This past Sunday was Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, and marks the nearness of Easter. Meaning "rejoice," rose vestments replaced the purple vestments of Lent.  

This month there are more reasons to rejoice:  the feast of St. Patrick is this Wednesday and the Solemnity of St. Joseph is Friday.  Like Sundays, lenten regulations are lifted for feast days.  So if you gave up sweets for Lent, you can choose to indulge in them on these feast days without breaking your Lenten fast.  In fact, since St. Joseph's feast day falls on a Friday this year (and not Good Friday), we are not obligated to abstain from meat on this day. Next Thursday, March 25, is the feast of the Annunciation, another day of feasting.

Rejoice.  Easter is drawing near.  Are you ready?  Have you been to confession? Confession is available before every daily Mass, at 4 pm on Saturdays and 8 am on Sundays.  Have you read Scripture more or made an effort to increase your prayer time?  It's not too late to make a sincere effort to draw closer to the Lord this Lent.

“The Year of Saint Joseph”, proclaimed by Pope Francis, is a special year in honor of the “Guardian of the Redeemer” in remembrance of the 150th Anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s proclamation in 1870 of St. Joseph as the “Patron of the Universal Church”.

You are invited, along with your family and friends, on a pilgrimage to Saint Joseph Tennessee (2 hours South of Nashville) to participate in the 12:30 pm Mass on Friday, March 19, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church.  A Plenary Indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions:https://fathersofmercy.com/plenary-indulgence-options-for-the-year-of-st-joseph/

Saint Joseph Catholic Church

500 American Blvd. Saint Joseph, TN 38481

Formed.org is like Netflix for Catholics, offering dozens of Lenten resources for the whole family. Subscriptions to formed.org are free to all St. Mary parishioners.  

St. Mary's weekend retreat for engaged couples, Three to Get Married, will be held this weekend, March 19 - 21.  Please pray for all the couples who will make the retreat, that they will be open to the beauty of God's plan for marriage, as well as all the volunteer speakers and organizers of the retreat.  Our world desparately needs strong Christ-centered marriages!

11:30 am Confessions

(No 12:10 Mass)

7 pm Mass of the Lord's Supper

8:30 pm Adoration/Confessions

10:30 pm Night Prayer

11:30 am Confessions

(No 12:10 Mass)

2:15 pm Confessions

3:00 pm Passion & Veneration of the Cross

(No First Saturday 12:10 pm Mass & No 5 pm Vigil Mass)

6:45 pm Confessions

7:30 pm Easter Vigil Mass

8 am Confessions

9 am Mass

12 noon Mass

St. Mary’s Confirmation, Sunday, April 11, 3:30 pm at the Catholic Pastoral Center.  Masks required.

First Holy Communion, Sunday, May 2, at 9:00 am Mass, followed by a reception

downstairs to honor First Communicants and our high school graduates at 10:30 am.