Three Hours' Agony
The Three Hours' Agony is a Christian service held in some Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist churches on Good Friday from noon till 3 o'clock to commemorate the three hours of Christ's hanging at the cross.
It may include meditation on the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross, and usually occurs between noon and 3PM, and sometimes between 6PM and 9PM.
The Jesuit priest Alphonsus Messia is said to have devised this devotion in Lima, Peru. It was introduced to Rome around 1788 and spread around the world to many Christian denominations. In 1815, Pope Pius VII decreed a plenary indulgence to those who practise this devotion on Good Friday.
