March 6: The First Sunday of Lent

March 6, 2022:

The First Sunday of Lent

PARISH NEWSLETTER

The Church of St. Mary :: 201 E. Illinois Lake Forest, IL 60045

Parish Office Hours: 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday - Friday

Phone: (847) 234.0205 :: Email: receptionist@churchofstmary.org

www.churchofstmary.org :: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchofStMaryLF/

-------Today we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent. We had eight weeks of Winter Ordinary time, ordinary meaning counted, and now we come to the penitential and prayerful season of Lent. This calendar Lent is later than normal. This calendar year, Easter is later than normal. Lent began on Ash Wednesday, March 2, we will celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, which is celebrated on April 17, a calendar date later then normal.

-------Trusting in the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, may we prayerfully make sure that we are not late in entering into the season as we pray, give alms and sacrifice, so that we may grow in our faith and draw closer to Jesus Christ.

*****

-------It was Wednesday morning, February 23, two days from what would have been my dad’s 92^nd birthday, my mom took her last breath on Earth. Mom was born on March 7, 1935 and died on February 24, 2022, a few days shy of her 87^th birthday.

-------Mom was a devout Catholic throughout her life. She truly enjoyed coming to Mass at St. Mary’s, taking “Her seat” in the front pew of the Church of St. Mary at the first Mass of the day on Sunday morning. On good days, I would be able to take her out to breakfast. COVID prevented my mom from coming to St. Mary’s, but St. Mary’s went to her when communion was brought to her. The picture below is from Christmas 2021 and the sign on the pew and rose was in the first pew of the Church of St. Mary, when we celebrated mom’s Mass of the Resurrection on Saturday, February 26.

-------My mom began her generous life as a disciple of Jesus, welcomed into this world by her parents and older brothers and sister on March 7, 1935 – mom was baptized 17 days later, on March 24 at Mother of God Church in North Chicago. When she was baptized, she was also anointed with the following prayer being spoken: “God, the Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, has freed you from sin, given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and joined you to his people. He now anoints you with the Chrism of Salvation, so that you may remain as a member of Christ, Priest, Prophet and King unto eternal life. Amen.” Her life in the Lord continued in prayer and sacrament at Mother of God where some 22 years later she and my dad would marry, committing themselves to love each other in good times and bad, in sickness and health, until death do they part. Our mom and dad fulfilled their vows when our father breathed his last in May 2015. May the Lord, saints and angels, deceased family members and friends, receive Lorrie Nacius into the peace of her heavenly home.

*****

-------Recently I received get well notes from the Students of the School of St. Mary. It takes time to read over 400 get well wishes. A few of my favorites from our loving children for my recovery from knee replacement surgery include….

-------*Dear Fr. Nacius, I hope you fell better next time. I hope God makes you better. Blessings.

-------* Dear Fr. Mike, hope you feel bet soon and get up and about. PS Jesus is always with you.

-------*Get well, you knee’d not worry about your surgery.

-------Thank God there isn’t spell check for hand written notes of love and support from children in the PGC and UGC to their pastor.

-------God bless you with a spiritually enriching and renewing Lenten season,

Pope Francis' Prayer for Peace

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).

Find many Lenten resources at usccb.org/Lent

Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesday, March 9

Please note that on Wednesday, March 9, the time for Eucharistic Adoration will be 5:00pm to 6:30pm. (The regularly scheduled time will on Wednesday, March 16.)

St. Rita's Circle of the Guild of St. Mary will be distributing Easter Sharing Baskets at Masses on March 12 and 13. Please take this opportunity to create a basket for one of the families from the Most Blessed Trinity Food Pantry in Waukegan.

Baskets are to be returned on the weekend of April 2 and 3.

Children's Worship Bulletin for March 6, 2021:

for ages 3+ HERE and for ages 7+ HERE.

Registration is now OPEN!

Registration for the 2022-2023 school year is now open and classes are filling fast! If you want to learn more about any of the programs please join Mandy Castle, Director of Admissions, at one of our upcoming events. All programs are virtual, current and prospective students are encouraged to attend.

Thursday, March 10 at 9:00 a.m. Virtual 5th-grade Preview Coffee, get a look at what 5th grade is like at the School of St. Mary.
Friday, March 18 at 9:00 a.m. Virtual Early Elementary Preview Coffee, go inside 1st-3rd grade at the School of St. Mary and learn what makes us stand out.
Friday, April 1 at 9:30 a.m. Virtual Preschool Information Session. Learn about the preschool programs offered at the School of St. Mary and take a virtual tour.
Friday, April 8 at 9:30 a.m. Virtual Middle School Q&A Bring all your questions from the social dynamic to how hard the classes are. We will go over the nuts and bolts of Middle School and what the final years in elementary look like.

All sessions can be accessed at this link. Please reach out to Mandy Castle, Director of Admissions, at mcastle@schoolofstmary.org for more information.

Annual Fund = Crusader Fund

The Crusader Annual Fund is the new name for the SOSM Annual Fund. New branding, same mission; to bridge the funding gap and ensure that our students and teachers can continue to live our motto: To Learn. To Serve. To Lead.

Support the Crusader Fund at one of our upcoming spring events:

Donate: Learn about the Crusader Fund and donate
Gala Tickets go on sale April 1 - limited quantities!
Dancing in the Moonlight, 2022 School of St. Mary Gala will be on May 13 at the Exmoor Country Club
Register for the Crusader 5k on April 23
Save the Date for Swing for St. Mary's Golf Outing, May 21 at Big Oaks Golf Course

Be a Crusader and give today at Crusader Fund (via givecentral.org)

HOLY COMMUNION TO THOSE IN CARS

In the months ahead, we will be offering you the opportunity to come and receive the gift of the Eucharist in Holy Communion from your cars. This will take place on the last Sunday of each month, our next opportunity will be Sunday, March 27. All are welcome. This opportunity is especially for those who are not able to worship in person at St. Mary’s.

Please follow the directions below:

Starting at 1:00pm, after the congregation leaves the Noon Mass, cars may line up entering from the east Oakwood entrance.
Driving through the parking lot, proceed under the school breezeway and drive behind the church, stopping by the south church/elevator entrance where the priest will be.
Please stay in your car, with a mask fully covering your nose and mouth, waiting in prayer to receive the Eucharist.
The priest will process from car to car, offering the Eucharist.
After you receive the Eucharist you can pull over, parking your car in the parking lot, offering a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist.

CHURCH SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE: Saturday, March 5 - Sunday, March 13, 2022

Saturday, March 5, 2022:

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 5:00pm: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

Sunday, March 6, 2022:

+ 8:00am: PUBLIC MASS

+ 10:00am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 12:00pm: PUBLIC MASS

Monday, February 28, 2022: