MARCH NEWSLETTER. It is God s will that you grow in holiness (1 Thessalonians 4: 3)

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1 MARCH NEWSLETTER It is God s will that you grow in holiness (1 Thessalonians 4: 3) The springtime of our faith journey - Lenten season - is around the corner starting with Ash Wednesday on March 6. During this season, we are called to look deeper into our Christian identity that we are called to live in its fullness. We are all encouraged to begin reflecting anew on the real purpose of Lent, the power such a season can be for us, the real opportunity for a deeper commitment to our Catholic faith, and most important, a deeper communion of love with God. As we begin Lent, we pray for the strength to commit ourselves to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving so that we may grow to love God more each day. - Father John Carillo, St. Joseph Basilica Our ministry offers many opportunities to deepen our faith during Lent. Here s what s happening in March: Mission Dolores Tour Saturday, March 16th, 9am-12pm th St., San Francisco, CA Join us on our first ministry field trip to Mission Dolores in San Francisco. Misión San Francisco de Asís was founded June 29, 1776, under the direction of Father Junipero Serra and is both the oldest original intact Mission in California and the oldest building in San Francisco. Morning Mass is at 9am (optional), and from 10-11:30am we ll have a private tour of the Old Mission and historic grounds. Adults are $7 and children are free. They know we have young ones, so don t be afraid to commit if you re nervous about them stealing the tour guide s thunder or disrupting the solemn atmosphere with their own commentary and spontaneous singing - Jesus says let the children come to me! The Young Adults Group will be joining us, and w e ll bring a potluck picnic to enjoy after our tour. More history and information about the mission here: to reserve your spot by March 6th. We ll organize carpools and transportation when we have our headcount.

2 Lenten Soup Meal Thursday, March 7th, 6pm Notre Dame Hall - St Joseph Elementary School We're helping host the first Lenten Soup Meal at St. Joseph on Thursday, March 7th. We need to contribute seven pots of soup total, so if you can make one to share, please contact us by or Facebook. No special instructions - each soup can be different. The soup dinner starts at 6pm in Notre Dame Hall at St. Joseph Elementary School. All parishioners are invited, so bring the whole family for a community meal. If you can't stay for dinner, you can still drop off a pot of soup. Other ministries will be providing more soup, mac n cheese, and desserts. These free Lenten soup meals are offered every Thursday during Lent with suggested donations supporting various causes each week. St. Joseph Novena Monday, March 11th - Tuesday, March 18th at 7pm St. Joseph Basilica In preparation for his feast day on March 19th, there will be a nine day Novena to St. Joseph, the most Chaste Spouse of the Virgin Mary, Patron of men, husbands, and fathers, of workers and of those in need of immediate assistance. There will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament daily from March 10 through March 18, from 7:00 to 8:00pm each night except Sundays. (On Sundays, the Novena prayer will be recited at every Mass at St. Joseph Basilica.) Part of the Novena is a brief reflection on St. Joseph (3-5 minutes) offered by St. Joseph parishioners. Two of our Young Families will be giving this reflection - Mariana and Carlos de la Torre on Monday, March 11th and Claire and James Toner on Friday March 15th. We invite you to come pray with us. Stations of the Cross Friday, March 15th, 6:30-7:00pm St. Joseph Basilica Help us lead the Stations of the Cross with the St. Joseph parish community. Contact us if you d like to lead a station, and please arrive a few minutes early to the Basilica. Everything will be prepared for us ahead of time to read. Children are encouraged to join, and if you have older children who can read, we d love for them to take part too! Warming Shelter Dinners Thursdays, March 14th & 28th, 6-7:30pm Christ Episcopal Church 1700 Santa Clara Avenue Thanks to all those who helped us cook and serve two nights last month. We all had a great time visiting and dining with the guests, and we thank the city of Alameda for giving us a beautiful opportunity to show our love on Valentine s Day! Help us again this month, pending the weather. us to stay in the loop and to sign up to make a dish and/or serve 6-7:30pm at the shelter. Children are invited, so bring the whole family! The dates are tentative pending weather; the shelter is only open when temperatures drop below 40 o or rain is predicted.

3 Midway Shelter Cooks Monday, April 1st, 9am-12pm Family home (contact for location) Help us cook for the 30 women and children at Alameda s Midway Shelter. If you aren t able to help on Monday but want to contribute, you can prep something ahead of time. Moms Bible Studies Monday evenings, 7:30-9pm & Tuesday mornings, 10-11:30am Parish Center Lafayette St. Spend an hour and a half of your week with other moms in a small group setting where we pray together, learn together, and grow closer Christ and our Blessed Mother Mary alongside one another. No need to commit every week; drop-ins are welcome and children are too! Wives and mothers of all ages and generations are invited, so please invite anyone you know who may be interested! All materials are provided and no preparation is required. Men s Group Starting soon! Grow your faith with a small group of men. Meeting time is tentative so please reply to this or contact James at (470) for interest and availability. Suggested reading for men this month: Behold the Man: A Catholic Vision of Male Spirituality by Harold Burke-Sivers. We ve updated our Facebook Page and Visit us on Facebook at Young Families Ministry of Alameda. Contact us at alamedayfm@gmail.com. Have ideas? Interested in helping to plan events? Let us know if there is something you d like to see in our ministry or a special topic or speaker you d like to hear at one of our brunches. If you d like to be more involved, join our ministry team to help organize and host events, and help our ministry continue to grow. Contact us with any questions or ideas.

4 Photos from our Carnival Brunch We had a great time celebrating the season of Carnival at St Barnabas. Fr. Dana led us in an opening prayer and blessing and a song with the children. During brunch, parents had the opportunity to share cultural traditions and reflect on Scripture in preparation for Lent, and afterwards the children joined in a parade with music and singing. Thanks Alfonso for these great photos as always! See many more on our Facebook page!

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