March 2007
Month of Saint Joseph

St. Joseph Film Series
St. Joseph Church and Ignatius Press Present a Special Lenten Observance
Padre Pio Sanctus, March 24
Padre Pio, Miracle Man, March 25
Click here for times and ticket details.

Adult Faith Formation has begun. See the schedule for details. The biweekly classes are also listed on the parish calendar.

Schedule change!
As of January 14, 2007, our Latin Mass has moved to 12:00 noon and our English Mass has changed to 10:30. On the fourth Sunday of each month, the 10:30 Mass will be in German. Fr. Borkowski has made this change because so many who attend the German Mass travel a very long distance and petitioned him for the change.

Get involved in the Parish Council!
All parishioners are welcome to attend the meetings and participate in the governance of the parish. You can download the minutes from the last meeting here.

REGISTRATION
If you have been attending St. Joseph Parish but have not registered as a parishioner, please consider joining us! You can download a registration form here. Once you have completed it, please drop it into the collection basket at Mass, or send it to the address at the top of the sheet.

Don't forget Daily Mass!
Fr. Mark has reinstated daily Mass in our cluster. Mass is held Monday and Tuesday in Latin, and Wednesday in English at St. Joseph's at 12:10 p.m. Thursday noon Mass is at St. Josaphat's, and Fridays at Sweetest Heart of Mary, also at noon. Take the time for midday worship!

News: March 18, 2007
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

SPECIAL LENTEN OBSERVANCE
The award winning film, Padre Pio: Sanctus, will be shown at 1:30 pm today in the Social Hall. Refreshments, books, & DVDs will be available for purchase. Admission is $5.00 per person or a maximum of $25.00 per family. The film will be followed by Vespers in the church at 5:30 pm. This is a very special opportunity to learn from a modern Catholic hero, Saint Pio, and to pray the Vesper liturgy.

Our Knights of Columbus will be hosting their annual Tootsie Roll sale next weekend. Profits help the many charities that are supported by our Knights. See the History Corner!

Our monthly Bake Sale is next Sunday, April 1st. We always need people to bake and customers to buy. So far we have had 13 Bake Sales here at Saint Joseph Church. Our profits have reached a total of $4,642.09. Special thanks go to the people who have baked in excess of 12 items for each bake sale. This entails at least two days of baking and a large outlay for ingredients. May God bless all of our bakers for their generosity to the parish.

Confession Schedule
Saturday, March 31st, 3:00 pm at Sweetest Heart of Mary.
Sunday, April 1st, 9:15 am at St. Josaphat.
Wednesday, April 4th, after the 12:10 Mass and Novena at St. Joseph Church.

Confessions are heard at Saint Bonaventure Monastery, 1740 Mt. Elliot, between Vernor and Jefferson, 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday, on the hour at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00. This schedule is current from Monday, March 26th through Saturday, March 31st.
The Holy Week Confession schedule for St. Bonaventure is as follows: Normal confession schedule for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 2nd, 3rd and 4th. No Confessions will be heard on Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday, April 5th, 6th and 7th.

News: March 18, 2007
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Joseph.
Mass will be at  12:10 followed by novena prayers and adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament until Vespers at 5:30 pm. A Spaghetti dinner ($5.00) will follow in the Social Hall at 6:00 pm. Sign up sheets are available in the rear of the church to fill all the hours of adoration for tomorrow. Admission $5.00 per person.  Family maximum $25.00

Padre Pio Movies
Folks are invited to St. Joseph Church Hall this weekend to watch two films about Padre Pio. Padre Pio: Sanctus will be shown at 6:00 pm on Saturday, March 24th. On Sunday, March 25, Padre Pio, Miracle Man, will be shown at 1:30 pm. Refreshments, books and DVDs will be available for purchase and will benefit St. Joseph Church. The Sunday screening will be followed immediately at 5:30 pm with Second Vespers for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. This is a very special opportunity to learn from a modern Catholic hero (St. Pio), and to pray the liturgy that is second only to Holy Mass in the Church’s public worship. Please join us for this special Lenten observance sponsored by St. Joseph Church and Ignatius Press. For information on how to purchase movie tickets, go to our website's movie page.

Born in 1875 and ordained a priest in 1910, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Italy received the stigmata after celebrating Mass on September 20, 1918, during his prayers of thanksgiving before the Crucifix. His hands, feet and side were pierced with the nail marks and lance wound of Jesus Christ. His 5 wounds were deep, bleeding and painful for 50 years. He heard confessions for up to 16 hours a day, was an instrument in God’s hands for healing the sick in both body and soul. It is said that he could bi-locate. He died on September 23, 1968. Pope John Paul II declared him a Saint on June 16, 2002.

Our Knights of Columbus are selling raffle tickets for a one week trip to Naples, Florida or Puerta Vallerta Mexico including air fare. The Knights are also taking orders for Easter Hams and Sausages. See a Knight after Mass.

News: March 11, 2007
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT

SPECIAL OBSERVANCE
Friday, March 16th, beginning with Mass at noon, marks the beginning of our annual Forty Hours Devotion to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament at Sweetest Heart of Mary for the three churches of our cluster. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed all Friday afternoon until 6:15 Benediction. Saturday, March 17th, noon Mass followed by exposition until 3:30 Benediction. Sunday, March 18th, exposition after the 10:30 Mass until 3:00 pm procession and Benediction.

The annual 9-day novena to St. Joseph begins today and continues each day throughout the cluster until Monday, March 19th. Novena prayers for home use are available in the rear of the church. Please do not take the church copies.

Prayer, Fasting and Alms Giving
Is there a special soul in your life either living or deceased who is in need of, or who will benefit from the fruits of the Holy Mass? In the Lenten spirit of giving alms, God may be offering you a rare opportunity here at Saint Joseph Church.

UTILITY BILLS
The combined cost of gas and electricity for our parish for the month of January was $4,184.81. Add to that our share of Fr. Mark’s and Fr. Paul’s salaries, the salaries of our custodian and organists and the various materials that must be purchased to operate the parish. Are we each carrying our fair share of the expenses?

Confraternity of Saint Joseph
Each year on March 19th, the Feast of Saint Joseph, a period of open enrollment begins for the Saint Joseph Confraternity. The required donation is $50 for each name submitted. This entitles that person to a one-year enrollment of 52 Masses, Saint Joseph Novena Prayers and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is important that enrollments be completed before Wednesday, March 21, when the first Mass of the Confraternity will be celebrated for the new enrollment year. Enrollments will be accepted throughout the year but late enrollments will only consist of the number of Masses that remain to be celebrated before March 19th, 2008. Enrollment forms are in the rear of the church.

News: March 4, 2007
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

The feast of Saint Joseph, on Monday, March 19, is just two weeks away. The schedule has been mailed to all of the cluster. Mass at 12:10 followed by adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament until Vespers at 5:30. A Spaghetti dinner will follow in the Social Hall at 6:00. Make plans now to spend time with our Blessed Lord on this day of Eucharistic adoration.

The extensive plaster damage around our side altars that was caused by a leaking roof has been beautifully restored by our custodian, Tom Cracchiolo. Tom has had one helper, who volunteers here 5 days a week, Rick Gosiewski, who has helped him extensively. Rick is presently laid off from Chrysler. To his credit, he has volunteered here at St. Joseph’s every time he has been laid off. Young Nick Potrykus also volunteers here one day a week. New projects have been taken on of restoring the plaster damage in our vestibule that occurred last year when a radiator steam pipe broke and turned the plaster in the vestibule into watery mush. The ushers room is also being dismantled. Besides these projects that can be handled in house, we have projects that require outside workmen. All our parishioners are asked to walk along the side of the church by Orleans Street and inspect our storm windows. They are literally falling apart and must be replaced. This will be costly and we may only be able to replace those in the very worst condition because of our limited finances. At the present time we are accepting bids from various companies that specialize in performing this kind of work. Notice also that a significant amount of mortar is falling out of the stonework on the church. It has been over 60 years since many of these areas have had any attention. (See History Corner). Please consider the cost of these projects when you make your contributions to the church. Along with whopping utility bills, these projects need financing.

Confraternity of Saint Joseph
Mass is offered every Wednesday for living and deceased members of the Confraternity. Annual enrollments for inclusion in 52 Masses begin each year on the Feast of St. Joseph. The required donation is $50 for each name submitted. Enrollment forms are in the back of the church.

In the charity of your prayers, remember the sick

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