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April 9, 2017 • Palm Sunday
Saints
Peter & Paul C AT H O L I C C H U R C H
902 East Ninth Street • Hopkinsville, KY 42240
MASS SCHEDULE Saturday evening .................................... 5:00 PM Sunday ................................. 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM Misa en Español ............... 2:00 PM, 10:30 PM Monday - Saturday ................................ 8:00 AM Wednesday ......................................... 5:30 PM Thursday MISA EN ESPAÑOL ..................... 5:30 PM First Friday of each month ..................... 6:00 PM
Established 1872
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
We are a Roman Catholic Community of Christians called to be a priestly people, a household of faith, a temple of the Holy Spirit, a beacon of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church shining for Jesus Christ in the heart of Christian County.
Rev. Fr. Richard Meredith, Pastor [email protected] Rev. Fr. Al Bremer, Parochial Vicar [email protected] Rev. Fr. Basilio Az Cuc, Parochial Vicar [email protected] Permanent Deacon, Mr. Tim Barnes [email protected] Permanent Deacon, Dr. Bill Sweet [email protected]
PARISH OFFICE PHONE: (270) 885-8522 PARISH FAX: (270) 885-5296 PARISH WEBSITE: www.stsppchurch.org DIOCESAN WEBSITE: www.owensborodiocese.org VATICAN WEBSITE: www.vatican.va OFFICE HOURS: 8 AM - 5 PM Monday – Friday (Closed Noon -1:00 pm Daily)
SCHOOL TELEPHONE: (270) 886-0172 SCHOOL FAX: (270) 887-9924 SCHOOL WEBSITE: www.stsppschool.org
Tru†h Radio WSPP 93.5 FM
Saints Peter and Paul Assistance: 270-886-6027
Saints Peter and Paul Thrift Store: 270-962-7008
MEMBERSHIP IN THE PARISH We give a sincere welcome to all new families moving into our Parish. Please register in the Parish Office as soon as possible. Families who plan to move from our parish
community are asked to inform us.
Bulletin material deadline: Monday at noon in writing or email.
SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY
The Catholic Church teaches that the sexual abuse of any person is a grave moral evil. To report any instance of sexual abuse by any employ-ee of the Catholic Church please call the Office of the Bishop in Owens-
boro at (270) 683-1545. The Safe Environment Program is now avail-able at the Diocesan website www.owensborodiocese.org
† SACRAMENTS † † Reconciliation: Confessions will be heard Saturday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM (English and Spanish), Wednesday at 4:30 PM. (ENGLISH and SPANISH). Confessions will be heard any time by appointment.
† Baptism: Baptismal Preparation Class is usually held the first Sun-day of each month. Our next class is scheduled for May 14, 2017 at 4:00 pm. Please call the Parish Office. Registration is required.
† Marriage: Contact the Office six months prior to the desired date.
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Parish Pastoral Council
Robin Bilan, Vice-Chair, Education………………[email protected] Jim Creighton, Spiritual Life ………………[email protected] Libby Downs, Pastoral Associate ….………[email protected] Norma Folz, Worship ..…………………………[email protected] Gary Harden, Family Life ..………………[email protected] Sarah Kranz, Principal …………………[email protected] Fran Marko, Secretary …………………………[email protected] Joe Mezzoni, Chair/Admin .….……………. [email protected] Social Concerns ……………………………………………………..
PARISH STAFF Tom Buehrle ([email protected])...............Director Of Stewardship Brenda Chaudoin ([email protected])…. Parish Office Mgr. Libby Downs ([email protected])............Pastoral Associate Jennifer Groves ([email protected])…… School Secretary Leigh Ann Johnson …………………Parish Assistance Coordinator Steve Kinnard ([email protected])...Maintenance Foreman Sarah Kranz ([email protected])....................School Principal Donna Pfeufer ([email protected])……...Thrift Store Gen. Mgr. Angie Phillips ([email protected])……...Thrift Store Mgr. Mayra Tirado ([email protected])...Hispanic Ministry Asst. Sue Wassmer ([email protected])............Parish Secretary Amy Watkins ([email protected])....Parish Music Director
MINISTRY TO THE SICK Please notify the Parish Office upon admission of a family member into any hospital or nursing home. Any parishioner who is ill or infirm may request anointing by calling the Parish
Office, 270-885-8522.
PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
This is a devotion whereby members of the parish unite in taking hours of Adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament during the day and throughout the night, seven days a week. (Code required for evenings.) There is a regular schedule of adorers but all are welcome to stop in for a visit. Parishioners are en-couraged to sign up for a scheduled weekly Adoration time. Please contact Bill & Jenny Rush at 270-885-2888, if you are interested in adopting an hour or if you can be a substitute or prayer partner. Available hours: 4 am Tuesdays, 1am Wednes-days, 11 pm Fridays, (7am Thursday needs prayer partner) .
School News
Catholic School Position Available: Sts. Peter & Paul
Catholic School is currently seeking applications for the posi-
tion of School Principal Beginning with the 2017-2018
school year.
Description:
PreK-8 155 Students Located in Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Requirements:
Practicing Catholic Four years teaching experience (elementary preferred) Master’s Degree Kentucky administration certificate or a minimum of 15 hours
toward certification and continuing to work toward com-pletion
Excellent administration/communication skills
Send resume to the following address:
Rev. Richard Meredith
Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church
902 E. 9th Street
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
Fundraiser Raffle for SPPS 8th Grade Class Trip: Saints Peter and Paul School 8th Graders are selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a YETI® Hopper™ 40 Cooler or a $100 Gift card of your choice. Tickets are $5 each and available from any 8th Grade Student as well as the School or Church office. Tickets will also be available at our next Fish Fry. Drawing will be held Monday, April 17th at 9:00 a.m. Thank you in advance for your support of our 8th Grade Class.
Alpha Alternative Pregnancy Care Center
26th Annual Fundraising Dinner “A Brick in the Wall of Hope”
Monday, May 1, 2017 at the Silo Event Center
An opportunity for an offering will be extended. Seating begins at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner and Program 6:00-8:00 p.m. Adults Only Event
For reservations call the parish office – 885-8522
APRIL 9, 2017 • PALM SUNDAY 3
Thank You: We thank those who came last Friday, March 31st and helped us cover the statues here in our sanctuary. We give thanks to: Edwar Acosta, Mason Chavez, Franco and Rossella Cincotti, Jim Creighton, Martha Reed, Bill and Jenny Rush, Karen Thomas, Sherry and Ivan Viall, Steve Kinnard and Libby Downs.
Palm Sunday: This Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday, also called The Passion of the Lord. We invite all to gather with us up near the school as we celebrate Christ entrance into Jerusalem. We will bless palm and then walk in procession into the church as we will hear the Passion of Our Lord
according to St. Matthew.
Come Home For Easter Communal Penance Service: We invite you to experience the love and mercy of Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of Reconciliation at our Lenten Communal Penance Ser-vice. Experience the power of the sacrament, which restores us to God’s grace and joins us with him in an intimate friend-ship. Join parishioners and friends as we acknowledge our need for forgiveness from sin and reconciliation with God in prep-aration for the Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Priest from around the Diocese and our own priests will be available for individual confessions in English and Spanish.
Saints Peter and Paul Communal Lenten Penance Service
Sunday, April 9th at 6:00 p.m.
Chrism Mass: Remember our bus departs from our parking lot at 4:00 p.m. this Tuesday, April 11th for the Chrism Mass in Owensboro. We will return to Saints Peter and Paul around 10:30 p.m.
Parish Office: Parish Office will be closed on Good Friday, April 14th at 12:00 – Noon - as we spend this time in prayer and thanksgiving.
Grace Episcopal Church – 2017 Lenten Preaching Mission: Grace Episcopal Church is hosting again this Friday, April 14th at Noon their last Lenten Preaching Mission for the year. The speaker is Rev. Alice Nichols from Grace Episcopal Church. No lunch served today.
Good Friday Crosswalk: The Christian County Ministerial Association will be sponsoring the Good Friday Crosswalk,
on April 14th. It begins at 10:00 a.m. at the old Court house building. There are several stops along the way as we pray, sing and trace the last steps of Jesus to Calvary.
Aaron McNeil Crisis Relief Center: This week’s item is “Canned Beef Stew”. Please place your donations in the barrel in the coat closet on the left side of the Narthex.
Holy Week at Saints Peter and Paul Holy Week is the central week of the Church Year. In Holy Week and especially the celebration of the Sacred Triduum we celebrate the core mystery of our Faith. Jesus Christ, Son of God, came into the world as man, was arrested, convicted and condemned to death. He was crucified, died and was buried and rose from the dead. This core belief not only reminds us of the Salvation that we have received through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus but also where we will find life through our own willingness to die so as to find true life.
Holy Week begins with the celebration of Palm (Passion) Sunday. We begin our liturgy with the blessing of palm branches and the celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We hold our branches as we remember that Jesus was welcomed as a hero into the great city of Jerusa-lem. As Mass continues we will hear the Passion as found in the Gospel of Matthew. Neither the Jewish leadership, the Roman leadership, nor the apostles understand what Jesus is trying to teach them.
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday of Holy Week: The Anointing at Bethany – a sign of His suffering and death and of His identity as the Messiah; the announcement of a betrayer; the preparation of a place for the Last Supper. Mass is offered each day at 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Diocesan Chrism Mass: Bishop Medley invites the Church of Western Kentucky to gather on this special occa-sion. At the Chrism Mass, all the priests of the Diocese gath-er with the Bishop to renew their dedication to priestly ser-vice. The oils to be used in the sacraments during the year are also blessed and distributed by the Bishop to all the parishes throughout the diocese. The Oil of the Sick and the Oil of the Catechumens are blessed while the Sacred Chrism used during Baptisms, Confirmations and Holy Or-ders is consecrated by the Bishop, Tuesday, April 11th at 6:30 p.m. at the Sportscenter in Owensboro.
Triduum (Tree-doo-um or Tredj-you-um) comes from two Latin words (tres and dies) that mean “a space of three days.” Yet, some may be confused because each Li-turgical event has a separate title— “Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday” - totaling four “days” on our calendar. However, the days are counted on the “Church” calendar; which follows the ancient Jewish tra-dition of counting days and festivals, that is, from sun-down, to sundown. Therefore, the Easter Triduum begins with sundown on Holy Thursday, and ends at sundown on Easter Sunday; thus totaling three 24-hour periods… “three days”. Because the official meaning of the word is “a space of three days” it means that the entire period of time is one
SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY 4
Why do we give adoration to the Holy Cross? The Cross is a symbol of Christ’s pathway to the Resurrection; not of his death. Through the Cross, Jesus entered into his resur-rection so that we too may share in his glory. Therefore, on Good Friday we adore the sacred symbol of the Cross, not a Crucifix. At Saints Peter and Paul we do not have a permanent cross without an attached image of Jesus, so we use a large wooden cross for adoration. The assembly will be invited forward to the cross – to remove your shoes. Adoration can be any sign of reverence you are comforta-ble with: a kiss, touch with your hand, a bow, a genuflec-tion.
Here at Saints Peter and Paul we offer the following on Good Friday: 9:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer 12:00 – Noon – The Way of the Cross 3:00 p.m. Good Friday Service – English or 6:00 p.m. Good Friday Service – English or 8:30 p.m. Good Friday Service – Spanish Remember this day is a day of fasting and abstinence.
Our Hispanic Community have a tradition on Good Fri-day that includes the Pésame (condolence), where the com-munity consoles Mary for the loss of her son, Jesus. For those families that have lost a loved one, especially an older son, the Pésame is both impressive and healing. In Central and Latin America, on Good Friday, the condolenc-es to Mary are so important and moving. They put a statue of Mary in a black dress and pray the rosary and share sorrow that her son died. The older ladies will offer in-cense, the young women offer perfume to Mary, the men give palms, and the children give flowers. Here at Saints Peter and Paul after our 8:30 p.m. Spanish Mass, our His-panic community processes outside with a Mary’s statue and enters into her sorrow. All are welcome to come and experience this procession.
Holy Saturday – April 15th: The Easter Vigil or Paschal Vigil – the night God turned death to Life – Mass begins at 8:00 p.m. This night we celebrate the highest feast of the Church year. The Liturgy is made of these parts:
The Light: Christ’s resurrection is described in the gospels first as a bright light, brighter than the sun. The Paschal Candle is the Church’s symbol for Christ as Light of the world. With some of the most ancient prayers of the Church, the priest blesses the new fire and the Paschal Candle, which lights up the darkness. In the presence of this light comes the official announcement of Christ’s resurrec-tion. The Word: We proclaim and hear the Word of God, which traces all the wonderful things God has done for his people from the beginning. It is a preparation for seeing our salvation encased in the resurrection.
Liturgy of the Eucharist: All of us then gather at the Lord’s Table which he prepared for us through his death and res-urrection.
complete celebration. The Liturgies of Holy Thursday and Good Friday are “preparatory” ceremonies to the climax of the celebration which is the Easter Vigil; and the cele-bration “continues” on Easter Sunday. The liturgies of these three days are not celebrated as a reenactment of the historical events of Jesus’ last days in the flesh. The litur-gies are mystery; not history. The Church’s long tradition insists that what happened once in history passes over into the mystery of the assembly’s sacramental liturgies. By par-ticipating in these liturgies every year, the assembly grows in faith and knowledge of the mysteries of God’s Kingdom.
Easter Triduum Holy Thursday – April 13th: The Institution of the Eucharist, the Institution of the Ordained Priesthood and the Manda-tum. The only Mass allowed is the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 p.m. (Bilingual Mass) followed by a procession to the Altar of Repose in the narthex with Adora-tion until Midnight. The following are the highlights of tonights liturgy.
Reception of the Oils: We will receive the sacramental oils blessed by Bishop Medley at the Chrism Mass. During the singing of the Gloria, the church bells are rung and then remain silent until the Great Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday night.
Washing of the Feet: Just as Jesus washed the apostles’ feet with the words, “Love as I love you” so we too partici-pate in this act of service. It stands as a symbol of how we who share the Eucharist are to serve one another throughout the year.
Transfer of the Eucharist: The remaining Holy Eucharist is removed from the church and placed in the Narthex for ad-oration until Midnight. After the Eucharist is removed, the sanctuary is ‘stripped’ of all its decorations and symbols – there are even no devotional candles to light; not till after the Easter Vigil – everything is removed. This allows the people to pray the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday in a spirit of detachment from any earthly symbols.
Something to think about? On this most Holy night, we encourage parishioners to come, come pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Maybe your “Resisting Happiness” Group or your Bible Study Group would commit to praying before the Blessed Sacrament from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Maybe the Finance Committee, Parish Pastoral Council would consider coming and praying before the Blessed Sac-rament from 10:00 to 11:00 p.m. Maybe our Knights of Columbus, those of us who are night owls could come. Come and sit with Him, Come and read the Sacred Scriptures of the Triduum, Come and Be with Him.
Good Friday – April 14th: - The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. There is no 8:00 a.m. morning Mass. Today the Church turns all attention to the passion of our Lord. This is the only day on the Church calendar in which we do not cel-ebrate the Eucharist. The church building and sanctuary are bare so that we will rely on the words and simple actions of today’s service. This liturgy is made up of three unrelated parts: the Word, Adoration, and Holy Communion.
APRIL 9, 2017 • PALM SUNDAY
THIS WEEK IN OUR PARISH APRIL 10-16
Readings for the Week of April 9, 2017 Sunday: Mt 21:1-11/Is 50:4-7/Ps 22/Phil 2:6-11/ Mt 26:14--27:66 Monday: Is 42:1-7/Ps 27/Jn 12:1-11 Tuesday: Is 49:1-6/Ps 71/Jn 13:21-33, 36-38 Wednesday: Is 50:4-9a/Ps 69/Mt 26:14-25 Thursday: Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14/Ps 11/1 Cor 11:23-26/Jn 13:1-15
Friday: Is 52:13--53:12/Ps 31/Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9/ Jn 18:1--19:42 Saturday: Vigil: Gn 1:1--2:2/ Ps 104/ Gn 22:1-18/ Ps 16:5/ Ex 14:15--15:1/Ex 15/Is 54:5-14/Ps 30/ Is 55:1-11/Is 12/ Bar 3:9-15, 32--4:4/ Ps 19/Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28/Ps 42/ Rom 6:3-11/Ps 118, Mt 28:1-10 Next Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43/Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23/ Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8/Jn 20:1-9 or Mt 28:1-10 or Lk 24:13-35
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©Liturgical Publications Inc.
Easter Sunday— April 16th: The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ: Sunday 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in English; 2:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. in Spanish.
*Adorers: You are encouraged to keep your hour of pray-er. During your hour of prayer, keep before you that Christ is no longer present to us in the Blessed Sacrament, for the Holy Season of the Triduum is upon us.*
Confessions: Our Communal Lenten Penance Service is on Sunday, April 9th at 6:00 p.m. Other opportunities to receive the Sacrament are:
• 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon – until Mass time; or
• Holy Saturday after the Blessing of the Easter Food Baskets at Noon, for as long as people are present.
Upcoming Special Collections: Holy Thursday – “Rice Bowls” are brought to Mass on Holy Thursday as gifts to the poor. All proceeds go to assist Cath-olic Relief Services. This agency provides assistance to peo-ple in more than 100 countries and territories based on need, regardless of race, nationality or creed.
Good Friday – “The Holy Land”. Christ’s homeland, is our spiritual home as well. Over the years the shrines marking the great events of His life and death have been cherished and protected from harm by the kind support of Christians all over the world. This collection helps to ensure these shrines for years to come.
Mon: Stained Glass Window Comm.- 5:15 pm, OA Tues: Chrism Mass Owensboro-Bus Departs 4 pm Wed: Rosary Makers-8:45 am, HFR No MS/HS Youth Choir 6:30 pm Sat: RCIA Retreat-9am, Gym Knights Easter Egg Hunt-9am Decorate Church10:30 am Blessing of Easter Baskets-Noon
Stewardship News….. “The Lord God has given me a well-
trained tongue, that I may know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them,” says Isaiah in today’s first reading. The
gifts God has given us are likewise given for the good of others. How am I using my gifts?
Budget News
Weekly Parish Collection ............................................... $17,458.92 Weekly Parish Budget Needs ....................................... $17,005.00 Diocesan Assessment 2016/17 ($69,161.00).............Paid In Full Diocesan Assessment 2017/18 (advance giving)….. $3,963.00 Weekly Capital Improvement Donations .......................... $585.00 Capital Improvement Fund Balance ............................. $18,426.95 Weekly A Legacy of Faith Fund Pledge Payments ..... $2,428.00 Diocesan Construction Loan to date……………$1,375,000.00 Stained Glass Window Donations ................................................. $0 Stained Glass Window Fund Balance ...................... $414,925.68
Monday, April 10
8:00 AM KYLE SPURR
Tuesday, April 11
8:00 AM † BOB BROWN
Wednesday, April 12
8:00 AM † JOSEPH & TERESA CHONG
5:30 PM † PEDRO & OLGA MONTEJOS
Thursday, April 13 Holy Thursday of The Lord’s Supper
8:00 AM NO 8:00 AM MASS
7:00 PM Bilingual † GENE DURBIN 7:00 PM Bilingual PAM KOOB
Friday, April 14 Friday of The Passion of The Lord
9:00 AM MORNING PRAYER
12:00 PM NOON WAY OF THE CROSS
3:00 PM THE PASSION OF CHRIST
6:00 PM THE PASSION OF CHRIST
8:30 PM Spanish THE PASSION OF CHRIST
Saturday, April 15 The Easter Vigil In The Holy Night
8:00 AM NO 8:00 AM MASS
8:00 PM BiLingual THOSE CELEBRATING SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION
8:00 PM BiLingual † JUANITA LERMA
Sunday, April 16 Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of the Lord
8:00 AM BILL NICHOL
8:00 AM † ELLEN STITES
10:30 AM † GENE DURBIN
10:30 AM † RYAN STINE
2:00 PM Spanish † CECILIA JACOBO
2:00 PM Spanish † BISHOP JOHN MCRAITH
2:00 PM Spanish FOR ALL PARISHIONERS
10:30 PM Spanish † JESUS FLORES
10:30 PM Spanish † POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY
† Indicates Requiem Mass
SANCTUARY LAMP
For Juan Phillips
ADORATION CHAPEL CANDLES
For Teresa & Scott Burnside
SS PETER & PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, HOPKINSVILLE, KY 6
In Need of Prayers… Bradford Heights Pam Koob, Rosalina Lopez Covington Convalescent– Pat Chesnut, Karen Logsdon, Teresa Mathieu Western State Nursing Facility- Arnold Borders, Debbie Dickerson, Ellen Jones Christian Health Center- Lillian Cotthoff, Norma Downs, Barbara Holubecki, Friendship House- Christine Mills Others…. Clarence & Helen Allard, Trudy Anhalt, Dick & Jackie Arnold, Tammy Bellenger, Garrett Blue, Norma Boyd, Helen Brown, Scott Burnside, Marie Chandler, Alice Chuhralya, Richard Chuhralya, Sam Chesnut, Jimmy Cook, Mary Curtsinger, Nevaeh Marie Davis, Wendy Doyon, Pat Esposito, Connie Fowler, Martha Fowler, Gant Golladay, Jewel Claire Godot, Ron & Janice Godot, Scott & Stacey Godot, Jim Gorman, Beth Hancock, Debbie Hard-en, Mary Jean Hester, Joy Moseley Housley, Carol Johnson, Anita Jones, Joe Kukral, Bill & Bernie Kelderman, Larry Lytle, Rosie McCoy, Margie Meredith, Carlo & Lucia Mereu, Joe Mezzoni, Sr., Eric Moran, Sandy Mueller, Bill Nichol, Juan Phillips, Larry Puckett, Emily Pyle, Diana Quarles, Martha Reed, Emma & Gabriela Schil-ler, Marianne Shaw, Kristian Shouse, Mike & Marylyn Stocker, Georgiann Svestka, Ken Swicicki, Jerry Thomas, Rose Ann Tobin, Bev Todd, Hannelore Vanderklok, Wilbur Wataru, Isaac Joseph Widener, Helen Winstead, James Wittschack
Easter Sunday – “The Seminary”. The Seminary collection is a Diocesan Collection that helps with the ever increasing cost of educating our seminarians for the priesthood.
Little White Books: We will have available the “Little White Books” for the Easter Season this weekend after all Masses. We do have a limited number, so we ask each family to take one. These “Little White Books” are meant to help us enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during the 50 days of the Easter Season.
Prayers for RCIA and Easter Vigil Reception: As the larg-er parish community, we are called to help those entering into full Communion with the Catholic Church at Easter to develop their relationship with God and the Church. Please welcome them and keep them in your prayers. On Holy Saturday, April 15th, after the 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil, the parish community will host a hospitality reception for the RCIA group. Please consider coming by to welcome our parish community’s newest members! We will have cake and refreshments. All are welcome.
Do I Know Anyone to Invite to Mass? Think about it. You probably do: a friend who has had a rough time lately and is feeling alone; a sibling who stopped going to Mass; a neighbor or colleague who says he’s just gotten too busy; your spouse or child. Just pass along a bulletin, our web site (www.stsppchurch.org), or quietly tell them you have found a great parish – a home and would like them to come with you sometime. This Holy Week may be just the oppor-tunity you and they have been waiting for.
Holy Week Attendance: April 13th thru April 16th, 2017, we Catholics celebrate the “high holy days” of our Catholic faith in a “drama” of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus that unfolds over 3 days (Triduum). May every
Catholic family – parents, children and youth, attend Church and participate fully in this central mystery of our faith. This may be a challenge to our established family customs. What a sign it would be to our world if we Catholics choose to spend these days together in prayer and communal rituals.
Easter Duty: It is a precept (law) of the Catholic Church that all who have been initiated to the sacraments "shall receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season." In the United States, this extends from Ash Wednesday to Trinity Sunday inclusive. This is a minimum standard and it obliges quite seriously. The annual confes-sion of sins by way of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a precept which obliges those who are conscious of having committed serious sin, and would be required prior to their Easter communion.
Help Needed: There are several ways you can be involved to help here at Saints Peter and Paul this week. 1. Helping with the stripping of the sanctuary after
the Mass for Holy Thursday. 2. Helping on Holy Saturday (10:30 a.m.) to decorate
our church for Easter. We welcome you to come, roll up your sleeves and help.
Blessed Items: Do you have blessed items that need to be destroyed or discarded? Remember, blessed items are not to be thrown away like we thrown away our trash. If you have items that are blessed (broken rosaries that cannot be repaired, worn out scapulars, etc.), and need to be de-stroyed, please bring them to the sacristy at church. These items will be placed along with other blessed articles on the Easter Fire for Holy Saturday night. So bring them now – this week.
If you forgot to bring your last year Blessed Palm to us before Ash Wednesday, please bring them to us this week. We will add them to the Fire at the Easter Vigil.
Welcome: If you are a visitor to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, we want you to know how welcome you are – whether you have come from another part of the country, from across the world, or from another parish here in the Diocese of Owensboro. Thank you for praying with us. Thank you also for your generosity, which helps us to celebrate our liturgies in a fitting and beautiful way, and to offer a wide range of services to needy people in the Hopkinsville, Chris-tian County area. Enjoy your visit with us!
The Knights of Columbus will be offering a 5th Sunday Breakfast on Sunday April 30th after the 8:00 a.m. Mass. Begin now to plan on bring-ing the family to Mass and then staying for a wonder breakfast in our gym. More infor-mation is coming!
Please Pray for our Deployed Soldier & Family:
Bryan Yoder
APRIL 9, 2017 • PALM SUNDAY
Pastor’s Greeting: THE SACRED TRIDUUM (Latin: three days) These three days concluding HOLY WEEK are the anniversary of the greatest events of the New Covenant that comprise the center of the Paschal Mystery. In order to calculate the days one must return to the Jewish reck-
oning of the day. Each day begins following sundown and dusk with the darkness of night. The first day then goes from the onset of dark on Thursday to the onset of dark on Friday, and so on through the next two days to Sunday night. With that reckoning in mind, consider then what all occurs on each day (from dark to dark) of the Trid-uum. THE FIRST DAY: Jesus begins the day at dark with the celebration of the Last Supper celebrating his own Pass-over and instituting both the ministerial Priesthood and the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. He then goes out later that night to Gethsemane. After praying intensely for some time (during which he sweats blood) he is arrested. Taken away under arrest in pre-dawn darkness he is interrogated by the Jewish authorities. At dawn there is an official trial before the Sanhedrin at which he is condemned. Shortly thereafter he is taken before Pilate, tortured, scourged, and condemned to crucifixion. Sometime between 9am and ear-ly afternoon (differences between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John) he is taken out to Calvary and crucified, hanging between two other condemned men. Through ex-haustion, blood loss, shock and cumulative severe trauma, he dies on the cross around 3pm. The other two men die more slowly, their deaths hastened by the breaking of their legs which in addition to shock brings about asphyxiation. Since he is already dead, the soldiers do not break Jesus’ legs, but one of them thrusts a lance into his side, guaranteeing his death. He is buried just before sundown. All of that is the first day. Please notice that in the Passover supper Jesus identifies the bread and the chalice with the complete gift of himself to be accomplished on the Cross. On the Cross he consummates that total gift. The entire day is devoted to that one singular reality. We call the daylight hours of the first day “Good Friday.” THE SECOND DAY: From that dreadful nightfall which immediately followed Jesus’ hasty burial by Joseph of Ari-mathea, Nicodemus, the beloved Disciple, and the faithful women, through the mournful daylight hours of that Passover Sabbath and into the next nightfall, Jesus’ body lay dead in the tomb. The Scriptures say that in spirit he went among the dead proclaiming the gospel (this is the meaning of the Apostles Creed: He descended into hell). The disciples kept that Sabbath hiding in fear, away from the festival crowds. THE THIRD DAY: The last day of the Paschal Triduum began then at dark, with the conclusion of the Sabbath, Sat-urday night. Before sunrise the next morning, before the holy women could arrive at the tomb, the Son of God had risen from the tomb. Then commence the appearances of angels to the women at the tomb announcing the good news of his resurrection. John and Peter run to see the empty tomb for themselves, but leave. Mary Magdalene, however, stays at the tomb to weep and becomes the first disciple to
see the Risen Jesus Christ. She and other women go to tell the male disciples the good news but are not believed. Lat-er he does appear to Simon Peter and to the disciples bound for Emmaus. Lastly, as that day draws to a close, he appears to the disciples assembled in the upper room, Thomas being absent. Christ breathes the Holy Spirit upon them, commissioning them as he himself had been commis-sioned by the Father. He shows them his risen-physical wounds, and even eats with them. The Triduum then closes with nightfall, but for the next forty days he comes and goes among them. On the fiftieth day, he sends the Holy Spirit upon them in power from the Father, and so the Church is born. THE CELEBRATION OF THE PASCHAL VIGIL: A vigil is a time of watching and waiting in expectation for some ex-ceptionally important event. People keep vigil when — awaiting the imminent birth of a baby; sitting up with the critically ill; attending the hour of a loved one’s death; shel-tered as a tornado or hurricane approaches; awaiting news from the battlefield or the scene of a disaster; counting down the hours and minutes to a special anniversary or feast. There are also the vigils kept by the fire watch as we sleep, by the guardians of public safety, by military senti-nels watching land and sea and sky and space. We remem-ber that the last request Jesus made of his disciples was that they pray and keep vigil with him before his arrest in Geth-semane. Out of weakness they failed his request badly. From that time until this very day, however, the Church has kept a holy vigil in the night hours before dawn leading up to the annual anniversary of his Resurrection on that first Easter. Praying that the new dawn will see the Lord return-ing in Glory, we have kept vigil with light, scripture, the cel-ebration and renewal of baptism, the confirmation of the newly baptized, and the celebration of the Eucharist. Out of hope that the Risen Christ might drink his Chalice new with us in the glory of his Father’s Kingdom, we receive the Easter Eucharist with an eye toward the dawn. The faith in our hearts whispers that some day our vigil will be awarded with his dawning in glory. May I invite each of you to come so that we might keep watch together. Gather with the Church to celebrate the paschal vigil this year as the Lord desires and asks of us. It is the Passover of the Lord and, perhaps, the dawning of his glory. Fr. Richard
Easter Egg Hunt: Our Knights of Columbus are sponsoring an Easter Egg Hunt on the grounds here at Saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, April 15th (Holy Saturday) beginning at 9:00 a.m. Children up to 12 years of age are invited to come and hunt for eggs!
Blessing of the Easter Basket Foods: The blessing of the Easter foods is a tradition dear to the hearts of every Polish family. As a token of this gratitude, they have the food of their table sanctified with the hope that spring, the season of the Resurrection, will also be blessed by God’s goodness and mercy. Baskets containing a sampling of Easter foods are to be brought to the church to be blessed on Holy Satur-day, April 15th at 12:00 – Noon.
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