Welcome to Holy Week.  Our celebration of Palm Sunday begins the most sacred week in our liturgical calendar.  You are welcome to join Bishop Rhoades, priests and deacons, those committed to religious life, and all the lay faithful at the Chrism Mass at Saint Matthew Cathedral on Monday evening at 7:00.  Bishop Rhoades will bless the Oils which we will use in the Sacramental life of the church, and Wendy Summers will bring the newly blessed Oils  back to us at Saint Augustine.  On Wednesday evening, we will have a rehearsal for the liturgical ministers of the Triduum liturgies at 5:00.  I will administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation at 6:00.

Lent ends when we begin the celebration of the Lord's Supper at 6:00 on Holy Thursday evening.  This is the beginning of the Sacred Paschal Triduum (the three days from Holy Thursday evening through Easter Sunday evening).  You are invited to remain in prayer after Mass, and I will offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation again.  Please come to the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday afternoon at 1:00, followed by the praying of the Stations of the Cross with Deacon Mel in the parish hall and the offering of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in church.  By all means, join us for the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening at 9:00.  We will begin the Vigil in the parking lot with the blessing of the new fire and process into church for the extended Liturgy of the Word, baptisms and renewal of our baptismal promises, and the breaking of our Paschal Fast with the Eucharist.  If you come back again on Easter Sunday morning for Mass at 9:30, you can receive Holy Communion again.

It is important that our entire parish community gather for this shortest and mo9st sacred liturgical season.

Happy Holy Week.

Fr. Bill Schooler