Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) | Bulletin of April 12, 2026 Message from Msgr. Schwanger

My Dear Family of Our Lady of Lourdes,

Happy Easter!
We celebrate the Octave of Easter as one continuous celebration of Easter Sunday. For that reason, as we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday with our youth at both the 11:45 and 1:30 Masses, we will celebrate the same Sacraments of Initiation that we celebrated at the Easter Vigil with our adult brothers and sisters last week. All together, we will welcome 65 brothers and sisters into the Church and our parish family this year.

But Easter, our 50 days of joy rolls on. That means that we will be gathering to celebrate First Communions and Confirmations throughout these next two months. For our young people, Confirmation completes their initiation into the Church but there remain many opportunities for further education and formation in the Faith. Two that I would like to highlight are the young adult groups of the parish and service with the Hospitalite de Miami during the Annual Archdiocese of Miami Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Those who will be receiving their First Communion remain with our Christian Formation Program throughout the coming years as they prepare for Confirmation. The program is designed for home learning. The family works through the materials together at home and comes to the parish for testing in order to pass on to the next level and to reception of the Sacraments. Together with the home learning, the parish has youth groups for elementary, jr. high, and high school students that expand and enrich the understanding and living of the Faith and will now be able to meet again on campus. Finally, the key element is regular attendance at the Sunday Mass which we track through ParishSOFT Giving or the use of the parish envelopes.

If you would like to register for the program and begin preparation to receive Baptism, Confirmation, or First Communion you will find more information and the registration form in the “The Sacraments of Christian Initiation” booklet in the media racks at the entrance to the church and office or online. Just drop the registration form off at the office or send it in and someone from the Christian Formation Office will contact you and help you get started. Come and see what lies ahead.
It’s awesome!

Msgr. Schwanger
Pastor

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