Message from Msgr. Callahan – April 5, 2020
Dear Parishioners,
As you can well imagine, our Holy Week services will be greatly modified this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. All the services for the Easter Three Days (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil) will be at 7:30 p.m. and will be live-streamed from our church. We are limited to ten people in attendance at these services and this includes the priests, servers and music director.
Following the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the church will be open until 10 p.m. for personal and private prayer. On Good Friday, the church will be open during the day for personal and private prayer. If you wish to make the Stations of the Cross, you may do so privately.
On the Easter Vigil, there will be no Easter Fire, no Baptisms/Receptions into the Catholic Church and no Confirmations. We will have the blessing and lighting of the new Easter Candle, not as many readings, the renewal of Baptismal promises and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
On Easter Sunday morning, April 12th, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Masses will be live-streamed at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12 Noon. During the liturgy, we will renew our Baptismal Promises.
By providing live streaming of all our Masses, I hope we can still remain connected as a faith community here at St. Joseph Parish. The priests miss praying with you in person. Under the circumstances this is the best we can do.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available on Tuesday, April 7th, from 4-5 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. until the priests have finished hearing confessions. Please remember, there will be no confessions on the Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 11th.
Blessed palms will be available at the doors of the church this weekend and throughout most of the week. Please come by the church to pick up your palm branches. The church is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every day. Or come to the side entrance by the Eucharistic chapel and enter the code 1355.
Let me take this time to thank those of you who continue to financially support the parish. It is greatly appreciated and I know our employees also are very thankful for your generosity at this difficult time.
Finally, let us continue to pray for an end to the spread of the coronavirus.
Continue to practice basic hygiene and social distancing. As we make our journey through Holy Week, let us reflect on these important events in the life or our Savior, Jesus Christ.
God Bless,
Msgr. Callahan
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