St. Bridget’s Parish
Welcome to the celebration of Sunday
in the
Fourth Week of Lent!
March 15, 2015
Calendar
Tues., 03/17
No noon at Mass at St. Bridget’s
Wed., 03/18
5:30 p.m. -- Mass at St. Charles
7:30 p.m. – RCIA/RCIC & Confirmation at
the CYO in Rosebud (Group I)
Thurs., 03/19 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
5:30 p.m. -- Mass at St. Bridget’s
Fri., 03/20
5:30 p.m. – Stations of the Cross (St.
Charles)
Sat. 03/21
3:00 p.m. – RCIA/RCIC &
Confirmation at St. Agnes in
Parmelee (Group II)
4:40 p.m. – Sacrament of
Reconciliation at St. Agnes
5:00 p.m. – Mass at St. Agnes
Sun., 03/22
8:40 a.m. – Sacrament of Reconciliation at
St. Bridget’s
9:00 a.m. -- Mass at St. Bridget’s 10:00 a.m.
– Breakfast at St. Bridget’s
11:10 a.m. -- Sacrament of Reconciliation at
St. Charles
11:30 a.m. – Mass at St. Charles
Tues., 03/24
No noon at Mass at St. Bridget’s
Wed., 03/25
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
5:30 p.m. -- Mass at St. Charles
7:30 p.m. – Communal Penance Service at
St. Bridget’s
Thurs., 03/26 5:30 p.m. -- Mass at St. Bridget’s
Fri., 03/27
5:30 p.m. – Stations of the Cross (St.
Agnes)
Sat. 03/28
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
3:00 p.m. – RCIA/RCIC &
Confirmation at St. Agnes in
Parmelee (Group II)
4:40 p.m. – Sacrament of
Reconciliation at St. Agnes
5:00 p.m. – Mass at St. Agnes
Diocesan Events
Fri., 1/23Sun., 1/25
Fri., 3/13Sun., 3/15
Fri., 4/24Sun., 4/26
Fri., 5/8Sun., 5/10
Fri., 9/25Sun., 9/27
Heart to Heart: A Weekend Retreat for the Engaged
is a weekend getaway for engaged couples to deepen
their relationship with each other and with God by exploring the Catholic Church’s vision of marriage. Participation in a Heart to Heart Weekend Retreat is a requirement for couples doing marriage preparation in the Diocese of Rapid City. All retreats will be held at Terra
Sancta Retreat Center.
College Scholarship
Court St. Rita #916 of the local Catholic Daughters is
sponsoring a $500 scholarship to be paid to the college of
a graduating high school senior who will be majoring in
the field of Visual Arts in the fall of 2015. The scholarship is given in memory of Mickey Becket, a Catholic
Daughter, who was a very gifted art teacher in the Rapid
City Public Schools, and in the community at
large. Applicants must have at least a 2.0 grade point
average, have demonstrated a strong aptitude and desire
to succeed in college, and must be a major in Visual Arts
in a course of study of two or more years in college.
Application and support information can be obtained by
contacting: Catholic Daughter Scholarship Committee, 4137 Augusta Drive, Rapid City, SD 57703, or by
emailing: duduchan3@gmail.com. Some applications are
also available at high school art departments in the Rapid
City area. Application Deadline: May 11, 2015.
The St. Francis Community Garden is in
need of your help! No experience is
necessary, just a desire to learn and a
willingness to commit. Contact Mike Prate
to join or with questions. Leave your name
and number at the St. Francis Mission or
email sss17@optonline.net.
St. Bridget’s Parish
Rosebud
Pastor: Fr. John Hatcher, S.J
Administrator: Fr. Christopher Johnson, S.J.
St. Francis Mission Phone: 605.747.2361
St. Patrick
Very little facts are actually known about St. Patrick, except that he almost
certainly brought Christianity to Ireland. Therefore, he is the patron saint of
Ireland. He was sold into slavery at a young age, forced to be a shepherd, and
forcibly brought to France. This is where he first heard the Good News of the
gospels; he then had a dream that all in Ireland held their hands out to him. He
took this to mean it was up to him to preach the word of God. So, he talked to
many local kings, obtained their protection, and made great numbers of converts.
His life teaches the importance of humility and courage.
Engaging the Word
Catholic Wisdom
1st Reading: 2 Chronicles 36: 19-23 ~ Responsorial: Psalms 137: 1-6
2nd Reading: Ephesians 2: 4-10 ~ Gospel: John 3: 14-21
The world was made to be lived in and enjoyed. It is meant to
be an expression of the Creator’s love for creation. In holding
all that is in being, God is sharing everything into existence,
loving us into life. God wants us to enjoy each other’s company
in this fascinating universe and through this gift prays for our
gratitude and our love in return. We are made for this -- to love
creation and the Creator, and frankly when we don’t, we wind
up in misery and causing misery. God does not force our hands,
however, but leaves us free. Human love is only possible with
human freedom. With freedom, though, we can choose not to
love. Sin, a term which comes for a word meaning to miss the
mark or the target, is essentially a failure to love.
Despite our failure to love and the hurt we cause ourselves and
others, as long as life endures God waits for our return, constantly sending word to us, inviting us back. Even at rock bottom there is hope, and sometimes the prompting to pick ourselves up and return home comes from very unlikely sources.
Who would have expected that a Persian king would be the one
to send the Jewish people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple?
How can we tell if we are failing to love? The truth is that we
know it when we are failing to love. The Psalm today points
that out. How can we sing when we are held captive? When we
are out of love, we can have no real joy.
We do not need to remain captives to sin. God’s mercy and
love are unlimited. God not only has sent word to us, but God
has sent the Word to us; the Reason for all that is came among
us as one of us, as a human being to show us the way, the truth,
and the life. Jesus showed us that as human persons we can
walk in the light and the truth; we can love one another and our
God.
We are a bit more than halfway through our Lenten journey.
Let’s rejoice in God’s mercy and God’s coming among us to
save us from sin and death. In these remaining weeks before
Easter let’s continue to focus on prayer (remembering that God
is God), fasting (remembering that God has graced us with power over our choices), and almsgiving (remembering that our God
-given gifts and talents are meant to produce fruit for the glory
of God).
“Faith is the art of holding on to things
your reason has once accepted, in spite
of your changing moods.”
— C.S. Lewis
First Communion prep will begin
on Wednesday, April 1. Preparation
sessions will be Wednesdays from 6:30
- 6:30 p.m. at the CYO in
Rosebud. First Communions will
be Sunday, May 10, 2015.
Our Future Priests, Sisters, and Brothers
What traits mark a good priest or a good religious sister or
brother? Look around you. Who do you know that has some
of these traits? Then, get the courage to invite them to
consider whether or not they might have a priestly or religious
vocation.
Next Sunday’s Readings
1st Reading: Jeremiah 31: 31-34
Responsorial: Psalms 51: 3-4, 12-15
2nd Reading: Hebrews 5: 7-9
Gospel: John 12: 20-33