7:30AM – Holy Mass in Frackville.

HOLY TUESDAY, April 19th

10:00AM – Central Diocese Clergy Conference in Scranton.

4:00PM – Holy Mass of Chrism in St. Stanislaus Cathedral, Scranton, PA. — At the Holy Mass, which the bishop concelebrates with his presbyterium, and at which the oils are blessed, manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop. To show the unity of the presbyterium, the priests who concelebrate with the bishop come from different parts of the diocese.

HOLY THURSDAY, April 21st – Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

The Mass of the Last Supper begins our three days of enacting the Easter mystery. In this rich celebration, we recall tonight the Passover meal that commemorates the liberation of Israel from Egypt, the institution of the Eucharist, and Jesus washing of the disciples’ feet.

6:00PM – Holy Mass in Shenandoah.

GOOD FRIDAY, April 22nd – The Lord’s Passion

According to the Church’s ancient tradition, the sacraments are not celebrated today or tomorrow. The celebration of the Lord’s passion takes place in the afternoon. The celebration consists of three parts: liturgy of the word, veneration of the cross, and Holy Communion. Fasting: all those of post-confirmation age are to fast TODAY limiting themselves to one full meal and two smaller meals, with no snacking between meals. These regulations are recommended for healthy adults. Children under First Holy Communion age, the infirm, those on restrictive medication and the elderly are exempt from the obligation of fasting.

2:00PM – The Liturgy of the Good Friday with adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion in Shenandoah. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be held until 6:00PM.

HOLY SATURDAY, April 23rd

On this day the Church waits at the Lord’s tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the Holy Mass is not celebrated. Today’s service is arranged in: a) a brief service of light; b) the liturgy of the word; c) blessing of water.

11:00AM – The Liturgy of the Blessing of Fire, Water and Paschal Candle in Shenandoah. After the Liturgy – blessing of Easter food (baskets)

RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD — EASTER SUNDAY, April 24th

9:00AM – Easter procession. After Procession – Holy Mass – intention: for All Parishioners.

8:00PM – Mass of the Shepherds at Holy Ghost Parish, Shenandoah, and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament; intention: for all Parishioners.
10:00PM – Mass of the Shepherds at St. John the Baptist, Frackville, and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament; intention: for all Parishioners.

Solemnity – Nativity of our Lord, Saturday, December 25th:

9:30AM – Holy Mass in Shenandoah.
11:00AM – Holy Mass in Frackville.

Solemnity of the Humble Shepherds, Sunday, December 26th:

11:00AM – Holy Mass in Shenandoah, intention: for sp. Geraldine Andrews, of. by Richard & Helen Wienches.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and may the perpetual light shine upon them.
May their soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

Wieczne odpoczynek racz im dać Panie, a światłość wiekuista niechaj im świeci.
Niech odpoczywają w pokoju, Amen.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski and some of the country’s highest military and civilian leaders died on Saturday when the presidential plane crashed as it came in for a landing in thick fog in western Russia, killing 97, officials said.

Russian and Polish officials said there were no survivors on the 26-year-old Tupolev, which was taking the president, his wife and staff to events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre in Katyn forest of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet secret police.

The crash devastated the upper echelons of Poland’s political and military establishments. On board were the army chief of staff, the navy chief commander, and heads of the air and land forces. Also killed were the national bank president, deputy foreign minister, army chaplain, head of the National Security Office, deputy parliament speaker, Olympic Committee head, civil rights commissioner and at least two presidential aides and three lawmakers, the Polish foreign ministry said.

Some of the people on board were relatives of those slain in the Katyn massacre. Also among the victims was Anna Walentynowicz, whose firing in August 1980 from the Lenin Shipyards in Gdansk sparked a workers’ strike that spurred the eventual creation of the Solidarity freedom movement. She went on to be a prominent member.

“This is a great tragedy, a great shock to us all,” former president and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa said.

The deaths were not expected to directly affect the functioning of Polish government: Poland’s president is commander in chief of its armed forces but the position’s domestic duties are chiefly symbolic. Most top government ministers were not aboard the plane.

In Warsaw, Tusk also called an extraordinary meeting of his Cabinet and the national flag was lowered to half-staff at the presidential palace, where several thousand people gathered to lay flowers and light candles. Black ribbons appeared in some windows in the capital.

Kaczynski, 60, was the twin brother of Poland’s opposition leader, former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Kaczynski’s wife, Maria, was an economist. They had a daughter, Marta, and two granddaughters.

Lech Kaczynski became president in December 2005 after defeating Tusk in that year’s presidential vote.

The nationalist conservative had said he would seek a second term in presidential elections this fall. He was expected to face an uphill struggle against Parliament speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, the candidate of Tusk’s governing Civic Platform party.

The constitution says the parliament speaker announce early elections within 14 days of the president’s death. The vote must be held within another 60 days.

Poland, a nation of 38 million people, is by far the largest of the 10 formerly communist countries that have joined the European Union in recent years.

Last year, Poland was the only EU nation to avoid recession and posted economic growth of 1.7 percent.

It has become a firm U.S. ally in the region since the fall of communism — a stance that crosses party lines.

Women’s Day in Poland

Valentine’s Day (Walentynki) has been observed in Poland since the collapse of the Eastern European Bloc and the opening of Poland’s borders. Poles were quick to adopt Valentine’s Day and nowadays it’s as popular in Poland as anywhere else. But a holdover from Soviet Union rule — Dzień Kobiet or Women’s Day – also is celebrated on March 8.

The holiday was created in 1948, in part, to replace the Roman Catholic feast day of Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek, a 12th-century monk, but also to glorify the ideals of women as hard-working contributors to the economy – sort of a women’s equality day. Although initially this feast was enforced by the government, it became accepted and part of Polish culture. And, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is still celebrated.

While Valentine’s Day is more privately celebrated between lovers in Poland, Women’s Day is celebrated more as a national holiday for all women, regardless of age. They receive special attention, usually flowers, sweets and small gifts, not only privately, but at work and schools. The Western trend of giving greeting cards is creeping into this holiday.

Women’s Day is now an official holiday in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, and other Eastern European countries.

HOLY TUESDAY, March 30th
10:00AM – Clergy Conference of the Central Diocese in Scranton, PA and Holy Mass of Chrism (4:00pm)

MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 1st
6:00PM – Holy Thursday Mass in Shenandoah.
7:30PM – Holy Thursday Mass in Frackville.

GOOD FRIDAY, April 2nd
2:00PM – The Liturgy of the Good Friday with Adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion
Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament will be held until 6:00PM.

HOLY SATURDAY, April 3rd
11:00AM – Liturgy of the Blessing of Fire, Water and Paschal Candle in Frackville
After the Liturgy – blessing of Easter food (basket)

EASTER SUNDAY, April 4th – RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
9:00AM – Easter Procession
After Procession – Holy Mass – intention: for All Parishioners