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April 20, 2025Thoughts from Father TomHAPPY EASTER! We proclaim ALLELUIA as we celebrate the RESURRECTION of our Lord. HE IS TRULY RISEN! Our journey of Lent and following the way of the Cross has led us to this day. The faith that we celebrate throughout the year is rooted in the Resurrection of Christ. Jesus’ great sacrifice for us on the Cross is now fulfilled as he came forth from the tomb to forgive our sins and bring the gift of eternal life to the whole world. As we hear in the Gospel for Easter, Mary Magdalen is the first to approach the empty tomb of Jesus and see that the stone has been removed. She becomes the messenger who brings Simon Peter and the Beloved Disciple to see evidence of the Resurrection. Filled with fear and hope, they do not fully understand the meaning of the empty tomb. Yet, all go forth to proclaim their belief in Christ’s Resurrection. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, we are called to be pilgrims of hope who go forth to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection so that others may come to believe. Even in the midst of our fears, we have hope in the new life Christ brings. Let us truly be an Easter people by the ways we spread the hope and light of Christ to all those we encounter in life. Remember, the Easter season lasts 50 Days and continues next weekend with Divine Mercy Sunday, so let’s live it fully! ALLELUIA!A special welcome to all those who are visiting us this weekend. We are glad you joined us for our Easter Masses. We know that many of you are visiting family or home from college and we hope you feel welcome in our parish community. If you are from the area and looking for a church home, we invite you to consider becoming a member of our active and thriving parish. We extend an open invitation for you to join us in the future. If I or anyone on our staff can be of assistance or answer any questions, please feel free to call or stop by the office.Congratulations to those fully initiated into the Catholic faith at our Easter Vigil on Saturday night through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. They have been a wonderful witness for our community these past several months as they have been on their faith journey. We are blessed to have them as new members in our parish. Please continue to pray for them as the Holy Spirit leads them to share their gifts and talents among us.We also extend a big thanks to those who give of their time and talent to make our celebrations of Holy Week and Easter possible. This includes our Mass Coordinators, Communion ministers, Lectors, Servers, Ushers, Greeters, Choir members, Musicians, and Church decorators. We are blessed by their generosity and we are grateful for the ways they share their gifts in our parish.Many Blessings throughout the Easter season!
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April 13, 2025This weekend is the annual celebration of Palm Sunday with a reading of the Lord’s Passion. We begin with the blessing and waving of the palms to recount the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But there is no other Sunday that contains such a dramatic contrast. The mood quickly shifts as we hear the story of our Lord’s Passion in the Gospel. Jesus’ entire life was focused on the Paschal Mystery, which includes his Passion and the reality of his dying and rising to new life. The reading of the Passion is also our entry into the suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. We are called to follow in the footsteps of Christ so that we can experience the fullness of Resurrection. May we commit ourselves to participate in the liturgies of this holiest of weeks and always have the courage to follow Christ.
Today begins Holy Week, the most sacred time of year for Catholic Christians and a time when we gather for the most important liturgies of our Church year. As a faith community we will join together several times this week and through prayer, song and ritual, experience these holy days that lead to Easter joy. I encourage you to set aside your normal schedule and routines so you can be an active part of our worship this week. We need to be together for these days because everything we do this week is a bold statement of who we claim to be as Christians. On Holy Thursday, we gather at 7:00pm for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper to remember that our faith is rooted in service as we hear about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and seek to imitate him. On Good Friday, we gather for Stations of the Cross at 3:00pm and then at 7:00pm for Adoration of the Cross. We venerate the Cross to remember that this instrument of Christ’s death became the means of our salvation. On Holy Saturday night we gather around the fire at 7:30pm for the great Easter Vigil and hear the stories of our faith and invite new members into our faith through the Sacraments of Initiation. These three days are called the Triduum and are really one celebration that leads us to the light of Easter morning. I hope you will take time to be with us this week. Please take note of the Holy Week & Easter Sunday schedule included in this bulletin and on our website. As you know, Easter Sunday will be very busy with lots of people coming and going. The pews and the parking lots will be crowded. Please be welcoming, kind, and patient both inside and outside of the church.
An important element of our Holy Week services is the presence of our elect and candidates who have been preparing for several months to join the Catholic faith at the Easter Vigil. Please keep them in your prayers in a special way this week as they continue their journey.
Blessings of Holy Week!
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April 6, 2025
In the Gospel today, Jesus says: Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. This is in reference to the woman caught in adultery and the question posed by the Pharisees and scribes as to whether she should be stoned. They were asking this question to test Jesus. But his statement outwits them all and causes everyone in the crowd to walk away. These words of Jesus are important ones for us to commit to memory, especially when we find ourselves quick to judge and condemn others. We, too, are called to drop the stones and walk the way of mercy and forgiveness. Jesus doesn’t condemn the woman; he offers her acceptance and love. Jesus invites us all to look inward before judging others. As we continue our journey of Lent and seek to be disciples of Jesus, may we imitate the mercy of God in our lives.
Please remember that one of our important Alms-Giving projects during Lent is our Parish Blessing Boxes to support our scholarship students in our sister community of San Rafael Cedros in El Salvador. There is information in the bulletin each week during Lent about our sister community and the impact our contributions make in the lives of the young people who receive scholarships to high school and college. There are also suggested actions for each day of the week. You can collect your own change at home and make a donation by check in the regular collection at the end of Lent or use the QR Code in the bulletin or go to our website to contribute through OnLine Giving. We rely on your support to meet our scholarship obligations. Thank you for your generosity.
Please remember to help us beautify the church for Easter by making a contribution to Easter Flowers. You can place your own envelope in the regular collection or use OnLine Giving.
As we continue to hear stories in Scripture about God’s love and forgiveness, please remember to join us this Monday, April 7, at 6:30pm for our Parish Reconciliation Service. This is an important way for us to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. If it’s been a while since you have participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I encourage you to take advantage of this grace-filled sacrament. There will be several priests from neighboring parishes present to hear individual confessions. We hope to see you Monday evening.
Next weekend, April 12-13, is Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. This also marks the beginning of the holiest week of the Church year and our celebration of the sacred Three Days, called Triduum. Mass for Palm Sunday begins with a triumphal procession. Weather permitting, most Masses will begin outside with the blessing and procession of palms. Please plan to arrive at least a few minutes early for Mass. We invite you to WEAR RED clothing to Mass to complement the liturgical color for the day.
Many Blessings!