Second Sunday of Easter - April 12, 2015

Thank you! Before I can say anything else, I have to thank so many people for making Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum such an amazing experience of faith and joy. Easter is the highlight of our year, and St. Malachy does it so well. I have to thank all the Altar Servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers and everyone else who contributed to the celebrations. I am thankful to John Lester for his work as Master of Ceremonies and particularly for his work in decorating the church for each part of the celebration. The Triduum embraces such a wide range of emotions, reaching a low with the barren atmosphere of Good Friday and then springing to life for the Easter Vigil. And a similar range of emotions has to influence the music, so I am very grateful to Laurie Lanz, who gave us beautiful music with the help of the adult and children’s choir, the cantors and with a huge contribution from Margie Masilunas and her adult and children handbell choirs.

Speaking of Margie Masilunas, she did a wonderful job with the crew that presented the Living Stations of the Cross all through Lent, culminating on Good Friday. Also, let me add my thanks to Catherine Spanard for helping organize the Seven Church bus tour on Holy Thursday evening and to all who rode along. And I cannot forget to thank, as well as to congratulate, our newest Catholics through the RCIA, Jamie Aurigemma and Emma Fleiner. Working with them and seeing their joy at entering the Church has been a reminder to me of how much our faith means.

Another huge debt of gratitude goes out to Joyce and Ed Chezosky and all who volunteered at our Fish Fry all through Lent. I am among those for whom meatless Fridays are still a real penance (which we observe throughout the year), but our Fish Fry brings us good food along with a chance to support the parish. And what a success it has been in both ways.

Most of all, thanks to all the people of St. Malachy for coming together in prayer throughout the Triduum. I really experienced St. Malachy Parish as a family of faith in the joy of Easter.

As I thank you for your contributions to Easter, I hope I don’t make it sound as if Easter is over. The first eight days, up through the Second Sunday of Easter, is an “Octave,” a continuation of Easter Sunday itself. Today’s celebration has, in recent years, been given the extra designation of Divine Mercy Sunday, but even before that it has had special significance as the Octave Day of Easter. We treat this whole week as one long Sunday. And even at that, the joy of Easter does not end. This Easter season continues right up through Ascension Thursday (May 14 this year), concluding on Pentecost (May 24). During that time, we not only continue to celebrate the Resurrection, but we also have Confirmation and First Communion to celebrate. So this will continue to be a special time. Thus, in addition to my thanks, let me again say Blessed and happy Easter.

                                                   Father H