Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!
First of all, I wish to say thank you to all of our readers, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, and volunteers who decorated the church during the ceremonies of Holy Week! All of you worked very hard to make our Holy Week and Triduum liturgies so beautiful and your dedication is greatly appreciated. Thank you for giving of your time and talents so that these holiest days of the church’s year could be powerful and inspirational for all who came to take part.
As Easter Sunday passes, along with the Easter Octave, we rejoice to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday! This first Sunday following Easter is very special for so many reasons, but for us at Blessed Sacrament, it is almost like a second parish feast day. The devotion to Divine Mercy has been very strong here and it is grounded in a long history of faithful men and women who have been transformed by the revelations offered by St. Faustina. In that spirit, please join us for a special day of prayer and devotions for Divine Mercy Sunday.
After the last Mass concludes around 12pm, we will begin our afternoon of prayer at 1pm with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. From 1pm through 3pm (the hour of Mercy), we will have the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the main church, along with various prayers and devotions. Some of these prayers will include a Litany of Divine Mercy, devotional prayers to St. Faustina, readings and reflections from the journal of St. Faustina, and the praying of the chaplet itself at 3pm. Please come and join us for this very holy day.
As the month of April draws to a close (hopefully, along with the cold weather) we also look forward to the month of May and its dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary. There will be more information following about various Marian devotions throughout the month, including the annual May Crowning of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the outdoor grotto. Stay tuned for more information!
On a personal note, I wish to say THANK YOU to all of you for the many Easter cards, gifts, candies, flowers, food, and other items as well! Thank you for your kindness and generosity! Also, I pass along to you the thanks and deep appreciation of Msgr. Leo McCarthy, who also received many Easter cards and gifts. From both us, thank you very, very much!
Wishing you all a joyous and blessed Easter season!
~Fr. Martin Gallagher