Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy Holy Week 2004! If you are just coming back from Spring Break, welcome home, and if you are just leaving on Spring Break, have a wonderful week; just don’t forget that it is Holy Week. I’ve always hated it when Holy Week coincides with Spring Break -- the one week of the year when we most need to be around here, and it is such a shame that so many will be on the road. Let us hold one another in prayer wherever we are.

Hey, it’s time for my annual lecture on families making the commitment to attend all of the Holy Week services. It was not that long ago in the Catholic Church when I wouldn’t have to write these words every year, but until we build back up some strong traditions about Holy Week, you’re going to hear this plea from me. This Thursday night, at 8:00 PM, we will be celebrating the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. It is one of the most awesome Masses of the entire year! YOU NEED TO BE HERE! YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY NEEDS TO BE HERE! No, it’s not a Holy Day of Obligation; but, hopefully, the Church doesn’t have to smack the label “Obligation” on every celebration in order to get us to come and pray. It is such a powerful night. After Mass, we will have Eucharistic Adoration until midnight, keeping the sacred vigil just like the Apostles did in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is one of my favorite nights of the entire year. Again, you should be here. On Friday we will be keeping the ancient tradition of the Tre Ore, from noon until three o’clock. We will stay in prayer the entire time that Jesus hung on the cross for us. We start out at noon with the Seven Last Words of Christ, then we pray the Stations of the Cross, and then we celebrate the Solemn Commemoration of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, our church should be full on Good Friday afternoon. This year, we are extraordinarily blessed to have both the Stations of the Cross and the Solemn Commemoration of the Passion repeated at 7:00 PM for those who have to work or go to school during the afternoon. The opportunity is there for all of us. Let us take advantage of this. Finally, on Holy Saturday, we have the Mass of all Masses, the Easter Vigil, that will be celebrated at 8:00 PM, where we will welcome our new brothers and sisters from the RCIA and RCIC programs into the Church. There’s fire, and water, and smoke, and rich smelling oils. It is awesome! These liturgies were for centuries the center-points of the Catholic liturgical year. Every Catholic used to be in church for these services. What happened? More Catholics stay at home and watch TV on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. And what’s up with that? When did we allow those holiest days of the entire year to become just like every other day? It is time that we took those days back as Catholic Christians. I challenge you to do that this week, wherever you are. Jesus died on that cross for us. What can you do for Him this week?

Once again, there will be a group from St. Maria Goretti going to this year’s Chrism Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Lafayette at 7:00 PM Tuesday evening . The oils that are used for the Sacraments throughout the Diocese are blessed, including the oil that will be used to consecrate our new altar and church in December. All of the priests of the Diocese, including Fr. Dale and myself, will be renewing our priestly vows to the Bishop and to the Church of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. This is a wonderful Mass and one of the few remaining Diocesan celebrations that everyone is invited to. If you would like to go, please meet at 5:00 PM sharp in the SMG parking lot this Tuesday afternoon. We will have to leave right at 5:00 PM if we hope to get a seat in the Cathedral. We can share rides. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we took an army of people to Lafayette on Tuesday night! Brian and Kim Zachery and their sons, Brett, Nick, and Sam, are going to be representing us at the Chrism Mass and will receive our oils for 2004-05 from Bishop Higi at the end of the Mass.

If you remember, we started out this Lent with a great Lenten Mission that was given by Fr. Robert Conroy from Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity Fathers. Missionaries of Charity rules did not allow us to take up a collection for Fr. Bob or for his Order, but several of you have asked how you could help out. You can send contributions to Fr. Bob at the following address:

Fr. Robert Conroy, M.C.
The Missionaries of Charity
2498 Roll Drive #815
San Diego, CA 92154

I hope this helps. I might also point out that, unlike the vast majority of religious orders, the Missionaries of Charity do parish missions entirely free of charge to parishes and for individuals. The M.C. Fathers rely completely on the generosity of the people they serve to keep serving. What a beautiful example they give!

It’s going to be a big week! Please check out our Mass schedule for next weekend. There is no 4:30 PM Mass on Saturday because it drops in support of the Easter Vigil at 8:00 PM. And there will not be a 5:00 PM Mass next Sunday evening, because experience has shown that the vast majority of people prefer to worship in the morning on Easter, and to allow everyone to celebrate with family and friends the Day of the Lord’s Resurrection. Please remember the changes!

God Bless!
Fr. Kevin

The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.