Bishop of the Diocese Most Reverend Gerard P Bergie, D.D.

Pastor Father Obioma Anyanwu

Sunday Masses Saturday 5:00 pm

Sunday 9:00 and 11:00 am Children’s Liturgy: September - June

Weekday Masses Monday through Saturday 8:30 am

Rosary/Adoration before Weekday Masses

Confessions Sat 4 - 4:45 pm or before weekday Masses

Baptism Sunday 12:30 pm by appointment

Marriage Arrangements should be made at least 6

months in advance. Marriage preparation course required

Sacrament of the Sick Communion for the Sick and Shut-ins

Please call the office.

Secretary Sandy Johnson

Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Enter on Victoria St.

Schools St. Patrick Elementary School

905-835-1091 Lakeshore Catholic High School

905-835-2451

Cemetery Mount St. Joseph’s, 712 Lakeshore Rd E

905-834-3460

Diocesan Website: www.saintcd.com

Diocese of St. Catharines

St. Patrick

Catholic Church

Parish Established Church Dedicated

1859 1880

123 King Street

Port Colborne, Ontario L3K 4G3

Telephone: 905-834-6426

Fax: 905-834-1215

Email: stpatrick@cogeco.ca

Ministry Schedule - March 26/27

Hospitality:

8:00pm - Joe Attard & Tom Lannan

9:00am - Roland & Claire Belanger

11:00am - Brenda Deaves & Jordyn G

Minister of Communion:

8:00pm - Joe A, Lisa S & Decon Bill

9:00am - Dino S, Tony D & Decon Bill

11:00am - Mary A, Katharina K & De-

con Bill

Children’s Liturgy:

11:00am - Rosalind Aliberti

Palm Sunday of the

Lord’s Passion - Year C

If the death of Christ

justifies us before God

imagine what the life of

Christ pleading on our

behalf does.

Commentators/Lectors:

8:00pm - C - Cathy S. & L - Bettina D.

9:00am - C - Susan F. & L - Barb B.

11:00am - C - Kim G. & L - Jackie G.

Altar Servers:

5:00pm - Needed

9:00am - Ella & Derek

11:00am - Clara, Emma & Dante

Counters: 11:00am - Kim Gatt & Cheryl Bilodeau

Website: stpatrickcatholic.ca

PALM SUNDAY: FULFILMENT OF PROPHECIES We are happy to join in the fulfillment of scriptural prophecies

– celebrating that it is elected that the Messiah

would suffer and die so that God’s people be for-

given. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has put

everything well to help us understand what is going

on. The Palm Sunday inaugurates the last week of

the life of Jesus. This week is called Holy Week

because it’s the week of the Lord’s Saving Passion.

Today we read one of the passion narratives de-

pending on the year – A is Matthew, B is Mark and

C is Luke. John is read on Good Friday. Perhaps

what we can do this Holy week is to take time to

read and ruminate over the passion narratives espe-

cially that of John and ask the Lord to speak to our

hearts through it regarding the price of our salvation

and how seriously we could take the gift of salva-

tion. This can be found on page 247 of your missal.

In John 11 we read that Jesus had just raised

Lazarus from the dead. Lazarus is a family friend to

the Lord with Mary and Martha who lived in Bethany. So a little

celebration was going on because people were so happy and

amazed at what Jesus had done. But the leadership, especially the

chief priest, out of jealousy and contempt, weren’t. It was at this

time that the triumphant entry of Jesus to Jerusalem takes place.

Next day when the people heard he was coming to Jerusalem

(the city of the King and of the prophets – for surely no prophet

can die outside Jerusalem! Luke 13:33), they jubilantly went to

meet him carrying palm branches and crying “‘hosanna’ blessed

is the one who come in the name of the Lord.”

The branches are associated with life, longevity and joy. They

are also associated with the feast of the tabernacles in which the

Jews celebrated the presence of heaven on earth. When the Jews

were liberated from slavery in Egypt following the Passover in

which each family was ordered by God to sacrifice a lamb and to

smear the blood on the lintel of their door post so as to escaped

the angel of death, they spent 40 years in the wilderness and sur-

vived through the making of abodes of tents with palm branches.

Hosanna is an expression of jubilant praise and adoration

meaning “save we pray.” The people acknowledged that Jesus

had done everything right – he had healed the sick, cast out de-

mons, gave sight to the blind, made the dumb speak and now has

raised the dead to life.

The common people took pride in Jesus and so do we and

should we. He loved us even to the extent of giving his life so that

we may be saved from eternal punishment. For God so loved the

world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in

him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Although the people came out to make Jesus king, they didn’t

understand the type of kingship Jesus came to inaugurate. The

people might have seen in Jesus a political king who would estab-

lish a kingdom of power and glory, free them from the occupant

Roman Empire, and who would restore the dignity of the nation

of Israel. Jesus rather came to establish a spiritual kingdom by

him being lifted up on the cross where he will offer the atoning

sacrifice of his precious blood to fulfill God’s righteousness that a

price had to be paid for sin, and that price is death. (Romans 6:23)

Because the people, including the apostles, didn’t understand this

fact at the moment, Jesus would always tell his disciples not to

tell anyone that he was the Messiah until he was glorified on the

cross. He would return as the universal king some-

day. That time he would no longer come as a savior

but as a judge. (John 5:22; Acts 10:42) And all

those who have lived the life of disobedience or

rebellion or unbelief will pay the price for their ob-

stinacy while the righteous will have eternal life.

It is the work of a true king, not the subjects, to

die for the kingdom and bring about justification of

the people. Jesus is a servant king not a usurping

king. He entered the Most Holy Place once for all

by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption

(Hebrews 9:12) He himself bore our sins in his

body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and

live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have

been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) He was wounded for

our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniqui-

ties; upon him was the chastisement that made us

whole, and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah

53:5)

Adam had dominion over the world (Genesis 1:26) and lost it.

Jesus has restored this dominion over the world (Colossians 1:13,

18). Let us praise our loving Father who sent his son so that all

who believe in him might not perish but may have eternal life.

Praise and glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

HOLY THURSDAY THROUGH

TO EASTER SUNDAY Easter Triduum, Holy Triduum, Paschal Triduum

(pronounced “trid-oo-um”), or The Three Days, is the period of

three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Maundy

Thursday (the vigil of Good Friday) and ends with evening prayer

on Easter Sunday. It is the three-day period therefore from the

evening of Maundy Thursday (excluding most of Thursday) to

the evening of Resurrection Sunday. It recalls the passion, death,

burial, and resurrection of Jesus, as portrayed in the four Gospels.

We all are invited to make these Three Days different and

distinct from all the rest of the days of the year. Young or old, all

of us as Catholics should know that our presence for the liturgies

during the Triduum is not just by invitation or obligation but by

the love we have for the Lord. We are all needed here in Church!

All of us need to share in community together on these greatest

days. We have made the times suitable.

So on these Three Days, we gather a number of times to cele-

brate various liturgies. We begin with the sign of the cross on

Holy Thursday and end with the dismissal at the end of the Easter

Vigil on Holy Saturday night. Together we hear some of the

Church’s most beautiful prayers, scriptures, and music. Please

look closely at our parish schedule on your left and make plans to

take part in the various liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday,

and Holy Saturday. Above all, plan to come on Saturday night for

the Easter Vigil, when we celebrate the resurrection and welcome

the new fire of Easter.

Remember Good Friday is a day of Fasting and abstinence.

Fasting from food binds all who have completed their 18th year of

age until the beginning of their 60th year. Abstinence from meat

(bloody) binds those who have completed their 14th year of age.

However, other ages can also fast and abstain voluntarily, for

Christ’s sake, to honor his suffering and death. Good Friday Cere-

monies begin at 3:00pm. There will be no Stations of the Cross

that day.

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VACATION God willing, Father Obioma will be away on vacation in Nigeria

in the month of April. Father Rowland Onuegbu SVD will minis-

ter in his stead while he is away. We welcome Father Rowland.

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION The Pontifical Collection for the benefit of the Holy Places is

scheduled this year on Good Friday, March 25. Our parish, once

a year on Good Friday, is called to support Christians in the Holy

Land. Many Christians in the Holy Land depend on this collec-

tion for their lives.

As a Pontifical collection requested by Pope Francis, the an-

nual Good Friday Collection offers a direct link for parishioners

to be witnesses of peace and to help protect the Holy Places.

When you donate on Good Friday, you are supporting Christians

in the Holy Land. “He, who does acts of mercy, let him do them

with cheerfulness.” (Rm 12:8)

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GOOD FRIDAY WALK Once again First Presbyterian Church is organizing a short Good

Friday Walk. We will leave the parking lot of First Presbyterian

Church on 176 Elm Street on Friday, March 25th at 9:15am. We

will be slowly walking or marching to a drummer and taking turns

carrying the cross. The walk is silent and solemn and in memory of

Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins.

The route will go south from the parking lot to Victoria St. We

will turn left and go east onto Victoria St. to King St. We will turn

left again going north onto King St. and pass St. Patrick's Catholic

Church. At the corner of King and Charlotte, in from of St. James

and St. Brendan’s church, we will turn west and continue down

Charlotte until we reach the First Presbyterian Church. Those from

St. Patrick’s Church may join the group as we pass by their church.

People will continue on around a large block until they return to their

starting place.

The walk will take place in rain or shine, warm or cold. Please

wear appropriate clothing and bring an umbrella if needed. For more

information call Peggy White at 905-834-8721 or

bpwhite777@cogeco.ca

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MARCH AT A GLANCE ~KOC Meeting: Wednesday Mar 23 at 4:30pm

~Holy Land and Refugee Collection: Friday March 25

~Property Maintenance Collection: March 26/27

March 20th, A.D. 2016

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion - Year C

Monday Mar 21 - 8:30am

+For the peaceful rest of Annina D’Uva as requested

by the Hendriks family

Tuesday March 22 - 8:30am

+For the peaceful rest of Eleanor Concessi as re-

quested by Cathy Sneek.

+For the peaceful rest of Mary Sorich as requested by

her family

Wednesday March 23 - 8:30am

+For the peaceful rest of Mary Sorich as requested by

her family

Thursday March 24 - 7:00pm (Holy Thursday)

+For the peaceful rest of Eleanor Concessi as re-

quested by Dino and Lily Sicoli

Friday March 25 - 3:00pm (Good Friday )

Saturday March 26 - 8:00pm (Easter Vigil)

+For the peaceful rest of Antonio and Maria

DiLorenzo as requested by family.

+For the peaceful rest of Eleanor Concessi as re-

quested by Marilyn Bernard and Joyce Knox

Sunday March 27 - 9:00am (Easter Sunday)

For the special intentions of John Malone and family

as requested by the Leed family.

For God’s blessings upon all parishioners.

Sunday March 27 - 11:00am (Easter Sunday)

For the special intentions of the St. Patrick School

Community as requested by the St. Patrick School

Council.

For the God’s blessings upon and for the good health

of the Balane family as requested by Lito & Liza

Balane

MASS INTENTIONS

There are several spots available this month and in the

months ahead. Don’t miss out on having a Mass said

for a loved one both living or deceased or for yours

own intentions. One must never forget the infinite graces

that flow from the Sacrifice of the Mass which benefit one’s

soul.

Lord may the request of our

people rise before you like a fragrant offering

Last Sunday’s Offering: $2032.00

Development & Peace Offering: $855.75

Thank you for your generosity

to the House of God.

Please remember St. Patrick’s in your wills and may God Bless you as you do so.