San Luis:
  The Rosary is recited     the First Saturday
  at 10:00 AM with the
  Guadalupanas at the      Church.

  Holy Cross:
  The Chaplet of  
  Divine Mercy is
  recited on fridays at

  The Rosary is prayed before mass at 9:30 on Sunday and Wednesdays at  6:30 pm with the Religious Education students and catechists downstairs at the Activity Center.

May 13, 2017 marked the
100th anniversary of
Our Lady''s appearances to the children
in the tiny village of Fatima, Portugal
In her apparitions she appeals
to all of us to pray the rosary every
day for peace in the whole world. 

Our health and our lives depend on the sprouting of seeds and water to ensure their growth.  Through the nurturing of seeds, then harvesting and eating of their produce, we receive God’s choicest blessings.  Saving some of the new seeds allows us to continue this miraculous cycle each year. 
Just as seeds cannot grow without water, so the cycle of rain blesses us, and allows the water to be replenished in the ground.  From the beginning, You called us to the honored task of being workers in your garden.  Let us seek God’s guidance in planting seeds of love in our lives that will grow through the years into living words of your Son. 
Let us pray.  Loving God, the Spirit of Life hovered over the waters and began the great work of creation.  Bless the waters of this earth.  Let them fall again from the sky at the proper times so that our gardens and fields may yield abundantly, and all growing things may thrive.  Bless also the seed, pregnant with life.   Let them show us the Easter mystery of new life coming from death and burial.  May they burst forth soon with verdant growth from earth, rain, and sun.  Through the rain and these seeds, bring us to a new awareness of your presence in and around us, as we joyfully live in the knowledge of eternal resurrection.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Jerome

Saint Jerome is proof that saints aren’t perfect. In fact, Saint Jerome was known as crabby, irritable, and sarcastic, and yet he still made it to sainthood—of course, by asking for God’s help to become a better person. Jerome made a lot of enemies in his life, but he is perhaps most known for his great kindnesses, especially for removing a thorn from the paw of a suffering lion. The Church honors Saint Jerome on September 30. 

Praying with Saint Francis of Assisi

The Church honors Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4. Pope Francis took his papal name after Saint Francis; the name recalls the saint’s commitment to the poor as well as to caring for the environment. The Church connects caring for the poor with caring for Creation, as climate change, pollution, and other damage to the environment has the biggest effect on people who live in poverty.

August 25, 2019 – 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

This week, we celebrate two feast days in memory of a mother and son—Saint Monica (8/27) and her son, Saint Augustine(8/28). Saint Monica prayed for years for Augustine’s conversion of heart and mind so that he would embrace the Catholic faith. During nine of those years, Augustine was practicing an occult religion called Manichaeism. With the influence of Saint Ambrose, Augustine eventually renounced the teaching of the Manichees and was baptized in 387. He went on “to become one of the most significant and influential thinkers in the history of the Catholic Church” (CatholicNewAgency.com). He served the Church as priest and bishop and was named a Doctor of the Church.

God heard and answered the prayers of Monica for her son. She prayed for Augustine’s conversion, and God had great things in store for him. God hears all of our prayers and answers them in ways that are ultimately for our good.

Let us pray… Loving God, you know a parent’s love for their children. Help us to entrust the children in our care—at home and in the classroom—to you. As we pray for them and strive to give them a good foundation of faith, help us to trust in your timing. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Saint Bernard had no aspirations beyond a simple monastic life; however, he became a superstar of the twelfth-century Church. At twenty-two, Bernard joined an austere order of Benedictines called the Cistercians. Within three years, he was asked to start a monastery near his hometown of Clairvaux in northeastern France. Though he could be irritable and rude, he was also known for his kindness and care, and people went out of their way to be touched by his healing hands. Despite the fact that he rubbed shoulders with popes and princes, Saint Bernard maintained the simple lifestyle of a monk. The Church celebrates Saint Bernard on August 20.

Celebrate the Saints This Week (16th Week in Ordinary Time)

This week, the Church celebrates several of the earliest saints, including Saint Mary Magdalene (July 22), Saint James, the Apostle (July 25), and Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26). These prayers and reflections can help you include these saints in a special way in your daily prayers. Saint Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus and witnessed his Crucifixion, Death, and Resurrection. She joyfully shares the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection with Jesus’ Apostles. With his brother John, James the Apostle served Jesus during his ministry on Earth. James is well-known for asking Jesus whether he and John might sit at Jesus’ right and left when he rose in glory. He is the patron saint of Spain. Hundreds of people every year walk the paths of the Camino de Santiago, also known as the “Path of Saint James.” Saints Joachim and Anne prayed fervently for a child. Each November, Catholics recognize their promise to dedicate their child to God in the Temple during the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Celebrate the Saints this Week (14th Week in Ordinary Time)

This week, the Church celebrates several saints, including Saint Augustine Zhao Rong (July 9), Saint Benedict (July 11), and Saint Henry (July 13). Catholic Digest offers prayers and reflections so that you might include these saints in a special way in your daily prayers. Saint August Zhao Rong was among the 120 martyrs murdered in China for their Christian faith between 1648 and 1930. His optional memorial not only reminds us of his bravery, but also encourages us to pray for Christians today who are persecuted for their faith. Saint Benedict was a fifth-century hermit who influenced the 1,500-year tradition of religious orders, in which members are unified under a particular rule or set of guidelines for living. Six centuries later, Saint Henry is credited with reforming ecclesiastical and monastic life.
 Image credit: St. Benedict delivering his rule to the monks of his order. France, Monastery of St. Gilles, Nimes, 1129, (public domain in the US) via Wikimedia Commons.

Celebrate the Saints This Week (13th Week in Ordinary Time)

The Church honors several saints this week, including Junípero Serra (July 1), Elizabeth of Portugal (July 4 feast day, observed July 5), and Maria Goretti (July 6). Canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis, Junípero Serra founded missions throughout California. As queen, Elizabeth of Portugal served her people, especially the sick and the poor. Maria Goretti, an eleven-year-old martyr, was violently attacked and died from her injuries. Share the stories of these saints with your children and families.

Prayers for Saints Peter and Paul

The Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, June 29. The editors of Catholic Digest, also a Bayard, Inc. publication, compiled a series of five prayers appropriate for this feast day. Summer Saints also highlights these early Church leaders. Share these prayers with your families and encourage them to incorporate them into their regular family prayer time.
 

Summer Saints

The Church celebrates the exemplary lives of saints throughout the year. During the summer months, remind your children and their families about some of these special people. Summer Saints includes Saint Thomas More (June 22), who lost his life for refusing to recognize King Henry VIII as the head of the Church. June 24 marks the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin and the one who baptized him in the River Jordan. Summer Saints also includes short biographies of Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Thomas the Apostle, Saint Maria Goretti, and Saints Joachim and Anne.

Saint Rita of Cascia

This 14th-century saint endured a great deal of violence and sadness in her life, including physical abuse and the death of her spouse and her twin sons. She expressed interest in a living religious vocation from early on, but was discouraged by her parents who thought that marriage would ensure her security. After the deaths of her family members, Saint Rita joined the nearby Augustinian convent. Saint Rita is the patron of impossible cases. She was recognized as a saint by Pope Leo XXIII and canonized on the Jubilee of 1900. Her feast day is May 22. 

Feasts of Spring

As class winds down for the year and the children head out for the summer, plan now to meet as a class for Mass during one of the Church’s many celebrations in June. Use the Feasts of Spring resource page to explain the significance of each of these feasts, including the Visitation, Ascension, Pentecost, Most Holy Trinity, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Select a celebration that is most convenient for everyone in class and invite the children’s families to attend as well. Share this resource with your families. Encourage the children to attend Mass with their families and to point out the Liturgical colors in the vestments, banners, and altar cloths. Ask: Why do they think that Catholics traditionally wear red to Mass on Pentecost?

Saint Rita of Cascia

This 14th-century saint endured a great deal of violence and sadness in her life, including physical abuse and the death of her spouse and her twin sons. She expressed interest in a living religious vocation from early on, but was discouraged by her parents who thought that marriage would ensure her security. After the deaths of her family members, Saint Rita joined the nearby Augustinian convent. Saint Rita is the patron of impossible cases. She was recognized as a saint by Pope Leo XXIII and canonized on the Jubilee of 1900. Her feast day is May 22. Share this Catholic resource page about Saint Rita with your children and their families.

Saint Isidore the Farmer (1070–1130)

Two saints who lived in different times and came from different backgrounds share the name Isidore. One, Saint Isidore of Seville, lived around 560–636 and was a bishop credited with having such a vast store of knowledge that today he is considered the patron saint of computers and the internet. But there’s another Isidore, usually called “the farmer” to distinguish him from the bishop. This Saint Isidore—born in Madrid, Spain, about 500 years after the bishop—may in fact have been named for the bishop of Seville.

Isidore the Farmer was not an educated man or a person of high standing in society. Yet he was recognized as a holy man, and he influenced many with his life of charity and prayer. He believed that nothing in this life is more important than staying close to God.

As a young man, Isidore was hired by a rich landowner. He continued to work in this man’s fields his entire life. As he planted, plowed, and harvested the crops, Isidore prayed. He went to Mass every morning, and sometimes the other workers complained that he came late to work because he was at church. One day, the landowner came to see if this was true. When he looked out into the field, he saw an angel doing Isidore’s plowing.

Isidore was a humble man. He was married to María de la Cabeza, who has also been proclaimed a saint. In their community of poor farmers, Isidore and María were always there to feed someone who had less than they did. More than once, the food miraculously multiplied, so there was plenty for everyone to eat. After their only child died as a young boy, Isidore and María used their sorrow to offer comfort and sympathy to others. They showed others that hardship and hard work don’t destroy happiness if one’s heart is with God.

After Isidore’s death, miracles were attributed to him. It is said that when Spain was at war, Isidore appeared to King Alphonsus and showed him a route by which he was able to ambush and defeat the enemy. When King Philip III of Spain was dying, relics of Saint Isidore were brought to the king’s room, and he recovered immediately.

Saint Damien of Molokai

Saint Damien of Molokai was born Joseph de Veuster in a small town in Belgium. After years of working on his family’s farm, he began to study for the priesthood. He took the name of Damien after a fourth-century physician and martyr. While he was still in the seminary, he volunteered for missionary work. His order sent him to Honolulu, where has was ordained in 1864. Share the story of Saint Damien with the children and their families. The Church honors Saint Damien on May 10.

Saint Philip, the Apostle (1st Century)

Saint Philip was born in Bethsaida in Galilee, the hometown of Peter and Andrew. A disciple of John the Baptist, Philip was a quiet and humble man. He may have been with John the Baptist when John called Jesus “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Jesus called Philip to follow him right after he called the two sets of brothers, Peter and Andrew and James and John. Philip did not hesitate to join Jesus. In fact, Philip urged his friend Nathaniel to join him in following Jesus. Nathaniel is thought to be the same man who is usually called Bartholomew when the Twelve Apostles are named. See Matthew 10:2–4.

It took a while for Philip to come to understand who Jesus was. Philip was with Jesus when he fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. When Jesus asked Philip how the large crowd could be fed, Philip was sure that the little food they had would not be enough. Later, Philip was among the disciples who gathered up twelve baskets of leftovers after everyone had eaten. You can read the story in John 6:1–14.

John’s Gospel records another story in which Philip learns more about Jesus. Some people from Greece approached Philip and asked him to help them meet Jesus. Philip and Andrew went to Jesus with this request. Jesus answered by saying that the time for his glory was getting near. This indirect answer to the request of the Greeks is understood as Jesus’ announcement that he had come to save Jews and Gentiles alike. See John 12:20–26.

Philip was also present at the Last Supper. It was Philip who said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus seemed impatient with Philip’s question, but he took the opportunity to teach the Apostles about his relationship with the Father: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (see John 14:8–14).

Philip was with the Apostles and other followers of Jesus who were praying together before Pentecost. With the other Apostles, he received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and was empowered to spread the Good News of Jesus’ teaching. (See Acts 1:12–14 and 2:1–4.) Philip preached in Greece, Syria, and Asia Minor. He was crucified in Hieropolis, a city in what is Turkey today. It is said that Philip preached as he hung upside down on his cross. Saint Philip the Apostle is a model for all of us as we strive to spread the Good News of Jesus. His feast day is May 3.

Pope St. John Paul II’s Prayer to Notre-Dame of Paris

Please join us in praying for all those troubled by the devastating fire in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. We raise our prayers to Our Lady (Notre Dame) for recovery of this treasure of a church that helps us raise our minds and hearts to God.

When Pope John Paul II came to Paris for the first time on May 30, 1980, he read this prayer at the foot of the statue of Notre-Dame de Paris (Our Lady):

Virgin Mary, at the heart of the Cité
We pray to you for this capital city.
You Intact, preserve the purity of its faith!

Virgin Mary, from the banks of the Seine,
We pray to you for the country of France.
O Mother, teach it to hope!

Virgin Mary, in this great Christian site,
We pray to you for all the earth’s people.
You, full of grace, may they be one in Love.

If you wish to make a donation to support the restoration effort of this most visited monument in Europe, you may safely do so through the official site for receiving donations.

Website: www.fondationavenirpatrimoineparis.fr

"The holy souls are eager for the prayers
of the faithful...Pray unceasingly. 
We must empty purgatory!" 
–St. Padre Pio 

"The prayer most pleasing to God is that
made for others and particularly for the
poor souls. Pray for them, if you want
your prayers to bring high interest."
–Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

"Many stay a long time in purgatory
who, although not great sinners,
have lived tepidly."
–Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

The prayers taught to the children at Fatima are simple in structure and profound in depth. To a world poor and needy in faith and charity, these prayers stress ancient truths of our Holy Catholic Church... especially concerning the Holy Eucharist and Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God.
 

1
"Sweet Heart of Mary, be the salvation of Russa, Spain, Portugal, Europe, (Brazil, Canada, the United States) and the whole world."

2
"By thy pure and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, obtain for me the conversion of Russia, Spain, Portugal, Europe and the whole world"

3 Pardon Prayer
"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I ask pardon for all those who do not believe in Thee, do not adore Thee, do not hope in Thee, do not love Thee!"

4 The Angel's Prayer
With the Blessed Sacrament suspended in the air,
the angel at Fatima prostrated himself, and recited the prayer...

"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly, and I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the same Son Jesus Christ, present in the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all thoe sacrileges, outrages and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart, and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners."

5 Eucharistic Prayer
This prayer stresses that most beautiful truth.. that the all-powerful, all-loving God is upon the altar at every Catholic Mass.

"O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee; My God, My God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament"

6 Decade Prayer
Our Lady asked that the following prayer be inserted
after each decade of the Rosary

"O My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need."

7 Sacrifice Prayer
Our Lady taught the children a prayer to be said when they would have something to offer up to God... such as some suffering,
or an act contrary to what they wanted to do
but which was necessary in order to please God.....

"O My Jesus, it is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer this sacrifice to Thee."

Sister Lucy of Fatima Speaks on the Rosary...

"The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a
new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there
is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life
of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is
no problem I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve
by the prayer o fthe Holy Rosary. "With the Holy Rosary, we will save ourselves, we will sanctify ourselves, we will console Our Lord and
obtain the salvation of many souls."

BEGIN WITH A DAILY OFFERING

Father, here I am, I know you are always with me.

I place my heart in the Heart of your Son Jesus.
who gives himself to us in the Eucharist each day.
May your Holy Spirit strengthen me to live the Gospel
in everything I do and say.
For my part I give you this day - all my prayers, works,
joys, and sufferings - all I am and possess.
With Mary, Mother of the Church, I pray for the mission of the Church,
for all Apostles of Prayer, and for the intentions of the Pope this month.

OR

O Jesus, through the Immaulate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the salvation
of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians. I offer them
for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

JANUARY
Young People and the Example of Mary
That young people, especially in Latin America, follow the example of Mary and respond to the call of the Lord to communicate the joy of the Gospel to the world.
 
FEBRUARY
Human Trafficking
For a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence.
 
MARCH
Recognition of the Right of Christian Communities
That Christian communities, especially those who are persecuted, feel that they are close to Christ and have their rights respected.
 
APRIL
Doctors and their Collaborators in War Zones
For doctors and their humanitarian collaborators in war zones, who risk their lives to save the lives of others.
 
MAY
The Church in Africa, a Seed of Unity
That the Church in Africa, through the commitment of its members, may be the seed of unity among her peoples and a sign of hope for this continent.
 
JUNE
The Mode of Life of Priests
That priests, through the modesty and humility of their lives, commit themselves actively to a solidarity with those who are most poor.
 
JULY
The Integrity of Justice
That those who administer justice may work with integrity, and that the injustice which prevails in the world may not have the last word.
 
AUGUST
Families, Schools of Human Growth
That families, through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly "schools of true human growth."
 
SEPTEMBER
The Protection of the Oceans
That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world's seas and oceans.
 
OCTOBER
A Missionary "Spring" in the Church
That the breath of the Holy Spirit engender a new missionary "spring" in the Church.
 
NOVEMBER
Dialogue and Reconciliation in the Near East
That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together.
 
DECEMBER
The Future of the Very Young
That every country take the measures necessary to prioritize the future of the very young, especially those who are suffering.

 
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May the Creator of all and the head of all our families shower us with blessings. Grant us patience with each other as we go through our days. Help us to bear one another's mistakes, to forgive one another's wrongs, and to be gentle with those who are younger as they learn what it means to be family. Give us the gift of gratitude for our famiies. Help us to apprecieate the unique qualities that each member brings to make our family holy, whole and complete. Let the example of our family shine through so that all people will see your goodness through us. Let us be models of the Holy Family today and always.