March 22, 2023
Dear Friends in Christ,
I hope you’ve all had a prayerful and penitential Lent, thus far. As we look forward to commemorating the Easter Triduum – the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday – we also anticipate the many liturgical services that bring us into closer communion with Jesus Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. For the first time in four years, the Washing of Feet will occur during the Holy Thursday service – and for the first time ever at our church, the Easter Vigil Mass will be bilingual, celebrated in both English and Spanish.
Here is a list of our Holy Week and Easter services. As we add to this, we’ll update the schedule on the website, in both
English and
Spanish:
Palm Sunday, April 2
- 3:30 pm: Outdoor Stations of the Cross, using St. Pope John Paul II’s “Environmental Stations” based on his environmental writings. The Outdoor Stations are located behind the Rectory.
Holy Thursday, April 6
- 7:30 pm: Mass of the Lord’s Supper in the church. There will be Washing of the Feet. The Transfer of the Eucharist will occur, with the Blessed Sacrament to be reposed in the Kuehner Room off the Gathering Space, which will remain open for prayer until midnight.
Good Friday, April 7
- 11:30 am: Seven Last Words of Christ in the church.
- 1:30 pm: Family Stations of the Cross in the church.
- 3 pm: Stations of the Cross in the church.
- 4 pm: Stations of the Cross in Spanish in the church.
- 7:30 pm: Passion of the Lord service in the church. The adoration of the cross will take place by bowing or laying one’s hands on it. There will be a collection for the Holy Land taken up at this service.
Holy Saturday, April 8
- 12 pm: Blessing of the baskets in the church. Fr. John will bless the baskets of food, as he has in past years.
- 3:30-4:30 pm: Confessions in English in the St. Clare Chapel of the Rectory and in English and Spanish in the church confessional.
Easter Vigil, April 8
- 8 pm: Easter Vigil in the church. This will be a bilingual Mass.
Easter Sunday, April 9
Masses to be celebrated at:
- 8 am
- 9:30 am
- 11:15 am
- 1 pm (Spanish)
There will be no Mass at 5 pm on Easter Sunday nor a virtual Mass.
During this last week and a half before Holy Week, let us continue preparing our hearts for Jesus Christ by going to Confession, abstaining from meat on our remaining Fridays, and doing works of charity. May we all reflect upon Jesus’ sacrifice for us and let our hearts be converted to him.
I wish you all a blessed and wonderful week. Please join us this Friday for Stations of the Cross in Spanish at 6 pm, Stations in English at 7 pm, and for our final Lenten speaker, Cheryl Kerwin of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Guild, at 7:30 pm, all in the church.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John
Wednesday, March 22:
- Virtual parish Rosary at 4 pm. Led by Fr. John Dillon.
- Rosary in Spanish at 6:30 pm. Led by Deacon Will Garcia.
- Mass at 7:30 pm in the St. Clare Chapel of the Rectory. Celebrated by Fr. William Brailsford.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
Thursday, March 23:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
- Mass at 9 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. Grzegorz Okulewicz.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
- Confession from 7:30-9:30 pm in the St. Clare Chapel of the Rectory. Heard by Fr. William Brailsford.
Friday, March 24:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
- Mass at 9 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. Grzegorz Okulewicz.
- Eucharistic Adoration from 9:30 am-noon in the church.
- Virtual parish Rosary at 4 pm. Led by a member of the Rosary group.
- Stations of the Cross in Spanish at 6 pm in the church.
- Stations of the Cross in English at 7 pm in the church. Led by Deacon Will Garcia.
- Lenten talk at 7:30 pm in the church. Led by Cheryl Kerwin.
- Young Adults gathering at 7:30 pm at Bowl America in Gaithersburg.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
Saturday, March 25:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
- Confession in English from 3:30-4:30 pm in the St. Clare Chapel of the Rectory. Heard by Fr. William Brailsford.
- Confession in English and Spanish from 3:30-4:30 pm in the church confessional. Heard by Fr. Grzegorz Okulewicz.
- 5 pm Vigil Mass in the church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon. Mass readings.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
Parish Resources: