THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT SUNDAY – MARCH 22, 2015 Dear Friends in Christ, On Wednesday evening we had the Lenten Penance Service here at our Church. We came, not only to pray for God's mercy and forgiveness for ourselves, but also for our Universal Church, our country, our local Church here and for those whom we wanted and promised to pray. The service was very well attended. Thanks be to God for His love and mercy which endures forever. Amen. May we never forget Him, and may He listen and answer our prayers. Amen. As we approach the big celebration of our faith - the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ - let us be more attentive to what we are doing: physically (performing works of charity, being ready to forgive those who have wronged us, having good behavior wherever we go, committing our time to follow Jesus, particularly on His last days - the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday)...and spiritually (reconciling with God and others, attending Mass, praying the Stations of the Cross, avoiding any occasions that may lead to sin with your best ability, being humble and obedient to God and His true Church,…)in preparation for this great celebration. With all these physical and spiritual works, we will truly “enter” into the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord. Prayerfully we will feel and understand how joyful the Mother Church is when she celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord. STEWARDSHIP March 14-15, 2015 BUDGETED WEEKLY NEEDS Offertory total Envelopes & Cash Online Giving $4,825.00 $5,765.50 $5,325.50 $ 440.00 ATTENDANCE Saturday 5:00 pm 139 Sunday 9:00 am 189 11:30 am 462 Thank you to all who faithfully contribute and are so generous to our parish. By practicing these physical and spiritual exercises, we are like the grain of wheat that died and then produced much fruit. We will die to sin for the love of Christ, for our salvation, for the sake of others. However, pride, disobedience, quick judgment or criticism, anger, resentment and many vices are ready to jump into our life to prevent us from coming closer to God. We somehow are very easily letting/allowing these to overshadow our actions. Then, we fall into the trap of the devils, who will do whatever in their power to take us away from the path to eternal life with God - they want us to be with them for eternity as well. We have to let the “grain of wheat” die! We have to enter the battlefield to fight Satan! We have to sacrifice! We have to go to the root of sin and pluck it out: the Seven Deadly Sins, and the first one on the list is PRIDE. Again I invite you come to Church for the Triduum: +Holy Thursday: celebrating the Last Supper when Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist and Holy Order Sacraments. +Good Friday: commemorating the Passion of our Lord. He died for us while we are still sinners. +Holy Saturday: waiting for the Resurrection of our Lord with the Easter Vigil, which is the most profound and joyful celebration of our faith. On this “Holy Night,” the Church everywhere in the world will baptize and welcome new members of the Church: they will “cross the Red Sea and enter the Promised Land.” Please check the service schedule of the Triduum. Peace, Fr. Tien HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE Palm Sunday - March 29th Mass times 9:00 am and 11:30 am Chrism Mass – March 31st Mass at 10:00 am in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Charlotte No Mass at St. Francis Holy Thursday – April 2nd Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 pm Adoration at the Altar of Repose until midnight CLASSES – MEETINGS Sunday – Faith Formation – 10:30 to 11:30 am Monday – R.C.I.A. Classes – 7:00 to 8:30 pm 1st & 3rd Tuesday – Craft & Sewing Group – 10:00 am Wednesday – Confirmation Classes – 6:30 pm Wednesday – First Communion Classes – 6:30 pm Thursday – Choir Practice – 4:00 to 5:30 pm (Choir Practice will be on Wednesday @ 4:00 during Holy Week) Thursday – Adult Faith Formation – 6:30 pm Friday – Men’s Group – 7:00 am Good Friday – April 3rd The Passion of the Lord at 3:00 pm Hispanic Estaciones De La Cruz at 6:00 pm Easter Vigil – April 4th Easter Vigil Mass at 8:00 pm Easter Sunday – April 5th The Resurrection of the Lord Mass at 9:00 am and 11:30 am There will be a mandatory Altar Servers training meeting on Wednesday, March 25th, after the evening Mass for all males who have received First Holy Communion and who wish to assist during Mass. In order to serve you must attend this meeting. This includes any who have previously served, and adults. Call Thomas at (561) 843-2083 to let him know you will attend as pizza will be served after the meeting. Join us for a “Loaded Baked Potato” on Friday, March 27th at 5:00 pm sponsored by our Knights of Columbus. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door. CHURCH GROUNDS WORK DAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 28, VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Join us at 9:00 a.m. to help clean the outside grounds of our church before Easter. You can bring any yard tools, rakes, loppers, clippers, etc... The Parish Office will be closed from 12:30 pm on Thursday, April 2nd through Monday, April 6th. Please make sure any announcements for the April 4th-5th bulletin are turned into office by Monday, March 30th. Thank you! The food pantry is collecting hams, roasting chickens and other meats for clients’ Easter dinners which will be distributed on March 25th. New volunteers are always welcomed! Join us this Friday at 7:00 pm as we meditate on Christ’s final walk through the streets of Jerusalem carrying the Cross. This will be your last opportunity to make this spiritual pilgrimage of prayer before Holy Week. A very big THANK YOU to all the parents who helped with the Youth Group fish fry and to all those who supported our efforts! Envelopes are available at the entrances of the church for those wishing to donate towards our Easter flowers. Pray for everyone who seeks healing: Shirley Allegretti, Betty & Paul Annulis, George Barlow, Monica Beattie, Edda Bennett, Dean Birchard, Lonnie Bishop, Clyde Blue, Jim Broadwell, Ralph Brown, Jeannie Burrows, Bill Chambless, Orfeo Cicchetti, Juanita Cox, Richard Crow, Ashley Cuthbertson, Lillianne Duong Davis, Richard DeBetta, Matthew Demond, Nadine Denis, Dorothy Dodge, Pat Dziurgot, Jim Dzurus, Irma Ebbes, J. D. Gibson, A. J. Golon, Lou Golon, Marti Golon, Eugene Gonzalez, Casper Erb, Debbie Fouts, Dorothy Gordon, Elmer Gover, Thomas Grogan, Michael Gruber, Joye Hadarits, Joyce Ann Hillard, Bill Himschoot, Charles Hoefeyzers, Peggy Holcomb, Kevin Holland, Terry Holland, Carl Huebler, Liz Hutchinson, Richard Kantner, Rachel Kay, Betsy Kendrick, Jack Lammers, Mary Ann Malloy, Christopher Marinari, Debbie Matthews, Fred Matthews, Riley Maynard, Gail McGrath, Lad Mezera, Bill Moffitt, Dee Moffitt, Nancy Montgomery, Thelma Niolet, Kathy Obenshain, Alicia Pack, Jane Putka, Laura Rizzo, Terra Schear, Taylor Stacy, Richard Stodghill, Junior Stoudemire, Ed Taber, Ed Tisdale, Shirley Troutman, Sam Waldroop, Shy Warren, Bertha Watson, Teresa Williams, Marlene Woods, Alice Yuzzi, Kennedi Vondryk, Marilyn Zagorski. Our elderly & shut-in parishioners: Katherine Baumann, Frances DiMarchiso, Barbara Elliot, Marilyn Elman, Nicole Meher, Walter Seeley. For parishioners and all serving in our armed forces: Aaron Brooks, Patrick Debo, Jeremiah Elam, Joseph Hagge, Gregory Himschoot, Christian Houston, Ben Hunter, Carol Hysell, Thomas Hysell, Raymond Hysell, Amy Hysell, Stephen Karcher, Kyle McCormick & Chris Richards. Pray especially for all those who are stationed in areas of conflict. Mass Schedule and Intentions Saturday, March 21 4:00 P.M.  Pearl Himschoot by Bill & Marie Cook Sunday, March 22 11:30 A.M. Those who are preparing to be received into the Church at this Easter Vigil Mass Parish People’s Mass - En Español 9:00 A.M. Erin & Steve Vanderwoude 9:00 A.M. Monday, March 23 Tuesday, March 24 8:00 A.M.  James Smyth by Barbara Gilbert Wednesday, March 25 5:30 P.M.  Becky Hamilton by Ronnie & Harriet Braasch Thursday, March 26 9:00 A.M.  Magdalena Jimenez by Rosanna Friday, March 27 9:00 A.M.  Mario Alfredo Flores by Maria Leni Flores Saturday, March 28 5:00 P.M.  Cotton Beals by Sharon Beals Sunday, March 29 9:00 A.M.  J. Denis Oppermann 11:30 A.M. by Deanna Kloeppel Parish People’s Mass - En Español Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday from 4:00 to 4:45 P.M. Wednesday at 6:15 P.M. Rosary and The Divine Mercy Chaplet The Rosary is recited everyday one half hour before each Mass except for first Saturday. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is recited every Friday at 3 P.M. "Nothing, how little so ever it be, if it is suffered for God's sake, can pass without merit in the sight of God." -- Thomas a Kempis