Staying Together While Standing Apart
Holy Week at St. Luke the Evangelist
As you know, during this crisis our St. Luke's family has been engaged in a special effort to care for those who are elderly and those most vulnerable. While many have cable TV, they often do not have internet resources available. Using local cable gives them a chance to connect to some church activities and not feel so isolated.
This past Sunday, April 5th, the Mass for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion was broadcast on local Cable TV. (Still available - click here to view).
HOLY WEEK SERVICES FROM ST. LUKE PARISH ON LOCAL CABLE TV
Thanks to the amazing work of Ed Behn, Brian McLaughlin, and the generous support and guidance of Westborough Local TV, we are planning to broadcast Holy Week services for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. We will offer a full schedule shortly.
Holy Week services from Saint Paul’s Cathedral with Bishop Robert McManus
All the Holy Week services will also be available live and online from Saint Paul’s Cathedral with Bishop Robert McManus.
The schedule for Bishop McManus' HOLY WEEK Masses is shown below:
Chrism Mass,Tuesday, 10:30 am
Holy Thursday, 7:30 pm (Bilingual)
Good Friday Liturgy
3 pm English
4 pm Spanish
Easter Vigil Mass (Holy Saturday,) 7:30 pm (Bilingual)
Easter Sunday Mass
10 am English
11 am Spanish
Masses can be seen live online, and will also be available to view “on demand” following each Mass at the Diocese's Vimeo channel. Click here to view and get more information: https://worcesterdiocese.org/holy-week-livestreams.
REMEMBER -
OUR CHURCH IS ALWAYS OPEN
One of the great consolations for our parish family is the availability of our parish church for personal prayer and devotion twenty-four hours a day. The fact that our church has never had a locked door in more than a decade expresses the fearlessness of the Gospel and our trust in God and in one another.
When visiting our church in these troubling days, we ask you to rigorously follow the procedures for personal care. While Larry and Patrick are doing exceptional work to keep our physical church safe and clean, each and every one of us must follow proper healthy behavior without exception.
Please:
- If you are sick or have symptoms, you must stay at home and get proper medical care.
- When you come to the church, please wear a covering for your face (God knows who you are.)
- Thoroughly sanitize your hands when you enter and also when you leave.
- When in Church, maintain at least a six-foot social distance from every other person.
- At no time can there be more than ten people in the church at one time. If this is violated, we will be forced to close the church for everyone.
The Real Presence of God in the Tabernacle is there for you. Although we cannot receive this Real Presence of God by sharing communion, He is physically there for us for adoration, consolation, and intersession.
Click here for a Virtual Tour of the Church.
BISHOP CONSECRATES DIOCESE TO MARY AT ST. LUKE CHURCH
These days we are all praying fervently that God will deliver us from danger and watch over us in our need. From the earliest days of the Church, we have trusted in the maternal assistance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of all who are in distress, especially the sick and those in danger of death. On Wednesday, March 25, as we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Bishop McManus without fanfare traveled to six locations throughout the Diocese and consecrated our beloved Diocese to Mary’s protection in this time of pandemic. St. Luke church was blessed to be one of those locations. Maintaining social distancing and a limit of ten, a small group of local priests gathered with their bishop to pray for Mary’s protection and blessing. Click here to Read the Article.
POPE FRANCIS PRAYS FOR MERCY AND HEALING
FOR THE CITY AND THE WORLD (URBI et ORBI)
During a rainy twilight in an empty St. Peter’s Square on Friday, March 27, Pope Francis, in a stunning holy hour, prayed for the people of Rome and the world. “The worldwide coronavirus pandemic is not God's judgment on humanity, but God's call on people to judge what is most important to them and resolve to act accordingly from now on,” Pope Francis said. Addressing God, the pope said that "it is not the time of your judgment but of our judgment: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others."
You can still share this inspiring event with a simultaneous English translation by clicking here. The full text of Pope Francis’ moving meditation can be found here.
Financial Support for Your Parish and Ministries
The Corona virus has put us all under duress in so many ways. Besides our health concerns, many are struggling with loss of jobs and income. Saint Luke parish is in the same situation. Most of the financial support for the parish comes through our Sunday collection. Without us gathering for Mass, that support is dramatically curtailed. We want to thank so many of you who continue to support the life of our parish by giving electronically or by mailing in your donation. The safest and most healthy way to add your support is through electronic giving. To provide support electronically please visit WeShare (click here) on our parish website.
We know that God is with us in this journey.
Let us continue to pray and work together. Following this message, you will find a list of some of our favorite helpful and interesting videos and other online resources for Holy Week, good for all ages.
Our primary concern is for all of you and your families. These are challenging times, and, as mentioned at Palm Sunday's Mass, it is important to remember that as the Body of Christ we are all connected spiritually.
I pray for all of you daily and please know that I will do so in a very special way on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
Christ’s peace and blessings,
Monsignor Mike
FAMILY RESOURCES FOR HOLY WEEK
Please find here a list of helpful and interesting videos and online resources.
Suggestion: When using YouTube, make sure autoplay is turned off. (The switch is on the top right corner.)
Click on the titles below to visit each resource.
During this season of Lent, you are invited into the desert: a quiet place, with less of us and more of God.
Why do Catholics wave palms on Palm Sunday, wash each other’s feet on Holy Thursday, or kiss the cross on Good Friday? This video explains the significance of the final week we spend preparing for Easter.
This website has wonderful resources for both adults and children.
A friendly pet gerbil named Hemingway asks what happens when our souls don’t get the nourishment they need. Not only do we get hungry, but we find it harder to do what we know we should.
A great examination of conscience using the Stations of the Cross.
"Catholics Online" is a wonderful source for many traditional prayers.
At CatholicMom.com.
Affiliated with Fr. Peyton and Holy Cross Family Ministries.