On behalf of our staff, and clergy here at Our Lady of Peace and Notre Dame de Lourdes, I extend my Easter blessings and well-wishes to you and, I pray that you and your families have a most special Easter season.
Thanks to all who have worked with such loving dedication for the Commemoration of the Paschal Triduum and the celebration of the Resurrection of The Lord.
The planning and preparation for these liturgies goes back to late summer with the planning of the OCIA Team and its preparation of our elect who have been initiated into our Church this weekend. The planning and preparation include our decorators who seasonally prepare and maintain two churches to enhance our worship experience.
Thanks also to our liturgical teams of Eucharistic Ministers, lectors, cantors, music ministers, altar servers, ushers, hospitality team, and those who maintain and coordinate our live stream broadcasts. You are always so well prepared and eager to be of service to God and our community.
Thanks to all who have assisted the missionaries with their Holy Week outreach. By your nourishment of the nourishers, you assure that the impoverished in our region are never excluded from the love of the Lord and that they are always welcome at his banquet.
Missionary activity is central to the archdiocese’s current initiative – “Trust and Hope, The Catholic Church of Philadelphia.” This initiative invites the faithful to bring the beauty and the grace of the Catholic Faith out from its institutional structure and into the structure and routine of the people themselves. It is a loving response to your amen to the Most Blessed Sacrament and your willingness to bring that amen, and the grace of the Eucharist, into all our relationships and encounters.
The numbers below are a testament to the volume of your amen and the impact of sharing your grace.
Average Sunday Mass Attendance During Lent:
2022 = 534 2023 = 611 2024 = 644 2025 = 672 2026 = 742
This represents a 10% increase in attendance from last year and a 39% increase in attendance from 2022. Coming out of the pandemic, the combined attendance at our Vigil Mass and the early morning Mass was slightly under 200, four years later the attendance at these Masses is slightly over 300.
Thomas Merton once remarked that though we are sinners in need of redemption it is not sin that unites us, but grace that holds us in solidarity. And, it is due to grace, and your respect and appreciation of it, that nearly 40% more people feel comfortable worshipping together in praise of Almighty God. OLP is the place to be, and NDDL is where your child can excel!
Easter is a celebration of the triumph of Light. The brightness of the Paschal Candle fills us with His Light. Thank you for cherishing the light of Christ that burns brightly within you. Thank you for allowing that light of grace to be noticed by over 200 people who, because of you, also walk around shining like the sun.
Easter Readings and Reflections – Cycle A / 5 April 2026
Acts 10:34a, 37-43 – What is the meaning of Alleluia? Why do we not use the Alleluia during Lent? / Describe the great deeds of God that you have witnessed.
Responsorial Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 – R. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad. – What is a cornerstone? What is its purpose? Who / What is the cornerstone of your faith?
Colossians 3:1-4 – With what level of frequency do you think about what is above?
John 20:1-9 – Why did no one actually witness the Resurrection? / Why did St. John defer to St. Peter instead of entering the tomb first? / What is the significance of the burial cloths being left behind at the tomb?