St. Mary of Gostyn Catholic Church March 29, 2020

Prayer Requests

The following persons have requested prayers from our parish community:

Pat Metzger Noonan George Metzger Karli Brown Bob Main Dorene Lehner Robert Lehner Spencer Mehr Mark Gowgiel Anna Bandur Patricia Wright Mary Hicks Vinnie Miraglia Julie Worch

David Gagne Jim Mehaffey Kris Grazys Linda Badalamenti John Navin Bernadette Goers Rob Truby Sr. Aleena Truby Patricia Wright Krissy Dulek Nancy Gatto Donna Weincek

Kevin Braasch Michael Martel Natalya Brechlin John Svoboda Christopher Fountain Nathan Kijowski Bob Lang Zachary Frana

Pray for our Military Let us pray for all of our military personnel, especially the men and women of our parish who are serving

in harm’s way:

Timothy Randazzo Kyle Ng Christopher Randazzo Joe McSweeney Maggie Benhart Kevin Hanlon Brendan Vrtis

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A CALL TO STEWARDSHIP

Weekly Collection 03/22/2020 $12,852.17

Weekly Goal (Fiscal Year 19/20) $29,500.00

Goals to Date Sunday Goal to Date $1,121,000.00 Christmas Goal to Date $110,000.00 Collections to Date Sunday Collection to Date $1,083,650.19 Christmas Collection to Date $107,579.39 Total (Short of) Goals to Date $(39,770.42)

Thank you for your continued support and generosity during this uncertain and unprecedented time in our world.

Stewardship Report

Thank you to all of you who are remembering us even as you are trying to cope with the many changes that this global health crisis has made in your lives. In this time of uncertainty, we are thank-ful that you consider your support of St. Mary’s important enough to continue your regular donations. Several of you dropped off your weekly envelopes at the Parish Center or the Rectory, and we are grateful for that. Please note that there is also a mailing envelope in the back of each packet of envelopes for your convenience. Since we know that we will not be able to meet at a liturgy for the next several weeks, if you are interested, please consider making an online donation through WeShare, our online giving program from LPi. You can choose a one- time donation or set up a recurring donation. Funds can be withdrawn from a bank account or charged to a credit card weekly, monthly, or other designated times. It’s safe, convenient, and flexible. To access this program, please log into: https:stmarygostyn.churchgiving. com/ or go to our website and click on the link on the home page that says “click here to sign up for online giving”. Thank you for your financial support during this challenging time. We will continue to support and minister to our parish through prayer, communica-tion, recorded Masses, and other online resources to keep you spiritually engaged. If we can be of any help, please contact us.

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Looking for some activities for your children to cultivate their at home Religious Education during this time?

Check out this website:

Catholic Inspired - http://www.catholicinspired.com/

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You Asked for It!

OKTOBERFEST 2020

We can use your help. We have had many requests to bring Oktoberfest back to St. Mary’s . We are looking for a group of volunteers who would like to organize this fun event. We

are tentatively reserving Saturday, September 26, 2020 as the date. If we get enough volunteers, we will move for-ward with this.

Interested volunteers, please contact Terri O’Dekirk at: todekirk@stmarygostyn.org

Our Catholic Faith with Fr. Keith: When Jesus was a young boy He stayed behind in the Temple to pray and talk with the Elders. He was twelve years old but already impressed them with a learned knowledge of the faith. This moment is the only account of His childhood in the Gospels, and it is commemorated as the Fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, namely, the Finding in the Temple. In their anxiety, Mary and Joseph return in haste to Jerusalem. When they question their Son, He replies “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). We too desire to be in the Father’s house. Yet, with Churches closed from quarantine Mass is being offered without the presence of the lay faithful. As many of us our becoming acclimated to, the civil authori-ties have ordered us to “shelter in place.” There is no religious exemption in the executive order from Governor Pritzker. Unfortunately, this has significantly impacted the laity in receiving the sacraments and the ordained clergy from offering the sacraments. However, we are called to promote the general welfare and the common good of all through our obedience to the just requirements of the civil authorities, our Christian faith elevates this good citizenship to an act of charity. All this being said, how do we go to the Father’s House? We must remember that the supernatu-ral world is just as real and accessible to us as the natural world. We can step into the Father’s House by a spiritual communion. The old formula from Saint Alphonsus Liguori has taken on new importance, “My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

WE’RE STILL HERE FOR YOU DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME.

As with all public work spaces, we have made many adjustments to the way we continue to operate and function as a Church and School. Here is what you can expect for the next couple of weeks…. Father Jim and Father Keith are experimenting with ways to bring Masses conducted on our campus to you via our Website (Stmarygostyn.org). Please encourage your friends who may not currently be getting our updates to give us their email addresses so that they too can see what is happening. They can register their email on our website through the Contact Us link. We are sending out updated information from the Diocese and the Catholic Schools Office via eblasts and School Speak. Please take a look at these as this is the most effective and timely way we have to get the information out to all of you. LeAnne Brown and Moira Barker are picking up voice mail messages and relaying information to the appropriate person for follow up. Things that can be handled this way are as follows: prayer intentions, sacramental records, Mass intentions, issues needing response from a Priest or Deacon, need for food or other necessary assistance (these will be referred to St. Vincent De Paul), booking sacramental events, and information for our bulletin. Most of this work is being done remotely, but we are making every attempt to be prompt and handle these requests. If email is a better way for you to communicate, their emails are: lbrown@stmarygostyn.org or mbarker@stmarygostyn.org. We know that these are not easy times, but we will continue to minister to your needs in ways that will keep all of us safe. You are in our prayers and we look forward to the time when we all can again meet in person and celebrate our faith.

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Help us, O God, our refuge and strength,

hasten to us with your compassion, for we are suffering.

Grant us the grace of purification and resolve.

Saint Sebastian, protector against plagues, pray for us that we may be made worthy

of the promises of Christ.

O Lord, hear our prayers, and let our cries come up to you!

And, through the intercession of Blessed Mary, the Holy Mother of God,

and Saint Joseph, her Most Chaste Spouse, may You, O God, deliver us from the

pandemic which afflicts us.

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Adapted from the Roman Ritual: Prayer in Times of Epidemics.

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School News