As the Easter Alleluias continue to be proclaimed, the church throughout the world celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday today. In the year 2000, when Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina Kowalska, he declared that the universal Church would now observe the 2nd Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. The devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus comes from the private revelations that Sr. Faustina received from Jesus and wrote in her diary from 1937. Those who receive sacramental confession (the confession may take place some days before) and receive holy communion on Divine Mercy Sunday shall obtain the total forgiveness of all sins and punishment. Additionally, one may receive a plenary indulgence with the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chapel. All are welcome to our celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday today from 1:30PM to 4:00PM.

Last Saturday night at the Easter Vigil, three adults were baptized, confirmed and received the Eucharist. We warmly welcome Amy Ball, Douglas Cahanin, and Eric Weyhrich. Also, five adults, baptized in other Christian denominations made a profession of faith and joined the Catholic Church and were confirmed and shared in the Eucharist. We also warmly welcome into our family of faith, Felicia Caldernon, Sabrina Molinari, Haide Noyola, Matthew Sincora, and Alexander Stokowski. And, five baptized Catholics completed their initiation into the church by receiving the sacrament of confirmation. Whenever a priest baptizes and adult, or receives a baptized Christian into the church, those individuals are to be confirmed by the priest as part of being baptized or received into the church. For a priest to confirm baptized Catholics, he has to be delegated by the bishop. Bishop Conlon delegated me to confirm at the Easter Vigil, Jorge Diaz, Kendra Liscano, Alejandra Lopez, Francesca Parrino and Uriel Terrazas. We congratulate them on their confirmation. And, we pray for all our newly baptized, received, and confirmed, that they will have a life changing encounter with the Risen Lord and truly become His disciples.

With our new parish app, you can send in special prayer requests. Ever wonder what happens to those requests? They are prayed for daily by our staff. Monday through Friday, the staff gathers at 9:15am to 9:30am to pray for God’s guidance as we lead our parish, for our parish in general, our local community, individual needs, and the prayer requests that come in through our parish app. Prayer is power!

Finally, I want to share with you a special moment……Palm Sunday at the
10:45AM Mass, as I was distributing communion, a mother with child age 4
or 5 in the line next to me came up to the Eucharistic minister to receive communion. As he gave her communion, the child blurted out “I love you Jesus!” Made me smile!

Have a Blessed Easter Season!