Good afternoon and happy Friday!!
Tonight is the last fish fry of the Lenten season. If you haven't been to one, we hope to see you tonight. Let's take a minute to look through the events below that are coming up along with the ways that you can get involved with the parish and other faith-based opportunities. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Let us start this flocknote with a prayer:
By your help, we beseech you,
Lord our God, may we walk eagerly
in that same charity with which,
out of love for the world,
your Son handed himself over to death.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
We begin this Holy Week with the reading of the Lord’s Passion from the Gospel of Matthew. It is fitting that during this week we intensely focus our minds and hearts on the steps of our Savior as He laid down His very life for us. But let us also examine the seemingly small acts of stewardship by some who encountered Jesus during this most eventful week.
One occurred when Jesus gave instructions about the room where He would celebrate the Passover. Jesus said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him…” ‘In your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.’” While we do not know this man’s name, we do know he agreed to this request — he shared the material gift of his home and the gift of hospitality. Because of his good stewardship, his own home became the site of the institution of the Eucharist!
There was also Simon the Cyrenian, who offered the gift of his physical strength, helping the Lord to carry His Cross. Consider, too, the actions of Joseph of Arimathea — he generously shared a material gift of the tomb that was his, and he gave the gift of service to our Lord by giving Him a proper burial. Then there were the "two Marys” who gave Jesus the gift of their time. Keeping watch in tender vigil after His death, they “remained sitting there, facing the tomb.”
Each of these were simple acts of good stewardship, yet God used them in mighty ways. God invites each of us, too, to cooperate with Him in small ways through the sharing of our time, talent, and material gifts. Small gifts can become mighty deeds when placed in God’s service.
— Catholic Stewardship Consultants: www.CatholicSteward.com
Sacred Triduum and Easter
Please be sure to make note of all our Triduum Liturgies and Easter Sunday Masses. Don’t forget that Good Friday is an obligatory day of fasting from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. It is also a day of abstinence from meat for those from age 14 onwards.
As we continue to celebrate our Parish’s 60th anniversary, what a great time to invite someone back to our Parish who you know has been away for a while. Consider reaching out to them and inviting them to Easter Sunday Mass and sharing with them the message of great joy that Jesus is alive and we’re celebrating His presence in our community. I hope you’ll make time to enter into these most sacred of days as we walk with Jesus through His Passion, Death and Resurrection.
Fish Fry Thanks
A huge thank you to all our amazing fish fry volunteers who worked tirelessly over the past weeks to ensure we had an incredible fish fry. I am deeply grateful for all their time and efforts. As you know, the proceeds go to our Athletics Association so they can continue the good work of forming our young people through good sportsmanship and learning a variety of sports. Thanks to everyone who supported the fish fry and enjoyed a meal during the Fridays of Lent!
Fr. Yates,
Pastor
Come join us this evening from 4pm to 7pm for our FINAL Fish Fry of the Lenten season... We hope to see you there!
Moms & Dads.....Girls on the Run is back at St. Clare for Spring 2023!!
We would love to have you help our amazing girls enjoy this AMAZING program. Please consider volunteering your time as a coach.
If interested, please contact Sarah Mensinger at 573-694-0486 or by email at sjmensinger@gmail.com for more information.
Girls on the Run will be so much FUN!!
There are three special collections that you can contribute to this weekend and this coming week. Please click on the images below to learn more.
SVDP FOOD PANTRY NEEDS
Fruit Snacks | Coffee | White Rice
Dryer Sheets
Your generosity is so appreciated by our neighbors in need that rely on our food pantry to get by in their time of need. We thank you for your continued prayers and support. God bless you, St. Vincent de Paul Society.
**Please note that we cannot distribute outdated items**
The St. Clare of Assisi School Advisory Board is soliciting nominations for new Board members for the 2023-2024 school year. We will be accepting nominations through May 1. If you are interested for yourself or would like to nominate someone else, please reach out to: Janet Kromraj, Principal at 636-227-8654 or jkromraj@saintclareofassisi.org or Fr. Anthony Yates at anthonyyates@archstl.org.
Qualities of Members
The following is a list of qualities that should be present in each member of the board. A candidate for the School Advisory Board should be:
● eighteen years of age or older
● a member of the parish or parent of a child in St. Clare of Assisi School
● supportive of the parish educational programs, financially and attitudinally
● sincerely interested in Catholic education
● willing and able to spend the time to attend meetings
● capable of a broad vision and not having a specific issue to bring to the board
● able to express himself/herself in a group
● a good listener
● capable or reaching consensus on issues
● willing to be loyal to board decisions even though personally opposed to the final decision.
Nominee’s Name:
Address:
Phone (cell):
Email:
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE: List all service to the parish, school, non-profit organizations, community, etc.
RATIONALE FOR NOMINATION: What gifts/talents/experiences can you or someone else contribute to the school
Have you thought about volunteering at school, but just haven’t had a chance to sign up? Well, now is a great opportunity to help at school. Maybe grab a parent friend to help with you. It is a great time to see your own child interact with their friends, adult conversation with other parents, grandparents, parishioners, etc.
We are in need of volunteers for lunch and recess duty. It is only takes about a hour and half to give a small fraction of your time and talent to SCA. We would LOVE to have you. Grandparents are also welcome to volunteer. All volunteers will need to complete Prevent & Protect before coming into the building and we will be more than happy to send you that information if needed.
If you would like to help, please email Mrs. Kromraj at jkromraj@saintclareofassisi.org or Mrs. Linneman at mlinneman@saintclareofassisi.org and you can also call the school office at 636-227-8654.
We look forward to hearing form you.
And Don't Forget...Not a member of our Parish yet,
but want to join?
Click on the button below learn how you can join:
STAYING UP WITH JESUS: A NEW, YET ANCIENT, TRADITION.
At the end of the Holy Thursday Mass, the Eucharist is placed on a temporary “altar of repose” away from the sanctuary. It is customary for the faithful to process together to this altar and spend time in quiet prayer and adoration. In the Roman Missal (the book containing the prescribed prayers, chants, and instructions for the celebration of Mass and the liturgy, AKA the red book Father uses at Mass), it states: “The faithful are invited to continue adoration before the Blessed Sacrament for a suitable length of time during the night, according to circumstance.” An ancient tradition known as Seven Churches Visitation, grew out of this time of prayer and adoration.
Begun by St. Philip Neri in Ancient Rome, on Holy Thursday, the faithful enter into this pilgrimage of remaining with Jesus in the garden by visiting several churches – traditionally seven (for the Seven Basilicas of Rome), or whatever number is possible –ideally ending up at the cathedral of the diocese– to pray before the Blessed Sacrament at the altar of repose in each church, remembering Our Lord’s words to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane to keep watch with Him for one hour.
The centuries-old pilgrimage weaves together passages from all four Gospels to take you through the narrative from Christ’s capture in the Garden of Gethsemane and subsequent transfer to the hands of the high priest Caiaphas, Herod and Pontius Pilate during the beginning of his Passion. The seven churches and altars of repose correspond to each of the seven places, or “stations,” that were made by Jesus between the Last Supper in the Upper Room to His crucifixion on the cross. In each church, the pilgrim kneels before the Altar of Repose, meditates on the appropriate Scripture, and offers prayers and adoration. In this way, pilgrims seek to spiritually accompany Christ as he enters his Passion. At the seventh station, many will close their pilgrimage by opting to observe a Holy Hour. Traditionally, churches remain open until midnight, then they are closed to symbolize Christ's abandonment by his apostles the night of his imprisonment.
While this is an old tradition, it is a new one we are starting here at St. Clare’s. We invite you and your friends and families to participate this year in a centuries-old tradition of venerating at least seven Altars of Repose following Holy Thursday Masses by visiting seven local churches. The 7 Churches pilgrimage is a self-guided pilgrimage that you may do on your own or with a group. Don’t worry about the size of your group at first, just invite your family, or three or four people, as a starting point.
St. Clare’s will have Pilgrimage aids and a suggested local route available in the gathering space after The Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Should you wish to travel to parishes beyond those neighboring us a digital map of all the Altars of Repose, as well as their hours, in the Archdiocese is being created and will be shared on Holy Thursday in the gathering space. We hope you will make this Pilgrimage a part of your Holy Thursday plans.