On Saturday, March 26th, Holy Saturday, we will celebrate the Easter Vigil at 8 PM. This is the ceremony with the outside fire, candle light procession, and the recalling of our history of salvation by the Lord.

On Friday, March 25th, Good Friday, we will commemorate the Lord's death. We will pray the Stations of the Cross at 12 noon. In this devotion we recall the sufferings of Jesus leading to his death. We will do this devotion in a special way this year. At 7 PM we will have the ceremony of the veneration of the Cross. This is the unique Good Friday ceremony that allows us to express in a personal way our devotion to the Lord.

In the entrance to the church there are the Word Among Us Easter meditation books. We are asking a $1 donation to offset the cost of the books. May our reflection on the readings of the Easter season deepen our relationship with the risen Lord.

On Thursday, March 24th at 7:00 PM we will celebrate the commemoration of the Lord's last supper with his disciples. It is the ceremony in which we remember how the Lord promises to stay with us through the Eucharist, his special presence for us and with us.

In the generosity of your prayers, please remember Mrs. Norma Jean Washington-Palmer a long time member of Sacred Heart who recently departed this life. Her service was held here at Chapel of the Chimes, 32992 Mission Blvd., Hayward on Saturday, April 2nd, at 10:00a.m.

Pope Francis has asked our parish to support Christians in the Holy Land. Through the Good Friday Collection, you join with Catholics around the world to stand in solidarity with the Church in the Holy Land. When you contribute to the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, you become an instrument of peace in a troubled land. Christians, along with all of the clergy and religious who serve in the Holy Land, will deeply appreciate your prayers and financial help! The political, religious and military challenges in the Holy Land are more complex than ever. The wars, unrest and instability have been especially hard on Christians. Our parish will support Christians in the Holy Land through the Good Friday Collection, as requested by Pope Francis. Like Simon of Cyrene, you can help carry the cross under very difficult circumstances in the Holy Land. Please Be Generous! For more information about Christians in the Holy Land, visit www.myfranciscan.org/our-mission/the-good-friday-collection/

Italian Catholic Federation Branch 40 at Sacred Heart is sponsoring a Polenta Dinner Sunday, April 10th at the Fratellanza Club, 1140 66th St., Oakland beginning with No Host Cocktails at 4:00 PM and Dinner at 5:00 PM. The menu consists of polenta with sausage and beef stew, salad, bread, wine, coffee and dessert. Tickets are $20 per person. Raffle prize donations are greatly appreciated. Reservations are required, please RSVP to Caire Ramirez at (510) 724-9790 or MaryAnn Francis at (510) 655-4971 by March 31st.

This week's CRS Rice Bowl country is the island nation of Madagascar, where we're reminded of the important role farmers play in caring for God's creation. As we prepare our meals throughout the week, let us reflect on where our food comes from-and what role we can play in caring for our environment. Visit crsricebowl.org for more.

Our adult bible study continues on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM in the daily mass chapel. We are sharing about the Mercy of God as found especially in the gospel of Luke. Please come and join us!

St. Martin de Porres invites you to attend a free Spring Benefit Concert in support of the school. The concert will take place Saturday, April 9th at St. Mary's College, 1928 St. Mary's Rd, Moraga. The concert will feature Frederica Von Stade and the St. Martin de Porres Strings. The concert is a free event and starts at 6:15 PM. Prior to the concert there will be a wine reception from 4:30 PM-6:00 PM and tickets are available for purchase at smdpbenefit.eventbrite.com or visit www.stmdp.org. Your support is greatly needed and appreciated towards this effort.

During Holy Week, we as Christians are called to be witnesses of Christ, sharing his life and mission; to do this effectively we need to remain close to him, open to his grace in our lives. Please take an opportunity to look at the Holy Week Schedule and be encouraged to attend the services. May Christ be at the heart of our lives this Holy Week; may his love and peace be the security and foundation of your lives.

You are cordially invited to the ACIES-The Renewal of Consecration to Mary. It will take place on Saturday, March 12th at Sacred Heart. Opening prayers & rosary will be at 10:30 AM and the Holy Mass will begin at 11:00 AM. The purpose of the Acies is to renew and deepen the Legions' consecration to Mary, which is at the heart of the vocation in the Legion of Mary. Reception to follow after Mass in the parish center. All are welcome!

We journey with CRS Rice Bowl to the Central American country of Honduras, where we meet students who are learning that it's better to help your neighbor learn and grow than to leave him or her behind. To whom are we called to extend a hand this week? Visit www.crsricebowl.org to learn more.

Sunday, March 13th, will be the next session for those preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. It will be at 11:30 AM in the parish center. We expect all the confirmandi to attend and participate in the 10:00 AM mass. We ask that all the members of the parish community continue to remember these young adults in prayer for their journey to the sacrament.

The members of the parish council have been reflecting on the statements made by the community a few weeks ago. The next meeting of the parish council will be Wednesday March 9th. At that meeting we will start the process to draft a mission statement. We will keep everyone updated on how far we have advanced towards the initial draft. Please keep the parish council in prayer so that they will be able to hear God's voice in your comments.

Next weekend, March 12th-13th will begin daylight savings time. May the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day enable us to enjoy God's gift of the sun!