CAPTIVATED BY MYSTERY
This weekend, August 1-2, St. Joseph Church Downtown will remember two dynamic witnesses to the mystery of the Eucharist: St. Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), whose journey of faith led him to the healing, transforming presence of the risen Christ in the Eucharist, and Fr. Mario Marzocchi, SSS, who served St. Joseph's as pastor from 2008-2019, and whose life was devoted to proclaiming the love of God in Christ's gift of the Eucharist. Fr. Mario passed away peacefully on June 26 after a short, but courageous battle with cancer.
In 1995, when Pope (now Saint) John Paul II inserted the feast of St. Peter Julian Eymard into the universal calendar of the Catholic Church, he called Fr. Eymard an "Outstanding Apostle of the Eucharist."
On Saturday and Sunday, August 1-2, we will observe The Solemnity of St. Peter Julian Eymard, the Founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, at all Sunday Masses, including the Vigil Mass on Saturday. It is also the Weekend of Remembrance for Father Mario. The Masses will be Memorial Masses for him.
August 1
5:00 p.m. Vigil Mass - St. Joseph Downtown Music Ministry
August 2
8:00 a.m. St. Joseph Downtown Music Ministry
9:30 a.m. Bilingual Mass, Spanish, English - Danielle Charles, Leader of Song
11:00 a.m. The San Antonio Liederkranz
12:30 p.m. St. Joseph Downtown Music Ministry
You are asked to practice social distancing and to wear a face mask during Mass. Hand sanitizer is available in the main aisle of the church.
After the 12:30 Mass, there will be a reception and light lunch in the Mother of the Americas Center. If you are attending an earlier Mass and wish to come to the reception and lunch Sunday afternoon, please park in Rivercenter. Through a special arrangement with The Shops at Rivercenter, St. Joseph's has validation tickets for two hours of parking for those worshipping with us. See an usher.
Notes
St. Joseph's Church Downtown is open with the usual schedule of weekday and weekend Masses, sacraments, and ministry. Because of increased coronavirus cases locally, social distancing, hand-sanitizing, and the use of a face mask are observed during church services, in order to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Videos of Sunday Mass and other Masses from St. Joseph's are posted on YouTube at the St. Joseph Church Downtown Media page. We thank John Francis Strelchun and his parents for filming and editing these videos so beautifully. Some Masses are also live-streamed.
In a spirit of caring for each other in these difficult days, we encourage you to support efforts to feed our neighbors in need via Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and area food banks.