Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry 165 N. Waterville Ave., Le Center, MN 56057

Phone: 507-357-6633 Phone/Fax: 507-357-4838

www.stmarysthenry.org

Parish Staff

Pastor: Fr. James Stiles (ext 306) fr.stiles@frontier.com

After Hours Emergencies: 507-456-8473

Associate Pastor: Fr. Timothy Sandquist (ext 307) ftsandquist@gmail.com

Trustees St. Mary: Clarence Mager 357-4338 Pete Plut 357-6222

Trustees St. Henry: Dan Germscheid 357-4923 Jim Selly 357-4898

Coordinator of Faith Formation: Jean Boothby (phone ext 304) jeanrb@frontier.com

Secretary/Receptionist: Gloria Wolf (phone ext 301) gloriagw@frontier.com

Accounting/Bookkeeping: Tara Robinson (phone ext 302)

tarar@frontier.com

Maintenance: Joe Holicky (phone ext 305)

jholicky1@frontier.com

Music Ministry: Terri McMillen

mcmillen752@gmail.com

Office Hours - Parish office is closed until further notice

Bulletin Deadline - articles need to be submitted to Gloria by noon

on Wednesday.

For use of meeting rooms or Social Hall - contact Gloria

Thrift Store - 507-357-6942 Closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic

The archbishop has suspended ordinary public

celebrations of the Mass for the present time. The reason for this suspension is that during the current pandemic,

public gatherings put the health of the attendees in danger as well as those whom attendees come into contact with

and society at large. Please know that the graces of the Mass have not come to an end. Fr. Stiles and Fr.

Sandquist continue to celebrate Masses privately for your intentions and for the whole world. If you happen to hear

the church bells ring, know that Mass is about to be offered for you inside and that you can unite your own

prayers and intentions to it. We are now in solidarity with many Catholics throughout the world who also

experience a lack of access to the sacraments due to persecution, war, the absence of priests, etc.

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

MAY 17, 2020

St. Rita of Cascia May 22 - Memorial

St. Rita is often portrayed with a

bleeding wound on her forehead, which is understood to indicate a

partial stigmata. At her canonization

she was bestowed the title of Patroness of Impossible Causes. Her

incorrupt body remains in the

Basilica of Santa Rita da Cascia.

“I am not afraid to

die. I know already

what it is to die. It is

to close the eyes to

the world and open

them to God.”

-Saint Rita

From the Pastor’s Desk

Wait for the Lord

“They who endure misfortune without complaining are rewarded even more than them who eagerly do good deeds” (cf. https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2020/05/homily-on-value-of-patience-st-john.html). This striking quote comes from a homily given by St. John Chrysostom on the importance of patience. Patience is that capacity to suffer without becoming embittered or losing hope.

St. John Chrysostom reflects on the extraordinary gift of patience that the biblical figure Job had. Although Job was widely regarded as a virtuous and holy man, he suddenly suffered most of the greatest calamities known to humanity: loss of his children; loss of his work; loss of quality of life; loss of friends; loss of all human support and care…yet, through it all, Job did not curse the Lord, but he bore all of it with patience, trusting in the Lord: “For I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:26).

Friends, as we reach the 2-month mark when public celebrations of the mass ceased in this Archdiocese on account of the pandemic, I feel my patience running thin and sense the same sentiment among you. I wrote to you last week informing you of the Archbishop’s plan to permit public celebration of the Holy Mass with certain restrictions come May 18th, the day on which the Governor’s Stay-at-Home Executive Order was anticipated to be lifted. This past Wednesday, the Governor explicitly stated that while the Stay-at-Home Order will indeed be lifted on May 18th, the regulation to not gather in groups (including for religious purposes) of more than 10 people would be extended at least until June 1st. This news was, to say the least, a great disappointment to those of us who were longing to return to some degree of public celebration of the mass on May 18th.

Therefore, I write this article with the hope of encouraging you. Although we won’t begin the public celebration of mass this coming Monday, May 18th, we must enter this week with a hopeful expectancy within our hearts. Hear the word of the Lord: “"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Ps 27:14). You can be sure that with all of the prayers we are saying, with all of the suffering which we are patiently enduring in these days, with all of the little acts of kindness we are extending to our neighbor, God is pleased with our perseverance in faith, hope, and love. We will soon be able to worship the Lord together. Our joy will then overshadow all that we are undergoing in these days: “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world” (Jn 16:21).

Let us continue to believe in the Lord’s goodness and His closeness to us. May we continue to pray for an end to this pandemic for all the sick and those caring for them. We pray as well for our Bishops, that they might make decisions which are in accord with God’s perfect will. Finally, we pray for the grace to receive an unwavering patience. As always, you remain close to my heart and in my prayers. God bless you all!

With Paternal love, Fr. Stiles

Reminder Regarding Scams Fr. Stiles and church staff will not send requests to parishioners for money or gift cards via email or text. Please know that scammers can make an email appear to be from Fr. Stiles even though it is not.

Mass Schedule & Intentions

In the absence of public Mass the priests will continue to say daily and Sunday Mass and will offer these intentions.

Monday, May 18 6:00-7:00 pm Confessions - drive-thru (parking lot) 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Tuesday, May 19 Mass Intention Gene Stoering† 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Wednesday, May 20 Mass Intention Becky Boettcher Franta† 6:00-7:00 pm Confessions - drive-thru (parking lot) 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Thursday, May 21 Mass Intention Donald Budin† 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Friday, May 22 Mass Intention Luella McGillen† 6:00-7:00 pm Confessions - drive-thru (parking lot) 7:30 –9:30 pm Adoration - drive-in (parking lot)

Saturday, May 23 3:00-4:00 Confessions - drive-thru at Nativity Mass Intention Mary Jean Hunt†

The Ascension of the Lord, May 24 Mass Intention Jack & Loretta Traxler† Mass Intention Vincent Holicky† Mass Intention For the Parish

This Week in the Parish

Please check our website and Facebook for the latest news and happenings here at the Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry. Tune in to pray with our priests who are offering live and recorded prayers and reflections.

www.stmarysthenry.org

St. Mary's Church, Le Center

https://www.facebook.com/StMaryStHenry/

Readings for next Sunday, May 24, 2020 Acts 1:12-14 1 Peter 4:13-16

John 17:1-11a

Church Cleaning - Joan Traxler & Katie Holicky are scheduled to clean the church by May 24, 2020.

St. Henry News

***As part of the effort to prevent the spread of COVID

-19, we have closed the Parish Office & Building. We

are still here for you working from the safety of our

homes! Please continue to call the office (numbers on

bulletin cover) with any needs you may have. We will

be checking our messages frequently and making our

cell numbers available to you.***

Update from Archbishop Hebda Regarding Public Masses

May 15, 2020

Two weeks ago, I communicated with you that the bishops of Minnesota had decided to ask our parishes to

plan and prepare for the opening of public Masses May 18, based on the indicated expiration date of Governor

Walz’s Stay-at-Home order. At the same time, the bishops proactively engaged public officials about the

importance of some limited opening of our churches for Mass. A plan to resume public Masses in a limited

manner on May 18—but only in places where parishes were willing and ready to follow a prescribed set of

sanitization protocols—was submitted May 8 to the governor for feedback. Four Lutheran denominations

joined our letter to Governor Walz. A number of other denominations and independent churches submitted

plans May 8, as well.

To our disappointment, the governor and his administration have not yet engaged in dialogue with us on our

proposal. While easing the Stay-at-Home order May 13, the governor’s new Stay Safe Minnesota executive

order explicitly prohibited faith-based gatherings with more than ten unrelated people. We are hopeful,

however, because Governor Walz has called meetings of faith leaders for next Monday and Tuesday, to solicit

feedback on a new set of public worship guidelines that his administration will be producing. The date of re-

opening for religious gatherings of more than ten people is still uncertain.

We understand that these are difficult decisions for our civic leaders and that they have many factors to

consider in the reopening of life in Minnesota. The bishops of Minnesota likewise have many factors to

consider as we determine when to allow public worship with more than 10 people. As faithful citizens, our

decisions will be guided by three principles: 1) love of neighbor and concern for the common good, including

the health and well-being of our neighbors; 2) respect for public authorities and their directives and guidance;

and 3) the rights of the faithful to the sacraments and the duty of worship we owe to God. The faithful can

expect that we will weigh these considerations carefully as part of our common responsibility to the state, and

that we will zealously protect our liberties to assemble and worship freely.

The bishops of Minnesota will together decide on a path forward and hope to communicate that to you by the

middle of next week.

In the meantime, we will creatively work within the ten-person limit to offer as many people as possible the

opportunity to come to Mass. If a parish is prepared to fully implement the stringent safety and sanitization

protocols published May 9, it may begin public Mass on Monday, May 18, respecting the ten-person limit. We

expect that some parishes will not be ready to begin public Masses because they are not yet comfortable

with, or able to implement fully the protocols. Parishes should only return to a limited public celebration of

the Mass when they are ready.

We know that many of you share our frustration and disappointment about the executive order’s treatment of

religious gatherings. We ask that you continue to pray for an end to the pandemic and for our civic leaders,

and that you presume the good will of those charged with these important and difficult decisions. Let us ask

the Lord to help us cultivate patience, serenity, and peace of soul during our continued Eucharistic fast –

believing that God will bring many graces from our sacrifices.

Please continue to pray for our sisters and brothers who have died or have become ill from COVID-19, along

with their loved ones, and for the doctors, nurses, health care professionals, first responders and clergy who

are serving them so sacrificially.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda

Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Baptism Baptisms are still being celebrated in the present time. However, they are limited to a maximum of 10 attendees. Families have the option of doing a larger welcoming ceremony for the baptized at a later time to give the extended family a chance to celebrate. For all baptisms, appropriate safety measures will be taken (for example, social distancing and the use of fresh, newly blessed water). Please contact Fr. Sandquist via email or phone to schedule your child’s baptism. Parents are asked to attend a class on the sacrament of baptism (virtually if necessary). Due to the great importance of this sacrament we encourage you not to delay in requesting this sacrament.

Sacramental Life

First Communion

First Communion will be held on Saturdays, June 6th & 13th, 2020 at 11 AM. Having two Masses will allow us to maintain safe distancing practices. Immediate families

only. Please pray for those students who have worked so hard this year preparing for this sacrament!

Steubenville Conferences have been canceled

for this summer. A virtual conference will be available later this summer at no cost to the parishes. We hope all the teens who looked forward to attending the conference this year will join us for the virtual conference or the live

conference next summer! More information to come!

Totus Tuus has been canceled for the month of June.

We are currently working on scheduling the team to come in August if allowed by the state and archdiocese.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the most updated information.

Keep in touch with us through Facebook, Remind, and emails where we will share daily Bible quotes, online

family formation, and updates from the Archdiocese.

Like us on Facebook! For Faith Formation News go to St Mary & St Henry Faith Formation (https://www.facebook.com/lecentercatholic/). For other news in the parish go to St. Mary's Church, Le Center (https://www.facebook.com/StMaryStHenry/)

Please download the Remind App for quick and easy Faith Formation updates and information.

Our class code for Parents is 7g962b.

The class code for Confirmation 2020 students is 3b739ee.

The class code for Confirmation 2021 is 62h6d3.

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of

the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.” James 5:7

Jean R. Boothby Faith Formation Coordinator jeanrb@frontier.com 941-962-5168

Opportunity for Confession

“Drive-thru” confessions will be available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6-7pm at the Church of St. Mary in Le Center and Saturday, 3-4pm at Nativity in Cleveland in the par ish parking lots. Cones will be set up to direct the flow of traffic. A sufficient distance between the confession area and the line will maintain privacy and the recommended distance of six feet will be maintained between the penitent and the priest. In the case of multiple people in the same car, penitents will exit the car individually and stand or be seated an appropriate distance from the priest. Fr. Stiles intends to be consistently present at St. Mary’s on Wednesdays so that Spanish speakers know when they can expect to be able to confess to him.

Eucharistic Adoration We will have Eucharistic Adoration from 7:30-9:30 pm each evening Monday-Friday. This will be done “Drive-in” style in our parking lot. The Blessed Sacrament exposed in a monstrance will be placed in

the center window. We have scheduled adorers who will cover the hours throughout the week, but all are welcome to come and visit Jesus during this time. The Archdiocese has instructed that people must remain in their cars, do not park right beside each other, if possible. If it is necessary to do so, please leave your windows closed. Come and talk with Jesus, listen to Him, pray, br ing along a book to aid in your meditation, praise, and adoration.

Faith Formation

“Drive-in” Mass - THIS Sunday, May 17th Church of St. Mary Parking Lot

There will be “drive-in” parking lot Masses on Sunday, May 17th, Church of St. Mary, at 9AM, & 12 PM (Spanish). Weather

permitting. We hope to live-stream the 9AM Mass. The Archdiocese has instructed that people remain in their cars.

Virtual Tour of the Holy Land - Journey (virtually) through the Holy Land with Fr. Sandquist! In this photo and video presentation, Fr. Sandquist shows you the real places you have so often heard about in the bible. Travel to the Holy Land and back in an hour! You can find the link on our webpage.

A Live-streamed Teaching Mass occurred W ednesday April 22nd. You can watch it under "Videos" on our Facebook page. The link is also on our webpage. Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do during

Mass? Fr Sandquist and Fr. Stiles will lead you through the Mass and explain beautifully in vocabulary you can understand the what, why, and how of the Mass.

Fr. Sandquist live-streamed a video of his preached rosary on the sorrowful mysteries on March 27th. The video is available via a Facebook link found on our website along with the meditation text. A slightly easier to hear audio recording is available on the homily page of our website.

Wondering How to Give to the Church? Place your contribution in the night depository or at the drive-up at either bank in Le Center

Mail your contribution to Churches of St. Mary/St. Henry, 165 N Waterville Ave, Le Center, MN 56057 (Save yourself time and stamps by placing several weekend envelopes in one mailing)

Sign up for Electronic Giving - see below

If you would like to give electronically, visit our website www.stmarysthenry.org and see

“Vanco Online Giving” on the right hand side of the page, click on:

“Give Online Now - St. Mary” or “Give Online Now - St. Henry”

The work of your Church continues; in fact, intensifies. Nobody can stop the Mass: the perfect Holy Sacrifice for the salvation of the world is being offered by your priests. Our office staff is still here for you. We are working

from our homes in response to the efforts underway to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In addition, maintenance of the building is continuing with necessary cleaning and repairs.

May 9-10, 2020 St. Mary St. Henry

Weekly Budget $ 4230.00 $ 825.00

Weekly Offering $ 4044.54 $ 510.00 Plate $ 437.00 $ 157.16

Total $ 4481.54 $ 667.16

Diff. from budget +$ 251.54 -$ 157.84

See below how to give to the church - Thank you!

Weekly Building Fund $ 300.80

Parish Stewardship St. Mary Calvary Cemetery

Maintenance and Beautification Projects

You can give to this project in the same manner as listed below under “Wondering How to Give to the Church”. If you don’t have a purple cemetery giving envelope, you can indicate on your check memo line “Cemetery Project” and/or place in an envelope marked the same. Feel free to indicate if you’d like your donation to go to the statue or the roads or both. Gifts of any amount are welcome - Thank you!

Total Cost of Projects: $32,664.00 Raised to Date: $11,355.00

Help those in need – donate today! Thank you from the 20 Designated Ministries of the CSAF! Use the same giving methods as listed above for the Sunday Collection. You can also give directly at GiveCSAF.org using your phone, tablet, or computer. Please note that all donations to the CSA are handled through the Catholic Services Appeal Foundation, a

separate corporation from the Archdiocese. We still have a little way to go. If you need an envelope, please contact Gloria, in the parish office, and she will get one out to you.

Our parish goal this year is: St. Mary $14,270 Collected $10,245 (72%) St. Henry $2,655 Collected $2680 (101% Goal Met!)

Pro-Life Kickball Tournament Cancelled

The annual pro-life kickball tournament that was scheduled for Sunday, May 17th from 2-5 pm at the St. Henry ball field has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. We were especially looking forward to celebrating year #10 of the tournament. Our Team appreciates the support we’ve received in the past and look forward to next year when we

can again enjoy outdoor fun with our priests, parishioners and other pro-life friends. Although it is a year in advance, please mark your calendar for Sunday, May 16, 2021 for next year’s pro-life kickball event.

Each year the proceeds from our tournament have been sent to “Pro Life Across America”, the billboard people. Thanks to your generous donations, we sent them over $1000 last year. If you’d like to support their work, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, kindly note the information below. By the way, they are totally educational, non-profit, non-political and tax deductible. Their message brings help and hope to those in need.

ProLife Across America, PO Box 18669, Mpls, MN 55418 612-781-0401 prolifeacrossamerica.org

St. Mary-St. Henry Pro-Life Team

Meal on Wheels is in need of a volunteer for the week of May 25-29. If you are able to help out, please call Tara in the parish office.