St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish News
August 6, 2020
Dear Parishioners,
One of the advantages that I have, coming here to pastor all of you, is that I have the privilege of having an adoration chapel in my parish! How awesome, that right here in the city, we normally have the opportunity to come anytime to adore the Lord in His Real Presence. So many blessings come from prayer in front of the Lord. Sadly, this is also another restriction that we are facing with the Coronavirus: the public isn’t yet allowed into the Holy Innocents Adoration Chapel. So then, where do we go from here?
Well, as your pastor, I always hope that more people spend time in prayer and adoration of the Lord throughout the year! What is it our Blessed Lord said in the garden of Gethsemane just before He died for our sins? “Could you not stay with me for one hour?” Certainly, whenever any of our Churches are open, you are more than welcome to come and pray with Him. What is it that Bishop Fulton Sheen once said about Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament? “We become like that which we gaze upon.” In his autobiography, he wrote: “Neither theological knowledge nor social action alone is enough to keep us in love with Christ unless both are preceded by a personal encounter with him. I found that it takes some time to catch fire in prayer. This has been one of the advantages of the Holy Hour. Sitting before the Presence is like a body exposing itself to the sun to absorb its rays. In those moments one does not so much pour out written prayers, but listening takes place.”
As I said, you are welcome to pray in any of the Churches in Duluth when they are open. But there are limited hours at times in the Churches. So, we will begin a weekly time of Exposition of the Lord on Tuesdays at the Cathedral from 3pm to 7pm. We will end each of those periods with Benediction just before 7pm. I hope you will consider spending time in prayer with Jesus. And please, let others know about this opportunity at their Cathedral. We will begin next week! As He said to the apostles, He also says to you: “Can you spend one hour with me?”
-Fr. Tony
ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, SATURDAY AUGUST 15: MASS & ROSARY
Mass will be held at 6 PM at St. Mary Star of the Sea on Friday, August 14 and at 9 AM on Saturday, August 15 at the Cathedral. This is a Holy Day, but without Obligation in 2020.
All are invited to join Fr. Matt as he offers the Rosary after the 4 PM Mass on Saturday, August 15 to honor the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION:
Eucharistic Adoration will be held at the Cathedral each Tuesday from 3 to 7 PM beginning next Tuesday, August 11. Come and spend time in the love and presence of the Lord.
LIVE-STREAM MASS PLANS:
We have made the decision to temporarily stop live-streaming the 5 PM Mass until we have our new camera equipment installed and up and running at the Cathedral. We will begin live-streaming again as soon as possible after this date and truly look forward to offering our parishioners participating in Mass from home excellent video and sound quality.
Thank you for your patience as we work to improve the Cathedral live-stream.
STELLA MARIS ACADEMY NEWS:
Are you looking for a place for your child to receive an extraordinary education where they feel safe, nurtured, and cared for? Our SMA teachers are readying for Fall. Our small class sizes, outstanding teachers, and unwavering commitment to serve our students provides the education that all families desire and deserve. We are ready to welcome you! Call us at 218-623-6253 or visit us online at www.stellamaris.academy.
Secretary Opening at St. John's Campus: We are in need of an administrative assistant at our St. John's middle school campus in the Woodland neighborhood. Could you include this short blurb in your bulletin or pass it along to any interested parishioners?
Stella Maris Academy is currently accepting applications for an administrative assistant for the 20/21 school year at St. John’s Campus.
- Administrative Assistant - 20-40 hours/week during the academic calendar year
- The Administrative Assistant is responsible for a full range of operational, communications, and administrative responsibilities that support and advance the goals of the school office. This position collaborates closely with the principal. The incumbent serves as an integral member of a committed team dedicated to advancing the mission of the Church.
- More details about this position can be found at www.stellamaris.academy/employment
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY NEWS:
Please continue to support us however you can, especially with your prayers. We are still here! Questions, call Deacon Jim at 218-348-6258. We meet the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month in the Social Hall. Social distancing will be observed. If you don’t have mask of your own please let us know. We look forward to serving our neighbors
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRAYER:
Come and join Deacon Dick outside in front of the Mary statue every Wednesday at 6 PM to pray the Rosary and Sunday scriptures, weather permitting.
CLEANING MINISTRY:
Help is needed cleaning the church after weekend Masses. Cleaning supplies and gloves are provided. You are encouraged to bring and wear your own mask. Many hands make light work!
HOLY WATER BOTTLES AND HAND SANITIZER:
We have a limited supply of both at the church!
For holy water bottles, please bring your own. It should be clean inside and out. A little remaining paper on the outside of the bottle is acceptable. If you need more than a small bottle, bring your own filled water bottle and ask Father to bless it.
For hand sanitizer, if you have any at home, please bring your own supply to church. It will assist us in helping you to stay healthy!
PARISH NURSE OFFICE HOURS:
Parish Nurse Nancy Turchi holds office hours Tuesdays from 1 PM to 5 PM each week. She can be reached at 218-722-3078 ext. 13.
FACE MASK REQUIREMENT:
The State of Minnesota has mandated the wearing of face masks in all public indoor places including churches. Please wear a mask when inside St. Mary Star of the Sea. There are exemptions for those who are unable to medically tolerate face coverings and for children under 5. We have extra masks available in each of the entrances. Thank you.
WEEKLY BULLETIN:
The Sunday bulletin for August 9 includes the weekly stewardship report and Mass intentions for the week ahead.
A limited number of paper copies are printed and placed at church entrances. If you know of someone who does not have internet access, please let them know that the bulletin will be available at church entrances. If they prefer to have the bulletin mailed to them, please ask them to call our office.
FORMED.ORG:
Pick of the Week: Life for Life: Maximilian Kolbe
"Auschwitz, 1941. One of the prisoners, Jan, escapes from the German concentration camp while working at a gravel pit. Thanks to the help of kind-hearted people, he finds shelter. There Jan hears tragic news about ten random inmates sentenced by the Nazis to death by starvation as a punishment for his escape. One among the convicts is Fr. Maximillian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest who volunteered to die in place of one of the inmates.
Now Jan is not just fleeing the Nazis, but also from his guilt for his involvement in Kolbe's death. He goes to visit Niepokalanów, a very large Franciscan monastery, where Fr. Kolbe had been the founder and superior. There Jan wants to learn what were the motives behind his decision to die for another prisoner, a complete stranger. Though free from Auschwitz, Jan will continue to be confronted by the life and death of Maximilian Kolbe wherever he goes.
In addition to Jan—torn between wanting to forget and a fascination with Kolbe—another key character emerges, Brother Anselm. He is a devout young Franciscan priest who quietly but strongly witnesses to Kolbe's heroic faith and love, and then rejoices at the beatification of Kolbe by Pope Paul VI. Later Kolbe will be canonized by his fellow countryman, Pope St. John Paul II, who proclaimed Kolbe as the ""patron saint of the difficult 20th century."""
Sign up for free at formed.org/signup.
STEWARDSHIP, OFFERTORY COLLECTION, & FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Thank you for your continued financial support of our parish. Your contributions have enabled us to continue the important work and mission of St. Mary Star of the Sea!
Contributions can also be mailed or dropped off at the parish office at 325 E. 3rd Street Duluth, MN 55805 or made through our online giving platform at https://www.duluthcathedral.com/ and clicking on the Giving Tab, then St. Mary Star of the Sea Fund. Please contact Lauren McCracken, Business Manager at 218-728-3646 or lauren.mccracken@duluthcatholic.org if you need assistance.
UNITED CATHOLIC APPEAL
During these challenging times “You are the Light of the World.” The work of Christ and the mission of the Church continue within our parish and diocese. You make this happen. Please prayerfully consider a gift to the United Catholic Appeal this year.
There are various giving options for you to choose from depending on how you prefer to contribute. You are able to mail your gift in the envelope enclosed in the recent mailing or give throughout the year by using your yellow UCA envelopes. If you would like to donate to UCA online, please contact Lauren McCracken at 218-728-3646 or lauren.mccracken@duluthcatholic.org to set this up. You change lives, including your own through your prayer and sacrificial generosity. Thank you for the gift you are to this parish community!