Dear Parishioners,

Catholics around the world are facing an unimaginable Holy Week this year. With the suspension of public Masses throughout every diocese in all 50 states, there will be no Palm Sundays in our parishes, no Triduum liturgies, no joyous Easter Sunday Mass. It’s almost unthinkable — yet here we are.  Nothing can ever replace the solemnity and beauty of Holy Week in our church, and so the absence of public worship during these holiest days of the year presents a moment of pause and pain. The void created in our spiritual lives by our lack of access to the sacraments can be seen to draw us closer to Christ’s own solitude in his final agony and suffering. And yet, we cannot remain there. By our Easter faith, we know that Christ is alive and among us. “I am with you always,” he promised (Mt 28:20).   Knowing all things work for the good, let us not dwell in our sadness, but as Easter people, fervently pray for the grace given to Mary Magdalene on the first Easter morning: for the eyes to see the Risen Lord in our midst and the ears to recognize His voice as He speaks to us.  One of the blessings of our technological age is that we have the availability of seeing Live-stream daily or Sunday Masses, including Pope Francis. While the faithful are not able to be present at the liturgies of Holy Week, such live-streams are a good reminder that the Church is still publicly at prayer and that God is still being worshipped. All the baptized share in the spiritual graces of each and every Mass and can unite their sacrifices to the sacrifice of Christ, even if remotely. That’s because each Mass is an act of worship on behalf of the whole Church — the Body of Christ, of which each of us becomes members at our baptism. Above all, it’s most important to remember our unity with the Lord and how that can be strengthened by a spiritual communion.

I also ask that you remember to continue supporting your church financially during these difficult weeks.  You can mail in your offerings to 14 Copeland Ave, Homer, 13077 or through Vanco online.  May God's peace be with you this week and always!

I will be concelebrating Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday Masses with Fr. Joe and Fr. Nate at St. Mary’s. I am offering the Masses for your intentions and the health and safety of our parishioners. These Masses will be live-streamed through St. Mary’s Facebook page Holy Thursday will be at 7:00 p.m. and Easter at 10:00 a.m.

The St. Mary's Mass live stream is from a public page and is open to everyone, you can watch it without a Facebook profile (or without logging in). CLICK HERE: https://www.facebook.com/St.MarysCortland/
 
Many thanks. God Bless You,  Fr. Paul J. Alciati