Celebrating Holy Week 2020 Blessed Sacrament Church-Buffalo

Dear Parishioner and Friend of Blessed Sacrament Church:

In a few days we will be celebrating Holy Week and Easter. You might be asking yourself “how are we going to do that when our churches are closed and we’re being advised to practice social distancing and stay inside because of the the novel coronavirus?”  We thought and prayed about this and we are excited to share how Blessed Sacrament Parish will be celebrating Holy Week and Easter 2020.

We will be using teleconferencing technology that will enable us to call-in for services on each of these days. Please use our UberConference teleconference phone number: 716-214-3776. You don’t have to have any special pin numbers or codes, just simply call that number.

Here’s how we will celebrate these holy days:

The Service: For Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday we will have a Prayer Service and Spiritual Communion.

Prayer Service: will consist of prayers and Scripture readings

Spiritual Communion:
Definition: Spiritual Communion is an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament and lovingly embrace him at a time or in circumstances when one cannot
receive Him in sacramental Communion. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

Spiritual Communion Prayer:
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire to receive you in my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive you sacramentally,
Come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already there
And unite myself wholly to you.
Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

Please Note: We will recite this prayer during our Service each day. You can also say this prayer whenever you wish to receive Spiritual Communion privately on your own.

None of us have ever celebrated these holy days the way we will be this year. We hope that this helps bring our faith community together, and we pray that all of us find a way to
be one with our Lord and Savior through these services and rituals we hold.

We suggest that you download the Holy Week 2020 Schedule and keep it handy.

If you have family members, friends, and neighbors who might be interested in participating in our Holy Week Services, please send us their names and email addresses so we can forward this information to them.

Please send all names and email addresses to Michael Pitek so he can add that information into the parish’s email system. His contact information is: michael@thepitekgroup.com or call 816-0144 (office); or 716-480-8313 (cell).

Again, on behalf of Deacon Bill; our Liturgy Committee; the Marketing, Communications, and Membership Committee; and our Parish Pastoral Council, I thank you for your continued prayers for our parish faith community, the Church, and for all of the stewards of our parish.

May the Love Christ gives us through His death and resurrection fill our hearts and minds, keep us safe and healthy, and reinvigorate Blessed Sacrament Church.

Pax et bonum,
Fr. Joe Porpiglia

Blessed Sacrament Buffalo is the joyful, vibrant, and welcoming Catholic Church present in the Elmwood Village and Delaware District, serving the Buffalo and Western New York Community.