Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,


I cannot believe that we are still impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as we approach the 2021 Easter celebrations. It seems as if we were on a prolonged Lenten journey, one that makes abundantly clear the fragility of our world. Thus, the imperative to “repent, and believe in the Gospel” and “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” remains vitally important for us.


We Christians believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. “No one comes to the Father except through me,” says Jesus (Jn 14:6, NABRE). The first day of the week after his horrendous death, Jesus appeared to his disciples - who locked themselves in a room because of fear - and his first words were, “Peace be with you.” (Jn 20:19)


There you have it. The story of Jesus is our story. We have been given the grace to unite our sufferings and death to the Paschal Mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ so that we may rise with him. Death may take many forms, but we can also experience new life in Christ!


May our Lenten prayers and sacrifices lead us to joy and peace in this Easter celebration!


Fr. Binh Nguyen, Fr. William Goldin, Fr. Aaron Galvizo, Deacons and staff of Saint Irenaeus Catholic Church