Dear Friends in Christ,
Continued blessings of Easter peace and joy! Let me remind you again that the Easter season lasts a full 50 days of celebrating the presence of the risen Lord in our midst. So don’t put it away any time soon. As the Orthodox say, “Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!” Those are words for all of us to savor and feast upon.
The second Sunday of Easter in recent decades has become known as “Divine Mercy Sunday,” described as follows:
The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.
This important aspect of our belief in the risen Lord is timely this year as announcements are being made this weekend of the priests who will serve the newly formed “Family of parishes” in the Partners in the Gospel plan. Ours as you know includes St. Bridget’s, Assumption, Our Lady of the Lake, and St. Catherine’s. In a real way, the transition to this new model of parish life has begun, even though it will not officially commence until July 1. There is work to do in preparing for these changes, which may make some anxious, including the priests of the archdiocese. Please pray for us! My encouragement is that we take things slow and easy, rooting everything in prayer and trust in the Lord’s merciful love. May the image of the Divine Mercy below offer us comfort and peace in this time.
In Easter joy and hope,
Fr. William Heric, Pastor