EASTER SUNDAY MASS INTENTIONS:

Pastor’s Notes

8:00 p.m. Saturday, April 15 EASTER VIGIL Naomi Sebastian (Baptism) (Sebastian Family) 8:00 a.m. Sunday, April 16 EASTER SUNDAY + John Payne (Deb Payne) 10:00 a.m. Sunday, April 16 EASTER SUNDAY For the People 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 17 NO MASS 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 18 NO MASS 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19 NO MASS 8:00 a.m. Thursday, April 20 NO MASS 8:00 a.m. Friday, April 21 NO MASS 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22 + Carol Gerlach (Love Kathy & Guy King) 8:00 a. m. Sunday, April 23 For the People 10:00 a.m. Sunday, April 23 First Communion Children receiving First Holy Communion

The Easter Proclamation, the Exultet, declares “O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!” This statement expresses the ancient Christian belief that the human race is better off after the fall of Adam and Eve because God in His great love for us chose to redeem us in a way that would allow us to share in the very life of the most Holy Trinity. By Jesus’ giving of Himself for us on the Cross we are given the chance of attaining everlasting life and a share in His own glory. By dying and rising with Christ in Baptism we become true daughters and sons of God. Each year throughout the Church, men and women embrace our faith through the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. These sacraments are rightly called the Easter sacraments because they draw the new believer and all of us directly into Christ’s Passion and Resurrection. In Baptism, they die with Christ so that they may rise with Him. In Confirmation, they receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit that enables them to proclaim the Resurrection. In the Eucharist, they receive the foretaste of that eternal life one for us on the Cross. As we rejoice today with the newly baptized, we recall that in rising with Christ all of us are accepting the vocation of living as a “Resurrection People”. As such we have the responsibility of carrying the good news to others just as St. Peter did. We too are to testify that Jesus “is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.” We do this of course not by preaching but by the way we live our lives each day. Christ’s victory over evil has given each one of us the power to resist evil and to perform acts of true charity. Thus, by following Christ’s example and always seeking to do the Father’s will, we can be a transforming and life giving presence in the world and, with God’s help, truly make things better.

SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES:

Sunday:

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Monday within the Octave of Easter; Income Tax Day Tuesday within the Octave of Easter Wednesday within the Octave of Easter Thursday within the Octave of Easter Friday within the Octave of Easter Saturday within the Octave of Easter; Earth Day

Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday:

Today as our Alleluias ring out, we declare to the world that Jesus is our savior. We pray that our victorious Savior has mercy on us. And above all, we resolve to live our lives as a people who seeks “what is above” so that through our witness the whole world will come to embrace Jesus Christ and thereby know

Total collection: April 8/9 $2,510.05 Average expenses last 4 weeks: $3,277.61 Total in Electrical Fund: $148,011.26 Total Pledged for Electrical as of 3/9: $131,209.25 Attendance: 5:30 (72) 8:00 (85) 10:00 ()

MINISTERS: EUCHARIST: _ _ LECTOR: SERVERS: USHERS: _

SAT. APRIL 22 5:30 PM PAUL SEBASTIAN RENEE DAVISON GRETCHEN MCCONNELL GABBY MCCONNELL KEITH DAVISON ROBERT KING

everlasting life. Happy Easter!

SUN. APRIL 23 8:00 AM JOAN WITTENBERG ALICE DACHOWSKI

ED DACHOWSKI LARRY BESS

________

Father Tom

SUN. APRIL 23 10:00 AM FIRST COMMUNION JOY AND KEITH ELLIOTT AND JANET NORTH__ MARY KLINE _____________________________ GARRETT FRAZEE, ELIJAH LEWIS LAYNE OURS AND AUSTIN STAPLETON______ ALLEN WHITE ALEX WHITE_____________________________

DANCING FOR JOY: The people say that the sun dances on this day in joy for a risen Savior.

—Alexander Carmichael

FATHER THOMAS HAMM, JR. PASTOR

APRIL 16, 2017________ REJOICE AND BE GLAD

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad” (Psalm 118:24). Let us remember that these words of today’s responsorial psalm are not only sung from the hearts of those gathered in our parish. They are also sung by the poor in tiny barrios throughout Central and South America. They are sung by those denied religious freedom in our world; these Christians lift their voices in clandestine places of worship. These words are sung by people who have lost loved ones to acts of terrorism and war around the globe. Even in the midst of conflict and division, Christians still come together to declare that poverty, loneliness, violence, and division will never, ever have as much power as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Indeed, let us rejoice this day and be glad! Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. PLEASE EXTEND A WARM WELCOME to Father Marty Holler (retired from FATHER TOM is receiving physical and occupational therapy at Athens County) who has graciously come to have our Holy Week and Easter Bishop Joseph H. Hodges Continuous Care Center at Wheeling Masses in Father Tom’s absence. Hospital, 600 Medical Park, Wheeling, WV 26003. He is in Room NO CONFIRMATION CLASSES TODAY SUNDAY, APRIL 16 (Easter Sunday).

227 B. Please keep Father Tom in your prayers for a speedy recovery.

NO WEEK DAY MASSES THIS WEEK.

NEXT WEEKEND WE WILL TAKE UP THE CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS APPEAL. Right now, over 40 percent of dioceses in the US are considered home missions because they are unable to fund essential pastoral work needed in their communities. Your support of this appeal helps ease the struggle for these dioceses. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this appeal. More information can be found at www.usccb.org/homemissions.

MANDATORY MEETING OF BOTH PARISH COUNCIL AND FINANCE COUNCIL ON TUEDSDAY, APRIL 18 AT 7:00 PM TO OPEN BIDS FOR THE ELECTRICAL PROJECT. NO BIBLE STUDY ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19. PARISH SCHOOL OF RELIGION resume their classes on Wednesday, April 19 6:00-7:00 PM. FIRST HOLY COMMUNION WILL BE NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 23 AT THE 10:00 AM MASS. THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS WILL PREPARE A BREAKFAST ONLY AFTER THE 10:00 MASS. THEY INVITE EVERYONE TO COME AND CONGRATULATE THE FIRST COMMUNICANTS ON THIS BLESSED DAY. THERE WILL BE NO EUCHARISTIC ADORATION NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 23. LIVE YOUR FAITH- SERVING THOSE IN NEED. Grow Spiritually. Develop Christian Friendships. Today as we Celebrate the feast of Easter we find the challenge of also seeing And believing the resurrection that comes through our own lives of Self –sacrifice. It is then that we are truly Easter people! When you use your St. Vincent de Paul envelope the weekend of April 30 know that you are a sign of God’s love to those who are suffering and you give them Easter hope and joy.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND Looking for a romantic getaway weekend? Celebrate the gift of love God has given you in one another and learn more communication techniques of a CHRIST centered marriage filled with romance and intimacy at a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend. The next weekend is May 5-7, 2017 at the Clarion Inn in Husdon, Ohio. Applications for a Marriage Encounter Weekend and further information are available online GreatMarriagesOhio.org or call 330-305-9963.

WE WISH EVERYONE A VERY BLESSED EASTER SEASON.

TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION

NAMES ON THE PRAYER LIST WILL REMAIN FOR 30 DAYS AFTER 30 DAYS THEY WILL BE REMOVED UNLESS YOU NOTIFY THE OFFICE.

These names will remain until April 30, 2017 Please pray for the health and the healing of our friends and relatives:

Resty and Gisela Alonzo, Kali Blazer, Brett Bokovitz, Bob & Joan Browning, Erin Caldwell, Harriett Davison, Karen Davison, Keith Davison, Betty Doerfer, Sue Freyberg,. Jonnie Lou Gabrielli, Albert Grable, Kelly Haas, Larry Haas, Doug & Barbara Johnson, Edna Johnson, Everett King, Robert King, Noah Knackstedt, Davey Mathney, Lee Ann Mollohan, Kassandra Mosher, Phoebe Neal, Baby Ours, Linda Plymale, Mark Porter, Bart Repass, Herlinda Reyes, Jeff Rider, Remo & Helen Rocchi, Ken Ryan, Charlotte Shaffer, Lyle Shillington, Dr. Anthony Sola, Katy Sprow, Wendy Stiles, Irene & Charles Surber, Sandy Vanco, Helga Waldrop, Tyler Ward, Jamie Weis, Jack Williams, Harry White, Patrick Wolfe and Tombo Woodward.

Easter is nearly three weeks later this year than last. Why does the date wobble around the calendar so? The way of calculating the date was set by the Emperor Constantine in 325. The decision ended a very bitter controversy in the church. Some people wanted to synchronize the Pasch with Passover on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month Nissan, and their opponents wanted it after the Passover was complete, on the Sunday after the first full moon of springtime. The ecclesiastical rules do not exactly connect with the astronomical rules. The emperor squashed the hopes of the quartodecimans, as the fans of 14 Nissan were called, and chose Sunday. The traditional rule is that Easter is the first Sunday after the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox, the fourteenth day of the new moon, and later than March 21. Thus, Easter wobbles between March 22 and April 25. The actual tables and methods for computing the date are extraordinarily detailed, with subtle variations and mind-bending exceptions and charts with “golden numbers,” “dominical letters,” and “epacts” measuring leap years. In 1954 and 1962 the ecclesiastical calculations actually overrode the astronomical new moons and bumped Easter back a month! Today, there is a movement in the World Council of Churches (Protestants and Orthodox) for all Christians to combine their celebrations, based on the star charts for the Jerusalem skies. In principle, the Catholic Church is open to an ecumenical agreement on a fixed date for Easter, but we desire a unanimous decision from the World Council. —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.