It was with great sadness that we all learned of the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, this past Easter Monday. It seems most fitting that on Easter Sunday, the day before his death, he appeared to thousands of pilgrims gathered at the square of St. Peter’s Basilica to celebrate Easter Sunday, the day of the Lord’s Resurrection. The Holy Father wished everyone a “Buona Pasqua,” a “Happy Easter” and imparted an apostolic blessing. Early the next morning, the Holy Father was called home. In this time of sadness, I urge all of us to pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis and to ask God to give him a place at the eternal banquet table in heaven.
It is also a time to remember our late Holy Father’s challenge to all of us to be vessels of God’s love. What we have received from God, LOVE, we are to gratefully receive and to freely give away. We also remember the challenge Pope Francis gave to us to be ever mindful of the poor and marginalized. We are to have a “preferential option” for the poor. May we accept the challenge presented to us by Pope Francis and do our best to put it into action in our daily lives.
Also, we pray for the members of the College of Cardinals who will soon be entering into conclave. They will gather to elect a new Pope. They need our prayers as they make this decision, a most monumental moment in the life of the Church. May the Holy Spirit lead them and guide them as they make the decision on who will succeed Pope Francis in the Chair of St. Peter.
I also remind you that this Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. We recall that God is rich in mercy. We remember and celebrate that reality in a particular way on this Sunday. You are invited to the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00PM followed by Mass at St. Ann. We celebrate that God is kind, merciful and full of compassion for us, His beloved sons and daughters.
Have A Great Bethany Beach Week!
Stay Safe! Stay Healthy!
Next Sunday, April 27, is Divine Mercy Sunday. You are invited to gather at St. Ann Church at 3:00PM to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The celebration of Mass will follow. How full, wide, deep and rich is God’s mercy to us. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. On Divine Mercy Sunday, we come together to rejoice and celebrate the love of Almighty God for each one of us, His sons and daughters.
Prayer for the Repose of the Soul
of Pope Francis
O God, faithful Rewarder of Souls, grant that Your departed
servant Pope Francis, whom You made successor of Peter
and Shepherd of Your Church, may happily enjoy forever in
Your presence in heaven, the mysteries of Your grace and
compassion, which he faithfully ministered on earth. Amen.
Eternal rest grant unto Pope Francis, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him. And may his soul,
and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Click here for more Catholic prayers
Click below to learn about the many organizations and activities in St. Ann Parish:
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Online Giving Available
Try our new Online Giving Service— go to our website Online Giving page to set up your account.
Online Giving is the preferred way to make your weekly or monthly contributions to offertory and various other designations. By giving electronically, it minimizes the need to have six parishioners present to count money every Sunday and it also minimizes hours used to post these donations to the donors’ accounts every week. If interested, go to our parish website online donation page; or you can also use your smart phone to scan the QR code for online giving. When scanned with a smart phone, this image connects you directly to the mobile version of our donation page. You can also call the business manager at (302) 539-6449 ext.103 for assistance in setting this up. Thank you for your support!
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Help Your Neighbors
Please remember our parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society when writing checks. Your financial support, of whatever size, is a lifeline for so many of our needy brothers and sisters. In these strange and difficult times, your generous financial support is a great help to them. Thank you for your support.
If you would like to donate to our food pantry, a list of needed items is listed on the SVdP ministry page here.
You can contribute in many different ways; just click the picture below to find out more.
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There’s more information here about our finances and contributions.
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