We are about to enter the most Sacred Days of the Church Year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. This Lent and Holy Week, Catholics across the world are experiencing an unexpected and unfortunate fast from Holy Communion, which comes in the wake of the coronavirus. In many ways, the inability to receive the Risen Christ has become an unimaginable Lenten penance.

Priests across the Archdiocese, and here at Annunziata, are offering a private daily Mass without a congregation. However, all the Priests in your Archdiocese offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice for your good and your personal intentions.

It is important to recall that, although our obligation to attend Sunday Mass is extended to at least the end of April, we are never dispensed from honoring the Third Commandment to “keep holy the Sabbath."

As I mentioned on our website several weeks ago, when you cannot physically participate in Mass, you can watch and pray on television or live stream the Mass on your computer. These Mass offerings are found on archstl.org/coronavirus

We can make a Spiritual Communion - a practice of expressing to the Lord our longing for Him and our desire for Christ to enter our hearts. While there is no formula prescribed by the Church to make an act of spiritual communion, one of the more popular acts of spiritual communion comes from St. Alphonsus Liguori: “My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You.”

We pray for all the Doctors, Nurses, and Medical Personnel who minister to those who are sick with the virus. Further, may God protect our police, firefighters, EMTs, grocery workers, pharmacy staff, and countless others who work in areas that are essential for our community.

• OUR CHURCH IS OPEN FOR PRAYER: (Please enter by east side)
• HOLY THURSDAY - 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. (Please note that this extended time is to Praise God for Holy Communion)
• GOOD FRIDAY - 6:45 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.
• HOLY SATURDAY - 6:45 to 1:00 p.m.
• EASTER SUNDAY - 6:45 to Noon

THE SACRAMENT OF DIVINE MERCY IS OFFERED:

• GOOD FRIDAY - 10:30 a.m. to Noon
• HOLY SATURDAY - 10:30 a.m. to Noon

Please pray for our Second Grade First Holy Communion Class whose May 2nd First Communion Mass is Postponed. Also, pray for this year’s Confirmation Class whose May 13th, Confirmation Mass is also Postponed.

MAY CHRIST’S RESURRECTION RENEW HOPE IN OUR HEARTS!

With Love and Prayers,
Father John Leykam