The Ascension of the Lord

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3 PASTOR S LETTER: Ascension of the Lord The Ascension of the Lord Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On this Solemnity of the Ascension, I want to share with you these beautiful words of truth from Pope Saint Leo the Great. They take some patience and some study. But is our faith not worth that? At Easter, beloved brethren, it was the Lord s resurrection which was the cause of our joy; our present rejoicing is on account of his ascension into heaven. With all due solemnity we are commemorating that day on which our poor human nature was carried up, in Christ, above all the hosts of heaven, above all the ranks of angels, beyond the highest heavenly powers to the very throne of God the Father. It is upon this ordered structure of divine acts that we have been firmly established, so that the grace of God may show itself still more marvelous when, in spite of the withdrawal from men s sight of everything that is rightly felt to command their reverence, faith does not fail, hope is not shaken, charity does not grow cold.

4 For such is the power of great minds, such is the light of truly believing souls, that they put unhesitating faith in what is not seen with the bodily eye; they fix their desires on what is beyond sight. Such fidelity could never be born in our hearts, nor could anyone be justified by faith, if our salvation lay only in what was visible. And so our Redeemer s visible presence has passed into the sacraments. Our faith is nobler and stronger because sight has been replaced by a doctrine whose authority is accepted by believing hearts, enlightened from on high. This faith was increased by the Lord s ascension and strengthened by the gift of the Spirit; it would remain unshaken by fetters and imprisonment, exile and hunger, fire and ravening beasts, and the most refined tortures ever devised by brutal persecutors. Throughout the world women no less than men, tender girls as well as boys, have given their life s blood in the struggle for this faith. It is a faith that has driven out devils, healed the sick and raised the dead. Even the blessed apostles, though they had been strengthened by so many miracles and instructed by so much teaching, took fright at the cruel suffering of the Lord s passion and could not accept his resurrection without hesitation. Yet they made such progress through his ascension that they now found joy in what had terrified them before. They were able to fix their minds on Christ s divinity as he sat at the right hand of his Father, since what was presented to their bodily eyes no longer hindered them from turning all their attention to the realization that he had not left his Father when he came down to earth, nor had he abandoned his disciples when he ascended into heaven. The truth is that the Son of Man was revealed as Son of God in a more perfect and transcendent way once he had entered into his Father s glory; he now began to be indescribably more present in his divinity to those from whom he was further removed in his humanity. A more mature faith enabled their minds to stretch upward to the Son in his equality with the Father; it no longer needed contact with Christ s tangible body, in which as man he is inferior to the Father. For while his glorified body retained the same nature, the faith of those who believed in him was now summoned to heights where, as the Father s equal, the only-begotten Son is reached not by physical handling but by spiritual discernment. As we celebrate the Lord s ascension into heaven and await the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost, may we take to heart these words. May the live in our minds and hearts! Blessings, Fr David Mulholland

5 PRAYER LIST A time to heal physically, emotionally, or spiritually Thanh-Van, friend of Laura Lynch Maria Christie Lumbara, sister of Vivian Gomez Joseph Scott Strandberg, brother of Stephanie Hartung Dolores K. Strandberg, mother of Stephanie Hartung Sam & Don Glasnovich, nephews of Todd & Cherie Chapman Mildred Stevens, Anita Topolinski, Rod McDonald, Elizabeth Kane, Donald Houvener, Tom Houvener, Barbara Schantz A time to remember those who serve our country in the military Demetrios Kolitsos, CPT, USA, son of Kathy Kolitsos Christopher J. Hamblett, USN, grandson of Deac Keenan Jeremy Glass, USAF, grandson of Marie Trainer Will Trainer, USN, grandson of Marie Trainer Alexander Thorne, CTT2, USN, son of John & AnnaLise Thorne Isaiah Thorne, CPL, USMC, son of John & AnnaLise Thorne Owen Stratton, CPT, USA, son of Tom & Cory Stratton Andrew T. Kerrick, USAF, grandson of Connie Hanson Dylan Thomas Jessum, LTJG, USN, grandson of Tom & Mary Pat Lord David Leitzen, SPC, USA, nephew of Teresa & Elenor K. Schoen Annika Jensen, IT2, USN, daughter of Paul & Maryjane Jensen Cade Powers, IT2, USNR, son-in-law of Paul & Maryjane Jensen Taylor Amundsen, USAF, grandson of Mary Amundsen John E. Eaton, S/Sgt, USMC, grandson of Evelyn Combe Bryant McDaniel, USAF, nephew of James & Lynn Ronald Michael Angelo Silang, USN Mark Anthony Silang, USMC Matthew Johnson, USAF, grandson of Helen Bradley Christopher Abele, ITC (SW/IDW), USN, son of Steven & Janet Abele Nathan Keiffer, A1C, USAF, son of Nigel & Cheryl Keiffer Zachary Sharp, USAR, grandson of Nigel & Cheryl Keiffer Katherine Irgens, LT, USN Matthew DeVillers, LT, USN Austin Corduan, USN, son of Erin Johnson A time to mourn Arnold Lorvick, husband of Lee Ann Lorvick Nancy Elling, aunt of Father Mulholland May He support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. -J. H. Cardinal Newman PARISH MISSION STATEMENT Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. - Matthew 28:19-20 PARISH VISION STATEMENT They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles;they ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. - Acts 2:42 AS A PARISH, WE WILL FULFILL THE MISSION AND LIVE THE VISION BY... Becoming a worshiping people who give praise and glory to God by keeping the Lord s day Holy, by celebrating Holy Mass on Sunday, and by encountering the Lord Jesus in the sacramental life and daily prayer. Becoming a missionary people who live our Catholic faith on a daily basis in witness of the Lord Jesus to the world; to our family, our neighbors, our friends, and our co-workers. In this way Jesus is known by the fruit of our lives and in our love for others; this is at the heart of evangelization and catechesis. Becoming a merciful people who put our faith into action by practicing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy: The Spiritual Works of Mercy: instructing, advising, consoling, and comforting The Corporal Works of Mercy: feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead

6 PARISH LIFE ST. GIANNA MOLLA WOMEN S GROUP Do you like to read? Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic faith? Would you like to meet other women in the parish with similar interests? If so, please join the St. Gianna Molla s Reading Group at St. Mark. We meet every Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm in the Parish Center Fireside Room. We will begin our next book on Wednesday, May 16 th entitled The Marian Option by Carrie Gress published by Tan books. We hope to see you there! BAKE SALE & RAFFLE TODAY Our own Princess Angeline organization will host a bake sale in Sullivan Hall after the Vigil Mass on Saturday, May 12 th and all Sunday Masses on May 13 th. You can buy your mom a tasty treat and a chance to win an extra gift. We have three original, acrylic paintings to raffle and the winners will be announced after the last Mass. Please help support our new playground! ST. MARK PARISH ACA UPDATE We have 109 pledges to the Annual Catholic Appeal as of May 6 th, 2018 totaling $46,443. This is 31% of our combined Archdiocesan/Parish Goal of $150,000. Parishioner participation is currently at 12% (109 of 950 parishioners). PLAYGROUND FUNDING IS GROWING Our new playground is getting closer to reality! Our current total pledged, including matches, is $17, You can still make a pledge see the flyer in this bulletin. Thank you! PAUSE TO REFLECT Today God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say thank you? ~William Ward COMMUNION & RECONCILIATION Last month our parish celebrated First Communion. In preparing to receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament this year s class used Dynamic Catholic s Blessed program which delivers the truth of our faith on Reconciliation and Communion in an engaging way that meets children where they are and leads them to where God is calling them to be. It is a series of 84 animated videos along with a beautiful workbook. The content of the workbook and access to the videos is completely free online with no user ID, special codes or passwords needed. Just go to What an easy and beautiful way to share our faith! As Catholics we are indeed Blessed! FREQUENTLY REQUESTED NUMBERS Boy Scouts: Dennis Halpin (206) Knights of Columbus: Mike Connell (206) St. Vincent de Paul: Helpline Center (206) Heaven Guild: Sylvia Ebert (206) Funeral Reception Volunteers: Gini Harmon (206) Marriage Help: Retrouvaille (206) Seniors & Friends: Judy Parsons (206) Holyrood Cemetery: (206) Beck s Funeral Home: (425) Harvey Funeral Home: (206) Marian Caskets: (206) ; ADORATION HOURS AVAILABLE Ours is a Perpetual Adoration Parish. Twenty-four hours a day, every day, a member of our parish is praying before the Blessed Sacrament. If this appeals to you, we do have hours available: Sunday: 3-4 am, 4-5 am; Tuesday: mid-1 am, 2-3am, 3-4 pm; Wednesday: 2-3 am, 3-4 am & 7-8 am; Thursday: 4-5 am; Saturday: 1-2 am, 2-3 am, 3-4 am Thank you for prayerfully considering serving in such a remarkable ministry. If you are interested, or just have questions, please call Mat Connolly at (206) or him at mat@georgetownbeer.com. ST. MARK PARISH SCHOOL OPENINGS Teaching positions are open for full time first and fourth grade teachers here at St. Mark Parish School. This is a splendid opportunity to serve the families of our parish. Teachers must be certified and Catholic to apply. If you are interested in working for the church in one of these positions please Kathryn Palmquist-Keck with your resume at principal@stmss.org. Please pray for the continuing growth of the school and finding teachers to fill these positions. Thank you! ST. MARK SCHOOL IS ENROLLING Teaching and working at St. Mark School is a ministry. Our mission is to teach the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, form disciples of Christ and support you as parents and the primary educators of your children. St. Mark School is enrolling in preschool through 8 th grade. You can schedule a visit by calling (206) or frontdesk@stmss.org. Registration forms can be found online at DIRECTORY PHOTO VOLUNTEERS A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers that hosted the parish directory photography sessions! By God s grace and your generous donations of your time, 64 out of 66 hours were covered - incredible! Thank you to Gretchen Miller, Barbara Sbisa, Elisabeth Camara, Cornelia Miller, Kimberlee Olsen, Marie Trainer, Mary Rosary Patos, James & Lynn Ronald, Meredith Zabala, Patty St. George, Shirley Sadler, Anna Duffy, Janet Yale, and Mary Hammer for sharing your time to help. Thank you also to those that offered to cover as a backup host, too! You are all appreciated and I thank you for helping to make this event a vt bäáéç LINKS FOR LIFE Patients Rights Council PRC is committed to the principle that you have the right to know the facts about issues of life, death and assisted suicide. And Then There Were None This organization exists to help abortion clinic workers leave the industry. ATTWN is pro-life without exception and supports all peaceful prolife efforts ATTWN seeks to end abortion from the inside out.

7 FAITH FORMATION NORTH SEATTLE CATHOLIC YOUTH Our Sunday evening gatherings have concluded for the school year, but NSCY has plenty of opportunities to gather as teens over the summer. Here are a few events planned: Bible Study on Tuesdays at St. Matthew Parish from 6:00-7:30 pm, June 12-July 24 Weekly Mass and Ice Cream Wednesdays, 6:30pm, June 13 - July 25 at St. Benedict Parish. We ll attend Mass first and then go out to ice cream, $ on Kate! Full schedule of events at: N Seattle Catholic Youth will be hosting a Pentecost Picnic on May 20 th beginning at 5:00 pm at St. Catherine Victoria Hall. We will celebrate our first year of ministry. All friends and families of NSCY are invited to come. RSVP: Middle School Youth Migrant Project Mission Trip August Cost $100. This is a chance to serve for a week in Northern Washington at the Migrant Camps. Contact Kate Brown to register: kate@nseattlecatholicyouth.org. Ignite Your Torch Registration ends on May 15. For more information, go to and register. FAMILY FORMATION SUNDAY May s Virtue: Diligence - Doing your best and working hard until you are finished! Thank you for making our Family Formation program such a success. We look forward to beginning the Year of Charity in the fall. Beloved, let us love one another...the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 Have a blessed summer and may your living out of the virtues be fruitful! 1. Go to Formed.org 2. Enter parish code BREQZ9 3. Create your personal profile Log in to find amazing Catholic content for adults and children. Adult Feature: Symbolon: Session 9 Mary and the Saints Children s Feature: Cat Chat for Kids: Celebrating Mary An Open Letter to Parents Whose Children Have Left the Church by Elizabeth Pardi Dear parents whose children have left the Church, I left, too. I ll never forget the Sunday my parents caught me lying about having gone to Mass that morning. It was a painful confirmation for them of something they d suspected for months: I was not practicing the faith they d raised me in. Despite the Catholic school education, Sunday Mass, family rosaries and more, I wanted out. At the time, I was a college sophomore, and in a fastmoving relationship my parents did not approve of. The heartache they felt over my lifestyle choices was very apparent to me, particularly when I criticized the Church. I loved my parents and indeed felt pangs of guilt over their distress. But you see, I was hurting, too. I was under the impression that no matter what I did right or how much success I achieved, my parents would ultimately view me as a failure if I was not Catholic. I was convinced that their love for and delight in me as their daughter was contingent upon me following the faith. In their desperation, they tried everything. They had heartfelt conversations with me. They presented me with religious reading material. They tried giving me ultimatums and incentives to go back to church. It all only pushed me further away from them and the faith and closer to the people who appeared to have no agenda in their relationships with me. Then one day, something changed. I began to notice that my parents attitude toward me had shifted. Instead of bearing that somber mindset that seemed to wonder, Where did we go wrong with you? they actually appeared genuinely excited to have me as their daughter. They stopped asking me when I was going to church or where I d slept the night before. Instead, they asked how I was doing and if there was anything they could do for me. It was neither fake nor forced. It was simply genuine love and kindness that served to nourish our damaged relationship. They even became authentically warm toward my boyfriend, taking an interest in him and welcoming him into their home. Continued on next page

8 Open Letter to Parents, Page 2 Years later, I found out that they had come to the realization that my spiritual journey was mine to make. They d done their duty and equipped me with the grace of the sacraments and knowledge of the faith. Now that I was an adult, it was up to me to trek the path back to truth. It might sound like my parents began to condone my sinful behavior but that was not at all the case. It was always clear what they would not allow under their roof. But they stopped going out of their way to police me and ensure that I was behaving myself. Their joy ceased to be dependent on their wayward 20-year-old and interestingly, that was a tremendous weight off my shoulders. Three long years after that one Sunday morning, I returned to the Catholic faith. It was quite a journey home that began with a broken heart and a hunger to figure out what I truly believed. But I felt my parents love for and commitment to me every step of the way. I cannot say with certainty why your son or daughter has walked away from the faith. But what I can say is that whether or not they even realize it, they desperately need to know that you will love and take pride in them despite their religious affiliation. Continuously sending them Catholic articles or dropping hints about their lack of faith is likely pushing them even further away from the Church and you. Personally, I used to interpret those actions as indications of my parents disappointment in me and my natural reaction was resentment resentment toward them, toward the Church, toward God. I apologize if you were hoping for some quick fix about how to get your child to come running back to the faith. I can t imagine the heartache you re enduring and the eagerness with which you await their return, but please do not forget that your primary role as a parent is to love. Never forget how to love. Consistently bear in mind what qualities you love about your child and draw attention to those things, simply for the sake of honoring them. Have no agenda in your conversations other than to understand them and the delightfully unique human being they are. Do not strategically mention spiritual things in hopes of planting a seed. They will sense this and be put off. The greatest seed you can plant is your unwavering love for and commitment to them. As for your prayers, my dad once told me that while I was away from the Church, a good friend gave him some insightful advice. He suggested he stop praying for concrete things to happen, like for me to go to Mass, and instead start praying for certain virtues to increase in me, like discernment and courage. It was shortly thereafter that I began the journey back home just as I have faith that your child will one day.

9 In Celebration of Life on Mother s Day God of life and love, today we thank you for mothers. We pray for all mothers and the lives they nurture. Bless them with Your strength, Your peace, and Your grace. PREPARES of Catholic Community Services is proud to support mothers as companions on the journey. Throughout the Archdiocese of Seattle, PREPARES volunteers accompany nearly 150 mothers and provide over 2,000 items annually so needed by pregnant women and mothers of young children. To learn more about this growing life initiative of the WA State Catholic Bishops prepares@ccsww.org (206)

10 PLAYGROUND EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT Hello, my name is Connor Hogle and I am a graduate of St. Mark School, class of I am a member of Boy Scout Troop 171. I currently hold the rank of Life Scout. I am working to be an Eagle Scout. For my Eagle Project, I want to replace the playground structure at St. Mark School. I am working with Pacific Outdoor Products for the design and installation of the new structure. For my part of the project I will remove the old structure and playground wood chips. Pacific Outdoor Products will install the new playground structure and I will put down new wood chips for the playground. I am asking for your financial support. If everyone contributes a little, this new playground will become a reality for the start of the 2018/2019 school year. The total cost of this project is $48,000. The students of St. Mark School have helped with fundraising. They raised $7,154 by having a spelling bee fundraiser. I hope you consider supporting the new playground structure at St. Mark Parish. Attached you will see a pledge card. Please make checks payable to St. Mark School. Please send your check directly to the school or parish office by June 1 st. Thank you for your support. -Connor Hogle St. Mark Parish School Playground Pledge Name Phone Address I want to make a donation of $ Enclosed is my gift or down payment of $ My company will gift match $ Make Check payable to St. Mark School and state on check for playground All pledges made must be paid in full by June 1 st, 2018

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12 Please tell these adver tisers you saw them on your Sunday Bulletin ARCHIE S PLUMBING SERVICE (206) Since 1971, Family Owned Currently enrolling for classes and camps! COMPLETE PLUMBING WATERHEATER - REMODELS Parishioner Since 1962 Senior Citizen Discount Catholic Funeral Home CPI Thomas & Joseph Harvey KIRKLAND KENT Law Office Luke & Olsen, PSC Representation for Real Estate, Business and Estate Matters *100,000 Satisfied Customers Kimberlee Walker Olsen Attorney at Law The Plumber People Recommend TH STREET S.W., SUITE 580 LYNWOOD, WASHINGTON (425) kolsen@lukeolsenlaw.com Years of Integrity and Skill Leo Van HoLLebeke Do you have questions about real estate? St. Mark Parishioner Arne s Auto Service ask Me Ballinger Way NE, Shoreline (206) leo@soldbyleo.com All Foreign & Domestics Rodger Zink & Erin Donohue, Owners/Parishioners We offer 26 Years Dependable Experience arnesauto@aol.com Service and New Efficient Systems Guaranteed work! Ask your neighbor! Spring into action! Call John Hitt (206) Years of Integrity & Skill Nathan Barnes nathanabarnes@kw.com Making Your Real Estate Dreams Reality! St. Mark Parishioner "Our experience with Nathan was nothing less than outstanding" Norma L. to advertise your business on this bulletin. Happy clients are referring clients! Washington Assisting Home Buyers and Sellers since 2000 Parishioner and Realtor (425) Paul Sundberg 405 5th Ave. S. Edmonds Trusted Funeral and Cremation Professionals CatholicMatch.com/meetWA PaulSundberg@cbbain.com For Advertising Call John Hitt Habla Español Jaime Oviedo CPI, P.O. Box 81026, Seattle, WA For Advertising call "A PLACE TO FEED THE SOUL" (206)