Dear Parishioners,

This weekend I will be celebrating Mass in Poland with 24 pilgrims. We will drive to a place where Saint John Paul II, as a young man, went to pray and reflect upon his life and service to God.

In the lush, green hills of Kalwaria Zebzydowska, we will visit the famous Calvary paths, an intertwining mesh of Churches, Chapels, and wayside shrines originally built to replicate the city of Jerusalem.

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend is known as Good Shepherd Sunday because the Gospel is always about the good shepherd. It is especially important for us this week and this year as we are in the midst of a change of shepherds with the passing of Pope Francis and the awaiting of the results of the Conclave. As I write this, the Cardinals have yet to enter into the Conclave; however, we may have a new Pope by the time it is published.

Dear Parishioners,

We continue to read the Easter encounters of the Risen Lord with His disciples in the Holy Scriptures. Jesus seeks them out, even when they have returned to their old ways of life and are not quite sure what to do as they proceed forward in life. Peter returns to fishing and is reminded of the first call when he encounters the Lord again… the Lord gives him the opportunity to profess his threefold love for Him in order to counter his threefold denial at the time of His suffering.

Dear Parishioners,

What a beautiful Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter weekend we had with overflowing crowds who came to celebrate God’s love offered to us through the gift of His Son. We baptized 17 people, had 9 people enter the Catholic Church, and confirmed all of them plus an additional 14 adults. It was an amazing night of Sacramental grace. Of course, at all the Masses, each of us renewed our own Baptismal promises—rejecting Satan and sin and affirming our Catholic faith. It was truly a joy-filled Easter day, and now we find ourselves in the 50-day celebration of Easter.

He is Risen. Alleluia, Alleluia!

Today we celebrate the great feast of all Christians… Jesus Christ is Risen from the dead, Alleluia, Alleluia. He has conquered sin, evil, and death. We live anew in Him.

We continue now, as Pilgrims of Hope, on the fifty-day journey of Easter. Our focus as a community will be on Resurrection and Hope. We remember that the tomb that holds death is now empty and He is risen, living among us. The great mystery of our faith is that He indeed lives and is with us. Not a character from the past or one we hope to meet, but one who desires a relationship with us now, in this present time. We live in Jesus—His saving power.

Dear Parishioners,

Palm Sunday is always a special day for us as Catholics. There is something about receiving palm branches, waving them high as we sing Hosanna that helps us enter into the mystery of Holy Week and Easter. “Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna on high” we proclaim as a people and join in the cry of the people of long ago as Jesus made is triumphant entrance into the city of Jerusalem. He was lauded as one who would liberate and save them – they were tired and oppressed. The cry of Hosanna – means please save us. A beautiful cry for us even today – Lord, Jesus please save us!

Dear Parishioners,

We are now in the Fifth Sunday of Lent, entering into what the Church calls Passiontide. There is a noticeable change in the Church, with statues and crosses being covered. This is meant to impact our senses, reminding us that something different is happening in the life of the people of God. The following Sunday is Palm Sunday, leading into Holy Week. Passiontide shifts our focus from Lenten practices aimed at a change of heart to the saving act of Jesus on the Cross and the drama leading up to it. Reflecting on these stories helps us see the depth of God’s love for us in the gift of His Son.