriusXM 129, giving listeners nationwide access to live services from some of the world's most prominent cathedrals. 

SiriusXM listeners will hear live Masses from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, as well as multiple other Masses across North America. In addition to the live mass schedule, The Catholic Channel's daily lineup of talk programming will provide a forum for both Catholics and non-Catholics to call in to be part of the discussion during the final week of the Lenten season about the Passion of Jesus Christ and the Resurrection of Easter.

For a schedule of Catholic Channel programming visit http://www.siriusxm.ca/TheCatholicChannel.

The schedule of Holy Week Masses on The Catholic Channel (SiriusXM 129) is as follows: 

Holy Thursday, April 17:
10:00 am ET:  Chrism Mass live from The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.
5:30 pm ET:  Mass of the Lord's Supper live from St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. 

Good Friday, April 18:
9:00 am ET:  Tenebrae service live from St. Patrick's Cathedral.
12:00 pm ET:  Meditation on the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ live from St. Patrick's.
3:30 pm ET:  Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Last Supper live from St. Patrick's. 

Holy Saturday, April 19:
8:00 pm ET:  Easter Vigil Mass live from St. Patrick's. 

Easter Sunday, April 20:
4:00 am ET:  Easter Mass celebrated by His Holiness, Pope Francis, live from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
10:15 am ET:  Easter Mass live from St. Patrick's, celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
12:00 pm ET:  Easter Mass live from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated by Cardinal Donald Wuerl. 

All three Easter Masses will be replayed on Sunday afternoon and evening, giving listeners multiple chances to tune in. 

Next week, The Catholic Channel will offer listeners the most comprehensive radio coverage available of the upcoming canonizations of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII.  The Catholic Channel Presents: The Making of a Saint will feature special programming starting Monday, April 21 through Sunday, April 27 on SiriusXM channel 129.  Listeners will hear specials hosted by Cardinals Timothy Dolan and Edward Egan, archival recordings of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII, programming from the Vatican hosted by Catholic Channel experts, and live coverage of the Canonization Mass in Rome, where Pope Francis will officially declare the two former pontiffs to be saints.

Follow The Catholic Channel on Twitter @CatholicChannel.

For more information on SiriusXM, please visit http://www.siriusxm.ca.

About SiriusXM Canada
Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. (TSX: XSR) operates as SiriusXM Canada. SiriusXM Canada, with over 2.4 million subscribers, is the country's leading audio entertainment company and broadcasts more than 120 satellite radio channels featuring premier sports, news, talk, entertainment and commercial-free music. SiriusXM Canada offers an array of content from the most recognized news, entertainment and major sports brands including the NHL, NFL, NBA, NASCAR, CNN, CBC, FOX, BBC, Howard Stern, Oprah, Disney, Comedy Central and more.

SiriusXM programming is available on a variety of devices including pre-installed and after-market radios in cars, trucks and boats, smartphones and mobile devices, and consumer electronics products for homes and offices. SiriusXM programming is also available online at www.siriusxm.ca and on Apple and Android-powered mobile devices.

SiriusXM Canada has partnerships with every major automaker and its radio products are available at more than 3,000 retail locations nationwide. To find out more about SiriusXM Canada (TSX: XSR), visit our website at www.siriusxm.ca.

Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook at facebook.com/siriusxmcanada, on Twitter at twitter.com/siriusxmcanada and on Youtube at youtube.com/siriusxmcanada.

SOURCE: SiriusXM Canada

SiriusXM Canada contact:
Mike Calnek
Director, Publicity, Promotion and Sponsorship
416-513-7459
[email protected]