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ST. GERTRUD E TH E GREAT ROMAN CATH OL IC CH URCH

4900 Rialto Road, West Chester, Ohio 45069 • (513) 645-4212

www.sgg.org • www.SGGResources.org Traditional Latin Mass: Sundays 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM High, 11:30 AM, 5:45 PM

. Most Reverend Daniel L. Dolan, Pastor • Rev. Anthony Cekada

Rev. Charles McGuire • Rev. Vili Lehtoranta • Rev. Stephen McKenna

. April 5, 2015 EASTER SUNDAY

¶ RESURRECTION SUNDAY

A blessed Easter! to all our parish-ioners, friends, family, visitors, and as well to the members of our Inter-net congregation around the world. You are all remembered in a special way in this day’s Masses. Holy Mass is offered for all of the faithful today, and is also the first Mass of the Easter Novena. The second collection will be taken up today for the support of our seminary, and the blessing of relig-ious articles will be available after all Masses. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament follows the 11:30 AM Mass. Easter Vespers conclude the day at 6:00 PM. There is no 5:45 PM Mass this evening.

¶ ALTER CHRISTUS

The “Little Church” is in the vestibule today, to receive your offerings for the support and sanctification of priests.

¶ NEXT SUNDAY The Octave Day of Easter, also known as Sunday in White, or Low Sunday. Sunday classes for adults and children resume at 10:40 AM. There are no Vespers, but Benedic-tion is at 5:20 PM. Set Your Missal: Low Sunday, Vidi Aquam, Preface of Easter.

Death has fled before the Glory of the Risen One.

Lumen Christi

The Sanctuary Lamp will burn before the Blessed Sacrament during the next fortnight for the following intention:

Health of Lydia Quintana and Peace in our family

(Penny Ann Quintana)

HE IS RISEN ~ ALLELUIA!

¶ THE EASTER OCTAVE High Mass is sung each day of the Octave for our Novena Intentions. Monday and Tuesday are First Class Feasts of Devotion, with Mass at the school time. Wednesday and Thursday the 5 PM Mass is sung; Friday at 5:45 PM, and Saturday at 7:30 AM. Come back and share the quiet Easter joy of our beautiful church—and Masses. Low Masses abound as well.

Collection Report

Sunday March 29th…...…….........$3,550.00 Thank you for your generosity! May God reward you. Remember St. Gertrude the Great in your will.

GOOD MORNING

Good morning my sweet Jesus, I come to offer Thee my heart, Thoughts, words and actions Throughout the coming day.

O may the loving thought of Thee Be ever in my mind,

In order that no other there A resting place may find.

And may my eyes be ever raised To gaze on Thee above

Each palpitation of my heart Breathe forth an act of love.

And may my ears attentive be, To hear what Thou wilt say;

So that I e’er may know Thy will And lovingly obey.

That, thus when evening comes, I may Hope I’ve served Thee well today,

And come again without a fear To say “good night,” my Jesus dear.

So bless me, Jesus, ere I go To labor—but without Thee—no!

I’ll never feel Thy presence near Until again I meet Thee here!

¶ EASTER PRAYERS We remember today all of our dear parishioners, housebound or sick, for-mer and current, friend and foe, and pray for each one of them, as also for all of our faithful departed. They are all of them with us this Easter upon the altar for each Holy Mass.

CALENDAR .

All Sunday Masses, school day Masses, Friday evening and Saturday morning Masses are webcast at SGGresources.org.

MON 4/6/15 EASTER MONDAY 11:20 AM High Mass Novena II Private Mass: David MacDonald – 5th Anniversary (Tom & Karen Simpson) TUE 4/7/15 EASTER TUESDAY 8:00 AM Low Mass John Metz & Mom (Judy Metz) 11:20 AM High Mass Novena III 5:00 PM Low Mass Margaret O’Brien (Rob & Jane Brockman) WED 4/8/15 EASTER WEDNESDAY 8:00 AM Low Mass Spiritual welfare of my family (Patsy McConnell) 5:00 PM High Mass Novena IV THU 4/9/15 EASTER THURSDAY 6:00 AM Low Mass Melissa Kunkel 2nd Anniversary, April 5th (Samantha) 8:00 AM Low Mass Special Intention (Mary Brueggemann) 5:00 PM High Mass Novena V FRI 4/10/15 EASTER FRIDAY 8:00 AM Low Mass Katie Bischak (Mrs. & Mrs. Victor Ritze) 5:15 PM Confessions & Rosary 5:45 PM High Mass Novena VI 6:30 PM Sacred Heart Novena & Benediction SAT 4/11/15 EASTER SATURDAY ST. LEO I, PCD 7:10 AM Confessions 7:30 AM High Mass Novena VII 8:10 AM Sermon, Low Mass Agnes & John Brockman (Rob & Jane Brockman) SUN 4/12/15 LOW SUNDAY 7:30 AM Low Mass Dale Wilker family (Patton family) 9:00 AM High Mass Novena VIII 10:40 AM Sunday Catechism Classes 11:30 AM Low Mass Tom Kamphaus (Connie & family) 5:20 PM Benediction 5:45 PM Low Mass For the people of St. Gertrude the Great

ALLELUIA

On Easter Sunday and throughout the Paschal time the word, Alleluia, is used so frequently in the liturgy that every Catholic is familiar with it. And still—like many other words which we use so often—we know very little about it.

The word is formed from two Hebrew ones: allelu, meaning song or praise; and Iah, an abbreviation of the in-effable name of God. It ap-pears more than once in the Old Testament, and in the Apocalypse St. John says that he heard legions of angels chanting it in heaven.

In the early Church the word was used in the liturgy at all seasons; but Pope St. Greg-ory decreed that it should not be sung between Septuagesima

and Easter. Somewhat later it was banished from the Masses for the dead, because of all words it is the most joyous.

Long centuries ago, when their faith literally filled the lives of Christians, as it does now of only the unusu-ally devout, the word, Alleluia, was sung everywhere. Boatmen intoned it as they rowed, laborers repeated it frequently as they worked. Before bells were used for church purposes it served as a signal for monks to as-semble.

During a visit to England, in 430, St. Germanus of Auxerre gave Alelluia as the battle cry to the British sol-diers when he led them against a plundering band of Picts and Scots. The latter, terrified by the exultant shouts of their opponents, retreated in confusion. The event is known in English history as the “Alleluia Vic-tory.”

—St. Anthony Messenger

REMINDER: First Communion testing and First Confessions are at 9 AM on Saturday,

April 18th.

S e r v e r s MON 04/6: 11:20 AM HIGH: M. & B. Lotarski, J. Murray, Volunteer TUE 04/7: 11:20 AM HIGH: M. & B. Lotarski, J. Murray, Volunteer SUN 04/12: 7:30 AM LOW: Brueggemann Bros. 9:00 AM HIGH: MC: B. Lotarski TH: A. Richesson ACs: S. & L.

Arlinghaus TORCH: T. Lawrence, C. Arlinghaus, M. Simpson, C. Richesson

11:30 AM LOW: N. & N. McClorey 5:20 PM BENEDICTION: J. Murray, G. Miller 5:45 PM LOW: J. Murray, G. Miller

EASTER FLOWER MEMORIALS

George Koeppel Joe & Nathalie Andreotta

Thomas Kamphaus

Lori Durante

Ralph Patton Patton Family

Lucille & Danny Delawder

Patton Family

Catherine & Kim Blanchard Patton Family

3 Deceased Brothers

Kirby Bischel

H.O., Mike, & Sean Hinton Rebecca Hinton

Clara Vande Ryt & Roseanna Cooley

Jeanne Hille

Paul & Romilda Uhlenbrock Bob & Becky Uhlenbrock

Albert Kinnett

Margaret & Albert Daniel Kinnett

Marguerite Pessalano Andrea J. Reilly

Daymon C. & Nellie Sutton

Margaret Sutton

Ronald E. Kitchen Marge

Maki/Frost – Poor Souls

Mr. & Mrs. Maki

Deceased Members – Soli & Ladd Families

Jim & Marge Soli

John M. & Elizabeth H. Reis Kathy Verity

Mr. & Mrs. Denis McMahon

Anne Vander Putten

Mr. Michael Dore Anne Vander Putten

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

Patrick James Curry

Lombardi & Smith Families

Silvia Lombardi

O Risen Christ! This boon today

For my loved ones I crave and pray:

Uplift them, Lord,

From sin’s grim tomb; And vest them sweet With grace’s bloom.

Make them Thy very own, And keep them ever Thine;

That they too at last may rise With Thy own glory to shine.

—Fr. Francis

The living & deceased members of the Peschi family

Edward C. Peschi

Andrew J. Lang Wayne C. Lang

Ralph Patton, Alice & Stephen Corbin, Barbara Desborough; Settle, Branden-

burg, Corbin, Patton deceased Patton Family

A/R Kurasiewicz

Son Robert

Aunt Marina Amber Lee

Emma Katharine Jackson

Katharine Dillon

Nana Sonia

Vincent A. Butler Katharine Dillon

Audrey & Arthur V. Butler

Katharine Dillon

Benjamin Joseph Stella Mrs. Linda Zentner

Antonio Santistevan Penny Ann Quintana

Father William Powers

Penny Ann Quintana

Marietta J. Benedetto Anonymous

Eugene Nicely Doug Nicely

Jessie Nicely Doug Nicely

Elinor Jeanne Dunagan

Christopher Browne

Jack Browne Christopher Browne

Mary Craig Keegan

Joseph Hubert McDermott

Bridget Maria Sweeney McDermott Joseph Hubert McDermott

Timothy Joseph McDermott

Joseph Hubert McDermott

Grace Patricia Sullivan McDermott Joseph Hubert McDermott

Winifred Mary Birmingham

McDermott Joseph Hubert McDermott

Joseph Henry McDermott, Sr.

Joseph Hubert McDermott

Rita Marie McLaughlin McDermott Joseph Hubert McDermott

Mary Ann Josephine Keegan

McLaughlin Joseph Hubert McDermott

Hubert Aloysius McLaughlin

Joseph Hubert McDermott

Leonard William McDermott Joseph Hubert McDermott

Irene & Raymond Garrison Raymond & Angela Garrison

Rose & Angelo Costanzo

Angela & Raymond Garrison

Michael & Bridget Curry & Family Patrick James Curry

Grandma; Sen, Shei Cien

Hai

Father: Yuaan, Wen Quei Hai

Edward Howard Diedre Howard

Joseph Makoto Okamura (my deceased Catholic father) Maximilliano Hiroto Okamura

Maria Mariko Okamura (my Catholic mother)

Maximilliano Hiroto Okamura

Naoto Okamura (my non-Catholic elder brother)

Maximilliano Hiroto Okamura

Maximilliano Hiroto Okamura Maximilliano Hiroto Okamura

Julie & Francis Menezes

John Menezes

Martha Lisik Robert Porter

Steven Lisik Robert Porter

Martha Robertson

Robert Porter

Ed Robertson Robert Porter

Dolores Porter Robert Porter

Charles Porter Robert Porter

The deceased members of the Carro

family Kathy Carro

The deceased members of the

Richards family Kathy Carro

Patrick Johns

Fred Johns

Marilyn Johns Fred Johns

Five memorials for Robert & Helen

Soeder Justin Soeder

Two memorials for Rita Quintana

Penny Ann Quintana

Vande Ryt & Cooley deceased Doloris Ritze

My Mom Martha Brueggemann

Regina Gilliam

Len & Renee Whitmore Margaret Pearson

Jason Ross Michael Pires

Mom & Dad

Cyril F. Jankowiak Todd & Jennifer Porter

Hilda & Wendy Pearson

Terry Pearson

Brian Stone Philip Stone

Deceased of Siragusano & Mead Fami-

lies Antonia Blake

The Birge Family

David & Catherine Moss

The Mott Family David & Catherine Mott

John Metz & Poor Souls

Judy Metz

Ron Kitchen, John Thurman Sara Kitchen Hipple

Usque in Finem

Sorrow, I think, is bitterest in spring; Then all the earth rejoices, and the air Is redolent of fragrances from where

The windflowers blow and roving robins sing.

By June, joy is a customary thing; And darker seasons fall in step with care. But spring’s high ecstasy is hard to bear When life, sore-stricken, trails a broken

wing.

So Christ, Who would not leave a drop undrained

Within the brimming chalice of His woes, Was well aware. That is the reason why

The seasons’ Fashioner, by love con-strained,

Passed over all the other months, and chose

An April day to suffer on and die. —Paula Kurt

Father Louis Stovic Penny Ann Quintana

Ernest D. Quintana Penny Ann Quintana

Josephine Lemorrocco

Joyce Disher

Margaret L. Burr Mary Burr

Charles & Vincent Mattingly

Frances R. Mattingly

Special Intention Malia Beckerich

Bernie & Rita Brueggemann, John

Donadio, Bob & Rose Gough, Charles Higdon, John & Helen Jackson

S. & C. Niehaus

Deceased of the Marko/Tkach Families & Zuccaro/Delisi Families Mr. & Mrs. David Marko

Sr. Gerard Vincent, Eileen Bartels,

Geraldine Gilker Carol M. Niehaus

Virgil McCormick

Margaret & Albert Daniel Kinnett

Bishop Dolan & clergy; living & deceased members of St. Gertrude

Mr. & Mrs. David Marko

Karl Josef Weissing Mr. & Mrs. Mark Lotarski

Ernie Stump (Daddy)

Rebecca Stump

Margaret Olive, Barbara Schmelzer, Nellie Reichley, Mildred Storts

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Briggs

My loving mother Martha Brueggemann

Dan & Mary Brueggemann

Howard & Florence McConnell Patsy McConnell

Sr. Gerard

Patsy McConnell

Ritze & Kramer deceased Victor Ritze

Dr. & Mrs. John Powell

St. Gertrude the Great School

THE BISHOP’S CORNER

Easter, like Spring, means starting over, with all things fresh, renewed, reborn in Christ. This is the blessing I wish for all of you this Easter Day. Your Lent may indeed have been little, but I wish you a lot of joy this day. Chris-tian joy, joy verging on blossoming forth to become a Fruit of the Holy Ghost, is always and only grafted on the tree of the Cross. “My Father is the farmer,” Our Lord says, so God sees to the working out of real joy in every life, as He did in St. Francis, as He waits patiently through so many tries in us. Blessed Easter. This does not mean so much that Lent is over as that we now start over again for the next forty days.

A special blessing be upon those who blessed all of us with their time and talents and perhaps even tears at times to make our Franciscan Lent so very rich, our Holy Week and Easter so beautiful, as we learned again with the Poor Man of Assisi that our primary penance must be care for the sacred place where God is actually present among us in the church, in the Blessed Sacrament. We have always tried to live this message at our church, even before the joyful Reformer of Assisi came to preach it to us last year. May we live it year round. Thank you for helping us do so.

A word on our Lent of 2015 would not be out of place as we begin our forty days of Easter. It was a hard one, this Lent, as God sent the penance of the weather, making our Lenten church duties all the more difficult. Attendance was dismal. Many did not or could not come. Some simply stayed away week after week. Thank God most of those on whom we depend for all we do, mostly managed to make it. God reward your extra penances. God be praised for webcasting, which permitted our shut-in, and otherwise deprived faithful throughout the world still to assist at Mass with us in sight as well as in spirit, the way St. Clare did one Christmas when confined to bed. The Franciscan foundress of the Second Order would be the patroness of webcasting.

Our Lenten Days all went very well: the Day of Rec-ollection (fifteen souls, but I expected no more as we un-wrapped St. Francis together) the Altar Boy Day, the Children’s Day of Recollection which drew upwards of fifty youth. Of course the daily Mass attendance was dis-appointing as a rule, but with one splendid exception: St. Joseph’s Day! How you came out to honor him! What a nice surprise that sunny chill Thursday morning! What a beautiful homage in the midst of our March for this Eu-charistic saint of poverty, the very model for St. Francis one might say. This year all the action took place in the day. In summary, the days have it.

But still I could not give up the nights, although most of you have. Sometimes somebody comes to a 5 PM Mass. The Lenten Friday evenings are almost abandoned. The Stations never once drew even a modest crowd. Sad.

The dead are gone, the devout grow older and can’t come, and no one takes their place anymore, although the memory of their ex-ample reproaches us.

Still, I can’t imagine what else we would do on a Friday evening of Lent if not what we have always done, so we will soldier on, knowing that this care for Christ in His Church is indeed the pre-eminent penance, and that year round, although it is so joyful a one that we can barely contain ourselves, nor could we stay away. Talk about secrets!

Fr. Lehtoranta is kindly caring for St. Hugh this Holy Week in Milwaukee, and will be visiting in Arkan-sas for Easter Week, stopping in to see the two Francis-can Servants in St. Joe whom I mentioned to you a while ago. The McFathers assisted here this year, and we are grateful for their presence. The cats keep watch all night long in Holy Week, edifying us by their night vigils, con-tent to rest as they may during the day.

God bless the men of the Guard of Honor, who watched at the Altar of Repose on Holy Thursday night. We would be happy to have their ladies join them in ado-ration, as well as to recruit new men for this apostolate. I only kid about the cats protecting us by patrolling our pe-rimeters (but don’t tell Caravaggio!) However, the Guard of Honor actually does protect us, and always has. Like Sampson’s hair, it is a secret of our strength. Our enemies have never managed it. Few friends have matched it. Even though we’re not big on nights anymore, let us never abandon it, lest we lose our chief defense, the source too of so many other blessings, unseen, silent, like the night.

We were blessed with another ordination during Lent. Many of us know fellow Midwesterner Philip El-dracher of Michigan. On Sitientes Saturday he took the decisive step of the Subdiaconate at Most Holy Trinity Seminary, and is now the Reverend Mister. Diaconate comes in June, and the priesthood the June following. Follow him not on Facebook but in your faith book of prayers, the old fashioned way.

March went out as a lamb last Tuesday, a little rambunctious with the wind, but a lamb for the sunshine. March has been a lion of a month, often lying in wait for its prey. It is gone now at last, with all of Lent. May April see us attentive to the new life Lent loaned us as we start over this Eastertide.

Blessed Easter to you, to family and friends, to your Easter table and week. Surrexit Dominus vere!

—Bishop Dolan

AN EASTER GREETING THE POETRY CORNER

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it,” sings the Church on Easter morning, and like sentiments should fill the heart of every Christian as this great feast returns, for even though we must be grateful and rejoice every day, on no day have we so much cause to rejoice and be grateful as we have on the anniversary of Our Lord’s greatest miracle. The birth of the Savior at Bethlehem must touch the heart of the most hardened sinner and bring tears of re-

pentance to his eyes. The good the Lord did from the time He changed water into wine at Cana until He raised Laza-rus from the dead and pardoned the thief on the cross must convince all of God’s love for man while the tortures Jesus suffered during His passion and death leaves no doubt as to His hatred of sin because it was sin that caused Him to permit His Divine Son to undergo these torments. Each act, each move, each word of the Savior is significant and impressive and gives us reason to rejoice that He walked before us as the way, the truth and the light, but no miracle, however astounding in itself and far reaching in its consequences, can compare with the miracle of His own resurrection, since by His resurrection He proved Himself all that He claimed to be and thus put the Divine Seal on His newly founded Church and assured us and all true Christians till the end of time that if we keep His com-mandments and those of the Church He founded, we, too, shall arise gloriously from the dead and be with Him, body and soul, forever in heaven. He walked before us as Our Model and Our Guide. He not only told us how to meet the difficulties, the hard-ships, the vicissitudes that are part and parcel of every man’s life, but He showed us the way to combat and con-quer every temptation. Before His passion and death He found ways and means of remaining in our midst while He rejoices the angels in heaven—He instituted the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and became our daily food—and He gave us the Church with which He promised to stay all days, even to the consummation of the world, and this Church which received its power and Divine approval on the first Easter Day still continues to guide the souls of men all the days of their life upon earth and prepares them for the glorious resurrection of which the Lord’s own res-urrection is an earnest. Depression, sickness, famine, death, what are they as long as our salvation is assured? Truly Easter Day is the day of the Lord. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. He Who cured the sick, fed the hungry and raised the dead to life will care for us as long as we do our best cheerfully and trust in Him. A joyous Easter to each and everyone!

—Edgar B. Casey, O.F.M.

PSALM IX

Sing a new song to the Lord For He has done wonderful things.

His right hand and holy arm Have sacrificed His beloved Son

The Lord has made His salvation known Has revealed His justice in the sight of nations.

On that day the Lord sent His mercy, And at night His song.

This is the day the Lord has made Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord, The Lord is God and has enlightened us. Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult Let the sea and all that is in it be moved

Let the fields and all that is in them be glad. Give to the Lord you family of nations

Give to the Lord glory and honor Give to the Lord the glory due His name.

(The Easter Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi)

THE DREAM THAT WAS EASTER

“Now let Him dream His dreams beneath the sod— This Dreamer, wishing to be odd,

Who called Himself a God!”

Blaspheming thus, they left Him to His doom, Their hearts far blacker than the gloom,

That fell about His tomb.

To dream!—but such has never mortal man In vision dared before to span Since measured time began.

Ah, Dream Divine that shattered marble’s night,

And sin and demon put to flight As morning sun the night!

No more we grope as slaves in utter dread Since Thou, O Christ, as Thou hast said,

Art risen from the dead.

Nay, through Thy Resurrection, Heaven seems Already round us with its gleams,—

O Dreamer of our dreams! —Hyacinth Blocker, O.F.M.