Jesus is Risen! Alleluia! In the joy of those words, I wish you all a blessed and happy Easter.
In these days of Easter, we rejoice that Jesus, who is for us Light of the World, rose from the dead. In his resurrection, we find our hope and our joy beyond this difficult pandemic year.
The Easter celebration is at the heart of our Christian faith. When we open our hearts to the wonder of this message, we walk with Jesus, sharing in his life and his peace. His message is one of hope for all.
As we renew our promises of baptism at Easter, may we who profess faith in his Resurrection strive to bring Jesus’ hope to all, particularly those who are poor and those who live in fear. Renewing these promises is a way of making a total commitment of our lives to God. This is the most important decision a human being can make. Give your life to the Jesus and to his mission of sharing God’s love.
Our Parish is so blessed to have welcomed Haley Greenfield into our Faith Community through the life-giving waters of Baptism at the Great Easter Vigil this weekend. We also rejoice to have received Stephanie Ashdown and Don McLemore into Full Communion with us. Their desire to belong to us, is a wonderful grace for us all.
I pray your celebration of this great feast will be a time of grace for you and your family. A blessed Easter to you and your loved ones. Love and Prayers, Fr. Jerry
Taking the Gospel Home: Read Mark 16: 1-7 “Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified has been raised.”
How do you experience the risen Christ in your life? Reflect on the ways you can witness to this joyful experience.
Msgr. John Kenneally, pastor emeritus of St. William Church on St. Simon Island died on Wednesday morning. He had been pastor of St. William from 2002 until last summer, so he did not have much time to enjoy his retirement. Before being assigned to St. William parish, he had been pastor of St. James the Less Parish in Savannah for many years. I always think Holy Week with its focus on the Paschal Mystery is a good time to die. Having known the passion associated with a difficult illness, may Msgr. Kenneally share in the joy of the Resurrection.
The special collection this weekend is for The Priest Retirement Fund. This is the primary means by which those Priests who have served for decades in the Diocese of Savannah are cared for in their later years – years that many still spend in active ministry – think of Fr. Pat O’Brien, Msgr. Costigan and Bishop Boland. I am dumbfounded by how faithful so many of you have been to the Church offertory in this time of pandemic. Thank you for your generosity to your Faith Community and to the welfare of our retired priests.