Dear friends in Christ,
This, That & the Other … We begin today with sad news: Our beloved
Deacon Greg Hall has passed away. As most of you know, Deacon Greg was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more than two years ago and has undergone a series of treatments. The Lord called this good and faithful servant home yesterday. Funeral plans will be announced tomorrow on our parish webpage. In your charity, please remember Deacon Greg in your prayers and pray as well for his beloved family. They are all a very special part of CtR and Deacon Greg's ministry here will never be forgotten. He was a masterful preacher, teacher, and counselor, and a true friend to all. May he rest in peace.
... Our celebration this weekend on
Passion (Palm) Sunday leads us into the most sacred and special season of the Church’s liturgical calendar, Holy Week. The palm braches we will have blessed remind us of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. He comes not as a victorious king as some had hoped for, but rather as a willing servant that lays down his life for all. May God grant us the grace to embrace the one and same cross of our Lord. We’ll celebrate our regular schedule of masses this weekend, and we invite you to wear
red as is traditional on Palm Sunday.
... Let’s look ahead to our schedule for
Holy Week and Easter. Lent ends quietly next Thursday morning as we begin the season known as the Triduum. It’s only three days in length, but what a powerful three days they are. … On
Holy Thursday, April 18, we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7 p.m. At the conclusion of Mass, we will process from the main church into the chapel to spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until midnight. As the Eucharist is at the heart of Catholic faith and the priesthood is forever tied to that sacrifice, this is a most special Mass for the life of the Church community.
... The following day is
Good Friday, April 19, and our service is at 3 p.m. It’s the only day of the year mass is not celebrated (the Lord is in the tomb), but the reading of the Passion from St. John and the veneration of the cross frames this day. … Prior to the 3 p.m. service the church will be open for
tre ore (Italian for “three hours”) from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. It’s a perfect time for quiet prayer and contemplation. Remember that it is a day of both fast and abstinence.
... The Triduum concludes with the celebration of the
Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 20 at 8:30 p.m., the highest and holiest Mass of the entire Church year. It is longer (about 3 hours or so) than a regular Sunday service, but I truly hope you will clear your night and celebrate with us. Come and give yourself over to the beauty and power of the Easter Vigil and experience the lighting of the new fire, the story of salvation history in the readings from Scripture, the baptisms of newest members, the oil of Chrism that confirms them, and finally the grace of Holy Eucharist of the Risen Christ! This is the night to shout to the heavens the triumphant cry of “Alleluia! Alleluia!”
... On
Easter Sunday, April 21, we will have masses at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. in the church and additional masses at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., and 11 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Please note our mass schedule is slightly different than the regular Sunday schedule: the last mass of Easter Sunday will begin at 1 p.m., not the usual 5 p.m. Please plan your schedule accordingly. The three masses in the Parish Hall will not use incense, so if your allergies are troublesome, you might keep that in mind.
… We are but two weeks away from our
34th annual CtR Spring Festival, set for April 27-28. This weekend is your last chance for advance sales of t-shirts, raffle tickets (for a chance at a new car), barbecue dinner plates, and discounted rides and games tickets. … Please join us in the Parish Hall after all masses this weekend at the
Festival booth to sign-up for a shift in one of our many volunteer positions throughout the weekend. There is much work to do, but when we all pitch-in to help, it makes for a great time for everyone.
… Remember tomorrow, Friday, April 12, is the
final Fish Fry of the Lenten season. The Knights of Columbus have brought in a boatload of fish (literally!) and it all must go, so come one, come all. They’ll be serving continuously from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Come get your last hushpuppy for the year! Thanks as always to the Knights and the Ladies Auxiliary for another amazing run of fish fry dinners for the parish. It’s a blessing! … Also, we’ll celebrate the Stations of the Cross one final time this Friday as well at 7 p.m. in the church. Next Wednesday, there will be a performance of the
Living Stations of the Cross presented by our CtR School Drama Club on Wednesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. in the Auditorium of the RAC. It’s free and open to the public. ... Lastly and most importantly,
God loves you! … See ya’ at Mass!