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Did You Know? |
Did you know that we gave out 1300+ CD copies of "Becoming The Best Version of Yourself", by Matthew Kelly at our Christmas Masses.
If you have not picked up a copy, you can pick one up in the Church Narthex while supplies last! |
St. Marguerite
Bourgeouys HOly HeroEs
Feast Day |
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 The Angelus
Ring Out The Good News
January 2013 |
Greetings! According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, 10% of all Americans now describe themselves as "former Catholics." These statistics do not provide the reasons why such a large number of people have left the Catholic Church. However, the number of Americans who have forsaken their Catholic Faith remains a cause for concern. There is no doubt that the abuse scandal that has shaken the Church in America has contributed to this, but I do not believe that this scandal, by itself, can account for this. There are two insights, which have been mentioned by others, that do appear to be important to me. One suggestion is that many American Catholics lack an adult understanding of their faith. They have either a very vague appreciation of what the Church teaches, or their information is filled with errors and misunderstandings. The second insight, that I find compelling, is the suggestion that many Catholics no longer have a love for the Faith nor do they experience any joy or satisfaction in being "Catholic." I would like to reflect on these two suggestions. Continued Fr. Sieg's article |
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CATHOLIC
SCHOOLS WEEK
by Leslie Meyers
The theme for the National Catholic Schools Week (CSW) 2013 is "Catholic Schools Raise the Standards." The annual observance starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2013 is January 27 to February 2. The logo designed for the week illustrates a chart of steady growth culminating in the highest achievement of all, a cross representing the faith that underscores all Catholic education. This ties is perfectly with or 'Aim Higher' campaign launched by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis! Aim Higher emphasizes the academic rigor, moral development and spiritual enrichment that is the tradition of Catholic education.
St. Michael Catholic School celebrates CSW, with Masses, open houses, and other activities for students, families, parishioners, and the community at large. At St. Michael, we will kick off Catholic Schools Week at Masses the weekend of January 26/27. SMCS will be hosting the parish SUNDAY LIFETIME event (between Masses) on Sunday, January 27th in Archangels Hall. This will be an opportunity for families considering Little Angels Preschool/SMCS, alumni and friends of the school to meet staff, students and families. The school will also be open for self-guided tours both Saturday and Sunday after Masses!
The week at school is filled with student dress-up days, activities, and of course the popular roller-skating event! Athletics are a huge part of the week with the pep-fest and fun-filled basket ball games! The week is brought to a close with the 34th Annual Gala Dinner & Auction at Brackett's crossing! We invite all members of the parish to join us in celebrating this wonderful week and our amazing school!
To purchase your Gala tickets and support St. Michael Catholic School, please open the following link:
St. Michael 2013 Gala & Silent Auction
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Explore
Rediscover-faith.org!
The online home for Rediscover:
Visit Rediscover-faith.org to find answers to questions about our Catholic faith and be inspired to find deeper meaning and purpose in your life. There are links to social media, handy event listings and exciting multimedia material, including videos from Father Robert Barron and Matthew Kelly, both of whom will be among those joining us for the Rediscover: Catholic Celebration on October 12, 2013 at the Saint Paul River Centre! Make sure to share Rediscover-faith.org with your friends and family and anyone else who could benefit from this easy-to-navigate website.
Stay tuned for more news on this initiative in our Parish. Be sure to pick up a copy in the Narthex of the book by Matthew Kelly "Rediscover Catholicism", if you have not done so already. If you have specific questions regarding our Rediscover Parish initiative, please contact Mike and Renee Laughery at rlaughery@integra.net and the Val and Rhonda Zweber at rkzweber@gmail.com. |
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By Barbara Stark
In celebration of the "Year of Faith" * as declared by our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, the Parish Council is encouraging ministries and parishioners who gather together for the glory of God, to open and close their gatherings with prayer. With an opening prayer, we invite the Holy Spirit into our gathering. What a mighty aid we have in the The Holy Spirit, the great Revealer of Truth so that "we might know the things that are freely given to us of God" (I Cor. ii. 12). As we close our gatherings, we are able to thank the Lord for His blessings, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
*The "Year of Faith" began Oct. 11, 2012, on the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, and will end on Nov. 24, 2013, Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe. |
UPCOMING NEWS & EVENTS
SUNDAY LIFETIME OFFERINGS
January 13th - Fr. Troy Przybilla on vocations
January 20th - Deacon Dick Roy on sin
January 27th - St. Michael Catholic School
Join us in Archangels Hall from 9:40 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., for this time of fellowship and enrichment.
HEALING HEARTS MINISTRY
Next Meeting is January 22nd
from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Archangels Hall
Our guest speaker will be Deacon Dick Roy. There will be time for individual sharing, listening and prayer.
Contact information: Chair: Doug Peterson, 612-708-3611
Co-Chair: Carol Fink, 952-440-2377, Staff Liaison: Kathy Poepping, 952-447-9034
-There is no fee for this group-
To support those who are grieving the death of a love one.
Provide, comfort, support and hope with faith, education and prayer.
FAMILY MOVIE AND CRAFT NIGHT
FRIDAY, JANUARY 25TH - 6:30 P.M. TO 8:30 P.M.
PARISH OFFICE
Join us for an evening of movies and crafts with free popcorm and pop. One movie will be geared to younger children and another to teens and adults. Come for the fun, food and fellowship!
PARISH MAJOR EVENTS CALENDAR
Please see the following link for major events for our parish:
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
FAT TUESDAY CELEBRATION - FEBRUARY 12TH
Plan on joining us at 6:00 p.m. on February 12th in Archangels Hall to celebrate "Volunteerism at St. Michael", and Fat Tuesday.
Once again food, beverage and fun will be provided free to all in attendance. The purpose of this event is to honor the volunteers at St. Michael with acknowledgement of all that they have done for the Church over the last year, with dinner and a small gift. We will provide Lenten Resources for all to enhance the spiritual journey this Lent. The event is open to all parishioners of any age and crafts for the children will be provided.
SAVE THE DATE - LENTEN RETREAT
FEBRUARY 23RD
Lent is an active time at the Church of St. Michael. A wonderful opportunity to prepare for Easter is to join your fellow parishioners on February 23rd at 8:30 a.m., for a one-day Lenten Retreat. Three parishioners will share their faith stories, discussing on the Lenten Gospels. There will be an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and will culiminate with Mass. Coming soon will be registration forms in the bulletin or you will be able to register online beginning January 25th at www.stmichael-pl.org.
SAVE THE DATE - APRIL 26-27 2013
APRIL 28, 2013 - KC BREAKFAST BENEFITS - SPRINGFEST
Stay tuned for more news coming soon!
PARISH BULLETIN DEADLINES
Every Monday, by 5:00 p.m., at the latest. Christi can be reached at 952-447-9045 or emailed at: cfletcher@stmichael-pl.org. Articles can also be sent through the online tool by opening the following link: Communication Toolbox.
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"Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy." (Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Letter: "Porta Fidei")
Sincerely,
Fr. Tom Sieg, Pastor
Church of St. Michael |
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