Happy Easter!

We learned many lessons about covenants during the forty days of Lent this year. And now we exult in the most   important covenant – that God so loved the world that He sent His only son so that we who follow him might have eternal life. God loves us. God is merciful toward us. And God wants us to live forever with Him in His Kingdom. This is the essential meaning of our Easter celebrations.

The pastoral staff and ministry team here at Saint Joseph’s extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all our parishioners and visitors. Your dedication,   support, and love for the Lord encourage us in our ministry. You are an Easter People! You live in the light and the love of the Lord and inspire us greatly! May we continue to work together in building God’s Kingdom and extending Easter joy to all those we meet.

May the grace of the Risen Christ be with you and your loved ones. God bless and keep you!

Fr. John Mahoney

Day of Reconciliation

Monday of Holy Week, April 14, is the annual Diocesan-wide celebration of the Day of Reconciliation.  Here at St. Joseph’s, confessions will be heard from
11:00 A.M.  to 12:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Jan Wolowski carries the processional cross, leading me through the Stations of the Cross on Lenten  Friday evenings, I am always struck by the beauty of the stations here at St. Joseph’s.  Some years ago, when they showed signs of wear and tear, Marianne Keating volunteered her time and talent to restore each station.  The vibrant colors  bring “The Way of the Cross” to life and lead us to prayer. Thank you to Marianne and to Jan!

Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning   of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified. The use of a colt instead of a horse is highly symbolic, representing the humble arrival of someone who comes   in the name of peace, as opposed to a warrior mounted   on a military steed. Palm branches are recognized widely as symbols of peace and victory, hence their use on Palm Sunday. The palms enjoy one of the longest sacramental blessings of any blessed item and are one of the few     sacred items blessed in the context of the Mass itself.      In church, the faithful hold their palm branches high for the rite of sprinkling and blessing, then bring their palms home and place them with devotion behind a crucifix or holy picture – a yearlong reminder that Christ “reigns from the wood,” suffered and died out of love for us,    and is with us in our own times of suffering, peace, and victory.

With prayerful best wishes for a blessed Palm Sunday and Holy Week,

Fr. John Mahoney