Happy Easter! For these past 7 days (today makes 8!) we have been celebrating the Octave of Easter and praying as if each day were the Day of Resurrection. This means that we come to Mass today with the same joy as the disciples who found the empty tomb and were gathered in the Upper Room as Jesus came to them to bring them peace (John 20:19).

If you have not had a chance yet to re-read the Resurrection account at home as a family, please take a few minutes this week to do so. Remember that the life Jesus lives now is glorious and no longer threatened by injury, illness or shame. Since we have been baptized in Him we also share His resurrection and freedom from all that nonsense. (Romans 6:3-9) Certainly we are destined for the eternal life of heaven - but it starts right here in the Kingdom of God. Thanks be to God for this freedom and praised be Jesus Christ now and forever! We also celebrate with the Church and the Congregation of Holy Cross the ordination of eight new priests. Yesterday, Saturday April 6, in the Sacred Heart Basilica at Notre Dame, Bishop Bill Wack (formerly Andre House Director here in Arizona!) consecrated and ordained them. New Father Ed Dolphin spent some time with us at SJV a few years ago as a seminarian. His classmates are Fr. Nik Guiney, Fr. Stephen Jakubowski, Fr. Ryan Kerr, Fr. Tyler Kreipke, Fr. Peter Puleo, Fr. Mike Ryan, and Fr. Brian Vetter.

These ordinations are beautiful and available on YouTube on the Holy Cross Vocations page(@cscvocations) all the way back to 2010. They always remind us priests of the wonderful vocation we have been called to and the responsibility entrusted to us by Jesus. On the day of our ordination the bishop prays over us "may he be a faithful steward of your mysteries, so that your people may be renewed in the waters of rebirth and nourished from your altar; so that sinners maybe reconciled and the sick raised up. May he be joined with us, Lord, in imploring your mercy for the people entrusted to his care and for all the world."

Please pray for these 8 men and for us priests at SJV Parish, Fr. Tom, Fr. Andrew, for me, and Fr. Brian who lives with us while serving the Church at Andre House of Hospitality. Pray that we may be holy and generous. know you're praying that I'll shorten my sermons. We'll see, some prayers take longer to answer than others.

God bless you all and have a tremendous Easter week.

In Christ,

Fr. David

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