From Father George's Desk 4/13/2025

As we enter Holy Week I hope that most of us can look back on our Lenten journey with a sense of some spiritual accomplishment.  Our prayer, our works of charity, and our acts of fasting and penance are meant to help us prepare for the celebration of these most holy days. I strongly encourage you to not treat this week like any other week!  Avoid unnecessary distractions and schedule clutter this week; step out of the busy routine of daily life and focus on our celebration of the Paschal Mystery—the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ—by which we have life.  Partake of the liturgies of Holy Week as fully as you possibly can and   allow words and actions of these ancient rituals to speak to you.  Even though some of these liturgies may be scheduled at unusual times and may be longer than a typical Sunday Mass, please make the effort; it’s well worth it as we liturgically unfold the mystery of our redemption and salvation. 

Lent ends and the Paschal Triduum begins with the sublime majesty of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening in which we celebrate the institution of the priesthood and the Holy Eucharist and flows into the stark and solemn Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday afternoon leading us to the pinnacle of the Church year, the Mother of all Vigils, the Easter Vigil, on Holy Saturday night in which we begin the glorious celebration of Easter.  It is truly a celebration of   resurrection and new life: we begin by gathering outside after night falls to bless the Easter fire and light the new Paschal candle, then as we process into the Church, the spreading light overcomes the darkness, just as Our Savior overcomes the darkness of death in his resurrection.  The Scripture readings of this night unfold for us the history of salvation, culminating in our Lord’s Resurrection. Following the Liturgy of the Word our catechumens will celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation and our candidates will be received into the full communion of the Church.  We then renew our baptismal promises and are sprinkled with newly blessed water to remind us of our baptism into the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Our parishes’ celebration of the Paschal Triduum concludes in the Masses of Easter Sunday where we renew our baptismal promises and then are sprinkled with the water blessed at the Easter Vigil to remind us of our baptism into the Death and Resurrection of Christ.  There are no more important celebrations and no more important place to be.

Thanks to everyone who has made a pledge or gift for the 2025 Diocesan Lenten Appeal.  The weekly graphic in the bulletin each week will keep you updated on our progress at both parishes.  We want to keep the momentum going so that we can get to work on our parish’s needs...at St. John to refinish the crucifix in the church...and at Holy Family to address two leaks in the stone work on the façade of the church...and at both parishes to create a dedicated building fund to begin addressing other needs.  Please prayerfully consider your pledge or gift to this year’s DLA in the coming days.  You may return your pledge or gift by mail, in person during office hours, or drop it in the collection basket.  You can also make your pledge online by clicking on the “Donate” link on our parish website or by visiting the diocesan website, www.dioceseofgreensburg.org.

You will notice two envelopes in your packet for April 20: The regular weekly offertory envelope marked April 20 is for your weekly support of our parish.  The envelope marked “Easter Offering” is for your additional Easter gift to our parish. Your continued generosity, as always, is greatly appreciated!

Don’t forget your Easter Flowers envelope. This collection is used to help defray the cost of decorating our church throughout the Easter Season. You may put this envelope in the collection basket anytime over the coming weeks.  There is space on the envelope to list the names of deceased loved ones whom you wish to be remembered during the Easter Season; there will be a Mass offered on Easter   Sunday at both parishes for this intention.