A Message of Joyful Hope This Easter

Christ is Risen. He is Truly Risen!

As we prepare to celebrate Easter, I extend my heartfelt greetings and blessings to all in our Diocese of Fall River.

Easter is the feast of joyful hope. In the Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, we witness life conquering death, and hope rises from even our deepest despair. Christ is Risen and walks with us, giving us the grace and strength to meet the challenges in our lives. His Resurrection renews all things.

Photos from the Chrism Mass.

We witnessed that spirit of renewal at the Chrism Mass celebrated earlier this week in our Cathedral. Along with the blessings of Holy Oils, the annual Holy Week Mass includes the renewal of vows by our priests. The Chrism Mass concluded a nine-day novena for priests, during which the faithful were invited to pray for their shepherds as part of the Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church initiative. The Mass was a powerful expression of the depth of faith in our Diocese. (Nearly every pew was full; it looked like an Easter Mass!) 

The joy of Easter is a deep and lasting joy that comes from knowing God and walking in His love. We live in a world where peace can be hard to find these days. Illness, poverty, division, and hardship affect so many. But Easter reminds us that suffering is not the end of the story. It is a renewed beginning. The Risen Lord is with us, offering us His peace and His strength.

The sacred oils I blessed during the Chrism Mass (left) and a view of the Mass from the choir loft of the Cathedral (right).

In this Jubilee Year, we are invited to reflect on the words of St. Paul: Spes non confundit—“Hope does not disappoint.” Pope Francis has called us to be signs of hope for those facing hardship. Therefore, we must remain grounded in prayer and our relationship with Christ. When we carry that hope into the world, we become the enduring light of Christ for others.

This spring, as we see the beauty of new life in nature all around us, I pray that Easter brings about a similar renewal in your heart and your home. Know of my prayers and blessings for you and your family. May your Easter be filled with lasting, joyful hope.

Triduum Schedule

I will celebrate the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum, which begins this evening, at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption. The schedule is as follows:

• Holy Thursday – Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m.
• Good Friday – Celebration of the Passion of the Lord, 3 p.m.
• Holy Saturday – Easter Vigil, 8 p.m.

On Easter Sunday, I will be privileged to celebrate Mass at 9 a.m. at St. Stanislaus Church in Fall River, and then at 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral, in Portuguese for the Brazilian community.

For those who are homebound or unable to attend Mass in person because of illness or infirmity, I invite and encourage you to make our Diocesan Television Mass part of your Easter Sunday. The TV Mass on Easter will air on WLNE-TV, Channel 6, at its usual time, 11 a.m. I will be celebrant of the Mass, which will be extended to a full hour in celebration of this joyful feast.

Significant Anniversaries of Priestly Ordinations 2025

As is custom, we observed milestone priestly ordination anniversaries during the Chrism Mass this year. I want to close this post by extending my congratulations and deep gratitude to the following priests who have given so much of themselves to Christ, His People, and His Church and who continue to toil in the vineyard.  

60 Years:
Father William P. Blottman; Father Thomas C. Lopes

50 Years:
Father Jay T. Maddock; Father Arnold R. Medeiros; Father Daniel O. Reis; Father Richard Roy

40 Years:
Father David A. Costa; Father Philip N. Hamel; Father Michael K. McManus

25 Years:
Father German Correa Agudelo; Father Paul Bernier; Father Ramon Dominguez, Y.A.; Father Carlos A. Patino-Villa; Father William M. Rodrigues; Father Thomas Washburn

Happy Easter,
+Bishop da Cunha