April 2018

OUR MOST HOLY TIME
We are now entering into our most holy time and season. If Holy Week and Easter were to be omitted from our Church’s calendar, we would be left with nothing. Our pastoral theme would begin and end, “We are all sinners” and “loved by God” would not be part of our reality and understanding. But because of the saving and life giving action of Jesus during the first Holy Week, through His suffering, dying, death and rising, we are all embraced by God’s unconditional love. Because Jesus, God’s own Son, willingly entered into His passion for us, we can fully proclaim that, “we are all sinners loved by God”. The Joy of the Gospel is surely proclaiming this good news. I invite you to pray our parish mission statement as a mantra prayer, “As missionary disciples, our parish joyfully proclaims an ongoing encounter with Jesus Christ through Word, community, Sacrament and loving service”. We are so blessed through the gift of our living faith in the Risen Lord.

OUR THREE MOST HOLY DAYS….THE TRIDUUM
Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Saturday lead us into the greatest celebration of our faith…Easter…Alleluia, Alleluia. Easter is the mountain top experience of our faith. The Risen Lord brought our broken humanity to the cross and brought it in triumph over sin and death to resurrection and glory. Through our baptism, the Risen Lord leads us and calls us to be a risen people, bringing hope and joy and life beyond life to our everyday world, so often searching desperately for meaning and purpose.

Our Lenten journey was defined by the Three R’s…Reform, Repent and Renew. The renewal of our baptismal promises at all the Easter Masses typically connects us all deeply to our new humanity in the Risen Lord.

A FIFTY DAY FESTIVAL OF FAITH
Easter is a fifty-day festival of faith and Easter is to each year what Sunday is to each week. Each Sunday is a mini-Easter and participating in Sunday Mass renews us in the Easter life.

38 PEOPLE TO BE FULLY RECEIVED AT THE EASTER VIGIL
Twelve participants will receive the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation). Thirteen participants will profess their faith and receive Eucharist and Confirmation. Thirteen participants will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. And four couples will have their marriage validated in the Catholic Church.

EASTER WITNESS
The following are some testimonials from some of those fully received into the Church at the Easter Vigil:

• I can say that my life has changed during this RCIA class. I am now a person who enjoys the Scriptures (reading, listening and watching) more than ever before. I also pray twice daily. My best moment during this journey was the retreat when I came out of the retreat filled with a whole spirit, a changed person, reborn. I love my classmates. We all were like friends. We helped each other. The core team was fantastic. Now I am so glad my whole family is tied to Our Mother of Sorrows. I cannot express enough about my new life but my lovely wife Leonora could testify. Again, thanks a lot to Mary for her help.
• My wife was astonished when I told her of my intentions to enroll in RCIA at Our Mother of Sorrows. At first, her reaction of my motives to pursue my goal was more toward skepticism, not believing I was serious after nearly sixty years of recurring discussions about me not fulfilling my sacraments. Nevertheless, she readily agreed to fully support my endeavor to fulfill my sacraments by agreeing to become my sponsor. Since then, she participated in every class and special group activity with complete enthusiasm. She has helped me come closer to God through the strength of her faith and support.
• I was not raised in a religious atmosphere. My family identified as Jehovah’s Witness, but we did not attend meetings regularly. Growing up I had an idea of what having faith meant from being around people that believed and included faith in every aspect of their lives. Prior to this process I prayed in times of need, only reaching out to God when things were not going my way. I always felt a calling to follow a religious path, but never had the desire to actually make that happen until now. Since going through this journey, being spiritual, welcoming religion into all aspects of my life has become second nature to me. Like I have been a practicing Catholic all my life. To look back and think that I had so many worries and fears, and all that was taken away by deepening and strengthening my relationship with God.
• Going through the RCIA class, I have seen myself become more at peace with the world. I am more at peace while at work, and have better relationships with my co-workers. I feel closer to Jesus and really look forward to church and hearing the Word. The days are much better with Jesus and I feel His presence in me. Navigating through life without Jesus would be a lonely one. I hear the voice of Jesus calling me to the faith and I am now ready to serve Him with all my heart. With Jesus by my side, I know my life will be totally different than before.
• Throughout this journey, I have gone through many changes as well. Some of these changes were small while others were more significant; some occurred gradually during the classes while some happened right away. I have become less agitated and calmer. I am less controlling and more flexible and trust God’s decision for me. According to Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I believe I am here for a reason. I am here to not be discouraged, but to believe; to not hold on to past wrongs, but to forgive; to not cause conflict with others, but to resolve conflict.

ALIENATED CATHOLICS ANONYMOUS (ACA) AFTER-EASTER SERIES
Inactive? Hurt? Angry? Alienated from God or the Church? Seeking peace? Come to the 6-part After-Easter Alienated Catholics Anonymous series. The series begins on Easter Mondayevening, April 2nd at 7pm in the Parish Activity Center. This series will involve informal sharing, reflections from Catholics recently returned to full and active participation in their faith. It will also serve as an update on what Catholics believe. The series will address the needs of those who have entered into non-sacramental marriages and where there exists conflicts between their closest relationships and their Church. Registration is encouraged, but not required. Brochures on the series are available in the church vestibule and the parish office. These Monday evenings are open to all and will be facilitated by the Pastor.

MASSES FOR THREE MONTHS WILL BE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL CHURCH OF THE PARISH…THE PARISH HALL
Daily and weekend Masses will be celebrated in the original church of the parish…the parish hall…beginning on May 17th and will continue until mid-August. It is estimated that the 3R's church building projects will take a minimal three months to complete. During these three months, the regular weekly exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will be located in the Choir Room in the southeast corner of the parish hall.

“KNOW YOUR STAFF”...MARY CHAJEWSKI
I am humbled and honored to be the Adult Faith Coordinator at Our Mother of Sorrows. You can usually find me coordinating or facilitating the adult offerings, such as retreats, book sharing, adult enrichment classes, and marriage couple-to-couple sessions or working with the adults seeking their Sacraments to be fully initiated into the Catholic Church. I’m a certified Lay Ecclesial Minister, which helps me in the many ministries I’m involved with. I truly love my position here. Easter Vigil is the highlight for the Catholic Church, but it is also the highlight of my year as I see so many participants filled with joy and love as they receive their Sacraments.

I’m originally from Detroit, Michigan, and my husband, Deacon Chuck, is from Wisconsin. We came to Tucson and OMOS Parish in 1973, when the Air Force brought us here. The Air Force sent us to Europe for 7 years, but then returned us to Tucson in 1982, and we’ve been here ever since. We have been married 45 years; have 2 children, 4 grandchildren, and a lot of foster children who call us grandparents. As many of you know, I am a Green Bay Packer backer … it was an unofficial part of our marriage understanding and has been a lot of fun ever since.

It is a privilege and a blessing to be able to serve Our Mother of Sorrows in so many ways. I am here by no accident; the Spirit has led me on this enriching spiritual journey!

ADULT FAITH FORMATION COORDINATOR (20-30 HRS/WEEK)
Mary Chajewski who has served so wonderfully in this position will be retiring on June 30. The parish will be actively seeking her replacement. Necessary qualifications for the position: ●Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in human service, communications or related field ●Master’s degree in religious studies or pastoral theology preferred ●Appreciation for Vatican II theology ●Knowledge of adult faith formation and learning styles ●Skilled in group dynamics ●Background and appreciation of contemporary theology, adult education, spirituality, and formation ●Competent in budgeting, recruitment, evaluation, and religion ●Certificate in lay ecclesial ministry program ●Fluency in Spanish desirable. A profile of the position will appear on the parish website after Easter.

HONDURAS — A BROKEN AND BEAUTIFUL LAND BY KIM SISSON
Each year I travel to Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos in Central America to form Catechists and build Atriums for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This work, which never feels like work, began in Honduras and has extended to Guatemala and Nicaragua. Often, I arrive with a plan that is quickly adjusted to meet the needs of the current situation. Always, I arrive to meet loving, faithful people who desire to lead children to Jesus. Over the years I have received many gifts. In addition to many beautiful friendships, I have been blessed to be present for baptisms, first communion preparations, the arrival of new children, the dying of others, funerals, and many celebrations. What began so many years ago with a crazy English speaking woman traveling into a country that was called the “murder capital of the world” has become an annual visit to my ‘second home’, surrounded by hundreds of children and people I love dearly. The gift of being able to watch the children as they heal and grow in love with our Lord is difficult to put into words.

The beauty of celebrating Mass together where children serve in all capacities and offer food they have sacrificed during the week for the poorer communities nearby overflows my heart. This year the greatest gift was Jarvin. Jarvin began in the Atrium at age 3 and, at his request, joined us for formation at age 14. Excited and engaged, he was the first one to respond to a question and confirmed through sharing his experiences that the method of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd truly leads the child to a deep understanding of the love of God.

In our discussions on Salvation History he shared, “I wonder about Israel because when God opened the sea, they believed, but in the next moment, they forgot”. He also said, “The Philistines were stupid because they were afraid of God, but they didn’t convert”. Also, in great joy he exclaimed, “I have just realized how God always chose the smallest…Israel…David!” Jarvin was born ill and is very small for his age so I imagine this was a very personal discovery. In another moment he shared, “My favorite work in the Atrium is the tomb because if a child has lost a mother, he will be so happy that Jesus resurrected, and we will rise again.” Again, this is his reality and his comfort is Jesus. I have many quotes from our time together, but I will leave you with just one more, “Always when I am at Mass I see the cross and the candles and think light is stronger than darkness and resurrection is stronger than death.”

In a country of extreme poverty and violence, there stands a home on what feels like holy ground. NPH is a Catholic orphanage and was founded by the forgiveness of Fr. Bill Wasson in Mexico. It is currently located in 9 countries and selfishly I hope to visit them all.

PARISH MISSION WEEK WELL RECEIVED
Our Parish Mission Week seemed to have been well received through the good preaching of Fr. Greg Adolf. The two evening missions in Spanish conducted by Sr. Gladys and Msgr. Raul Trevizo was also well received by all participants. Mission Week is always a good preparation for entering into the Triduum of our three most holy days.

AN UNBROKEN CIRCLE BY SHARON BREWER
A Southern hymn sings “Let the circle be unbroken.” Here at Our Mother of Sorrows we are currently celebrating our own unbroken circle. On May 10, 1958, a “new” parish was established on the far eastside of Tucson and its church home was dedicated on November 8, 1959. For 26 years, we shared liturgies and sacraments, lives and traditions. A thriving parish and school community grew until the church became too small to meet all parishioners’ needs. On May 26, 1985, our current church home was dedicated and the circle of parish life continued unbroken. Today, we are again addressing the need to refresh and renew our church home. In mid-May, the circle will take us back to our first church home where we began while necessary work is being completed. In September, Our Mother of Sorrows Parish will celebrate its sixtieth year by following the circle back to our renovated church. The circle of Our Mother of Sorrows parish home continues unbroken.

DEACON CHARLES WHALEN CALLED HOME BY THE LORD
His final ‘yes’ to the Lord came on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, when the Lord called him to his eternal home. Deacon Charles served faithfully and well as one of our deacons for a period of twelve years. He had a very deep love for the Lord and for the ministry and for God’s people. Following are personal quotes from him from his personnel file regarding his ministry time here at Our Mother of Sorrows parish:

• What do you like most about your diaconate ministry at OMOS? Having the honor of being present to the people of OMOS in Word and Sacrament and being an integral part of this wonderful faith community.
• Indicate the three best things that have happened in your diaconal ministry: Teaching classes in RCIA and graced moments during Baptism preparation; working at Casa Maria and Banner Health-South ministry, and baptizing a baby whose parents I married the year before.

AN SCHOOL UPDATE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL, ERIN VU
Over the past 18 months, the school has been preparing for a visit from the school’s accrediting team: WCEA. During March 12-14, a team of educators came to verify the Self Study document. The visit included classroom observations, a review of surveys and data, and meetings with each shareholder. The team looked at how well the school has accomplished the goals from the last six years, how the school is currently performing, and how well the school has planned for the next six years. At the conclusion of the visit, the school received either effective or highly effective in each of the twelve accreditation factors. This is a great accomplishment for the entire community.

Over the next six years, the school community will be working on curriculum mapping, meeting the needs of all learners, using data to inform instruction, engaging families in the life of the school, and incorporating the school-wide learning expectations into the culture of the community. I look forward to working with our community during the next six years as we continue to improve!

ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL
Thanks to the 374 parishioners who have already pledged $98,617 representing 60% of our parish goal of $163,340. Parishioners who have not yet completed their pledge to this year’s appeal are encouraged to please do so.
 
SPECIAL HOLY WEEK & EASTER SCHEDULES

Holy Thursday - Mass of the Last Supper; Washing of the Feet, 7pm
Good Friday - Stations of the Cross and Communion Service, 2:30pm
Good Friday - The Passion of Our Lord, Jesus Christ and Communion Service, 7pm

Triduum Services:
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday 7 PM each evening.
Good Friday has Stations of the Cross at 2:30 PM and
Proclamation of the Passion at 7 PM.

EASTER MASS SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, MARCH 31
7:00 PM-Easter Vigil Mass - All Priests - Combined Choirs
There is no 5:30 PM Mass

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 1
5:45 AM-Sunrise Mass (Courtyard) - Cantor
7:00 AM-Church - Cantor
9:00 AM-Church - Combined Adult Choirs
9:00 AM-Parish Hall - Cantor
10:45 AM-Church - Angels
10:45 AM-Parish Hall - Cantor
12:30 PM-Church - Jubilation
2:00 PM - Iglesia - Misa en Español - Matices
6:00 PM-Cantor
No habrá misa de las 4:00 PM en español