March 31, 2023
Happy Friday! I look forward to seeing you at tonight's FISH FRY, hosted by the Knights of Columbus. Join us in the Good Shepherd gym between 5 and 6:45 p.m. for a tasty dinner of baked potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, and the KC's top-secret-recipe-amazingly-awesome-pan-fried fish. They'll have desserts, too. Free will donations will be collected by the Knights of Columbus, which support various charitable causes.
After you have your fill, join us in the church for our final STATIONS OF THE CROSS of this Lenten season. This time around, we'll be using meditations from Saint John Henry Newman. You can find the text of the stations here. They're worth your time even if you can't join us for Stations.
Finally, this Sunday is PALM SUNDAY, which marks the beginning of Holy Week.
During Holy Week, we celebrate the mysteries of salvation accomplished by Christ in the last days of his life on earth, beginning with his messianic entrance into Jerusalem. Here are a few notes about this year's celebration:
1) During our 5 p.m. Saturday Mass, we'll be blessed by the Chesterton Academy Chamber Choir. They joined us for this same Mass last year, and they were spectacular.
2) During our 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Masses, children of the parish are invited to join in the procession with palms. If your child would like to participate, please arrive at least 10 minutes ahead of Mass to receive palms and instructions.
3) During all Palm Sunday Masses, we will read Matthew's account of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ in parts.
I look forward to celebrating with you.
Be of good cheer,
Father Marquard
PS: If you haven't yet invited someone to join you at Good Shepherd for Holy Week, now is the time!
COMING SOON
TOMORROW: EASTER GENERAL CHURCH CLEANING
SATURDAY, APRIL 1 | 10:00AM
This place doesn’t clean itself! For that, we need your help. The Easter General Church Cleaning will be held on Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. Come and help prepare the church for Holy Week. See friends, enjoy some treats, and make a difference for this place. See you there! Sign up to volunteer here or by calling the parish office at 763.544.0416, ext. 810.
THIS WEEKEND: SPRING BAKE SALE
APRIL 1 & 2 | AFTER ALL MASSES
It is almost here - our annual Spring Bake Sale! It will be held after all the Masses the weekend of April 1 and 2. All parish families are asked to participate in this event by contributing two baked items for sale or a cash donation. Please consider volunteering one hour of your time to help — 1/2 hour before Mass or a 1/2 hour after. If interested, please contact Terri Kane at 612.377.1137 or tk1@netzero.net. Thank you in advance for your help. With everyone’s contributions we can have a successful Spring Bake Sale.
40 HOURS OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
APRIL 28 TO 30
Our Good Shepherd Weekend 40 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration will run from the conclusion of our opening Mass on Friday, April 28, through the conclusion of our Solemn Vespers on Sunday, April 30. We are looking for people from Good Shepherd to commit to times of adoration throughout the weekend — especially during the overnight hours. Our goal is to have at least two people signed up for each hour. Please sign up to spend an hour (or more) with our Eucharistic Lord. To learn more about Good Shepherd Weekend, click here.
DRINKING WITH THE SAINTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 11 + 7PM
Join us for a social and educational evening in which we'll bring the book 'Drinking with the Saints' to life. We'll learn about some saints and feasts and some cocktails, beers, and wines to enjoy as we celebrate them. Experts from Haskell's will be here to teach us about the drinks and how to serve them well. Think of it as theology with a twist. This event is open to those ages 21 and up.
PREPARE TO SING
Last Lent, we introduced the Mass of St. Philip Neri, and sang it all through Easter. Historically, the church has marked the change of liturgical seasons with various settings of the Mass Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Alleluia, Sanctus, Agnus Dei). As we prepare to celebrate the triumphant resurrection of our Lord, we will also prepare to resurrect this beautiful congregational setting of the Mass. Get ready to bring back the Gloria on Holy Thursday by listening to this glorious recording with the composer, Paul Jernberg, conducting.
Refresh your memory on the Mass of St. Philip Neri (or learn it for the first time) by clicking the following Mass parts.
HELP THE POOR
We need your help! We are excited for our next SATURDAY OF SERVICE on April 15. We need your help collecting hygiene items for people in need who visit Sharing and Caring Hands in Minneapolis. Please drop items off in the Gathering Space at Church, or at the School Office. Then join us on April 15 to put together the bags of supplies. Thank you for your generosity!
YOUTH MINISTRY
TOTUS TUUS: REGISTER NOW
Summer will be here before we know it, and with summer comes Totus Tuus (Vacation Bible School)! This year’s Totus Tuus program will be held from July 17-21 for students going into 1st to 5th grade, and July 16-20 for students going into 6th to 12th grade.
Totus Tuus will be a week of fun, games, catechesis, and prayer. If you want to grow deeper in your faith, supercharge your prayer life, and have fun doing it, this week is for you. For more information, click here.
To register for grades 1 to 5, click here.
To register for grades 6 to 12, click here.
YOUTH MINISTRY FUNDRAISER
April 15 and 16
We need your help to ensure our youth have opportunities to gather for friendship, formation, and prayer this summer. We're looking to raise $8,000 to offset the costs of taking about 20 teens to summer camp AND putting on fantastic summer programs here at Good Shepherd. On the weekend of April 15 and 16 we will have envelopes with different amounts displayed in the gathering space. In your generosity, please take an envelope and return it with the amount listed. Envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or dropped at the parish office. With your help, we can make this summer an awesome one for our teens. Questions? Contact Alex.
CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a faith formation program that uses hands-on materials to guide children into deeper prayer with God. The method is rooted in Sacred Scripture, Liturgy, and respect for the child’s rich relationship with God. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd looks to be a whole parish initiative allowing each parishioner to help, using their own unique gifts, to form the youngest of our parish. For more information about CGS and how you can help, contact Amanda Abel amandaabel@goodshepherdgv.org or visit www.goodshepherdgv.org/cgs.
RESPECT LIFE
Robbinsdale Women’s Center 2023 Fundraising Gala: Friday, April 14
Please help Robbinsdale Women’s Center celebrate 31 years of persevering for life at the 2023 Gala. This is RWC’s biggest annual fundraising event and it supports about one-third of the annual budget. At this event, you’ll hear from RWC moms and families on the impact of RWC’s no-cost, empowering pregnancy services on their lives. You’ll also hear updates about their relocation to Crystal and all the growth opportunities provided by that move. Keynote speaker David Bereit is the co-founder and former CEO of 40 Days for Life, and a sought-after speaker and advisor among pro-life organizations. There is no cost to attend the event. You will be invited to make a financial gift to support RWC's free services for women in unplanned pregnancies.
The Good Shepherd Respect Life Committee would like to fill three tables with parishioners at this year’s event. Invite friends and family members. Semi-formal attire requested. The event is for adults only. For questions and registration, please contact Allison Wolff or Bonni Hendley, RWC Events Managers at 763.273.8140 or awolff@rwcmail.org or bhendley@rwcmail.org. Be sure to let them know you are with Good Shepherd Parish.
Walking with Moms in Need
Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes and our neighborhoods. As Pope Francis reminds us, our parishes need to be “islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.” In order to assess, expand, and better communicate resources to local pregnant moms and families in need, our parish is joining a nationwide effort entitled: “Walking with Moms in Need.” We invite all parishioners to join us as we embark on this effort to serve mothers in need in our community. For more information, and to ensure you receive news and updates, contact Kayla Trom at 952.738.2040 or lechelt46@gmail.com.