FROM  THE PASTOR'S DESK……

MARCH 28, 2004

Dear Fellow Parishioners,

Next Sunday, April 4^th, 2004,  we begin Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday.  I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to attend all the events of this most glorious week in the entire church year.  The Chrism Mass will be held on Monday, April 5^th, at Madonna del Sasso Parish in Salinas, California from 10:00 a.m. until noon.  If you've ever attended a Chrism Mass before,  you know  what an impressive liturgical experience this is!   It is a special moment when the entire church of the Diocese of Monterey gets together with their beloved chief pastor, Bishop Sylvester Ryan.  The oils that will be used for the coming year throughout the Diocese for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, & The Anointing of the Sick are blessed and distributed  to the parishes.  All the priests of the Diocese renew their vows before the Bishop.  The laity renew their Baptismal promises, too.  I'd like to invite all those who can come to join me and representatives from Old Mission San Miguel Parish.  We'll leave in a caravan from the Old Mission Parking Lot at 8:00 a.m. and return at 3:00 p.m.

In order to provide a special environment of prayer and devotion, I and the parish staff have decided to hold the services of the Triduum at the Old Mission in the retreat center's conference room called "La Conquistadora."   It will begin with the Liturgy of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday evening, April  8^th at 7:00 p.m.  We will have the traditional ceremony of the washing of the feet, and there will be a time for adoration at the altar of repose from the end of Mass until 10:00 p.m.  The Liturgy of the Passion will be held in the same place on Good Friday evening, April 9^th also at 7:00 p.m.  The Passion of Christ will again be proclaimed and there will be the Adoration of the Cross as well as Holy Communion.  The Easter Vigil will be held in the same place on Holy Saturday, April 10^th at 8:00 p.m.  In this wonderful service there is the blessing of the new Easter fire, the new Easter Candle, and the new Easter water.  All three services will be bilingual so that we can worship together as one church family during these three important days of Holy Week. 

I hope that all of you will make a special effort to join us this year as we celebrate these key events of our salvation.

                                     Sincerely yours in Christ,

                                     Fr. Raymond J. Tintle, OFM
                                     Pastor