Easter Sunday Thank You Remarks (2026)

Thank you remarks of Father John A. Perricone delivered on Sunday, April 5th, 2026 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Hackensack, New Jersey.

I would like first to thank Father Thomas Quinn for his confidence in inviting me to begin the celebration of the traditional mass here at Holy Trinity. His pastoral leadership of this parish is simply exceptional. And his example of priestly fidelity inspires everyone, especially me.

I enjoy a similar esteem for his young curate, Father Fernando, though possessing only 10 years in the Holy Priesthood, he has made his own all the splendors of Mother Church's sacred traditions. Because of that, his priesthood is an inspiration to me and a magnet for the faithful.

I wish to thank the entire staff of Holy Trinity, who has made our transition here so very easy. I must single out Narcisa, whose help to us in the smallest details was always prompt, cheerful, and affectionate.

This solemn High Mass was not easy to assemble, given the short time we had to work with. I would therefore like to thank Elvis Toribio, who at the shortest notice agreed to come out of his way to act as subdeacon. Please pray for him. He is now two years away from Holy Priesthood, studying for the diocese of Brooklyn.

But I reserve a special gratitude to Antonio Coyoc, who is acting today as my MC. For a young man, he possesses an extraordinary understanding of the intricate rubrics of the traditional mass and its related ceremonies, all of which he executes seamlessly. He traveled from Queens this morning, not only today, but this past Tuesday, to conduct in-depth rehearsals for all the servers, for Father Quinn and myself. For the generous donation of his time and singular love of the traditional liturgy, I am in his debt.

I would be remiss not to include my gratitude to all the servers here, especially our newest recruits. For their devotion to the traditional mass and the steadfast donation of their time. Among them, the assistant MCs, Eric Szwerc and Marek Bednarczyk.

I would like to thank Simone Ferraresi for kindly assisting us today and also in past Sundays as organist and artistic director. He climbed into the lurch by making the great sacrifice of playing today and by playing often, not only at the 9:00 AM Mass in Jersey City, but then travels here for the 12:30 Mass at Holy Trinity. My thanks also to his schola and choir, who assembled almost overnight to be present here.

I would be remiss in not thanking Brian and Judy Connell, who are my production team for video recording. Each time I ascend this pulpit, they are at the ready to record my preaching and then send it on to Frank Minishak, my IT director for distribution. You have may have noticed that not even her temporary disability deters her from her work. In their absence, we have Joe Endaya, who takes over that function.

But my heartfelt gratitude is to John La Salle. Since we arrived at Holy Trinity two months ago, he has acted as my indispensable assistant. He is truly my charge d'affaires. The move of the traditional Mass to Holy Trinity entailed dozens of intricate details. At times they appeared bewildering, but never to John. From organization of schola choir, choice of artistic director, to the transportation and acquisition of countless liturgical necessities, it was John La Salle's attention to every detail that made our presence here possible. It is his competence and leadership which allows this Mass each week to enjoy the splendor and perfection which our Blessed Lord deserves. His assistant, Tim Compernolle, cannot be overlooked for his unfailing assistance to John, both in temporalities and liturgical exactitude.

And finally, to you, all of you, the Catholic faithful, who attend this glorious traditional mass each Sunday. I thank you for your financial support and friendship.