2nd Sunday of Easter - Divine Mercy

Today the Mission celebrated this 5th Sunday of the Month - here a Super Sunday with prayers, patties and soup and a town meeting. Yes, today the four church communities came together at 2pm for A Divine Mercy Service: Chaplet, Sermon, Healing Service and Benediction. Then we went to the auditorium for beef patties, chicken foot soup and drink. Our meeting took to completing a needs assessment. This data will help us better plan events for the mission and assist us in preparing our Synod Report. The Question and Answer period allowed church sisters and brothers to express their feelings and concerns and allowed the Team to listen... As we are told in the First Rule, they went to live among them...in living among them and listening to them we can thus journey with them. The crowd of over 102 gave their support for continuing this 5th Sunday/Super Sunday tradition and take our show on the road. Pictures follow of Fr Michael leading the group through the needs assessment. Srs Marcia and Naomi helping our people complete the forms...and the closing prayer was the singing of the Our Father and the 10 Alleluia Song.

When we gather in June it will be in Pinto for the Celebration of Sacred Heart!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Like the women we all rush to see... what did they find, nothing, but the white linens that once bound the hands and feet of their Lord. We too rush to see; hopefully we see and believe!

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Easter Greetings from the friars and the sisters at St. Mary's and Missions. The Triduum Celebrations were exceptional... Thursday Night, Mass of the Lord's Supper and Holy Hour in the Garden at Sacred Hearts, Pinto; The Passion, Live Stations and the Good Friday Service at Holy Family, Cassava River; and the Vigil Service at Our Lady of Lourdes, Rock Hall. Each celebration saw a good number from the other mission communities, which allowed for a packed Church for all the celebrations.

We'd like to extend our prayerful best wishes for you and yours during this Easter Season, and hope that the greeting of PEACE proclaimed time over during these days fills your hearts and homes.

Passion/Palm Sunday - Holy Week Begins!

Holy Week 2008, Jamaica, West Indies

The Palm Sunday Celebration at O L of Lourdes, and again this year, Fr Mike Heine leads us in procession, the Passion and the Sunday Liturgy. This year we will be in Pinto for Holy Thursday, in Cassava River for Friday's Live Station and Good Friday Service, and in Rock Hall for the Vigil.

Stay tuned for more breaking Holy Week

News...

The pool is ready -- Holy Saturday Baptisms

This year we have two adults for Baptism and one for Confirmation. The people of our Mission Church in Rock Hall converted an old pit into an immersion Baptismal Pool for this year's Easter Celebrations . . . more to come after the Vigil.

The newest mural - a la Fr Joe

This week the finishing touches were completed and the "Our Lady of Lourdes" Mural for the Church in Rock Hall was hung. For those of you who subscribe to Magnificat look at the February Edition... from that cover Fr Joe was able to complete a 10foot likeness for Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Rock Hall.

YOUTH GROUP to LIME CAY

On Saturday, March 8th the youth groups of the Mission make pilgrimage to the tiny island off Port Royal for a day of fun in the sun, sand and Caribbean waters... for many of our "kids" this was a first; and I use "kids" loosely as our youth group hosts 6 year olds through 28 year olds!

The day was full of fun and excitement- and a few surprises. Swift currents and brisk winds brought the group to the beach for most of the late afternoon. Dominoes, cards, football and looking for "things" along the tide line took over the adventures in the water.

CUA VISITS - 3rd year...

Father Brad Heckathorne, Campus Minister at Catholic University of America (CUA), returns for his third visit to St Mary's, Above Rocks...but he didn't come alone. Fr Brad and twenty-one (21) students were in Jamaica for eight days of service. The group assists at St. Patrick's Foundation (founded by Msgr Richard Albert) in the Riverton section of inner-city Kingston. Here the students get to see the skills training center and the basic school, the feeding and outreach centers. More importantly, the CUA students, come to realize this inner-city community live on, off and in the dump. Sorting garbage...looking for scrap metal...turning a dollar on others refuse.

On Wednesday the group came up to St. Mary's for a day of service. Four students were nurses and they helped for the day in the clinic. Several were education majors (interested in education) and helped in the Cupertino Center and made a visit to St Mary's Basic. A few helped in the feeding center, but the bulk of the group helped get a coat of pain on the newly renovated auditorium stage.

We thank Fr Brad and the CUA students for their visit... their presence and assistance and their donation of time, talent and treasure. God's Speed!