Parents and Teens,

Wow, can you feel the heat? Summer may be coming to an end, but that hasn't stopped the incredible energy of Life Teen! We've been buzzing with activity, even if we haven't been able to meet as regularly as we'd like. But hey, that's how summer usually goes.

 We've already rocked two major summer events, and guess what? We've got two more in store! So mark your calendars and get ready to dive into the excitement. Don't forget to check out our awesome calendar at www.stanm.org/stay-calendar to stay in the loop.

July
Brace yourself for a lineup that will leave you wanting more. We've got:

•            Rudolph the Sunburned Reindeer | Life Teen – Sunday July 9 @7pm
•            Hungry for More | JCore – Monday July 10@7pm
•            Sweat Proof | Life Teen – Wednesday July 12 @7pm
•            Summer Camp | Life Teen – Sat July 15 – 22 in San Diego
•            Motley Crew | JCore – Monday July 24 @7pm
•            Family Reunion | Life Teen – Wednesday July 26 @7pm
 

August
But hey, we don't stop there! Let's fast forward to August because we've got some mind-blowing events lined up. Make sure to check the calendar for all the exciting details. And mark your calendars for Thursday, August 17, when we'll release our full Fall Schedule. You won't want to miss it!

Volunteer Opportunities for Parents and Teens
As baptized Christians, we're all called to support our parish and spread the good news. We need your passion and energy to make a difference. Parents, we're counting on you to step up and volunteer. Whether it's working with teens or supporting them behind the scenes, we have a place for you. Fill out this form (https://staynm.churchcenter.com/people/forms/268462) to get more information. Remember, our teens need amazing role models like you! If you want to work directly with teens please join us on August 20th for a mandatory and free training session called the Secret Sauce.

Teens, this is your chance to shine too! There are countless ways for you to serve, from joining JCore to contributing your musical talents during Mass and beyond. Head over to our sign-up page and start making a difference. We always need your help at the Life Teen Mass, and if you're a talented musician, drop me an email.

July,No Time for Vacations for Youth Ministers
Now, a word of the wise: July is a whirlwind for us, so please bear with us if we're out of the office most of the time. Summer is our peak season, and we're going full throttle to make the summer and fall unforgettable.

Got questions? Need to find something? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Check out the app or the online version of the app, the Life Teen Connect page. We're currently working on both, but they'll be up and running by August 17th, so stay tuned!

And finally, here are some important links that you absolutely need to have. Connect with us, stay in the loop, and be part of our vibrant Life Teen community. Check out:

·       Life Teen Connect - https://www.stanm.org/ltconnect
·       St. Thomas Aquinas Parish App - https://www.stanm.org/app
·       Explore the STAY Life Teen Blog and our rocking social media sites   - https://linkin.bio/stanmym
·       Life Teen Calendar  - https://www.stanm.org/stay-calendar

As always, you are in our prayers, especially during our Holy Hours. Let's make this summer and fall an unforgettable chapter in our teens journey of Faith!

God Bless,
Deacon Ed Leyba

“In 2001 I went with my samples to Professor Linoli who identified the white blood cells and said to me that most probably the samples corresponded to heart tissue. The results obtained from the samples were similar to those of the studies performed on the Host of the Miracle of Lanciano.

In 2002 we sent the sample to Professor John Walker at the University of Sydney in Australia
who confirmed that the samples showed muscle cells and intact white blood cells and everyone
knows that white blood cells outside our body disintegrate after 15 minutes and in this case 6 years had already passed.”

In September of 2003 I went again to Professor Robert Lawrence who con- firmed that in the light of the new investigations one could conclude that the sample could correspond to the tissue of an inflamed heart. The studies therefore had demonstrated that these tissues were of an inflamed heart: this meant that the person to whom they belonged must have suffered a lot.

To clarify our doubts, on March 2, 2004 we went to the greatest expert in cardiac pathologies and forensic medicine of the heart, Professor Frederick Zugibe of New York, at Columbia University. The professor however did not know that the sample I had brought to him came from a consecrated Host. ‘The sample which you brought me - Professor Zugibe said to me - is the muscle of the heart, of the myocardium, it is precisely the left ventricle’ and he confirmed that my patient had suffered a lot. Then I asked him: ‘Doctor, why has my patient suffered  a lot?’ He answered me: ‘Because your patient has some thrombi, at certain moments he could not breathe, oxygen did not reach him, he labored and suffered much because every aspiration was painful. Probably they gave him a blow at the level of the chest. Moreover the heart showed dynamic activity (alive) at the moment when you brought me the sample.’ ‘Why?’ I ask him. ‘Because we found some intact white blood cells and white blood cells are transported only by the blood and thus if white blood cells are here it is because at the moment in which you brought me the sample it was pulsating.’ The professor then asked to whom this sample be- longed and when we told him that it came from a consecrated Host he exclaimed: ‘I do not believe it.’ He was greatly moved. The same professor had shown to us in a book the case of one of his patients who showed the same lesions, similar to those of the sample that we had brought to him.

The Myocardium is the muscle that gives life to the whole heart and to our body. Rightly a theologian made me note that the fact that it was really the myocardium, was not casual but it concealed a symbolism. The Lord in this miracle wanted to show us his myocardium, which is the muscle that gives life to the whole heart, just as the Eucharist does with the Church. And why the left ventricle? Because from it comes the purified blood and Jesus is the one Who purifies his Church from her sins. ‘Doctor - Professor Zugibe said to me again, at the moment in which you brought me this sample, this heart was alive!’ His report was sent out on March 26, 2005, 5 years and a half after the start of the studies and the conclusions were: ‘They are tissues of the heart, undergoing degenerative changes of the myocardium and these changes are due to the fact that the cells are inflamed and it is the left ventri-cle of the heart.’” On March 17, 2006 I brought the results to Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergoglio.

This is the account given by Professor Castanon regarding the Eucharistic Miracle that occurred in 1996 still in the Parish of Saint Mary:
''On August 15, 1996, a faithful received the consecrated Host in his hands to take communion but he let it inadvertently fall to the ground and thought not to pick it up because it seemed ''dirty'' to him. Another person, more pious, noticed what had happened, picked it up and placed it apart immediately informing the priest, Father Alejandro Pezet. The priest, following the directives of the Church in these circumstances. put the Host in a vessel full of water which he placed in the tabernacle awaiting that it would dissolve."

On August 26 the tabernacle was reopened to get the vessel with the fallen Host, and it was observed that it was not dissolved and showed several reddish stains that became larger each day. The priests of the parish went immediately to the Archbishop of Buenos Aires to recount what had happened. It was decided to wait before proceeding with the investiga­tions and in 1999, after the Archbishop was made aware of the fact that I was performing for free these scientific investigations, he entrusted me to take up the case.

 On October 6, 1999, I went to Buenos Aires and interviewed the 5 priests' witnesses of the event who told me that there had been another consecrated Host which had bled in May of 1992. They had put it in distilled water which is the worst way to preserve something and for this I was very concerned. Everyone knows that when one draws blood it is possible to obtain the leukocyte formula (white blood cells). In blood there is a variety of white blood cells with
specific characteristics.

The priests, in the first miracle, had asked one of their lady parishioners who was a chemist to analyze the bleeding Host. She discovered that it was human blood and that it presented the entire leukocyte formula. She was very surprised to observe that the white blood cells were active. The lady doctor could not however do the genetic examination since at that time it was not easy to perform it.

I brought a sample from the 2 Hosts which had bled, before the archiepiscopal notary who certified the legality of that action, as requested by the authorities of the Church in Argentina. I would like to point out that before inviting me, the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires had already contacted the Holy See to ask for references about me. These were given by H.E. Most Rev. Gianfranco Girotti, who then was under-secretary at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and direct collaborator of Cardinal Ratzinger.

On October 21 I went to the Forensic Analytical genetics laboratory in San Francisco, which
was supposed to perform the analysis of the samples that I had brought. On January 28 of 2000 they found some fragments of human DNA in the samples, it was human blood that contained the human genetic code. In March of 2000 I was informed that also the famous legal histopathologist Dr. Robert Lawrence, one of the top experts in tissues, would participate
in this analysis.

I feared for the participation of Dr. Robert Lawrence because this would have required some substantial costs which I would have had to bear myself, but I was told that they desired his collaboration because in the samples they had found some substances which resembled human tissues. Dr. Lawrence studied the samples and found in them human skin and white blood cells. In December of 2000 Dr. Lawrence told me that he could have obtained other samples of DNA."

Published - Week of August 21, 2022

The parish of Saint Mary in Buenos Aires has been the protagonist of 3 Eucharistic
Miracles that occurred in 1992, 1994 and 1996. Professor Ricardo Castañon Gomez was called by the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, none other than the current Pope Francis, to analyze
the Miracle that occurred on August 15 of 1996.

In 1992, after the Mass of Friday May 1, while preparing the Eucharistic reserve, a Eucharistic minister found some pieces of consecrated Host on the corporal. Following what the Church prescribes to do in these situations, the priest had them put in a vessel of water, which was then placed in the tabernacle to wait for them to dissolve. In the following days, several priests went to check it and they realized that nothing had changed. Seven days later, on Friday, May 8, they opened the tabernacle and saw that the Host fragments had become a reddish color that looked like blood.
 
The following Sunday, May 10, during the two evening Masses, several small drops of blood were noticed on the patens with which the priests distributed Communion. On Sunday, July 24, 1994, during the children’s Mass, while the Eucharistic minister took the pix from the tabernacle, he saw a drop of blood running along its side.

On August 15, 1996, during the Mass of the Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin, a consecrated Host, which fell to the ground during the distribution of Communion, had to be placed again in a vessel of water so it would dissolve. A few days later, on August 26, a Eucharistic minister opened the tabernacle and saw that Host had transformed into Blood.

As Core, many times we look upon an event that we helped plan and execute and jump to the conclusion that it was a great event.  It's important for us (Core, & Parents) to actually hear what the teens thought and then over the coming weeks to discern the fruits that come from the event.  

Below are what some of the teens thought of the Confirmation retreat and also a reminder of the importance of why a retreat needs to be about "getting away from the norm".

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Parish,
This Retreat was amazing!! Thank YOU! Thank You! You changed my life for ever! I felt something I never thought I would. All the tears I shed this weekend was because I know he (Jesus Christ) was there and that I'm not alone. I Thank you for that Amazing Experience!
~Elena

Dear Parish,
I absolutely loved this retreat. I had a lot of doubts and didn't feel super close to Jesus and have much faith in my religion going in. After the amazing Confession and Adoration that we were given that's all gone away. I believe and truly trust in God and Jesus. Thank you for this amazing Experience!
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get closer to God and giving me the chance to have a conversion through the Holy Spirit. This Whole Experience was touching and gave me a feeling I haven't felt. It was nice to focus on prayer and get away from the distractions
~Marisol

Dear Parish,
Thank you for helping to create and support the retreat.  I had lots of un and I appreciate all the events that happened within these last 2 days.  I never had before felt so close to God and never so connected with my group and the community.  This helped me so much spiritually, socially, and physically.
~Jo Lo

Dear Parish,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go on this retreat.  It was really eye opening.  I had a great time and I am so glad I got to grow closer to God and the other people on the retreat.  I learned a lot about my faith and I can't wait for the next Retreat.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you so much for investing so much in this retreat for us to be able to go and experience God.  It really was such a big eye opener in my life.  It made me realize how much I truly have in common with the people in my group.  It was nice I had one friend in the group but the rest I strongly disliked.  They ended up opening up about their lives on Saturday Night.  I realized their struggles and I was able to relate to them more.  Thank you for the experience and I am extremely excited to go on the next retreat.
Sincerely
~name withheld

Dear Parish,
Thank You for giving me the opportunity to go on this retreat it was fun and a good and different experience.  I'm glad I got to go and have Mass and Confession was great.  Also Adoration was a great experience for my first time.
~Shaun

Dear Parish,
Thank you for allowing us this amazing retreat.  I had a great time creating new memories and getting closer to God.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for providing good rooming, food, and hospitality.  This meant a good amount to me as it cleared my mind and let me start fresh.
~MG

Dear Parish,
It was hard to imagine how important this trip would be.. But by the end of it we all realized we needed this to grow closer to not only God but also each other.  Me and my group finally let go and connected with each other.  We are all grateful to have a solid group of friends who share our faith and love for Jesus Christ.  So on behalf of everyone Thank You for Supporting the Trip and Thank you for our new family!!
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for allowing us to go on this trip.  It was a great experience that helped bring us together and bring my faith closer to God.  Saturday night was by far the best Experience of the trip and Saturdays downtime between Confession was very fun. Thank you for allowing this trip and for planning it all.
~Anonymous

Dear Dcn Leyba & the Core Team,
God did ordain and establish free will and with this sacred gift, Dcn & your Core freely expressed their will to help people and young adults. Dcn & your team didn't have to do this for us.  To love is to will the good of another and is infinite when it is coupled with self sacrifice.  Thanks You so much for sacrificing  your time and efforts to make this trip possible.   Thank s for your sacrifice so that we may get closer to God.  It is a true act of Love for us and God.
~the Confirmandee

Dear Parish,
Thank you for being able to spend your time and money for us to have this amazing trip and it wouldn't be possible without you guys.
Thank you!

~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
To go on this retreat meant a lot to me as it helped me to grow in my faith and learn to pray better.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
I had so much fun here!  Thank you!
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank You for letting us go on this retreat.  It was kind of fun.  It helped me come closer to God.  We Cried A lot.  I sincerely appreciate it.  Thank you So Much
~Judie

Dear Parish,
Thank you for this retreat.  I didn't like it at first but by the end I had fun.  Thank you for this.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for allowing me to take part in this retreat.  It means a lot to me that I was able to experience what I experienced.  I will never forget the memories made on this retreat.  I would highly encourage more teens to go on this retreat and for more retreats to continue on in the future.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for making this retreat possible.  I have had such an amazing experience.  I was connected to God in a way I have never experienced begore and my heart felt full.  I was able to make amazing connections with new people there too.  I can not express just how grateful I am for being able to go on the retreat with all these amazing people.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
I would like to thank you for letting me be able to go on this retreat.  The trip made me realize a lot about myself and made me learn how to grow in my relationship with God.  This weekend I was able to connect with the Holy Spirit, along with my peers on a personal level.  Thank You Again
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for taking the time and putting in the effort to care about my spiritual journey.  It was truly and eye opening experience that I could not have gotten anywhere else.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish (STA),
This retreat was really fun.  I had been feeling very overwhelmed at home and it helped me to calm down and destress.  I really felt the Holy Spirit work in the people around me.  When our Core member prayed over us and started praying for the struggles we didn't even know we had, I felt really touched.  
Mr. Woodburry aka "Steve-burry" and his helpers were absolutely amazing and definitely brang me closer to God with his music.
The Core and JCore were so helpful and understanding.
Father Terry was great and super funny.  
I feel that were all going to come out of all this stronger.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
In all honesty, I really didn't want to come but once I came, I started to realize that it wasn't that bad.  I started to talk to people I never thought I would.
~Trey

Dear Parish,
Thank You, This retreat was really fun.  My faith increased tenfold.  I loved to sing to God with Steve-burry! I am ever so grateful.  I hope to do something like this again and I can't wait to bring home what I've Learned.  Thanks Again.

P.S. Core and Jcore was great!!
~Michael

Dear Parish,
Thank you for taking the time to organize this trip, we all had a very good time and it meant a lot to many of us, that we were able to go and find a more personal connection to God.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
To go on this retreat meant the world.  I appreciate every action that was done to make this possible.  It was super fun and an experience for sure.  I truly connected to my faith and so I Thank you for this opportunity
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for making this weekend happen.  This weekend I had so much fun.  I've met a lot of people and to to know some of them.  I've also learned so much this weekend.  It was a very emotional yesterday but I felt amazing, finally going to mass and having people pray over me.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thanks for making this retreat.  I truly appreciate this retreat.  Sorry for having bad handwriting, I am on a shaky bus.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
I want to give a big thank you for giving me the weekend that helped strengthen my faith to a level I didn't expect. This weekend was not only eye opening but the connection I made with people were some of the best I've ever made.  Getting the Chance to feel the Holy Spirit was such an emotional thing and I am so grateful I was able to to go through it with the other teens at our Church.  I will forever and always be so thankful for this weekend so please keep this going for other teens who will get to feel how amazing it was to feel the Holy Spirit and be around people who Love and Support me.

Thank You,
~Andrea

Dear Parish,
This retreat was an amazing experience. I am so glad I was given this opportunity to grow in my faith and grow with the other teens.  The sense of community was unlike anything else I'd ever witnessed.  I will remember this weekend for the rest of my life.  It was completely transformative and I hope many more people preparing for Confirmation will be granted the ability to receive the gift of a truly beautiful retreat. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
~Bethany.

Dear Parish,
Thank you for allowing us to come on this retreat and having amazing experiences.  Thank you for sharing your experiences and allowing us to come closer as a community.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for letting me go and enjoy this retreat this weekend.  I enjoyed praying and cleansing my soul.  I was able to spend time with others as well deepen my faith.  Thanks for the Time, Food, and Transportation.
Thanks
~unreadable

Dear Parish,
Thank you for this trip and the opportunity to bond with people and really get close to my new friends.  Thank you for all you do for everyone and what you provide.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for letting us Experience this.  I have learned alot on this trip and it helped me to open up to God in a way I never have.  I got more out of this then I thought.  I also learned more then I thought about the Church.  So Thank You for making this possible for us.
~a student

Dear Parish (STAP),
Thank you for sending us teens to this New Fire Retreat.  I learned a lot from this experience and I hope to experience more things like this.  I had so much fun, made new friends and learned more about Jesus.  Thank you!
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
The retreat was fun and peacefully.
~Anonymous

Dear Parish,
Thank you for all you do in the community.  You have a immeasurable impact here.  The retreat was great. I had a good time. Please continue doing what you do.
~James

Dear Parish,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip.  I had a great time spending time with God and the new Community I am apart of.  I got to experience the good grace of God for the first time and I have Never felt more free.
~Elijah

My dear family,

HOW LONG, O LORD, HOW LONG ? Pray hard that this Thursday, our Governor will make Sandoval County "green". That way we can open up the church to 500 people and take down the chains! Thank you to everyone for being so patient with all this. Let's pray that the day of the end of all restrictions is soon coming!

MAY CROWNING: It's hard to believe that May - the month of our Blessed Mother - is almost here. So, as is our custom, on Saturday, May 1st, at 7 pm, we will have our traditional May Crowning celebration. We will have the Rosary, crowning of our Lady's statue, the prayer of consecration to our Lady, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Everyone is welcome to bring flowers to present to our Lady.
We have always had ice cream social for the kids after the May Crowning. Due to the virus, we will have a "drive-by" ice cream social after the service where the kids (and anyone else!) can pick up "ice cream to-go" ! Let's honor our dear Blessed Mother as we begin her special month!

UPCOMING WOMEN'S RETREAT: "Eve's Sorrow, Mary's Joy" will be this Saturday, April 24th, 8am to 2pm. Mary, the Second Eve through her obedience gave to us hope and joy through the birth of her Son, who died for our sins. Join us as we explore how we can overcome our sense of shame, guilt, and anxiety and experience the joy and happiness of Mary. The retreat will be COVID safe conducted via Zoom. To register go to the St. Thomas website and click on Grow and scroll to Adult Ministries.

A THANK YOU NOTE FROM THE FILIPPINI SISTERS:
Dear Monsignor Raun,

On behalf of the Religious Teachers Filippini, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to you and to the parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas for your very generous donation in the amount of $16,011.60 to our community for the Retirement Fund. Please know that the result of your parish efforts in raising funds for our Sisters was received with profound gratitude.......Be assured of our continued prayers for you and for the parishioners at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Sister Patricia Pompa, M.P.F.
Provincial Superior.

EUCHARISTIC ADORERS NEEDED :   We are in need of committed Adorers at these hours: Mondays at 3pm and 5pm; Tuesdays at 11am and Thursdays at 11am. Please call or text Sharon at 505-259-2797. Have questions about becoming a committed Adorer here at St Thomas? Call Sharon. She is happy to tell you all you need to know and answer any questions.

UPDATE ON FATHER YOUNG: As some of you know, on Holy Saturday afternoon Fr. Young had a very bad fall on the kitchen patio here at the Rectory. That landed him back in the hospital for two weeks. Thank God he saw marked improvement during that time. However, it also became clear that he needs to be in an environment where he is never alone and more of his needs can be provided for. So, Father is moving into assisted-living at Fairwinds here in Rio Rancho for at least the near future. They will be able to better provide for him as he faces a long and hard fight against cancer. Please keep Fr. Young in your prayers. I know we all miss his ministry here in the parish, and hope that he can soon return to us!

ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS "NORMAL" : Friends, do you remember the first days of the quarantine, when everything shut down? In those scary and lonely first days, our parish life hung upon the slender threads of two machines - the e-mail service on my laptop and the little camera that broadcast the daily Mass from our dining room. Back then I sent memos every day as we went through those dark times. As months went on, the need for the memos decreased.
So - instead of a weekly memo, we will be sending to all of you electronically the weekly bulletin on Saturday morning. Of course the first item in it will be my weekly "Pastor's Corner", so that you can continue to enjoy my wit and wisdom! :-)

But - I will still have the email at my disposal so that I can send you breaking news of the parish at a second's notice.

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!
   
QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“…Prayer, intimate dialogue with the One who is calling you to be his disciples, must come first. Be generous in your active life…and be deeply immersed in the contemplation of God’s mystery. Make the Eucharist the heart of your day." -St. John Paul the Great

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen !
Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL EASTER we were blessed with! I want to thank everyone who helped with our Holy Week celebrations. While it wasn't a "normal" Holy Week and Easter, it was a heck of a lot better than last year!
On Easter Sunday we had 1,737 people in the church and hall for the different Masses, and many more people outside hearing Mass, so I think I am safe to say we had 2,000 people in total - certainly the best attendance we have had since the pandemic began. Everyone behaved with great politeness and love.

SANDOVAL COUNTY IS STILL "YELLOW" - ugh! So we are still at 350 people in church. God bless those of you who have to stand during Mass - our Lord will reward you! Once we go "green", we can have 500 people in church and the chains will come down in church and we will have more seating.
We have learned a lot about the corona-virus: you are very unlikely to get it from touching something, but very likely to get it from breathing in what an infected person breaths out. So wearing masks and social-distancing are still important!

Keep on praying that God will bring an end to this pandemic.

EUCHARISTIC ADORERS NEEDED :   We are in need of committed Adorers at these hours: Mondays at 3pm and 5pm; Tuesdays at 11am and Thursdays at 11am. Please call or text Sharon at 505-259-2797. Have questions about becoming a committed Adorer here at St Thomas? Call Sharon. She is happy to tell you all you need to know and answer any questions.

ALPHA IS COMING ! Our next Alpha course will start tonight, 13 April 2021. Alpha classes are a very informal setting in which to look at the Christian Faith, without fear, judgment, or pressure. If you have ever wondered about Jesus, or where you are going in your life, or how can you share the wonderful gift of your faith, then this course is for you.  Please come and join us. You can register at the St. Thomas Aquinas web site. (stanm.org)

LOOKING FORWARD: the Leadership Team of your parish is very busy right now looking forward to the full reopening of our beloved parish.
From now until the end of May I think  we will be operating under the current restrictions, more or less, and will be doing our best as we celebrate First Communions, Confirmations, and Graduations the best we can under the circumstances.

The Summer we will be busy rebuilding our many ministries that have been put on hold during the pandemic. Be thinking and praying about where God wants you in service of our parish family!

Then this Fall we will have a big "relaunch" of parish life, with many special events: but the heart of it will be a Parish Mission given by our dear friend, Fr. Ken Geraci the week of September 19th. We all remember how much we enjoyed and were feed by Fr. Geraci in the past, so mark your calendars now!

Please pray for the clergy and leaders of our parish family, that we can see God's will and have the strength to do it as we renew the life of our church!

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!
   
QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“Courageously follow the path of personal holiness and diligently nourish yourselves with the word of God and the Eucharist. The holier you are, the more you can contribute to building up the Church and society.”-St. John Paul the Great

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen !
Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

On Palm Sunday we had 1,470 people inside the church for the Masses, plus the people who received Holy Communion outside. This is the biggest attendance we have had since the first quarantine! Your pastor had tears in his eyes seeing all of you at Holy Mass.

As you know, unfortunately, Sandoval County is still a "yellow" county under the State Covid rating system. So we can only have 350 people in the church, and 100 in the Hall, for any given Mass.

I have a gut feeling that this is going to be a mess on Easter Sunday, even with the added Masses in the Hall. So - if you show up on Easter Sunday and the Masses are filled, don't get bent out of shape! Chill out! Be Christian about it! Don't fight with the ushers!  It's the most holy day of the year! Just go to your car, hear Mass on your car radio (106.5 FM), and then, at the end of Mass, line up to receive Holy Communion outside. Our Lord knows that you came to Mass. The graces of the Mass are not restricted by a brick wall. You will be able to receive Holy Communion. This is a lot more than we could do at Easter last year. Be thankful and joyful. Christians are not supposed to be grumpy - especially on Easter Sunday.
One other option that I might suggest is that you go to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at 8:30 pm. First, let me remind you that not only does this count as an Easter Mass, it is the great and most important Easter Mass. Second, the Easter Vigil will be much, much shorter this year. The deacon will sing the Exsultet, there will be two extra Old Testament readings, and in place of the Creed we will bless and sprinkle the Pascal Holy Water.  Otherwise it's straight Mass. That's it. I will try to preach short! I doubt if the whole thing will be more than one hour fifteen minutes. And you will stand a much better chance of getting into the church.

REMEMBER: GOOD FRIDAY is a day of fasting and abstinence from eating meat.
EASTER GOODIE BAG GIVE-AWAY: The parish will be hosting an Easter Vigil family drive by giveaway.  We will be set up near Fr. D’ Arco hall. Families are invited to come by and receive an Easter gift pack for the kids with a family craft project and Easter goodies for the children. The give away will be from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Holy Saturday the 3rd of April.
EASTER BASKET BLESSING: We encourage the kids (and anyone else) to bring their Easter Baskets to Easter Mass to be blessed. This year we won't be calling them up to the altar, but the baskets will be blessed! This is a nice way to connect in the kid's mind the candy and Easter Bunny with the Resurrection.
DIVINE MERCY NOVENA:  The Novena begins this week on Good Friday. With everything so complicated this year, we have decided that, for this year, we will not have a public Novena, but instead ask everyone to pray it privately. Next year! I love the Divine Mercy devotion, and encourage everyone to pray it.
ALPHA IS COMING ! Our next Alpha course will start on 13 April 2021. Alpha classes are a very informal setting in which to look at the Christian Faith, without fear, judgment, or pressure. If you have ever wondered about Jesus, or where you are going in your life, or how can you share the wonderful gift of your faith, then this course is for you.  Please come and join us. You can register at the St. Thomas Aquinas web site. (stanm.org)
MANY THANKS to all the people who tuned in to our Lenten 40 Days of Love Bible study. I so enjoyed teaching it. Special congrats to those who joined a small group. Give me a few weeks break, and I'll be back with some more Bible studies.
SPEAKING ABOUT BREAKS, there will be no memo next week. Your pastor is flying out of the the coop for a few days.
HOLY WEEK :
ALL HOLY WEEK LITURGIES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON THE PARISH WEBSITE:
STANM.ORG

March 29-31 : Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week
Normal weekday schedule of Confessions and Masses.
Extra Lenten Confessions at 7 pm

April 1 - Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7 pm
Confessions after Mass
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight

April 2 - Good Friday
Liturgy of the Lord's Passion at 12 noon
Confessions after the Liturgy
Living Stations of the Cross at 7 pm

April 3 - Holy Saturday
Confessions at 9 am
Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 pm

April 4 - Easter Sunday
Holy Mass at
7 am
9 am
9:30 am in the Hall
11 am
11:30 am in the Hall
1 pm

No 6 pm Mass

All of the Holy Week services will be much shorter this year. We will be omitting the optional things like the washing of the feet, the kissing of the Cross, the baptisms, and so forth. Next year!

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!
 
QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”-St. John of the Cross

A BLESSED AND JOYFUL EASTER TO EVERYONE!

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen !
Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

We look forward to the great events of our salvation that we celebrate in Holy Week - the great time of grace that we are given each year.

This week we have a beautiful feast day on Thursday, March 25 - the Annunciation. Exactly nine months before Christmas, we celebrate when our Lady agreed to be the Mother of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived in her womb.

Every Sunday we see a few more people returning to Mass. Pray that the number of new virus cases continues to drop, and that soon our county will be classified "green", so that we can have 50% seating in the church. (Wouldn't it be nice if that happened before Easter!)

PRIESTS AND DEACONS TOGETHER AGAIN ! All of your priests and most of our deacons are now fully vaccinated, so the Archdiocese will allow the deacons to fully serve in the sanctuary, and we will start distributing Holy Communion again. This will be a great help to me during Holy Week, and is a small sign that things are getting back to normal!

EASTER CHILDREN'S GIVE AWAY. No, we are not giving away children. But we are giving a gift bag for Easter to our children! We know that it is sad that the kids can't have their Easter Egg hunts, so we wanted to do something for them.
The parish will be hosting an Easter Vigil family drive by giveaway.  We will be set up near Fr. D’ Arco hall.
Families are invited to come by and receive an Easter gift pack for the kids with a family craft project and Easter goodies for the children. The give away will be from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Holy Saturday the 3rd of April.

ALPHA IS COMING ! Our next Alpha course will start on 13 April 2021. Alpha classes are a very informal setting in which to look at the Christian Faith, without fear, judgment, or pressure. If you have ever wondered about Jesus, or where you are going in your life, or how can you share the wonderful gift of your faith, then this course is for you.  Please come and join us. You can register at the St. Thomas Aquinas web site. (stanm.org)

HOLY WEEK :
March 27-28 : Palm Sunday
Normal Sunday schedule of Confessions and Masses.

March 29-31 : Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week
Normal weekday schedule of Confessions and Masses.
Extra Lenten Confessions at 7 pm

April 1 - Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7 pm
Confessions after Mass
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight

April 2 - Good Friday
Liturgy of the Lord's Passion at 12 noon
Confessions after the Liturgy
Living Stations of the Cross at 7 pm

April 3 - Holy Saturday
Confessions at 9 am
Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 pm

April 4 - Easter Sunday
Holy Mass at
7 am
9 am
9:30 am in the Hall
11 am
11:30 am in the Hall
1 pm

No 6 pm Mass

All of the Holy Week services will be much shorter this year. We will be omitting the optional things like the washing of the feet, the kissing of the Cross, the baptisms, and so forth. Next year!

THIS FRIDAY, AND EVERY FRIDAY OF LENT
ABSTINENCE
Every Friday during Lent is a day of abstinence from eating meat.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND BENEDICTION will be every Friday of Lent at 3 pm and 7 pm. They will also be lived-streamed on our website each Friday.

EXTRA LENTEN CONFESSIONS
In addition to the usual times, there will be a priest in church every Friday at 7 pm to hear confessions during the Stations.

FISH FRY
The Knights of Columbus are having Lenten Curbside Delivery Pickup fish or shrimp Dinner this Friday 4:00 PM – 7:00 pm. See Parish website for call-in number.  All Covid safety rules will be followed.

EVERY MONDAY OF LENT
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY 2021 - FORTY DAYS OF LOVE

Just go to the parish website or the app next Monday at 7 pm.

REMEMBER: every Mass you can either attend inside, or listen to the Mass in your car at 106.5 FM, and then receive Holy Communion outside at the doors of the church at the end of Mass.

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.”-St. John of the Cross

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen !
Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

We had another fine weekend in the parish, with very good attendance at all the Masses except for 7 am (and with Daylight Savings Time that is understandable!)

On Friday of this week is the Feast of St. Joseph. I'm sure many of you remember that the Holy Father has dedicated this year in honor of the great Guardian of the Holy Family.

This Sunday we begin Passiontide, those final two weeks of Lent, when we focus on our Lord's suffering and Death. The symbol of Passiontide is the veiled statues, the saints hiding their glory in the presence of the sufferings of their Lord.

Thank God that the virus is decreasing, and pray that our county will soon be classified "green" by the State - then we will be able to have 500 people present at Mass.

HOLY WEEK : We are now less than three weeks from Easter, so I want to share with you the schedule so that you can plan ahead. We are trying to keep all the times as we have done in the past.
March 27-28 : Palm Sunday
Normal Sunday schedule of Confessions and Masses.

March 29-31 : Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week
Normal weekday schedule of Confessions and Masses.
Extra Lenten Confessions at 7 pm

April 1 - Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7 pm
Confessions after Mass
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight

April 2 - Good Friday
Liturgy of the Lord's Passion at 12 noon
Confessions after the Liturgy
Living Stations of the Cross at 7 pm

April 3 - Holy Saturday
Confessions at 9 am
Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 pm

April 4 - Easter Sunday
Holy Mass at
7 am
9 am
9:30 am in the Hall
11 am
11:30 am in the Hall
1 pm

No 6 pm Mass

All of the Holy Week services will be much shorter this year. We will be omitting the optional things like the washing of the feet, the kissing of the Cross, the baptisms, and so forth. Next year!

We wanted to have the extra Easter Masses outdoors, but the city would let us have only 80 people attend. So - we are this year having them in the Hall.

SPECIAL PRAYER INTENTION: As we all painfully know, the Archdiocese has for several years been going through bankruptcy proceedings to settle the child abuse cases. (This, of course, is what has held up our building of the new church). At last there is light at the end of the tunnel - we hope. But this is all dependent on many things coming together. So, Archbishop Wester has asked that we all pray for a speedy resolution of the bankruptcy proceedings, with justice for the victims and the Church being able to continue her work. He is asking that we ask this of God through the intercession of our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Joseph, and the Servant of God, Sister Blandina. (Sister Blandina was a nun who worked in our Archdiocese in the 1800's whose cause is up for canonization.) I suggest we all join in prayer with our Archbishop for this important intention.

ABSTINENCE
Every Friday during Lent is a day of abstinence from eating meat.


STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND BENEDICTION will be every Friday of Lent at 3 pm and 7 pm. They will also be lived-streamed on our website each Friday.

EXTRA LENTEN CONFESSIONS
In addition to the usual times, there will be a priest in church every Friday at 7 pm to hear confessions during the Stations.

FISH FRY
The Knights of Columbus are having Lenten Curbside Delivery Pickup fish or shrimp Dinner this Friday 4:00 PM – 7:00 pm. See Parish website for call-in number. All Covid safety rules will be followed.

EVERY MONDAY OF LENT
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY 2021 - FORTY DAYS OF LOVE
Just go to the parish website or the app next Monday at 7 pm.

REMEMBER: every Mass you can either attend inside, or listen to the Mass in your car at 106.5 FM, and then receive Holy Communion outside at the doors of the church at the end of Mass.

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“Take God for your friend and walk with Him continually, and you will not sin and will learn to love, and the things you must do will work out prosperously for you.”-St. John of the Cross

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

Not a lot to report this week. We had the best attendance yet on a Sunday this past weekend since Covid struck. That made me very happy. Thank God that the virus numbers keep going down. Pray that Sandoval County soon moves into the State's "Green" category - then we can open up more of the church for seating.

LENTEN CONFESSIONS: Beloved, your priests will hear confessions until the cows come home, but we have a few challenges this year. One, there are only two places where we can hear confessions safely - the Adoration Chapel and the Sacristy. Two, Fr. Young is out of commission for the time being, and it's hard to get other priests right now. In other words, we won't have as many priests confessing during Holy Week as we are used to. So, please, please, please.......make your Lenten Confession early!
Remember, we have extra Confessions every Friday of Lent at 7 pm (during the Stations of the Cross).

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week both Fr. McKee and myself will hear confessions at 7 pm.

Holy Saturday we will both hear confessions at 9 am. But don't wait until Holy Saturday!

These are all in addition to the regular confession times.

Make your confession early!

ONLINE GIVING: Friends, you have been wonderful supporting the parish during these times. We are just about right on budget. And that is with a fair number of our parishioners unemployed or suffering financial hardship. God bless you.
I just want to remind you of the option of online giving. About half of you are using it now. It is easy to do, saves you time, and gets your donation to church even if you can't go. I use it for my tithe. It's great.  You can make a one-time donation, or set it up for regularly reoccurring donations.

Just go to the parish website: stanm.org , and click where it says "Give". Follow the directions. It's very easy.


2021 HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE: based on the latest news, we are going to plan on it.
WHEN: October 11-22, 2021
COST: $4,250

People are signing up! By the grace of God, I think we will be able to go, and if we can't, your money is safe!

You can get a brochure and registration form from the parish office.

Friends, if you ever want to go on a pilgrimage, the Holy Land is the most important and meaningful of all of them.


THIS FRIDAY, AND EVERY FRIDAY OF LENT

ABSTINENCE

Every Friday during Lent is a day of abstinence from eating meat.


STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND BENEDICTION

will be every Friday of Lent at 3 pm and 7 pm. They will also be lived-streamed on our website each Friday.

EXTRA LENTEN CONFESSIONS

In addition to the usual times, there will be a priest in church every Friday at 7 pm to hear confessions during the Stations.

FISH FRY

The Knights of Columbus are having Lenten Curbside Delivery Pickup fish or shrimp Dinner this Friday 4:00 PM – 7:00 pm. See Parish website for call-in number.  All Covid safety rules will be followed.

EVERY MONDAY OF LENT, 7 PM

LENTEN BIBLE STUDY 2021 - FORTY DAYS OF LOVE

We have about 500 people tuning in ! That is more than we could ever fit into the hall. People tell me that they are getting a lot out of it. It's perfect for Lent.

You can still join in. Just go to the parish website or the app next Monday at 7 pm.

REMEMBER: every Mass you can either attend inside, or listen to the Mass in your car at 106.5 FM, and then receive Holy Communion outside at the doors of the church at the end of Mass.

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction.”-St. John of the Cross

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

We continue to thank God for the fall in the new number of COVID cases. May it be the beginning of the end! In the meantime, I'm so happy at the large numbers we are seeing of people returning to public worship. And yesterday we had 130 joining in Zoom small groups after the Lenten Scripture teaching... And my tulips are poking their heads above the ground. Spring must be coming!

WHERE MAY I GO TO MASS?  I'm really sad to bring this up, but I'm getting reports of some people for one reason or another going off to churches for Mass that are not in full communion with the Pope. Catholics ought not receive the sacraments from them.
To one degree or another, this applies to churches staffed by the Society of St. Pius X, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the "Liberal Catholic Church", the Episcopal Church, etc. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, they are very nice people, they have beautiful worship, and I'm sure they love the Lord, but they have bishops whose authority is not recognized by our Holy Father the Pope. (Of course this does not apply to any Eastern Catholic Church, like Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Albuquerque, who are as fully in communion with the Pope as we are, and whose bishops are recognized by Rome.)

Lord Acton was an English Catholic nobleman of the 19th Century. He did not like Pope Pius IX, and really disliked the decrees of the First Vatican Council. But he did not leave the Church. When asked why, he said "I hold communion with Rome dearer than life itself." Thus believes every true Catholic.
Again, let us recall the wise words given us last summer by Cardinal Robert Sarah : "A sure principle in order not to err is obedience. Obedience to the norms of the Church, obedience to the Bishops. In times of difficulty (e.g. wars, pandemics), Bishops and Episcopal Conferences can give provisional norms which must be obeyed. Obedience safeguards the treasure entrusted to the Church. The measures given by the Bishops and Episcopal Conferences expire when the situation returns to normal."

2021 HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE: Based on the latest news, we are going to plan on it.

WHEN: October 11-22, 2021
COST: $4,250
Israel (which has the best vaccination program in the world) is opening up to pilgrimages on April 25. Of course if it proves to be not yet safe to travel, we will not go. If we need to postpone the pilgrimage for any reason, you will receive all of your money back (minus a $100 service fee), or, you can roll the whole amount into a 2022 pilgrimage at the same price.
You can get a brochure and registration form from the parish office. Friends, if you ever want to go on a pilgrimage, the Holy Land is the most important and meaningful of all of them.


THIS FRIDAY, AND EVERY FRIDAY OF LENT:

ABSTINENCE: Every Friday during Lent is a day of abstinence from eating meat.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND BENEDICTION will be every Friday of Lent at 3 pm and 7 pm. They will also be lived-streamed on our website each Friday.

EXTRA LENTEN CONFESSIONS:
In addition to the usual times, there will be a priest in church every Friday at 7 pm to hear confessions during the Stations.

FISH FRY:
The Knights of Columbus are having Lenten Curbside Delivery Pickup fish or shrimp Dinner this Friday 4:00 PM – 7:00 pm. See Parish website for call-in number.  All Covid safety rules will be followed.

EVERY MONDAY OF LENT, 7 PM, LENTEN BIBLE STUDY 2021 - FORTY DAYS OF LOVE:
Our first Lenten Bible study went wonderfully, with many people listening, and over 100 people in small groups afterwards! Praise God.

You can still join in. Just go to the parish website or the app next Monday at 7 pm.


PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...

“The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light.”
-St. John of the Cross

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

Praised be Jesus Christ. We thank almighty God at the guardedly optimistic news we are hearing about the decline in COVID cases, and from this news we are making two changes:

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS AND USHERS OVER 60, if they have received both COVID vaccine shots, may ask their Heads of Ministry to be placed upon the schedule once again.
DISINFECTING THE CHURCH: we have learned much about the COVID virus over the past eleven months. One of those things is that the virus is almost never spread by touch (this is why months ago the Center for Disease Control said you don't have to wipe down your groceries when you come home from the supermarket, and so forth.) So we will stop disinfecting the church after every service, and just do it once, at the end of the day.
This has two practical effects:

1. People, if they so wish, may return to their pew and pray after receiving Holy Communion.

2. We will return the weekday morning confessions to 8 am, a much more convenient time for most people.

This will go into effect on Monday, March 1st.
But we need to remember that the virus is spread by being close to another person, inhaling matter from an infected person's respiratory system. That is why it is very important that we continue to wear masks and socially distance at church!

OUR NEW TOUCHLESS HOLY WATER DISPENSORS ARE IN ! Now we can resume our beautiful custom of taking Holy Water when we enter and leave church. They work just like the hand-sanitizer machines that you see everywhere. Just place you fingers an inch or two below them, and you get Holy Water!

Thanks to the dear parishioners who donated them :  Juan & Natalie Pacheco, Eloy & Marie S. Hernandez, Joan Chavez Garcia, M. Dolores Lucero, Claire Olona, Marla Griffith,
Debra Schaff, Donna Franco, Michael Herrera, and Anonymous - HS.

Let us keep our benefactors in our prayers!

PRAISE REPORT: We had wonderful attendance on Ash Wednesday. Our idea of having hourly ashes seemed to work out well. And this past Sunday we had the best attendance at Mass that we have seen from the start of the pandemic. Let us thank God.

2021 HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE: based on the latest news, we are going to plan on it.
WHEN: October 11-22, 2021
COST: $4,250

Israel (which has the best vaccination program in the world) is opening up to pilgrimages on April 25.

Of course if it proves to be not yet safe to travel, we will not go. If we need to postpone the pilgrimage for any reason, you will receive all of your money back (minus a $100 service fee), or, you can roll the whole amount into a 2022 pilgrimage at the same price.

You can get a brochure and registration form from the parish office.

Friends, if you ever want to go on a pilgrimage, the Holy Land is the most important and meaningful of all of them.

THIS FRIDAY, AND EVERY FRIDAY OF LENT

ABSTINENCE:
Every Friday during Lent is a day of abstinence from eating meat.


STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND BENEDICTION will be every Friday of Lent at 3 pm and 7 pm. They will also be lived-streamed on our website each Friday.

EXTRA LENTEN CONFESSIONS:
In addition to the usual times, there will be a priest in church every Friday at 7 pm to hear confessions during the Stations.

FISH FRY:
The Knights of Columbus are having Lenten Curbside Delivery Pickup fish or shrimp Dinner this Friday 4:00 PM – 7:00 pm. See Parish website for call-in number.  All Covid safety rules will be followed.

EVERY MONDAY OF LENT, 7 PM:
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY 2021 - FORTY DAYS OF LOVE

Our first Lenten Bible study went wonderfully, with many people listening, and over 100 people in small groups afterwards! Praise God.

You can still join in. Just go to the parish website or the app next Monday at 7 pm.

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it.”

St. John of the Cross

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen !
Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

Looking out the window, I don't know if I should wish you Happy Marti Gras or Merry Christmas! But no matter what, it is the day before the Holy Fast of Lent, and we want to get ready for this special season of grace.


ASH WEDNESDAY - Feb. 17th

FASTING AND ABSTINENCE

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting (only one meal: binding on everyone under pain of sin ages 18-59) and of abstinence from eating meat (the flesh of any warm-blooded animal, binding under pain of sin for all those who have reached the age of reason). Reasons of health automatically excuses any person from these rules.

DISTRIBUTION OF ASHES

On Ash Wednesday we will have services every hour on the hour from 7 am to 7 pm for the giving of ashes. The 9 am and 6 pm will be Holy Mass, all the other services will be short prayer services.

Ashes will be distributed outside the doors of the church at all services, after the people inside have received their ashes. The ashes will be given in a Covid-safe way (we have ordered 3,000 Q-Tips for this purpose!)

Because of all the Ash Wednesday services, THERE WILL BE NO ADORATION NOR CONFESSIONS on Ash Wednesday.

THIS FRIDAY, AND EVERY FRIDAY OF LENT

ABSTINENCE: Every Friday during Lent is a day of abstinence from eating meat.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND BENEDICTION will be every Friday of Lent at 3 pm and 7 pm. They will also be lived-streamed on our website each Friday.

EXTRA LENTEN CONFESSIONS

In addition to the usual times, there will be a priest in church every Friday at 7 pm to hear confessions during the Stations.

EVERY MONDAY OF LENT

LENTEN BIBLE STUDY 2021 - FORTY DAYS OF LOVE

Well, we can't have our normal "Soup and Scripture" this Lent, but that won't keep us from delving deeper into the Word of God.

Our Lenten study is called "Forty Days of Love" - that is what we want our Lent to be! We Christians must be overcoming the hate and anger that seems to be filling our strange Covid-infected world. We will learn what the Bible means by "love" (something very different from what the world means!), and see what the Bible teaches us about very practical ways to grow in the love of God and love of other human beings. You won't want to miss this!

I will be teaching it every Monday night of Lent at 7 pm.

We are going to allow forty people to attend in-person in the Hall. Of course we will have everyone socially-distanced and wearing masks. If you would like to be part of our "studio audience" just call the office and reserve a spot.

It will also be live-streamed at 7 pm - just go to the website to watch it!

For those who wish, there will be small-group discussion on Zoom after the presentation.
To join a Zoom small group after each teaching, just go to website, or paste the following link into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpceitqTsrGNCq17YMvm2X--fR55h4YPYb

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Friends, the small groups are wonderful, and add so much to the teaching! While you can certainly just watch the teaching alone, I want to encourage those of you who have never joined a small group to try it this Lent.

WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD that the number of Covid cases has declined so dramatically. God grant that this may be the beginning of the end! Sandoval County has moved into the "yellow" category, which means that we can now have 333 people at any given service in church ( that is 1/3 of our seating capacity.)

While I realize each person must determine when it is safe for them to return to Mass, I want to remind everyone that we take extra-ordinary precautions to have a Covid-safe environment in church. Also, there is always the option of listening to the Mass on your car radio (106.5 FM) and receiving Holy Communion outside after Mass. Now, especially during Lent, we do not want to stay long-separated from Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament if at all possible.

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, your pastor got his first COVID vaccination yesterday. Again, this is a decision for each person to make. But the committee of our American bishops in charge of ethical affairs - bishops I very much respect and of perfect orthodoxy - have said that there is no moral problem in receiving the vaccination. Even the Holy Father in Rome has been vaccinated. Please look out for false information circulating on the Internet - you cannot believe everything you read on the World Wide Web!

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“The secret to happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.”

– St. Gianna Molla

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen !

Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,
A good day to you all!

LOOKING AHEAD TO LENT:

ASH WEDNESDAY - Feb. 17th:
Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting (only one meal: binding on everyone under pain of sin ages 18-59) and of abstinence from eating meat (the flesh of any warm-blooded animal, binding under pain of sin for all those who have reached the age of reason).

 On Ash Wednesday we will have services every hour on the hour from 7 am to 7 pm for the giving of ashes. The 9 am and 6 pm will be Holy Mass, all the other services will be short prayer services. Ashes will be distributed outside the doors of the church at all services, after the people inside have received their ashes. The ashes will be given in a Covid-safe way.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND BENEDICTION will be every Friday of Lent at 3 pm and 7 pm. They will also be lived-streamed on our website each Friday.

LENTEN BIBLE STUDY 2021

Our theme for this Lent is going to be "40 Days of Love". With so much anger going around nowadays, I thought this would be a really good thing for us to study! We will learn what the Bible means by the word "love", and how the Bible shows us practical ways to live Christlike love. You don't want to miss this one!

It will be every Monday night of Lent at 7 pm. Your unworthy pastor will be the presenter!

We are going to allow forty people to attend the Hall in-person. Of course we will have everyone socially-distanced and wearing masks. It will also be live-streamed, and for those who wish, there will be small-group discussion on Zoom after the presentation.

To sign up to be one of the in-person audience, or to join a Zoom small group after each teaching, just go to website, or paste the following link into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpceitqTsrGNCq17YMvm2X--fR55h4YPYb

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

UPDATE ON FATHER YOUNG: Every day Father is doing better. He has a lot of appointments! This will be the last update I give unless there is some dramatic change. Right now Father just needs rest and prayers.

SUPPORTING OUR SISTERS: Our collection for our retired Filippini Sisters was just over $15,000. You all are so generous, especially in these hard times. I am very proud of you!

ADORATION NEEDS COMMITTED ADORERS: Can you help? We are in need of committed Adorers for the following hours: Saturdays at 3:00. Please call Sharon at 259-2797. Questions about Adoration? Call Sharon!

PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“My Jesus, if you uphold me, I shall not fall.”

– St. Philip Neri

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Msgr. Doug Raun

My dear family,

Hi, everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I know everyone is looking forward to a better New Year! Here are some updates on parish life.

JANUARY 1st, THE FEAST OF THE MOTHER OF GOD. Of course this is normally a Holy Day of Obligation, but because of the pandemic we are dispensed (excused) from the obligation.

The schedule will be:

Thursday, Dec. 31
6 pm - Vigil Mass

Friday, January 1
9 am
6 pm

This is a lovely and important feast in the life of the Church. We honor three things this day: 1) It is the octave day of Christmas, when our Lord was circumcised and received the Holy Name of Jesus,  2) We honor our Lady under the greatest of her titles, the Mother of God, 3) and we ask God's blessings on the New Year.

If we can make it to Mass, it would be beautiful!

PRAISE REPORT: We had many people helping us with the Christmas Care Calls. They all reported back to me your prayer intentions, which I lifted up to God each day of the Christmas Novena. One of our Care Callers sent me this note:

"Msgr. Raun know that everyone I was able to speak to was very appreciative for the phone call and your prayers.  
 
I don’t mind telling you that this ministry was established to help others, however, it ended up helping me.  It made me realize that getting the house clean or decorations up in time for Christmas are truly an external part of Christmas as there are others truly carrying heavy burdens. So, thank you Msgr. and the Staff for the opportunity to experience the true meaning of Christmas this year.
 
Merry Christmas,
Donna"

That is the spirit of so many of our parishioners that makes our parish family so great!

May I use this opportunity to thank the many parishioners who worked so hard in so many different ways to make this strange Christmas so wonderful in our parish. May God reward you all.
 
WHILE WE ARE AT IT: Many thanks for all the prayers, cards, and gifts we received at the Rectory. You are so kind. I try very hard to send everyone a "thank you" note, but it seems that every year one or two slip through, so to all of you, thank you!

UPDATE ON FATHER YOUNG: On Christmas Eve Father Young was moved to Advanced Health Care, 2701 Richmond Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107.
Father's short-term recovery has improved greatly: he can now sit up, shave himself, and so forth, that was quite impossible a few weeks ago. He continues the chemotherapy for the cancer, and we hope for the best. I'm sure he would welcome your notes and cards.

Sorry, no visitors (They are very strict about this.)

I NEED YOUR HELP: WEAR YOUR MASKS AT COMMUNION: Some of the unsung heroes of this pandemic have been our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. They have offered themselves for what is, in fact, a dangerous job. Just by giving Holy Communion, they have to be physically close to all sorts of people, some of who may have the virus. We want to do everything we can to keep them safe.

So, at the moment you are receiving Holy Communion, KEEP YOUR MASK ON. Then, step to the side a few feet towards the door, pull down your mask, and consume the Host. Then put your mask back up.

This is just common sense, friends. And it is an act of respect and love for our Extraordinary Ministers who enable us to receive Jesus in Holy Communion.

Laughing is the best medicine :  Some funny play on words...

Due to the Quarantine, I'll only be doing inside jokes.

My resolution was to exercise. No wait...I mean extra fries.

"BIG-A-MIST"... An Italian fog!

QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...

“Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
    rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,
    God, whose very own you are,
    will lead you safely through all things;
    and when you cannot stand it,
    God will carry you in His arms.

    Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
    the same understanding Father who cares for
    you today will take care of you then and every day.
   He will either shield you from suffering
   or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

   Be at peace,
   and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.”

– St. Francis de Sales

I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen !

Msgr. Doug Raun