Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

Adoration Chapel — so much confusion!

When is it open? When the church is open? Let’s keep that simple.

1st Distinction: Open Chapel vs Solemn Exposition:

Open: you may go into the chapel to pray, Jesus is in the tabernacle, and you can enjoy the quiet space to pray.

Solemn Exposition: these are the hours where Jesus is out of the tabernacle and in the Monstrance for you to gaze upon the host and adore Him. This is where the complicated schedule comes into play.

Why this distinction? Because when we have solemn exposition, we must always have someone in the chapel at all times. Hence we have a minimum of 2 people committed to cover each hour.

Can we have more of the solemn exposition than currently (Wednesday to Friday)? Funny you should ask. Yes, we can. We are beginning promotion of such sign-ups, to try to cover 48 more hours so that adoration can fill up the week! Are you interested in becoming a permanent adorer? Contact Serena at adoration@stmaryfred.org

Problem #1: That door. It is giving folks ts getting it to work properly and we are trying to resolve that. Thank you for your patience.

Anticipated Problem #2: Parking. You know that parking is difficult, above all on weekends. If you come for the adoration chapel on weekends, you MUST park in such a place as you do not block anyone, and cannot be blocked in. We will not interrupt weddings and Sunday masses to ask folks to move their cars. Folks who want to use the quiet prayer space on weekend, need to park in the front parking lot near the parish offices. Avoid the back portion of the lot. I know you navigate this (mostly) for coffee shop, and other things on weekends. However we will desperately need the cooperation and understanding of the whole parish.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

On Monday September 7, there will be no 4pm HCA Mass. The regular schedule at the church is unaffected.

Dear Folks,

This past week we celebrated the feast days of St. Monica and St. Augustine. St. Monica’s feast was Thursday, and St. Augustine on Friday! It is only fitting that the mother’s feast day is before the son’s! With an Augustinian pope, I am confident that there will be increased reflection on these two great saints during his papacy.

St. Monica is a great intercessor for parents whose children have le the practice of the faith. She prayed for the future saint for many years, and her tears and prayers were answered beyond what she ever imagined! The second thing which I always recall for her, is that when she was dying, St. Augustine promised to take her body to her homeland for burial.

Her response shows her saintly focus on heaven and the holy sacrice of the Mass: “Bury my body wherever you will; let not care of it cause you any concern. One thing only I ask you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be.” I invite all parents of children who have dried away from the practice of the faith, to pray for St. Monica’s powerful intercession and attend Mass as frequently as possible.

Secondly, in today’s bulletin there is a notice of invitation for all interested in participating in the St. Monica Prayer Group of St. Mary’s; a beautiful community of faith, gathering to encourage and pray for one another. Their next gathering is Saturday, September 12. Please reach out!

As a nod to the Holy Father, we put a statue of St. Augustine into the new adoration chapel. It is the statue on the rightmost side of the reredos, and it is the statue that has most elicited the question, “who is that?” He is depicted with a book in his hand and a flaming heart, which is a nod to this line from the beginning of The Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

St. Monica, powerful in prayer, and St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, pray for us!

pax,

Father John Mosimann

This weekend we will be taking up a special second collection for the victims of the earthquake in Columbia earlier this summer.  Please make checks payable to St Mary and put “For Columbia” in the memo.