PARISH NOTICES - SUNDAY, 5 APRIL 2009

• Today is Palm Sunday. The blessing of palms and procession will take place at both the morning and evening mass.
• We are entering Holy Week - a week in which we prayerfully recall the events of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. This is the most solemn of all weeks in the Church year. It is therefore fitting that we participate in all the liturgical services of the Easter Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday – with attention and a prayerful spirit. With the exams of our children coming to an end many more of us should be able to attend.
• On Holy Thursday the Evening mass of the Lords’ supper will be celebrated at 6:30 pm. During the mass we will make a special collection of food grains for the poor. We will then take the Blessed Sacrament in procession to our Altar of Repose at the STI chapel. There we will spend time in adoration: from 8:30 pm SHTC and Zone C; from 9:15 pm Tanmaya and Zone B; from 10 pm STI and Zone A. It would be nice if each of us spends this time in personal prayer even beyond the time slots allotted to our zones.
• Good Friday is a day of Fast and Abstinence. We will begin our Way of the Cross at 8 am from the STI grotto. The different zones and religious communities will help us reflect on the suffering of Christ. The evening Liturgical Service of the Lord’s Passion will begin at 6:30 pm.
• Our Easter Vigil service will begin at the entrance of the parish on Saturday at 10:30 pm. The main celebrant for the Easter Vigil will be our Archbishop Felix Machado. Please bring candles for the service. The Easter Sunday morning mass will be at 8 am. There will be no evening mass. Please see the notice board for other details. All those involved in the various liturgical services are requested to make the required arrangements and attend the scheduled practices.
• Our Lenten season was very meaningfully celebrated by many of the parishioners who attended the mission that was held on the Fridays in Lent and ended with our Reconciliation service last evening. Our special thanks to all those who animated, collaborated and participated in the various prayer moments. The deepening of our faith will be God’s reward for our generosity in giving time to the faith dimension of our life.
• Those who have not done so already are requested to hand in your animations for the Way of the Cross on Good Friday as soon as possible to Fr. Matthew.

PARISH NOTICES - SUNDAY, 29 MARCH 2009

• Today is the Fifth Sunday in Lent. On Thursday 2 April – the Chrism Mass at which the bishop blesses the holy oils will take place at St. Ann’s Cathedral – Nashik Road at 5 pm. All are invited to take part in this mass. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. The blessing of palms and procession will take place at both the morning and evening mass. For other details regarding the Holy Week services please see the notice board.
• Lent is a time for prayer and reflection. Our parish Lenten mission will soon conclude with two more prayer moments. Next Friday 3 April there will be the Way of the Cross animated by the Youth at 6:30 pm. It will be followed by mass. On Saturday 4 April we will have a Lenten Reflection and Reconciliation service at 5:30 pm. It will last for 2 hours. It is open to all those who are in the 9th Std and above. Kindly avoid bringing children. Please come to experience God’s healing and forgiveness. Kindly note there will be no evening mass next Saturday.
• Please assist the volunteers who collect Church support outside the parish office after the Saturday evening mass and the Sunday evening mass.
• We thank our Blessed Mother for her graces that we receive at our grotto - a place of prayer and blessing. We have posted the final accounts for the expenses of our grotto on the notice-board. The deficit is now about Rs. 20,000/. If any parishioners would like to contribute and help us erase this deficit, please get in touch with the Parish Priest.
• Please finalize and hand in your animations for the Way of the Cross on Good Friday by 1 April to Fr. Matthew. All those involved in the various liturgical services are requested to make the required arrangements and attend the scheduled practices.

PARISH NOTICES - SUNDAY, 15 MARCH 2009

• Today is the Third Sunday in Lent. Thursday 19 March is the Feast of St. Joseph husband of Mary.
• This Sunday – 15 March – will be the last day of Sunday catechism for this academic year. We ask God’s blessings on all the children and the catechists who animated them so competently and selflessly during this year.
• Lent is a time for prayer and reflection. Our parish Lenten mission has begun. It is being held on 13-20-27 March - 3 Fridays in Lent. Next Friday 20 March there will be the Way of the Cross animated by Sunday school children at 6:30 pm. It will be followed by a prayer-reflection on the theme of “Communication in the Family”. The reflection will be followed by mass. The entire evening program (Way of the Cross-Prayer-reflection and Mass) will begin at 6:30 pm and end by 8 pm. All parishioners are invited to attend these reflections to deepen our faith in this season of grace that the Church gives us.
• Our Lenten and Holy Week program is out on the notice-board. Please note the timings of the services and also collaborate with your zone leaders on the days allotted for animation.
• We have begun collecting Church support through volunteers who sit outside the parish office after the Saturday evening mass and the Sunday evening mass. Please assist us in making this collection.
• We thank our Blessed Mother for her graces that we receive at our grotto - a place of prayer and blessing. We have posted the final accounts for the expenses of our grotto on the noticeboard. The deficit is about Rs. 37,728/. If any parishioners would like to contribute and help us erase this deficit, please get in touch with the Parish Priest.
• Holy Cross Parish is organizing a Lenten Retreat and Healing Service from 26 to 29 March. Please see the notice-board for further details.

PROGRAM FOR LENT AND HOLY WEEK: MARCH-APRIL 2009

LENTEN MISSION – 13, 20 AND 27 MARCH 2009
6:30 – 8 pm: Friday 13 March, 20 March and 27 March
- Way of the Cross followed by Prayer-Reflection and then Mass

RECONCILIATION SERVICE – 4 APRIL 2009
5:30 pm: To prepare for Easter there will be a reflection-reconciliation service for the parishioners. It will last for 2 hours.
- There will be no evening mass on Saturday 4 April.

PALM SUNDAY – 5 APRIL 2009
7 am and 6:30 pm: Masses with blessing of palms and procession.
- The evening mass will be animated by the Youth Group.

MAUNDY THURSDAY – 9 APRIL 2009
6:30 pm: Mass of the Lord’s Supper
- Animation will be done by Zone B and Kilbil community.
- The venue for the Altar of Repose is the STI Chapel.
- The adoration timings are as follows:
08:30 – 09:15 pm – SHTC and Zone C
09:15 – 10:00 pm – Tanmaya and Zone B
10:00 – 10:45 pm – STI and Zone A
10:45 – 11:00 pm – Common adoration

GOOD FRIDAY – 10 APRIL 2009
8 am: Way of the Cross [animated by zones and communities] will begin at the STI grotto.
6:30 pm: Liturgical Service of the Lord’s Passion
- It will be animated by Zone C and Nirmala Convent.

EASTER VIGIL – 11 APRIL 2009
10:30 pm: Easter Vigil Service at the entrance of Don Bosco Bhavan
- It will be animated by Zone A and Maria Vihar.
- Please bring candles for the Easter Vigil service.

EASTER SUNDAY – 12 APRIL 2009
8 am: Easter Sunday Mass
- There will be no evening mass

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY – 19 APRIL 2009
9 am: First Holy Communion Mass