Bulletin for March 10

Dear friends in Christ,

Our journey of 40 days is officially underway as we celebrate the first Sunday of Lent this weekend. I pray that this will be a time of spiritual renewal for all of us. Please keep foremost in your prayers our catechumens and candidates who are in the "home stretch" for their entrance into full communion with the Church. We will celebrate the Rite of Sending for 15 of these catechumens at the 9 a.m. Mass this weekend and later tonight they will be received by Bishop Sheltz at the Rite of Election that we are hosting at CtR (one of four such services around the Archdiocese today). Our 15 catechumens and 17 candidates from CtR, along with nearly 2,000 others from other parishes, will makeup the largest group of new Catholics from any one diocese in the country.

Over the course of Lent we'll celebrate the three scrutinies (minor rites) for our catechumens (the unbaptized}. Meanwhile, those baptized Christians who seek full communion in the
faith (the candidates) are also preparing for their entry into the Church. As they all journey to the table of the Lord, let us dare to walk with them and ask the Lord guide us all into a more perfect union with the Son and God's holy Church.

I hope your Lenten penance and sacrifice is working to help you deepen your spiritual life, but don't let it become a fixation. I sometimes worry that people obsess so much over what they are "giving up" for Lent that they miss the inner renewal that needs to be taking place. That can only be accomplished by quiet reflection on God's will in our lives. That is at the heart of Jesus' temptation in the desert that we read in today's Gospel. Be sure to take time during these 40 days to listen for the voice of God calling you by name to a closer union with Him.

Remember we have two weekly events, one social and one spiritual, to keep you on track during Lent. First is the weekly Fish Fry held by the Knights of Columbus in the Parish Hall every Friday from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. The first week was a great success this past Friday. Thank you, brother Knights! I don't know of a better way to enjoy the fellowship of Lent than with your friends and neighbors at CtR. And it's a bargain as well: $8 for adults and $5 for kids. Make plans to join us often during Lent for this Fish Fry.

The weekly Fish Fry is followed by Stations of the Cross that is held in the Church at 7 p.m. every Friday. It's a great spiritual way to keep the journey to the cross of our Lord foremost in our hearts. We usually pray what I would call the "traditional" Stations of the Cross each week. In fact the order of service we follow is the same one I remember from my childhood.

This coming Friday, however, our Stations will be slightly different as we join with every other parish in the Archdiocese in offer­ing "The Way of the Cross: An Evening of Prayer for Healing and Purification of the Church." Cardinal DiNardo desires to be united in prayer with all the faithful of the Archdiocese that evening so that in this time of great sorrow for the Church, we may look to the Cross of Jesus Christ to bring about transforma­tion and healing, particularly for those who have suffered abuse from the Church's ministers over the years.

Cardinal DiNardo will lead the Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. in the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, and we at CtR, along with all other parishes, will conduct a service in unison at the same time so that the entire Archdiocese might be one in prayer. The Stations of the Cross are a time-honored tradition of Lent, and nearly every parish already offers some version of Stations on Fridays in Lent. This coming Friday, March 15, we will all pray the Stations of the Cross using a special Scriptural­-based liturgy. The public witness of the Church at prayer is powerful. It serves to unite us more closely with the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, and enables the Church to begin repa­ration for the sins of its ministers against God's most vulnerable ones. In an Archdiocese of this size, it is not easy for us all to gather at one time, but when we unite ourselves in prayer with the local shepherd, we can extend the reach of God's mercy to all people in all places. May our prayers offered to God draw us into closer union with the suffering of Christ on the cross, and may it foster a spirit of healing and hope for all of God's people.

Next Sunday is St. Patrick's Day - a great day for the Irish and want-to-be Irish. It's a day close to my heart for reasons you might guess (hint, my middle name is Patrick). But because we Irish are so kind and humble, we're sharing the day with our Italian friends to honor St. Joseph, whose feast day is March 19. To celebrate, we're hosting our annual St. Joseph's Altar pasta luncheon and bake sale in the Parish Hall. We'll start with the blessing of the altar, which will be beautifully decorated with all manner of baked goods and treats, at 10:30 a.m. (following the 9 a.m. Mass), and then the serving line will be open continu­ously until 1 :30 p.m. so those attending the 11 a.m. Mass can join us as well. Dinners are $7 for adults and $4 for children, while kids three and under eat free, and trust me, you will not go hungry! All proceeds from the dinner and bake sale go to benefit Cypress Assistance Ministries. It's become a beloved tradition here at CtR each March and the ladies of the parish do a great job of making it a wonderful event for the whole parish.

What is a St. Joseph Altar? It's a traditional way that Catho­lics of Italian descent honor their patron saint, the beloved hus­band of Mary, St. Joseph. It involves two things that are at the heart of what it means to be an Italian Catholic, namely family and food! There is a big pasta meal that is served, but the real centerpiece is the elaborate altar that is built. It's usually several levels and includes all manner of Italian homemade cookies and sweets, bread and wine. Tradition dictates that you after you enjoy your pasta meal you stop by and select an item from the altar (nearly everything is homemade and for sale) to take home with you. It's a feast for the eyes and stomach. Regardless of your heritage, on this day, everyone is Italian! Please plan on joining us. Mangia bene!

Lastly a word of gratitude to everyone who donated last month to our special 2nd collection for Penny, the young mother who was wounded in the domestic violence assault at our par­ish in late January. We collected more than $11,000 to aid her in her time of recovery. She is making great strides, but I ask you to continue to keep her and your family in your prayers. She and her family are very thankful for the support from everyone at CtR and assure us that we are in their prayers as well.

Peace,
Fr. Sean