ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
Save These Dates
Confirmation Mass at Saint Augustine Sunday, May 5th.
Need servers, lectors and Eucharistic Ministers Please Contact Deacon Ken
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ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
Combined Family Masses for 2024
We will continue our efforts of growing together as a community, with the 2024 Combined Mass. Recall, there will be a single mass each quarter dedicated as a combined mass for the entire Family of Parishes. On those days when we schedule a combined mass, it will be the only mass for that weekend. There will be announcements within the bulletin and at masses leading up to the scheduled combined mass.
Confirmation Mass at Saint Augustine Sunday, May 5th.
Need servers, lectors and Eucharistic Ministers Please Contact Deacon Ken
The Combined Mass 2024 schedule is as follows:
Second Quarter – Pentecost; May 5, 2024, 10:30 am at St. Augustine
Third Quarter – Family Picnic, September 8, 2024, 10:00 a.m. To be Determined (TBD)
Fourth Quarter – Sunday before Thanksgiving, November 24, 2024, 10:00 am at Corpus Christi
Thank you for your attention, please do continue to check the bulletin for future updates.
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ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
Holy Spirit Family of Parishes held the Taize Prayer Service
on March 21 at Saint Augustine Church.
ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
Congratulations to Sylvia M. Hess as you retire after 34 years of service as the secretary and pastor’s assistant at St. Augustine Church in Germantown.
ST. BENEDICT SCHOOL NEWS
Recycled Plastic Bag Bench
A new bench was placed at the Grotto at St. Benedict School by Marie and Randy Klotz of St. Augustine Church. This bench is made from recycled plastic bags. We all can help make more benches by saving our plastic bags and giving them to Randy and Marie at St. Augustine Church. A special thanks to Randy and Marie, and to all who donate plastic for this cause.
ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
Thanks to all who attended the Holy Spirit Family of Parishes Mass celebrating Queen of Martyrs 75th Anniversary!
Deacon Ken Stewart, Father Francis,
Archbishop Schnurr, and Father Benoit
Thank You
I want to say thank you to Queen of Martyrs for inviting the Holy Spirit Family churches to their 75th Anniversary Mass (Pontifical Mass) and the magnificent dinner after Mass. As part of our Holy Spirit Family of Parishes, I found the whole day to be blessed.
Randall Klotz
St. Augustine Church
Regional Parish Council Chair
ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
SAINT AUGUSTINE PRAYER CHAIN
If you would like to be a part of the St. Augustine Prayer Chain, please contact Marie Klotz at saintapraysingtown@gmail.com
SAINT AUGUSTINE ONE CALL
To be added to the St. Augustine one-call, please contact Fran Delegato at delegatof@outlook.com
Sonshine in a Bag
St. AUGUSTINE PARISH is participating and supporting “SONSHINE IN A BAG” food program. The Sonshine in a Bag program provides bags of food to refer students who they feel could benefit from receiving food from this program. Donation are Appreciated.
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ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
While traveling and you wish to find Catholic Services near your visiting area go to this website.
http://CatholicMassTime.org
Saint of the Week
April 14, 2024
St. Paul the Apostle (c.4-c.64) was named Saul of Tarsus before his conversion. He was born to a devout Jewish family who followed strict Pharisaic traditions for generations. He spoke Greek and was formally educated in Jewish culture, scripture, and traditions. As an adult he worked as a tentmaker as well as an enforcer for the Jewish leadership in their efforts against new Christian converts. He is known to have taken an active part in the stoning of St. Stephen, the first martyr, and considered himself to be a shining example of Judaism.
Saul’s conversation to Christianity took place while he was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians there. According to Scripture, “a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’” (Acts 9:3-4). Stricken blind by the vision, Saul continued to Damascus where he was healed and immediately began meeting with other disciples in the area and preaching that Jesus is Lord. He changed his name to the Roman version of Saul, Paul, after his conversation because it was more common among the Gentiles.
For years he traveled all over the region starting churches and preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles. Paul’s letters to the communities he served make up thirteen of the books of the New Testament today. His writings encourage new believers to learn about Jesus through Scripture and prayer, partaking in the Eucharist, and serving those in need. He was eventually beheaded as part of systematic executions of Christian leaders in Rome. St. Paul is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, and the most prolific Christian missionary of all time. St. Paul, pray for us!
St. Paschal Baylón (1540-1592)
St. Paschal Baylón (1540-1592) was born in Spain to impoverished Catholic parents. He worked alongside his father as a shepherd from his childhood until his 20’s. He often prayed while working in the fields, listening daily for the church bells that would ring at the point of Elevation of the Eucharist during Mass to remind him to spend time with the Lord. He was known for his work ethic and honesty among his neighbors and desired a religious life from a young age.
Baylón taught himself to read so he could pray the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, a prayer popular in his time. He would give parts of his dinner away to those in need when it was brought to him as he was shepherding in the field. He also had great compassion for the sick.
At age 24, Baylón joined the Friars Minor and although invited to study to be a priest, he chose to be a brother. In this vocation he served his brothers in many ways, including as a chef, door man, gardener, and official beggar. As a Franciscan lay brother, he took a vow of poverty but remained generous to those poor who came begging at the monastery — to the point that the other friars sometimes tried to limit his giving.
St. Paschal found particular solace while praying before the Blessed Sacrament. His devotion to Christ in the Eucharist was tangible as he was known to spend most of his free time in adoration and would occasionally experience visions after all-night prayer. Because of this devotion, he is the Patron Saint of Eucharistic Congresses and Societies. He was also known widely for his spiritual council. People all over the region would visit him to talk about faith and life. St. Paschal
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Saint of the Week
April 7, 2024
Divine Mercy Sunday
Eighth Day of the Octave of Easter
In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Saint Maria Faustina Kowolska and added the Feast of Divine Mercy to the Church’s official calendar. Saint Faustina, who died in 1938, was a member of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow, Poland. She came from a poor family of farmers, had only three years of schooling, and performed the humblest of tasks in her convent. But she also was a mystic who was privileged to have many private revelations from our Lord. In obedience to her superior and spiritual director, she recorded these private revelations in six notebooks, known today as Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. The messages in her diary present profound communications from God for our time. There are several ways that God is calling us to a new form of devotion.
A first way is through meditation on the image of Divine Mercy. This now-familiar image shows Jesus in a white garment with one hand raised in blessing and the other touching His breast. From the breast, a pale ray represents the Water “that makes souls righteous; the red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls” (#299).
A second way is through our participation in the Solemnity of Divine Mercy on the eighth day of Easter every year by going to Confession and receiving Holy Communion. Those souls are promised “complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (#699).
A third way is through the recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in order to “receive great mercy at the hour of death” (#687).
A fourth way is by honoring Jesus’ passion at the three o’clock hour, described as “the hour of great mercy for the whole world” (#1320).
A fifth way is through an apostolic movement to spread the message of Divine Mercy. God is calling each of us not only to receive His mercy but to spread that mercy to others.
We should see the messages in Saint Faustina’s Diary as messages God especially desires, we learn and live today. With Saint Faustina’s death in 1938, the messages were revealed. After decades of study, Pope John Paul II canonized Faustina in 2000 and established the universal Feast of Mercy on the last day of the octave of Easter.
As we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, ponder the profound significance of this new form of devotion for the Church and world. We need God’s Divine Mercy to flow from the gates of Heaven upon us more than ever. Only in Heaven will we understand the full depths of God’s Mercy. For now, we must trust all that He has revealed through his humble servant Saint Faustina and respond to the requests He has given to us through her. Commit yourself to the various ways God has called us to call upon His Mercy and do so with as much vigor and devotion you can offer Him. The following is the three o’clock prayer Jesus gave to Saint Faustina:
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us (#1319). Jesus, I trust in You.
For More Saint of the Week go to.
https://www.catholicsmart.com/saint-of-the-week/
ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
Sunday October 1st. St. Augustine presented the (The Top 3 Reasons That I Became Catholic… and Always Will Be. The Dr. John Bergsma, a former Protestant Pastor’s story) was shown immediately after the 8:30 am Mass. Please fill free to view this presentation.
To View click below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06F4i4TtS1c
ST. AUGUSTINE PARISH NEWS
Ben Mersch son of Joyce and Steve Mersch was ordained a Deacon at the Cathedral on April 29th, 2023.
