SUNDAY, March 27, 2016 | EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD Parish Office Phone: 651-777-8116 Fax: 651-777-8743 Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Website: www.presentationofmary.org 1725 Kennard Street • Maplewood, Minnesota 55109 Parish Staff Pastor Fr. Benny Mekkatt CFIC 651-842-6013 [email protected] Deacon Deacon Michael Martin 651-842-6014 Director of Administration and Finance Steve Blessing 651-842-6017 Director of Faith Formation/ Pastoral Minister S. Kathleen Rademacher, OSB 651-842-6018 Director of Stewardship Kay Mottaz 651-842-6022 Director of Music Rebecca Kaup 651-842-6026 Receptionist/Secretary Mary Heymans 651-842-6010 Administrative Assistants Meghan Bothwell 651-842-6019 Karen Simons 651-842-6020 Youth Minister Jessica Nelson 651-842-6025 Presentation School 1695 Kennard Street Maplewood, MN 55109 Phone (K-8): 651-777-5877 Fax (K-8): 651-777-8283 Phone (PreK): 651-770-3093 Fax (PreK): 651-779-2307 Principal Peter Noll 651-842-6032 Fr. Benny and the Presentation Staff School Secretary Linda Prazak 651-842-6030 wish you all a Blessed and Happy Easter! Preschool Director Erin Hinds 651-842-6070 Mass Schedule Confessions Saturday: 5:00 pm Saturday: 3:30 pm—4:30 pm Sunday: 8:30 am and 10:30 am Tues-Thurs: 7:30 am—7:50 am Mon-Thurs: 8:00 am, Fri: 8:45 am or by appointment Adoration Morning Prayer/Rosary Tues-Thurs: 7:00 am—8:00 am (C) Mon-Thurs: 7:30 am Thursday: 8:30 am—8:30 pm (SFC) Mass Intentions From the Pastor 28-Mon: “He is risen, Alleluia, Alleluia – He is risen indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!” 8:00 am † Beverly Freye 29-Tues: A traditional Easter greeting in the Western church is the exclamation, “He is 8:00 am † Rev. Ambrose Mahon risen, alleluia, alleluia!” and the response is, “He is risen indeed, alleluia, 30-Wed: alleluia!” Jesus is risen! “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is 8:00 am Spiritual Renewal of your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:54-55) Easter is the Presentation Parish greatest and the most important feast in the Church. We celebrate it with 31-Thurs: pride and jubilation for three reasons: 8:00 am † Barbara Focht a. The resurrection of Christ is the basis of our Christian faith. It is the 1-Fri: greatest of the miracles, and it proves that Jesus is God. That is why St. 8:45 am First Communicants Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain; and their Families and your faith is in vain.” (1 Cor 15:14) All the basic doctrines of 2-Sat: Christianity are founded on the truth of the resurrection. 9:00 am Persecuted Christians 5:00 pm † Shirley Sandercock b. Easter is the guarantee of our own resurrection. Jesus assured Martha † Dorothy Pennertz at the tomb of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever † Catherine Zabrok believes in me will live even though he dies.” (John 11:25-26) 3-Sun: 8:30 am Parishioners c. Easter is the feast which gives us hope and encouragement in this 10:30 am † Sam & Louise Damico world of pain, sorrows, and tears. As the risen Jesus said to the women † Harry Munson, Jr. on their way from the tomb, so he says to us on this Easter day—the same message of hope and comfort, “Do not be afraid.” Infant Baptism: Easter gives us the assurance that Good Friday is not the end. It reminds us Contact the Parish Office. that every Good Friday in our lives will have an Easter Sunday, and that Jesus A preparation session is required. will let us share the power of His resurrection. Each time we continue to Session may be taken prior to hope—even when our hope seems unanswered—we share in the power of the birth of the child. Jesus’ resurrection. In short, the message of Easter is that nothing can destroy us—pain, sin, rejection, death—because Christ has conquered all Marriage: these, and we too can conquer them if we put our faith in Him. Begin arrangements with the priest or deacon at least It’s been a great blessing to see a good response to the three nights Lenten 1 year in advance. reflection series on “Heroic Catholicism.” I am quite sure that everyone who attended the series has benefited a lot from it to renew and reboot your Anointing of the Sick: spiritual life. Walking through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, This sacrament is available to now we enter into the Easter season—a season to begin our lives with anyone who is seriously ill or renewed spirit and enthusiasm. In a couple of days, Wednesday, March 30th, suffering from a prolonged illness. 7:00-9:30 pm, we are having another great event here at Presentation: a Please call the Parish Office for once-in-a-lifetime chance to listen to a dynamic and motivating Catholic arrangements. speaker, Chris Stefanick. I, once again, earnestly and humbly encourage you not to miss this great moment and to invite your family members and First Communion, neighbors to come along with you to attend this life changing event: Reboot! First Confessions, Live! I know and I believe that you will do it, because you love this family of Confirmation, Adult Baptism: Presentation and we are resurrection people. Please call the Parish Office at 651-777-8116. Wish you your family a Blessed and Happy Easter! New Parishioners: -Fr. Benny Anyone wishing to register as a member of the parish Don’t Miss REBOOT! LIVE! may call the Parish Office at Wednesday, March 30, 2016, 7:00 pm 651-777-8116. If you move, or Tickets: $19.00 change your phone number, please call the Parish Office A life-changing event for parish and and let us know your new address. family age 12-adult. Reserve your tickets at www.presentationofmary.org or http:// Prayer Line: reallifecatholic.com/reboot-live-participants/. Jo Kusz 651-771-7438 It’s time to start living the Life you were made for! FFF: Family-centered Faith Formation Thank You Special Easter blessings to the children who, waving their A special thank you to palms, joined the “Jesus Parade” (procession) last Sunday. all the musicians who The children are taught that Easter, and not Christmas nor shared their ministry their birthdays (!), is the greatest feast of the whole year. and talents during the Jesus rises from the dead so we can leave our empty tombs of sin and live Holy Week Liturgies. as Easter people. Now he walks with us on our journeys of faith and MERCY. Best wishes to all for a blessed and mercy-filled Easter…all 50 days of it. In Spring Fest Raffle Tickets the early Church, those 50 days were like one long Sunday where the Spring Festival raffle tickets are disciples of Jesus celebrated his presence among them as well as their own available in the Kennard Street Baptismal call to be his intentional disciples. ALLELUIA, HE IS RISEN! entrance; please stop by and pick up FFF sessions will be held on April 3rd, 17th, and 24th. There is no FFF session your envelope. If you do not find on April 10th as that is the day our Faith Community joyfully celebrates the your envelope, please contact the First Communion of 22 young parishioners. Come and rejoice with them and Parish Office, and a set of tickets will their families. be made available to you. - S. Kathy Remember to turn in your raffle tickets by Sunday, May 15. The Two Feet of Social Concerns Justice: Mercy is an issue of justice. It is JUST to work for systemic change in Stewardship the political arena so that the cries of the poor might be heard. Injustice is In the second reading contagious, as is MERCY. Pope Francis said that LOVE is the foundation of today, St. Paul reminds true justice. Love is MERCY in action. ALL are invited to the Social Justice the Colossians that they Meet-up which, on April 10th (7:00 to 8:30 pm), will be held here at have been raised with Presentation in Kenney Hall. The topic for discussion will be “HOT TOPICS of Christ, exhorting them to the 2016 LEGISLATIVE SESSION.” Your opinions are valued and may be the “think about the things above rather source of positive action on the part of those who hear them. than the things of earth.” We, too, Charity: Easter blessings to all who opened their hearts and wallets in order have been raised with Christ. Let us to “Easter” our brothers and sisters living in poverty. Those donors are rejoice and be glad! agents of God’s MERCY. A mom with 3 young children asked for quarters for laundry and for food. Their electricity was shut off and, as a result, the little Operation Rice Bowl food they had spoiled. Thus one can see the plight of parents whose little We prayed, fasted, ones also suffer as a result of their families being poor. Quarters for laundry and gave alms—and are urgently needed for families living in apartments who need to pay for now we celebrate! each load of laundry. Perhaps a special little “bank” in your home could hold Our Lenten journey with CRS Rice the quarters you randomly put in, and then gather them up and bring them Bowl ends in our own hearts, where for families in need of them.