Introducing an
All-Family / All-Parish
Workshop & Retreat Day
In Preparation for Easter

For it was preparation day ... (Mark 15:42)

Who is it for?

For adults and students, children and their parents, grandparents, infants, single people, engaged couples, young adults, teens, and those who have been around a few years ...

The day is for parishioners and guests, for Catholics and those who want to know more ...

It is for all our liturgical ministers
For lectors
For greeters and ushers
For altar servers and sacristans
For communion ministers
For choir members and musicians
For everybody

Por la comunidad hispana

Un día de retiro en inglés y español para toda la familia, toda la paroquia.

¡Haga que la Pascua cobre vida para usted y su familia!

Habrá dos lecciones en español: un ensayo para los lectores, y una pelicula para toda la famila, "El Misterio Pascual".


Why this day?

Several threads came together to form this first “whole family, whole parish catechetical day”. The idea came from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who encouraged parishes to bring all the generations together for an integrated day of prayer, learning and fellowship, “in order to make Holy Week and Easter come alive”.

In addition, the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend requires all extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to attend, as a minimum, a half day workshop or retreat each year; the local parishes are encouraged to plan such days at the parish level. This “Preparation Day for Easter” fulfills the diocesan requirement.

Finally, it has long been a desire to organize better our many different rehearsals for Holy Week. The choir, various lectors, the altar servers and other liturgical ministers now have a way to prepare for the great liturgies of Holy Week as part of a day that is spiritual, communal, fun and challenging.
 

Schedule for the day

11:30 — Lunch prepared by Altar & Rosary and Pastoral Council
12:15 — Musical in the Church
1:30 - Liturgy Workshops and Children's Workshop 
2:30 — Vespers in the Main Church

Workshops - 1:30pm

  • Children's Workshop - by Cathy Bryan
  • Liturgy Workshop - by Fr. Bob
  • The Sacraments and Social Media - by "Luminous Ministries"
  • New Guidelines and Sacramental Preparation - by Hispanic Ministry
*Note: The retreat fulfills the diocesan requirement for Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The retreat is free to everyone. 


What is "Vespers"

The word "vespers" comes from the Latin word for "evening". It is the official Evening Prayer of the Church, part of the Liturgy of the Hours, that is, the Holy Office, as it has been prayed since the days of the Apostles themselves (ask our high school students - they know!).

We will end our retreat together by praying Evening Prayer according to the form used at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. In this way, Notre Dame in Indiana and Notre Dame in Paris both come to the support of St. Anthony's in Angola!