Financial Update Summary

Stewardship
Budgeted Weekly $ 4,620.80 Budgeted YTD $213,740.80
Received $ 6,318.00 Received $189,619.18
Overage/Deficit ($1,697.20) Overage/Deficit ($24,121.62)

Loose Collection
Budgeted Weekly $340.00 Budgeted YTD $ 17,503.00
Received $266.26 Received $ 14,978.31
Overage/Deficit ($73.74) Overage/Deficit ($2,524.69)

Taking Care of Our Saint Mary Parish Financial Update
We are still collecting for the Outdoor Projects that need to be completed. If you have not yet given to this project, please consider to do so.
Outdoor Projects $10,000.00
Collected as of 2/25/09 $7,000.00
Total amount needed $ 3,000.00

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Children’s Corner
Here are just a few of the many offerings to God from the youth at St. Mary’s.

This week my prayers of Special Intention were for: My mom, troops in Iraq, little girl who fell through ice, my family, Diane, She lost her leg when hit by a garbage truck in G.Bay, Mrs. Vandermeuse and Ms Lockwood

This is how I used my Time & Talent: Gave clothes to St. Vincent De Paul, Shoveled, Clean the house, I helped my mom with laundry, Pick up my toys, helped mom with my brothers

Gifts from the youth envelopes: $7.69

Happenings This Week:

Monday, March 9, 2009
St. Mary’s Home & School Association Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Rosary Room.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Grade School Faith Formation 3:45 pm –5:00 pm
High School Faith Formation 6:45 pm—8:00 pm

Thursday, March 12, 2009
Shanty Days Committee Meeting - 6:00 p.m., cafeteria.

Friday, March 13, 2009
St. Mary Home & School Association Trout Boil -4:30 - 7:00 pm. Cafeteria. Boiled Trout, Red Potatoes & Onions, Coleslaw, Rye Bread, Desserts & Beverage. Adults—$8.00 Children—$4.00, Fish & Chips—$4.00. Helping Hands & Desserts Needed
Way of the Cross in church at 4:00 pm

St. Mary Trout Boil, 4:30 to 7:00 pm. Boiled Trout, Red Potatoes & Onions Coleslaw, Rye Bread, Desserts & Beverage
Adults—$8.00 Children—$4.00
Fish & Chips—$4.00

Sponsored by St. Mary Building & Grounds

Helping Hands & Desserts

In Joy and Hope: JOURNEY TOGETHER ALONG THE LAKESHORE

One of the beauties of our rich Catholic tradition is that there are many
persons throughout this nation and throughout the world – who are either
unbaptized or baptized into other Christian denominations – and who are
sincere about joining the Catholic Church at Easter time. Recently, the
former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Tony Blair, was received into the
Catholic Church. It is rumored – and who knows how accurate rumors
are – that former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, and former President
George W. Bush are possibly considering becoming Catholic.

In the Diocese of Green Bay last Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in
DePere, Bishop David Ricken presided at the Rite of Election and Continuing
Conversion. I would guess-timate that Bishop Ricken welcomed 50 or
so unbaptized persons preparing for entrance into the Catholic Church as
well as some 200 or so persons baptized in other Christian faiths. The
Church in Green Bay – and throughout this nation and world – is growing!

Our prayer during these holy Lenten days should include all of those preparing
to be received into the Catholic Church. We pray that their commitment
to the Lord Jesus and His Church might continue to grow deeper and
that their sharing of themselves with our communities might enrich the
Body of Christ. Lent really has a strong baptismal theme because of these
holy Rites of the Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

Because we are preparing to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation
and Eucharist (the Sacraments of Initiation) with great joy at the
Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening, we abstain from the celebration of
Baptism during Lent. You may have noticed that the baptismal fonts at the
front of Church and at the entrances are bone-dry and covered with a purple
cloth or ribbon.

For those of us who are baptized, we look forward to renewing our baptismal
promises at Easter time and signing ourselves with the newly blessed
Easter water. It would be good to reflect on the questions which accompany
the Rite of Renewal of Baptismal Promises this Lent. I present them
here for you, as well as some additional questions as posed by a Father
Bill Reiser, SJ.

• Do you reject Satan and all his works and empty promises?
• Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?
• Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God…?
• Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life…?
• Do you accept Jesus as your teacher, as the example whom you will always imitate and as the one in whom the mystery of God’s love for the world has been fully revealed?
• Do you dedicate yourself to seeking the reign of God and God’s justice, to praying daily, to meditating on the Gospels and to celebrating the Eucharist faithfully and devoutly?
• Do your accept responsibility for building community, for being a person of compassion and reconciliation, for being mindful of the poor and the oppressed, and for truly forgiving those who have offended you?
• Do you surrender your life to God as a disciple and companion of Jesus?
• Will you try to give thanks and praise to God by your words and actions, in times of prosperity as well as in moments of suffering?

Father Bill +