VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Volunteers are needed to welcome pilgrims to the A Guanellian Family Ministry shrine to honor St. Joseph: March 2019 PIOUS UNION OF ST. JOSEPH FOR THE SUFFERING AND DYING

March 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 23rd The Feast of St. Joseph SHRINE OF ST. JOSEPH 953 East Michigan Avenue Grass Lake Michigan 49240 Please contact Lori Galicki: 517-522-3623, please 1 First Friday, World Day of Prayer leave a message. Email: [email protected] 11:10 AM Stations of the Cross, 11:30 AM Mass Pastoral Bulletin of March 2019 2 First Saturday Saturday, March 9, 2019 Women’s Guild Meeting @ 10:00 AM 11:10 AM Rosary, 11:30 AM Mass Anointing of the Sick Phone 517-522-8017 FAX 517-522-8387 Email— [email protected] Website—www.pusj.org Boy’s Retreat @ St. Louis Center FACEBOOK– Facebook.com/Pious Union Shrine of St. Joseph 3 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:15 AM - 12:00 Noon 10:00 AM Mass Volume 19 Num 3 Saint Joseph, my loving father, I place myself forever under thy protection; look on me as thy child, and keep me from all sin. – St. Clement Mary Hofbauer 4 Women’s Faith Sharing @ 6:30 PM, Pastoral Center Fr. Leo Joseph, SdC Girls Prayer and Pizza @ Pastoral Center 6 Ash Wednesday, Fast and Abstinence Director of PUSJ Dear Friends of St. Joseph, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM 8:30 AM Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, 4:30 PM Benediction The month of March always begins with the new season of the liturgical year called LENT.

7 SS. Perpetua and Felicity Staff: An abbreviation for LENT is ‘Let us Eliminate Negative Things’. Lent is a celebration, a Pious Union of St. Joseph Gift Shop Patrice Casto celebration of understanding and experiencing God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love. It is the Statues, postcards, pictures, prayer cards, 11:10 AM Rosary, 11:30 AM Mass Josephine Doyle celebration of grace, a celebration of renewing our relationship with God and our neighbors. books, metals, rosaries, shrine holy water 9 St. Frances of Rome Annabella Venditti bottles, candles and more . . . 11:10 AM Rosary, 11:30 AM Mass We are invited during the season of Lent to follow three pious practices namely: prayer, fast- Proceeds help to support the growth of the Pious Union and spread devotion to St. Joseph. Girl’s Prayer and Pizza @ Pastoral Center ing, and almsgiving. Hence, by engaging forty days of fasting, praying, and almsgiving we Pay for items on the “honor system” - donations boxes available Boy’s Retreat @ St. Louis Center are called to be watchful of giving more importance to the 3-E‘s. The 3-E‘s refer to an Extra throughout the shrine. eye, Extra ear, and Extra heart. An extra eye to see God as well as to see good things in one- 10 1st Sunday of Lent self and others, an extra ear to hear the word of God and to speak and hear good about oth- 10:00 AM Mass ers, and an extra heart to love God, oneself and others. Daylight Saving Time Begins, Set Clocks forward 1 hour We also celebrate in March the Feast of St. Joseph, the true husband of Mary and foster Fa- ther of Jesus. The eyes of the eternal Father rested upon St. Joseph and the Holy Spirit dwelt 13 8:30 AM Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Shrine of St. Joseph with him. Therefore, St Joseph was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian Mass Times Like us on Facebook! 4:30 PM Benediction and protector of His greatest treasures; namely, His divine Son and His spouse, Mary. 15 Men’s Group Meeting, 7:30 PM Pastoral Center Mon, Tues, Thurs, Women’s Faith Sharing 17 2nd Sunday of Lent, St. Patrick’s Day Fri, Sat 11:30 am Shlama, is peace in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a traditional greeting in the Chaldean community. March is the feast of St. Joseph’s shrine where many people, most especially Monday, March 4th @ 6:30 PM, Pastoral Center 10:00 AM Mass Wed 8:30 am our Chaldean brothers and sisters, make their pilgrimage to the shrine every year. Let us wel- Adoration follows 19 The Feast of St. Joseph come our Chaldean friends to our shrine to receive St. Joseph's blessing in abundance with a Men’s Group Benediction 4:30 pm 11:10 AM Rosary, 11:30 AM Mass word the Chaldean’s use, Shlama. Friday, March 15th at 7:30 PM, Pastoral Center 20 Spring Begins Sunday 10:00 am

8:30 AM Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, The Church also celebrates in this month the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The For more information contact Jim Phillips holy virgin voluntarily accepted the invitation without any hesitation by saying ‘yes’ to 216-536-2640 ▪ [email protected] 4:30 PM Benediction Sacrament of God’s will. Mary was chosen as the best instrument, a soul without any stain of sin to carry 24 3rd Sunday of Lent Reconciliation the Holy Word in the form of human flesh for the salvation of humans from the slavery of 10:00 AM Mass Before upon request sin. As Mary the new Eve, has brought Jesus to everyone, it is a reminder for us also to bring

25 The Annunciation of the Lord and after Mass Jesus to people whom we encounter into our daily lives. So how will you bring Jesus to oth- ers? Lenten Retreat 10:00 AM Mass Anointing of the Sick 27 8:30 AM Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Subsequently, the season of Lent gives us an opportunity to renew our relationship with Saturday First Saturday 4:30 PM Benediction God. Let us all try to be more active in listening to the word of God and carefully engaging and upon request March 30th 28 No Mass - Priests Retreat with Bishop the 3-E‘s throughout this Lenten season. 30 Lenten Retreat 9-2 PM May St. Joseph Bless you all! Happy Feast of St. Joseph! 9 AM- 2:00 PM With Love, Prayers, and Shlama, 31 4th Sunday of Lent Fr. Leo Joseph Pope Francis: Evil Days are Numbered St. Frances of Rome St. Frances of Rome, whose feast day is March 9th, knew at the age of 11 that she wanted to be a Vatican City, Feb 27, 2019 / 03:11 am (CNA).- Pope nun. She was born in 1384 to a prosperous dignified family. Like her mother, she had a quiet dis- Francis said Wednesday that evil is limited com- position with a faithful love of God; and like her father, she was very headstrong. This quality of pared to the expanding force of God’s holiness in being headstrong became a problem between herself and her father when he wanted her to the world. “Evil’s days are numbered. Evil is not marry the son of another wealthy family at the young age of 13. During this time period in Rome, eternal,” Pope Francis said in a departure from his this was normal practice for fathers to choose their daughter’s spouse and they could even sell their daughters prepared remarks in St. Peter’s Square Feb. 27. into slavery or have them killed. Frances expressed her objection to the marriage but eventually gave in to the marriage but reluctantly since her only desire was to be a bride of Christ. Her new husband, Lorenzo “God's holiness is an expanding force, and we beg Ponziani, was good to her and cared for her so she learned to love him in return. Her mother-in-law ex- pected her to entertain and socialize at banquets and parties; but Frances desired only to fast, pray and do that it quickly shatters barriers of our world,” he penance for God. She was miserable until she became friends with her sister-in-law, Vannozza, who also de- said, adding that this holiness “spreads in concen- sired to please god by living a life of prayer and service. So she and her new friend first cared for their fami- tric circles, like when throwing a stone into a lies then began helping the poor. They did everything together. They went to mass together, helped poor pond.” people on the streets, visited prisoners and volunteered in hospitals. They even created a secret chapel in a tower of their castle where they prayed together. Subsequently, St. Frances established a lay order of women Pope Francis explained that “prayer drives away all fear. The Father loves us, the Son raises his arms side by called the Oblates of Mary in which they lived in their own homes and pledged to live in the world but offer side with ours, the Spirit works in secret for the redemption of the world.” “One thing is certain: it is evil that themselves to God and aid the poor. Later the Oblates lived together as a community; but Frances did not is afraid,” the pope said. live with them until after her husband died and her children became adults. St. Frances’s life showed us that even if your vocation is marriage and family life, anyone can develop a deep relationship with God through prayer and with the help of a friend much can be accomplished to do Christ’s work of helping the poor an In a continuation of his weekly catechesis on the “Our Father” prayer, Pope Francis reflected on the line, those in need. “Hallowed be Thy name” at the general audience. In the words, “Hallowed be Thy name,” he said, “you can feel all the admiration of Jesus for the beauty and the greatness of the Father, and the desire that all recog- O God, you have given us in Saint Frances of Rome a singular model of both married and monastic life, nize him and love him for what he really is.” grant us perseverance in your service, that in every circumstance of life we may see and follow you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for “At the same time there is the supplication that his name is sanctified in us, in our family, in our community, in ever and ever. Amen the whole world. It is God who sanctifies us, who transforms us with his love, but at the same time we too are the ones who, through our witness, manifest the holiness of God in the world, making his name present,” Sts. Perpetua and Felicity Saints Perpetua, Felicity and companions were martyred for their faith in the year Francis said. 203. An authentic document was preserved of the written words of these martyrs and their friends. In the African city of Cartnage, Emperor Severus ordered the arrest God is a mystery to us, but we are not one to him, the pope reminded Catholics. “When we talk to God, we do of 5 Christian catecuemens. The group arrested was Vivia Perpetua, wife of a noble not do it to reveal to Him what we have in our hearts: He knows it much better than ourselves,” he said. man and mother of an infant son; a slavewoman who was pregnant, Felicity; a slave, Pope Francis said that the “Our Father” prayer is easily divided into seven subgroups; the first three have God Revocatus and 2 free men, Saturninus and Secundulus. Their instructor in faith, Saturus, soon joined these 5 the Father at the center and the other four focus on our human needs. prisoners choosing to share in their punishment. Perpetua wrote in her diary, “While I was still with my companions, and my father in his affection for me was trying to turn me from my purpose by arguments “In the first part Jesus makes us enter into his desires, all addressed to the Father: ‘hallowed be Thy name, Thy and thus weaken my faith, I said to him, ‘Do you see this vessel – waterpot or whatever it may be? Can it kingdom come, Thy will be done;’ in the second it is He who enters into us and becomes the interpreter of our be called by any other name then what it is?’ ‘No,’ he replied. ‘So also I cannot call myself by any other needs for daily bread, the forgiveness of sins, help in temptation, and liberation from evil,” he said. name than what I am – a Christian.” She also wrote in her diary about the horrors of the terrible heat, the rough treatment of the soldiers, and of her separation anxiety for her baby, while in prison. After many days, she obtained permission to have her baby with her while in prison. Felicity gave birth to a baby girl a He continued, “Here is the matrix of every Christian prayer - I would say of every human prayer - which is al- few days before her death. All in this group refused to renounce their Christian faith and were sent to the ways made, on the one hand of contemplation of God, of his mystery, of his beauty and goodness, and, on the public games in the amphitheater. Upon entrance to the amphitheater, Perpetua sang while Revocatus, Sat- other of a sincere and courageous request of what we need to live, and live well.” urninus and Satarus called out warnings to the bystanders. After this, Perpetua was quoted as calling out to her brother and catechumens, “Stand fast in faith, and love one another. Do not let our suffering be a “The first step in Christian prayer is therefore the surrender of ourselves to God, to his providence,” Pope stumbling block to you.” Perpetua and Felicity were then beheaded while the others were killed by wild Francis said. “It is like saying: ‘Lord, You know everything, there is no need for me to tell you of my pain, I only beasts. Their feast day is March 7th. ask you to stay here beside me: you are my hope.’” Saints Perpetua and Felicity, watch over all mothers and children who are separated from each other be- CNA/EWTN News, by Courtney Grogan cause of war or persecution. Show special care to mothers who are imprisoned and guide them to follow your example of faith and courage. Amen.