From Monsignor Callahan – Holy Week Services
Dear Parishioners,
Now that we are in Holy Week, I will try to clarify when the church will be open and closed to the public. Our services for the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil) will be at 7:30 p.m. each evening. The doors of the church will be locked during these times. We are restricted as to the number of people who can be in the church during these services.
On Holy Thursday, the church will be open from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. The church will be closed during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper from 7:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Following the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the church will be open from 9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
On Good Friday, the church will be open from 7:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon. Stations of the Cross will be held at 12 Noon and during this time the church will be closed. Following the Stations of the Cross, the church will be open from 1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. The Good Friday service will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the church will be closed for the rest of the evening.
On Holy Saturday, the church will be open from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. The Easter Vigil will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the church will be closed for the rest of the evening.
On Easter Sunday, we will have Masses at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12 Noon. The church will be closed until 1:00 p.m. Following the last Easter Mass, the church will reopen for private prayer until 6:00 p.m.
All of our Masses and Services will be live streamed. Everyone is invited to participate in our Holy Week services and Easter Sunday Masses through our parish website by which you can press the button for live streaming.
For those of you who are interested, there is an app for Morning and Evening Prayer. It is called IBreviary. For Holy Thursday Morning Prayer, please click here. For Good Friday Morning Prayer, please click here. For Holy Saturday Morning Prayer, please click here. Don’t forget about Formed.org. Every parishioner is able to access this Catholic resource that includes movies, enlightening programs, inspiring talks and a great selection of ebooks—all just a click away. The Parish Code is G847QG.
This is also a time to remember that each family in our parish is a Domestic Church. It is in your homes that your faith can truly thrive. I would encourage every household to set aside a “sacred space.” This can be a coffee table in your living room. Place on that table an open Bible, a rosary, a statue of Mary, a crucifix and other spiritual items. As a family, you are encouraged to gather often around that “sacred space.” Let that time be a graced time of prayer and drawing closer to Jesus, Mary and the saints. This would also be an ideal place to watch the Holy Week and Easter Sunday Masses from St. Joseph Parish.
We would all agree that these are very challenging times. It is hard to believe that you cannot be present at St. Joseph Church for Holy Week and Easter Mass. Perhaps now more than ever, we can truly appreciate the importance of the Eucharist in our lives. Let us continue to pray and hope for an end to the coronavirus. On behalf of the priests and deacons of our parish, I want to extend to all of you a very Blessed Easter.
God Bless,
Msgr.Callahan