Dear Parishioners,

It’s always a great joy for me to see so many people at Mass on Easter Sunday (and Holy Saturday), as well as at the services during Holy Week. Whether they are parishioners, visitors, or even those we don’t see on a regular basis, it’s still a joy. I can only hope and pray that those who are not weekly participants might consider joining us more frequently as they experience the hope of the Gospel, the joyful music that proclaims our praise of God, and the kindness of our parish community. My thanks as always to those who decorated the church so beautifully, who provided the music that lifts our hearts, to the lectors and eucharistic ministers & ushers & altar servers and Mass coordinators & everyone else who contributes in any way to our liturgical experiences. So much time, energy & effort is put into these ministries and it is all done humbly and without seeking recognition. May God bless you all as you use his gifts for us and others.

On Wednesday of Holy Week, I celebrated the funeral for Dolores Zielinski who was married to George for 23 years and then after his death, to Ted for 37 years. She sent her 5 children to Catholic elementary school and enjoyed cooking for them and their children over the holidays as she loved such family gatherings. Dolores was a fun, loving & caring person of faith. May she rest in the peace of the Risen Lord.

This weekend, at all of the Masses, someone will speak to you briefly about the opportunity for you and/or someone you know to come & listen to their story of how the Risen Lord entered their life at a time of suffering and emptiness. There are 4 people who wish to share stories of how they were offered the friendship of the Lord and have found great joy in this relationship. Two of them are a young married couple with 4 children and another on the way (due next month!) And two are seminarians from Washington, D.C. & Brooklyn, NY. Deacon Pat & Joan Berigan & I have been meeting with them and they are an answer to our prayers for a way to impress upon you the importance of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We have been encouraging this in our preaching but something more is needed and I truly believe the Lord sent these people to us to provide another avenue for getting this message across. I have heard their stories and found them to be intriguing. They are sincerely trying to offer to you what someone else offered to them. That’s the way faith works. That is what discipleship means. And it comes to us especially when we are in need of knowing that God truly loves us as we are and not as we should be. God wants to enter our life and make it joyful. God longs to bring us hope and peace. Why would we not want to accept such a free gift? It is when we come face to face with suffering, pain, confusion, emptiness, and all the other things that keep us down in life that we most need to hear this message.

All you need to do to is to show up and listen to their stories. They will be having these gatherings twice a week on Tuesdays & Fridays for the next couple of months, starting this Tuesday, April 18th. It begins at 7pm and ends at 8pm. Coffee & refreshments will be served. You need not come to each one but this is a case of the more, the better. We hope to form a small community within the larger parish community. People sometimes say that they feel lost in our larger parishes. Here is your chance to be known and to get to know others in our parish. And by all means, invite anyone to join you…they need not be Catholic or even of any faith. This is for anyone and everyone who needs hope in their life. I can’t say enough to encourage your presence. And I look forward to seeing you there!