SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
We are in no way deprived of having the same access to the resurrected Jesus as the original eyewitnesses. Our access, however, isn’t dependent upon literally “seeing,” but rather upon believing the Gospel proclaimed. The remarkable thing about belief is that it always has room for doubt. We call Thomas “doubting Thomas.” Truth be told, so are all of us. There are times in our lives when we are simply overcome by emptiness and absence. At these times, doubt or unbelief are not unusual. It does not mean we have lost our faith, but we have experienced a sort of death. Like Thomas, though, we will encounter the risen Christ who, in divine mercy, will move us once again from unbelief to belief. We will experience being raised from that death in and through our renewal of faith. In our own times of doubt or unbelief, we need to keep our eyes focused on the Risen One and, in due time, we will know Christ is with us, offering infinite mercy and inviting us to belief.
ROSARY FOR PEACE
Each Thursday evening during the Easter season, we will recite the rosary using Pope John Paul II’s luminous mysteries. The Rosary has been a means of bringing light into a darkened world since the 13th century. Please join us in the church at 7:00 PM.
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
Reading I: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Reading II:
1 John 2:1-5; Gospel: Luke 24:35-48
In today’s Gospel, Jesus appears among the disciples. Even though they have heard that he appeared to Simon and to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, they think he is a ghost. At Jesus’ invitation to touch him, to look at his wounds, they are filled with joy, but they do not completely believe. Only his eating in their presence convinces them that he has indeed been raised. As he did on the road, he opens their minds to the Scriptures. After he has done this, he sends them out to share the Good News with others. Relate an experience that brought peace to your life in the middle of difficulties.
Who do you know that truly lives and acts as if Christ is truly alive? How does this person affect you?
In what ways is your life a mixture of belief and lack of faith at the same time?
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
¨Senior High Ministry: Our first Core Team meeting is this Thursday from 7-8:30 PM in the Youth Room. All are welcome to attend.
¨Junior High Ministry: Join us today in the Youth Room from 2:30-4:00 PM.
¨Confirmation: Second year participants meet tonight from 7:00-8:30 PM in the Youth Room.
¨Young Adult Ministry: This Friday, May 2nd, is our Coffeehouse Concert at Serra Hall. Please see the flier in this bulletin for more information. Presale tickets are available after Mass today.
HOLY WEEK OFFERINGS
Holy Thursday: Community Kitchen $ 1,318.09
Good Friday: Holy Land $ 1,110.00
Easter Sunday $23,205.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
NEW PARISHIONER WELCOMING RECEPTION
Everyone is invited to join us at the reception honoring and welcoming our newest parishioners after the 9:00 AM and the 10:30 AM Masses today.
HOW DOES ONE BECOME A CATHOLIC?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a community-based process for welcoming new members into the Roman Catholic Church. It is guided by the Gospel and the lived example of the community. If you are interested in looking into the Catholic faith, please call the Parish Office, 682-4151.
TOGETHER IN MISSION 2003
Many thanks to all who have contributed to this year’s annual appeal. We are still about $1500.00 short of our goal in monies pledged. Our hope is that each and every household will respond to this appeal, according to its means. All funds collected are restricted to the “Together in Mission” campaign, which supports 30 parishes and 44 schools in the Archdiocese that simply cannot operate without our help. If you have not yet made a pledge or donation, please consider doing so today. Envelopes are in the pews for your convenience.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
·Mission Santa Ines will hold a Divine Mercy Sunday retreat today, beginning at 1:00 PM and concluding with Mass at 3:15 PM. Please call 688-4815 for additional information.
·The annual fundraiser for Villa Majella, a residence for pregnant, unwed women, will be on Saturday, May 3. For further information, please call Linda at 693-8656.
·Habitat for Humanity hosts a Volunteer Fair, Saturday, May 3, from 9-12:00 Noon at 5383 Hollister Ave. Learn about upcoming projects.
·St. Vincent’s will host its first annual Festival of Art benefit at the Doubletree on Sunday, May 4, from 4:00-8:00 PM. Call 683-6381, ext. 107.
·Bishop High presents “Fiddler on the Roof,” Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 at Bishop.
·Sr. Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, will speak at UCSB’s Campbell Hall on May 16th at 8:00 PM. Call 893-3535 for information.
·Family Service Agency’s 20th Annual Children’s Festival will take place on Saturday, May 17, from 10-4 PM at Alameda Park. Admission and entertainment are free! Join us!
CANDLELIGHT SILENT PRAYER VIGIL FOR PEACE
Join with us each Sunday evening from 7:00-7:30 PM, in front of the church, as we pray in silence for peace in the world. Please bring your candles.
“HEALING THE BODY OF CHRIST”
During this past Lent, more than eighty of our parishioners and some people from other parishes participated in this six week small group process designed to help people work through the impact of the serious scandal sexual abuse in the Church. Their evaluation comments were overwhelming positive. For example:

I was moved by the reiteration of the need to forgive, remembering that God has forgiven us much more than we will have to forgive.

I realized and was comforted by the fact that I was not alone in my feelings and I could let go.

I was stuck in anger. As the sessions continued, there was a desire to go forward.
Sharing our faith with one another was wonderful.

I had a better understanding of forgiveness and praying for healing for the perpetrators and the victims.
I was deeply moved by our spiritual journey.
TAIZE PRAYER AROUND THE CROSS
During Eastertide, our Taize Prayer Around the Cross illumines and reflects the hope, the love, and the joy of this glorious season. If you have not experienced this most beautiful form of contemplative prayer and chant, this would be a beautiful time for you to do so. You are invited to join us every Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the Mission church.

EASTER SUNDAY
Gospel of John 20:1-9
The various characters in today’s gospel are models for us and for anyone searching in faith, trying to make sense and understand what they see or do not see. Faith is, like Mary Magdalene, seeking contact with God even though a situation might appear hopeless. When Mary gets to the tomb, she is surprised by what she does not see. She expected one thing and saw and experienced another. She did not understand and went back to the community of disciples to help her understand. This is an important step for Mary and for any who attempt to make sense of where God is present and how we can be in touch with God. Seeing is a constant metaphor in the gospels for coming to faith. But mere seeing with one’s eyes is not enough. One has to be open to the possibility of seeing things that are utterly unexpected and that make very little or no sense, especially when seen through the same old lenses. The seeing has to be open to the presence of God in new and totally unexpected ways. People have found God in the birth of a child, in a letter received from a prisoner on death row, in soup kitchens, while waiting in bus lines, in the beauty of a sunset, or in a flowering meadow. How open are we to trying on new lenses, to seeing in ways we have not experienced before? This is the demand of faith, the stance that will open us to possibilities not even yet imagined. This is what will open us to experiencing Jesus resurrected, Jesus intimately with us, Jesus present in ways we never expected.
HOLY THURSDAY
April 17 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00 PM
GOOD FRIDAY
April 18 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Outdoor Stations of the Cross 12:00 Noon
Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion 3:00 PM
The Church remains open for veneration until 8:00 PM
HOLY SATURDAY
April 19 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Glorious Easter Vigil 8:00 PM
EASTER SUNDAY
Masses of the Lord’s Resurrection
7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 Noon
Special Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 12:00 Noon Mass, followed by a Children’s Easter Egg Hunt on the front lawn of the Mission
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
·Always Our Children! Parents and families of gay and lesbian Catholics are invited to a support group meeting on Thursday, April 24th, at 7:30 PM. These meetings are confidential. Please call Kathie and Joe at 687-4338 for information.
·The annual fundraiser for Villa Majella, a residence for pregnant, unwed women, will be on Saturday, May 3. Please help by donating items for the silent auction such as handmade items or gift baskets. For information, call Linda at 693-8656.
·The next Marriage Encounter weekend will take place at the Santa Barbara Mission on May 2-4. Please call Amber and Felix Masci at (805) 581-1670 for more information.
·St. Vincent’s will host its first annual Art Benefit at the Doubletree Hotel, Sunday, May 4th from 4:00-8:00 PM. Please call Sr. Paule, 683-6381.
·Family Service Agency’s Annual Children’s Festival will take place on May 17th at Alameda Park, from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM. Call 965-1001.
STEWARDSHIP: FAITH IN ACTION
Sunday Offering, April 13, 2003: $10,0881.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
NEW PARISHIONER WELCOMING RECEPTION
We cordially invite everyone to join us next Sunday after the 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM Masses in the sacred garden for a special reception welcoming all new parishioners. Please plan to come and extend your personal welcome to those who have recently joined our community.
TAIZE PRAYER AROUND THE CROSS
During Eastertide, our Taize Prayer Around the Cross illumines and reflects the hope, the love, and the joy of this glorious season. If you have not experienced this most beautiful form of contemplative prayer and chant, this would be a beautiful time for you to do so. You are invited to join us every Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the Mission church.
HOW DOES ONE BECOME A CATHOLIC?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a community-based process for welcoming new members into the Roman Catholic Church that is guided by the Gospel and the lived example of the community. If you are interested in looking into the Catholic faith—no strings attached, please call the Parish Office, 682-4151 for information.
SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE HOUR
We are in need of volunteers willing to serve coffee and donuts once every six weeks after the 7:30 AM and the 9:00 AM Masses. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your fellow parishioners! If you would like to help, please call Charlotte Nelson at 569-6892. Please note that there will be no coffee hour today or next week.
SILENT PRAYER VIGIL FOR PEACE
You are invited to join with us each Sunday evening from 7:00-7:30 PM, in front of the church, for our candlelight, silent prayer vigil for peace in the world.
THANK YOU ST. BARBARA PARISH!
Dear Fr. Vince,
A thousand thanks for allowing me to come into your parish and invite your parishioners to renew their membership in the “Angel Parish” program to help support the mission of the Franciscan School of Theology. To date, we have received $4,487.00, and are deeply appreciative! I realize that people get asked all the time to give to various causes. It is all the more meaningful that they were so generous to my appeal…
Fr. Bill Cieslak, President
Dear St. Barbara Parish,
Thank you for your support! Your generosity furthers our worldwide work to help free prisoners of conscience, ensure fair trials, and end torture, disappearances and executions... Amnesty International
CONGRATULATIONS!
We warmly welcome Polly Goulett and Yvonne De Leon, the newest members of our faith community, who were received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. May Jesus, the Risen Christ shower you with abundant blessings!
ROSARY FOR PEACE
Beginning Thursday, April 24th, we will recite the rosary using Pope John Paul II’s luminous mysteries which highlight the presence of Christ the Light in the world. Please join us in the church at 7:00 PM.

PASSION/PALM SUNDAY
The passion, for Mark, is the final expression of the confrontation that Jesus has been having with the forces of evil since his struggles began in the desert. Jesus’ fidelity to his mission to overcome evil and defeat its every manifestation has generated a coming together of those very forces to undo him. Yet, Jesus continues to be faithful to what he knows to be his mission—the proclamation of the Good News that God’s reign is here. Jesus enters into his passion with the fullness of hope and trust in God who has been with him throughout, and who will continue to be with him even in this, the very depths of death. Discipleship demands the same for all who take up the challenge to follow Jesus. We, too, must be willing to take up the cross and walk whatever path is demanded of us. We, too, must be willing to have trust and hope, even when despair seems to overwhelm. We, too, must be willing to believe even when we do not understand why something is happening or what good will ever come out of it.
HOLY WEEK LITURGIES
PALM SUNDAY
April 13 Blessing and Distribution of Palms
HOLY THURSDAY
April 17 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00 PM
GOOD FRIDAY
April 18 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Outdoor Stations of the Cross 12:00 Noon
Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion 3:00 PM
The Church remains open for veneration until 8:00 PM
HOLY SATURDAY
April 19 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Glorious Easter Vigil 8:00 PM
EASTER SUNDAY
Masses of the Lord’s Resurrection
7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 Noon
Special Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 12:00 Noon Mass, followed by a Children’s Easter Egg Hunt on the front lawn of the Mission
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
April 15 Communal Celebration 7:00 PM
April 12 Individual 3:00—4:00 PM
April 16 Individual 12:00—1:00 PM
ROSARY FOR PEACE
Beginning Thursday, April 24th, we will recite the rosary using Pope John Paul II’s luminous mysteries which highlight the presence of Christ the Light in the world. Please join us in the church at 7:00 PM.
COMMUNITY KITCHEN COLLECTION BOXES
Please return your Community Kitchen collection boxes on Holy Thursday. Thank you for your participation in our efforts to alleviate hunger.
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
¨Senior High Ministry: PAUSE meets this Thursday, 7:00 PM.
¨Junior High Ministry: Join us today in the Youth Room from 2:30-4:00 PM.
¨Confirmation: Second year participants meet tonight from 7:00-8:30 PM in the Youth Room.
¨Young Adult Ministry: Don’t miss the Coffeehouse style concert on May 2nd!
“RELUCTANT SAINT: FRANCIS OF ASSISI “
Tune in to the Hallmark Channel (65) on Palm Sunday (tonight) at 7:00-8:00 PM for a compelling new interpretation of the life of one of the best known, most loved, and least understood religious figures in history, St. Francis of Assisi.
STEWARDSHIP: FAITH IN ACTION
Sunday Offering, April 6, 2003: $11,500.50
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
NEW PARISHIONER WELCOMING RECEPTION
Everyone is welcome to a special reception honoring and welcoming our newest parishioners on April 27th after the 9:00 AM and the 10:30 AM Masses in the sacred garden.
HOLY LAND GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION
Each year we take up a collection on Good Friday for the Franciscans to care for our holy shrines, including the Tomb of Christ, in the Holy Land. Please be especially generous as the needs are especially great this year due to the unrest in the land of Our Lord.
HOW DOES ONE BECOME A CATHOLIC?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a community-based process for welcoming new members into the Roman Catholic Church that is guided by the Gospel and the lived example of the community. If you are interested in looking into the Catholic faith, please call the Parish Office, 682-4151.
SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE HOUR
We are in need of volunteers willing to serve coffee and donuts once every six weeks after the 7:30 AM and the 9:00 AM Masses. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your fellow parishioners! If you would like to help, please call Charlotte Nelson at 569-6892. Please note that there will be no coffee hour today, April 20th, or 27th.
PRAYER REQUEST
Our elect and candidates for the Easter sacraments are in need of your prayers as they prepare for the Easter Vigil. We invite you to take a bookmark located at the back of the church and pray for that person.
TOGETHER IN MISSION 2003
Our hope is that each and every household will respond to this appeal, according to its means. All funds collected are restricted to the “Together in Mission” campaign which supports 30 parishes and 44 schools in the Archdiocese that simply cannot operate without our help.
ADULT CONFIRMATION
The formation process for adults wishing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation will begin on April 24th at 7:00 PM. Please call the Parish office at 682-4151 for more information and to register.
SILENT PRAYER VIGIL FOR PEACE
You are invited to join with us each Sunday evening from 7:00-7:30 PM, in front of the church, as we pray in silence for peace in the world. We will continue this vigil each Sunday evening.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
Join with us in a special labor of love! Many volunteers are needed on Holy Saturday morning to transform the Church and the Serra Chapel for the most glorious solemnity of Easter. Please call Carol Parkus, 569-5639.
LILIES FOR THE CHURCH
Everyone is invited to donate Easter lilies in the name of a loved one, living or deceased, which will be used to decorate the church and the Serra chapel during the Easter season. Please bring the lilies to the Parish Office by noon on Friday, April 18. We also need your cut calla lilies from your garden. If you can donate some calla lilies, please call Carol Parkus at 569-5639 or Ellie Gymnaites at 682-4466. Thank you!
CALLING ALL CHILDREN!
Join us for our very first-ever Easter Egg Hunt in front of the Mission on Easter Sunday, after the 12:00 Noon Mass. This Mass will feature a special Children’s liturgy of the Word. We look forward to seeing you!

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
Gospel of John 12:20-33
At the 4:00 PM, 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM and 12:00 Noon Masses we will hear that to serve others is what we are called to do. Jesus has provided the model for us to understand how to do this well. That model involves walking the path that Jesus walked. We know the path leads to the point of death, the “hour” of the gospel. “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be” (John 12:26). But we also know that the hour that involves death to self is the only path to exaltation and glory. In so doing, we glorify God, and God, in return, glorifies us. Let us work on allowing our grain of wheat to fall to the ground and die so that it will produce much fruit.
Gospel of John 11:1-45
At the 9:00 AM Mass, we will hear about the resurrection of Lazarus, the Resurrection of Jesus, and our own resurrection. Resurrection is the transforming power of Jesus within us. It is complete only when we invite and accept the Spirit of Jesus to dwell within us individually, and within all of us as the same family of God. When this happens, we live life in a new way. It is as if we put on new glasses to see the world around us through God’s eyes, not ours. It changes the way we view people, events, and the things that happen in our own lives. It causes us to act differently and even do things we never thought we had the courage to do.
YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
¨Senior High Ministry: PAUSE meets Thursday, 7:00-8:30 PM, in the Youth Room.
¨Junior High Ministry: Join us today in the Youth Room from 2:30-4:00 PM.
¨Confirmation: Second year participants meet tonight from 7:00-8:30 PM in the Youth Room.
¨Young Adult Ministry: Reception to follow Taize prayer, Wednesday, in the Youth Room.
STEWARDSHIP: FAITH IN ACTION
Sunday Offering, March 30, 2003: $9,133.00
Thank you for your continuing generosity!
NEW PARISHIONER WELCOMING RECEPTION
Our hospitality committee is planning a special reception honoring and welcoming our newest parishioners on April 27 after the 9:00 AM and the 10:30 AM Masses in the inside gardens. We invite all parishioners to attend, as well, to meet and greet the newest members of our Parish family.
PRAYER REQUEST
We ask that during this time of Lent and of a deeper and richer prayer life, that you pray for our catechumens and candidates in the RCIA process. Please take a bookmark located at the back of the church and pray for that person. May our candidates and catechumens experience the enduring love of God!
TOGETHER IN MISSION 2003
Many thanks to all who have contributed to this year’s annual appeal. To date, 337 households have pledged $58,594.00 toward our goal of $59,745.00. We have received $39,357.00 in donations. Our hope is that each and every household will respond to this appeal, according to its means. All funds collected are restricted to the “Together in Mission” campaign which supports 30 parishes and 44 schools in the Archdiocese that simply cannot operate without our help. If you have not yet made a pledge or donation, please consider doing so today.
TV DOCUDRAMA ON ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Hallmark channel (Ch. 65) will present a one-hour docudrama on the life of St. Francis on Palm Sunday, April 13, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The film, “Reluctant Saint: Francis of Assisi,” was shot in Umbria, Italy, where St. Francis lived and worked.
BREAD FOR THE WORLD
As members of a Bread for the World Covenant Church, St. Barbara parishioners have the opportunity today to sign postcards to our members of Congress, urging them to enact legislation which would double U.S. assistance to developing countries. The increased aid, advocated by President Bush, will help poor people become self-reliant, feed their families, fight infectious diseases and sent their children to school. “The poor are not a vast, unnamed multitude of faceless people. The poor have a name. It is Jesus.” (Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton)
ADULT CONFIRMATION
The formation process for adults wishing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation will begin on April 24 at 7:00 PM. Please call the Parish office at 682-4151 for more information and to register.
SILENT PRAYER VIGIL FOR PEACE
You are invited to join with us each Sunday evening from 7:00-7:30 PM, in front of the church, as we pray in silence for peace in the world. We will continue this vigil each Sunday evening.

HOLY WEEK LITURGIES

PALM SUNDAY
April 13 Blessing and Distribution of Palms
HOLY THURSDAY
April 17 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00 PM
GOOD FRIDAY
April 18 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Outdoor Stations of the Cross 12:00 Noon
Solemn Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion 3:00 PM
The Church remains open for veneration until 8:00 PM
HOLY SATURDAY
April 19 Morning Prayer 7:30 AM
Glorious Easter Vigil 8:00 PM
EASTER SUNDAY
Masses of the Lord’s Resurrection
7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 Noon
Children’s Easter Egg Hunt after the 12:00 Noon Mass on the front lawn of the Mission
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
April 15 Communal Celebration 7:00 PM
April 12 Individual 3:00—4:00 PM
April 16 Individual 12:00—1:00 PM
EASTER LILIES FOR THE CHURCH
Everyone is invited to donate lilies in the name of a loved one, living or deceased, which will be used to decorate the Church and the Serra chapel. Please bring the lilies to the Parish Office by, Friday, April 18.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
Join with us in a special labor of love! Each year, many volunteers are needed on Holy Saturday morning as we transform the Church and the Serra chapel for the most glorious solemnity of Easter. Please call Carol Parkus at 569-5639 if you can help
SPECIAL COLLECTION THIS WEEKEND FOR THE NEEDS OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH
This annual collection supports the world-wide disaster relief and development work of the Catholic Relief Services organization. Catholic Relief Services is present in over 80 countries providing vital necessities, education and development to those in need. Please respond generously.