This week, I celebrate my 8th complete month with you as Administrator. I feel immensely blessed to be called to shepherd our parish along with Fr. Spisak and our deacons. I thank you all for your patience with me as I continue to learn and grow into my role and responsibilities. I fully trust the Lord’s hand guiding us all, especially in this Lenten season, as we prepare for Holy Week and Easter in the next few weeks.

RCIA Continued Prayers:
Please continue to pray for our catechumens and candidates who will make their Easter Sacraments with us in a few short weeks. Many of you who have been part of the Church’s RCIA process remember the growth and formation you experienced as you prepared to enter fully into the Sacramental life of the Church. We are blessed by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, calling our RCIA catechumens and candidates, along with all of us, to a deeper conversion of mind and heart that we may truly live the life of Christ authentically and joyfully.

Holy Week and Easter Schedule
Please see the website homepage and today’s bulletin to make sure you are prepared to come to the upcoming Holy Week and Easter liturgies. Did you know that the Sacred Triduum from Holy Thursday through the Easter Vigil is celebrated as ONE liturgy in THREE distinct forms of celebration (Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Passion of our Lord, Easter Vigil Mass)? I encourage you to participate FULLY in this liturgy by coming to all of these Triduum celebrations, especially if you haven’t done so in a few years due to COVID. Also, let God work through you by inviting your friends and family to come with you. The Sacred Triduum services really help me, as I know they will help you, connect much more deeply with our Lord’s sacrificial love for us this holy season.

Lent Confessions
Please see the website and bulletin for upcoming Confession times, as well. Fr. Spisak and I were blessed to hear the Confessions of almost 100 people who came to the Evening of Confessions on Wednesday, March 16 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. There are still plenty of opportunities available for Confession in the upcoming weeks, and we are excited to help you reconnect with the Lord through a Sacramental encounter with His mercy.

Giving Opportunities
Lenten Almsgiving complements our Prayer and Fasting. It makes sure our Lenten observances are focused on selfgiving. You can donate by placing your contribution in the offertory basket or delivering it to the parish office, making sure to use the appropriate envelope or memo so we can allocate your contribution accordingly. Check the parish bulletin each week for new donation opportunities. Here are just a few ways you may consider giving this Lenten season to those in need:

• Ukraine and Eastern Europe: You can still submit a contribution to assist with relief efforts in Ukraine and the surrounding region through the USCCB’s Eastern Europe collection. Use memo “Eastern Europe” and continue to keep the people affected by this war in your daily prayers!
• Nicaragua: We have a parish mission partnership with Nicaragua to provide for the basic needs of the people of Chacraseca. Donation envelopes are available in the gathering space and can be placed in the offertory basket or delivered to the parish office.
• St. Vincent de Paul: Our SVDP accepts donations to help those in our local community meet basic needs and help in times of emergency. Use memo “SVDP.”

Parish Themes from Listening Sessions
Every other week, we continue to unpack one of the themes from our November Listening Sessions in our bulletin, and these themes with their corresponding comments continue to be uploaded to our website (About > Listening Session Themes). These writeups and sharing of relevant comments are for your prayerful discernment and can offer some keen insight as to what the Holy Spirit is prompting in the hearts of the faithful here. What is God calling you to do to forward these themes and make them bear fruit in the life of our parish?