Welcome to the parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy!

 “We do not want … a Church that moves with the world.
We want a Church that will move the world.” ~G. K. Chesterton

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

“[T]his particular cathedral is not only a majestic Church, it is also a world treasure. Noble in architecture and art, it has long been a symbol of the transcendent human spirit as well as our longing for God. Our hearts go out to the Archbishop and the people of Paris, and we pray for all the people of France, entrusting all to the prayers and intercession of the Mother of God, especially the firefighters … We are a people of hope and of the resurrection, and as devastating as this fire is, I know that the faith and love embodied by this magnificent Cathedral will grow stronger in the hearts of all Christians.”
~ Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Gospel Meditation—Encourage Deeper Understanding of Scripture

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord ~ April 21, 2019 

Can you imagine that moment? Can you imagine the stomach drop with dizzying realization: “It’s all true. All of it is true! The past three years weren’t a dream that ended horribly wrong.” Can you imagine all the doubts and despair of the past days chased away like smoke on the wind by a rolled up burial cloth? By an empty tomb?

It didn’t start that way, of course. “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” This frantic news from Mary Magdalene would have been another unexpected blow. After all that happened, now his body has been stolen? The love and devotion in Peter and John is apparent. They don’t wait to collect more information or stop by the tomb when they have a chance. They run to the site. When is the last time you ran for something? This isn’t a run for exercise, but a huffing and puffing bolt fueled by desperation. Can you imagine that moment? The fear pounding in their temples, matching their accelerated heart rate. Can you imagine the impatient affection of John, who outruns Peter but refuses to enter the tomb alone? And then, upon entry, “He saw and believed.”

This is the drama of our great feast! The promise that seemed lost has been found. The dead are raised. Long before the Easter eggs and ham, we are invited to meditate on this divine reality. We are invited to feel the desperation and joy of that first Easter Sunday deep in our bones. Because it is not just Mary’s story. It’s not Peter and John’s story. It’s our story. From the greatest defeat can come the most awe-inspiring victory, and this is true not just for our God, but for each one of us. He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

© Liturgical Publications Inc.

Holy Week 2019:

Holy Thursday, April 18: 7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. James the Apostle. Mass will conclude with a procession with the Blessed Sacrament into the Pine Room. Adoration and private prayer will continue until 10:00 p.m.

Good Friday, April 19: Stations of the Cross will occur at 3:00 p.m. at St. James and the Liturgical Celebration of the Passion of the Lord will begin at 7:00 p.m. at Holy Cross. This is a day of fast and abstinence.

Holy Saturday, April 20: The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night will begin at 8:00 p.m. at St. Francis.

Easter Sunday, April 21: The Resurrection of the Lord Mass: 9:00 a.m. at St. James (followed by an Easter egg hunt) and 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross

Welcome to the web page for the parish of Mary, Mother of Mercy. This parish has three churches:

• Holy Cross in Ovid, New York;
• St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken, New York; and
• St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg, New York.

The parish office is located at the Parish Center: 3660 Orchard St., Interlaken, New York.

The title Mother of Mercy is thought to have been first given to Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Odo (d.942), Abbot of Cluny. It is a fitting title of Our Lady both because she brought forth for us Jesus, the Christ, the visible manifestation of the mercy of the invisible God, and because she is the spiritual mother of the faithful, full of grace and mercy. Please join us in faith and in person at any of our three churches. Our mass schedule is listed below and additional resources are available on subsequent pages.

To join the parish community or to celebrate the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, or marriage, please phone the Parish Center (607 294–0064) or email: immmercy@dor.org to make arrangements.

A list of our Mass intentions (also below) and parish meetings and events are available on our parish calendar page. All are welcome!

Mass Intentions at St. James the Apostle in Trumansburg, Holy Cross in Ovid, and St. Francis Solanus in Interlaken for the week of April 20–April 28, 2019:

Prayer to Mary, Mother of Mercy
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and  thanks for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent! Receive our gratitude, and by your prayers obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven and enable them to make our peace with God.