Pussywillows, Palms, and Other Branches will be blessed and distributed during the Matins Service this morning. It would be appropriate to hold these blessed symbols of our Lord’s victory over death throughout Matins and the Divine Liturgy but particularly during the reading of the Holy Gospel and during the reception of the Holy Eucharist.

Thank you to the ‘small but mighty’ group of volunteers who helped yesterday with preparing the branches for blessing and distribution, decorating and cleaning the Church, cleaning the lawns and parking lots, and getting the Church prepared for this most solemn week of the year. It was indeed a sacrifice to give up a large part of such a beautiful day for helping our Church.

Great and Holy Saturday (April 19th): I will need your help again this Saturday! We have so much to accomplish in getting the Church ready for our Easter celebration – the transition from dark Lenten colors to the bright colors of the Resurrection along with cleaning, polishing, sweeping, taking down and setting up, ironing, arranging, … . We will begin working in the Church at 10:00 AM on Holy Saturday. Could you possibly set aside a small portion of your own hectic holiday schedule to help us with an hour or two of your time?

Invitation: This year the Eparchy of Passaic Presbyteral Days will be held at the Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center in Marriottsville, MD April 28th – May 1st. On Wednesday, April 30th, at 10:00 AM Bishop Kurt will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at Patronage of the Mother of God Church in Baltimore (Arbutus) with all the priests of the Eparchy in attendance. Following the Divine Liturgy he will bless the recently painted Icons which adorn the Sanctuary of the Church. Father Conan and the parishioners of Patronage Church extend the invitation to St. Gregory parishioners to attend this Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.

Orientale Lumen XVIII: The 18th annual Orientale Lumen Conference will be held June 23rd–June 26th at the Washington Retreat House. The theme of this year’s Conference will the theological, sacramental, and canonical similarities and differences of marriage between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, pastoral issues for mixed marriages, divorce, and annulment, and the married priesthood. For additional information visit olconference.com.