Each month, as part of our devotion to St. Jude on the third Wednesday, we offer Holy Mass at 6:30 pm for the prayer intentions shared with us. This month’s intentions include the following, which have been published in our weekly prayer intention email from April 19 to May 10:
Please pray for: LeeAni, Raymond, Mary, Glenn, Renee, John, Randall, David, Patrick, Christopher, Steve, Doug, and Dave.
Please also pray for: a parishioner who is struggling with several difficult relationships; a friend of a parishioner, who is in hospice with cancer; the mother of a parishioner, who is in the hospital after a serious accident; a parishioner, who is discerning between two job opportunities; the grandfather, and extended family of a parishioner; a parishioner who is struggling with depression and making a slow recovery from pneumonia and suffers from other health issues; the son of a parishioner, who is experiencing work-related difficulties; the brother of a parishioner, who is battling an alcohol addiction; a family of the parish searching for a per- manent home that will meet their needs; a parishioner who is in a difficult work situation; a couple going through the process of adopting a child.
In celebration of the 105th anniversary of the dedication of St. Lawrence on April 20, 1918, the parish will offer a High Mass on Thursday, April 20, at 6:30 pm. In addition, we have recently added more details to the website about the construction and dedication of St. Lawrence from archived contemporary newspapers.
Each year, Holy Mother Church marks the dedication day for the greatest churches in the Universal Calendar; St. Mary Major (Our Lady of the Snows) on Aug. 5, St. Michael the Archangel on Sept. 29, the Archbasilica of Our Savior (St. John Lateran) on Nov. 9, and the basilicas of St. Peter (the Vatican) and St. Paul outside the Walls on Nov. 18. Within a diocese, the dedication day for its cathedral is commemorated throughout the diocese, while each parish commemorates the dedication of its own parish church. St. Lawrence was dedicated by Bishop McDevitt on April 20, 1918, so we recall that great event each year on the same day.
Details of the parish schedule for Passiontide are published in a new sign at the front of the church, thanks to the design work of parishioner Timothy Michonski.
The poster is available to be downloaded and printed here.
The line was out the door at tonight's festive gathering at St. Joseph's Table, as parishioners flocked to the Parish Center at 112 State Street to partake of the breads and other goodies gathered in remembrance of the many favors obtained through the intercession of St. Joseph over the centuries, but especially those bestowed on the people of Sicely, who began this devotion. Thanks to all of those who participated, especially the Ferguson family!
As announced last week, we are happy to inaugurate today, on his feast day, a new votive candle stand beside the altar of St. Joseph. The candles available to be burned at that altar were usually burned previously on the high altar at Mass and Adoration. These stubs range in height from three to six inches, and are made of 100 percent pure beeswax. We desire not to waste any of this highly valuable, natural material, blessed by the use of the Church from its earliest days.
St. Thomas Aquinas cites St. John Damascene in approving the burning of candles for the dead. He says:
Furthermore, in his sermon, On those who sleep, Damascene teaches that beeswax and oil and the like should be offered for the dead. Therefore, not only the offering of the Sacrifice of the Altar but also other oblations should be counted among the intercessory acts for the dead... (source). An offering of candles or oil like this can benefit the dead, inasmuch as they are a kind of almsgiving, for they are given for the Church’s worship, or for the use of the faithful (source).
We have provided foil cups to collect the last bit of wax once the stub has burned down, and we will collect this and send it back to the candlemaker for recycling. Please use the foil cups, then, in order to keep the votive globes neat and accessible to others.
