As a way of marking this day, all Catholics within the local Church are encouraged to engage in deliberate acts of charity, and to abstain from consuming meat. In addition, those who are able to do so are encouraged to fast, following the practical norms of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. For more information please see the online posting regarding the day of prayer and fasting.

During this special day of prayer and fasting, all Catholics are encouraged to pray for our state, our country, and for a renewal of respect and understanding of the great mystery and gift that is marriage. Time spent before the Blessed Sacrament, whether exposed or reposed in the tabernacle, is especially encouraged.

Archbishop Nienstedt has asked all the priests of the Archdiocese to attend the Biennial Presbyteral Assembly in Rochester from June 17-20. The “presbytery” is the body of priests in a given diocese who serve under a bishop.  Retired priests are exempt from this requirement.

Please keep the priests of the Archdiocese in prayer as they gather and pray for more vocations.

This exciting film features a cast that includes over 250 Catholic young people, and

tells the forgotten story of the brave Catholic resistance to the religious persecution of

the French Revolution. This is a perfect family film that deals with a timely issue for

all – religious freedom. Captivating for children, intriguing for teens, and

inspiring for adults. Refreshments will be provided!

www.navispictures.com

Do you volunteer in our parishes? Have you attended a VIRTUS Training Session?  This is a one-time obligation for all volunteers active in our parishes, SCCS and SCCFF.   “Virtus-Protecting God’s Children” program, is for the protection of everyone in our community.  This training is mandated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for each diocese.   Our next training session is on Tuesday, April 30, at 6:00 p.m. in St. Michael’s Social Hall.  To register go to http://www.virtus.org or contact your parish office.  

If you have not completed the additional forms for volunteers, please complete these documents.

Saturday, April 27  St. Charles  4:30 p.m. 
                                       St. Michael 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 28 St. Charles 9:30 a.m.
                                      St. Mary 10:30 a.m.
                                      St. Michael 11:00 a.m.

Friday,  May 3         St. Mary 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 4     St. Michael 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5        St. Michael 9:15 a.m.
                                     St. Mary 10:30 a.m.
                                     St. Michael 11:00 a.m.

Make plans to attend one or more of our Lenten Fish Fries hosted by the Men’s Club of St. Mary’s and St. Michael’s. Bring the whole family to what has become a very popular parish and community tradition.

All you can eat Beer Battered Cod, parsley buttered potatoes, coleslaw, and green beans.
Macaroni & Cheese and PB&J sandwiches and chips for the little ones.
Fridays until March 22.
St. Michael’s Social Hall
Serving from 4:30 – 7:00  p.m.  Take-out available
Adults: $10.00, Seniors: $9.00, Children 6-12 years: $5.00 Children 5 and under: Free
       Special Family Household rate: $35.00 max.

The Men’s Club provided nearly $10,000 in 2012
to the following ministries:

St. Michael’s FunFest
St. Mary’s Wild Rice Festival
Giving Trees – St. Michael’s and St. Mary’s
SCCS – Faith Rally
SCCS – Light Their Way Dinner
SCVFF – YouCat Books for Confirmation Students
SCFFF – Ray Sayers Golf Tournament Hole and Priest sponsorship
Dominican Sisters – Tree removal at convent
Dominican Sisters – Dinner
Just for Fun Dance – Co-sponsor
Kitchen and Social Halls – repair, improvements, equipment
Eagle Scouts –Project funding
All Saints Day Party – Pizza sponsor
Eucharistic Procession – Guest Priests dinner
Chimbote Dinner – Beverage sponsor

ReDiscover Book Clubs

ReDiscover App
The app for Android is slated to go to Google Play very soon – we’ll keep you posted! The iPhone app version has been submitted to Apple iTunes and it could take 2-4 weeks for approval. If you want to download the app as soon as it launches, go to rediscoverapp.com and join the hundreds of others who have signed up to receive an alert when it’s ready to download.

ReDiscover Radio Hour
Tune in to Relevant Radio 1330 AM on your radio dial Friday mornings at 9:00 a.m. beginning in March for The Rediscover: Hour radio show. Every week the show will feature live interviews with exciting guests and unique perspectives on efforts supporting the New Evangelization. The Rediscover Hour is rebroadcast at 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and 9:00 a.m. on Sundays.

Prayer for the Election of a New Pope
Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God’s hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father, Thou
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.

Kindle our sense from above,
and make our hearts o’erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.

Far from us drive the foe we dread,
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.
Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.

Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven.  Amen.

Pope Benedict XVI has granted a plenary indulgence for the Year of Faith and we here in Stillwater are blessed to have had the Church of St. Michael designated as a Holy Site by Archbishop Nienstedt.

What does this mean? This means that within the Year of Faith, which began  October 11 of 2012 and runs until November 24 of 2013, those who are in the state of grace can seek plenary indulgences and fulfill the requirements right here in Stillwater.
 
What is a plenary indulgence?  A plenary indulgence is a complete remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, specifically sin that has already been forgiven in sacramental confession. This indulgence may also be applied to souls of the deceased faithful. This remission is granted by the Church through the application of the superabundant merits of Christ and the virtues and penances of the saints. 

How does one gain an indulgence?  There are four means of gaining an indulgence.
 
First, by attending at least three sermons “during the Holy Missions” or reading at least three lessons from the documents of the Second Vatican Council or the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The second way is by making a pilgrimage to a basilica, catacomb, cathedral, or location designated by the local bishop for the Year of Faith.   Those visiting basilicas, cathedrals, catacombs or a holy site designated by the local ordinary for the Year of Faith (see local list, below) must participate in a liturgy, “or at least pause for an appropriate time in prayer and with pious meditations, concluding with the recitation of the Our Father, the profession of faith in any legitimate form, invocations of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, where appropriate, of the Holy Apostles or patron saints.”

The third method of gaining an indulgence is by participating in Mass or the Liturgy of the Hours on a day chosen by the local ordinary, and reciting the Creed.

Finally, people can visit their place of baptism and renew their baptismal promises there.

So where are these “Holy Sites” in our Archdiocese? 
The Holy Sites designated by Archbishop Nienstedt
for the Year of Faith are:
The Cathedral of Saint Paul, Saint Paul
Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis
The Church of Saint Michael, Stillwater
The Church of Saint Mark, Saint Paul
The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Paul
The Church of Saint Joseph, Miesville
The Catholic Church of the Divine Mercy, Faribault
The Church of the Holy Family, Saint Louis Park
The Church of Saint Mary, Waverly
The Church of Saint Charles Borromeo, Minneapolis

Is there anything else necessary to obtain a plenary indulgence?  A plenary indulgence requires that the individual be in the state of grace, have complete detachment from sin, and pray for the Pope’s intentions. The person must also sacramentally confess their sins and receive Communion up to about 20 days before or after completing the other acts  But, whereas one sacramental Confession will satisfy the requirements of multiple plenary indulgences, a separate Holy Communion is required for each plenary indulgence
.                                                                                   
How many plenary indulgences can I seek? You can seek up to one plenary indulgence a day during this Year of Faith.

So why is the Pope doing this?  The Year of Faith is meant to “recall the precious gift of faith” and “its correct interpretation.” The decree announcing the Plenary Indulgence for the Year of Faith also states: “Since the primary objective is to develop sanctity of life to the highest degree possible on this earth, and thus to attain the most sublime level of pureness of soul, immense benefit may be derived from the great gift of Indulgences which, by virtue of the power conferred upon her by Christ, the Church offers to everyone who, following the due norms, undertakes the special prescripts to obtain them”.
So, we here in Stillwater have been given, literally, the ability to seek a plenary indulgence for ourselves and for those in purgatory – whether it be those whom we love or those who have no one to pray for them – each and every day of this Year of Faith, without ever leaving Stillwater.  Is this not truly a great, great good gift?