From the Desk of Father Tharp

No confessions Tuesday March 27

Please remember that there are NO CONFESSIONS ON TUESDAY EVENING OF HOLY WEEK.  All priests of the Archdiocese are expected to attend the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral. 

No confessions Holy Saturday Morning or Afternoon

Please also remember that we WILL NOT HAVE CONFESSIONS on Saturday Morning at Sacred Heart or Saturday afternoon at St. Ann. 

Additional confession times

Confessions at St. Ann on Monday, March 26 from 7:00  until 8:00 p.m.

Confessions at Sacred Heart on Wednesday from 7:00 until 8:00 p.m.

Schedule for Holy Week

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: regular Mass at St. Ann at 6:30 a.m. and at Sacred Heart at 7:30 a.m. 

Holy Thursday:  No morning Mass!!!!!

     Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Ann at 5:30 p.m.

                             Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Sacred Heart at 7:30 p.m.

Good Friday:  No Mass allowed!   Services as stated below

Sacred Heart 12:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

                                                   1:00 p.m. Passion sung by Choir

                                                   2:00 p.m. Adoration of the Cross

                                                   2:30 p.m. Holy Communion

                        St. Ann              7:00 p.m. Ritual Good Friday Service including

the reading of the passion, veneration of the cross, and Holy Communion  (Fr. Tharp)

                        Sacred Heart     7:00 p.m. Ritual Good Friday Service including

the reading of the passion, veneration of the cross, and Holy Communion  (Fr. Schmitz)

Holy Saturday:    No morning Mass, no morning or afternoon confessions, NO SATURDAY AFTERNOON MASSES AT EITHER CHURCH!!!

Easter Vigil:   The Easter Vigil Mass at both parishes begins at 8:30 p.m.  No Mass before this!  Bishop Binzer will celebrate the Easter Vigil at St. Ann.  Fr. Tharp will celebrate the Easter Vigil with RCIA Sacraments of initiation at Sacred Heart.

Easter Sunday:  The regular Sunday Mass Schedule at both St. Ann and Sacred Heart. 

                        Sacred Heart:  8:00 a.m.  10:00 a.m.  12:00 p.m.  (Fr. Tharp)

                        St. Ann:   9:00 a.m.  11:00 a.m.  (Fr. Schmitz)

Divine Mercy Sunday is April 8

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy together with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament for the St. Ann / Sacred Heart Pastoral Region will take place at St. Ann on Sunday, April 8 at 3:00 p.m.

Vacation Bible School

One of the highlights of the summer for me is the one week Vacation Bible School at St. Ann.  This year Sacred Heart will join St. Ann in our Pastoral Region VBS to take place at St. Ann.  I am looking for Virtus trained and approved volunteers who will help with this joint program.  I am asking parents from Sacred Heart and St. Ann to consider this your “home parish” Vacation Bible School.  If you have not been Virtus approved, we will provide plenty of opportunities locally.  For additional information, see notices in this bulletin.

Reflection on Scripture

For Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the passion and death of Jesus are the prelude to the resurrection.  In John’s gospel, the passion and death of Jesus are the pivotal sacrifice.  The resurrection is the postlude.  Mark’s gospel is the shortest, and his account of the passion and death of Jesus is the smallest in comparison to the other synoptic gospels.  Each of the four gospel accounts tells us the story of the greatest act of love in history.  I have a plaque which reads, “I asked Jesus how much do you love me? And he said this much! And he stretched out his arms on the cross.”  Jesus is the Lamb of God who dies for our sins.  By his blood he has purchased salvation for us. 

This Holy Week, remember to walk the road to Calvary with Jesus; for it is the only chance to find our way to paradise.

Readings for Easter Sunday

Acts 10:34a, 37-43

1 Cor 5:6b-8

Mk 16:1-7

Theme:  Resurrection