We mourn with fellow Catholics and many others throughout the world the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis who died on Monday, April 21. His compassion for the poor and marginalized, in imitation of the Lord Jesus, drove him to promote justice and respect for the dignity of every human being. In his last public message, known as “Urbi et Orbi,” (To the City and to the World), delivered this past Easter Sunday by his master of ceremonies, Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Pope Francis challenged the leaders of our country and from around the world to care for the vulnerable and needy in their midst, and not yield to the “logic of fear.”

Happy Easter! Welcome, have no worries! We've reinforced our church roof before Easter knowing that some people may feel it would cave in when they walked through the doors.

Today, we celebrate that Jesus is alive! Jesus, who is God, became a human being, was unfairly put to death, rose from the dead, and assures us that we who die believing in Him can also share a new life after death.

This Sunday, Palm/Passion Sunday, begins Holy Week, the time in our liturgical calendar when we celebrate the central mysteries of our faith, what the Church calls the Paschal Mystery – Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. We reflect upon what God has done for us in the unique expression of His mercy and love through Jesus’ offering of Himself in sacrifice to the Father for the forgiveness of our sins. Having triumphed over evil, sin, and death upon His resurrection from the dead, Jesus gives us hope that we too can triumph over all that would otherwise overcome us.

How are you growing spiritually this Lent? Are you noticing any improvement in your effort to “think with the mind of Jesus and love with His heart?” (Our parish Vision Statement) One of the three traditional practices of Lent is “almsgiving.” This is often equated with giving to the poor. However, we can easily be tempted to check off that box by making a sizable donation to a worthy charity.