Origin of Divine Mercy Sunday Saint Faustina : Mankind’s need for the message of Divine Mercy took on dire urgency in the 20th Century, when civilization began to experience an “eclipse of the sense of God” and, therefore to lose the understanding of the sanctity and inherent dignity of human life. In the 1930s, Jesus chose a humble Polish nun, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, to receive private revelations concerning Divine Mercy that were recorded in her Diary . Bl. Pope John Paul explains: This was precisely the time when those ideologies of evil, nazism and communism, were taking shape. Sister Faustina became the herald of the one message capable of off-setting the evil of those ideologies, that fact that God is mercy—the truth of the merciful Christ. And for this reason, when I was called to the See of Peter, I felt impelled to pass on those experiences of a fellow Pole that deserve a place in the treasury of the universal Church. ~ Bl. Pope John Paul II, Memory and Identity (2005) Divine Mercy Sunday : St. Faustina’s Diary records 14 occasions when Jesus requested that a Feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday) be observed. On May 5, 2000, five days after the canonization of St. Faustina, the Vatican decreed that the Second Sunday of Easter would henceforth be known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Sacred Heart Parish will celebrate this feast on April 27, 2014, 3pm in the Church. Prior to that, all are encouraged to do the Novena: more information on this can be found on the United States Bishop’s website at usccb.org and also at www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/novena.htm. About the Online Giving Internet electronic banking has become accepted as a normal way of conducting business. Sacred Heart’s plan is to have almost all giving done on-line within five years. Online Giving is an automatic deduction from your checking account or credit card that you can manage yourself or have us manage for you. Online Giving provides the opportunity to earn airline miles, points or cash back from your credit card! It can be set up weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly and there are special collections and other funds you can donate to also. You can start, stop and change you contributions at any time. → The Online Giving program helps the Parish by lowering the cost and effort to process monetary contributions. This is a savings to our Parish. Contact us for more information! We really do appreciate and thank you for signing-up for Online Giving. Legion of Mary ~ With only two priests, volunteers are needed in this ministry more than ever! Contact: Becca McCarter 710-6760 The Legion of Mary delivers communion to our home bound parishioners (including the nursing homes but not the hospitals). This group meets every Thursday at 1pm in the Sacred Heart Library to pray together and to organize for delivering communion. Altar Society ~ The most important work of the church is the Liturgy! Contact: Kathy Sischka 778-0013 The Altar Society, serving all the members of the Sacred Heart Community, maintains and decorates the altar and sanctuary of the Church; provides light cleaning of pews/straightening and changing of the missals, provides care and cleaning of the priests’ vestments, altar server albs, altar cloths and linens; and purchases/cares for altar flowers. The group takes care of all seasonal decorating for Christmas and Easter, sponsors Sunday Coffee, and the Annual Holiday Craft & Bake Sale. From the Heart Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Parish Prescott Vol. 4/1 April 2014 From the Desk of Fr. Darrin ~ Parish Tee Shirt: It is my personal opinion that the Catholic Church Get ready for Spring! should get out of the “volunteering” and “fundraising” Our Sacred Heart Parish Tee Shirt is on sale business and get into the “make more disciples” now at the Parish Office. Shirts are available business. In other Christian denominations if you ask for in Red and Black in adult sizes (small, volunteers everyone responds. In the Catholic Church, medium, large, extra large and XXL). Cost is not so much! $15 each or two for $25. Our Annual Pastor’s Report to the Diocese last summer stated that we had just under 600 individual volunteers at our church and school. But please know: at the school the parents are required to volunteer as part of tuition. At the parish we have over 1700 registered households . So, 600 is not such a big number in comparison. Your parish needs you more than ever now. And you need to live out your call to be a full disciple of Jesus. We need you to step up to the plate and do your part as a disciple of Jesus. You are called to give, to use your talents and gifts, so that God's work can not only continue but also flourish here in Prescott. Look Sharp ~ Look Sacred! We all have to do something. You decide what it is. April & May Events at Sacred Heart Church: Trust me we have plenty of things to do here ~ you can Good Friday Stations, April 18th never be bored in the Catholic Church! I know I'm not 12pm at the Courthouse in English bored! 12pm, Live Stations, in Spanish, Church Parking Lot 3pm Church in English 5:30pm Service in English, 7:30pm in Spanish We have had the luxury of having many priests here. In th fact at one time we had seven! Our parish only has two Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 19 , 8pm priests assigned here now. It could be over a year before Please pray for our newly initiated Catholics! Easter Sunday, April 20 th we get more help. Never in the history of Sacred Heart In English: 7am, 9am, 11am ( no 5pm Mass ) since the Claretians have been here (almost 100 years!) In Spanish: 1pm has there been so few priests. Because of this, I do know School Play: The Ninth Life, April 25-27 that Sacred Heart needs more of its parishioners to live Friday, Saturday & Sunday, School Gym their discipleship so that we can grow the ministry and Canonization of Blessed Popes John XXIII work of Jesus Christ. and John Paul II, Sunday, April 27 th PreSchool Trike-A-Thon, Friday, May 2 nd Do you hear that? Is Jesus calling you? Are you putting Cuteness on wheels! To sponsor, call 445-3141. th him on hold or are you going to answer it? Life Line Screening, Friday, May 9 Annual Spring Gala ~ Friday, May 9 th God Bless you all and see you at Mass! 1920’s Gala & Casino Night, School Gym, Yours in Christ, Tickets in advance at the School & Parish Office 1st Comm. & Conf. for Children, Sat. May 17 th Please pray for their life-long commitment to Christ in His Most Holy Eucharist! Fr. Darrin Merlino, C.M.F., Pastor As always: read the Bulletin or website for more information! www.sacredheartprescott.com .