Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday evening (March 8th at 5:30 PM), we have our penance service. We will have 4 priests to hear confessions (Fr. George, Msgr. Alex, Fr. Phil, and myself). We will start right at 5:30 

and continue until we have made it through all the confessions. 

This week for Faith Formation, we have an Encounter Night. 6:15-7:15 PM. It’s a night to spend time with Jesus. Music, adoration, confession and prayer teams. 

This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Lent. It is usually when the 1st scrutiny is celebrated. You will notice this year at the 10:30 am Mass at SJ that we celebrate this extra piece at Mass. There are three scrutinies and they are offered for the elect (those who are preparing for baptism). It entails a few extra prayers at Mass after the homily for those who will receive baptism. It has been a while since we have celebrated the scrutinies at the parishes here. We have a new rite book ‘Order of Christian Initiation of Adults’. We have been encouraged by the diocesan liturgist (Fr. Joel Hastings) to celebrate the scrutinies, and so I am trying to introduce them back into our Lenten season this year. You will notice that this is only for Catechumens (those to be baptized), not for candidates (those who are already baptized). So if you attend the Easter Vigil you will notice there will be more people receiving their first sacraments. 

The Feast of St. Joseph is coming up. We will have Mass at 6 PM on Thursday Mar. 19th and an ice cream social afterwards. It’s a good day to celebrate. 

The Men’s Retreat is just around the corner (March 21st). Please begin signing up. You can do so online… (or at the back of church) The cost is $25 for men over 18, and free for those who are 

18 and under. This covers our speaker fees and the meals. The day begins at 8 AM and ends with Saturday evening Mass at 4 pm, which all are welcome to attend. Note there will be no 8:30 Mass on Sunday the 22nd because of this. 

This year’s Holy Week schedule is a little different then years past. Holy Thursday Mass 6 PM at SJ, confessions afterwards, altar of repose in the chapel open for prayer. Good Friday service 3 

PM at SJ, confessions afterwards, (Way of the Cross walk is at noon). Easter Vigil Sat at SJ 8:30 PM, Resurrection party afterwards in the social hall. Easter Sunday 8:30 AM OLF, 10:30 AM SJ. 

I want to offer a big thanks to all who helped with the floor project at OLF. Thanks to Hudrlik Carpet for their good work! We are also having a bit of work done on the water system at OLF, hopefully it will be done soon. 

Last week I spoke about The Ministries Appeal. I would encourage you to make your commitment soon. Bishop Daniel will be sending out a reminder the last part of March if they haven’t heard

from people yet. 

If you haven’t done so, check out the video screens as you go into SJ to see an updated rendering of the interior of the church. You will notice some of the finer details have been updated since last renderings. You can see some of the wall inscriptions and some of the altar furniture for the new church. They are putting heat in the church building and work continues on the inside. Please keep the project in your prayers. We continue to make plans for the future. I am currently working on getting approval for the future rectory and maintenance buildings. We will work towards getting this approval from the diocese, so that should we be ready to pursue the construction of these structures we will be ready to do so.

In Christ,

Fr. Eli