THE CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI

By our Easter faith, we know that Christ is alive and among us.
“I am with you always,” he promised (Mt 28:20). 

HOLY WEEK.  Please join Fr Jim Berning and Fr Luis Vargas as we will be live-streaming the following Holy Week Liturgies available through the FaceBook link located at right:

Palm Sunday: 12PM w/Fr Luis Vargas (Spanish)
Holy Thursday: 3PM w/ Fr. Luis Vargas (Spanish). 7PM w/ Fr. Jim Berning (English).
Good Friday: 3PM w/ Fr. Jim Berning (English). 5PM w/ Fr. Luis Vargas (Spanish).
Holy Saturday: (Easter Vigil) 7:30PM w/ Fr. Jim Berning (English).  9PM w/ Fr. Luis Vargas.
Easter Sunday:  12PM w/ Fr Luis Vargas (Spanish)

Bishop John Quinn will be live-streaming his private celebrations of the Holy Week Liturgies from the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.  All the faithful of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester are invited to pray with him and to enter into the Liturgies that celebrate our salvation in Jesus Christ. These Liturgies can be accessed at the Diocese of Winona-Rochester Weekly Mass webpage, www.dowr.org/about/weekly-mass.html.
 
•  Palm Sunday: 10:30AM
•  Holy Thursday:  7PM
•  Good Friday:  12PM
•  Holy Saturday:  8PM
•  Easter Sunday:  10:30AM

Following the direction of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, the parish center office will remain closed for the next two weeks.  The staff will continue to monitor email and voicemail daily and will respond to your messages.

The church will remain open at this time from 8AM-2PM Monday through Friday for private prayer.  ALL parish activities are canceled or suspended indefinitely.  The televised Mass is on Sunday at 9AM on channel 6 (KAAL) or via this link: https://www.dowr.org/about/weekly-mass.html
 
Please pray for our priests, our parish, our community and all those impacted by COVID-19.  Please also remember to pray for the vulnerable and health care providers.

Thank you to the 107 families that have already made their pledge.  We are currently nearing 60% of our goal of $57,800.  We encourage everyone’s participation so we may meet and exceed our goal.  As always, 100% of the monies reached over our goal are returned to the parish for a designated building project. 

Our projects are as follows:  Security, Stained Glass Windows Repair and Maintenance and the lighting of the upper window in the balcony of the Immaculate Conception.  Thank you for everyone’s generosity, faith and participation!  During this year, may we all strive to Share His Good Gifts with All throughout the Catholic community in southern Minnesota.

On behalf of the parish of St Francis of Assisi, I want to extend a warm welcome to our newly appointed deacon, Terry Smith.  Following is a short bio provided by Terry: 

I was raised on a farm near Highmore, SD where my dad raised beef cattle.  I grew up as a cradle Catholic. My immediate family included 7 sisters and 1 brother.  I met my wife Dee in 1979 at South Dakota State University. We married in 1981 and have 5 children and 6 grandchildren.   Dee was raised Missouri Synod Lutheran but entered the Catholic Church before we were married.  We lived in Missouri and Maryland while I served in the US Army the next 4 years.  After that, we lived and worked in SD for 15 years.

In 2000, we moved to Rochester, MN.  My wife Dee works as a Nurse Practitioner at Mayo Clinic and I appraise Agricultural Real Estate for the United States Department of Agriculture.  Our children live in Michigan, North Dakota, and Minnesota.  Approximately 2005, I became interested in becoming a Deacon for the Catholic Church.  I had heard of the office of Deacon before then but had little knowledge of what they did.  My class began formation in the Fall of 2012.  The more I cooperated with formation, the deeper I was drawn into my desire to serve God’s people in this way.  I look forward to serving at St. Francis of Assisi Parish and am grateful that Bishop Quinn made that decision. 

Experience an exceptional Catholic education that fosters spiritual, social, emotional and academic growth for life-long success. Experience Rochester Catholic Schools. Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year is open for students in PreK through high school. Visit rcsmn.org/admissions to learn more.
 
Rochester Catholic Schools Summer Care 2020!
Rochester Catholic Schools offers summer care for children ages 3-12 years old filled with faith, activities, area field trips, and structured enrichment, as well as easy access to attend RCS Summer Academy and Sports Camps. RCS Summer Care will keep your child engaged and growing in mind, body, and spirit all summer long. Visit rcsmn.org/summercare
to learn more.

Consider logging into http://formed.org!  FORMED is a revolutionary online platform featuring the best Catholic videos, audio talks, eBooks and movies from the Augustine Institute, St. Paul Center, Marian Fathers, Lighthouse Catholic Media, Ignatius Press and Word on Fire. All St. Francis of Assisi parishioners get access to this content for FREE, but you will need a Parish Code in order to access this content.

Please contact the Parish Center Office at francis@stfrancis-church.org or by calling 507-288-7313 during normal office hours to receive your Parish Code.

Learn more about the Catholic Advocacy Network - an initiative of the Minnesota Catholic Conference.  This network allows a person to easily stay informed about upcoming legislation,and to contact our state representatives to voice our concerns or support.  It includes thousands of Catholics and non-Catholics from Minnesota who are striving to live their faith in a challenging culture.

By joining the free network, you will receive periodic e-mails and a monthly E-Update in order to promote life and dignity. Consider visiting the Catholic Advocacy Network Action Center to join!

Reflect with these Stations of the Cross:
https://www.crsricebowl.org/stations-of-the-cross

Únanse a nosotros los domingos en la oración y la adoración a la Santa Misa.
https://www.watchthemass.com/

NO PUBLIC MASSES