Dear Parish Family,
On April 5th Holy Week begins with our livestreamed celebration of Palm Sunday Mass at 10:00am. Holy Week is the most sacred time in our Church calendar. This year is obviously posing some unique challenges - so we had to get creative in getting the blessed palms to you. This Sunday, volunteers and clergy at both Churches will be in the main parking lots of St. Matthew and St. Bernard handing out the blessed palms between the hours of noon and 2:00pm. Please stay in your car and we’ll go to you. If you wish to enter the Church to pray, there will be blessed palms inside the Church as well.
The pandemic has changed and challenged our world, our Church and her people. It will be painful not to physically come together for the Holy Week liturgies. We will, however, be livestreaming the Holy Triduum and Easter Sunday liturgies: Holy Thursday at 7:00 pm, Good Friday at 3:00pm, the Easter Vigil at 8:00pm and Easter Sunday Mass at 10:00am. Simply go to our website: blessedsacramentct.org and tap the livestreaming icon on the home page. We will also continue our tradition of blessing the Easter Meal, but with a twist due to the pandemic. If you are interested in participating, please come to the main parking lot at St. Bernard at 11:00am on Holy Saturday and we’ll have an outdoor blessing. Please stay in your cars and we’ll come to you. In addition, we have the Stations of the Cross and the Divine Mercy Chaplet available on our website so please pray these beautiful devotions at your convenience.
I am so grateful that technology allows us this opportunity to stay together as a parish. I pray that you will be able to join us as we walk with Christ through these most holy days. Monitor our website for changes and further information. Please remember that both of our Churches continue to be open during the day for quiet prayer and reflection.
May God bless you and your family.
Fr. Rick