Holy Week Thank Yous
The National Football League has ONE Super Bowl a year. We in the Church world have two – Christmas and Easter. Then we have several other very special liturgies but our two Super Bowls both require much creativity, planning, setup, execution and clean up. The difference is that Christmas is basically two days; Holy Week includes ten liturgies beginning on Palm Sunday and much more setup and take down between liturgies.
Knowing that I will forget someone, here is an incomplete list of people who I want to thank on behalf of all of you for making this one of the most prayerful Holy Weeks that I have been a part of:
Palm Sunday
Thank you to the ensemble who proclaimed the Lord’s Passion: Alice Brown, Bill Brown, Judy Petrie, Anne Madsen, Jeri Garcia
Holy Thursday
Thank you to:
Those who volunteered to have their feet washed before the assembly
SCC/GIG members who assisted with water and towel replenishment during the foot washing service, led by Chester Trocha
Knights of Columbus who assisted with moving chairs and foot washing tubs, the procession, standing guard at the Altar of Repose, and more
Candle lighters, led by Joette Brown
Oil bearers
Mike Petrie’s call to worship on the shofar
All those who set up the Altar of Repose
The Passion Play teens who recreated Jesus and the sleeping disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane in the courtyard during the procession
Heidi Trocha who baked the substantial bread
Adoration ministry
Bob Iberle for receiving our holy oils at the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral and for cleaning the vessels
Good Friday
Thank you to:
Lynn and Dave Daugerdas,Teresa Calpino and Peg Hanrahan who produced a wonderful Passion Play
All the teens who prayerfully told the story and helped us to venerate the Cross
The teens who ran the AV loft during the three presentations
Vigil & Easter
Thank you to:
Our RCIA team and those who are now our neophytes as they finished their journey at the Easter Vigil
For our band and our music ministry who led us in singing so many touching songs
For all who decorated/changed our environment from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, particularly Pam & Rick McMahon who created the trees behind the altar
A Huge Thank You to:
The Holy Family Staff who stepped in to do whatever was needed
A legion of countless volunteers
To Eric Kramp and our maintenance staff for tending to so many details
Our Sign Language interpreters
Our Knights of Columbus who facilitated Easter Sunday parking, and so many other things
Scott Swenson and his team of ushers
Pete & Cari Pappas and their team of proclaimers
John & Jan Wood and their team of Liturgical Leads and all of our Eucharistic Ministers
Those who served in the AV loft
Those who will diligently water our flowers to help them survive through Pentecost
Sacristans who washed linens
Our wonderful band, choir and guest musicians and the entire Music Ministry
Judy Petrie and Kristen Berryhill for being everything everywhere all at once
Bob Lanigan, our future deacon and Dennis Brown, our current deacon who serve us so faithfully all the time
And because so much of Holy Week is liturgically focused, a huge thank you to Gene Garcia, our Director of Liturgical Arts and Music for his creativity, leadership and good humor
And last but not least, to all of YOU who came to a service and were witnesses the beauty of the greatest story that we will ever be a part of.
Compassion
We continue our focus on compassion as the Easter Season unfolds. I encourage you to notice the effect of compassion on the lives of others. Take some time to think about when someone showed you compassion and the new life that it brought to you. Perhaps you showed compassion to another and it helped them experience new life, new energy and perhaps new hope. Isn’t that what Easter is all about – new life, new hope, new energy, maybe a new outlook or a fresh start? There may be no limit to the new life that our compassion can bring to our world.
Let us embrace the compassion here at Holy Family and make that compassion manifest in our community.