EASTER SUNDAY
Our Lady of Victory Sunday - 9:00 A.M.	CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST	St. Malachy Saturday - 7:00 P.M.

F O O D   F O R   T H O U G H T

Reading I Acts 10.34a, 36 - 43 Responsorial Psalm This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad. Reading II Colossians 5. 6b - 8 Gospel John 20.1 - 8 Food for Thought On this strange dawn, we are praying in a darkness that is outside time, like that of astronauts circling in space beyond sunsets and sunrise, seeing the beginning and the end of our days. We look back to that breathless morning when the apostles saw the holy women come back from the tomb with a story of angels. A bloodless corpse, transfixed by a spear, had risen again with a mysterious new life. Jesus had kept his promise. Death, our oldest enemy, had been mastered.

Pastor	Gyanprakash Topno
Rectory	490 Charles Street Gatineau, Québec J8L 2K5
Secretary	Monday and Thursday - 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday - 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Email	olv@videotron.ca
Telephone	(819) 986-3763
Fax	(819) 961-3159

ARE YOU NEW TO OUR PARISH?     WELCOME! Welcome to those who want to make our parish their faith home. You may have come from other places. You may have been “away for a while”. Be assured that we love to have you among us. We would appreciate it very much if you identified yourself at Mass. It would also help if you would take the time to fill out a registration form. The next time you are with us, you may leave it in the collection basket or give it to one of the ushers or to the priest. Thank you and welcome.

M A S S       S C H E D U L E WED. Apr. 15th - 11:00 a.m. OLV Deceased members of the Doherty/Butler families by Lyall, Wayne & Elaine SAT. Apr. 18th - 07:00 p.m. ST. MALACHY Violet Butler by the Beaulne family Royal Beaulne by the family Esther & John Lavell by Greg & Patricia Lavell SUN. Apr. 19th - 09:00 a.m. OLV Julia Martin (6th anniversary) by the family Bill Weir (5th anniversary) by Barbara, Kerry & Scott Deceased Members of the Casey Family by Phil & Dorothy Casey

Easter Season
The Lord is risen, alleluia!
We share in his new life

Alleluia! Is our song. For forty days in Lent, the people of God listen to his word more attentively and spend more time in prayer and penance as we seek forgiveness and conversion. At the end of Holy Week, we enter the Easter Triduum, when we celebrate the dying and rising of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, for fifty days we sing Alleluia!

Easter vigil: During Holy Saturday night, the Church celebrates the victory of Christ over sin and death. He is the light of the world, who frees us from the kingdom of darkness and brings us into his kingdom of love. On Easter night, members of the Church profess their faith, renewing their baptismal promises to die with Christ to sin, and to live with him for God.

Easter Sunday is the greatest day of the Christian year. We praise God for all his wonderful works of creation and salvation, but especially for raising Jesus from the dead, and declaring him Lord. Jesus is the Saviour, the centre of salvation history. We rejoice today with all Christians for our heavenly Father has made us sharers in the grace of his Son. By baptism we die with him, are buried with him in death and are raised with him to glory. We share in his victory and his abundant new life.

Easter week: During this week, we continue our rejoicing over the resurrection of our Lord and his victory over sin and death. The daily gospel readings this week describe occasions on which the risen Jesus appeared to his followers.

The Easter octave ends with the second Sunday of the season. The gospel presents Thomas as he comes to believe in the risen Lord. We who did not see Christ in the flesh are called blessed also, because he has given us the faith to believe in him.

Easter season: Fifty days of Easter joy will bring us to the feast of Pentecost. God’s gift of life is complete in the sending of the Holy Spirit.

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Paschal candle: During the Easter vigil, the Easter candle is prepared and lighted from the new fire. It symbolizes and reminds us that Christ is the light of the world and that he is always present among his holy people. This candle is prominently displayed and is lighted for all liturgies during the Easter season.

Easter water: Water is blessed during the vigil for use in baptisms during the Easter season. This water is sprinkled over the people present at the vigil and on Easter Day as they renew their baptismal promises. We use blessed water in our homes as a reminder of our baptism, by which Jesus makes us the holy people of God.

Alleluia! Is the song of the Easter season. It is a shout of joy and means “praise to God!” With Christ and all his Church, we rejoice that God has raised him up from death and has given us a share in his unending life.

Living in the Easter season: This season lasts for seven weeks or 50 days, extending between Easter and Pentecost.

Meaning. The Easter season is a time when Christians reflect on what it means to be God’s Church, his people established in this place, witnesses to his resurrection. The new life and joy of those baptized at the Easter vigil is shared by all and we remember that it is through baptism that Jesus has made us God’s holy people.

Relation to Lent. Easter is not a continuation of Lent, but rather the time to harvest the seeds which were planted during the 40 days. Now we live as the brothers and sisters of Jesus, sharing his love with others, looking for ways to serve others and save the world.

Recognizing Christ’s presence. During the Easter season, we reflect on the many ways that Jesus is present among us.

Spring. The Easter season also means the return of spring, with its new life, flowers and the warmth of longer days.

Whenever two or three gather in his name, Jesus is with us – at home, in church, at work or at play. He is present, speaking to us when his gospel is proclaimed to us. He is present in our liturgical celebrations: in the assembly, the Scriptures, the ministers, in the power of his sacraments, in the Eucharist.

Our Lord assures us that he is the one we help whenever we feed the hungry, visit the sick or imprisoned, and clothe the naked. Jesus is always with his people. Alleluia!

A tree of priceless value
Stands in the centre of paradise;
By his own death on this tree,
Our Saviour overcame death for us, Alleluia!

(Reflection taken from the National Liturgy Office and published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops)

BAPTISM
Any parents who wish to join us in preparing for the sacrament of Baptism, please register with the parish secretary at (819)986-3763.

PRAYERS & SYMPATHY
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Rene Gauthier whose funeral took place at OLV last week and for Francis Burke whose funeral will take place at OLV on Tuesday April 14th. Please remember Margaret Gauthier and family and Francis’ wife Karen, his sons Devin & Jaydon and the Burke family in your prayers.

OLV WARDENS MEETING
The next wardens meeting will be held on Thursday, April 16th, at 7:00 p.m.

WARDEN VACANCIES
There are Warden Positions available yet for the new term. If you wish to volunteer, please contact one of the wardens or call the office at (819) 986-3763.

CEREAL BARS
There will be a basket at the entrance of the Church on April 19, to collect your donation of cereal bars for Buckingham Elementary School. These bars are given to children who come to school without breakfast. The school appreciates your generosity.

CANCER SOCIETY RELAY FOR LIFE 2009
Just a reminder that the Buckingham Relay for Life will take place on Friday, June 5th, 2009 from 7:00pm Friday night until 7:00 am Saturday morning at Park McAndrew.

OFFICE HOURS

Monday and Thursday:	1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday:	9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Telephone messages are picked up on a regular basis throughout the week.

If you have any items for the bulletin, please send them to Alma at olv@videotron.ca before Wednesday afternoon.

W E E K L Y     R E C E I P T S   Date Collection OLV St. Malachy      Apr. 04/05 Sunday $   414.00    $   332.50         Apr. 04/05 Support    325.75       150.00