From the desk Monsignor Bride 

 On this Fifth Sunday of Lent we begin the final two weeks of Lent.  In the past, this weekend would have begun Passiontide, that period of immediate preparation for Holy Week.  This weekend would have been called the first Sunday of the Passion and next Sunday, the Second Sunday of the Passion – Palm Sunday.  The Church desired to simplify these periods and this is now the Fifth Sunday of Lent and next week is  called Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.
As you enter Church today you see the stark reality of Lent.  The crucifix is covered and the statues are covered.  This is a reminder to us that the observance of Lent and Holy Week is not a concentration on holy objects, but on Jesus Christ in his passion and death. On Holy Thursday night we will show in our hall the movie “THE PASSION  OF THE CHRIST.”  This is an exceptional portrayal of the suffering and death of the Lord and all that Jesus went through to redeem us, to save us, to make it possible for us to go to heaven. A decision to watch this movie is a personal one. Each person has to decide whether or not to see the movie, to grasp its meaning and to meditate on the reality of what happened, when Jesus suffered and died for us. It was not pretty. But it was powerful and this movie shows that PERFECTLY.
Whether we see it or not, let us meditate on this; let us enter into the Passion of Christ fully. Let the starkness of the Church be an impetus to us to fully and completely understand how great is the need in the world for the redemption Jesus won for us on the cross and how complete was his gift to us. In addition, we need constant reminding of the horror of sin and how great is our need for this death to save us from sin.
Here in Church on Good Friday we will have our Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre. Last week in the bulletin we put the special flyer for the Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre. We are asking parishioners to come to Church on this holiest of Holy Days to pray before this shrine  and to beg the Lord to forgive us our sins and the sins of our time.  This shrine depicts a special devotion, preserved throughout Europe but especially in Poland where Catholics devote all of Good Friday to the Death of Jesus Christ.  Do you remember the days on Good Friday from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. – the hours Jesus hung on the cross? Do you remember when stores, gas stations, convenience stores all closed during these three hours out of respect for the world observance of Good Friday? Those days have passed.  But, nevertheless, you and I MUST make Good Friday special. This shrine helps us to do just that. Come to Church on Good Friday and meditate on what the Lord has done for us by his saving death. You will not regret this sacred time.
This week we have the special flyer for adoration here in Church on Holy Thursday night. We need many participants to watch with Jesus. “COULD YOU NOT WATCH ONE HOUR WITH ME.”  Please sign up…please!!!
                                
                                                          Monsignor Bride

              
HOLY  WEEK BEGINS NEXT WEEK
Next Sunday, Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, the most special, and the most sacred week of the year.  There will be a special bulletin with all the events, all the times and dates for the week. 
Plan now to make next week Holy. (April 1 thru 7) We need your help; we need your time on Holy Thursday (April 5th) to time in Church adoring the Lord on the night Jesus died when we commemorate his pre-death ordeal. (Fill out the special flyer in the bulletin this week) We need volunteers to spend time before the Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre on Good Friday.  The Crusade of Prayer WILL be held in front of this special shrine on Good Friday BUT  we need additional volunteers for this special day. The flyer(yellow) was passed out last week
To make next week holy, you must plan ahead. Let us make Holy Week (April 1 thru 7) the most special week of the year for our parish and for each of us.

FAMILY MASS WITH ALL THE STUDENTS of our Religious Education Program will take place this Sunday, March 25, 2007 at the 10:30 a.m. Liturgy.  The children will present their Lenten Donations at this Mass.  We are expecting all the children and their parents to come and worship together as a family.  Please make this Lenten Sunday a day of prayer, unity and sharing with those who are less fortunate.

Monsignor Bride’s 40th Anniversary  of Ordination
 --  May 4, 2007 --
Monsignor  will celebrate a Special Mass on Saturday, May 5th, at 5:00 P.M.
followed by Pot Luck Supper in Hall.
All will be invited!
We need volunteers to assist on the night of the supper AND setting up of the hall and decorations.  (More later)

Stations of the Cross are prayed
each  Friday of Lent at 6:30 P.M.
In Lent we are called to walk with the Lord.  As we approach Good Friday, we are more conscious than ever that Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin.  His entire Passion and Death are signs to us of his love for us, of his commitment to our salvation and  the price of salvation.  Join us on each Friday night at 6:30 P.M. and walk with the Lord in His Passion.
              
             NOTE THESE 2007 DATES

Choir practice: 
This Thursday, March 29th, at 6:30 P.M.

                          
CRUSADE OF PRAYER ON fRIDAYS
                7:30A.M.   Morning Mass
8:00A.M.   Exposition of  the Blessed Sacrament
                 followed by   Morning Prayer             
8:15 A.M.  to  4:45 P.M. Individual Adoration and
                  Praying for Vocations  all day in  Church
4:45 P.M.   Evening Prayer /Benediction/Closing

The movie, “The Passion of the Christ”
will be shown in our hall
on Holy Thursday night, April  5th,
following the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This is a beautiful portrayal of
the passion of the Lord and the extent to which he went for our salvation.

Pilgrimage to the Shrines of France
Bishop Cote and Monsignor Bride will lead a pilgrimage to the Shrines of France.  There are flyers in the rear of the Church. This will be a wonderful trip in late October ( a wonderful time to travel) Pick up a flyer and make plans to visit very special places of Faith.  You will not be disappointed.

                      Announced Masses

Monday, March 26th    Annunciation of the Lord                                                  
7:30 A.M.           Parishioners of OLPH   
Tuesday, March 27th     Lenten Weekday                        
7:30 A.M.  Marceline Lombardi  (Rose Harman)
Wednesday, March 28th    Lenten Weekday  
 7:30 A.M.     Segunda DeGuia    (Pritchett Family)
 Thursday, March 29th      Lenten Weekday                                   
 7:30 A.M.     Jack Cotter  (Wife, Peggy)
Friday, March 30th    Lenten Weekday  
7:30 A.M.     Intention of Celebrant
6:30 P.M.   Stations of the Cross