Happy Easter!
Easter Letter from Fr. Jean-Philippe
Easter 2024
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome asked: “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” Indeed, a heavy stone had sealed the tomb that held the body of Jesus, but the stone could not hold back the new life inside. The power of that life was stronger than the stone; it sprang forth from the tomb and blossomed in victory. Jesus is that new life. He defeated death.
Through our baptism, we are invited to participate in His victory: victory over sickness, suffering, and despair; victory over hatred, division, discrimination, and death. Therefore, great joy and hope should mark this Easter season. Joy, an important dimension of our Christian life, is rooted in the Resurrection of the Lord who has conquered sin and death. Joy is one of the fruits of a life guided by the Holy Spirit, and it reveals our faith and trust in God. In spite of the many hardships, sufferings, and problems that we encounter in our daily lives, we can be at peace and experience serenity because of the presence of the Risen Lord in our midst. Faith in the Resurrection leads us toward a more positive attitude and an awareness of the many signs of resurrection that are found in the world.
With heartfelt gratitude, we celebrate being an Easter people, rejoicing in the profound truth of the Resurrection. Easter for us transcends a mere commemoration. It embodies a transformative way of life, a beacon of hope that illuminates our journey. We carry forward the mission entrusted to us by Jesus, extending His invitation to others to embrace this abundant life.
Your Easter contributions serve as pillars upholding our shared mission. They form a cornerstone of our annual budget, supporting essential ministries and sustaining the operational vitality of our parish. Thus, I appeal to you, humbly requesting your Easter gift of any magnitude to ensure the continuity of our parish's vital ministries. Your contributions can be sent to our parish office or conveniently made online through Faith Direct, which you can access by visiting stjohn23evanston.org/give.
I also invite you to share your time and talents. As we revitalize our local Church, each of us is called to discern how best to enrich our community through our active engagement. Your involvement is instrumental in shaping the vibrant tapestry of our parish life. For those unable to offer financial support or serve in other capacities, your prayers remain a cherished gift. Please continue to uphold our St. John XXIII Parish family in your prayers, and rest assured that I hold each of your intentions close to my heart.
May the abundance of Easter graces envelop you and your loved ones during this sacred season of renewal. Please know that I am praying for you and your family.
Wishing you a blessed Easter,
Rev. Jean-Philippe Lokpo, MCCJ
Pastor, St. John XXIII Parish
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome asked: “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” Indeed, a heavy stone had sealed the tomb that held the body of Jesus, but the stone could not hold back the new life inside. The power of that life was stronger than the stone; it sprang forth from the tomb and blossomed in victory. Jesus is that new life. He defeated death.
Through our baptism, we are invited to participate in His victory: victory over sickness, suffering, and despair; victory over hatred, division, discrimination, and death. Therefore, great joy and hope should mark this Easter season. Joy, an important dimension of our Christian life, is rooted in the Resurrection of the Lord who has conquered sin and death. Joy is one of the fruits of a life guided by the Holy Spirit, and it reveals our faith and trust in God. In spite of the many hardships, sufferings, and problems that we encounter in our daily lives, we can be at peace and experience serenity because of the presence of the Risen Lord in our midst. Faith in the Resurrection leads us toward a more positive attitude and an awareness of the many signs of resurrection that are found in the world.
With heartfelt gratitude, we celebrate being an Easter people, rejoicing in the profound truth of the Resurrection. Easter for us transcends a mere commemoration. It embodies a transformative way of life, a beacon of hope that illuminates our journey. We carry forward the mission entrusted to us by Jesus, extending His invitation to others to embrace this abundant life.
Your Easter contributions serve as pillars upholding our shared mission. They form a cornerstone of our annual budget, supporting essential ministries and sustaining the operational vitality of our parish. Thus, I appeal to you, humbly requesting your Easter gift of any magnitude to ensure the continuity of our parish's vital ministries. Your contributions can be sent to our parish office or conveniently made online through Faith Direct, which you can access by visiting stjohn23evanston.org/give.
I also invite you to share your time and talents. As we revitalize our local Church, each of us is called to discern how best to enrich our community through our active engagement. Your involvement is instrumental in shaping the vibrant tapestry of our parish life. For those unable to offer financial support or serve in other capacities, your prayers remain a cherished gift. Please continue to uphold our St. John XXIII Parish family in your prayers, and rest assured that I hold each of your intentions close to my heart.
May the abundance of Easter graces envelop you and your loved ones during this sacred season of renewal. Please know that I am praying for you and your family.
Wishing you a blessed Easter,
Rev. Jean-Philippe Lokpo, MCCJ
Pastor, St. John XXIII Parish
Easter Letter from Cardinal Blase Cupich
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The resurrection of Jesus stands at the center of our faith. We believe, as Saint Paul says, that Jesus “died for our sins and rose for our justification.” He entered the very darkest corners of human existence, took our pain, suffering, and death upon himself, and then drew us into the fullness of risen life.
As we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection this Easter 2024, we are clearly aware of those dark corners of human existence that Jesus took upon himself. With troubled hearts, we watch war and violence unfold in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, in parts of Africa, and in our own city of Chicago. We know the crippling effects of climate change and the natural disasters that have affected so many people throughout the world. We struggle with the social and political polarization that threatens our life together.
We step back from all of this, and we can surely affirm that we need the transforming and life-giving power of the Resurrection. We also stand together as a church, a synodal church, that journeys together and reclaim our faith and trust in the power of the Risen Lord who makes all things work for the good for those who love him. We stand together in our often broken and wounded world to witness hope to all humanity, to proclaim that God’s life and not death will have the last word.
May this feast of Easter be a graced moment to rediscover and reclaim our great faith and hope in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, who goes before us and leads us home.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich
Archbishop of Chicago
The resurrection of Jesus stands at the center of our faith. We believe, as Saint Paul says, that Jesus “died for our sins and rose for our justification.” He entered the very darkest corners of human existence, took our pain, suffering, and death upon himself, and then drew us into the fullness of risen life.
As we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection this Easter 2024, we are clearly aware of those dark corners of human existence that Jesus took upon himself. With troubled hearts, we watch war and violence unfold in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, in parts of Africa, and in our own city of Chicago. We know the crippling effects of climate change and the natural disasters that have affected so many people throughout the world. We struggle with the social and political polarization that threatens our life together.
We step back from all of this, and we can surely affirm that we need the transforming and life-giving power of the Resurrection. We also stand together as a church, a synodal church, that journeys together and reclaim our faith and trust in the power of the Risen Lord who makes all things work for the good for those who love him. We stand together in our often broken and wounded world to witness hope to all humanity, to proclaim that God’s life and not death will have the last word.
May this feast of Easter be a graced moment to rediscover and reclaim our great faith and hope in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, who goes before us and leads us home.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich
Archbishop of Chicago
Easter Message from His Holiness Pope Francis
Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!
Today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed two thousand years ago from Jerusalem: “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised!” (Mk 16:6).
The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and other stones as well. Like the women disciples of Jesus, we ask one another: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (cf. Mk 16:3).
This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning: the stone, the immense stone, was rolled away. The astonishment of the women is our astonishment as well: the tomb of Jesus is open and it is empty! From this, everything begins anew! A new path leads through that empty tomb: the path that none of us, but God alone, could open: the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of hostility.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is risen! He alone has the power to roll away the stones that block the path to life. He, the living One, is himself that path. He is the Way: the way that leads to life, the way of peace, reconciliation and fraternity. He opens that path, humanly impossible, because he alone takes away the sin of the world and forgives us our sins. For without God’s forgiveness, that stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, there is no overcoming the barriers of prejudice, mutual recrimination, the presumption that we are always right and others wrong. Only the risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of our sins, opens the way for a renewed world.
Jesus alone opens up before us the doors of life, those doors that continually we shut with the wars spreading throughout the world. Today we want, first and foremost, to turn our eyes to the Holy City of Jerusalem, that witnessed the mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, and to all the Christian communities of the Holy Land.
My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions. In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all!
I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip.
Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children. How much suffering we see in the eyes of the children: the children in those lands at war have forgotten how to smile! With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity, war is always a defeat! Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.
Brothers and sisters, let us not forget Syria, which for thirteen years has suffered from the effects of a long and devastating war. So many deaths and disappearances, so much poverty and destruction, call for a response on the part of everyone, and of the international community.
My thoughts turn today in a special way to Lebanon, which has for some time experienced institutional impasse and a deepening economic and social crisis, now aggravated by the hostilities on its border with Israel. May the Risen Lord console the beloved Lebanese people and sustain the entire country in its vocation to be a land of encounter, coexistence and pluralism.
I also think in particular of the region of the Western Balkans, where significant steps are being taken towards integration in the European project. May ethnic, cultural and confessional differences not be a cause of division, but rather a source of enrichment for all of Europe and for the world as a whole.
I likewise encourage the discussions taking place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, so that, with the support of the international community, they can pursue dialogue, assist the displaced, respect the places of worship of the various religious confessions, and arrive as soon as possible at a definitive peace agreement.
May the risen Christ open a path of hope to all those who in other parts of the world are suffering from violence, conflict, food insecurity and the effects of climate change. May the Lord grant consolation to the victims of terrorism in all its forms. Let us pray for all those who have lost their lives and implore the repentance and conversion of the perpetrators of those crimes.
May the risen Lord assist the Haitian people, so that there can soon can be an end to the acts of violence, devastation and bloodshed in that country, and that it can advance on the path to democracy and fraternity.
May Christ grant consolation and strength to the Rohingya, beset by a grave humanitarian crisis, and open a path to reconciliation in Myanmar, torn for years now by internal conflicts, so that every logic of violence may be definitively abandoned.
May the Lord open paths of peace on the African continent, especially for the suffering peoples in Sudan and in the entire region of the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, in the region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the province of Capo Delgado in Mozambique, and bring an end to the prolonged situation of drought which affects vast areas and provokes famine and hunger.
May the Risen One make the light of his face shine upon migrants and on all those who are passing through a period of economic difficulty, and offer them consolation and hope in their moment of need. May Christ guide all persons of good will to unite themselves in solidarity, in order to address together the many challenges which loom over the poorest families in their search for a better life and happiness.
On this day when we celebrate the life given us in the resurrection of the Son, let us remember the infinite love of God for each of us: a love that overcomes every limit and every weakness. And yet how much the precious gift of life is despised! How many children cannot even be born? How many die of hunger and are deprived of essential care or are victims of abuse and violence? How many lives are made objects of trafficking for the increasing commerce in human beings?
Brothers and sisters, on the day when Christ has set us free from the slavery of death, I appeal to all who have political responsibilities to spare no efforts in combatting the scourge of human trafficking, by working tirelessly to dismantle the networks of exploitation and to bring freedom to those who are their victims. May the Lord comfort their families, above all those who anxiously await news of their loved ones, and ensure them comfort and hope.
May the light of the resurrection illuminate our minds and convert our hearts, and make us aware of the value of every human life, which must be welcomed, protected and loved.
A happy Easter to all!
Today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed two thousand years ago from Jerusalem: “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised!” (Mk 16:6).
The Church relives the amazement of the women who went to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, the stone of humanitarian crises, the stone of human rights violations, the stone of human trafficking, and other stones as well. Like the women disciples of Jesus, we ask one another: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (cf. Mk 16:3).
This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning: the stone, the immense stone, was rolled away. The astonishment of the women is our astonishment as well: the tomb of Jesus is open and it is empty! From this, everything begins anew! A new path leads through that empty tomb: the path that none of us, but God alone, could open: the path of life in the midst of death, the path of peace in the midst of war, the path of reconciliation in the midst of hatred, the path of fraternity in the midst of hostility.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is risen! He alone has the power to roll away the stones that block the path to life. He, the living One, is himself that path. He is the Way: the way that leads to life, the way of peace, reconciliation and fraternity. He opens that path, humanly impossible, because he alone takes away the sin of the world and forgives us our sins. For without God’s forgiveness, that stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, there is no overcoming the barriers of prejudice, mutual recrimination, the presumption that we are always right and others wrong. Only the risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of our sins, opens the way for a renewed world.
Jesus alone opens up before us the doors of life, those doors that continually we shut with the wars spreading throughout the world. Today we want, first and foremost, to turn our eyes to the Holy City of Jerusalem, that witnessed the mystery of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, and to all the Christian communities of the Holy Land.
My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine. May the risen Christ open a path of peace for the war-torn peoples of those regions. In calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express my hope for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for the sake of all!
I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip.
Let us not allow the current hostilities to continue to have grave repercussions on the civil population, by now at the limit of its endurance, and above all on the children. How much suffering we see in the eyes of the children: the children in those lands at war have forgotten how to smile! With those eyes, they ask us: Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity, war is always a defeat! Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.
Brothers and sisters, let us not forget Syria, which for thirteen years has suffered from the effects of a long and devastating war. So many deaths and disappearances, so much poverty and destruction, call for a response on the part of everyone, and of the international community.
My thoughts turn today in a special way to Lebanon, which has for some time experienced institutional impasse and a deepening economic and social crisis, now aggravated by the hostilities on its border with Israel. May the Risen Lord console the beloved Lebanese people and sustain the entire country in its vocation to be a land of encounter, coexistence and pluralism.
I also think in particular of the region of the Western Balkans, where significant steps are being taken towards integration in the European project. May ethnic, cultural and confessional differences not be a cause of division, but rather a source of enrichment for all of Europe and for the world as a whole.
I likewise encourage the discussions taking place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, so that, with the support of the international community, they can pursue dialogue, assist the displaced, respect the places of worship of the various religious confessions, and arrive as soon as possible at a definitive peace agreement.
May the risen Christ open a path of hope to all those who in other parts of the world are suffering from violence, conflict, food insecurity and the effects of climate change. May the Lord grant consolation to the victims of terrorism in all its forms. Let us pray for all those who have lost their lives and implore the repentance and conversion of the perpetrators of those crimes.
May the risen Lord assist the Haitian people, so that there can soon can be an end to the acts of violence, devastation and bloodshed in that country, and that it can advance on the path to democracy and fraternity.
May Christ grant consolation and strength to the Rohingya, beset by a grave humanitarian crisis, and open a path to reconciliation in Myanmar, torn for years now by internal conflicts, so that every logic of violence may be definitively abandoned.
May the Lord open paths of peace on the African continent, especially for the suffering peoples in Sudan and in the entire region of the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, in the region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the province of Capo Delgado in Mozambique, and bring an end to the prolonged situation of drought which affects vast areas and provokes famine and hunger.
May the Risen One make the light of his face shine upon migrants and on all those who are passing through a period of economic difficulty, and offer them consolation and hope in their moment of need. May Christ guide all persons of good will to unite themselves in solidarity, in order to address together the many challenges which loom over the poorest families in their search for a better life and happiness.
On this day when we celebrate the life given us in the resurrection of the Son, let us remember the infinite love of God for each of us: a love that overcomes every limit and every weakness. And yet how much the precious gift of life is despised! How many children cannot even be born? How many die of hunger and are deprived of essential care or are victims of abuse and violence? How many lives are made objects of trafficking for the increasing commerce in human beings?
Brothers and sisters, on the day when Christ has set us free from the slavery of death, I appeal to all who have political responsibilities to spare no efforts in combatting the scourge of human trafficking, by working tirelessly to dismantle the networks of exploitation and to bring freedom to those who are their victims. May the Lord comfort their families, above all those who anxiously await news of their loved ones, and ensure them comfort and hope.
May the light of the resurrection illuminate our minds and convert our hearts, and make us aware of the value of every human life, which must be welcomed, protected and loved.
A happy Easter to all!
CRS Rice Bowl
Still need to turn in your CRS Rice Bowl? Please bring it to the Parish Office on the St. Nicholas Campus as soon as possible, or place it in one of the baskets by the baptismal font at either church site after Mass the weekend of April 6-7. You can also give online anytime on the CRS Rice Bowl website.
Missed the Triduum services?
You can still watch the Livestreams by clicking here or by visiting our parish YouTube channel!
Pictures!
Note: You do NOT need a Facebook account in order to see these Facebook albums! If it asks you, just click the little "X" in the dialogue box, and it will go away. However, if you want to make one (or if you already have one), you should definitely give us a follow. :)
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Neighborhood Way of the Cross
March 29, 2024 Began at St. Nicholas Church and travelled throughout Evanston We made it in the "paper"! Here's a link to an article about this event in the Evanston Roundtable (complete with lots of pictures)! |
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Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
March 29, 2024 St. Nicholas Church |
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Easter Vigil
Part 1: Before the Vigil --> Homily | Part 2: Baptismal Liturgy | Part 3: Confirmations --> Reception March 30, 2024, St. Nicholas Church |
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