Dear Parishioners,

Happy Easter! After a long Lent, we have finally made it to the celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection. Now is a time to be thankful and to experience the glory of what our Lord has accomplished for us. Throughout all of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, many people have worked very hard to make sure all of our various liturgies and services went well. This has really been the best year so far in terms of our liturgy. So, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped out.

First, I would like to thank our deacons. Deacon John Klincewicz worked so hard to organize the servers and practices. He made sure everything was done properly and spent more hours in the Church this week than I even did. Deacon Chris Ellis sang the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil as well as served all the liturgies. Thanks again for what you both do. Also, even though he is not a deacon, I would like to thank our seminarian Patrick Meehan for being so helpful at our liturgies especially as a thurifer.

Second, I would like to thank all of our servers. So many of them answered the call to serve and had to do so many things they do not normally do and work as a team. Even some of our retired servers returned to help out. The liturgy can only be as good and reverent as the level of the server. So, I thank them all for providing their service.

Third, thank you to Christa Dalmazio and all our choir members. Christa was especially helpful this year with organizing the Seven Last Words service. The choir sang more beautifully there than ever before with polyphony and other hymns. If you missed it this year, you have to make time to see it next year.

Fourth, thank you to all the Church decorators, especially Anne Kirms, Clare Freda and Mary Kavookjian. The Church looks wonderful. Also, I would like to thank Lawrence Ghezzi for many past years of service. He is stepping down as the lead Church Decorator and Sacristan due to medical concerns. (Please keep him in prayer.) Under his leadership, we improved the appearance of the Church with murals and the groups became more organized than they ever had been. He will be missed and I pray he can at least attend Church again.

Fifth, I would like to thank all the sacristans and lectors, especially those who volunteered for the Easter Vigil.

Sixth, thank you to Kris Klincewicz for lighting the fire and extinguishing the Easter fire.

Seventh, I thank all the ushers for collecting the money and making sure the Church is safe.

Lastly, I would like to thank Fr. Caesar for celebrating the Good Friday service and for all his other duties. I especially point him out this year because he is leaving the parish this summer to pursue higher studies in Rome. He has been our Hospital Chaplain for five years now and that’s a long time for anyone to take on that role. So, be sure to let Him know how much you appreciate him when you see him.

God Bless!

Fr. Carter