Easter blessings from the friars and staff
of the Franciscan Renewal Center!
We Can Be Living Stones
God draws close to his people every time and in every place, so wherever you are this Holy Week, even though you're not inside a church, God is there with you. This is a Holy Week that is unprecedented in modern Christian history, but this is also an opportunity for each one of us to write that history for when our children, our grandchildren, our future generations, talk about Holy Week 2020. It is up to us now to decide how we want them to remember us. It depends on what we do now, so let us show them that even with all the suffering and the darkness around us, we still put our trust in God. And even if we cannot go to a church made of mortar and brick, we can become Church, made of living stones. Let us show them that God's grace knows no boundaries, no barriers, and is able to reach us wherever we are. Let us show them that nothing can separate us from God—not the virus, not self-isolation, not quarantine, not lockdown, not even death. As we journey with Jesus to the Calvary, as we share very profoundly, at this time, in His suffering and death, we go with confidence that God has not forsaken us, in that one day we, too, shall rise with Him. –
Fr. Sam Nasada, OFM
(excerpt from Palm Sunday homily).
Celebrating Easter-In-Place
Sunday: Easter Mass livestream on
YouTube
at 7:30 am.
Should either livestream falter, or for on-demand viewing, recordings will be available on
YouTube
and
Facebook
, following the liturgies. If you missed or would like to re-experience earlier Holy Week offerings, you can find them on YouTube, too.
We Are Community Strong
We are so thankful for the financial support provided, as it goes a long way to defray the costs to operate the Casa. Our past several Easter services have brought support of $75,000 to offset expenses, so we are appreciative of anything you can provide to keep us going. We are truly grateful!
And thank you for your overwhelming support in keeping our community connected. Your heartfelt messages of gratitude for the friars and staff during this challenging time fill us with joy. You’ve shared that the online liturgies, music, prayers, and messages of hope, are helping you get through these difficult days. Please know that gratitude is profoundly returned to every one of you. In just one short month, we have more than doubled our Facebook reach and nearly tripled our YouTube subscribers. Since the beginning of March, there were 30,447 video views, an increase of 674% from February! We all look forward to being together again. In the meantime, we’ve proven the foundations for renewal that we’ve built at the Casa can help keep us steady and strong, no matter where we are.
Franciscan Vision Series—Two More Videos from the FST!
Thank you for letting us know how much you are enjoying these classes, courtesy of the Franciscan School of Theology. As new videos become available in the coming weeks, we’ll continue to share here and on Facebook.
Lenten Almsgiving
While we were not able to return our Almsgiving envelopes on March 28 & 29 as planned, we will collect them once we can gather again as the Our Lady of the Angels Church community. Please continue to pray for our Native American brothers and sisters and all who were already experiencing hunger before the pandemic and are now in greater need.
Ways to Help/Receive Help
The Casa's Faith in Action Ministry provides information for the social service agencies we collaborate with.
Click here
for the list. Also, we’ve compiled a
list of other Arizona resources for various needs and information.
The Casa is not able to accept food donations for Vista del Camino and clothing donations for Andre House at this time, but they are taking drop offs at their sites.
You are welcome to drop off non-perishable foods to
Vista del Camino
, 7700 E Roosevelt St in Scottsdale, Monday through Friday from 8 am –5 pm. Please drive up to the food bank doors on the east side of the building (their staff are gloved/masked and can assist, if needed). While most-needed items will change over the next few weeks, right now they are
primarily collecting cans of corn and soup.
Andre House
is accepting drop-offs, Monday through Thursday 10 am – 12 pm and 1 – 4 pm; Saturday and Sunday 1–4 pm, no appointment needed. They are located at 213 S. 11th Ave. in Phoenix. They ask that you please do not exit your vehicle and instead let a staff member unload your donations and provide you a receipt. Go to their parking lot and park in the handicap area right by the gate. If no staff is around, call 602.255.0580. Catholic Charities
MANA House
(Veterans Assistance Program) needs
bottled water, ground coffee, and powdered creamer.
They are taking drop-offs on Monday and Friday between 8 am and 3 pm, except for Good Friday.
Happy 50th Anniversary, Earth Day!
April 22, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day and this May marks the 5th Anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical,
Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home
. The Casa’s Care for Creation Ministry had a variety of events planned to mark the anniversaries. In this time of social distancing, we will be moving many of the prayer services and educational opportunities online. Check next Friday’s email for the complete schedule of activities and where to find them. We hope you plan to participate.
Peace and good,
The Casa friars and staff
