2nd Sunday of Lent

St. Monicas Parish

March 15 & 16, 2014

Pope Francis 1st Anniversary: A Year of Surprises (Part 1) by Mike Hayes: Senior Editor, Googling God, www.BustedHalo.com
It indeed has been a whirlwind year since the election of Pope Francis and right out of the gate this new pontiff was full of surprises. Lets have a look back! #1 The First Francis: Never before has there been a pope with the name Francis. Some assumed the new pope was referring to Francis Xavier given his Jesuit background. But the truth soon came out that the new popes first thoughts were of St. Francis of Assisi and the saints focus on the poor. Dont forget the poor! were among the first words Bergoglio heard from a fellow cardinal after being elected. And he hasnt forgotten them. #2 Walking Humbly: Gone are the days of red capes and ermine hats. Pope Francis refused to wear a new cross, insisting on wearing the one he wore as a bishop. He wears simple black shoes instead of the famed red slippers. He replaced the Vatican limousine with a Ford Focus. When he was shown the papal apartments he remarked, Three hundred people could live in this room! and chose to live in a simple two-bedroom apartment in the Vatican guesthouse. His habits arent all that different from when he was Archbishop of Buenos Ares, but now that hes pope, his choices say a lot to the Church and to the world. #3 Relaxing Security Measures: Pope Francis has driven his security team into a tizzy. He visits local parishes in Rome, and greets parishioners at the back of the church. Hes even driven his own car and prefers an open-air ride to the traditional bulletproof Popemobile. At World Youth Day last summer, the popes car made a wrong turn and the crowds engulfed it. Security went nuts. Pope Francis loved it! You could see him laughing and reaching for young peoples hands. The pope continues to visit the poor in slums; some even claim that he sneaks out at night to visit the homeless. #4 The Pope Will Now Take Your Questions: Originally, Pope Francis said that he doesnt give interviews. But then he surprised an entire plane of reporters when he openly took questions for more than an hour. That initial conversation at 20,000 feet and subsequent interviews have led to another surprise #5 Who Am I to Judge?: Perhaps the most quoted words of Pope Francis first year are these: If a person is seeking God with a sincere heart, who am I to judge? This was his response to a question about the place of gay men and women in the church. This nonjudgmental attitude is a highlight of Francis papacy. Another example: Pope Francis includes atheists among those that may be redeemed. While not signaling any change in Catholic dogma, the pope is clearly shifting the attitude and the tone of the Church. At minimum, the pope has called for us to open our hearts a bit wider and to accept all people as seekers of God on a journey together. Happy one-year anniversary, Pope Francis! Viva il Papa! (Part 2 to follow next week!) Mike Hayes: Senior Editor, Googling God, www.BustedHalo.com

ONE HUMAN FAMILY, FOOD FOR ALL ( Week 2)

In Choco, Columbia entire villages have been razed to the ground in order to create Palm Oil plantations by large companies. The Government sanctions this travesty. The growing numbers of these plantations have been a source of land conflicts and human right violations since 2003. Development and Peace has been supporting Intereclesial de Justicia Y Paz, whose mission is to support communities in defending their rights, their territory and their way of life. We can support small-scale farmers by buying Fair Trade products.

FAIR TRADE PRODUCTS ON SALE AFTER MASS & COLLECTION OF LOONIES and SPARE CHANGE (New Coffee Supplier - Prices Reduced) ALSO THIS WEEKEND, 6 NEW VARIETIES OF CHOCOLATE BARS!

Poverty Meal
Faith and Justice Committee will host a poverty meal on Friday, the 4th of April, at 6 p.m. followed by an interactive presentation on food security. In order to help us organize this meal, there will be a sign up sheet at the back of the church after mass.

Adult Faith Enrichment

4:00 Saturday, March 15 Lenten Mass Winston, Mariette & John Oke By Louise Oke Aniello DAddio (20th Anniv.) By Franca & Family

St. Monicas Parish Lenten Mission

Our Lenten Mission, Journey to Joy with Richard Boileau, ofs, specialist in Franciscan spirituality, will take place over three evenings from Monday, March 31 to Wednesday, April 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the church. Please mark these dates on your calendar because you dont want to miss this wonderful opportunity to enrich your Lenten journey! Mr. Boileau will lead us in a series of reflections on simplicity, gratitude and generosity as a path to deep spiritual joy in light of the example of St. Francis of Assisi. He will take us on a journey to the true self and to friendship with God and others. He will also address the reality of suffering and the true meaning of happiness as part of the journey. We hope you can join us, and we invite you to bring a friend to participate in what will be a truly memorable Lenten experience! Please note that Mr. Boileau will be at St. Monicas to introduce the Mission at all the weekend masses of March 29 and 30. Please refer to our brochure, website and the posters at the Church entrances for additional information.

Sunday, March 16 2nd Sunday of Lent 8:30 In Loving Memory: Peter Pare, June Leibling, Burt Hale, Nazzareno Scartozzi, Italo Falcone, Italo & Anna Mariani. 11:00 Margarita De Alonso By Her Daughter Monday, March 17 St. Patrick 8:00 Ermando Giuseppe Nudo By Wife Elvira Tuesday, March 18 St. Cyril of Jerusalem 8:00 Theresa, Julian, & Kevin By Gary Rooney Rooney Wednesday, March 19 St. Joseph 8:00 Charlie Hindley & Linus St. Monicas Food Pantry Doyle Team Thursday, March 20 Weekday Mass 8:00 Valerio Michetti By Jordan Piccolino Friday, March 21 Weekday Mass 8:00 Vincenzo Polisena By Daughter & Family Saturday, March 22 Lenten Mass 4:00 Roland & Mariette Quintal By Louise Oke Roberto Ugarte By the Family Sunday, March 23 Third Sunday Of Lent 8:30 Mr. & Mrs. Giabattista By Ida & Family Onesi 11:00 In Loving Memory: Luigi & Rosa Mammone, Natalina Donati Ceccucci, Giangaspero Family. Your Generosity
Thank you for your on-going support of our parishCollection for the weekend of March 8 / 9, 2014 totalled $2,867.95

MULTICULTURAL EVENT Sunday, March 30, 2014

On Sunday, the 30th of March, come join us for a multicultural event including food, fellowship, and entertainment! After the 11 a.m. Mass, our Loyola Parish project group will be serving a simple luncheon (soup and/or hot dogs), to be followed by entertainment from an award-winning Filipino folk-dancing group. Tickets for the show are $10 for adults and $5 for children, and are available for sale after all Masses and at the door. Lunch tickets may be purchased on-site. All proceeds will go to our renovation fund. Please come

Are You New to The Parish!

If you are new to St. Monicas Church, we invite you to register as a parishioner by filling out a registration form which you will find posted on the church doors as you come in. Once filled out, you can simply hand it in at the parish office, send by mail, or place the registration form in the Sunday collection baskets. Also, you can let us know if you would like to become a volunteer. Using our Sunday Donation Boxes is a good way for parishioners to have their donations recorded and a tax receipt issued to them at the end of each year. Presently, there are boxes available at the back of the church. Just fill out the registration form that comes with the box and place it in the collection box the next time you come to church.

and bring a friend!