Dear sisters and brothers,

Over the past couple of months, the Pastoral Council has been discussing ways of looking to the future with some strategic vision. With this in mind, the pastoral council is inviting parishioners to a planning session on Sunday, April 10. “Looking Ahead”: Parish Planning Day will be opportunity to gather a cross-section of our parishioners together and imagine some immediate and longer-term goals and opportunities for the parish community. More information will be provided in weeks to come, but for the moment, please consider coming along on Sunday, April 10 (10:30am-12:30pm) to offer your hopes and play a part in shaping the future of St. Agatha’s parish.

This coming week, Fr. Stephen and I will be involved in the clergy convocation for all priests within the Archdiocese. This means that we will both be absent from the parish on Tuesday and Wednesday. As a result, there will be no Mass in the parish on Wednesday. The convocation will conclude with the Chrism Mass in the Cathedral on Wednesday. This is the Mass when the Archbishop blesses the Sacred Oils (Oil of Baptism, Oil of Chrism, Oil of the Sick) to be used throughout the Archdiocese in this coming year. You are all welcome to come to the Cathedral and participate in this Mass on Wednesday night, starting at 7pm.

Please don’t forget the envelopes (on the pews) for Fr. Stephen’s thank you gift. Fr. Stephen’s farewell morning tea will be held after the 9am Mass next Sunday (Palm Sunday). In the meantime, I hope that you take the opportunity to thank Fr. Stephen for his ministry among us.

Also please take note of the times for the Easter celebrations and consider joining us for the three major celebrations — Holy Thursday night, Good Friday afternoon, and Holy Saturday night (Easter Vigil). If Lent has passed you by, maybe making a commitment to celebrate these three sacred days is an opportunity to truly enter into the celebration of Easter. On Monday night, we will celebrate our Second Rite of Reconciliation, for which Fr. Orm Rush will also join us. In this Year of Mercy, let us make a special effort to celebrate God’s mercy for us and the mercy we are asked to show to one another. Like the woman in today’s gospel, may we also hear Jesus say to us, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more”.

Fr. Anthony