PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna on high!
Due to social distancing guidelines, both of our weekend Masses for this coming Sunday, Palm Sunday, have reached capacity. 10am Easter Sunday Mass, has also reached capacity. At this time, reservations are still available for Holy Thursday, Good Friday (at St. Dennis), the Easter Vigil – Saturday, 7:30 pm and Easter Sunday at 8 am. See below for reservation information.
READINGS FOR THE WEEKEND: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032821.cfm
LIVE-STREAMING: Visit https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE for all live stream. (or visit our webpage www.saintpolycarp.org and click on the picture of the altar ) All Masses are live- streamed. Masses may also be viewed at a later time.
BULLETIN: https://www.jppc.net/onlinebulletins/301template.pdf
STATIONS OF THE CROSS – FRIDAYS AT 7pm in Church. (Masks covering the nose and mouth and social distancing required.) Reservations not required. Also live-streamed. (This will be the last Friday for Stations.)
CONFESSIONS: (Reservations are not required but masks are. Social distancing observed)
Saturdays – 2:30 to 3:30 pm No Confessions on Saturday, April 3rd, Holy Saturday.
Sundays – following 10:30 am Mass this Sunday, March 28.
SECOND COLLECTION: Catholic Relief Service Rice Bowl
EASTER FLOWERS: Add to the beauty of our church during this joyful season by using your Easter flower envelope to help us proclaim that Jesus has risen!
EASTER MASS REMEMBRANCE: Living or deceased, the best gift you can give a loved one is the gift of the Mass. Please use the Easter Mass Remembrance envelope to enjoin your friends and family in our most holy celebration.
HOLY WEEK / TRIDUUM / EASTER SCHEDULE
All Masses from St. Polycarp will be live-streamed. Visit www.saintpolycarp.org and click on the picture of the altar or visit https://www.youtube.com/c/StPolycarpSmyrnaDE
To view live-stream from St. Dennis on Good Friday, visit www.saintpolycarp.org (and click on the picture of St. Dennis Church) or visit www.stdennischurch.org
Tuesday & Wednesday of Holy Week
Mass 8:30 am
Holy Thursday – April 1st (No morning Mass at St. Polycarp or St. Dennis)
Mass of the Lord’s Supper St. Polycarp Church, 7 pm
Good Friday – April 2nd (No morning Mass at St. Polycarp or St. Dennis)
Liturgy of the Passion & Death of Our Lord St. Dennis, 3pm
Holy Saturday, The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night – April 3rd
Mass St. Polycarp, 7:30 pm
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord – April 4th
Mass St. Polycarp Church, 8 am & 10 am: Capacity has been reached for the 10am Mass.
St. Dennis Church, 8 am & 9:30 am, & 11 am (Spanish)
RESERVATION INFORMATION
RESERVATIONS for the TRIDUUM:
Reservations for Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday Masses at St. Polycarp were accepted by phone this past Wednesday. Reservations can not be made by calling at other times, leaving messages or by emailing staff.
Online reservations are still being accepted through March 31st at 12:00pm, noon or until capacity is reached. Please use the following links:
Holy Thursday Mass – https://membership.faithdirect.net/events/details/6482
Good Friday – see below *
Easter Vigil – https://membership.faithdirect.net/events/details/6483
Easter Sunday Mass, 8 am – https://membership.faithdirect.net/events/details/6484
Easter Sunday Mass, 10am – Capacity has been reached.
*Reservations for Good Friday and the Easter Sunday Masses at St. Dennis can be made by calling the Parish Office at St. Dennis on Wednesday, March 31st from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. 410-648-5291.
FASTING and ABSTINENCE: Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. 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 Roman Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. ~USCCB
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE FINANCE COUNCIL – INTRODUCING TEXT-TO-GIVE
We are expanding our efforts with Faith Direct for automated giving to Saint Polycarp. Faith Direct offers a safe and secure Text-to-Give option allowing you to make a one-time gift.
To give, please follow these simple steps:
1. Text $$ amount to 302-202-2251
2. Follow the link and complete a one-time process
Thank you and may God bless you!
PASTORAL COUNCIL: Do you want to help create, deepen and expand our faith community’s journey? Then we need you on the Pastoral Council!! We are recruiting new members to replace some of our departing Pastoral Council members. The Pastoral Council serves as advisors to our Pastor on Pastoral issues, in addition to organizing various parish activities. Please give this call from God some very pray full thought. Please contact Cindy Kennedy at (302)653-7525 orkennedy-078@msn.com with an expression of interest and/or for additional information.
RETURNING TO MASS FOR THE FIRST TIME DUE TO THE PANDEMIC? WELCOME BACK! VISITING? WELCOME! We’re glad you’re here. In a continuing effort to keep everyone safe, we observe limited capacity using social distancing guidelines at all times. Reservations are required. You must wear a face mask or covering that covers the mouth and nose at all times. Restrooms will not be available. At Communion, you will remain in your pew and the Eucharist will be brought to you.
The Breaking Bread Missalettes are not available in the pews, but are available at the doors of the Church. Please take one, place your name in it, and bring it back and forth with you to Mass. Please do not leave it in the pew after Mass! This is one more thing our parish is doing to help keep everyone safe! If you would like to give a donation to help defray the cost of the Breaking Bread Hymnal, please enclose your donation in an envelope and mark it Breaking Bread Donation. Thank you!
ST. PATRICK’S DAY SCAVENGER HUNT: Deadline, March 27th at 11:59 pm
Shamrocks have been hidden around the campus for you to find. Can you count them all? All shamrocks can be found by driving/walking around the Church campus. If you submit a correct guess you will be entered to win a prize. Ten prizes will be awarded. If nobody guesses correctly, the ten closest guesses will win. If exiting your vehicle, you must wear a face covering and keep socially distant from others not in your household. Email your guesses to Deanna Lail dlail14@comcast.net or call Angela Gibson 302-270-4100. Starts Wednesday, Friday March 17th. Deadline to submit your guess is 11:59pm on March 27th
CALLING ALL KIDS! HAPPY EASTER WORD SCRAMBLE GAME: Deadline, March 28th at 11:59 pm. The Easter Bunny has planned a special word scramble Easter game with some very nice Easter prizes. All parish children are encouraged to participate. Visit https://saintpolycarp.org/easter-egg-scramble-calling-all-kids/. Unscramble the words and then solve the puzzle. Just email your answer with your name to assistdre@saintpolycarp.org. Three winners will be selected from all the correct entries. Entries must be received by Sunday, March 28th. Sponsored by our Knights of Columbus!
STONES FAITH GARDEN: Have you thought about the stone that you will paint for our Stone Faith Garden? Will you use words, images or both? Check out our latest video with information about this new garden along with the how-to’s on rock painting! https://youtu.be/7rB7atK3ohQ
MEMORIAL BRICKS: The Gift of a Memorial Brick is a unique and memorable way to celebrate a special occasion,
honor family and friends, share a favorite quote and more! For more information visit https://saintpolycarp.org/memorial-bricks/
BROTHER VINCENT COLUMBIETTES SWEEPSTAKES is your chance to win a $75.00 prize in July and help our auxiliary raise funds to help others at the same time. Every $10.00 you contribute to the sweepstakes earns you one chance for the winning drawing in July. For more information CLICK HERE
USEFUL LINKS:
RESERVATION INFORMATION FOR WEEKEND MASSES: To view information on how to make a reservation visit https://saintpolycarp.org/rservation-information/
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
THE DIALOG: http://thedialog.org/ Newspaper of the Diocese, copies available as you leave Church or online
MASSES DURING THE PANDEMIC: The dispensation of the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation issued March 12, 2020 remains in effect for the Diocese of Wilmington.
FROM THE DIOCESE:
CATHOLIC FORUM/RELEVANT RADIO: Saturdays at 1:30 pm on Relevant Radio 640. On the March 27, tune in to hear the Passion of Our Lord as presented by the drama class of St. Elizabeth High School in Wilmington, Delaware. This production first aired on Catholic Forum on Palm Sunday 2009. Listen anytime at cdow.org/CatholicForum or search Catholic Forum on Apple, Spotify or iHeartRadio podcasts.
LET US PRAY:
Blessed are you, who have come in abundant mercy!
O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is the king of Glory?
He, the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory. Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed are you, who have come in abundant mercy!