We celebrate our greatest joy this weekend, the Resurrection of Christ. Christ rose from the dead and He now offers us life after death. This is our great day of Alleluias.
We welcome all of the guests and relatives who join us for our great liturgies. It is good that you are here. We are especially excited to welcome our new Catholics…. Those who made a profession of faith and joined the Church three weeks ago, and those who are baptized at the Easter Vigil. You are no longer guests; this is your home. We are excited to have you in our parish.
I offer thanks to the clergy, musicians, church decorators, liturgical ministers, livestream operators, and maintenance crew who helped us to celebrate beautiful liturgy. Thanks are due also to Casey Ryan, Fr. Bobby, Stacey Huneck, Anna Laisure, Keith Heimann, Cindy Stults, and the sponsors and catechists who helped prepare our catechumens and candidates. This is a beautiful ministry, helping to bring others closer to Christ.
This Thursday evening, April 8, we will welcome Jennifer Ristine, a speaker who has written several books about St. Mary Magdelene. Jennifer will present a talk in the Hession Center at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is perfect; during the Octave of Easter we are reading stories of the Resurrection of Christ. These stories, of course, feature Mary Magdalene.
I also express gratitude to Dr. Tom McGovern for his fascinating series of Lenten talks on the Passion and crucifixion. Several people have asked about his book. The title is “What Christ Suffered.” It is published by Our Sunday Visitor and available on Amazon.
Some interesting statistics: Since Covid began we have had a crew of volunteers livestreaming our 11:00 Sunday Mass along with holy days and occasional weddings and funerals. In the month of January, we had 670 views with 8,370 minutes watched. While this isn’t a substitute for those who are able to come to Mass, it is a wonderful service for those who are sick or homebound and especially for relatives who can’t come to a wedding or funeral. We are grateful for our volunteers.
