HOLY WEEK CELEBRATIONS

The precepts of the Catholic Church say that each catholic should participate in the Sacramental Penitential Rite and make confession of sins at least once a year. Beside regular Saturday confessions twice a year in Advent and Holy Week we have organized Penitential Rite with the opportunity for the private confessions. Please take opportunity to do it on monday or Tuesday in the evening in your respective church.

The CHRISM MASS (Holy Wednesday 7.00p.m.) is a special mass when the Holy Oils (Oil of Salvation, Oil of Chrism and Oil of the Sick) are blessed by the bishop.
During this celebration there will be a celebration of the Installation of 5 ACOLYTES for the candidates selected by the Bishop & Fr. Bernard. These are: Ian Slack and Ken Martin for the Co-Cathedral; Pierre Berry for Sandy Point, Joseph Edmead for Old Road and Jeff Fraites for Molineux church.

The EASTER TRIDUUM Celebration (Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, Passion of the Lord on Good Friday and Easter Vigil on Easter Sunday) should be treated as one celebration - (it starts with Opening Hymn on Thursday and ends with the Easter blessing after Easter Vigil, there is no ending hymn or blessing on Holy Thursday and no opening rites or blessing and recessional hymn on Good Friday celebration) This is the pinnacle of the Liturgical life of the church. All Catholics should make every effort to participate in the whole Easter Triduum Celebration.

SIGN OF PEACE after the Prayer of the Faithful !

To: Clergy
Religious Houses
Catechists

Dear Fathers and Friends,

Re: Location of the Sign of Peace

It is necessary to make uniform throughout the Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre the location of the Sign of Peace.

As of Easter 2007, the Sign of Peace will be exchanged immediately after the Prayer of the Faithful. After the closing prayer summing up the Prayer of the Faithful, the celebrant will greet the Assembly with these or similar words: “The peace of the Lord be with you!” (Note: it is NOT a statement, but a greeting – hence “BE” and not “IS”).

Why this decision? Throughout the diocese I have noticed different and protracted greetings (cum conversation). The Eucharistic Lord is overshadowed by this exchange that is actually not central to the liturgy. Also, it is biblical that before we bring our gifts to the altar we make our peace with others (cf. Mt.5:23ƒƒ).

Because of these reasons, in the just published Apostolic Exhortation, SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS (“Sacrament of Love”), the Holy Father has referred this matter to the pertinent Vatican Departments, for revision (cf. Par. 49).

I therefore encourage all Pastors to read and explain this decision to the Faithful and, if necessary, give any further catechesis. A Blessed Palm/Passion Sunday to you!

God bless!

Yours sincerely in Christ,
+ Donald J. Reece
Most Reverend Donald J. Reece, D.D., G.C.M.
Bishop of St. John’s-Basseterre

Invitation
to Good Friday’s Stations of the Cross
at the Independence Square
The general Public is invited to a special celebration of the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday morning at 8.00a.m. around the Independence Square in Basseterre. The Catholic Church traditionally celebrated Stations of the Cross in this particular place following the example of John Paul II who celebrated the Stations in the Roman Colosseum - a place of suffering of Christians in the early centuries of Christianity.
This year as we celebrate the 200 years of the Abolition of Transatlantic Slave Trade we want to reflect especially on the humiliation and suffering of many slaves who were priced and auctioned on what today is called the Independence Square.
Please join us at this celebration.