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May 2016
Community CONNECTION
Creating community engagement
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FROM FATHER RASK
The spring season is now in full swing and it is a busy one at St. Odilia!
We are pleased to host the baccalaureate services for Totino Grace and Mounds View high schools and the St. Odilia School 8th grade graduation in our worship space. May God bless and watch over these 2016 graduates and their families.
By now, most of you are aware that Dan Perry is transitioning out of his full-time responsibilities as our Music Director in June. We want to officially thank Dan for his long tenure as the music director at St. Odilia on June 25/26. There will be cake and coffee receptions for him after all of the Masses on that weekend. Dan will continue to participate in our liturgies and other events on a limited basis.
Our Ministry Area Council Discernment Evening is Tuesday, May 17. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, the deadline is Friday, May 13.
The Fall Festival leadership has already begun meeting and planning for the weekend of September 10/11, 2016. They have included a link to a brief survey in this Connection looking for feedback about Fall Festival 2015. They are also looking for new leaders/volunteers. I encourage you to get involved and share your gifts.
We want to thank and recognize all those who have contributed to the St. Odilia Capital Campaign to date. As of May 6, 2016 we have received over $4,450,000 in pledges and hope more households will join your fellow members in supporting the parish's expansion plans. Watch for an updated donor list in mid-June.
Please save the dates for these important occasions in our parish and read on for more details.
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DAN PERRY APPRECIATION WEEKEND!
Save the date:
June 25 & 26, 2016
Come and help us say thank you to Dan for his 49 years of music ministry at St. Odilia. There will be receptions in the Courtyard after each Mass. All are invited to honor Dan as he retires from full-time ministry.
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CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
UPDATE
Thank You to our generous parishioners who continue to pledge to the Our Faith Our Family Our Future Capital Campaign. As of May 6, 2016, we have received over $4,450,000 in pledges! If you haven't pledged yet, please consider joining your fellow members of the St. Odilia family who are supporting the parish's expansion plans. We will acknowledge your pledge with an updated donor list to be published in mid-June. Pledge cards are available in the kiosk in the church entry.
For more information please contact Ramona Michaels at (651) 415-3350.
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Registration is open for Vacation Bible School!
July 25-29, 2016
9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Cave Quest - Following Jesus, the Light of the World
We will have fun learning about God with games, crafts, skits, snacks and of course, music! Please put it on your calendars! Watch the bulletin and the website for details about registration coming this spring. Remember that registration typically fills up and closes in early June.
We always need lots of help from youth and teens grades 6-12.
Plan to volunteer. It is a rewarding experience.
Adults are always welcome to plan this event! We would love to have you join our team.
ATTENTION FAMILIES!
Faith Formation Registration
for the 2016-17 School Year
Began May 2, 2016
Register NOW - classes will fill!
- Sunday School (age 3 thru K)
- Family Faith Formation (K-grade 5)
- Junior High Faith Formation (grades 6-7)
- Confirmation (grades 8 & 9)
Discount for volunteer catechists. Scholarships available if financial need.
Please consider a donation to help us give more scholarships. Our goal is never to turn away a family from Faith formation.
Register and pay online for 2016-2017 Faith Formation HERE
If you are unable to register online,
paper registration forms are available, in the parish office and the Faith Formation office. Questions? Contact the Faith Formation office, 651-415-3329, or email;
Confirmation - Special Note: for 2016-17 only, both 8th graders and 9th graders will be preparing for and celebrating Confirmation. In future years, Confirmation will be in 8th grade.
 Take Stock in our Youth Program
It is our pleasure to announce the Take Stock in our Youth Program for 2016 to support the youth and chaperones participating in our annual youth trips. Here are the trips we're offering this year:
- Members of St. Odilia High School Youth will be participating in the week long Summer Festival at Gustavus College. This camp is intended to foster faith growth and leadership skills.
- Junior High Students will be attending Extreme Faith Camp in Maple Lake, MN. This camp is also intended to foster faith growth and leadership skills.
- We also have two high school students attending the Youth in Theology and Ministry institute sponsored by the St. John's School of Theology. This is a two-year long program in which students stay at St. John's for two weeks each summer to study theology, serve others, and grow spiritually. Each student will plan and implement a service project for the St. Odilia community in the school year between the two summers.
Take Stock in Our Youth is a fundraiser where we invite parishioners and friends to "Take Stock" or invest in the youth of our parish by purchasing up to five "shares" for each trip program at $10 apiece. St. Odlila wants to offer every youth who wishes to take part in our summer trips a chance to attend, regardless of their ability to pay. Your investment makes it financially possible for families to send their youth to camps that enrich their faith lives and directly impact the St. Odilia community.
To support Take Stock in Our Youth you can:
Thanks!
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DISCERNMENT FOR PARISH LEADERSHIP
Nominations accepted through Friday, May 13, 2016
Would you like to share your gifts of vision and leadership with your parish community? St. Odilia is blessed with many parishioners willing to share their diverse gifts as members of our nine Ministry Area Councils (MAC). Looking to Christ, the ultimate Servant, we are both challenged and humbled at his call to be of service in response to the gifts that we have been given. Participation in the leadership structure of our parish with 90+ others is at once an inspiration and a blessing.
A representative from each of the Ministry Area Councils is selected to serve on the Parish Leadership Council (PLC). The PLC provides leadership and vision for the parish and serves as the architect and steward of the parish mission. Members work closely with the staff and councils to develop, implement and achieve the parish mission. Each MAC is responsible for defining the vision of the parish ministry represented by the council.
Nomination forms are in the kiosk in the church entry, or click on the link below.
Nominate yourself, or another parishioner now:
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ST. ODILIA CHARITABLE OUTREACH
With your generous contributions made throughout the month using your green envelope, the Catholic Community of St. Odilia contributes to local, national and global charities.
May Green Envelopes:
During the month of May, we are asked to support local community needs. Included in these needs are support for the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, Sharing Korner and Second Harvest. In addition, St. Odilia also continues to contribute to Caring and Sharing Hands, Catholic Charities Family Resource Center and Dorothy Day Center. There are continuing needs in these and other local community outreach organizations that the people of St. Odilia are always ready to help meet when asked. Thank you for generously caring for one another in the larger local community!
April Green Envelopes:
The April Green Envelope collection is focused on Global Solidarity and the call to make God's love visible through our own acts of charity and solidarity with our neighbors around the world. This collection supported four initiatives selected by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and humanitarian activities of Catholic Relief Services. Through your generosity, the Catholic Community of St. Odilia contributed a total of $3,328.00 to Global Solidarity. Thank you for your generous gift!
Did you misplace your green envelope? You can still contribute to the Local Community Needs collection. Just make the check out to St. Odilia with "Local Community Needs" in the memo line.
Contributions remain below our budget goal for our fiscal year. If you'd like to make an additional one-time gift to our Sunday Debt and Facility Maintenance funds, you can click HERE.
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MORE FALL FESTIVAL NEWS
FALL JAM 2016
Just Sing It!
 Calling all musicians and singers! Please come and perform at the Fall Jam this Sept 10 and 11. Be one of many singers and instrumentalists to be onstage presenting a HUGE variety of music! Solo act? You're IN! Band? You're IN! Seasoned performer? You're IN! Newbie? You're IN! NEW FEATURE: BROADWAY HOUR (Stay tuned for info on this) Let's do this again! For more info, and to register, please visit:
Or contact Julie at jqkiernan@gmail.com Not a performer? We would love your help running the venue. We would also appreciate help with set up and tear down. Thank you!!! (Please note the registration deadline of June 24, 2016) |
TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT FALL FESTIVAL
Planning for the 2016 Fall Festival has begun. The Leadership Committee is looking for feedback about the 2015 Festival.
Please take a moment to complete a brief survey by clicking the link below. Your thoughts and opinions are greatly valued!
Fall Festival Survey HERE
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Looking ahead... Fall Festival 2016 needs you!! - Festival Silent Auction Leader Needed! Help solicit items for silent auction baskets from local businesses. Reach out to other businesses. Help us obtain high quality items that attract bidders of all kinds. Guidance provided from past leader(s). Great opportunity to help us maintain and grow a popular festival venue. All work is completed prior to Labor Day. A team approach helps divide up the work! Are you our next leader?
- Fall Festival Leader needed for theFace Painting and Wacky Hair venue. Want to monitor and help young ladies with face painting designs? Know how to create some wacky hair styles with colored spray, glitter and the works? Share your creative talent by monitoring the face painting and wacky hair station. Supplies provided and guidance from past year. An easy way to be involved in the festival with a weekend commitment only. Many thanks to Sandy Halseth who ran this venue for many, many years.
- Festival Leadership needs YOU. Looking to share your leadership skills or talents in a special way? Want to meet new people? Want to help us build up the St. Odilia community. There's a place for you on the festival team! We are looking for individuals to help us find festival sponsors for different venues or tents, website work, soliciting high end silent auction items, and others. Let us know what your skill sets are and we will find a place for you!
Mark your calendar for Fall Festival on Sept. 10 & 11, 2016
We can use your gifts! Contact Trish at pbrokman@comcast.net or 612-743-9572 to find out how you can be involved!!!
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Children of Mary Guided Holy Hour
is May 13
Note the time change!
The Children of Mary group is leading a guided Holy Hour with hymns, prayers, Adoration, Benediction, brief periods of silence, a May Crowning Ceremony and Marian Consecration from in the Chapel on Fri., May 13, 2016. Everyone is welcome.
PLEASE NOTE: The time for Children of Mary Guided Holy Hour scheduled for Friday, May 13 has been changed to start at 6:00pm rather than 4:30pm. Thank you!
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st. Odilia Council of Catholic Women Mass & Potluck May 19, 2016
St. Odilia CCW hosts their annual spring Mass and potluck on Thursday, May 19. Potluck item are dropped off in the Courtyard at 5:15pm. Mass in the chapel begins at 5:30 pm and dinner follows.
The evening continues with a brief business meeting and at 7:15pm parishioners Christine Allen and Teresa Ranallo will talk about Northern Stars Home Care, a new area home care service providing medication management and reminders, personal care, palliative care, partner with hospice, companion care and more. Come learn about in home care services and how they benefit the elderly and their families. Information about Health Care Directives included. Everyone is welcome and the event is free. Questions? Call Flo at 651-484-8670.
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Seeking Donations of Perennials for Prayer Garden
Seeking donations of low maintenance, deer-resistant perennials for the St. Odilia Prayer Garden. Some perennials that would be great are: coreopsis, liatris, peony, coneflower, astilbe, blue flax, heuchera, pulmonaria, sedum ground cover. Also small bushes. Gardeners can call Arnita at 651-765-0072 for more information.
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HELP STAMP OUT HUNGER The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf located in New Brighton is looking for volunteers to help with the Stamp Out Hunger Letter Carrier Drive on Saturday, May 14 from 3:00 to 5:30 pm. Postal carriers will be leaving plastic bags on mailboxes earlier in the week and encouraging residents to fill the bags full of food and leave them by their mail box on Saturday. The letter carriers will be delivering mail that day as well as picking up the food. At the ends of their routes they will be dropping off the food at the food shelf. Volunteers are needed to help unload from the trucks as well as sorting and stocking food. Volunteers aged 15 years or older are preferred - it will be a fast paced, active time.
If interested, you can sign up to help HERE.
The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf is located in the Pike Lake Education Center at: 2101 14th St. NW, New Brighton, MN.
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 CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL FOUNDATION UPDATE
We invite you to continue your support to these ministries in 2016. Our parish goal remains the same as last year at $109,599. Every gift matters, so please prayerfully consider your gift. Thank you for your continued support of the Catholic Services Appeal. These are the ministries served by the Appeal:
- American Indian Ministry
- Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW)
- Campus Ministry - Newman Center
- Campus Ministry - Saint Paul's Outreach
- Catholic Charities
- Deaf Ministry
- Elementary Schools
- Evangelization and Catechesis
- High Schools
- Hospital Chaplains
- Latino Ministry
- Marriage, Family and Life
- Parishes
- Prison Chaplains
- Saint John Vianney College Seminary
- The Saint Paul Seminary
- Venezuelan Mission
To date, the total for pledged and received is $83,955.
To donate online through the CSAF website click HERE.
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ST. ODILIA WEEKLY CHURCH BULLETINS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR YOU! You can read the St. Odilia weekly church bulletins via the online links on the St. Odilia website.
You can even subscribe to have the links to the bulletin delivered to your email each week. Click HERE to find out more from the Parishesonline website.
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COMMUNITY CONNECTION REMINDERS
The monthly Community CONNECTION includes a selection of timely announcements and articles. In addition, you may occasionally receive special notices.
- Click "SafeUnsubscribe" at the end of the email
if you wish to no longer receive the Community CONNECTION. - Update your email address by clicking "Update Profile/Email Address" at the end of the email.
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