The Easter Vigil service under Benedict XVI would typically run nearly three hours.

How long is the Holy Saturday vigil?

Holy Saturday is the day in the Christian liturgical calendar that celebrates the 40-hour-long vigil that the followers of Jesus Christ held after his death and burial on Good Friday and before his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

What happens at an Easter Vigil?

The vigil begins between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Sunday outside the church, where an Easter fire is kindled and the Paschal candle is blessed and then lit. … As the candle proceeds through the church, the small candles held by those present are gradually lit from the Paschal candle.