P.O. Box 120, 205 2ND AVENUE NW The Church of the King Medford, MN MEDFORD, MN 55049 (507)-451-4845

Palm Sunday Parish Staff: Pastor: Fr. Jim Starasinich ...... (507)451-4845 of the Passion [email protected] Fr. Starasinich is available most Mondays & Fridays of the Lord at 9:30am at Christ the King Rectory and upon request April 5, 2020 Parish Administrator: Al Christenson ...... (507)451-4845 Senior Priest Assisting: Fr. Robert Herman Religious Education Director: Jenna Sammon Contact: [email protected] or (507)451-4845 ALL MASSES AND CHURCH ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL MAY 15TH, 2020. Mass Schedule: Saturday - Mass 5:30pm Monday and Friday - Mass 9am St. Weekend Mass: Parish Office: Live-streamed on Facebook at 4pm Saturday Contact St. Joseph Parish, 512 S. Elm Ave, Owatonna (Masses available on Facebook anytime afterward, go to: Phone: (507)451-4845 https://www.facebook.com/StJosephParishOwatonna/ ) Hours: 8:30am-4:30pm Mon-Thurs; 8:30am-3:00pm Fri Sacred Paschal Triduum Live-streamed: E-mail: [email protected] Apr. 9, Holy Thursday - 7:00pm Christ the King Website: www.parishesonline.com Apr. 10, - 12:10pm Apr. 11, Easter Vigil - 8:30pm

Confession available at Christ the King:

Friday, April 10 from 6 - 7 PM (or call 451-4845) Mon. Apr. 6, 2020 Intention – John Gross

Mon. Apr. 13, 2020 Intention – Oscar & Jeanette Engen St. Joseph Office - closed through Apr. 10th. Fri. Apr. 17, 2020 Intention – Bev Hertel (liv)

** Please go to the St. Joseph Parish website to learn about latest COVID-19 updates and Daily Messages from Fr. Jim: https://stjosephowatonna.org/daily-message/

** Find St. Joe’s on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/StJosephParishOwatonna/ Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: 4/5/20

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord 2020. How difficult this time is to live our faith separated, in exile from our parish- es because of the COVID 19/coronavirus pandemic. I hope we are experiencing the importance of the assembly, that we worship together as the Body of Christ, as a people called together by the Lord. This was the call of the Hebrew people, gathered around , who would save God’s chosen ones as a people, not as individuals. A caravan was led out of Egypt and they rejoiced together. We, too, heed the letter to the Hebrews (see 10:25) that encourages us not to miss gathering together for the . May these days make us ever more grateful for the gift of faith we received at bap- tism and the profound strength we receive to live that faith through the Eucharist.

Please take time to reflect on the Passion, which we hear proclaimed from Matthew’s this year. These words from the Magnificat devotional from Friday, April 3 (p. 43) hold true for all of us: “Long familiarity with the Passion narratives can dull our awareness of the acute suffering that Christ endured for our sake.” How important it is to know ourselves in the depths of our reality, that perhaps this pandemic is helping us to see: weakness, fears, poverty of spirit, and the sins that we never saw or the harm that they have incurred on others or upon ourselves. If we see this reality, it is a blessing from God! Then the life of has more meaning for us and the love poured out from the cross brings more gratitude from our hearts and souls. We can be converted from sin and rejoice in God’s mercy!

There have been many reflections on the seven last words of Jesus from the cross. I have been inspired by what I have been reading about the good thief, known as St. Dismas. He repented and became the first soul to enter . I hope we can have the eyes of faith to see that this pandemic is helping many to turn to God. God has allowed this pan- demic but it is not of His doing. and the consequences of sin have corrupted not only humanity but nature as well. Yet, God can turn everything that comes from evil to the good. As many are repenting and the Lord is calling them, what better moment can there be! Jesus is saying to them as they repent, “Yes, here I am! I have been waiting for you! I want you with me in Paradise! I want to bring you to my Father and your Father!”

Yesterday (Thursday) I heard these words from the Acts of the Apostle: “They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, ‘It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of

God’” (14:22). God Love You!!! Fr. Jim Starasinich

Dear Jesus! Your kindness to the penitent thief recalls the prophetic words of the Old Testament: “If your sins be as scar- let, they shall be made white as snow: and if they be as red as crimson, they shall be white as wool.” In Your words of for- giveness to the penitent thief, I understand now the meaning of your words: “I have not come to call the just, but sinners. . . . They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill.” “There shall be more joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.” I see now why Peter was not made Thy first vicar on earth until after he had fallen three times, in order that the Church of which he was the head might forever under- stand forgiveness and pardon. Jesus, I begin to see that if I had never sinned, I never could call You “Savior.” The thief is not the only sinner. Here am I! But Thou art the only Savior. – Venerable Fulton J. Sheen April 5: Palm Sunday Happy Birthday! Apr. 6-12 Taylor Hanson, Today is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Makailyn Hedberg, Brooke Purrier, Christopher Reller,

the holiest of Christian weeks. Let us pray for Carol Steinbauer, Kristin Smith, Anthony Wencl, the grace to take up our own cross and to Eugene Keller, Lori Maas, follow Jesus through death to new life.

Please support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul so Try Formed.org! that together we can help the poor as they carry their cross of suffering and pain. This past week we St. Joseph/Christ the King has a parish subscription to received 13 calls and helped 6 families with rent, Formed.org. You can find free studies, movies, books, and kids materials. Instructions to get started: gas, and food. We served over 80 take-out meals to Vincent’s Table guests. For the safety of all, we will  Go to formed.org click ‘Sign Up’, ‘I belong to a Parish’, discontinue serving meals at Vincent’s Table, until enter parish code: 9e4112, click ‘next’. health concerns are relieved.  Create your Account - name, email, click ‘Sign Up’.

Membership-For further information, contact Deb **If you’ve registered previously with Formed, go McManimon at [email protected]. Our phone to formed.org and use the ‘Sign In’ tab at the top right. is 507-676-5508. Please keep the following in your prayers:

DOW-R Sunday Televised Mass Schedule: Caleb Svenby, Dave Arnold, Barbara Steinbauer, Ann  KAAL Charter Channel 6 at 9:00am Willette, Jean Larson, Carolyn Willette, Kris Maas, Lawrence Giefer, Don Schultz, Mary Jean Malecha, Jim  Charter Channel 17 at 11:00am Thibodeau, Fr. Edward Mountain, Fr. Robert Herman,  DISH Channel 23 at 9:30am Tammy Pumper, Merle Gostomczik, and all who are ill.  EWTN Charter Channel 80 Please call St. Joseph’s to add names to this list.  WKBT Channel 8 (LaCrosse) at 7:30am  KEYC Channel 12 (Mankato) at 7:30am The Knights of Columbus Owatonna Council 945

Mass can also be viewed any time on demand at and Medford/Deerfield Council 4909 thank all of https://www.dowr.org/about/weekly-mass.html. our parishioners from the three parishes of Sa- cred Heart, St. Joseph and Christ the King for their great support of the Wheelchair Sunday initiative, 2020 Catholic Ministries Appeal which has raised over $13,000, and more donations con- tinue to come in. The result of this campaign so far means Christ the King Parish Goal: $13,200 that we have funds for about 90 wheelchairs to give to the

Total Pledged/Received as of 3/27/20: $3,365 needy who otherwise would never have a chance to have a wheelchair. Mobility is a life changer for the person in need Amount Over/(Under) Goal: ($9,835) and their family. Number of 2020 Donors: 20

Thank you for your generosity! NOTE: All the faithful of the Diocese of Winona- Rochester are invited to pray with Bishop Quinn and to enter into the Liturgies that celebrate our salvation Real Presence Radio is streaming Daily in Jesus Christ.

Mass live Monday through Friday at 9:00 Palm Sunday – 10:30 a.m. AM CT on our Facebook and YouTube Holy Thursday – 7 p.m. channels with many of our local priests. If you can’t Good Friday – 12 p.m. join us during that time, please check out our Holy Saturday – 8 p.m. website for a listing of other times that you can Easter Sunday – 10:30 a.m. virtually partake in the Mass. Sunday Mass will be broadcast at 7:00 AM and 10:30 AM CT on Real These Liturgies can be accessed at the Diocese of Presence Radio. Please check out our News page Winona-Rochester Weekly Mass webpage, for a listing of cancellations and other opportunities www.dowr.org/about/weekly-mass.html. to celebrate the Mass.

NOTICE: The April issue of the Courier will be online only. You can find it and other issues of the Courier on our website, dowr.org, by clicking the "The Courier" box on our homepage or by finding "The Courier" under the Offices menu.

This bulletin will be posted at https://www.parishesonline.com/find/christ-the-king-church- .