The First Sunday of Lent
February 21, 2021
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the dessert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel
Mark 1:12-15
PARISH NEWS & EVENTS
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
St. Max Parish Groups will again take turns hosting weekly Stations of the Cross during Lent beginning
Tuesday, February 23rd at 7:00pm.
ALL ARE WELCOME!
Knights of Columbus
LENTEN FISH FRY - FEBRUARY 19TH
Please place your order by Tuesday, Feb.16th
$15.00 per meal
Ways to Keep Lent Holy at St. Max:
- Ash Wednesday (day of fasting) - 8:00 am Mass, Noon Prayer Service, 5:30 pm Mass
- attend Daily Mass at 8:00 am
- spend time with our Lord in Adoration, Tuesdays 8:30 am - 6:30 pm
- attend Stations of the Cross, every Tuesday during Lent at 7:00 pm
- The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Saturday morning immediately following the 8:00 am Mass
- Volunteer to feed the hungry at St. Agnes Day Room - see the links below
- Pray the Rosary Monday thru Thursdays 8:00 pm http://www.phillyevang.org/rosary
- Sign up to receive Dynamic Catholic Reflections in your email each day during Lent
- Give Alms - Catholic Charities Appeal https://catholiccharitiesappeal.org/ or sacrifice a take-out dinner each week and contribute that money to the Poor Boxes at church
- Read a Catholic book - such as Dynamic Catholic's "I Heard God Laugh"
- Follow Bishop Robert Barron's Lenten Reflections from the website www.stmax.org
St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish
Emergency - American Red Cross Blood Drive
March 8, 2021, 2 PM – 7 PM
15 E. Pleasant Grove Road
West Chester, PA 19382
in the school Multi-Purpose Room
Appointments Are Preferred.
To Schedule an Appointment Go To
www.redcrossblood.org and Enter Sponsor Code: stmax
or call 1-800-red-cross
Barbara McFadden, a member of our parish, has written two books of poetry and has collaborated with Jasmine Ho to create illustrated framed poems. If you are interested in purchasing the poetry books or framed illustrations, please contact Barbara at banmd@comcast.net to learn more.
A portion of the proceeds from all sales will be donated to St. Max School.
Have you considered making Your IRA Required Minimum Distribution to St. Maximilian Kolbe Church?
If you are over the age of 70½ and have a traditional IRA and / or a Roth IRA, your required minimum distribution can be directed to St. Maximilian Kolbe Church as a “qualifying charitable distribution”. The requirements include the following:
- The charitable distribution must be from a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA;
- The charitable distribution must be direct from the IRA trustee to St. Maximilian Kolbe Church; and
- The charitable distribution must be on or after you have reached the age of 70½. The maximum annual exclusion for qualified charitable distributions is $100,000. For those of you who are eligible to make a charitable qualifying distribution, please consider making a portion or all of your required minimum distribution to St. Maximilian Kolbe Church.
To all of our parishioners thank you for your support and generosity to the Church!
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Looking Ahead:
Ash Wednesday, February 17th
Confirmation, March 6th 10 am & 1 pm
Palm Sunday, March 28th
Holy Thursday, April 1st
Good Friday, April 2nd
Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 3rd
Easter Sunday, April 4th
First Holy Communion - May 1st 10 am & 12 pm
ST MAX PREP
ATTENTION PARENTS OF 6TH GRADE PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS
The Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) is seeking out all current 6th graders who are attending private Catholic schools and are planning to receive their confirmation at St. Max in 2022. Private school parents are also asked to call the PREP office at 610-399-9642 to add your child to the list of Confirmation candidate
ST MAX SCHOOL
St. Maximilian Kolbe School
Annual Fund Campaign
St. Max’s Annual Fund Campaign is underway. Letters were sent to all parishioners. The funds raised through the Annual Fund Campaign close the gap between the cost of tuition and the actual cost of education and also helps to keep the parish subsidy down. Each year we have exceeded our goal thanks to the generosity of parishioners and friends who value Catholic education at St. Max. You can make your contribution by check payable to St. Max School Annual Fund, or on our website under Donate https://school.stmax.org/giving
We are grateful to all who can give.
Thank you for your support of Catholic Education! ♥
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OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
Are you looking for service opportunities to feed the hungry in February and March at Saint Agnes Day Room? Please click the links below.
Opportunities in February:
Opportunities in March:
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ARCHDIOCESAN NEWS & EVENTS
Year of Saint Joseph
Beginning February 15 until Friday, March 19, 2021
Event: Worldwide Consecration to St. Joseph
This year the entire Catholic Church is celebrating the Holy Year of St. Joseph. An effective way to place ourselves and our families under St. Joseph’s strong protection is to make a consecration to him. The Marians of the Immaculate Conception are leading an online worldwide consecration to St. Joseph starting on February 15 and ending on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary on March 19, 2021. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia invites all of her clergy and faithful to participate!
For more details and to sign up, visit https://stjosephnow.org/ .
- While this website is in English, the Consecration book
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Vatican Note on COVID19 Vaccines
On December 21, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released an important statement on the question of COVID19 vaccines. Please click the link below to read:
- Note of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines (Español)
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The 2021 Catholic Charities Appeal is underway!
~ Giving Hope to All! ~
Thank you for your past generosity. Information can be found on the table in the rear of church or CLICK on the image to donate online or to find out more information.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO REGISTER TO RECEIVE A Free LENTEN REFLECTION RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX EACH DAY.
Join Matthew Kelly for BEST LENT EVER this year as we take a 40-day journey through his new book I Heard God Laugh: A Practical Guide to Life's Essential Daily Habit.
Giving up chocolate could be helpful. Learning how to pray will be life changing!
WILL BE VIRTUAL
The 13th Annual Archdiocesan Catholic Men’s Conference will be held VIRTUALLY on Saturday March 6, 2021. The Man Up Philly volunteer team is finalizing our plans for the 2021 Conference and we have a fantastic line-up of speakers confirmed.
Given the current environment, our focus is working to find ways to safely bring us together. We are currently evaluating multiple options from smaller gatherings in local parishes to larger gatherings in local high schools, and if not feasible, an all virtual conference via a live webcast. Either way, we want to bring this great day to you to help all of us focus on our faith and reliance on Our Lord.
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Given the current environment, our focus is working to find ways to safely bring us together. We are currently evaluating multiple options from smaller gatherings in local parishes to larger gatherings in local high schools, and if not feasible, an all virtual conference via a live webcast. Either way, we want to bring this great day to you to help all of us focus on our faith and reliance on Our Lord.
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Young Adult Retreat
“..Be transformed by the renewal of your minds..”
Friday, March 19th, 6 PM – Sunday, March 21st, 11 AM
Young adults (20s & 30s) are invited to Malvern Retreat House for a weekend of spiritual renewal and fellowship in Christ in order to “discern the will of God, what is holy and pleasing and perfect (Rom 12:2).” The retreat will include Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Mass, novena prayers to St. Joseph, a Reconciliation Service, music by Bailey Savoy and the Sisters of Life, and time for spiritual direction, personal prayer, and recreation with other young adults from across the diocese.
Retreat Director: Fr. Timothy Danaher is a Dominican priest at St. Patrick’s Church in Philadelphia.
Young adults (20s & 30s) are invited to Malvern Retreat House for a weekend of spiritual renewal and fellowship in Christ in order to “discern the will of God, what is holy and pleasing and perfect (Rom 12:2).” The retreat will include Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Mass, novena prayers to St. Joseph, a Reconciliation Service, music by Bailey Savoy and the Sisters of Life, and time for spiritual direction, personal prayer, and recreation with other young adults from across the diocese.
Retreat Director: Fr. Timothy Danaher is a Dominican priest at St. Patrick’s Church in Philadelphia.
Sponsored by: Malvern Retreat House, 315 S. Warren Ave, Malvern, PA 19355
More info: Cost: $120; Visit the website: https://www.malvernretreat.com/events/young-adult-retreat/
Holy Hours with the Good Shepherd
Need some encouragement? Join us for a holy hour with fellow priests, religious and lay faithful as we seek strength and hope from Jesus, our Good Shepherd, the saints and one another during these difficult times in the world and the Church. The Holy Hour includes Rosary, Litany and Benediction. Afterwards join us for a short talk on a saint, exploring how he or she remained faithful to Christ and His Church during the trials of his or her time. Meets quarterly on Sundays, 2-4 PM at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Drexel Hill, PA.
Upcoming dates and talk topics:
- April 18 - Talk: The Perseverance of St. Maximilian Kolbe under Nazi Persecution, Msgr. George Majoros
- Sept 19 - Talk: St. Gregory the Great’s Reforms of the Church in Crisis, Fr. Dennis Gill
- Dec 5 - Talk: How Carmelite Nuns Brought an End to the French Revolution, Fr. Seán Loomis
Details and RSVP at http://www.phillyevang.org/events/ or view the flyer
HELPING YOU STAY CONNECTED
