April 13, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters, We’re almost there—just one more week until Easter! And what a journey we’ll be on this week, with many special opportunities for prayer and devotion. As part of the preparation for Easter, I’d encourage everyone to make a bit of room in their schedule for at least one of our special observances during Holy Week. You can find the full list on the Holy Week Flyer, in this bulletin, or on our website. The liturgies of Holy Week are very ancient, and they speak beautifully about the heart of our faith: the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday. The most important thing to keep in mind is that they’re not just an exercise of imagination or a sort of reenactment. Within the celebration of Holy Week, the grace and power of the Paschal Mystery becomes present to us. On Holy Thursday, we will experience the power of Christ’s love, as he shows the meaning of his sacrifice through his priesthood and the gifts of bread and wine. On Good Friday, we’ll stand with Mary and John at the Cross, with the same mix of grief and wonder they felt. And at the Easter Vigil, we’ll experience the joy of the Resurrection of hope, as we pray through those quiet and mysterious hours when Christ rose from the dead. It’s going to be an amazing journey to the Upper Room, the Cross, and beyond. I look forward to walking it with all of you. Through the prayers of Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, and St. Thomas, may we experience the power of those events with them. God bless,

Father Jantz