Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
SUNDAY SCRIPTURE – QUESTIONS TO PONDER
~ How have your Lenten observances prepared you for Holy Week?
~ Which Jesus do you identify most with today: Jesus in triumph or Jesus the suffering servant? Why?
~ Complete this sentence: Palm Sunday shows me that …
READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040223.cfm
LIVE-STREAMING: Visit https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE for live stream at 8:30 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 4 pm on Saturdays.
PARISH WEBSITE: Visit: www.saintpolycarp.org/.
WEEKLY PARISH BULLETIN: CLICK HERE . BULLETIN OVERFLOW: Bulletin Overflow – CLICK HERE
THIS WEEKEND, APRIL 1st & 2nd (& Monday, April 3rd – Friday April 7th)
PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD
SECOND COLLECTION is for our Parish School of Religion. Thank you for your continued generosity in supporting the religious education of our youth.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW) will take place this Sunday, April 2nd during the 10:30 am Mass. All children ages PK – 4th grade are welcome to join us. Children will be called to come forward before the First Reading. They will return to you after the General Intercessions.
EASTER EGG HUNT: Our Brother Vincent Knights of Columbus will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday, April 2nd, following the 10:30 am Mass. All children are invited to attend. There will be prizes!
Children are asked to bring their own baskets!
AGAPE We invite you to join us for Agape this Sunday, April 2nd after the 10:30am Mass. Enjoy an assortment of breakfast dishes and the sweet taste of donuts and coffee offered by the Knights of Columbus.
PSR IN-PERSON CLASSES THIS WEEK – Grade P/K – 8 .
Have you?
RECONCILIATION MONDAY is this coming Monday! Catholics from throughout the Diocese of Wilmington are invited to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) at any of the 56 parish churches in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, on Monday, April 3rd, 2023 from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., during the second annual diocesan-wide ‘Reconciliation Monday.’ Here at St. Polycarp and at St. Dennis, Confessions will be heard from 3-5 pm & 6-8 pm. This allows for Fr. Jim to be able to hear Confessions at both parishes. The event is designed to make it more convenient for Catholics to receive the sacrament at the end of Lent and beginning of Holy Week, in anticipation of the celebration of Easter.
AN INVITATION FROM BISHOP KOENIG CLICK HERE
THE PARISH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED next Thursday, April 6th, and remain closed through Monday, April 10th. The Parish Office will reopen on Tuesday, April 11th, at 9 am.
Holy Thursday (Thursday, April 6th)
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Polycarp – 7pm
(Collection is for the Shrines in the Holy Land.)
Good Friday ( April 7th)
Passion of the Lord at St. Dennis – 3pm.
(No service at St. Polycarp. All parishioners are strongly encouraged and invited to attend the 3 pm Passion of the Lord Service at St. Dennis)
Good Friday is an obligatory day of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. The norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin (Roman) Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. ~USCCB
DIVINE MERCY: Please note that there will be no Divine Mercy Devotion at St. Polycarp Church on Good Friday. We hope you will attend the 3pm service at St. Dennis.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS & BENEDICTION: There are no Stations of the Cross at St. Polycarp on Good Friday.
EASTER FLOWERS: Please help our altar reflect the glory of this season by placing your intentions and the names of your loved ones in the Easter flower envelope. (Envelopes can be found at the doors of the Church.)
EASTER NOVENA: To remember your loved ones, both living and deceased, with the sacred gift of the Mass offered in their honor, please complete the Easter Novena envelopes. (Envelopes can be found at the doors of the Church.)
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord – April 1/2
Saturday, April 1st at 4 pm – St. Polycarp
Sunday, April 2nd at 10:30am – St. Polycarp
Reconciliation Monday – Monday, April 3rd – Confessions
3pm – 5pm at St. Polycarp & St. Dennis
6pm – 8pm at St. Polycarp & St. Dennis
Chrism Mass -Tuesday, April 4th
at Holy Cross Church, Dover DE – 7pm
Holy Thursday – Thursday, April 6th
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Polycarp – 7pm
Good Friday – Friday, April 7th
Passion of the Lord at St. Dennis – 3pm
(No service at St. Polycarp. All parishioners are strongly encouraged and invited to attend the 3 pm Passion of the Lord Service at St. Dennis) Pray for vocations.
Holy Saturday – Saturday, April 8th
No Confessions either Parish
Easter Vigil at St. Polycarp – 8pm
Easter Sunday – Sunday, April 9th
St. Polycarp at 8am and 10am
St. Dennis at 8am, 9:30am and 11am (Hispanic)
NEXT WEEKEND, APRIL 8 and 9 (& Monday, April 10th – Friday, April 14th)
Holy Saturday – Saturday, April 8th
No Confessions either Parish, No 4 pm Mass
Easter Vigil at St. Polycarp – 8pm
Easter Sunday – Sunday, April 9th
St. Polycarp at 8am and 10am
St. Dennis at 8am, 9:30am and 11am (Hispanic)
SECOND COLLECTION is the Easter Offering.
NO PSR
UPCOMING/ONGOING
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Tuesdays from noon to 8pm in the Chapel. We need a few more people to sign up for a scheduled Adoration time slot so we can expand our Adoration hours. We need adorers for the following timeslots: 9:30 & 10:00 am, 12:00, 2:00, & 3:00 pm. Please consider this devotion. You can come to the adoration chapel and in the peacefulness there He will speak to your heart, and you will return eagerly because He has so much to share with you. Call or Email Cheryl Thomas; salcrest7@gmail.com, 302-659-3388
THE PARISH OFFICE is in need of volunteers to help out at the front desk. Please consider helping in this important role. Various times and dates available. Let us know what is convenient for you! If you are interested in helping or would like more information, please contact Kathy Watts at the church office 302-653-8279 or via email office@saintpolycarp.org.
SPRING IS HERE! Time to think about ordering your MEMORIAL BRICK! Adding your MEMORIAL BRICK to the walkway of our Blessed Mother is a unique way to keep your memories alive. It is a way to remind us of all those special loved ones or occasions forever. If you would like to become a part of the walkway to our Blessed Mother, with your name or the name of a loved one, now is a good time to do so! There are several ways to order your bricks. You can order through Faith Direct at: Faith Direct MEMORIAL BRICK (you do not need to sign up for Faith Direct), use the QR code below or return your form* with payment of $80 to St. Polycarp Church. Envelopes marked with “Memorial Brick” may be placed in the Offertory collection, delivered to the Parish Office (place in black box), or mailed to the Parish Office.*Forms can be found on our parish website or at the entrances into the church.
CHANGE THE WORLD: BECOME CATHOLIC! Is there someone you would like to invite to explore the Catholic faith – someone unbaptized, or baptized in a non-Catholic Christian tradition? Do you know someone who needs Confirmation and/or First Eucharist? Perhaps, the Catholic faith can fulfill their desires for a closer relationship with Our Lord. Then, the RCIA process is for them. Please contact Deacon Frank Weber for more information. DeaconFrank@saintpolycarp.org or leave a message with the Parish office at (302) 653-8279.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW) takes place on the first and third Sundays of the month during the 10:30 am Mass. All children ages PK – 4th grade are welcome to join us. Children will be called to come forward before the First Reading. They will return to you after the General Intercessions. All catechists and assistants have a cleared background check. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please contact Erica Taylor at (302) 653-4101. Next CLOW – Sunday, April 16th at the 10:30 am Mass.
THE VOCATION CHALICE MINISTRY: Please consider signing up to host the vocation chalice in your home for a week. Text or call Alice Gaston at (302) 670 – 7924. For more information visit https://saintpolycarp.org/vocation-chalice/ April 16th at the 10:30 am Mass – Pete Sanphy
CONNECTED IN CHRIST (ADULT FAITH FORMATION) meets every Tuesday at 9:30 AM in the Parish Library – ALL are welcome. Please join us. If you have any questions, please call Cookie Ruane at 302-540-6429.
GLUTEN FREE? Do you have an intolerance to gluten? If so, our parish offers gluten-free wafers to be consecrated for you. Please see our Sacristan 10 – 15 minutes before Mass and let them know that you need a gluten-free wafer put in the pyx. At Communion, please proceed down the aisle to the priest who will have the pyx in his hand and let him know you need a gluten-free host.
IS THAT YOU, FR. JIM? If you receive emails or texts from Fr. Jim asking for favors, gift cards or gifts or stating something similar to “I am currently busy in a meeting now, no calls so just reply to my email.”, please ignore and delete. If an email looks suspicious and you’re not sure, give the office a call.
FORMED: Have you had the opportunity to dive into FORMED? To sign up visit www.formed.org. Type in our Parish zip code (19977) and follow the steps to sign up or you can use the QR code below. Take advantage of your free subscription to FORMED! Enjoy thousands of hours of quality Catholic content!
REDNER’S MARKETS 1% SAVE-A-TAPE FUNDRAISER: Turn your food shopping into cash for our parish. Simply be sure to obtain and scan your Redner’s Rewards Card each time you shop. Save your whole receipt. Bring your receipts to the Parish Office or put them into the collection basket. There is no expiration date – you can turn in receipts months old!
BULLETIN SPONSORS: Thank you to all of our weekly bulletin sponsors for your support during the year! Your support has not gone unnoticed by our parish community and is so appreciated!
USEFUL LINKS:
WEBSITE: www.saintpolycarp.org.
BULLETIN: https://www.jppc.net/onlinebulletins/301template.pdf
BULLETIN OVERFLOW: https://saintpolycarp.org/this-weeks-bulletin/
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SaintPolycarpCatholicChurch/
ONLINE GIVING: Please consider becoming an e-giver. It is easy to make your weekly or one time contributions in support of the Parish. For more information and to sign up for online giving, visit faith.direct/DE831
ST DENNIS: http://www.stdennischurch.org
DIOCESE OF WILMINGTON – LIVE STREAMING https://www.youtube.com/user/DioceseofWilm
FOR THE SAKE OF GOD’S CHILDREN: https://www.cdow.org/giving/fsgc/
THE DIALOG: http://thedialog.org/ Newspaper of the Diocese, copies available as you leave Church or online
EWTN: ewtn.com
FROM THE DIOCESE:
CATHOLIC FORUM/RELEVANT RADIO: Saturdays at 1:30 pm on Relevant Radio 640AM. On Saturday, April 1st, we take a deep dive into the Sacrament of Penance, when Msgr. Steven Hurley, Diocese of Wilmington Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, and Pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Wilmington, is the guest. CLICK HERE You can listen online at cdow.org/CatholicForum, or by searching “Catholic Forum” on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Amazon Music podcasts. “Like” Catholic Forum on Facebook at facebook.com/CatholicForum @CatholicForum.
LET US PRAY:
Please, Lord, guide my mind with your truth.
Strengthen my life by the example of Jesus.
Help me to be with Jesus in this week
as he demonstrates again his total love for me.
He died so that I would no longer
be separated from you.
Help me to feel how close you are
and to live in union with you.
Amen
(Creighton University)