APRIL

April 2 - St. Francis of Paola, hermit -   founded (1435) the Order of Minims, a congregation of hermits, “the least of God’s household”; today they number about 175 religious. Died 1507.

April 4 – St. Isidore, bishop, doctor -  succeeded his brother, St. Leander, as bishop of Seville; presided over the Council of Toledo (633); completed the Mozarabic liturgy; combated Arianism in Spain; known as the “Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages”, especially for his Etymologies. Died 636. Patron Saint of computer people.

April 5 – St. Vincent Ferrer, priest - O.P.; born in Valencia; noted orator and missionary preacher; called the “angel of judgment”; worked tirelessly for the unity of the Church divided by the Western Schism. Died in Brittany 1419.

April 7 – St. - John Baptist de la Salle, priest -  canon of the diocese of Rheims; gave away his fortune to found  the Brothers of the Christian School, today numbering some 7,200 religious; authored the Conduct of Schools; patron of teachers. Died 1719.

April 19 – Sunday of Divine Mercy – The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments decreed (23 May 2000) that “throughout the world, the Second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that humankind will experience in the years to come.”  Devotion to the Divine Mercy was promoted by St. Faustina Kowalska, canonized 30 April 2000 by Pope John Paul, II.

April 24  – St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest – Died 1622 in Switzerland; from Swabia; known as the “lawyer of the poor” before becoming a Capuchin; preached in the canton of the Grisons’; protomartyr of Propaganda Fide.

April 25 – St. Mark, Evangelist – Died 1^st c.; cousin of Barnabas; associated with Paul and Peter; the gospel is ascribed to him (cf. Acts 12:12) is the oldest (written probably prior to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70) and shortest; largely a collection of narratives that depict Jesus as being almost constantly active; presents Jesus as the Son of God whose ministry was marked by a series of mighty works, signs of God’s power and kingdom; tradition holds Mark as the first bishop of Alexandria; portrayed as a winged lion;    patron of Egypt, of Venice, and of notaries. Today, the feast of St. Mark, the Greater Litanies were formerly celebrated.  These public prayers implored God to preserve us from calamities and to bless the crops.

April 28 – St. Peter Chanel, priest & martyr; and St. Louis Mary de Montfort, priest –  Peter Mary Chanel, died 1841; French Marist missionary on the Pacific islands of Wallis and Futuna where he was martyred; destroyed cult of evil spirits; protomartyr and patron of Oceania. Louis Mary de Montfort, died 1716; from Brittany; studied at St. Sulpice; hospital chaplain and founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Wisdom; apostolic missionary whose preaching led to a spiritual revival in his native Brittany; established numerous confraternities for the recitation of the rosary; founded (1705) the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, today numbering over 1,000 religious; principal work:  True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

 April 29 – St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor of the Church- O.P. tertiary, mystic, and author (The Dialogue); peacemaker within the Church and renewer of religious life; worked toward ending the Avignon

papacy under Gregory XI (1377); Died 1380; declared doctor of the Church in 1970; patroness of Italy; together with Bridget of Sweden (23 July) and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (9 August), co-patroness of Europe.

April 30^th – St. Pius V – pope who implemented the reforms of the Council of Trent; promulgated the Roman Catechism, the Roman Missal and the Roman Breviary used until Vatican II. Canonized May 22, 1712

***********************************************

HOLY CHRISM MASS

The Chrism Mass will be held this week on Thursday April 2, 2009 at 7:00 PM at Christ the Light Cathedral Church in Oakland. 3 Oils will be bledded: Holy Oil of Chrism (used in Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination of Priests) Holy Oil of Catechumens (used to anoint those preparing for the Sacrament of Baptism) and Holy Oil of the Sick (used in the Sacrament of the anointing of the Sick). Bishops, clergy and parish delegations gather at Cathedral Church in solemn ritual.  On that day, all Priests of the Oakland Diocese renew their priestly promises. Parishioners who may be interested in  the Chrism Mass are welcome.

 

OUR PARISH BULLETIN

Additional advertising support is needed to cover  the expenses of printing our parish bulletin. Now we have 8 pages every week. If you are a business owner, or know of someone who might wish to place an ad, please e-mail our BULLETIN PUBLISHER: mpublications@sbcglobal.net; or call them at 888-253-4358.  Please patronize our advertisers.

 

ST.  ANN’S GUILD CORNER !!!

ST. GUILD MEETING

       St. Anne's Guild meets Wednesday April 1st in the Church Hall after the 6:00 pm Mass.

        Our Special Guest, Father Paul Minnihan, Provost, Cathedral Christ the Light will discuss

with us our gift to the Cathedral with the proceeds from of the Mardi  Gras: Part Deux.

       A light supper will be served.  All Parishioners are welcome!

 

LENTEN SOUP  SUPPERS (last time)

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the Lenten Soup Suppers.  Our last supper will take place next Friday, April 3 from 6pm to 9 pm.

Please sign up if you can help.  We especially need people to stay and put the hall and kitchen back together.  Clean up is minimal, but someone needs to stay and do it!!

This is what is needed:

Soup group:  4 individuals or families bring 4 kinds of meatless soup, each enough to serve 12-20 servings (more is better- people are hungry by the end of the day and will eat-even during Lent:)

Bread group:  Another 3-4 individuals or families bring some kind of bread/rolls to have with the soup.