Easter

Happy Easter! He is risen! 

It is a joy and blessing to have you with us as we celebrate Jesus’ Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil, through his death and resurrection. St. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Jesus’ preaching and teaching continue to impact the world today, but there are many who do not accept that he was truly raised from the dead. God truly became one of us in Jesus and “since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). This is our source of hope even in the midst of darkness and uncertainty. This is the promise of life we always have if we surrender our lives to Him in the midst of His Church. When we unite our sufferings and “deaths” to his in this life, we have the promise of new life in him even now. 

I also want to thank the many who have helped make our Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter liturgies so powerful and beautiful. This is our own “Super Bowl” or “March Madness” with all of the preparation and behind the scenes service, work and ministry that happens. Thank you so much to our deacons, pastoral staff, musicians, choir, sacristans, decorators, masters of ceremony, servers, and liturgical ministers. 

As I announced on Palm Sunday, Bishop Thomas has appointed me as pastor of New Washington St. Bernard and Willard St. Francis Xavier, beginning this July. It is never easy for a priest to take leave of one flock and then transition to another. Certainly I have been through a lot with you in these nearly 4 years, including of course our facilities process and subsequent closing of Sacred Heart Church, something which no pastor ever desires to take on. I am grateful for the lay parish leadership who helped us navigate such a challenging time and have hope that the Lord will bring new life and resurrection to our parish out of the suffering and death we have experienced. I am also grateful for the many wonderful and generous people I have met here at Epiphany. Please know that I will continue to pray for the Epiphany parish family even after the transition to my new assignment. 

Bishop Thomas and I ask for your prayers as he and the priests’ who advise him on his personnel board discern the next pastor for Epiphany of the Lord. Bishop Thomas assures you of his care and concern for you and will continue to care for you moving forward. Let us trust that the Lord will provide the pastor our parish needs to lead, shepherd, guide our parish family, sharing the Good News of Jesus’ promise of new life through his death and resurrection. 

Let us pray for one another. 

In Christ, 
Father Eric