My dear friends in Christ,
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the third Easter I will celebrate with you as your pastor. It has been a blessing and privilege to walk the journey of faith together. I truly feel “at home” in the community we share and thank you for your welcome and care. During these times of unprecedented (at least in our lifetimes) turmoil in the wider Church, your faith and support have sustained me.
There is no time in the Church calendar more sacred than the Paschal Triduum. At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, we give thanks for the gift of Jesus Christ, truly present in the Eucharist, who has called us to serve in His name as we wash each other’s feet. We experience the depths of God’s love for us as we recall the Lord’s death on a cross on Good Friday. And at the Easter Vigil, light triumphs over darkness as we celebrate Jesus’ victory over even death itself. Jesus is our life and our hope. Now, more than ever, we need Him and we need each other.
One difficulty in the past two years for my fellow priests and me is that we longed to celebrate these sacred days with “our community”. It was difficult to have to choose to be at one parish or the other on each of these sacred days. This year, we are inaugurating our first Collaborative-wide Triduum. We experienced a powerful sense of unity and solidarity last fall as over a thousand people from both of our parishes gathered together for Mass at the Wellesley High School Football Stadium. At this time of trial and crisis in the Church, we need that solidarity.
This year, our two parishes united will celebrate:
- The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday at 7:30pm at St. John
- The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday at both churches: at St. Paul at 3:00pm and at St. John at 7:30pm
- The Easter Vigil at 8:00pm at St. Paul
Each year, we will alternate the venue for Holy Thursday and the Easter Vigil.
We invite you to take advantage of an exciting array of offerings in our Lenten programming as we prepare together for the great Paschal Feast. I am ever grateful for the witness of your lives as disciples of the Jesus Christ. Your faithfulness gives me hope for our Church!
With love and gratitude in Christ,
Fr. Jim
