ST. PETER. Church of MENDOTA Highway 13 PO Box Mendota MN March 22, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

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1 1405 Highway 13 PO Box Mendota MN PASTOR: Fr. Steven Hoffman Church of ST. PETER MENDOTA PASTORAL ASSOCIATE: Lisa Amos BUSINESS MANAGER: Mary Jubenville Heritage Center Rental Information Mary Jubenville, staff contact RELIGIOUS EDUCATION/FAITH FORMATION: Kathy Raible, Director Ed Overell, Youth Coordinator Beth Halbert, Sunday School Coordinator Religious Education Information Line MUSIC and LITURGY: David Dunst, Director COMMUNITY LIFE COORDINATOR: Sara Rogers OFFICE STAFF: Darlene Olson, Communications Coord Carolyn Rynders MAINTENANCE: Tom Deshler John Raible March 22, 2015 Parish Office: Office Hours:... 8 am-4 pm Monday through Friday Fax: church@stpetersmendota.org Parish School: Faithful Shepherd , Columbia Drive Eagan, MN SUNDAY MASSES (all in the Main Church) Saturday 5 pm Sunday 9 am and 11 am WEEKDAY MASSES (all in the Historic Church) 9 am Monday-Friday HOLY DAYS As announced. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Fridays, 8 to 8:45 am and Saturdays 4 to 4:45 pm and also any time by appointment. BAPTISMS, NEW PARISHIONERS, WEDDINGS Call the parish office for more information. PRAYER CHAIN REQUESTS Mary LeClair... maryleclair62@gmail.com or call the parish office at VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT

2 Church of St. Peter Page 2 Reflections from our Youth Coordinator L ast weekend, during all the Masses, our choir lead us in a beautiful praise and worship song called The Heart of Worship by Matt Redman. In that song, we are called to make sure that when we come to worship our God, that we are focused on Him and not allowing anything to get in the way. The song implores us to be sure that when we come to worship our Lord, we are opening our heart to him and are fully attentive in our worship. As the chorus says, we should make sure that It s all about you/it s all about you, Jesus. It strikes me that this is a great song for us to use as reflection during Lent as well. As we prepare ourselves for Easter, are we approaching our Lenten preparation prayerfully and reverently, or are we checking things off of a list: things that we re supposed to do because we re Catholic? One of the most common conversations that many of us Catholics have during Lent, is with people (non- Catholics, but let s be honest, also a lot of other Catholics) about the value of giving up meat on Friday. The argument that I hear from a lot of people who don t do it is, Do you think God really cares if I m eating meat or not? The problem is that approach misses the entire point of why we are giving up meat. The beginning of the chorus of The Heart of Worship perfectly expresses how we should be approaching our fasting (or any other preparations for Easter) during Lent. I'll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself is not what You have required. You search much deeper within, through the way things appear, You're looking into my heart. The song in this case is abstaining from meat. To just go through the motions, or check something off the list, is not what God requires or asks of us. He is looking into our heart, through the way things appear, desperately longing to be closer to us. This is the mistake that we make when we ask if God cares that we re eating meat or not; we are focusing too much on whether we eat meat or not, and not on God and our relationship with him. The act of abstaining from meat is itself a prayer; something we can offer to God out of love and reverence. It is a way that we can open our heart to him and bring ourselves into a deeper relationship with him. If we are standing in line at a restaurant trying to decide whether to order the fish sandwich or just get a cheeseburger, and the only thing we re trying to decide is whether God cares which one we eat, then we ve already missed the point. If we order the fish sandwich purely out of guilt just because we re supposed to, then we re missing an opportunity. He wants us to bring him more than just a meatless Friday, for (if I may paraphrase) a meatless Friday in itself is not what he has required. He wants us to bring him ourselves. He wants us to be standing in line at that restaurant and instead of ordering fish out of guilt and frustration, he wants us to engage in prayer, and open up a line of communication with him right at that moment. He wants us to eat the fish because it can be an intentional act of prayer and sacrifice. And we are intentional about our sacrifices and our prayer, as opposed to robotic actions done without thought, we are naturally brought closer to Him. What if every time we were eating a meal on a Friday in Lent, as part of our grace before that meal, we prayed to God to open our heart to him, and we took just two minutes to look into our own hearts and souls and ask him to reshape us where needed, and give us strength to be the person that He made us to be? What if we carried this over to every meal? That would truly be a way for us to return to the heart of what it means to fast during Lent. Of course, this approach can be applied to all aspects of our faith. What is our approach/attitude towards confession? Are we going simply to check it off the list? Or are we approaching it as a way to grow closer to Jesus? When we receive the Eucharist at Mass, as we process up are we focusing on being humble before Christ, and the aspects in our life where the Precious Body and Blood can strengthen and sustain us; or is our mind wandering? Let s use these last few weeks of Lent to refocus ourselves on getting back to the heart of preparing for Easter; to the Heart of Jesus. Let s be very intentional about our prayer, fasting and almsgiving so that we may, as Father Steven likes to say, experience an Easter filled with joy (and sweet-tasting chocolate). Ed Overell Youth Coordinator

3 Church of St. Peter Page 3 Religious Education/ Faith Formation (RE/FF) Sunday School There will be no Sunday School classes on March 29 and April 5 due to spring break and Easter Sunday. If you have any questions, please contact Beth Newton at Liturgy of the Word for Children There will be no Liturgy of the Word for Children on March 29 and April 5 due to spring break and Easter Sunday. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Raible at Workcamp Adult Leaders Needed Have you ever wondered what Workcamp was like? Well, here is your chance to find out! We are in need of additional adult leaders for our trip this July to Hastings, Michigan. If you are 21 or older, and can take a week off at the end of July, that could be you! If you would be interested in attending Workcamp as an adult leader (at no cost), please contact Ed Overell at or eoverell@stpetersmendota.org. Parents Night Out Want a nice dinner out, some relaxing time at home, or some time to work on a few house projects? Bring your kids (ages 6 weeks to 11 years) to St. Peter s Parents Night Out! On Saturday, April 11, from 5 to 8 p.m., you are welcome to drop off your children in our Ravoux Room (up by the offices) and have a few hours to yourself. This event is FREE, although we will accept free-will offerings and the profit will go directly to St. Peter s. Supper will include pizza, carrots, apple slices, and milk or water. (You are welcome to bring a different dinner for your child if they won t or can t eat ours.) We hope you can take advantage of this event! RSVPs are strongly encouraged. For more info or to RSVP, contact Sara Rogers at srogers@stpetersmendota.org or Help Support Young Families at St. Peter s! We are looking for people to help us care for kids during our Parents Night Out event on Saturday, April 11. We could really use your help! All volunteers will need to have Virtus training as well as a background check. Please contact Sara Rogers at the info above if you are interested, and thank you! Enrich and Deepen Lent Experience: A Series by Fr. Steven This Lent, you are invited to enter more fully into the spiritual experience of Lent by attending a three-part series presented by our own Fr. Steven: Entering More Deeply into the Heart of the Father with Jesus. Childcare will be available upon advance registration. Sunday, March p.m., Heritage Center By His life and teaching, Jesus not only reveals the Father s merciful heart, but more wonderfully still, through the gift of the sacrament of confession and our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, Jesus takes us more deeply into the Father s heart, that inexhaustible source of His life and strength, of His love, joy, and peace. Session 3, March 22: Fasting and Almsgiving Sessions may be enjoyed individually. There is no need to preregister for the talks. Holy Week Liturgy Schedule All Liturgies are in the Main Church Individual Confessions: Saturdays, 4-4:45 p.m. (no Confessions on Holy Saturday) Holy Thursday, April 2 No 9 a.m. Mass Mass of the Lord s Supper, 7 p.m. With Procession of the Blessed Sacrament Good Friday, April 3 No 9 a.m. Mass Liturgy of the Lord s Passion, 7 p.m. Easter Vigil, April 4 No 5 p.m. Mass The Easter Vigil will begin at 8 p.m. Easter Sunday, April 5 Mass celebrated at 9 and 11 a.m. Parish Office Hours The parish will close at 12 noon on Good Friday, April 3, and will be closed all day Monday, April 6.

4 Fifth Sunday of Lent Page 4 St. Peter s Community News Annual Giving Weekly Contribution Summary: Budget for period of Mar. 9-Mar. 15, $13,253 Actual for period of Mar. 9-Mar. 15, $10,358 Year to Date Budget... $609,271 Year to Date Actual... $609,605 Feed My Starving Children You are invited to join members of the Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) ministry team and many of our First Communion families as we participate in a meal packing event on Thursday, April 9, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Feed My Starving Children in Eagan. FMSC is located at 990 Lone Oak Road, Eagan (just east of Lexington). Space is limited, so if you are interested in joining us in this, or future food packing events, please contact Paul or P e g g y H i r s ch at or a t phirsch651@aol.com. Last time, the FMSC Ministry members and other St Peter s volunteers came together with others in the community to assemble 12,312 meals, enough to feed 34 kids for an entire year! Please join us for this fun and rewarding event! Easter Egg Hunt The Faithful Shepherd Knights of Columbus will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt at St. Peter s on Saturday, April 4, at 10 a.m. This event will be held either indoors or outside depending on the weather. Please arrive with your children in the church s Gathering Space between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Have your children bring Easter baskets or plastic bags will be provided. Come and enjoy a fun and exciting way to celebrate Easter with your children (ages 10 and under). Hosted by your local Knights of Columbus. Cleaning Volunteers Needed We are in the process of forming one or two kitchen cleaning teams. The members of these teams would spend a couple of hours every three months conducting a thorough cleaning of the Heritage Center Kitchen. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Mary in the parish office at mjubenville@stpetersmendota.org or Easter Flowers We are now accepting donations for Easter flowers in memory or honor of a loved one. If you would like to make a donation, pick up an envelope on the information counter or in the parish office and return through Sunday collections or to the parish office by Wednesday, March 25. All names will be listed in our Easter bulletin. Website Volunteers Needed St. Peter s Technology Committee is looking for additional volunteers to help maintain and produce content for our website. We are looking for: Writers to help compose articles about the parish for the website Photographers to volunteer to take pictures at various parish events Someone who already works with and understands WordPress, to help maintain and update sections of the website If you would be interested in filling any of these roles, please contact Sara Rogers, srogers@stpetersmendota.org or Ed Overell, eoverell@stpetersmendota.org. Help Deliver Easter Lilies We will need your help to deliver Easter lilies to our parishioners who are homebound, in nursing homes, or who have lost a spouse or child since last Christmas. Please consider delivering to at least one person. Plants will be available for pick up next weekend on tables in the Gathering Space corridor. OUR VISION We envision St. Peter s to be a dynamic and growing parish through our: expressions of faith and worship, service to one another and the broader community, welcoming new members, compassion and ministry in pastoral care, and stewardship of God s gifts and blessings. OUR MISSION The Church of St. Peter, the first Catholic parish in Minnesota, serves as a cornerstone of faith and heritage, where we welcome all to celebrate and live as the Body of Christ. We embrace our commitment to continue this founding legacy, care for future generations, and advance the Kingdom of God.

5 Church of St. Peter page 5a The Week of March 23 Monday, March 23 9 am Mass, Historic Church (8:40 rosary) 6 pm St. Paul Civic Symphony 7 pm Boy Scouts, Ravoux Room Tuesday, March 24 9 am Mass, Historic Church (8:40 rosary) Adoration Before Blessed Sacrament After the 9 am Mass Until 6 pm 9:45 am Women s Bible Study, Conference Room I, Ravoux Room 7 pm Finance Council, Conference Room III Wednesday, March 25 9 am Mass, Historic Church (8:40 rosary) 9:45 am Divine Mercy Cenacle, Ravoux Room 4:30 pm Grades 1-5 6:30 pm Choir, Music Room 6:30 pm Grades 1-8 Thursday, March 26 9 am Mass, Historic Church (8:40 rosary) 9:45 am Daily Mass Birthday Celebration, Ravoux Room 7 pm Alcoholics Anonymous, Room 5 7 pm Al-Anon, Room 7 7 pm Teen Al-Anon, Room 6 Friday, March :45 am Confessions, Main Church 9 am Mass, Historic Church (8:40 rosary) 5-7 pm Workcamp Pasta Dinner, Heritage Center 6-6:45 pm Confessions, Main Church 7 pm Stations of the Cross, Main Church Saturday, March 28 9 and 10:30 am Alcoholics Anonymous, Rooms 2, 4 10 am Scripture Study, Conference Room I 4 pm Confessions, Main Church 4:30 pm Choir Rehearsal, Music Room 5 pm Mass, Main Church After Mass: Homebound/Grieving Flowers Sunday, March 29 Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord 8:30 & 10:30 am Choir Rehearsal, Music Room 9 & 11 am Mass, Main Church After Masses: Homebound/Grieving Flowers

6 Church of St. Peter page 5b Parish Pastoral Council Sarah Larsen, Chair Lance Miller, Vice-Chair Alice Sheeler, Secretary Mary Pat Ferraro Anne Hallgren Paul Hirsch Maria Schwartz Nancy Stanton Joseph Towle Parish Pastoral Council Voice Mailbox: Parish Pastoral Council Trustees: Jim Oricchio Helen Wilkie Readings for the Week of March 22 Sunday: Ez 37:12-14/Rom 8:8-11/Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45 Monday: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, or 13:41c-62/Jn 8:1-11 Tuesday: Nm 21:4-9/Jn 8:21-30 Wednesday: Is 7:10-14; 8:10/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38 Thursday: Gn 17:3-9/Jn 8:51-59 Friday: Jer 20:10-13/Jn 10:31-42 Saturday: Ez 37:21-28/Jn 11:45-56 Next Sunday: Mk 11:1-10 or Jn 12:12-16/Is 50:4-7/ Phil 2:6-11/Mk 14:1--15:47 or 15:1-39 Mass Intentions Liturgical Publications Inc. The following are the intentions remembered by the priest at Mass: Monday, March 23 - Larry Ryan Tuesday, March 24 - Jack McCauley Wednesday, March 25 - Grabner Family Thursday, March 26 - Jack McCauley Friday, March 27 - Bob O Neill Saturday, March 28 - Mass For the People Sunday, March 29-9 a.m. - Jeffrey Weiss 11 a.m. - Jack Conway

7 Fifth Sunday of Lent Page 6 FAITHFUL SHEPHERD CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND TRI-PARISH CENTER St. John Neumann, St. Peter, St. Thomas Becket 3355 Columbia Drive, Eagan, MN Council of Catholic Women Spring Gerten Plant Card Sale and Fashion Show The Council of Catholic Women will be selling Gerten Plant cards for their annual spring fundraiser after all Masses this weekend. They make wonderful Mother s Day and Father s Day gifts, as well as for birthdays, etc. The cards are $25 each. We will also be taking reservations for our annual spring fashion show and luncheon which will be held on April 11 in Heritage Center. The cost for the luncheon and fashion show is $20. Holy Land Collection on Good Friday As Holy Week nears, we are reminded of all the special places in the Holy Land that were significant in the life of Jesus. On Good Friday, a special Holy Land collection is taken up in all Catholic parishes to support the sacred sites and activities supporting them. As Pope Paul VI stated, this collection is "not only for the Holy Places but above all for those pastoral, charitable, educational, and social works which the Church supports in the Holy Land for the welfare of their Christian brethren and of the local communities." This effort enables those visiting and living in the Holy Land to experience their spiritual birthplace and enhance their faith. Program Meeting for Older Adults 50+ Years Old Please attend a community meeting on Tuesday, March 31, at 10 a.m. at Mendota Elementary, 1979 Summit Lane. The focus of this meeting will be to see if there is interest around developing programming for older adults in Mendota Heights. This is a partnership between Mendota Elementary, Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation, Dakota County and Thompson Park Activity Center. Register for the meeting by calling Stations of the Cross and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction Friday, March 27, 7 p.m. in the Main Church There will be Confessions before Stations 6-6:45 p.m. A Beary Special Thank You Note I want to say thank to the person who donated the jar of Ragu spaghetti sauce to the recent food shelf drive. When I opened that jar, I found the greatest treasure of all your message of support and hope for the future. I went to the food shelf because I desperately needed food for my kids, but what I carried home in those bags was so much more than just calories and nutrition. Your donated food told me I had not been forgotten and was not unloved. Your message of kindness and understanding popped right out of that jar you donated. It was strong and spicy and delicious. I cried when I was at Neighbors, Inc. that day. I was embarrassed and frustrated. It had never been in my life plans to end up there. I am crying now as I write this because I am so grateful to you for your donation. Your message has been received and it will not be forgotten. It has remained with me even after the spaghetti sauce has been consumed and the jar recycled. It is a treasure I keep locked up in my heart. It is precious and golden to me. Thank you! Special grocery bags will be available as you leave Mass. Please consider filling a bag with your donations and returning it to St. Peter s by March 29. Monetary donations are also encouraged. Each dollar donated is equivalent to one pound of food. You may place your monetary donation in the collection basket at Mass. Address the envelope to Neighbors, Inc. We delivered 507 pounds of food to Neighbors, Inc. so far this month. We hope to get over 3,000 pounds by the end of March. Thank you for your donations so far! Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater poverty than hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. Mother Teresa

8 Minnesota & Western Wisconsin s Leader for Document Imaging, Network Services coordinated.com Lena Ct. Eagan (651) White Funeral Homes Burnsville & Apple Valley John White, Parishioner Auto, Home, Business, & Life Insurance David P. Kelliher Owner/Agent West Saint Paul, MN kelliherins@gmail.com Office Sinclair We specialize in professional bumper to bumper auto care & repairs on foreign and domestic cars & trucks. Ken Pace - Bob Pace 1247 So. Robert Street West St. Paul, MN Klecatsky & Sons West Funeral Home West St. Paul and Eagan Join Us Saturday & Sunday for Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m Sibley Memorial Hwy Mendota Purple, Gold and You! Cretin-Derham Hall St. Paul, MN Call Steve Commers for Courteous and Professional Service SteveCommers@edinarealty.com Heritage Center Is Available For Meetings & Parties Rental Discount For St. Peter s Parishioners Call Mary Jubenville At The Parish Office For Information & Reservations ACACIA PARK CEMETERY DALE J. BACHMEIER A non-profit perpetual care cemetery serving all faiths since Shop 24/ S. Concord St. So. St. Paul, MN print solutions Specializing in B2B & Nonprofit Printing & Mailing Dave Cavallaro Lee Education Center One-to-One Tutoring All Areas, All Ages Celebrating Over 15 Years of Academic Excellence in the Parish Community Member Specialists 25 Years of Service 971 Sibley Memorial Hwy. Direct: (651) pdonohue@mnhomes.com 380 W. 7 th St. St. Paul bonfesauto.com CAR CARE BY PEOPLE WHO CARE COMPLETE MECHANICAL REPAIRS Cleaners Dry Cleaning & Laundry Service 984 S. SMITH, W. ST. PAUL, MN Drive-thru window AWARD WINNING COLLISION REPAIR INSURANCE RECOMMENDED Contact Terry Collins to place an ad today! TCollins@4LPi.com or FOR AD INFO CALL Terry Collins at Max Steininger Inc. Excavation, Demolition, Earth Retention Serving Commercial, Municipal, & Industrial Customers Since 1968 (651) Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 24 Hour Good Neighbor Service Steven J. Stremski, Agent 20 Thompson Ave. E, Suite 201 West St. Paul (651) (877) ST. PETER, MENDOTA BILL RASCHER MECHANICAL Plumbing Heating Cooling Residential & Commercial Remodeling - New Construction - Repairs Home Care Solutions The Shining Star in Home Care RN s LPN s Live-Ins Aides 24 Hours A Day A 2C :51:47

9 All parishioners who have given of their time or talent to St. Peter s, as well as a spouse or guest, are invited to the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Saturday, April 18, :00 8:00 p.m. Heritage Center Dinner, dessert and beverages will be provided by the parish staff If you will be attending, please respond by Sunday, April 12. Drop this form in the collection basket or mail to Appreciation Dinner, Church of St. Peter, PO Box 50679, Mendota, MN Number Attending Name(s) Phone # (with area code) You can also respond with the above information by leaving a message at or ing mjubenville@stpetersmendota.org.

10 Workcamp Pasta Dinner Friday March 27th 5:00-7:00 pm Heritage Center $8 for Adults $5 for Children $25 for Families Enjoy a full meal with your choice of: Spaghetti with (meatless) marinara Gluten Free noodles available Cheese Ravioli, Fettuccine Alfredo Along with Caesar Salad, Bread, Dessert and Beverages. All proceeds benefit Workcamp in support of our Mission Trip this summer to serve in Hastings, MI Also featuring a Silent Auction of themed gift baskets! *Gift Basket Auction closes at 6:45pm *You need not be present at the end of bidding to win *Prizes may be picked up after Stations of the Cross (which begins at 7pm) *Any winner not present at the end of bidding may pick up basket at a later time