Lines from my reading chair - March 30, 2008

A note of thanks

Over this past week, many people have commented about the beauty and dignity of the liturgies that were celebrated here during the Easter Triduum.

Liturgies, like good theatre, are cooperative efforts.  There are many people who contributed in a variety of ways to make these celebrations as vibrant as they were.

Thank you to all those who assisted with the proclamation of God’s word during these celebrations.  Especially at this time of year, extra readers were needed to make the proclamation of the Lord’s Passion account so poignant.  Your efforts are very much appreciated.

Thanks also to altar servers, decorators and especially those who provided the beautiful music for these celebrations.  For the first time this year, eight children were invited to tell the story of the Lord’s Passion during the liturgy on Good Friday morning.  Thank you to all of you who made this celebration so special for all those who were here that morning.

Many of our parishioners also brought dried and canned goods which will be sent to the Inner City Home.  To all those who contributed to this gesture of assistance toward those in our community who need our help at this time of year, our most sincere gratitude.

Preparing for First Communion

It’s hard to believe that a month has already gone by since some of the children of this parish celebrated the Sacrament of First Reconciliation, but it’s true.

The celebrations of Easter took place this year on the earliest date that any but the most elderly among us remember, so even as the memories of the beautiful liturgies of last weekend are still fresh in our minds, we need to set our sights on some dates which will soon be upon us.

Children in grade 3 or older who have not yet submitted registration forms for the Sacrament of First Communion should be sure to do so before long.  Meetings with parents and children in preparation for this sacrament will take place on May 1st and 15th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and these children will receive the Eucharist for the first time on Sunday, June 1, 2008 during the 10:00 am Mass.

Programming notes

You will notice that in the past few weeks, we have changed the format for reporting financial contributions to the parish.  This was done so that we can keep you informed about the weekly collections as well as funds we receive through the Pre-Authorized Debit Program (PADP) and the progress we are making each week in raising funds for the Bell Tower renovations.

Please note that the PADP funds are reported only once a month, even though some contributors have asked that their accounts be debited at more frequent intervals.  As always, contributions are tracked in our office and receipts for Income Tax purposes will be issued at the end of each calendar year.