From the Pastor’s Desk.
Dear Parishioners,
We have come to the 5th and last Sunday of Lent. Next Sunday we will celebrate the commemoration of our Lord’s entry into the city of Jerusalem with Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week. We also mark the one-year anniversary since the outbreak of the coronavirus. It would be safe to say that this has been a year that none of us will forget, even though many of us would want to forget it. Last year we were unable to gather for Holy Week and the weeks of Easter. This pandemic has shown us that we must not take for granted the opportunities that we can come to Church. We are blessed with three beautiful houses of worship here at St. Martin de Porres. Many people have asked, “when are we going to get back to normal?” The question I ask is, “what will the new normal look like?” As we enter into these last days of Lent and enter into the holiest days of the Christian calendar, let us pray that Christ will continue to lead us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Tuesday Evening Lenten Vespers and Stations of the Cross
We will have our last Tuesday Evening Vespers this week, Tuesday, March 23. It will be held at Our Lady of Victory Church beginning at 7:00PM. Vespers from Our Lady of Victory Church will be live-streamed via our parish website and Facebook page. This Friday, March 26 we will celebrate solemn stations of the cross at Our Lady of Victory Church beginning at 7:00 PM. There will not be stations of the cross at Holy Rosary or St. Peter Claver churches this Friday night, March 26. We will gather as a community for one celebration of stations of the cross at Our Lady of Victory Church. We will welcome Father Ken Gavin, SJ as the presider and homilist. All are welcome to join us.
Holy Week Schedule Banners & Liturgical Changes
You may have noticed that we have placed banners with the Holy Week schedule printed on it. Please take notice of the time changes this year. Usually on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, we would have a special schedule with just one Mass at each of our three churches. This year because we are still in the midst of the pandemic, we will have a regular Sunday Mass schedule for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Due to the pandemic, we will not have a Palm Sunday procession at any of the three churches. Priests have been asked to bless palms privately the day before Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday Mass will begin as a usual Sunday Mass. Immediately after the Palm Sunday Mass, there will be a table with blessed palm outside the church that everyone can take on their way home. On Holy Thursday there will not be the traditional Washing of the Feet or procession to the place of Repository after Mass. On Good Friday, there will not be the veneration of the Cross during the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion. On Holy Saturday there will be a simple blessing of the Easter fire with just the priests and deacon outside while the congregation will be seated in the pews. I ask all of you to be mindful of these changes this year for our Holy Week celebrations.
We adore you O Christ and we praise you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world,
Father Alonzo Q. Cox