April 25, 2025

Friday within the Octave of Easter

 

Pastor’s Message – Church of Saint Benedict

 

God of everlasting mercy, who in the very recurrence of the paschal feast kindle the faith of the people you have made your own, increase, we pray, the grace you have bestowed, that all may grasp and rightly understand in what font they have been washed, by whose Spirit they have been reborn, by whose Blood they have been redeemed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

 

Collect for the Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday

 

 

Brothers and Sisters,

 

These last days of Lent and the beginning of the Easter Season have been a time of both grief and joy for us as a parish community and as a universal Church. The unexpected death of Deacon Danny Brennan on the Monday of Holy Week was followed by the death of Pope Francis on the Monday of Easter Week, eight days later.

In between, we celebrated the Easter Triduum, the most sacred days on the Christian calendar. In Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday we enter our Lord’s Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection. They are days of grief followed by joy.

The joy of the Risen Christ is what endures as we continue in the Fifty Days of Easter that will conclude on Pentecost Sunday. The source of this joy is the lasting assurance of God’s love and mercy revealed to us in the Resurrection. Sin and death do not have the last word.

This joy is the source of the peace that only God can give. The Risen Christ invites us into this peace. “Peace be with you” is the message that He offers to the disciples on the evening of the First Easter Sunday. This passage from John 20:19-31 will be proclaimed at Mass this Sunday as we conclude the Octave of Easter, the week of special celebrations of the Resurrection.

He invites us with all our doubts and fears, as with Thomas the Apostle, to be open to this love and mercy and to be transformed by it. It is the peace that God offers to us in the midst of our grief. The Lord’s mercy endures forever.

On a personal note, thank you for the outpouring of prayer, love and support offered to the family and friends of Deacon Danny for the Rosary, Funeral Mass and meal afterwards. Many hands lift the heavy load. Many a loving hand has done so in both grief and joy.

 

 

Priest Assignments

 At Noon today it was announced by Bishop Konderla that Fr. Gabriel Garcia is being transferred to serve as pastor of St. Peter and St. Paul Parish in Tulsa. His new assignment will take effect on July 1.

Fr. Archie Fernandez, currently the pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Sand Springs and Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mannford, will be coming to St. Benedict to be the associate pastor. This assignment will also be effective as of July 1.

My thanks to Fr. Gabriel for his presence at St. Benedict. Although his time with us was brief he served us well. Please pray for Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Archie and all the other priests who will begin new pastoral assignments this summer.

 

Divine Mercy Sunday

 The Sunday following Easter is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. This devotion has gained popularity in recent years. As part of our observance this Sunday there will be Adoration in the church at 3pm, ending with Benediction. The Divine Mercy Chaplet will be offered at this time. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available at 3pm, in addition to the regular weekend confession hours.

 

Novena for Pope Francis

 Funeral Mass for Pope Francis will take place tomorrow morning. Following his burial, we are invited to offer a daily novena from April 26 to May 4 to pray for the repose of his soul. This Novena consists of a short reading of Scripture and some brief prayers. Beginning with the Saturday Vigil Mass on April 26 the Novena will be offered each day at the conclusion of the liturgy.

The Novena can also be offered by individuals, families, and prayer groups. There is a link below of the Novena in both English and Spanish.

https://www.usccb.org/resources/novena-pope-francis-ENG.pdf

https://www.usccb.org/resources/novena-pope-francis-ESP.pdf

 

Our Parish

Jeanne Draughon is retiring as the Parish Nurse after 25 years of faithful service. She will give a brief address to the parish at the end of all the Masses this weekend. A Search Committee is actively working to find a replacement for her, our Parish Nurse. As pastor I am deeply grateful for the gift that Jeanne has been to us.

There will be a Newcomers Welcome at the parish rectory at the end of all Masses this weekend. Any newcomers to St. Benedict are invited to attend.

Our parish will celebrate First Holy Communion Mass next weekend, at the Saturday Vigil Mass on May 3 and on Sunday at the Noon Mass on May 4. Please keep these members of our parish in your prayers.

 

 

God bless and keep you safe.

 

Fr. Bryan