Holy Year of St. Paul

A NOTE FROM THE PASTOR

Welcome to St. Cecilia’s.  

Bishop Brown has named our parish as a parish of pilgrimage in honor of the Holy Year of St. Paul, called by His Holiness Benedict XVI.  We hope that the following information may be of use to you and we pray that your visit here will be of blessing and great benefit to you and all those you bring to prayer.

Fr. Al Baca
Pastor of St. Cecilia’s church

What is an Indulgence?
From the Latin, it means kindness or favor.  In post-classic Latin it came to mean remission of debt.  It is the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin that has been forgiven.  After sin is forgiven there is the need to atone, that justice may prevail.  This does not touch on the forgiveness which has been granted in the Sacrament of Reconciliation but is the way that wrongs are redressed, atonement completed and justice restored.  The Church grants an indulgence through the “power of the keys” granted her by Christ (Matt 16:19).

How can I receive the Indulgence for the Holy Year  of St. Paul?
The way to receive the indulgence is not complicated. 

1. On visiting the church an Our Father and Creed are recited.
   
2. To gain a plenary indulgence, there must be no attachment to sin, not even venial sin.
   
3. One should make a sacramental confession.
   
4. One should take Holy Communion on or near the date of the visit.
   
5. One should pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
   Our Father.
   Hail Mary.
   Or some other prayer to St. Paul or another saint said for the intentions of Pope Benedict.