The Church of St. Gerard Majella

Transcription

1 The Church of St. Gerard Majella TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME OCTOBER 21, 2018 ADDRESS 9600 Regent Avenue North Brooklyn Park, MN OFFICE HOURS Monday-Thursday: 9 am-5 pm Friday: 9 am-1 pm Saturday: CLOSED Sunday: 1/Month, 9 am-12 pm, Sept-May EUCHARIST Saturday 5 pm, Sunday 8:30, 10:30 am WEBSITE: Like us on FACEBOOK St. Gerard s Youth TWITTER St. Gerard s Youth Parish Office: Fax Number: Faith Formation: Victim Assistance: All Are Welcome! We are a Catholic community striving to love God and our neighbors. No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here! Who Am I To Judge? --Pope Francis j àçxáá Çz Yt à{ à{üéâz{ à{x [xtüàá Éy léâà{ PASTORAL Services Rev. Thomas Santa, C.Ss.R. Rev. Tuan Pham, C.Ss.R. Rev. Matthew Bonk, C.Ss.R. Fra. Chung Tran, C.Ss.R. Anne Tiller - Director of Justice and Outreach Amy Wittak- Liturgical Ministry Tim Smith - Dir. of Liturgical Music Colette O Brien - Communications Judy Foster - Dir. of Faith Formation Emily Wenner - Youth Faith Formation Heidi Schleif - Preschool & Elementary Coordinator SUPPORT Services Sue Czerniak - Secretary/Receptionist Dianne Goodwin - Secretary/Receptionist MAINTENANCE Services Dave Neuman - Maintenance Operator Roger Popham - Custodian World Mission Sunday October 21, 2018 Hearing Assistance Devices are available at the Sound Desk in the Church. Low-Gluten hosts are available. Please call the parish office for more information.

2 The Church of St. Gerard A NOTE FROM THE PASTOR We "enjoyed" our first taste of winter this last weekend with the first snow flurries. It was particularly noticeable before, during, and after the 10:30 AM mass. I heard many hardy parishioners commenting that it was "perhaps just a little too early" for this display of mother nature. Of course, as I pointed out during the mass, we should not have been surprised at all. When you shoot pumpkins in the sky and catapult them across the side yard it irritates the "snow gods" and wakes them unnecessarily from their slumber. We have only ourselves to blame for the display. In all seriousness, thank you to Tom and Trish and all their volunteers and helpers for a wonderful Pumpkin Fest. It seemed to me that everyone enjoyed themselves at the event and it was a great opportunity for families and for our faith community. I look forward to each opportunity that we enjoy for this kind of gathering. I think it was particularly appropriate because we were also celebrating the feast of St. Gerard Majella, the patron of our parish, at the weekend masses. St. Gerard would have been right in the middle of all of the fun. He was always full of energy and enthusiasm and loved to be with families and friends. This past week, and in fact this weekend also, I am primarily with the people of St. Bridget parish as we come to some decisions that have long been in the making. We have completed a parishioner wide survey in which we called each registered member of the parish and asked their opinions and concerns. I have met numerous times with the trustees, the parish finance council, the parish council, and the appropriate representatives of the Archdiocese. Everything that can be done in preparation for a major decision and a clarification of direction has been done. Now, all that remains, is the All Parish meeting which is this weekend, and together we will discern what the next step(s) might be. It has been a difficult but also a blessed process and I certainly appreciate all of the cooperation that we have received. Please plan on attending the ordination to the deaconate of Fr. Chung Tran, C.Ss.R. on Sunday afternoon, November 4 at 3:00 PM here at St Gerard. Immediately after the ordination, which will be the liturgy of the Sunday mass (no need to attend an earlier mass), there will be a reception for all who are in attendance. This is a wonderful opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Ordination which is routinely offered in the cathedral parish or the seminary chapel but not very often in the local parish. We are truly blessed to be able to host this wonderful event in the life of the Church. Traditionally, we celebrate one Sunday during the month of November as Stewardship Sunday. The finance council and I have chosen the weekend of November for our Stewardship Sunday but I have also determined that we will "change it up" a little bit in order to perhaps make the The Church of St. Gerard occasion a little bit more responsive. We will be incorporating a stewardship message each week during the month of November as one way to perhaps deepen our appreciation of what stewardship means and how it is understood. I have gathered together some short media messages about stewardship from different faith traditions and we will share them together during the offertory of our Sunday mass. I am hoping that you will enjoy them and find them helpful. That is all for this week. I hope that everyone continues to participate in the spiritual practice of some sort of prayer each day. It is a good way to center ourselves in the person of Jesus, recall our individual blessings and graces, and to remember our brothers and sisters in prayer who are most in need. Have a great week. Fr Tom Santa, C.Ss.R. For the Redemptorist community and staff ORDINATION OF FRATER CHUNG TRAN You're invited to attend a special mass for Frater Chung where he will be ordained a Deacon by Bishop Cozzens. Mass will be held at St. Gerard s on Sunday, November 4, 3:00pm. Reception to follow in St. Francis Hall. WEDDING BANNS Caitlin Johnson & Connor Tripp will be married at The Church of St. Gerard Majella on Saturday, October 27. Amy Perrin & Jay Cuballero will be married at St. Catherine University on Saturday, November 3. We pray for God s blessings on these couples as they begin their lives together. ALL SAINTS & ALL SOULS Join us as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation, on Thursday, November 1, with Masses at 8:30am and 7:00pm. Also, we will celebrate the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls) on Friday, November 2, 8:30am and 7:00pm masses. If you have lost a loved one within the last year and would like to acknowledge them with a candle during the procession, please contact the Parish Office at WORLD MISSION SUNDAY - OCT 21 This weekend, we celebrate World Mission Sunday with the theme Witnessing Faith through the Hearts of Youth highlighting the passion of the youth in St. Vincent de Paul Society at the parish of Jesucristo Resucitado, Venezuela. This diocese is an example of one receiving support from the World Mission Sunday appeal. Thank you for your help in supporting over 1,100 mission dioceses worldwide! OFFRENDA/ALTAR OF THE DEAD St. Gerard's will once again host pictures of our beloved dead that will be placed around the baptismal font from Nov Drop off a 4x6 framed photo with your name and contact information on the back to the basket outside the parish office.

3 Justice and Outreach COMMUNITY GARDEN Our first growing season in the community garden has come to an end and the harvest for our CEAP garden plot has been tallied. St. Gerard s delivered to CEAP food shelf over 521 pounds of fresh produce from June through October. Kale, spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, potatoes and tomatoes are just some of the produce grown this year! With the addition of our CEAP garden plot, we have greatly increased our outreach giving to our local food shelf. If you would like to be part of this next year, please contact Anne at annet@st-gerard.org or call the parish office. REST EASY: FUNERAL PRE-PLANNING SEMINAR Come join Tim, Director of Liturgical Music, and Amy, Liturgical Ministry Coordinator, in giving the gift to your loved ones of pre-planning your funeral. Seminar will be Saturday, November 10 at 10:00am. Meet in the choir room. Everyone is welcome! LOAVES AND FISHES St. Gerard s hosts Loaves and Fishes on the 4th Friday of every month. Our next date is Friday, October 26th. We serve from 5-7 pm at St. Stephen's in Minneapolis. Sign up to serve on the easel in the Gathering Space. Contact Karen Brenteson at with any questions. SHARING AND CARING HANDS St. Gerard s prepares and serves a lunch at Sharing and Caring Hands every first Saturday of the month. Our next date is Saturday, November 3. No need to sign up, just come on Saturday morning at 9:00am to St. Gerard s kitchen and help prepare the food. Then at 10:50am help pack up the food, take it to Sharing and Caring Hands on 7th Street (Minneapolis), and help serve at 11:30am. Questions? Call John at FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP Take these five steps to get ready for election day on November 6, 2018: 1. Make sure you are registered. 2. Vote early. 3. Know where you vote. 4. Check your ballot. 5. Be prepared. For more information about how you can get ready for election day on November 6, with helpful links to complete all five steps above, visit: education-advocacy/2018-voter-guide/ Faith Formation TREATS FOR TEENS The Middle School and High School Youth Groups want to try out your best recipes! We are looking for 1-2 people a month to bring in tasty treats for our youth to enjoy. Sign up on the Faith Formation Bulletin Board in front of the parish office to get involved. FIRST RECONCILIATION PREP BEGINS Our children in Faith Formation will be starting their preparation for First Reconciliation (to then prepare and receive Eucharist in the Spring) on Wednesday, October 24 during regular Faith Formation sessions. Please pray for them on their journey toward coming to the table of the Lord for the first time. WOMEN AND WINE - NOV 9 Come enjoy an evening of community as we enjoy wine and hors d oeuvres and reflect on the work of Catholic Theologian Sr. Elizabeth Johnson. Lisa Ervin will be the guest speaker on Friday, November 9, 7-9 pm in the St. Gerard s Atrium. All women are welcome! Suggested donation $10. RSVP to suec@st-gerard.org or call the parish office at For more info, visit our website at (NEWS & EVENTS). GRANDPARENTING WORKSHOP - NOV 17 Join us Saturday, November 17, in the St. Gerard's Atrium for a Spiritual Grandparenting Workshop to learn ideas and inspiration for passing your spiritual legacy on to your grandchildren. The workshop is from 9am-12:30pm with lunch to follow. Guest speaker is Carolyn Kolovitz. Registration and payment are online or by calling the parish office at For more info, visit our website at (NEWS & EVENTS). TABLETS FOR SALE Faith Formation is selling Digiland 7" tablets with 8 GB internal storage plus microsd card slot, Model: DL7006- KB (color black). They have a keyboard and include a case and charger. They retail for $60.00 but we are asking $30.00! We have 13 for sale. Please contact Judy Foster or Heidi Schleif at the parish office. Great for young kids. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

4 Announcements WELCOME TO ST. GERARD S! If you are visiting St. Gerard's today and would like more information about the parish or how to become a member, please stop by the Welcome Desk in the Gathering Space, pick up a new member info packet, and sign our guest registry. You can also visit the I m New tab of our website ( or app (search for St Gerard Majella in the app store)! Or check out our facebook page ( Thank you for worshipping with us today! ST. GERARD SOCIAL MEDIA Visit our website ( Download the free app (search for St Gerard Majella in the app store)! Find current events, calendar, online giving, photo gallery, bulletins and homilies, and access to our facebook page with our app and website. Also, you can receive important, up-to-date announcements called push notifications from St. Gerard s with the parish app. Stay connected with St. Gerard s! ADVENT TEA - NOVEMBER 18 Go Light Your World: Advent Tea is November 18 from 2-4 pm. Ladies, please join us as a table host and invite your guests or simply be our guest and we will host you. Information and registration will be after masses on the weekends of October and November 3-4. HELP WANTED Did you know that snow and ice removal on winter weekends/ holidays is done by teams of volunteers to help save money on overtime and contracted maintenance? If you came to Mass the weekend of "the big one" last April, their efforts made it possible for you to get in the building! Well, this dedicated group of volunteers needs more help as members have moved away, become "snowbirds", or just found that it was time to hang up the shovel. The commitment is to be on call one weekend a month from November through March to help clear snow and ice should it occur on that weekend. Open to men, women, teens, and families, this fantastic group of folks would welcome you with open arms and, on occasion, donuts and coffee. For more info, contact Dave Brom: or bahamamama3@comcast.net ATTENTION ONLINE SHOPPERS! When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you ll find the same low prices, same products and same shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to St. Gerard's. Use the link smile.amazon.com/ch/ to shop and support St. Gerard's! CHRISTMAS - A TIME TO REMEMBER The St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery Committee is selling wreaths to place on the gravesite of your loved one. The wreaths are 25 Natural Balsam Fir with a red bow, pine cones and silver accent spray. The cost is $35 which includes the stand and wreath, placing the wreath on the gravesite, and discarding the wreath. Order online at or by calling the St Vincent parish office at Orders are due by Sunday, October 28.

5 This Week at St. Gerard s INTENTIONS M-F 8:25 AM - Eucharist, Liturgy of Hours TUE 9:00 AM - Perpetual Help Devotion MONDAY, OCTOBER 22 8:25 am - Communion Service TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23 8:25 am - Maria (Mother of Kathy Vu) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24 8:25 am - Jessica Johnson THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 8:25 am - Parish Families FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 8:25 am - Kathy Irvin SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27 5:00 pm - Dick Keefe SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28 8:30 am - Mariah Rose Klein 10:30 am - Kelly Herron PARISH EVENTS MONDAY, OCTOBER 22 7:30 pm - Boy Scouts #575 Meeting TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23 9:00 am - Perpetual Help Devotion 9:15 am - Womens Prayer/Support Group 7:30 pm - Regent AA WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24 9:00 am - Eucharistic Adoration 6:00 pm - First Reconciliation Prep 6:00 pm - Faith Formation 1st-5th 7:15 pm - Music Rehearsal THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 10:00 am - Cornerstone Scripture Study 6:00 pm - Centering Prayer 6:30 pm - FF Commission Meeting 7:00 pm - Sister Parish Meeting FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 8:30 am - Loaves & Fishes Prep 5:00 pm - Loaves & Fishes at St. Stevens SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27 2:00 pm - Johnson & Tripp Wedding 4:00 pm - Individual Confessions 4:30 pm - Rosary in the Church 5:00 pm - Eucharist SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28 8:30 am - Eucharist 10:30 am - Eucharist 10:30 am - Confirmation Rite of Welcome 10:30 am - Faith Formation St. G s Kids 11:30 am - Anointing of the Sick PLEASE PRAY for the sick and ailing members of our parish community, and all those in our Parish Prayer Book. Also remember those loved ones who have died. OCT 28, th Sunday OT JER 31:7-9 HEB 5:1-6 MK 10:46-52 SACRAMENTS: BAPTISM Call the Parish Office to schedule a date and register for the preparation class. RECONCILIATION Saturday at 4:00 pm or any time by appointment. MARRIAGE Please contact the parish office at least six months prior to the desired date. Get the App Text Giving: Donate Online