April 14, 2019

​My Dear Parishioners,
     Our 40 days of Holy Lent for spiritual growth through our personal prayer, fasting and almsgiving are leading us to a joyful Easter, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Please know that there is still time to prepare your heart and soul for Jesus.  Thank you to those who made their confession with guest priests last Sunday.  I will be available for confessions before every weekend Mass, and after our 5:30pm Mass on Tuesday and Thursday, except from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday.  The Triduum is the most hectic time for pastors to get everything ready for the liturgy and everyone ready to serve well at Mass.  Each Mass/service on these three days is so different and requires so much preparation.  Please don’t wait until the last minute for confession.
     This weekend is Palm Sunday.  As you enter our church for Holy Mass, please pick up only one palm so that we will have enough palms for everyone at all four Masses.  I will bless you and the palms at the beginning of Mass.  Triduum: please make every effort to attend one extra Mass this week on Holy Thursday at 6:30pm, Mass of the Last Supper; Good Friday at 3pm, the Passion of Jesus and the veneration of His Holy Cross; Holy Saturday Vigil Mass at 8:30pm to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and to welcome our new members into the Catholic Church.  Here are their names so that you can start praying for them and congratulate them later.  Adults: Melissa Martinez, Kathy Palacios, Dieu Vuong, James Banh.  Children: William Dudula, Marissa Courtright, Areli Jimenez, Oscar and Mateo Martinez.
     PS. Our love, prayer and sympathy are extended to the family of Ralph Ignowski.  Ralph was 96 years old, died Saturday, March 30.  We celebrated his funeral Mass on Thursday, April 4.  Ralph had retired from the United States Air Force after 23 years.  He served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.  Thank God for his many years as a faithful member of our church family and for his years serving our country.  May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace eternally in heaven.  Amen.
     Finally, please know that it’s important to God and to our church family that you attend Holy Masses this week.  I promise to celebrate them in a timely manner and as beautifully as I possibly can.  Come and join me and so many people like us who love Jesus dearly, so that we will have a blessed Easter, Fr. Hien