“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 21)

The crowds that gathered to welcome Jesus to Jerusalem welcomed him as one would welcome a king. He truly is a king, but not the kind they may have been expecting. He reigns, not in a palace, but in our church/parish family and in our homes; he reigns not with armies and swords, but in our hearts, through faith, hope, and love. To all those who welcome him into their hearts and lives as king, Jesus offers salvation, forgiveness of sins, new life and a loving relationship with him and with his heavenly father.

In this most holy of weeks, we celebrate with special solemnity those events through which Jesus became our king, our Lord and Savior. We call this Holy Week because it is a week set apart from the rest of the year; it is meant to be different than our usual one-hour-per-weekend Mass attendance. This is the one week of the year that we have the opportunity to celebrate these unique Liturgies, which include those “special effects” proper to each day. Indeed, the many details of each Liturgy make them more exciting and special, offer opportunity for unique participation, and increase our sense of involvement in the mystery we are celebrating. Therefore, we encourage all of our parishioners to make a concerted effort to attend the Liturgies each day of the Sacred Triduum:

• Holy Thursday 7:00 p.m.
• Good Friday 3:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. (Plus Stations of the Cross at 5:00 p.m., with English books available)
• The Easter Vigil: Holy Saturday Night beginning at 8:00 p.m.