This Ascension is a Holy Day of Obligation, so we’ll celebrate a 7pm Ascension Vigil Mass on Wednesday, and on Thursday we’ll celebrate a 12:10pm Ascension Mass and a 7pm Ascension Mass.

Next Sunday after the 11:30am Mass we’ll host our going away party for Fr. Isaiah in the parish hall. Please come wish him well before he moves to Rome.

Happy Mother’s Day! We are called to give thanks to those who have done such good for us, especially those we can never truly repay for all they have done, which includes in a special way our mothers. Let us give them thanks and keep them in our prayers. Also, give thanks to Mary, our spiritual Mother who always intercedes for us in heaven.

Cardinal Dolan is starting a new initiative, “Called by Name,” that seeks to find vocations to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York. There are cards on the table in the narthex that young men who are interested can fill out and return to us to learn more about becoming a diocesan priest for the Archdiocese of New York. As a Dominican parish, we also encourage vocations to become Dominican friars, sisters, or nuns. If interested simply talk with any of the Dominicans here.

As you know by now, our Holy Father Pope Francis has died. Please keep him in your prayers. This Monday, April 28th, at the 12:10pm daily mass we will celebrate a requiem Mass for Pope Francis. Please also pray for the Church during this time of transition, and for the Cardinals who will elect the new pope at the upcoming conclave.

Happy Easter! Let us rejoice in Christ’s resurrection, His triumph over sin and death. His victory is our victory; His journey to life beyond death is ours too if we follow Him.

Just as today Jesus enters Jerusalem and His Passion begins, so we enter Holy Week, leading to Good Friday and Easter. This time is the holiest part of the year. Make certain to spend more time in prayer, joining ourselves to Christ as He wins our salvation. The best way to enter into this grace-filled season is to attend the Holy Week liturgies.

This Monday through Wednesday is our Parish Mission! Fr. James Sullivan, OP, will preach our parish mission, Monday through Wednesday night, at 7pm, in the church. He’s a great preacher and I encourage everyone to attend. This retreat is a great way to get ready for Holy Week and Easter.

This weekend is our Annual Friars’ Appeal, which supports the formation and training of Dominican friars. These are the friars who will one day serve at St. Joseph’s and the other ministries of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph (aka: Eastern Province).

Looking forward, our parish mission will again be the week before Holy Week, 4/6-9. Fr. James Sullivan, OP, will be our mission preacher. He’s very funny and a great preacher, so I encourage everyone to attend. The mission will be Monday through Wednesday evening that week.

This Sunday, the 16th, is the 191st anniversary of the dedication of St. Joseph Church (3/16/1834). Our parish was created in 1829 when Greenwich Village was incorporated into New York City (it was a real village then!), and construction on our church building began in the summer of 1833.

This Friday, 3/14, we’ll have Stations of the Cross at 7pm and we’ll have our next Night Fire from 8pm-11pm. It’s a great event open to everyone, with music, adoration, and confessions, all in the candlelit church. 

Now is the time to start determining your Lenten Penances, which traditionally include penance, fasting, and almsgiving. All Catholics are called to abstain from meat during Fridays of Lent and those between the ages of 18 and 59 are called to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (one full meal and up to two snacks that don’t equal a full meal). You should decide on what personal penances you should undertake this Lent, picking ones that will help you most in your spiritual life.

Tickets for our annual St. Joseph dinner are now on sale after every Sunday Mass so please grab yours before they sell out. The dinner will be on Saturday, March 15th, after the Vigil Mass (i.e.: 6:30pm). I hope to see everyone there—it’s always a fun night.

We have repaired and restored much of St. Joseph parish in my past six and half years here. Many of you may remember the interior renovation, the exterior renovation, the new AC system, building the parish hall, etc. It was my hope that there would be no more major building projects on my watch! However, our boilers need to be replaced this summer. They heat the church building, the rectory, and the school building. Without new boilers we won’t have heat next winter, so this work is necessary. I’ve consulted with engineers and architects and the total cost is estimated to be $1.3 million. Therefore, we are about to begin a Boiler Fund campaign to raise the money to replace the boilers this summer. Please consider supporting this necessary expense so that St. Joseph’s can continue to thrive!

This Monday, 2/3, is the Memorial of St. Blaise. At the daily Mass for St. Blaise, at 12:10pm Monday, we’ll have the annual St. Blaise throat blessing.

Next Sunday is the Presentation of the Lord, which this year falls on a Sunday. This feast day is also called Candlemas because we celebrate the blessing of the candles. We’ll hold the candle blessing at the Vigil Mass, so next Saturday at 5:30pm. Bring any candles you’d like blessed to the Vigil Mass next Saturday.