For those of you who will be heading out to your favorite Irish nook in honor of blessed St. Patrick, for a wee bit of corned beef and Guinness, here is a little ditty from an unknown author you can use to impress your friends:
Saint Patrick was a gentleman
Who through strategy and stealth
Drove all the snakes from Ireland.
Here's a drinkee to his health!
But not too many drinkees
Lest we lose ourselves and then...
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see them snakes again!
It’s a fun rhyme. I like it because there is a sound spiritual principle embedded in it too. It reminds us that too often a good thing, if it is abused or partaken of to excess, can have unwanted or negative consequences. Sure and begorrah, there is nobody better than a drunken St. Patrick’s Day reveler to remind us of that.
That’s why I find it to be so fitting that St. Patrick’s Day always falls in the season of Lent. A day of celebration in a season of penance is a good juxtaposition. It reminds us that, to know true joy and bliss, we first must master our wild passions and drive out our snakes.
So raise a toast and go green – but forget not the gentleman St. Patrick. Lose not your true selves and set your hearts on the glory that is promised.
Fr. Dennis Zehren
Pastor
Join Pro-Life Action Ministries on Good Friday, March 29th from 8:30am-4:00pm as we remember the unborn victims of abortion while meditating on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Visit the Pro-Life Action Ministries website for more information:
Saturday, April 13 — 10:00 AM
All women are invited to attend the CCW Spring Brunch. There will be a sumptuous buffet with a Musical Ventriloquist as entertainment. Tickets available in the church office.
Cost: $25 per ticket
The St. Vincent de Paul CCW will be awarding two $1000 scholarships for the 2024-2025 school year. One will be awarded to a graduating high school senior and one to a current college student from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Deadline to apply is March 29, 2024 by Noon.
Click Here for the application and more information.
As part of my ongoing formation towards the priesthood the Archdiocese asks my classmates and me to attend the Institute of Priestly Formation (IPF) Summer Program for Seminarians. This is an eight-week long program hosted at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where seminarians are immersed in spiritual direction, an eight-day silent retreat, and classes on prayer and priestly identity.
My time at IPF will provide an excellent foundation for my spiritual and human formation, complement my formal studies at the St. Paul Seminary and assist me to grow deeper in my love for Jesus Christ and in my trust in God’s plan for me.
The Archdiocese covers 50% of the cost of the program and asks each seminarian attending IPF to cover the other half, which for me is $5,000. I humbly ask for your prayers as I work towards fundraising the necessary funds. I also ask that you might consider providing a donation that would support me attending the IPF Summer Program for Seminarians.
Gifts may be made online:
www.10000vocations.org/ipf-donation
Gifts may be made by check: Please place my name on the check memo line and address to:
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Office of Vocations
2260 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105
Thank you for your prayers and any level of support you can give!
Sincerely in Christ,
Joshua Gerads
You are invited to join Fr. Zehren on a pilgrimage to Rome. The dates for the pilgrimage are May 29-June 8, 2024.
This pilgrimage is designed for a small group of 28 participants. Fr. Zehren is joining friends in a visit to see a college student who is studying there – and they are looking for a few more fellow pilgrims to fill out the group.
In Rome, you will enjoy a tour of the Vatican and celebrate Mass with Fr. Zehren at all the Major Basilicas. There will be a visit to The Three Fountains Outside the Walls where St. Paul was imprisoned and martyred. Visits to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum are also included.
The pilgrimage will include a lot of free time – with limited meals provided — to allow people to wander, explore, sample, and fully enjoy Rome at their own leisure. The boutique hotel at which we will be staying is within easy walking distance to St. Peter’s and the Vatican.
For a detailed itinerary, and to secure your spot, visit: www.stcecilia.co/tours