While churches in the Diocese of St. Cloud remain closed to public celebration of the Mass until May 15, Bishop Donald Kettler invited area Catholics to join him for his private celebration of Palm Sunday and the Easter Triduum via livestream.
Bishop Kettler gathers with diocesan Church online for Holy Week, Easter
Pope calls for a ‘contagion’ of Easter hope, peace, care for poor
The proclamation of hope, new life and victory over death, he said, should be “a different ‘contagion,’ a message transmitted from heart to heart, for every human heart awaits this good news,” Pope Francis said.
Bishop Kettler’s Holy Week/Easter video message: Stay close to Jesus, spiritually close to one another
“We are a Church that values every human life. We are a Church in solidarity with others at this time. … We are a Church that understands sacrifice.
This couldn’t be clearer on a day like today, when we remember Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us.”
Bishop Kettler: Suspension of public Masses extended through May 15
“While mitigation efforts to date have helped, the coronavirus continues to pose a serious health threat, particularly to the elderly and those with underlying illnesses.”
Diocese livestreaming Holy Week, Easter liturgies with Bishop Kettler
“Although we cannot be physically together, this is a way for us to gather as a diocesan church and pray together during these challenging times,” Bishop Kettler said.
Bishop Kettler video message: Staying connected in this time of trial
“Like you, I miss a lot of things because of the stay-at-home order. But what I miss the most is celebrating the Eucharist with you in person: the people of God. I’ve heard from many of you about how difficult it is not to be able to attend Mass at this time or pray together in our churches. This is necessary, however, to keep everyone safe and healthy. So we must look at other ways to gather.”
Vatican asks bishops to help faithful celebrate Holy Week, Easter at home
The Vatican has asked Catholic bishops around the world, both in the Latin rite and the Eastern Catholic Churches, to provide their faithful with resources to support personal and family prayer during Holy Week and at Easter.
Leap year’s extra day has a Catholic origin
While the concept of the leap year has been around since ancient times, the current calendar year has its origins in the Catholic Church.