Sunday, March 28th - Palm Sunday
CHEERS! - A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR
Cheers!
This is the most important week on the Christian calendar: Holy Week. This is the week when we celebrate the Paschal Mystery, that is, the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Although Christmas may be more popular in the hearts of many and more profitable— commercially speaking—, the events of this week are those that have changed our lives.
So, I encourage you to try to attend as many of the Holy Week services as possible. See the schedule below.
As of this writing (Wednesday, March 24), we are still limited to 400 persons in attendances in order to maintain six feet apart for social distancing. We cannot exceed that limit! So, once the limit is reached, please do not assume that you can come by anyway and will be let in. This is for your safety and the safety of those already in the pews. I have observed, a few times, persons entering a pew that is already at capacity and those in the pew getting irritated or worrying about being too close and looking very uncomfortable and even getting up and moving to another pew — because someone else “broke the rules”. So, please be careful and considerate! I am sure that most of the Masses on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday will be filled to capacity.
The “sign ups” for Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m.) and all day Easter Sunday will be made available as usual on Wednesday evening, March 31.
Here are a few important notes:
1. For those who will be attending Mass on the weekend of Palm Sunday, you will be handed palm branches as you enter—from ministers who will be gloved. Please only take the one branch that is given to you so that we have enough to distribute to those who cannot attend. (See # 2 below)
2. For those who cannot attend a Palm Sunday service, there will be palm branches available during a “drive through” from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Palm Sunday, March 28. Enter on the Russell Road entrance and exit on Mesa Park Drive.
3. On the mornings of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, April 1, 2 and 3 respectively, there will be NO morning Mass. Instead, there will be Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours; thus no Communion.
4. At the Holy Thursday evening service, there will no “Washing of the Feet”. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be from 9:00 p.m. until 12:00 midnight. It will be held outside in the Peace Garden (east side of Church building).
5. There is NO 4:00 p.m. Mass on Holy Saturday, April 3, but only the 7:30 p.m. Easter Vigil — which will be about three hours long.
6. For the Sunrise Mass on Easter Sunday morning at 5:30 a.m., there will be no need for reservations. Bring your own chairs, dress warmly, if necessary, and keep six feet from all other persons or families.
7. Remember, the “sign ups” for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday will not be
available until Wednesday evening, March 31.
Have a Holy Week. God bless you.
Fr. Bill