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April 5th, 2020

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ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT PRESIDED OVER BY THE HOLY FATHER
To watch and listen to an English translation replay of Pope Francis’ prayer and Urbi et Orbi Blessing, click here.

DAILY MASS AT ST. COLUMBA CHURCH
With Bishop Gainer temporarily suspending all daily and weekend Masses in the Diocese, Monsignor Lawrence suggested that we record and share our Parish Daily Mass. We added a page to our website that posts links to the Parish YouTube channel so that we can view current and dated services, music, and any messages Monsignor shares with us. Plans are for this practice to continue until the Bishop rescinds the Diocesan Mass suspension.

A NOTE ABOUT HOLY WEEK AND EASTER: As you may have heard, after a decree was received from the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Bishop Gainer sent us a letter instructing that, in the interest of public health, the Masses of Holy Week and Easter are not to be celebrated publicly this year. When this health crisis has passed, we will be overjoyed to celebrate Mass together once again!

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION will be taken for the Holy Places in the Holy Land. From the daily news we all hear of the challenges in the Middle East. Christians in the Holy Land urgently need our help and you can help fellow Catholics in the cradle of Christianity through your generosity. Thank you for supporting the works of the Catholic community and helping to protect the Holy Places and the Christian Shrines. 

REGARDING PENANCE
A message from the Bishop regarding Penance: “The faithful should be urged to request the sacrament only in danger of death. To protect the priest, those with whom he lives, as well as the parish staff, priests are not to hear confessions in the parish office or rectory at this time.”

MAY HE REST IN THE PEACE OF THE LORD! Please pray for the soul of Mr. John F. Miller who died on March 25, 2020. The parish community of Saint Columba Church extends its deepest sympathies to his family, relatives, and friends on their loss. 

DAILY LENTEN REFLECTIONS are available on the Parish app, as well as audio commentary by Scott Hahn each Sunday. Msgr. Lawrence’s and Bishop Robert Barron’s homilies are available, the Truth & Life Audio Bible Gospel of Mark, access to our bulletin online, Catholic news, and much more…text 88202 to download the app, and select our parish.

DIOCESAN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN
It is time again for the Diocesan Annual Campaign, the campaign that funds the spiritual and corporal works of mercy for the Diocese of Harrisburg. This year the theme is “Rooted in Faith.”

PARISH CAMPAIGN as of 3/30/20
ASSESSMENT – $97,952
PLEDGED – $24,765
% OF GOAL – 25.3 %
GIVERS – 66

A FOUNDATION TO BUILD ON
The Diocese has created a special page that contains several resources, including some Frequently Asked Questions and court documents. Visit the Diocese Information page to learn about this process. Information will be updated as the Diocese moves forward.

This Week in Our Parish

– a calendar for the week of March 29, 2020 –

All Parish Activities continue to be cancelled or postponed until further notice

As of April 3. Additional updates will be provided as they are received.

LOOKING AT THE SYMBOLS OF THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS – PALM SUNDAY 
We have been journeying through the season of Lent coming closer and closer to Good Friday and to the most sacred time in our Church. We begin Holy Week remembering the great love that Jesus had for us when He surrendered His own life on the cross. It is also a special time to thank Jesus for this love and to do all that we can to get closer to Him; therefore, we look at the spear that the soldiers use to pierce the side of Jesus. 
St. John, in his Gospel of John, tells us: “One of the soldiers thrust a lance into Jesus’ side, and immediately blood and water flowed out….. They shall look on Him whom they have pierced.” 
Suggested activity: Spend five minutes each day this week in personal prayer and participate in the Holy Week services. 

Parish Stewardship

March 29, 2020 – $4,075
March 31, 2019 – $17,797

This week’s Offering – Weekly
Next week’s offering – Weekly

ELECTRONIC GIVING OPTION
You may notice that our weekly income has dropped substantially. We have had several calls asking how parishioners can still contribute although public Mass is suspended. With public safety in mind, the parish office is currently closed. You can always send your envelopes in the mail, if you wish. However, our parish does offer an electronic option for making regular offerings debited automatically from your checking account. This option offers convenience for you and much-needed consistency for our parish income. You can download the form below and mail it in, or leave a message on the parish voicemail to have the automatic payment form sent to your house.
The form is easy to complete, asking for your name, envelop number, banking information, and the amount you want to give. The Parish will maintain strict confidentiality and security of this information. If you are interested in this program, the link posted below will download the appropriate one-page document.

HERSHEYPARK DISCOUNT TICKET OFFER!
Discount tickets to Hersheypark are available to the friends and families of the parish for significant savings. Gate admission for Regular is $74.80; our price is $38.95 (ALL ages 3+). ADD-ON discount Hersheypark Meal Tickets at a savings of up to 30% off retail prices – $12.99 each and ADD-ON Snack Vouchers – $4.50 each. Orders must be received at the parish by Thursday, April 30. Parishes will receive tickets on or before the week of May 25.

Mass Schedule for this Week

MESSAGE FROM MONSIGNOR LAWRENCE
Brothers and Sisters, 
Even though temporarily I am unable to say Mass with you, know that I am praying Mass each day and am praying for all of you at that time. Also when I am praying the Divine Office, all of you are part of that prayer. Join with me in prayer that this coronavirus will pass quickly and that the suspension of public Masses will be short-lived. 
Msgr. Lawrence 

Monsignor will honor these intentions at his private Mass.

SATURDAY/April 4, 2020
Winnie Casey (Kathy & Jeff Stone)

SUNDAY/April 5, 2020
People of the Parish

MONDAY/April 6, 2020
Leon Mack (Al & Elaine Luschas)

TUESDAY/April 7, 2020
Winnie Casey (Jane & Joe Kasenchak)

WEDNESDAY/April 8, 2020
Cecelia Eyerly (Craig & Veronica Klesh)

HOLY THURSDAY/April 9, 2020
Hedwig Lichtner (Family)

GOOD FRIDAY/April 10, 2020

HOLY SATURDAY/April 11, 2020
Andrew Reisinger (Samuels Family)

EASTER SUNDAY/April 12, 2020
People of the Parish

BLESSED MOTHER CANDLE
In loving Memory of Anna Gosdick (Karen Miller).

Sponsor of the Week

We would like to thank the Sponsor of the Week
PATIO COVERS BY PA ALUMINUM 
for sponsoring an ad in our weekly bulletin. 

Hearing the Word of the Lord this Week

PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION 
This is the week that we call “holy.” We look at the great events of the last week of Jesus’ physical life upon earth. All of these events tell us of His great love for us. “He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even to death on the cross.” Use this week to reflect upon Jesus’ great love for us. He gave Himself in the Eucharist and He died on the cross for us. 
It will be difficult for all not to be able to be together to celebrate these great liturgies. It will be a real difficulty, but I hope that we will all appreciate even more the other liturgies that we celebrate together. 
We will try to bring these liturgies to you through YouTube so that you can be present, at least, in spirit. Look for these liturgies to be posted close to the times when we would normally celebrate them; for Holy Thursday at 7:00 p.m., Good Friday at 3:00 p.m., Easter Vigil between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., and Easter Sunday, by 8:00 a.m. 
We continue to pray for an end to this coronavirus so that we can all be together and worship together. 
– Msgr. Lawrence

SYMBOLS FOR LENT
This weekend, we have palm branches to remind ourselves that we want to give glory and praise to Jesus our King. We have them here at the church, and we will be holding on to them until we are all together, once again!

Be Prepared for the Word of the Lord Next Sunday

Readings for next Sunday, April 12, 2020
EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION
OF THE LORD
Acts 10: 34, 37 – 43
Psalm 118: 1 – 2, 16 – 17, 22 – 23
Colossians 3: 1 – 4

Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Seven Sacraments of the Church
The Sacrament of Matrimony

How is the sacrament of Matrimony celebrated? 
Since Matrimony establishes spouses in a public state of life in the Church, its liturgical celebration is public, taking place in the presence of a priest (or of a witness authorized by the Church) and other witnesses. 

What is matrimonial consent? 
Matrimonial consent is given when a man and a woman manifest the will to give themselves to each other irrevocably in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love. Since consent constitutes Matrimony, it is indispensable and irreplaceable. For a valid marriage the consent must have as its object true Matrimony, and be a human act which is conscious and free and not determined by duress or coercion.