Rejoice! And Meet Me At The Ford Center On May 14

Heads-up!

There will only be one Saturday-Anticipatory Mass in the Diocese of Evansville the weekend of May 14-15. Let me repeat – across our 12 counties, there will only be one Saturday Mass to fulfill the Sunday obligation on May 14.

If, like me, you’re “one of those Saturday people” … or if you like a good old-fashioned family get-together, you’ll need to come to the Ford Center in downtown Evansville on May 14 and be part of “Rejoice! A Catholic Community Celebration.”

Look for a formal announcement in next week’s issue of The Message. Following are some details for this signature event for our 12-county Catholic community.

Doors will open at 2 p.m. Central Time. Come early and catch up with people from across the diocese that you might only see once or twice a year – at their summer social or yours … or at their Lenten fish fry or yours.

An hour of personal Reconciliation will be available from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Remember what Pope Francis has told the world almost since the day the College of Cardinals elevated him to the papacy – “Our Lord never tires of forgiving us; it is we who tire of asking for his forgiveness.”

We will arrive at this day almost halfway through the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Observe that by celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Mass.

We’ll enjoy a concert by parish and school choirs at 3 p.m. And 30 minutes before Mass begins – as is tradition at many of our parishes with Saturday Anticipatory Masses, we will pray the Rosary. I hope you’ll arrive in time to visit, go to Confession and pray the Rosary with others from around the diocese before Mass begins at 4 p.m.

A personal aside – one of the Masses I most look forward to throughout the year in our diocese is the Chrism Mass, which occurs on Tuesday during Holy Week. It is so powerful to see our priests – virtually all of them, from every corner of the diocese – concelebrate Mass with Bishop Thompson.

As I write this, I just can’t imagine what it will be like to experience that power … that Grace … inside the Ford Center with thousands of others – my Catholic family in our diocese – during “Rejoice!”

Not only that, but we’re also going to recognize all of those celebrating significant anniversaries across our 12 counties this year. We’ll salute our priests, deacons and religious, and those couples we have honored with the Jubilee Mass in previous years. “Rejoice!” will take the place of the Jubilee Mass this year. If you, or your parents or grandparents – will celebrate 50 years of marriage or more in 2016, this is the Mass you must attend because there are thousands of Catholics who want to “Rejoice!” with you.

There are so many reasons to mark May 14 on your calendar right now … to plan on attending this singular event in our diocese. You’ll catch up with old friends and make new ones. You’ll be able to experience God’s mercy and forgiveness first-hand through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You’ll enjoy a wonderful musical performance by parish and school choirs. You’ll be part of one of the largest communal Rosaries in the history of the diocese.

And together, we will celebrate the Eucharist – the Source Summit of our Catholic faith – as we Rejoice! in a Catholic community celebration.

Please … Rejoice! And meet me at the Ford Center on May 14.