MARCH 2024 STOCCC GAZETTE

Additional Liturgical Dates for March

3 Third Sunday of Lent

10 Fourth Sunday of Lent

17 Fifth Sunday of Lent

19 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary

24 Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

28 Holy Thursday -Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

29 Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

30 Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

31 Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord

CHURCH CALENDAR

Stations of the Cross video is found on the website at: www.stoccc.org

• March 1, Friday, 9:00 am, First Friday Mass in the Chapel, Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

• March 1, Friday, 6:00 pm, STATIONS OF THE CROSS in chapel or online.

• March 3, Sunday, 9:45 am, First Sunday of the Month Rosary Prayer

• March 3, Sunday, 10:30 am, 3rd Sunday of Lent LIVE STREAM AND MASS

• March 6, Wednesday, 9:00 am, Morning Mass on Saint Teresa of Calcutta Facebook

• March 8, Friday, 6:00 pm, STATIONS OF THE CROSS in chapel or online.

• March 9, Saturday, 8:00 am, PARKING LOT GANG POPUP

• March 10, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS, SPRING FORWARD

• March 10, Sunday, 10:30 am, 4th Sunday of Lent LIVE STREAM AND MASS

• March 10, Sunday, After Mass, H.O.M. Meeting

• March 13, Wednesday, 9:00 am, Morning Mass on Saint Teresa of Calcutta Facebook

• March 15, Friday, 6:00 pm, STATIONS OF THE CROSS in chapel or online.

• March 17, Sunday, 10:30 am, 5th Sunday of Lent LIVE STREAM AND MASS

• March 17, Sunday, ST. PATRICK’S DAY

• March 20, Wednesday, 9:00 am, Morning Mass on Saint Teresa of Calcutta Facebook

• March 22, Friday, 6:00 pm, STATIONS OF THE CROSS in chapel or online.

• March 24, Sunday, 10:30 am, Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion LIVE STREAM AND MASS

• March 27, Wednesday, 9:00 am, Morning Mass on Saint Teresa of Calcutta Facebook

• March 28, Thursday, 6:30 pm, Maundy Thursday LIVE STREAM AND MASS

• March 29, Friday, 6:30 pm, Good Friday LIVE STREAM AND MASS

For Readings Visit: https://bible.usccb.org/

• March 30, Saturday, 6:30 pm, Holy Saturday LIVE STREAM AND MASS

• March 31, Sunday, 10:30 am, Easter Sunday LIVE STREAM AND MASS

FELLOWSHIP AFTER MASS:

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FRIDAY

HAPPENINGS

Upcoming Birthday and anniversaries for the month

BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARY

Jon Laubscher and Bill Schwartz March 6, 2015

This International Women's Day, 8 March 2024, join the United Nations in celebrating under the theme Invest in women: Accelerate progress. The world is facing many crises, ranging from geopolitical conflicts to soaring poverty levels and the escalating impacts of climate change. These challenges can only be addressed by solutions that empower women. By investing in women, we can spark change and speed the transition towards a healthier, safer, and more equal world for all.

SATURDAY MARCH 9TH 2:00 AM

INTRODUCING BULLETIN GUY AND BULLETIN GIRL

PLEASE WELCOME BULLETIN GUY AND BULLETIN GIRL!

as New Members of the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Community Media Team.

• Bulletin Guy will be doing the Welcoming at the beginning of all Masses.

• Bulletin Girl will be Educating us on the Upcoming Weekly Schedule.

• They both will eventually be incorporated into the Website to make life easier to navigate around.

• They will also be used for Ads, Marketing and the Website Store.

• Believe it or not you can email Bulletin Guy and Bulletin Girl at: Bulletin.guy.girl@gmail.com

• If there are any other uses for our Duo, Please let me know.

American National Catholic Church, An

Independent Catholic Church, Offers Progressive Form Of Catholicism

Link: Huff Post Article

FAIRFAX, Va. (RNS) About 30 people are gathered in a dark, makeshift sanctuary at St. Anthony of Padua Church as the sun dips into the horizon. The service follows the familiar pattern of a Catholic Mass, but something is different: The worshippers are dressed casually, many in jeans, and the priest speaks directly and informally to his parishioners. Even the words of the liturgy seem slightly off.

This isn't a typical Roman Catholic Mass. The church is barely a year old, and it's part of a new independent Catholic movement, the American National Catholic Church, and bills itself as a home for "Contemporary Catholics."

Founded in 2009 by a bishop and a group of priests seeking a more inclusive religious experience but not ready to leave the Catholic tradition completely, the ANCC aims to follow the spirit of reform established by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

While the sacraments and many fundamental beliefs remain identical to those of Roman Catholicism, the ANCC presents a more progressive version of Catholicism: divorced members can take Communion, women and gays can be ordained, and priests can marry.

Mass is conducted in the "Novus Ordo" liturgy that was widely practiced in Catholic parishes until last year, when revamped some say clunky language was introduced by the Vatican. The movement follows a "congregational model" of governance, which means that parishes make decisions largely independent of the national group. And no church leader -- including the pope -- is viewed as superior.

The movement claims its priests and bishops are validly ordained in the chain of "apostolic succession" tracing back to the early church. The bishops were ordained by a group that traces its chain back to a Brazilian Catholic bishop who died in 1961, who himself had split from Rome and founded a breakaway group.

But beginning a religious movement from scratch requires much more than simply determining a set of guiding beliefs.

"It's a big undertaking," explained the Rev. Matthew Bailey, who followed Bishop George Lucey and a few other priests in launching the breakaway group. "A number of us had explored different options, so we sat down and talked about what was really good, what didn't work, and tried to craft something that addressed it."

According to Bailey, independent Catholic movements typically falter because their standards are too low: Priests are too easily ordained and may call themselves clergy without having any real ministry.

In response, the ANCC founded a seminary in 2010 that provides distance-learning courses to candidates, who must spend two years in preparation and submit to background checks.

"We're doing this deliberately and intentionally: We want what we're building to last," said Bailey, adding that the group reaches out to priests with small ministries or who may have left the church. "We're not trying to open 20 parishes tomorrow. Maybe we'll open just two in a year, but they need to be high quality, with good clergy and solid liturgies."

So far, the ANCC consists of seven parishes around the U.S., including one in Fargo, N.D. Few of the priests receive payment for their work; funding is plowed back into the parish. And at this point, lacking a brick-and-mortar home, church leaders are spread out; Lucey is in New Jersey, while Bailey is located in Connecticut.

According to the Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit and senior fellow at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center, the ANCC faces an uphill battle. There are some 200 independent Catholic movements in the U.S., but the majority are conservative groups. Other than a couple of established groups like the Polish National Catholic Church and the North American Old Catholic Church, successful liberal movements are rare, he said.

"Those people who are upset with the church's teaching on women or birth control a lot of them stay; they just don't agree with the church," said Reese. "Some do leave, but they tend to become unchurched, or join more liberal Protestant churches." Convincing them to join a new Catholic tradition can be a challenge.

But at St. Anthony of Padua, a number of parishioners who were discontented with Roman Catholicism have found the parish on their own, though the group remains small.

Stuart and Elke Andrews, both psychologists, found St. Anthony of Padua online and have been attending for six months. "I was raised a Catholic and was looking for that, but something that had an openness and was accepting of others," Elke Andrews explained.

Cathy and Rob Frye, who described themselves as listless Catholics, found the church when their daughter was getting married; unlike Roman Catholic priests, ANCC clergy will conduct a Catholic ceremony outside of a church.

"The community is warm and welcoming-it truly feels like a community," said Rob Frye.

The church is led by the Rev. Jason Lody, one of the ANCC's founding priests. A gregarious former Franciscan, Lody peppers his sermons with an emphasis on faith in action and says he's determined to imbue the parish with the egalitarian spirit of Vatican II.

The church has faced some stumbling blocks, most notably its lack of a permanent home. But Lody recently located an Episcopal church nearby whose congregation is willing to share the space with his, and says the move will free him up to finally implement an outreach plan.

"I want to create a perception of stability," explains Lody. "The people coming to us have the option of not going anywhere. We want them to see they can have a full expression of their faith here. We can be that bridge."

Website:

https://www.americannationalcatholicchurch.org/

Sunday, March 17th

When Is St. Patrick's Day in 2024 and Why Do We Celebrate It?

BY ERIN CAVOTO Published: Jan 12, 2024

Some may say the best way to welcome the spring season is by doing a big cleaning. Others might contest it's with an Easter Egg hunt. But for the Irish, you mark spring by celebrating St. Patrick's Day! Heck, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate even if you're not Irish. This is a holiday with *all* the perks. You get to enjoy so many fun St. Patrick's Day activities, all while dressing up with green accessories and St. Patrick's day shirts that show a bit more skin since the weather is finally beginning to warm up.

Most important of all (at least in the Drummond world ): the food! You have loaded Irish nachos, sweet and doughy Irish soda bread, and all the traditional Irish meals. And don't even get us started on the green or Bailey's infused drinks. Gather all your friends and family for a party, and you've got yourself a fully festive celebration. But in all that excitement, we might have left you wondering: When is St. Patrick's Day 2024? The day of the week is crucial to your plans!

Unlike other spring holidays like Easter and Lent, St. Patrick's Day has the same date every year. But not too fast the day of the week changes, so you should probably start planning around that sooner rather than later. Because whether it falls on a weekday versus a weekend is a huge deal. So, read on for everything you need to know about St. Paddy's Day, including when it is.

When is St. Patrick's Day in 2024?

Even though St. Patrick's Day falls on the same date every year March 17 the day of the week changes. In 2024, St. Patrick's Day falls on Sunday, March 17.

Sláinte! The holiday falls on the weekend. Though, it's the end of the weekend, so you might want to get your celebrations started early! Pub crawls and St. Patrick's Day parties will likely be happening Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For those with kids you can start your day off by making some Irish coffee, just right before you divulge into some family friendly St. Patrick's Day crafts!

Is St. Patrick's Day always on March 17?

Good question. The answer is yes! The earliest observance of St. Patrick's Day dates back to Ireland in the 1600s. March 17 is significant because it's believed to be the date the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, died in the late 5th century

Why do people celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

It began as and remains a religious day to recognize the death of St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint who brought Christianity to the country (although he was born a wealthy Englishman!). For Irish folks on the Emerald Isle, it remained a relatively low-key religious feast day through much of the 20th century.

However, if you look closer at the history of St. Patrick's Day, you'll find that the reasons to celebrate really evolved in America. The holiday as we know it today with parades, parties, and more emerged in the 1800s from Irish-Americans who wanted to celebrate their culture as well as civic pride, according to Time. By the end of the century, big cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago were hosting major celebrations for everyone to take part in over the course of days leading up to March 17. So, funnily enough, the St. Patrick's Day festivities we know today are more American than Irish!

Holy Week 2024: Schedule and Key Dates for the Catholic Observance of Holy Week

Palm Sunday – March 24. 10:30 am Mass

Holy Thursday – March 28. 6:30 pm Mass

Good Friday – March 29. 6:30 pm Solemn Day

Holy Saturday – March 30. 6:30 pm Mass

Easter Sunday – March 31. 10:30 am Mass

Palm Sunday

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, a distinct liturgy that begins with a Gospel reading of Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem at the entrance of the worship space.

Those attending the service receive palms, a reminder of Scripture telling us that people welcomed Jesus by laying down their cloaks and waving palm branches (John 12:13).

Palm Sunday is the first time we hear the Lord’s Passion in the liturgical calendar.

In 2024, Palm Sunday is March 24. In the homily that Pope Francis delivered in Palm Sunday in 2023, Pope Francis reminded us that “Jesus, in his abandonment, asks us to open our eyes and hearts to all who find themselves abandoned. On Palm Sunday in 2022, he stressed that God can forgive every sin

Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday begins the Easter Triduum–the three days leading up to Jesus’ Resurrection. Its formal name is Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which was the first celebration of the Eucharist. Other branches of Christianity refer to this day as Maundy Thursday.

This liturgy includes the reception of the Holy Oils, in which the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Holy Chrism are processed through the church, to be used for the rest of the year. These oils are all blessed by the local bishop shortly before the liturgy.

Also notable at the Holy Thursday service is the washing of the feet, in which the priest washes the feet of 12 parishioners. Jesus did this to demonstrate to his disciples how they are to serve others through selfless love.

Originally, only men were invited to be among the 12 to have their feet washed. A decree from Pope Francis in 2016 opened up the ritual to all.

At the end of Mass, consecrated hosts remain on the altar while everything else is stripped away. As incense fills the church, the priest, donning a special garb called a humeral veil, takes the Blessed Sacrament and processes out of the church to a chapel or other area for adoration.

In 2024, Holy Thursday is March 28.

Good Friday

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, commonly known as Good Friday, is the only day in the entire year in which no Mass is celebrated.

It’s a solemn day that calls for fasting and abstinence.

Stations of the Cross are popular on Good Friday. The main service on Good Friday features no procession. The Passion is read and the Eucharist (consecrated on Thursday) is distributed.

Veneration of the Cross and solemn intercessions–a set of shared prayer intentions offered universally on this day–are other unique elements to the Good Friday service.

In 2024, Good Friday occurs on March 29.

Holy Saturday

The Mass on Holy Saturday is the Easter Vigil, though its full reference on the USCCB schedule of daily reading is “Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter.”

This is the most unique and perhaps most important liturgy of the year. The Easter Vigil ends the Triduum and begins Easter celebrations.

The service can only begin once the sun has set. Outside the church, a fire lights the Paschal candle, and the flame is shared throughout the church to individual handheld candles. The Liturgy of the Word, which normally includes nine readings, begins in darkness.

The readings demonstrate the connection between the Old and New Testaments and how Jesus fulfilled Scripture and achieved salvation for all humanity.

The Liturgy of Baptism, which follows the Gospel and homily, marks the culmination of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program. Catechumens, who have been preparing to enter the Church, are baptized, confirmed, and later receive their first Holy Communion.

The Easter Vigil is a joyous, celebratory liturgy, filled with rich songs. Although the services ends late at night, churches typically have a reception afterward to continue the celebration.

In 2024, the Easter Vigil will take place on March 30. It will begin at different times in different parts of the country (and world), depending on the sunset time.

Easter Sunday

Compared to other Holy Week services, Easter Sunday Masses are most similar to those that occur during Ordinary Time.

The festive atmosphere continues from the Easter Vigil, with the worship space decorated with beautiful flowers, especially white lilies.

Of course, many parishioners wear special outfits to celebrate the day. Easter, the biggest feast that the Church has, is also among the most well-attended services of the year.

Article provided by Hallow:

Link: Hallow Article

USCCB PRAYER FOR HOLY WEEK 2024

We pray, O gracious Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we all may be one as you are one. In your community of complete unity, we have our beginning and our end. To you we pray, asking for the gift of visible unity among all who believe in your Christ.

As we commemorate this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are reminded by your Word that all human beings are our neighbors and that we are to love them like ourselves and in the same way we love you. Help us to overcome the barriers and divisions we have nurtured against your will.

Grant to us, O Lord, a new Spirit of love and solidarity, that we may proclaim your good news to all of creation. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirt are one God, for ever and ever.

Purpose of this Newsletter: One format in which to “Keep the lines of Communication OPEN” and inform the congregation, friends, and guests of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Community of what ishappening.

SAINT TERESA OF CALCUTTA CATHOLICCOMMUNITYSTATS:

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:

3803 HAINES ROAD NORTH, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA 33703

MAILING ADDRESS:

SAINT TERESA OFCALCUTTA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

P.O. BOX 47921, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA 33743

PHONE NUMBER IS:

727-245-0102

Line #1 is the Church Office

Line #2 is Father Victor Ray

Line #3 is Prayer Request

Line #4 is Healing Ministry

Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Community

Existing Ministry Teams:

HOUSE OF MINISTRIES

Moderator: William Schwartz

Assistant Moderator: Michelle Mazuros

Financial: Jon Laubscher

Advertising: Michelle Mazuros

Card Ministry: Paula Thomas Baker

Decorations: Cindy and Dennis Giddens, Susanna Glisson

Hospitality: Paula Thomas Baker, Cindy Giddens

Liturgical: Alexandra Kahn

Media: William Schwartz

Outreach: Cindy Giddens

Parking Lot Gang: Shelli and Kelvin Muncy, Frank Matzelle

Welcome: Susanna Glisson

Immediate Needed Ministries:

Records Keeper Planning Marketing Future Goals Mats Ministry

Pastor is Father Victor Ray

HOUSE OF TRUSTEES

President: William Schwartz

Vice President: Michelle Mazuros

Treasurer: Jon Laubscher

Legal: Catherine E. Blackburn, Esquire

If anyone is interested in participating in an Existing Ministry, please contact the Ministry Leader. If anyone is interested in Leading any of the Immediate Needed Ministries, Please contact Father Victor Ray or William Schwartz.

Remember that Saint Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Community follows the principles of: TIME TALENT TREASURE

FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

YOUTUBE AT SAINT TERESA OF CALCUTTA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

TWITTER AT STOCCC2

INSTAGRAM AT STOCCCLOVE

APP AT SAINT TERESA OF CALCUTTA CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

You can easily connect to all, on our Website: www.stoccc.org