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April 22, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. The Feast of Divine Mercy, celebrated on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), is a relatively new addition to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Celebrating the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, as revealed by Christ Himself to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, this feast was extended to the entire Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000, the day that he canonized Saint Faustina.
During his life, Pope John Paul II had actively promoted the message of St. Faustina. In his 1980 encyclical on God’s mercy, Rich in Mercy, Pope John Paul II developed a scriptural and doctrinal basis for our faith in the mercy of God. In linking the revealed truth about God’s mercy to the Sunday after Easter, The Holy Father illumined the fact that the liturgy already proclaimed the divine mercy. Pope John Paul II goes to says that “The truth has been embedded for two millennia in the worship of the Church: The law of faith is the law of prayer.”
On this Divine Mercy Sunday, we see that Christ is alive and shares that risen life with each one of us. Now is our time to encounter the risen Jesus in new ways so that we can continue throughout our lives to be that risen presence for the good of others. People see the risen Christ in our everyday acts of kindness, sensitivity, generosity, patience forgiveness and mercy
During the eight Sundays of Easter the first readings are selected from the Acts of the Apostles and deals with the Easter Faith of the early Christian community. Theses selections from the Acts of the Apostles record how those first Christians received the spirit of Jesus and carried the mission of Christ forward. These writings help us move forward with our mission to show love and mercy to the world in light of the risen Christ.
As we continue our Easter celebration, please join us for a wonderful evening of celebration with the Easter Cantata which will be held on This afternoon at 3:00 pm. The Cantata will be performed by our own Music Ministry Choir and directed by our Director of Liturgy and Music, Pamella Pitman. Musicians from all over the Archdiocese will be part of the presentation. Please come to the concert and support the music program here at STHY.
It’s time to start thinking about our upcoming STHY 2017 Parish Spring Festival, which will take place 3 short weeks from this weekend on May 7. This year marks fifth time in over 20 years in which we have has a Spring Festival for our parish. It’s no secret that what makes the bazaar such an awesome event for our parish and community is the great number of people who volunteer their time and talent. Your help is especially needed to staff a shift or two in one of our many booths, rides and games. The help and support of everyone in the parish, both young and old, is most needed. It’s a great way to give back to the life of the community. I highly encourage you to make your commitment to helping our parish at the Spring Festival. Booth chairpersons and volunteers are especially needed. Let’s see if we can get all the spots filled early this year. We’ve got more than enough parishioners that if everyone who comes to the Festival were to volunteer for a shift or two; we could easily take care of all our needs. Join us for a great way to be part of STHY biggest and most fun event of the year.
Spring Festival 2017 is just around the corner. If you have not picked up your Spring Festival raffle tickets, they are available from members of our Spring Festival Committee members after Mass or pick them up from our parish office. You may return Spring Festival tickets to an ushers at Mass or return them to the parish office. Mark your calendar now for May 7. We look forward to seeing you here!
Once again, I send out my sincere thanks to all who made a pledge for our Building Faith, Family and Future Capital Campaign. I truly appreciate your generosity and support. If you have not done so, Please consider making a pledge. Envelopes are in the Narthex along with our collection box specifically designed for our Capital campaign or you can do so online through the parish website. When you complete your pledge envelope, drop it in the collection box, offertory basket, or mail it or bring it by the office at any time. Remember, we ask every family to consider an equal sacrifice, not an equal size gift. Thank you for doing your part to help us reach our goal.
God Bless,
Fr. Reginald Samuels