A Message from

(Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord)From Fr. Jim

This Week is Holy Week! Please come join us in celebrating this holiest of weeks in our Catholic liturgical life. Our Schedule of Services is as follows:

March 19/20 - Palm Sunday of the Lords Passion

Regular Mass schedule.

1:15pm - Rev. Michael Connollys presentation on the Passion Narrative

Monday, March 21:

8:30 am Daily Mass

12:15 pm Lenten Mass

7:00 pm Diocesan Chrism Mass at Holy Cross Church, Dover, DE

* The Oils used are blessed by Bishop Malooly and Priests serving in the Diocese will renew their Priestly Promises.

Tuesday, March 22:

8:30 am Daily Mass

Wednesday, March 23:

8:30 am Daily Mass

12:15 pm Lenten Mass

Holy Thursday of the Lords Supper, March 24:

8:30 am Morning Prayer in IC Chapel

7:00 pm Evening Liturgy of the Lords Supper with Washing of Feet.

* Please bring food or money for Outreach to bring forward to the Sanctuary during the Offertory - IC

* Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will continue until 10:00pm in IC Chapel.

9:30 pmCompline (Night Prayer) in IC Chapel

Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord, March 25:

8:30 am Morning Prayer in IC Chapel

3:00 pm Shadow Stations in IC Church

7:00 pm Celebration of the Passion of the Lord with Adoration of the Holy Cross & Holy Communion - IC

Holy Saturday, March 26:

8:30 am Morning Prayer in IC Chapel

11:00 am Blessing of Food in IC Chapel

8:00 pm - Easter Vigil with Baptisms, Confirmation and Holy Communion for our Elect & Candidates - IC

* Please maintain a spirit of reverent silence as you enter Church for the Vigil.

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection, March 27:

Masses at IC Church: 7:00, 8:30, 10:15 & Noon

Masses at SJ: 9:00 and 11:00

Ecumenical Crosswalks on Good Friday: Join the Ecumenical Cross Walks in Elkton or North East that recall Christs Seven Last Words in Scriptures, prayer, reflection and song. Please come and pray with us!

Elkton Crosswalk: Begins at Noon at Trinity Episcopal Church (Bridge and Main Street) and ends at Wrights AME Church (125 Booth Street).

North East Crosswalk: Begins Noon outside North East Middle School, (200 E Cecil Avenue) and ends at North East United Methodist Church Sanctuary, (308 S Main St.)

Lenten Almsgiving for IC/SJ: Thank you to the number of people who picked up Almsgiving boxes and who have returned them. We only have Holy week and Easter week to fill and return these boxes.

You can return these boxes to the baskets in the Divine Mercy Alcove (IC) or Entrances (SJ)

Make checks payable to Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc. and write Christian Refugee Relief in the memo line.

Thank you for your support and please pray for an end to ISIS and the oppression of others

Pope Francis Year of Mercy Quote of the Week

We celebrate Palm Sunday of the Lords Passion. There is no Christianity without the Cross. Pope Francis preached: Christianity is not a philosophical doctrine; it is not a program of life that enables one to be well formed and to make peace. There are its consequences. Christianity is a person, a person lifted up on the cross. A person who emptied himself to save us. He took on sin. And so just as in the desert sin was lifted up, here God made man was lifted up for us. And all of our sins were there. [Therefore] one cannot understand Christianity without understanding this profound humiliation of the Son of God, who humbled himself and made himself a servant unto death on the cross. Thanks to the mercy of God, we glory in Christ Crucified. And that is why there is no Christianity without the Cross, and there is no Cross without Jesus Christ. (Homily, Domus Sanctae Marthae, April 8, 2014)

We extend a warm welcome to our new Parishioners:

Mr. and Mrs. Salvator Pauciulo

March 21, 2016

8:30 AMAlma DiPaola

12:15 PMMichael Onifer III

March 22, 2016

8:30 AMPatricia Fleck

March 23, 2016

8:30 AMCharles B. Cooper III (Living Intention)

12:15 PMDolly Alabras

March 24, 2016 - Holy Thursday

8:30 AMMorning Prayer

7:00 PMAlma DiPaola

March 25, 2016 - Good Friday

8:30 AM Morning Prayer

6:30 PMMemorial of the Lords Passions

March 26, 2016 - Holy Saturday - Easter Vigil

8:30 AMMorning Prayer

8:00 PMEaster Vigil

March 27, 2016 - Easter Sunday

7:00 AMShirley Devine

8:30 AMArthur Jones

9:00 AM SJSr. Mary Pascha, IHM

10:15 AMCecilia Schaeffer

11:00 AM SJPeople of the Parish

12:00 PMMike Whitlock

Liturgy

Readings for Next Week - Easter Sunday:

First Reading: Acts 10:34a, 37-43

Peter discusses Jesus' life of preaching and healing. Jesus was crucified, and then he rose up and was seen by his chosen witnesses. Peter also mentions the importance of all the disciples bearing witness to what they saw, so that many people would believe in Jesus, and have their sins forgiven through him.

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4

Paul asserts that we must pay attention to higher realms rather than earthly concerns. Our life is not yet completely known to us, until Christ appears and we are raised to glory in him.

Gospel: John 20:1-9

When Mary Magdalene discovered Jesus' tomb was open, she told Simon Peter and another disciple. They ran to the tomb and Peter went inside. He found the burial wrappings on the ground, with the head covering separate from the rest. The other disciple came in and they believed what they saw, although until then they had not understood the Scripture's message of Jesus' resurrection.

What Is the Easter Duty in Roman Catholicism?

Due to the central importance of Easter to the Christian faith, the Catholic Church requires that all Catholics who have made their First Communion receive the Holy Eucharist sometime during the Easter season, which lasts through Pentecost Sunday, 50 days after Easter. (They should also take part in the Sacrament of Penance before receiving this Easter communion.) This reception of the Eucharist is a sign of our faith and our participation in the Kingdom of God. Of course, we should receive Communion as often as possible. This "Easter Duty" is simply the minimum requirement set by the Church

Discover anew the greatest story ever told this week! This Sunday, Palm Sunday, we celebrate Jesus entry into Jerusalem and participate in the reading of the Passion of Christ. Bring It Home this week by walking with Jesus on His journey by attending your parish's Holy Week Services as a family. Read the daily Gospel each night together before dinner or before bedtime

Adoration for Vocations is usually held on the first Sunday of the month. However, this will NOT occur during 2016. The parish has Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on the first Friday of the month of 2016 in association with the Year of Mercy. Those who come to pray for vocations are encouraged to come pray for vocations during the first Friday exposition. Any questions please call Dermott Mullan at 410-398-03368.

Daily Mass Readings:

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Sunday

Lk 19:28-40; Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Lk 22:1423:56 or 23:1-49

Monday

Is 42:1-7; Jn 12:1-11

Tuesday

Is 49:1-6; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38

Wednesday

Is 50:4-9a; Mt 26:14-25

Thursday

Chrism Mass: Is 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9; Rv 1:5-8; Lk 4:16-21

Evening Mass of the Lords Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14;

1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15

Friday

Is 52:1353:12; Heb 4:14-16, 5:7-9; Jn 18:119:42

Saturday

Easter Vigil: Gn 1:12:2 or 1:1, 26-31a; Gn 22:1-18 or

22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Ex 14:1515:1; Is 54:5-14;

Is 55:1-11; Bar 3:9-15, 324:4; Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28;

Rom 6:3-11; Lk 24:1-12

Easter Flowers: If you would like to make a donation for Easter flowers in memory of a loved one please use the envelope in your envelope packet or put your donation in a regular envelope. Put the name of the person to be remembered on the outside of the envelope and place it in the collection basket or send to the Parish Office.

Parish Offices will be CLOSED on Good Friday, March 25th and Easter Monday, March 28th. We will resume our normal schedule on Tuesday, March 29th. Happy Easter!

Collections on Holy Thursday:

The collection on Holy Thursday will be for the Parish Outreach. Offerings of non perishable food items or monetary donations will be accepted. These donations will be brought forward to the Sanctuary during the Offertory

Childrens Liturgy of the Word

Childrens Liturgy is for children ages 5 - 8. Children who are not in this age group are asked to remain in church.

No Childrens Liturgy Next week! Happy Easter! Childrens Liturgy will resume on April 3rd.

Faith Formation

Immaculate Conception School News

Our students and staff will conclude our Lenten preparations during Holy Week. Our middle school students will participate in a Seder meal, and the whole school will attend Stations of the Cross on Wednesday at 11:00. School dismisses at noon for the Easter Holiday. Our prayers are that each of you experience a very happy and holy Easter.

Pi Day was a huge success! Many students put in a lot of effort into memorizing digits of the irrational number. That is a tough challenge! There was a three-way tie in 7th grade between Max Brady, Madelyn Toth, and Tori Pietuszka. 8th Grades repeated class champion was Ryan Mann. 6th grade c