Around the Parish – March 30, 2025
Published on March 29, 2025
St. Patrick Bingo Totals
The totals are in! Thanks to your generosity and support, our annual St. Patrick’s Bingo raised $1,118.82! Thank you to everyone who came out to play, volunteer, or donate. It was a wonderful evening of fun and fellowship, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s bingo!
Three exciting opportunities coming!
I’m also excited to share two wonderful opportunities coming up for our parish this spring:
Traveling Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima
First, we are honored to welcome the Traveling Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima to our parish for a special day of prayer and devotion on Saturday May 3, 2025. We will begin with Mass at 9:00 AM, followed by a time of veneration and prayer throughout the day. This statue is one of several blessed and commissioned by the Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal to travel the world, spreading the message of conversion, prayer, and peace first given by Our Lady to the three shepherd children in 1917. Many have experienced moments of grace through prayer in her presence. I encourage you to stop by throughout the day for quiet reflection, to pray the Rosary, or simply to be near our Blessed Mother.
Heart to Heart: Sacred Saturdays
Second, mark your calendars for Saturday, May 10, 2025, as we launch our new monthly event series: Heart to Heart: Sacred Saturdays. Each month, we’ll begin with Mass at 9:00 AM, followed by breakfast and a featured speaker in Gallagher Hall. Our theme for May is Mary Our Mother, and I will be giving the first talk, sharing images and reflections from my pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This is a great opportunity to deepen your faith, share in community, and grow spiritually. There is no cost to attend, but registration is helpful for planning purposes. More information can be found on our parish website.
Third, we will begin a community-wide book study in June, focusing on Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell. This book offers practical and powerful insights into how we as Catholics can more intentionally grow in our relationship with Jesus and share our faith with others. We will meet Saturday mornings in June from 9:30–11:00 AM in the parish conference room. Participants will be asked to read the book and accompanying study guide on their own in advance of our meetings. The group discussions will explore key themes and share personal insights—this is not a chapter-by-chapter study, but rather a guided faith journey together.
Registration is due by April 28, and books and study guides will be provided by the first weekend in May.
Here are a few thoughts for the week ahead:
Every morning we have two choices, go back to bed and dream or get up and work towards them. The strongest people take time to help others, even when they are struggling with their own issues.
Pax et Bonum, Fr. Andy
The Power and Tradition of Mass Intentions
The Mass is considered the greatest prayer of intercession in the Church. This is because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Traditionally, a Priest may be requested to offer a Mass for a specific intention, even if the requester cannot be physically present.
Offering Masses for the Deceased:
Having a Mass offered for a deceased person is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for the departed, that they may find peace in heaven. Since each Mass holds infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit to the person prayed for, as well as their family, who can take comfort in knowing that their intention is united with the prayers of the Church.
The Mass: Center of Christian Life:
Every Mass is a precious gift from God. It is the center of the Church’s life, known as “the source and summit of the Christian life,” because in the celebration of the Mass, we are brought back to Jesus’ Last Supper, the first Mass. We consciously recall the love of God poured out for us through the life, death, and resurrection of His only Son, Jesus Christ. At each Mass, all the intentions of God’s people, both living and deceased, are included. As Pope Paul VI noted in his motu proprio “Firma in Traditione,” the faithful, moved by an ecclesial and religious sense, join their own sacrifices to the Eucharistic sacrifice, participating more intensely and supporting the Church’s needs, especially its ministers.
Requesting a Mass Intention:
Anyone may request a Mass Intention for a living person, a deceased person, members of a family, or a special intention appropriate to the celebration of the Eucharist, such as World Peace, Vocations, or Respect for Life. The Church allows only one intention per Mass.
Offering a Mass Stipend:
The normal stipend offering for a Mass is $10. However, a Mass Offering can be more or less than the suggested amount, depending on the financial position of the person requesting the Mass. Envelopes for Mass intention requests are available at the entrances of the church. These envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or returned to the parish office. The requester may also ask for a card to be sent to notify someone that a Mass Intention has been requested (one card per intention). Please note that the name of the person(s) requesting the Mass is not announced.
