Fr. Ron will be performing the Traditional Blessing of the Baskets on Holy Saturday (April 3rd) at 1pm in the Parish Hall. Called Swieconka (sh-vee-en-soon-kah) in Polish the Easter Blessing of the Baskets is one of the most enduring and beloved Polish traditions. Baskets containing a sampling of Easter foods are brought to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday. The basket is traditionally lined with a white linen or lace napkin and decorated with sprigs of boxwood , the typical Easter evergreen....

Recently Fr. Ron led the St. Margaret Regional school students in the Living Way of the Cross.  Here are a few pictures:

Around the Parish you might have noticed a little work being done. Since arriving Fr. John Sullivan our new pastor has been making numerous improvements around the parish. From roof work to refinishing doors and painting walls and banisters. Some of the more exciting projects however have been our new additions such as the new hymn boards, the refinished statues of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and our two new crosses. The Processional Cross pictured above is a give of the Estate of June Callahan.

Palm Sunday: The Solemn Procession Explained The Solemn Procession is designed to create a liturgical contrast between the worlds idea of a Messiah and our God’s.  We are so willing to accept Jesus as the glorious king, Jesus instead chooses the path to the Cross.  For more on this contrast check out Sunday’s Homily on my blog.  Images from the Palm Sunday Solemn procession and the other Palm Sunday Liturgies can be found on our Liturgy photo gallery.

This is a song by Joel Engle that was sung for the way of the Cross at WYD 2008.  As we celebrate World Youth Day 2010 this Palm Sunday I though you might enjoy it.

Q. Is it ever ok to take a life? A. This is the question for discussion for the next youth group meeting, Monday, April 5th. I would like to propose several parts to this question: Suicide, Murder, War, and the Death Penalty, as separate but related questions. The answers we come up with and the Church proposes will be posted after our next meeting. Q1. Suicide Q2. Murder Q3. War Q4. The Death Penalty

Easter 2010 Dear St. Patrick’s Parishioners, “Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed,” - John 20:8 The Gospel of John tells us it was after the beloved disciple entered the tomb he was able to believe what Jesus had preached to his disciples. That message was that Jesus would suffer his passion, death, and be resurrected from the dead. Our belief in eternal life is plausible after we too have experienced the preaching,...

Following Jesus along the way of the Cross is really at the heart of Catholic Faith. The Passion and Cross of Our Lord show us that when we Love and Trust God the Father we can accept all that comes our way, the good and the bad alike, because God who “makes all things work for good for those who love Him” is in charge. The Way of the Cross leads us through the passion of this life to the last moment of every human life when we like Jesus mus offer our entire life joyfully to the Father...

Click here to read the Bishop’s Easter Message: