Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Alleluia Verse, Ps 118:24:This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

In an interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, discussed Pope Leo’s upcoming apostolic journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, which will begin on April 13.

“The common thread of this apostolic journey lies in the Holy Father’s choice to bring the presence of the Church to places where human suffering is most acute,” said Cardinal Parolin. “Africa is a young continent, rich in faith and vitality, and the Pope’s visit is an act of trust in its future—a future that the Church intends to continue accompanying with dedication and hope.”

The president of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference demanded safety for Christian girls after a court validated the marriage of a 13-year-old Christian girl to a 30-year-old Muslim man.

The girl’s father said that his daughter was abducted, forced to convert to Islam, and did not consent to the marriage. Under Pakistani civil law, the minimum age for marriage is 18, but the court cited Islamic law in validating the marriage.

“The Church is not in favor of marriages involving conversion under such circumstances,” said Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad. “We demand safety for our daughters and will continue to raise our voice for underage brides of any religion.”

Alleluia Verse, Ps 118:24:This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Alleluia Verse, Ps 118:24:This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Alleluia Verse, Ps 118:24:This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Alleluia Verse, Ps 118:24:This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Alleluia Verse, Ps 118:24:This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

From the Gospel of Mass for Easter Day: Then the angel said to the women in reply, "Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.' Behold, I have told you." (Matt 28:5-7)

On Holy Saturday, the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, in prayer and fasting, meditating on his Passion and Death and on his Descent into Hell and awaiting his Resurrection. The Church abstains from the Sacrifice of the Mass, with the sacred table left bare, until after the solemn Vigil, that is, the anticipation by night of the Resurrection, when the time comes for paschal joys, the abundance which overflows to occupy fifty days. Holy Communion may only be given on this day as Viaticum. --The Roman Missal, Third Typical Edition