April 16, 2023
Dear Parish Family:
Let’s Keep Easter Going! Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter – the last day in the Octave of Easter. Easter is so powerful, so important, and so life changing that it cannot be contained or limited to Easter Sunday. And now that these eight days of the Octave of Easter have been observed – we continue with the Season of Easter which will last until Pentecost Sunday (May 28). Let us keep the joyful Alleluias going! Christ’s resurrection spurs us on!
Thank You! May God Reward You! Holy Week and the Easter Triduum were extremely beautiful and grace-filled here at Good Shepherd this year. From the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone who assisted to make the celebrations so incredible: the liturgical ministers, ushers, musicians, cantors, church decorators (amazing!), parish staff, all who participated in the services, and everyone who helped in any way. A million thanks! May God reward you for the selfless sharing of your time and talent. Thanks, too, for your generosity to the Easter Collection. Your stewardship is so important and needed to meet the temporal needs of our parish community and our growing ministries and programs.
Divine Mercy Sunday. Ask for, Encounter, and Trust in His Mercy! Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. The Risen Christ seeks to bring us peace. Divine Mercy Sunday, celebrated on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), is a relatively new addition to the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar. Celebrating the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, as revealed by Christ Himself to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, this feast was extended to the entire Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Saint Faustina was a Polish nun who received frequent revelations and visits from Christ from 1931 until her death in 1938. The Divine Mercy Chaplet was revealed by Our Lord to her. On Good Friday 1937, Christ appeared to Saint Faustina and asked her to recite this chaplet for nine days, starting on Good Friday and ending on Divine Mercy Sunday. Special Divine Mercy services will be held at Good Shepherd this afternoon. Please see page 7 of the bulletin for details.
Love and prayers,
Father Neil Sullivan