St. Maurice Church http://stmaurice.org St. Maurice Church Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:02:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 St. Maurice Choir http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-choir/ http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-choir/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:09:26 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=573 A song is in our hearts. We use our gifts to enhance the liturgies of our parish and to help the assembly raise their voices in song.

]]> http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-choir/feed/ 0 Lent http://stmaurice.org/lent/ http://stmaurice.org/lent/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:11:42 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=539  
 
Dear Family,
 
Olga Ayala, Diane Chance, Jorge Diaz, Kira Duranza, Heather Gonzalez, Christina Greschler, Michael Greschler, Lindsey Langdon, Natalie Otto, Chris Popovic and Kenia Zaldivar. Who are these people? Well, they are people we call the Elect. In other words, back in October 2009, these people expressed an interest in learning more about our church and our way of life. Since that time, their catechists (teachers) have been teaching them many different things: Who is God the Father? Who is God the Son? Who is God the Holy Spirit? What is a sacrament? And so on and so forth. One of the things that they studied is something that most of us never heard about when we went to Catholic schools or CCD classes. It’s called Catholic Social Teaching. Our U.S. bishops have indentified seven themes that summarize Catholic Social Teaching. The themes are:
  
1. The Life and Dignity of the Human Person
 
2. The Call to Family, Community, and Participation
 
3. Rights and Responsibilities

4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

5. The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers

6. Solidarity

7. Care for God’s Creation

It is because of these seven themes that we have a Hunger Program, a Saint Vincent de Paul ministry, a Pastoral Care to the Sick ministry, a Pax Christi ministry, a Just Faith program, Always Our Children ministry, and Bold Justice. It is because of these seven themes that we preach often (hopefully often) about social justice. It is because of these seven themes that we believe that the test of a good parish is not how well it serves us as individuals, the what I call “I’m here to be fed” nonsense, but rather how effective the parish is in calling us to serve others.

Family, social ministry is not an option to be practiced only by some interested parishioners. Protecting human dignity, promoting human rights, looking out for the common good are constitutive elements in living the Christian life. The message that we should try to convey is that when you join our parish you are not withdrawing from the world but rather that you are empowered to transform it.

So as our Elect prepare during these last weeks of Lent for the sacraments of initiation (Eucharist, and Confirmation), one must ask: when these Elect look upon our parish, what do they see? A parish committed to social justice? A parish that has an option for the poor and vulnerable? A parish that cares for all of God’s creation? What do they see?

Please pray for our Elect. They are precious to God and they are precious to all of us. Welcome them as you would welcome Jesus

Peace and All Goodness,

Fr. Roger

 
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Paul Turner
The 14 Stations of the Cross adorn the walls of almost every Catholic Church and Chapel. Many parishes commemorate the Fridays of Lent with a prayerful remembrance of the passion of Christ by walking the stations with him. Throughout our history, Christians have longed to literally walk in the footsteps of Christ. The shrines of the holy places in and around Jerusalem have drawn pilgrims inspired by the life and death of their Master.
However, not everyone is able to travel to the Holy Land. So, ever since the Middle Ages, churches and chapels began erecting images devoted to an aspect of the passion. By the 15th century, the Franciscans had developed a devotion they called “stations.” The word means a place where people stand still or gather together. So even though it implies something “stationary” the service obviously must include the movement of pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ. It took a while to fix the number and the names of the stations, but in 1731 Pope Clement XII established the 14 we know today.
We still find some variations on the number. Many places add a 15th station, for example, the resurrection of Jesus. Discontent with leaving Christ in the tomb when our faith expresses so much more, worshipers have found consolation in completing the story of the cross.
Over the years our church has authorized various versions of the stations for different occasions. For example, Pope John Paul II altered the traditional stations for his Good Friday service in Rome. He eliminated some stations which derived from tradition, and substituted them with events from the Gospels. Here are the stations he has used:
1. Jesus in the Garden of Olives.
2. Jesus betrayed by Judas.

 3. Jesus condemned to death by the sanhedrin.

4. Jesus denied by Peter.

5. Jesus judged by Pilate

6. Jesus flogged and crowned with thorns.

7. Jesus carries his cross.

8. Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrene.

9. Jesus encounters women of Jerusalem.

10. Jesus is crucified.

11. Jesus promises the kingdom to the good thief.

12. Jesus on the cross. 

13. The mother of Jesus and his disciple at the cross.

14. Jesus is placed in the tomb.

 The stations inspire us all to follow Christ through suffering to peace.

 

Fasting

    by  Paul Turner

Ever discover you just can’t eat? Maybe you have an exam coming up. Or you’ve had a death in the family. Maybe you’re about to give a speech. Or it’s only days before your wedding.

Emotional events in our lives can cause a physical reaction – tensing up the stomach, making it hard to even think about food. We naturally fast as a means of preparing.

Imagine the Church, the body of Christ, as one giant organism getting ready for the big event of the year, Easter. The emotional promise of that day is causing a physical reaction in us. It’s hard to think about food when we’re drawing so close to the celebration of the death and resurrection of the Lord.

Our most common form of liturgical fasting is the hour we spend before receiving communion, abstaining from food and drink. Most of us don’t think about it anymore, but it used to be a three hour fast, and prior to that,  a fast from midnight. This had the advantage of making communion the first food of the day, a real “break-fast.”

The canon and local laws regarding fasting during Lent are well publicized each year. We abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays of Lent, and we fast (eating only one full meal) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

But the liturgy presumes that fasting, or some form of self-sacrifice, accompanies the Lenten season. On Ash Wednesday, the opening prayer asks God to “make this day holy by our self-denial.”  The prayer of blessing over the ashes  asks to “keep us faithful to the discipline of Lent.” Before the blessing of the palms of Passion Sunday the presider will remind us that “for five weeks of Lent we have been preparing, by works of charity and self-sacrifice, for the celebration of our Lord’s paschal mystery.”

Holy Saturday, not just Good Friday, implies the presence of a fast. The Church abstains from communion; it may be given only to the dying. And those preparing for Baptism “should refrain from their usual activities, spend their time in prayer and reflection, and, as far as they can, observe a  fast (RICA185).” We all may find that extending the fast from Good Friday through Saturday helps us celebrate Easter.

Fasting heightens our anticipation of Easter and gives us solidarity with the world’s hungry. A fast at home will give new life to the prayers we hear and the songs we sing this Lent.

 

 
]]> http://stmaurice.org/lent/feed/ 0 Haiti Our Projects http://stmaurice.org/haiti-our-projects/ http://stmaurice.org/haiti-our-projects/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:58:57 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=544 Haiti
Prayer on the mountainside
Protected from the muck of the slum
Unprepared, unsuspecting down the hill we descend
Into the scene of choking dust, open sewers,
and the many, many children of God….
Life with hope
That one day there will be a dry floor,
A clean glass of water,
a pair of shoes, a banana, an orange or school.
Author unknown

We pray that one day the hopes and dreams of the children of Haiti will be realized. We at St. Maurice, with the help of God, are helping to alleviate the suffering. As was reported last week, the container on our property was filled two thirds of the way with supplies to be shipped to Haiti through Cross International. A heartfelt “thank you” to all who contributed their time, and treasure to accomplish this project.

There was an article in the February 5th edition of the Miami Herald entitled “For Orphans a life of neglect and pain.” Six little boys eating large bowls of oatmeal at the Good Shepherd Home were pictured. This is one of our Hunger Program’s projects in Port au Prince. Father Luc Jolicoeur, the onsite coordinator is quoted as saying, “The government must care for the children.” According to Father Luc, no one from the government has ever visited the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd Orphanage. It is a blessing that dedicated people like Father Luc are willing to assume the responsibility of the care of these orphaned and abandoned children.

We have been attempting to discover the status of our seven projects in Haiti. Marlene Mathurin, the project leader for the At Risk Children’s Foundation traveled to Haiti on the day of the earthquake. This project has two locations, one orphanage is in Cape Rouge and the other in Cayes, they are both in southern Haiti. Marlene is safe, but has the sad news to report that three are dead, and others missing. Bishop Joseph Lafontant, of our Morning Bread project, has assumed a leadership role in Haiti after the death of the archbishop and vicar general. He is quoted as saying, “As for material things, we can rebuild, but in lives- the archdiocese has suffered.” Father Glenn Meaux, coordinator of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Project in Kobonal reports that all are safe, and that only tremors were felt in their area. He is preparing for an influx of refugees from Port au Prince. I contacted Sister Pat Downs, coordinator of the Ferrier Elderly Nutrition Program, and she was happy to report that all are well. Four Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament were in Port au Prince at the medical school when the quake hit, but they all survived. The school feeding program at St. Joseph’s School in Limbe is preparing to resume, even though there is no electricity. At this point in time, we have not been able to determine the status of the Notre Dame Parish Feeding Program in Port au Prince.

We keep these suffering people in our thoughts and prayers. This is their Good Friday, may they experience the joy of Resurrection.

The Board of Directors of the Hunger Program

Haiti Our Projects

Haiti is in crisis. It is hard to imagine saying that its crisis has deepened, but it has! The number of dead as a result of the earthquake has risen to over 230,000 and people, especially children, are dying of diarrhea. The crisis seems to be growing ever deeper.

During this time of special need, the St. Maurice family has reacted with its usual speed and generosity. St. Maurice filled a 40’ container with many necessities. Family and friends donated items such as water, medicine, food, blankets , quilts, towels, juice, bleach, charcoal, wheel chairs, crutches, and many other products. They were shipped to Haiti for distribution. St. Maurice raised $3300.00 towards the shipping costs.

At the best of times, Haiti is a nation in crisis. St. Maurice has been involved in dealing with human need for food and drink in Haiti through our Hunger Program for many years.

St. Maurice supports 7 projects in Haiti. Most projects involve feeding people, especially the young and the elderly. The Hunger Program contributes money that supports the project. The Hunger Program assigns a project leader for each project.

Here is the list of the names of the projects, the location of each, the name of the group providing the service and the St. Maurice Hunger Program project leaders for each. There is a brief description of the project.

At Risk Children Project
Cayes                                                                              Contact: Marlene Mathurin

Project Leader: Marlene Mathurin

This orphanage cares for about 45 children. It gets funds to assist in buying food.

Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd Project

Port au Prince                                                            Service Provider: Little Brothers

Project Leader:    Shel McCartney

The project provides shelter to approximately 160 boys who would otherwise be on the streets. It also provides 500 others with a meal each day.

St. Joseph School for Boys Project

Limbe                                                                            ServiceProvider:  St. Joseph  School

Project Leader: Ramona Rung

This school has 891 students. The Hunger Program funds a portion of the lunches.

Morning Bread

Port au Prince                                                            Service Provider: Pain du Matin

Project Leaders: Marilyn Hogarth                                                                                                                              Therese Katende

This project provides poor families with a daily voucher for a bag of bread.

Notre Dame Parish Project

Port au Prince                                                             Service Provider: Terre Rouge Lunch

Program

Project Leader: Ellen Volpicella

This project provides a hot lunch for 500 children

Our Lady of the Holy Trinity Haitian Missions Project

Kobanal                                                                        Service Provider: OLHT Mission

Project Leader: Barbara Faticone

This project provides 110 families with 3 meals a day.

Open Air Senior Center Project

Ferrier                                                                           Service Provider: St. Vincent de Paul

Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament

Project Leader: Mary Becconssal

This project provides a hot lunch to each senior who comes to the center.

At this time we are not sure about what is happening with some of the projects that the Hunger Program supports.

May the Lord have mercy on this long suffering faith filled people!

]]> http://stmaurice.org/haiti-our-projects/feed/ 0 The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ http://stmaurice.org/the-passion-and-death-of-jesus-christ/ http://stmaurice.org/the-passion-and-death-of-jesus-christ/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:09:48 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=537 Begin your Lenten Journey to Calvary on February 21st!

Your parish family needs you on Good Friday!

It is our tradition at St. Maurice to reenact Jesus’ passion and death on Good Friday. We need many more participants to be the priests, women, soldiers, apostles and rabble. We need behind the scenes helping hands.  We need you!

We look forward to welcoming back previous participants. To the undiscovered among us, we missed you last year.  We are counting on you to pitch in this year to spread the Good News that Jesus suffered and died because he loves us.

There’s lots to do and we are beginning to prepare early for the reenactment.

Join us at the start.

Sunday,

February 21st,

right after the 10:30 mass

]]> http://stmaurice.org/the-passion-and-death-of-jesus-christ/feed/ 0 Seventh Annual Family Stations and Soup http://stmaurice.org/seventh-annual-family-stations-and-soup/ http://stmaurice.org/seventh-annual-family-stations-and-soup/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:28:35 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=536 Beginning on Friday, February 19th and continuing every Friday through March 26th, we will be having the Moving Stations of  the Cross. (Yes,  we and the Stations move!) The Moving Stations will begin in the Chapel at  5:30 pm. Wewill move throughout the Church grounds till the stations are completed.

The Moving Stations will be followed  by our Family  Soup Hour at 6:30 pm with delicious homemade soups, bread and beverage. If you would like to make your favorite soup for our parish family, please call  Ray Archbold at 954-894-8863 to schedule your Friday Soup Day. All are Welcome. Thank you and God bless you.

]]> http://stmaurice.org/seventh-annual-family-stations-and-soup/feed/ 0 Women of the Stable Bake Sale http://stmaurice.org/women-of-the-stable-bake-sale/ http://stmaurice.org/women-of-the-stable-bake-sale/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:35:35 +0000 stmaurice http://stmaurice.org/?p=526 The Women of the Stable Annual Bake Sale & Sweet Shop will take place on February 14th.

The Women of the Stable are accepting donations of any and all baked goods to make the fundraiser a success!

Call Ann Metscher: 954-983-3917

]]> http://stmaurice.org/women-of-the-stable-bake-sale/feed/ 0 2009 Christmas Season http://stmaurice.org/2009-christmas-season/ http://stmaurice.org/2009-christmas-season/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:36:57 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=427

December 24th
Family Mass 5:00 PM
Spanish Mass 7:00 PM
French Mass 8:45 PM
Prelude to Midnight Mass 11:00 PM
Midnight Mass- December 25th
Christmas Mass 8:30 AM /10:30 AM

December 26th & 27th Regular Mass Schedule

CHRISTMAS DINNER INVITATION….
All are welcome to our 5th Annual St. Maurice Family Christmas Dinner at 4pm on Christmas Day, Friday December 25th, in the Social Hall. Come to enjoy Family Holiday Fun, Food and Fellowship! The only thing you need to bring is yourself and a dessert to share. Our Christmas dinner will be Turkey, Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, and Stuffing, Vegetables, Gravy, beverages and more. Dinner is being prepared by loving hands and served with gladdened hearts. Please call the Parish office to let us know you will be there. Come and make this a truly Merry Christmas!

]]> http://stmaurice.org/2009-christmas-season/feed/ 0 St Maurice Country Fair http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-country-fair/ http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-country-fair/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:41:00 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=411

Thank you all for attending the St. Maurice Country Fair
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!

Those who ate, drank and made merry at Country Fair 2009!
Those who labored in love to make it successful!

The hungry will be fed!
the thirsty will find drink!

SEE YOU AT COUNTRY FAIR 2010

Travel Booth & Bingo – Prizes, Christmas/Handmade – Wreaths, decorations,
any handmade towels, aprons, etc. Bar – Unopened rum, vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon, scotch wine and beer. Plant Booth – Plants
Kid’s Games-Prizes

Ride tickets are now available for purchase on the deck after the masses or at the office during the week. Prices are $60 for all four days of the fair, $30 for all day Saturday or Sunday & $20 Thursday or Friday all day.
Buy them now they will cost more after the fair starts. We are taking ticket donations for children who otherwise would not be able to attend the fair. Maybe you could be the one to bring miles of smiles to a child.

Country Fair 2009 Entertainment Schedule

Friday, November 14:
6:30-8:30 PM: ~Bradley Brown and Friends~
Grammy Winning Reggae Artist
9:00-11:00 PM: ~Pocket Change ~

Saturday, November 15:
3:00 PM: ~New River Boys~ (Blue Grass)
6:30-8:30 PM:
9:00-11:00 PM: ~Amber Leigh~

Sunday, November 16:
7:00-9:00 PM: ~Jimi Fiano~ (Classic Rock)

Saturday, November 15:
12:00-2:00 PM: Petting Zoo

]]> http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-country-fair/feed/ 0 St. Maurice Mass Schedules http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-mass-schedules/ http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-mass-schedules/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:15:35 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=397 SUNDAY EUCHARIST
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m. (English)
Saturday Mass:6:30 p.m. (Spanish)
Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. (English)
French Mass – Sunday 5:00 pm (Seasonal)

WEEKDAY EUCHARIST
Monday – Friday: 7:00 & 8:30 a.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m.

RITE OF RECONCILIATION
Saturday: 3:30 p.m. in the Chapel

]]> http://stmaurice.org/st-maurice-mass-schedules/feed/ 0 Current Affairs http://stmaurice.org/current-affairs/ http://stmaurice.org/current-affairs/#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:15:39 +0000 admin http://stmaurice.org/?p=378 Our Current Affairs page will keep you up to date with all news and happenings in St. Maurice Church.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO SET UP 
BOOTHS FOR COUNTRY FAIR! Come to St. Maurice on Saturday mornings at 9:00.

Great lunch provided and great people to work with!  See the album, they’re having fun!

Bring your hands and hearts! Help  feed the Hungry.

_____________________________________________________________________

Updates to Website

– The Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Conference was  held here at St. Maurice  August  29 and 30. It was a very successful and well attended event. View pictures here

– Work has started for our Country Fair – view pictures of the first work day (August 30 ) for the set up of Country Fair booths.

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