On Sunday, May 22, the church celebrates the Feast day of Saint Rita of Cascia (in central Italy). Saint Rita of Cascia (born Margherita Lotti, 1381 - May 22, 1457) was an Italian Augustinian nun, widow and saint venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. Rita was married at an early age. The marriage lasted for 18 years, during which she is remembered for her Christian values as a model wife and mother who made efforts to convert her husband from his abusive behavior. Upon the murder of her husband by another feuding family, she sought to dissuade her sons from revenge before their calamitous deaths.
She subsequently joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, where she was known both for practicing mortification of the flesh and for the apparent efficacy of her prayers. St. Rita is venerated due to various miracles attributed to her intercession, and is often portrayed with a bleeding wound on her forehead, which the Roman Catholic Church claims she experienced as a partial stigmata.
The Roman Catholic Church, under the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII, officially canonized Rita on May 24, 1900, while her feast day is celebrated every May 22. At her canonization ceremony, she was bestowed the title of Patroness of Impossible Causes while in many pious Catholic countries, Rita came to be known to be as patroness for abused wives and heartbroken women. May her prayers be with us.
On Thursday, May 26, the Church celebrates the liturgy of the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord to Heaven, which falls 40 days after the Resurrection of the Lord. On this occasion, we remember that the Ascension is an essential part of our faith and we pronounce it in every single liturgy in the Creed, the profession of faith when we say: "He Ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father, and He will come again in great glory to judge the living and the dead and His Kingdom will have no end".
The Evangelist Matthew, in Chapter 28 of his Gospel, describes the last sermon of the Lord on the mountain before his ascension to Heaven in the Great Commission: 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In this paragraph, Jesus defines in few words the mission of the church on earth.
Reminder: Liturgy will be celebrated Thursday May 26th at 6:00 PM.
Weekly Masses:
Wed-Thu-Fri 9 am. No live broadcast
Sat 4 pm, Sun 10 am. Service IS broadcast live on Facebook
Office hours:
Tuesdays through Saturdays 2:00 PM - 5:00 pm
Faith Formation for children:
Wedsdays 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM September through May
See Announcement on the Home Page...
MYO Youth gathering (Age 12-17) :
Sundays at 6:30 PM
Choir practice:
Every Thursday 6:30 to 8:00. September through May
Monthly Meetings:
New members are always welcome.
Holy Family Ladies Society: First Fridays, October through May
Immediately following 9 am liturgy.
Men’s Club: Third Monday of the month at 6:00 pm, September through May.
Merri-Nites: Fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. Zoom/Meeting sites vary.
Please keep safe. Your safety is our priority.
Copyright (c) 2022 Holy Family Maronite Church, St Paul. (v2205.03)