It's great to pray the Rosary as a group.  Join us as often as you're able. 
Don't know how to say the Rosary?  No problem!  The group will help you along.  
​Just click on this Zoom link on weekday mornings at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. 
​It will be the best 15 minutes of your day!

SAVE THE DATE FOR MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK!
​Click here to register.  
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Triduum (Latin for Three Days).  As the Bishops of the United States explain it:
 
“The summit of the Liturgical Year is the Easter Triduum—from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday. Though chronologically three days, they are liturgically one day unfolding for us the unity of Christ's Paschal Mystery.  The single celebration of the Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season, and leads to the Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord at the Easter Vigil. The liturgical services that take place during the Triduum are:
· Mass of the Lord's Supper
· Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
· Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord.”
 
You still may ask why it’s three days since the Triduum begins on Holy Thursday and ends Easter Sunday evening. We must remember that these sacred days begin at sundown.  Thus, Holy Thursday sundown until Good Friday sundown is the first day.  Good Friday sundown until Holy Saturday sundown is the second day, and Holy Saturday sundown until Easter Sunday sundown is the third day.  Hence, three days.
 
JOIN US!  You’ll learn much more about the Triduum and have the opportunity to “meet” each of the three Pastors of our Tri-Parish grouping:  Fr. Marty O’Donovan of Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity, Fr. Steve of Divine Mercy of course, and Fr. Wayne Watts of Sts. Joseph Francis Xavier.
 
We hope to see you on Zoom! 

We ask your prayers for those who will be initiated at the Easter Vigil this year.  This Sunday, we'll celebrate the final scrutiny with our elect (those preparing for baptism) at the 10:00 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church. The scrutinies are meant to uncover, and then heal, all that is weak or sinful, and bring out, and then strengthen, all that is upright, strong and good. This ritual includes the 'laying on of hands' by the priest (as well as their sponsors/godparents), which is a personal prayer for each of the elect. 
You can view the video of last week's laying on of hands above.

As their Catholic community of faith and support, please keep our  the Elect in your prayers as they prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist:  Frank, Gaby, Aoife, Abby and Aedan Ryan.  We also ask your prayers for our Candidates for Reception into the Catholic Church, who will receives the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist: Suzanne Dunne, Lisa Lesniak and Diane Ryan (yes, part of the same Ryan family).

We invite you to join us at our 8:00 a.m. Mass at St. Philip the Apostle on Friday, March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, as we unite with the Holy Father, Cardinal Cupich, Bishop Bartosic and churches around the world to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Pope will pray the Act of Consecration, and has asked all Bishops and priests to join him spiritually in this prayer. Fr. Steve will offer this prayer at Mass. If you are unable to be with us, but would like to join in the prayer, the text of the Act of Consecration follows.

Please note that the Vatican News channels, including their website, YouTube channel and Facebook, will broadcast the Act of Consecration (with English-language commentary) around 12:30 p.m. our time on Friday, March 25th, if you'd like to watch.

The Act of Consecration
        O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

        Yet we have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young. We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbor’s keepers and stewards of our common home. We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters. We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves. Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

        Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life. He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity. By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

        We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart. We are your beloved children. In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion. At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort. Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times. In you we place our trust. We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

        That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs. To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded. We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace. We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness. How greatly we need your maternal help!

        Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.
Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.
Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.
Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.
Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.
Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.
Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.
Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.
Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

        O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts. May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew. Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace. May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs. May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land. May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

More in Europe:
        Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26). In this way he entrusted each of us to you. To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27). Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history. At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ. The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

        Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine. Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love. Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world. The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace. We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more. To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

        Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days. Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God. May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts. In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion. You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace. 
Amen.

First and foremost, pray for peace.  Pray for the people of Ukraine, those who are displaced by the war, those who have remained behind, those who have died, and those who are defending their country. 

Ways you can help:
Visit Catholic Relief Services to make a donation.
Visit  Catholic Extension , whose efforts support the nuns and priests taking care of children and families in Ukraine.  
Make a donation to the U.S. Bishop's collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, which includes Ukraine, via our safe and secure GiveCentral portal, which you can find here.
Visit the US Bishop's website, which links to the Catholic News Service, listing several Catholic agencies collecting donations for the people of Ukraine. Just click here.