Holy Week is a very solemn time in the life of the church. I hope that each of you will enter fully into these solemn days which prepare us for Easter.
On Holy Thursday we will have a bilingual Mass at 7pm. This night serves as the night in which Christ gathered with His apostles and gave us the gift which is the Eucharist. As we anticipate this gift you will notice the tabernacle empty. On this night feet are washed from representatives of the community to remind us of the need to enter into loving service. Finally, we will have the opportunity for silent prayer before the Eucharist until 12am. I will pray Night Prayer at 11:50pm for those who wish to join me.
On Good Friday we will have a service at 6pm (English) and 7:30pm (Spanish). This is not a Mass, but we will have the opportunity to receive communion consecrated from the previous Mass. At this service we will also have the opportunity to silently venerate the cross. During this day there will be confessions at 9am and following the 3pm Living Stations of the Cross. The final event of the day will be a tenebrae service at 10pm.
On Holy Saturday I will hear confessions at 9am. Please note that the Easter Vigil will not be at 5pm, but at 8:30pm which is the earliest that we can offer this Mass. This Mass will be bilingual. It is at this Mass that 7 will be baptized and 1 will be received into the Church.
Our Easter Sunday Mass times will be 8am, 10am, 12pm (Spanish), and 2pm (Latin). I encourage parishioners who might be tempted to attend the 10am to attend the 8am, if possible, to allow for more people to join us for Easter. Due to the anticipated length of Easter Masses there will not be confessions before any of these Masses.
In Christ,
Fr. Dustin Collins
