Letter from Msgr. Schaedel for bulletin of April 15, 2001

Dear Parishioners,

Alleluia! He is risen. Alleluia! It feels good to finally sing or say it. We’ve not said that word of rejoicing, Alleluia, since Ash Wednesday at the end of February. Lent is over. Spring is here. The cycle of new life begins. We celebrate for the next several weeks the greatest of Christian feasts, the Resurrection of Jesus.

What does all this mean? Well, it means that we firmly believe Jesus Christ lived, suffered, died, and rose from the dead. He conquered the hold that sin and death seems to have over us. Easter is a feast that never ends. A strong belief that God has conquered death is fundamental to our Faith. In life and in death we are the Lord’s.

Here at Holy Rosary we had a beautiful celebration of Easter. Our Holy Week Liturgies were beautiful. There are so many folks to thank for that. I hesitate to name names, but I want to at least mention a few.

But before that, I want to mention also that I think we had a wonderful observance of Lent. During the past several weeks, many people have attended daily Mass, the Stations of the Cross, and received the sacrament of Penance here at Holy Rosary. Participation in our Lenten Adult Education Series on Wednesday evenings, Spaghetti and Spirituality, was outstanding. Many, many people here at Holy Rosary made a concentrated effort to grow in their Faith during the holy season of Lent.

First, thanks to three seminarians, particularly Rev. Mr. Neal Nichols, FSSP, and Mr. Domenic Gentile, FSSP. Neal is a deacon and will be ordained to the priesthood in June. Domenic is a subdeacon and will be ordained to the diaconate this summer. Their presence and help during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum is most appreciated. Thanks also to Rob Hankee, a fourth-year seminarian at Saint Meinrad. Rob also assisted at his home parish of Saint Pius X; so he was not able to be with us for all of the Holy Week Liturgies. Keep all seminarians in your prayers.

I am not only proud of the fact that we also offer the celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Ritual here at Holy Rosary, but that this Mass and all Latin Liturgies are celebrated in an excellent manner. Credit for this goes to Father Duvelius for his meticulous attention to the Sacred Liturgy, the FSSP seminarians, Dr. Arvin Gallanosa, and the choirs for the Latin Mass.

We could not have had such beautiful Liturgies without the help of our musicians, servers, readers, ushers, extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and greeters. People like Steve DeCrane, Arvin Gallanosa, Bernie Greene, and David Walden make all of this go like clockwork. Very special thanks to Jim Alton, Gary Asher, and both of our choirs. Thanks also to the Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King who provided the music at the 8:30 a.m. Mass Easter Sunday.

I’ve never been in a parish where so much careful attention is given to the dignity and solemnity of the Sacred Liturgy. Yet, if you think about it, what else in a parish could possible deserve more attention that the worship of almighty God? Thank you all so much.

Next Sunday is "Divine Mercy Sunday." A Polish Nun, Sister Faustina, inspired the Divine Mercy devotion. Last year at this time Blessed Faustina was officially declared a saint by Pope John Paul in Rome. The Holy Father also proclaimed that Divine Mercy Sunday henceforth is to be celebrated by the Universal Church throughout the world on the Sunday following Easter Sunday. So, 2001 marks the first worldwide observance of Divine Mercy Sunday. The particular theme of the "Divine Mercy" devotion is God’s endless goodness and mercy.

Next Sunday at Saint Michael Church, 30th and Tibbs, there will be the annual observance of Divine Mercy. This is the place where this devotion first began to be observed a number of years ago. The observance will also take place in many other churches throughout the archdiocese this year. The service begins at 3:00 p.m.—the "Hour of Mercy." (Recall that Jesus died on the cross at mid-afternoon, 3:00 p.m.). It is not a Mass. It consists of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, the "Divine Mercy Chaplet," a series of short prayers using a regular rosary, a sermon, and a procession with the Blessed Sacrament.

If you have access to the Internet, check out our Holy Rosary Church Web Page. It’s at

HYPERLINK "http://members.tripod.com/~holyrosarychurch"

http://members.tripod.com/~holyrosarychurch

. Also on the Internet are some excellent pictures taken at our recent Saint Joseph’s Table. That Internet address is: http://www.geocities.com/indycatholic/stjoe.html. Many thanks to our "Web Master," Mr. Paul Burns. He does a terrific job.

Happy Easter!

Faithfully yours in God’s Providence,

Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel