Posted on May 2, 2008
St. Monica’s Capital Campaign
This Sunday, May 4th, is the official kickoff of St. Monica’s Capital Campaign, “Celebrating Our Blessings.” Today at all the liturgies you will view a video about the campaign. I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities examine in detail our plans St. Monica. We have the great opportunity to provide for future generations—a new ministry and leadership center, additional parking, better facilities for youth ministry and our high school. To date the campaign has $11 million dollars in pledges toward our goal of $25 million. I invite you to join us as we move forward together.
Posted on May 2, 2008
SMASH Dinner and Auction
I want to thank all of you who came to our SMASH Dinner and Auction last weekend. “Raise the Paddle” raised $100,000 for vans for the high school and laptops for the elementary school. The live and silent auctions raised $75,000 for our school and lay endowment. Thank you for your generosity.
Posted on May 2, 2008
Liturgical Calendar
During this week in the liturgical calendar, we celebrate two major feasts of the year at the close of the Easter Season. This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension, in which we commemorate, after a number of resurrection appearances to his disciples after his death, the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. This feast day is often celebrated as a Holy Day of Obligation on the Thursday prior to this Sunday, but here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, this Holy Day gets transferred to the Sunday after, thus replacing the Seventh Sunday of Easter on the calendar. Through the event of the Ascension, Jesus becomes seated at the right hand of God the Creator. But, fear not! For we have not been left alone, as Christ has sent to us the third person of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit, to be with us in a real and present way. It is this sending of the Holy Spirit, to be present as our Advocate throughout time, that we celebrate next Sunday at Pentecost. It is through the sending of and the strengthening by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that the Church lives on as the Body of Christ alive and well in this world. We are all members of that Body, so let our actions refl ect that fact, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way. And as we come to the great celebration of Pentecost, we wish you a very Happy Easter at the close of the 50 days of this great season of Easter.
Posted on April 24, 2008
Cardinal Mahoney at St. Monica Catholic Church
This Sunday, Cardinal Mahony will preside at the 1:15 liturgy and confirm 64 of our young people and 19 adults. We welcome him to this wonderful celebration of faith at St. Monica! Our confirmation candidates will be receiving the blessing of the Holy Spirit, a deepening of the grace that they received at baptism. This is a joyous time for the Confirmation candidates, their families and our parish community. I encourage you to keep them in your prayers as they embrace their faith and affirm their commitment to Jesus Christ.
Posted on April 24, 2008
Cardinal Mcintyre Fund for Charity
This weekend is our parish collection for the annual Cardinal McIntyre Fund for Charity. St. Monica Parish is allotted $5,000 from this fund each year to provide emergency assistance to individuals and families. The needs are becoming greater and more frequent as economic conditions cause great difficulties on the working poor who do not qualify for government assistance. Your contributions truly help those families that would otherwise go without basics such as food, utilities and medical attention. Thank you for your generosity to this Fund.
Posted on April 16, 2008
Habitat for Humanity Equals Dignity
Habitat for Humanity Web Page
Back in April 2007, fourteen parishioners headed to New Orleans, Louisiana to help rebuild the city in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, and Rita. At the time, it had only been one year and eight months since the worst national disaster in our country’s history had all but devastated the gulf region. We worked in the upper 9th ward, at a volunteer build sponsored by Habitat for Humanity, Branford Marsalis and Harry Connick, Jr. called “Musicians’ Village”. While we were there we got to
see much of the devastation, first hand. It was sad, yet the sight of the many new pastel colored homes gave us a sense of
hope.
While we were there we worked on the home of a cello player named Helen. Since that maiden voyage back in April, another group went back this past January to see Helen’s house complete and to work on yet another Habitat home. Next week we go back with our third parish group of fourteen to continue with the rebuilding effort.
Posted on March 14, 2008
Holy Week message from Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson
Sunday, March 16 is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week! I hope your Lenten journey has brought you closer to God and has given you a hunger to continue the journey of walking in Jesus’ footsteps as the of Triduum approaches. Please consider extending an invitation to bring someone to our community during this great time in our church.
I hope you will prayerfully consider coming to the Lenten Reconciliation Service on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:30pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience God’s precious gift of reconciliation together as a community, to acknowledge our need for God’s mercy and accept it as a community with joy.
Don’t miss the three days of Triduum, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. They are the most important feasts of the year. Easter is one of two feasts during the year when we welcome many visitors and people who come infrequently to our parish. Let us welcome them with the gracious hospitality that is our hallmark and welcome them to their spiritual home.
This Easter Sunday liturgies will be celebrated in three venues—church, auditorium, and gymnasium—all will be wonderful celebrations! There will be added parking—be sure and look for directions. Please note there will not be a 5:30pm Mass on Easter Sunday. We will again offer coffee to those waiting in line on Easter Sunday. Each family will be offered a beautiful book of remembrance chronicling the 1995 rededication of our Church after the January 1994 earthquake. It is titled, “All are Welcome,” and it is a pleasure to make it available to you. Thank you for making this your place to celebrate Easter.
Posted on March 14, 2008
Easter Sunday Parking
In addition to our own parking lot (200 spaces), we will once again be stack parking cars on California Avenue. (Entrance from Lincoln Blvd.) The parking ministers will guide you. You will also be able to park in the Crown parking lot at 1211 7th Street, just south of Wilshire Boulevard.
See page 10 of the bulletin for an Easter parking map. You can also check our website or the mass telephone hotline for further information; we will update both as more parking alternatives become available.
Posted on March 3, 2008
Easter Boutique
Our Boutique group will have their annual Easter Boutique on March 8th and 9th. Stop by the upper room of Duval Center after Mass and check out a large variety of hand-crafted items that will be on sale. See you soon!
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