Pastor's Corner: Palm Sunday

We enter the most solemn of all weeks today, the beginning of Holy Week, with Passion (Palm Sunday). Today’s Gospel is the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

There are parts of the Passion narrative that all four Gospels have in common: arrest in Gethsemane, Jesus before Temple priests, Jesus before Pilate, crucifixion on the Cross, and burial. Today’s liturgy sets the tone for what begins on Holy Thursday evening.

The Paschal Triduum begins on Holy Thursday evening. Triduum means three. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Easter Vigil are known as the Triduum. It is one Liturgy spread out over three (3) days. I invite and encourage all parishioners to attend the liturgical services of the Paschal Triduum. Please see the insert in today’s bulletin for the times of the liturgies as well as a further explanation of the Sacred Paschal Triduum.

St. Peter School will present the Living Stations of the Cross on Tuesday, April 11th at 2:15 P.M. in the school auditorium. I invite all parishioners to attend the Living Stations of the Cross.

Confessions will be heard on Wednesday, April 12 from 4:30 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. Confessions will not be heard during the Sacred Triduum.

The Collection on Good Friday is the annual Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land. On behalf of Pope Francis, Catholics throughout the world are being asked to keep hope alive for Christians in the Holy Land. The collection, held in every Catholic parish worldwide, provides critical support for the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land and its ministries, and helps support Christians who have remained in the region since the time of Jesus Christ at great cost. Please support the annual Pontifical Good Friday Collection.

The special Second Collection next weekend will be for the Church roof.

Congratulations to Dani Aucoin, a 7th grader at St Peter School. Her Substance Abuse Poster on alcohol abuse won 1st place in the state for the 12-14 year-old category. The contest was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.

Have a Happy, Blessed, Holy Week. I look forward to seeing you at the special Liturgies during the Sacred Triduum.

Have a Blessed Holy Week!
–Fr. John