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LENT SCHEDULE 2012 

LENT 2012

St. Martin of Tours Catholic Parish

Philipsburg * South Reward * Simpson Bay

 

ASH WEDNESDAY EUCHARIST AND ASHES (February 22nd, 2012)

Day of Fasting and Abstinence

*7:00 am Simpson Bay     *Noon Philipsburg

*7:30 pm Philipsburg      *7:30 pm South Reward

 

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Fridays at 7:30 pm

PHILIPSBURG                                  SOUTH REWARD

February 24th          Philipsburg Choir                            South Reward Choir

March 2nd                 Couples For Christ                          Parish Catechists

March 9th                  Hispanic Community                     Parish Youth Group*

March 16th               Parish Lectors                                  Eucharistic Ministers

March 23rd               La Salette Prayer Group (5:30)   Parish Children (5:30 pm)

March 30th               Filipino Community                       Haitian Community

 

(*Parish Youth Group on March 9th also includes Confirmation Candidates)

 

HOLY WEEK: April 1st until April 8th

Palm Sunday:          

St. Martin of Tours, Philipsburg:  Gather at 8 am at the Courthouse to process for 8:30 am Mass.                  

Risen Christ, South Reward:  Gather at 10:30 am at Milton Peters College to process for 11 am Mass.          

Mary, Star of the Sea, Simpson Bay:  Gather at 4:30 pm at Sr. Regina School to process for the 5:00 pm.

***Please note:  only the elderly, and physically challenged will be allowed in church before the procession.  This celebration invites the liturgical rhythm of "processing" with Jesus as he did into Jerusalem. 

                               

Holy Thursday:        

St. Martin of Tours, Philipsburg: 7:30 pm                   

Risen Christ, Reward: 7:30 pm

Mary, Star of the Sea, Simpson Bay:  no service


Good Friday:  Day of Fasting and Abstinence       

St. Martin of Tours, Philipsburg: 3:00 pm                   

Risen Christ, South Reward:  3:00 pm                   

Mary, Star of the Sea, Simpson Bay: 3:00 pm


Easter Vigil              

St. Martin of Tours, Philipsburg  7:30 pm                   

Risen Christ, South Reward  7:30 pm                   

Mary, Star of the Sea, Simpson Bay:  no service


Easter Sunday        

St. Martin of Tours, Philipsburg 8:30 and 12 noon       

Risen Christ, South Reward  11:00 am                 

Mary, Star of the Sea, Simpson Bay 5:00 pm

St. Martin of Tours, Philipsburg  7:00 pm (Spanish)

 

GOOD FRIDAY PILGRIMAGE

The annual Good Friday pilgrimage to all the Catholic churches on the island will take place starting at 7:30 am in Philipsburg and returning at 2:30 pm.

 

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION SERVICE:

Tuesday, March 20th, 7 pm- 9 pm Risen Christ Church, Reward

Wednesday, March 21st, 7 pm-9 pm St. Martin of Tours, Philipsburg

 

LENTEN PARISH MISSION

March 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th 2012

7:30 pm Risen Christ Church,  South Reward

Preacher: Fr. Curtis Meris

Priests are available for individual confessions beginning at 7 pm until 7:30 pm, and then after 8:30 pm each night of the Parish Mission. 

 

LENTEN PRACTICES:

Please remember that each Saturday evening/Sunday Mass there is a basket for the children to place non-perishable items at the beginning of the offertory to be distributed to the poor through the Bishop Ellis Foundation.  Please have your children bring these items at each Mass.

POPE'S ADVICE ON ECUMENISM: BE PATIENT, DON'T MISS A SINGLE OPPORTUNITY 
ROME, JAN. 26, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that despite our divisions, Christians must look to the future with hope, accepting that victory happens in "God's timeframes.'" The Pope offered this invitation Wednesday as he closed the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. "Despite experiencing in our days the painful situation of division, we Christians can and must look to the future with hope insofar as the victory of Christ means the overcoming of all that prevents us from sharing the fullness of life with him and with others," he said. The Resurrection confirms that God's goodness is stronger than evil and love overcomes death, the Holy Father reminded. "The presence of the risen Christ calls all of us Christians to act together in the cause of the good," he said. "United to Christ we are called to share his mission, which is that of bringing hope where injustice, hatred and desperation dominate." Benedict XVI declared that the goal of complete unity among Christians "has importance for the good of the human family" and is not a "secondary victory." This is because "our divisions dim the luminousness of our witness to Christ," he suggested. Victory Alluding to the theme of this year's Week of Prayer, which centered on victory, the Pope noted: "In today's dominant culture the idea of victory is often associated with an immediate success. In the Christian perspective, however, victory is a long -- and in the eyes of us men -- not an always linear process of transformation and growth in the good. It happens in God's timeframes, not ours, and it demands of us a profound faith and patient perseverance." "Even our expectation of the Church's visible unity must be patient and confident," he said. "Our daily prayer and efforts for the unity of Christians have their meaning only in such a disposition." Nevertheless, the Pope clarified, "The attitude of patient waiting does not entail passivity or resignation but a prompt and attentive response to every possibility of communion and fraternity that the Lord grants us."

NATIONAL WEEK OF VOCATION AWARENESS 
This year our diocese of Willemstad joins other dioceses of various countries to celebrate Vocations Awareness Week from January 9th to the 14th, 2012. This distinctive week gives Catholics an opportunity to renew prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. “It is our responsibility to help children and young people develop a prayerful relationship with Jesus Christ so they will know their vocation,” said Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “Through a culture of vocation in families, parishes, schools and dioceses Catholics can nurture an environment of discipleship, commitment to daily prayer, spiritual conversion, growth in virtue, participation in the sacraments, and service in community. Without this environment, promoting vocations becomes simply recruitment. We believe we have much more to offer our young people.” For our own parish and diocese, we celebrate the local vocations from our the past: Fr. Heilegger from St. Eustatius, Fr. Wilson from Saba, religious Sisters from St. Maarten, and our local vocations from our ABC islands, including recently, Fr. Curtis Meris in Curacao. As a parish, we must pray for our young people to have the courage to say, "yes" to the Lord, and that our adults also say, "yes" and encourage,foster, and support our young people in their calls. As Pope Benedict wrote: "The discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God's call." Let us become more aware of each of our vocations, and become a more supporting and nurturing faith community which fosters vocations. PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS God our father, in baptism you called me by name and made me a member of your people the church. I praise you for your goodness, and I thank you for your gifts. Father, bless your church with love. Develop in the Caribbean, good and holy families, loving husbands and wives, devoted parents and children. Raise up from our families and friends dedicated and generous leaders who will serve your people as sisters, priests, brothers, deacons, and lay ministers. Send your Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us, so that we may serve your people without fear. Amen.

FROM JOHN PAUL II ON "PEACE" - A REFLECTION FOR THE NEW YEAR 
Decalogue of Assisi for Peace We commit ourselves to proclaiming our firm conviction that violence and terrorism are incompatible with the authentic spirit of religion, and, as we condemn every recourse to violence and war in the name of God or of religion, we commit ourselves to doing everything possible to eliminate the root causes of terrorism. We commit ourselves to educating people to mutual respect and esteem, in order to help bring about a peaceful and fraternal coexistence between people of different ethnic groups, cultures and religions. We commit ourselves to fostering the culture of dialogue, so that there will be an increase of understanding and mutual trust between individuals and among peoples, for these are the premise of authentic peace. We commit ourselves to defending the right of everyone to live a decent life in accordance with their own cultural identity, and to form freely a family of his own. We commit ourselves to frank and patient dialogue, refusing to consider our differences as an insurmountable barrier, but recognizing instead that to encounter the diversity of others can become an opportunity for greater reciprocal understanding. We commit ourselves to forgiving one another for past and present errors and prejudices, and to supporting one another in a common effort both to overcome selfishness and arrogance, hatred and violence, and to learn from the past that peace without justice is no true peace. We commit ourselves to taking the side of the poor and the helpless, to speaking out for those who have no voice and to working effectively to change these situations, out of the conviction that no one can be happy alone. We commit ourselves to taking up the cry of those who refuse to be resigned to violence and evil, and we are desire to make every effort possible to offer the men and women of our time real hope for justice and peace. We commit ourselves to encouraging all efforts to promote friendship between peoples, for we are convinced that, in the absence of solidarity and understanding between peoples, technological progress exposes the world to a growing risk of destruction and death. We commit ourselves to urging leaders of nations to make every effort to create and consolidate, on the national and international levels, a world of solidarity and peace based on justice. John Paul II, February 24th, 2002

A NEW YEAR'S PRAYER (ANONYMOUS) 
Dear Lord, Please give me: A few friends who understand me and remain my friends; A work to do which has real value, without which the world would be the poorer; A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed; An understanding heart; A sense of humor; Time for quiet, silent meditation; A feeling of the presence of God; The patience to wait for the coming of these things,with the wisdom to recognize them when they come. Amen.

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