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My dear friends,

I hope that you are as excited for this year's Holy Week as I am!

I have gone through the reservations and waiting list requests for Palm Sunday to seat as many as possible in the church. There are a few extra spaces in the church for 2 of the Masses. When we reach capacity with registrations, we will open an extra Mass at the same hour in the School Auditorium for 50 people (please reserve online).

It will be important for people to arrive early, enter from the main doors of the church (unless handicap entrance is needed) and follow the express directions of the Ushers for seating of individuals/couples/groups/families. That will be the difference between fitting everyone in safely and having people with reservations unnecessarily standing/not able to be accommodated.

A list should be sent out confirming your reservations.

Reservations will be honored until Mass starts; then empty seats will be filled.

For those unable to be in person for Palm Sunday Masses or not able to be accommodated, blessed Palm will be available Sunday and Monday inside the church and outside at the statue of Our Lady.

For Palm Sunday, we welcome back to IHM a group selling Holy Land olivewood items made by Christians in the Holy Land.

Shortly, I will be reviewing the reservations and the waiting list for Liturgies on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter to see how many on the waiting list can be accommodated.

Please be aware that we are only able to offer only the Church Masses/Liturgies for the Sacred Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil). An alternative Mass site will not be permissible. Masses Easter Sunday may have a 2nd Mass at the School Auditorium pending demand.

If you did not get a chance to join us this past Wednesday evening to discuss Palliative Care and End-of-Life Concerns, you can view the wonderful presentation Maura Burton gave to our parish!

Please click here.

Thank you Maura for an insightful, informative presentation and discussion that helps us understand how our Catholic wisdom on these matters help us ethically navigate challenging medical realities.

It was a blessing to see the Midnight Run of our parish in action this past Saturday and the important good it serves as it connects your donations of clothing, food and toiletries to the homeless of Manhattan.

This April after Divine Mercy Sunday, IHM will be kicking off a weekly Formation Group for Women. This first 9-part course will examine the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church to understand the underlying principles (human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity) and moral values (truth, freedom, justice, mercy) in order to apply them and live them in the face of the different challenges of life, such as Life, Peace, Marriage and Family Life, Religious Freedom, Economic Justice, Health Care, Migration, Promoting Justice and Countering Violence, Discrimination, Care for Our Common Home, Global Solidarity, Secularism, Materialism, and Individualism. Please see our website *(link above) for further information, dates and times and to register.

If you did not get a chance to join us this past Wednesday evening to discuss Palliative Care and End-of-Life Concerns, you can view the wonderful presentation Maura Burton gave to our parish!

Please click here.

Thank you Maura for an insightful, informative presentation and discussion that helps us understand how our Catholic wisdom on these matters help us ethically navigate challenging medical realities.

It was a blessing to see the Midnight Run of our parish in action this past Saturday and the important good it serves as it connects your donations of clothing, food and toiletries to the homeless of Manhattan.

Palm Sunday at 5:00PM our Easter Sequel to our famous Christmas Video will debut - The Gift of Easter! Stay tuned for more information!

Have a blessed evening,

Msgr. Luke Sweeney