Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With the suspension of public Masses throughout every diocese in the United States we are facing an unimaginable Holy Week this year. And it is with sadness that we announce that there were will be no public celebrations for Holy Week.

Nothing can ever replace the solemnity and beauty of Holy Week in our church, and so the absence of public worship during these holiest days of the year presents a moment of pause and pain. The void created in our spiritual lives by our lack of access to the sacraments can be seen to draw us closer to Christ’s own solitude in his final agony and suffering. And yet, we cannot remain there. By our Easter faith, we know that Christ is alive and among us. “I am with you always,” he promised (Mt 28:20). As the late Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I., reiterated: “The Risen Lord will never abandon his people. Those who find their personal identity in relation to him will never be alone.” Knowing all things work for the good, let us not dwell in our sadness, but as Easter people, fervently pray for the grace given time Mary Magdalene on the first Easter morning, for the eyes to see the Risen Lord in our midst and the ears to recognize his voice as he speaks to us.

So while we are unable to celebrate the full beauty Holy Week in our Church, please join us on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/stjosephbeeville/) where these liturgies will be live streamed.   If you cannot access the live stream the videos will posted to our parish website (www.stjosephbeeville.org)three hours after the event.

St. Joseph’s Holy Week Schedule will be as follows:

April    5| Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion – 11am Mass
 Please note that palms will be blessed and distributed at a later date. But let us connect together as we enter into Holy Week by putting a branch on the door of your house or on the window to celebrate Palm Sunday. It could be any green branch you can get.
 
 April   9 | Holy Thursday – 7pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper
 In observance of liturgical guidelines for Holy Thursday the Adoration Chapel will close at 12PM and will reopen on Easter Sunday.

April 10 | Good Friday – 6pm Veneration of the Cross
 Before the liturgy begins please have cross in front of you. It can be a cross that is normally hung in your house.
               
 April 11 | Holy Saturday – 8pm Easter Vigil Mass
 
 April 12 | Easter Sunday – 11am Mass

In this time of need let us pray together for the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an so we pray:

Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of the Angels and Mother of the Americas.
 We fly to you today as your beloved children.
 We ask you to intercede for us with your Son, as you did at the wedding in Cana.

Pray for us, loving Mother,
 and gain for our nation and world,
 and for all our families and loved ones,
 the protection of your holy angels,
 that we may be spared the worst of this illness.

For those already afflicted,
 we ask you to obtain the grace of healing and deliverance.
 Hear the cries of those who are vulnerable and fearful,
 wipe away their tears and help them to trust.

In this time of trial and testing,
 teach all of us in the Church to love one another and to be patient and kind.
 Help us to bring the peace of Jesus to our land and to our hearts.

We come to you with confidence,
 knowing that you truly are our compassionate mother,
 health of the sick and cause of our joy.

Shelter us under the mantle of your protection,
 keep us in the embrace of your arms,
 help us always to know the love of your Son, Jesus. Amen.