Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish

Happy Holy Week!

Holy Week kicked off yesterday with an awesome turnout for Palm Sunday Mass! As we do every year, we dove into the Passion of Our Lord from Luke 22:14-23:56. The stories of the Passion, Crucifixion, and Death of our Lord can be tough to wrap our heads around, and I bet your kids have a ton of questions—mine sure do! To help out, we’ve created a simplified version of the Passion events and answered some common questions your kids might have. You can check it out on our website here: “A Family-Friendly Walk Through Holy Week“. We hope this resource helps you and your family as we journey through Holy Week together.

Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s events, each celebrating a special event in Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection:

Holy Thursday: The Last Supper

Join us at 7pm on Thursday April 17th for a celebration of the Lord’s supper. Its a beautiful celebration where we recreate the Lord’s table, with volunteers from among our confirmands and their parents innthe role of the Apostles! While open to everyone, this is a mandatory event for confirmants. On Holy Thursday, we remember the Last Supper, where Jesus shared a final meal with His Apostles. During this Passover meal, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, a sacred act of communion that we continue to celebrate at every Sunday Mass. This night also marks the beginning of Jesus’ Passion, a time for us to reflect on His teachings of love and service.

Good Friday: The Passion and Crucifixion

April 18th at 6:30pm we will gather together in the church to pray the Stations of the Cross. Praying the Stations of the Cross is like taking a walk alongside a dear friend through a garden of reflection and empathy, where each step invites us to grow in compassion and understanding of the sacrifices Jesus made out of love for us. Following the Stations, we will have a community meal of hearty soup and fresh bread. Good Friday is a solemn day of reflection, as we commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion and His ultimate sacrifice for humanity. We gather to remember the suffering and death of Jesus, acknowledging the weight of our sins and the profound love that held Him on the cross. It is a time for us to meditate on the depth of God’s mercy and the hope of redemption.

Holy Saturday: The Vigil of Hope

April 19th at 7:00pm we will celebrate the most beautiful Liturgy of the year; bringing the Paschal candle, theblight of Christ’s Resurrection into a dark church, with song and prayer. This is also the night where the Holy Water formthe yearvis blessed! On Holy Saturday, we observe the Easter Vigil, a beautiful and hopeful liturgy that transitions us from the sorrow of the Passion to the joy of the Resurrection. It is a night of anticipation and preparation, where we await the light of Christ rising anew, bringing us the promise of eternal life.

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection

Finally, Easter Sunday dawns with the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Join us Sunday April 20th at 11:15 am for the Joyful celebration of Christ’s Resurrection! This day is filled with joy and triumph, as we proclaim the victory of life over death. It is a time to renew our commitment to our faith and to live in the light of Christ’s love and promise of salvation.

Throughout Holy Week, let’s open our hearts to the lessons of these sacred events. May this time of reflection deepen our faith and inspire us to live more fully in the spirit of Christ’s love and sacrifice.

May God bless you and your families during this holy season.