A lent note from fr. David: February, 28, 2016

A LENT NOTE FROM FR. DAVID: February, 28, 2016

Pope Francis has asked us to have a particular bent toward mercy during this Lent 2016, in accord with the special Jubilee Year of Mercy. As part of this initiative, we are offering a “24 Hours with the Lord” at St. John Church this Friday evening and Saturday for Catholics of the Monroe vicariate. The church will be open for constant quiet prayer. Each parish is asked to provide “prayers” for designated time slots. Those assigned to St. Mary are:

Friday 10:30 pm to 12:30 am

Saturday 1:30 am to 2:30 am; 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

If you would like to commit to one of these hours, please call Karen at the office so that we can have an idea of how our prayer times are covered.

There will also be priests available for confessions at designated hours. Please consider offering a sacrifice of your time in prayer to honor God and thank Him for His gift of mercy through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Being Fr. Louis and I will be assisting with confessions at St. John’s next Saturday, March 5th, there will be no confessions here at St. Mary that day. Also, we certainly need to pray for the many souls who are lost and confused in our modern world that tempts us with so many distractions.

MONROE CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OPEN HOUSE This weekend, Sunday, all campuses of our local Catholic schools have open house. Please note that we offer a particular encouragement to parish members who are not connected to the schools, or who once had students at one of the parish schools in the past, to come and see what Catholic education is like today. Meet our dedicated faculty and staff. See the enthusiasm of the students. Technology is incorporated into our education like never before, as we believe that the proper use of technology is important to the proclamation of the Gospel. It is a joy to be associated as a pastor with quality Catholic education as we have it here in the city of Monroe.

SMCC MISSION TRIP APPEAL Speaking of Catholic schools, St. Mary Catholic Central has been sending students on mission trips to Kentucky and Guatemala for many years. It has also been a tradition for the Monroe parishes to take up a free will collection so that our students can have the experience of Christian service as part of their high school education. Next weekend, SMCC students from St. Mary will be at the masses to make a personal appeal for financial support. The students will be at the doors of the church at the end of mass for those who wish to help. There may be some who have already offered a donation. If so, thank you for your support for our SMCC students.

From: Recording Angel

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church Spring 2016 Vol. 19 No. 4

GOD’S MERCY IN THE PASCHAL MYSTERY

Welcome to the newest edition of the Recording

Angel, our twice yearly publication highlighting the life of St. Mary Parish, the broader Catholic Church, and spiritual enrichment for us as members of God’s family of faith. Even though we haven’t had major capital improvement projects like in the summer of 2014, I am amazed at how busy our church campus is. I especially love having the presence and life of our local Catholic schools, with the middle school campus (grades 5 through 8) of Monroe Catholic Elementary Schools in the former parish school, and St. Mary Catholic Central High School, my alma mater, right next door. It is a privilege to work with and minister among not only the people of the parish, but the students and families who are here because of our Catholic schools. I want to say that I appreciate the parish’s commitment to Catholic schools, in that each of the three parishes in the city subsidize MCES with their budgets. Another aspect of our parish that I enjoy is its long history, tied in with the story of the original French settlers, and with the founding of the IHM Sisters in 1845. Personally, I have connections here, as my great-great grandfather Antoine Burgor’s funeral was at St. Mary in 1917. It is a privilege for me to contribute to the continuing story here in Monroe County. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we have a special “lens” with which to view the celebration of Holy Week

and Easter, the high point of the Church year. This holy time celebrates the Paschal Mystery, which is a fancy expression referring to the saving work of Christ. Can

we see Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection as the ultimate expression of the Father’s mercy for us sinners? We call Jesus the “face” of God’s mercy; everything Jesus did and stood for brings that mercy to our human condition. This truth is able to bring us joy and hope in God’s ability to help us and reform us into His own image as beloved sons and daughters. In a special way, Pope Francis has asked us to focus on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy in this Jubilee Year. In these works, we see that true mercy for others must include concrete actions in daily life. We will offer opportunities to exercise the works of mercy here at St. Mary throughout the Jubilee Year. Here in the archdiocese, you hopefully have heard of the New Evangelization initiative called “Unleash the Gospel”. It includes a gathering of priests and parish leaders this April in The Amazing Parish Conference, and an archdiocesan Synod, or gathering of the Church, in November to discuss and deliberate how to better proclaim and live the Gospel in today’s world. We cannot continue to live in the same way and expect the same results. Even though God and God’s truths never change, we must change with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, so that we can continue to credibly offer the world the truth of Jesus Christ that is for all ages.

It is a privilege to try to live out this calling with you as beloved sons and daughters of a merciful Father. May the Lord bless our efforts throughout the Jubilee Year.

In Christ, Father David Burgard