Easter Thanks!

Apr 11

I think you would agree that our Easter celebrations this year were outstanding. Our Palm Sunday celebrations set the tone for Holy Week and carried us right through Easter Sunday! I found each service to be deeply moving and touched me like never before.

A great thank you needs to go to Michele Beck, our Director of Liturgy and Music. Michele’s talent is greatly complemented to her attention to detail! While working with our choirs in preparation for our holy days, she also did a great job organizing all of our celebrations: Holy Thursday, the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, the Good Friday liturgy, the Easter Vigil, Easter Sunrise Mass, and all the Easter Sunday Masses. All were incredible, Spirit-filled, and amazingly beautiful.

• Thank you to all the cantors, musicians, and choirs that made our festive days truly festive!

• Thank you all of our Altar Servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers, and Presiders.

• Thank you to our maintenance department and for the set-ups, clean-ups, takedowns and rebuilding.

• Thank you to Tina Kelsall, and everyone who helped transform our beautiful church into a heavenly sight.

• Thank you to Ellen Lang and Bill Malone, and
everyone who helped us to celebrate the Easter Sunrise Mass at the 3rd Street beach in Beach Haven.

• Thank you to the Long Beach Township Police
Department for directing traffic during our Holy Week celebrations (as well as every weekend!)

• Thank you to Sr. Pat, and Fr. Matt who walked with all our OCIA candidates, now full members of our great and glorious church. And thank you to Kevin, Scott, and Richard, Neil, Pam, Eugene, Michele, David, Danielle, Riley, Connor, Michelle, and Emily for your faithfulness and desire to be a part of our Church and community as we, together, meet the Risen Lord every day.

We can never underestimate how many people are needed and how much work goes into making Holy Week happen. Thank you to everyone for your commitment and
dedication to St. Francis of Assisi Parish. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us and being a witness to our faith. Your goodness, your work, your kindness, and your faithfulness all make St. Francis Parish an amazing community. I am truly blessed by you!

Please pray for me and all of the pilgrims on our Parish Pilgrimage to Italy.

May God continue to bless you with all that is good and holy. May the joy and hope of this Easter season radiate from our community and change the world.

Jesus Christ is Risen.
He is Risen, indeed.