Dear Parish Family,

Happy Easter!  Alleluia, Christ is risen!  The Church has continued to celebrate the joy of the Risen Lord throughout this week, and throughout this entire 50-day season.  Today is a very special day.  It’s been traditionally known by several names: 

Sunday in the Octave of Easter: which connects this day to the great feast of the Resurrection that we continue to celebrate.
The Sunday in White: because of the white vestments we now wear and the symbolic washing clean that baptism signifies.
Low Sunday: because, after all the hullabaloo of Holy Week and the Easter Octave, the Church “takes it easy” a little bit today.
St. Thomas Sunday: because today’s Gospel has always focused on the figure of St. Thomas and the overcoming of his doubt.
Quasimodo Sunday: from the first word of the Introit at today’s Mass, which is “Just as newborn infants desire sweet milk, alleluia; rejoice in God our help, and sing aloud to the God of Jacob, alleluia.”  

In they year 2000, this day was also designated by Pope St. John Paul II as Divine Mercy Sunday, a Sunday in which we recall and rejoice in the mercy of God. If the Divine Mercy Chaplet is a devotion that is meaningful to you, this Sunday is an outstanding day to pray it, especially at 3:00 pm, the Hour of Mercy.  In addition, we have the special opportunity here in the Diocese, in association with the Knights of Columbus International's Film and Digital Media Producers, to have access to the hour-long film The Face of Mercy, available to watch free of charge this weekend.  It is available at this link:

https://players.brightcove.net/802593642001/BF7mrlFFAd_default/index.html?videoId=6148447259001

I am once again joining Bishop Spalding for our celebration of Sunday Mass, and I invite you to tune in at watchmass.com on Sunday morning.


I would like to pass along a special thank you from the Ladies’ Auxiliary for the sweet, thoughtful, and generous gifts that so many of you donated as part of the “Mother to Mother” Lenten collection.  With so many people struggling and out of work at this time, your generosity was especially meaningful: the timing was truly a work of God!

As usual, I have also posted a video message for this Sunday: please watch at https://youtu.be/u81-K9DgT38 or on the parish website.


God bless you and your families in this Easter season.  Let us continue to pray that we will be able to return to worship together again very soon.  In the meantime, a reminder that the church continues to be open two hours per day, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm on weekdays, and 11:00 am-1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and confessions continue to be available during these windows of time.  And please remember to take full advantage of our parish subscription to formed.org and all the resources available at watchmass.com.  

Finally, a special word of thanks to all of you who have continued to reach out to me and the parish, to give assurances of your thoughts and prayers, and to offer your generous donations.  Thanks to you, the parish is doing well!  We will emerge from this unusual time stronger and more united than ever before, with joy and gratitude in our hearts to God. 

God bless you!
Fr Hammond