Lots of Sacraments – Lots of Life
With the celebration of Easter this weekend, we rejoice in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! Christ is risen from the grave and He has conquered sin and death. We have the hope of eternal life. Allow the joy of Easter and the power of the Resurrection to penetrate your heart. May you experience the joy of Easter and allow all bitterness and fear to dissipate.
There are so many people to thank for the celebration of Holy Week. Countless individuals work behind the scenes to make sure that these Liturgies are celebrated without any major flaws. Please take a moment to thank our musicians, lectors, servers, ushers, and distributors. Also your parish staff jumps into overdrive during this week. They do a phenomenal job coordinating with so many different groups of people. Please take a moment to thank them whenever you get a chance. Finally, thank you to everyone who donated Easter flowers in memory of your loved ones.
We rejoice at Easter in the new life given to our new Catholics. This year we have around a dozen people coming into the Church! Praise the Lord for the new life present in our communities. In addition, we’ll have a couple other people received into the Church during the Easter season. Please continue to pray for these neophytes (new Catholics). Now that they have received the light of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist, their faith life begins in a new way. Pray that they continue to open their hearts to the light of the Holy Spirit.
Next weekend we have more moments of Sacramental rejoicing. Our second graders at Immaculate Conception and St. Lawrence will receive their First Holy Communion (St. Joseph and St. John will be the following weekend). Please pray for these young people and their families. Jesus Christ nourishes them with His Body and Blood. Let’s pray that this gift penetrates their hearts and minds. May they be warmed by the grace of Jesus Christ.
Finally, Saturday April 23rd is Deacon Ordination for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Jeff Little from St. Joseph will be ordained a permanent deacon and will serve our four parishes (he is already scheduled for a baptism at Immaculate Conception). His ordination is the culmination of five years of formation, countless hours of study and prayer, and generous service to our parishes. Additionally Alex Dugas, our seminarian intern from last year, will be ordained a transitional deacon (he’ll be ordained a priest in 2023). Please join me in praying for these men as they prepare for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
On Saturday morning, April 23, we’ll send out a Flocknote email with the link to watch the livestream of the ordination Mass which begins at 11am. The two new deacons will be assisting at Masses the following day. Deacon Alex Dugas will also be leading the Divine Mercy service at 3pm at Immaculate Conception on Sunday, April 24.
The Lord is spoiling us with His blessing. His Sacramental grace is alive and well in our hearts. May the Resurrection of Our Lord bring you and your family joy, light, and peace!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson
