Summer Schedule
May 5 – August 24

Saturday (Vigil) Mass • 4pm
Sunday Mass • 10:30am

There is no 9pm Mass beginning on May 6!

There will be no Daily Mass from May 7-11; it will resume on May 14 with one daily Mass at 5:05pm from Monday-Thursday and one Friday Mass at 12:30pm, all held in Eisenhower Chapel.

Throughout the summer, Confessions will be held every Wednesday at 4pm in the Meditation Chapel.

There will be no Adoration on Fridays during the summer.

Thank you for your participation this Lenten season! If you still have your Rice Bowl, please drop it off at the office this week. Thank you!

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The assault by the federal government on constitutionally guaranteed religious liberty continues. Our concern and alarm flows from a mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which punishes the Church for its firmly held beliefs and consistent teaching. This mandate – published in the federal register without change, despite claims of “accommodations” – would force Catholic employers to pay for abortion-causing drugs, sterilization and contraception.

Some falsely suggest that the HHS mandate is about contraception. This is primarily about religious liberty and our First Amendment rights to the free exercise of our religion. Make no mistake about it – this government mandate is a step which will inevitably lead to other mandates that continue to strike at the heart of our Faith and the constitutional liberties we have been guaranteed. The mandate cannot stand – it must not stand!

This same mandate also alarmingly purports to tell churches what type of activities the government considers religious. Catholic schools, hospitals, nursing homes and charities do not qualify for a religious exemption. Why? Because they serve non-Catholics.
Under this view, Jesus and his disciples would have been deemed not religious enough. We have entered dangerous territory—the government is defining religion and limiting its practice. This is an unprecedented and gross infringement on our religious freedom. We did not pick this fight, but neither will we run from it.

Religious liberty does not belong to the Democrats or Republicans, it belongs to all Americans. Long before these mandates were issued, the bishops in the United States worked for health care reform and universal coverage that respects all human life from conception to natural death and includes language to protect religious conscience and practice of all citizens.

Our fervent entreaties were answered with promises that we had nothing to fear. We cannot now sit idly by and let this happen. We cannot, as a Church, be silent because some have sought to politicize our plight. Please visit www.pacatholic.org to send a message to your legislators in support of conscience rights. Our voices and yours must be heard. The mandate must be rescinded. Our freedom and liberty must be preserved. And in this effort, we must remain steadfast.

Throughout history, Catholics in times of need have turned to God through prayer and fasting, as these practices allow us to grow
closer to the Lord, inspire us to do His will and invoke His protection in answer to our prayers. During the Fridays of Lent, the faithful are obliged to abstain from eating meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics are also asked to fast – eating only one full meal, and, if necessary, two much smaller meals – to aid our spiritual life.

Recognizing the efficacy of prayer and fasting as well as the challenges we face in overcoming the recent attack on our religious freedom, we, the Bishops of Pennsylvania, request that all Catholics dedicate the regular Lenten Friday practice of prayer and abstinence as well as the additional practice of fasting on Friday, March 30, to the preservation of religious liberty. On that day, offer your sacrifice for the cause of religious liberty, that the Church may be granted the basic right to practice what she preaches, and for our political leaders, that their eyes may be opened to the rights of all Americans, including those of faith. We will join with the over 3 million Catholics in Pennsylvania to mark this day of prayer, fasting and abstinence for religious liberty.

As we continue on our Lenten journey, we know the Lord walks with us during times of trial and concern. Let us do all that we are able – prayer, fasting, abstinence and the exercise of faithful citizenship – to uphold the freedoms of Christ’s Church and to grow closer to Him.

In Christ,

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop & Metropolitan of Philadelphia

The Most Reverend Donald W. Trautman
Bishop of Erie

The Most Reverend John O. Barres
Bishop of Allentown

The Most Reverend Mark L. Bartchak
Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown

The Most Reverend Lawrence E. Brandt
Bishop of Greensburg

The Most Reverend David A. Zubik
Bishop of Pittsburgh

The Most Reverend Stefan Soroka
Metropolitan Archbishop for Ukrainians in the USA

The Most Reverend Joseph P. McFadden
Bishop of Harrisburg

The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera
Bishop of Scranton

The Very Reverend Eugene P. Yackanich
Administrator of the Byzantine Catholic Archdiocese of Pittsburgh

If you are new to campus, it is very important that you come by the office and register with the community. Forms are available after Mass. It is absolutely necessary that we have your name in our files. Should you be asked to be a Sponsor or Godparent we then can provide the proper documentation for you.

If you’re interested in helping at our Liturgies, more information is available right here!

Again, welcome to you all!