Pastor’s Letter: March 26, 2023

Pastor’s Letter: March 26, 2023

24 Mar 2023 | Posted by: chadmin

The March 26 bulletin is available online.

Dear friend,

I was recently asked how the date of Easter is determined each year. Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus from death. The Gospels reveal that Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. The Jews traditionally observe Passover on the 14^th of the month of Nisan. The Passover is also supposed to coincide with the Full Moon. The Jews traditionally used a Lunar Calendar. Obviously we know that no calendar based on the sun or the moon is perfect over years. There have to be adjustments from year to year to any calendar, for example our leap year. As the Christian Church developed, the Church preferred not to wait for the Jewish theologians to announce when Passover would be celebrated in order to determine the date of Easter. The Christian Church settled on celebrating Easter after the first full moon after the spring Equinox. Of course the Spring Equinox can be determined by date of March 21 on the calendar or by the astronomical spring Equinox, which can vary based on how the sky looks on different dates. Over the years, the western Catholic Church settled on using the calendar date of March 21 for the spring Equinox, so Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon. This year the full moon after March 21 is on April 6, our celebration of Holy Thursday. Easter this year will be celebrated on Sunday, April 9.

Our grade school kids will perform the Wizard of Oz Musical this weekend at the Peoria Players. I am so grateful to our Director Mary Ellen Ulrich and all who give countless hours to make the show a success. I am always so moved by not only the excellence in our kids performance, but how it truly helps our kids grow as people. It truly takes all an overwhelming amount of time from the parents and musical staff to help the show succeed, but it is all so worth it for the children. If you are unable to enjoy the show this year, I hope you have the ability to participate in future years. A word of congratulations and thanks to all the kids involved in the musical.

Next Friday our 7^th grade students will perform the Living Stations of the Cross. This prayer time allows the kids to reflect on the stations and write their own descriptions of the passion. This process of writing the stations allows for a prayer experience in Lent that brings growth in understanding of theology of the Passion for our 7^th graders. The fruit of their prayer and reflection is the gift of the stations performed for the parish community. The stations will take place after the 5:30 pm Mass on Friday, March 31. Have a good week.

God bless

Father David