The beauty of our faith
The Triduum is now a memory for us and as a member of St. Vincent de Paul, I was struck by the sheer beauty of our Liturgy. From Palm Sunday to Holy Thursday to Good Friday to the Vigil and then to Easter Morning, our parish journeyed together in a wonderful spirit of faith and worship. Take some time to recall those moments that were the high point of our year and savor this time we shared with one another. If you were not able to make it, know you are invited and are welcome to share in our joy.

It began with the Palms and cries of Hosanna to our King,
Hosanna to the son of David, the King of Israel, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.
Each of us shared in the happiness and waving of the palms and just as soon as it started, we shared in the story of the Passion.
Hosanna to the son of David, the King of Israel, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest.
Each of us shared in the happiness and waving of the palms and just as soon as it started, we shared in the story of the Passion.

After the Mass we headed to the hall to share the Good News with our kids, our most precious treasure.
There we exposed them to the presence of Jesus in Adoration, we then broke bread with them at the table and then to the Cross where we venerated and kissed the feet of our Savior. We closed the day with a visit to the tomb where we shared with them the story of our fate as simple humans.
We need Christ to rescue us from our brokenness.
There we exposed them to the presence of Jesus in Adoration, we then broke bread with them at the table and then to the Cross where we venerated and kissed the feet of our Savior. We closed the day with a visit to the tomb where we shared with them the story of our fate as simple humans.
We need Christ to rescue us from our brokenness.

We sent them off with our blessing.
The Lord bless you
and keep you!
The Lord let his face
shine upon you,
and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly
and give you peace!
The Lord bless you
and keep you!
The Lord let his face
shine upon you,
and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly
and give you peace!

On Thursday it was the Last Supper and the washing of the feet.

Good Friday was the remembrance of the Passion of our Lord.

We truly see the weight of our brokenness fall heavily on His shoulders.

In the end, He dies for each of us and our loved ones.

Holy Saturday was quiet with no activity at our parish while we waited until darkness fell.

After the sunset, in the shadows that fill the night and darken the hearts of men, we gathered at the entrance of the Church to share in the joy and hope of the empty tomb.

The darkened sanctuary was illuminated by hundreds of candles, each carried by a member of our congregation and lit by the flame of the Paschal Candle.

The Liturgy ended with our faith strengthened and our hope renewed. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, He is risen!

Before we knew it, Easter Sunday was upon us and the celebration began!
In conclusion
To say it was beautiful is an understatement, the story of Holy Week is the story of our lives, our deepest hopes and dreams, the ever present failures, our suffering; all that intermingled with everything in between. At the end of it we were left at the empty tomb and the joy of the Resurrection.
For St. Vincent de Paul, it was as it always has been, a tight knit family full of smiling faces, where all are welcome and a place where everyone knows your name.