Where Communion Hosts Come From

Have you ever wondered where Communion hosts are made?  Well now you can find out with a look inside the Cavanagh Company, the good folks who make the bread we use at St. Mark and throughout the United States.  I like to think of this video as a Mr. Rogers-esq trip into a religious bread company.

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You can read the entire article here.

Note: There's been a lack of posting and updates on the blog mostly due to the flurry of preparation time that goes into First Eucharist.  After first Eucharist and Confirmation are completed, we'll be back to regularly posting.

First Eucharist at St. Mark: Welcome Guests!

Welcome to any guests who will be joining us May 5-6 or May 12-13 for our parish-wide celebration of First Eucharist!  To help make this day beautiful for everyone, here are some pointers:

• Please be aware that the front parking lot may be full, meaning you may be required to park in the rear parking lot.
• Contact the parents of the First Communicant for information on where your family will be sitting on that day.
• Arrive inside the Sanctuary no later than 5 minutes before the start of Mass if you wish to sit with the family members of the First Communicant in the reserved pew.  Ushers are instructed to fill in any empty seats at this point.
• Mass times are:
• Saturday at 5:30PM
• Sunday at 8:15AM, 10:00AM, and 11:45AM
• No photographs are allowed during Mass, with the exception of when the First Communicants are processing in during the Gathering Song at the beginning of Mass.  After Mass, children will congregate around Fr. Pat for a picture near the altar.
• Please join us with full heart and full voice to help make our worship of God and our celebration of the Mass fuller and more meaningful.
• For more information on what we believe about the Eucharist, watch this short, 5-minute video.

Please pray for all our First Communicants as they begin this new and exciting part of their journey with God!

Photo Credit: m.gifford on flickr

The Eucharist (how we receive)

With First Eucharist coming up the next two weekends at Mass, it's a good time to brush up on what we believe about the Eucharist.  Check out this quick video that explains a little of what we believe and a little on how to receive:

Keep these children in your prayers!

Holy Week Services at St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, VA

Below is the Mass and service schedule for St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, VA for Holy Week 2012 (Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday).

Palm (Passion) Sunday, April 1

• Mass Times: 8:00AM; 10:00AM; 12:00 noon
  The outdoor procession will take place at the noon Mass only, and will begin with the blessing of the palms in the Activities Center.
• Parish Penance Service: 7:00PM

Holy Thursday, April 5

• Mass of the Lord's Supper: 7:30PM
• Adoration: post-Mass until midnight

Good Friday, April 6

• Stations of the Cross: 12 noon
• Celebration of the Lord's Passion: 3:00PM
• Living Stations of the Cross: 7:30PM

Holy Saturday, April 7

• Blessing of the Food: 12 noon
• Easter Vigil: 8:30PM

Easter Sunday, April 8

• Mass Times: 8:00AM; 10:00AM; 12:00 noon 

Note: Mass times on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are a bit different for the early and late Mass: 8AM instead of 8:15AM and 12 noon instead of 11:45AM.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Tonight we have our meeting with Confirmation Candidates and parents, which we will begin with this prayer to the Holy Spirit attributed to St. Augustine.  It's a great prayer for beginnings and in moments of need:

The Holy Spirit from St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican

Breathe in us, O Holy Spirit, that our thoughts may be holy.
Act in us, O Holy Spirit, that our work too may be holy.
Draw our hearts, O Holy Spirit, that we may love but what is holy.
Strengthen us, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard us then, O Holy Spirit, that we always may be holy.
Amen.

Do you have a favorite prayer?  Share it below.

Image Credit: hops_76 from flickr

First Penance

Jesus brings us mercy and forgiveness

On Saturday, December 10 over 100 St. Mark children celebrated First Penance.  In the moments and days afterward, I asked them how they felt and their responses were somewhere between “good!” and “awesome!” Everyone likes to be forgiven, even second graders!

Grace permeates the moments surrounding this and other Sacraments, even when the moments don’t feel graceful. For example, these very same students minutes before Penance were on pins and needles, nervously going through the Penance dialogue and examination of conscience as they waited in line (some for 45 minutes). But when the time came and they found themselves moving from the front of the line to the priest, they were ready. God’s life, love, and mercy are shared in this Sacrament, which each child felt “good” or “awesome” about. God was there in the preparation before, the celebration of, and the peace found after Penance, bringing forth new life and joy.

These children remind us that the feeling coming from confession trumps the anxiety leading up to that moment, and that forgiveness of sins is both possible and important. May their witness be an example to us all!

Penance 101

As we gear up for our First Penance celebration (and the parish-wide Advent Penance celebration), it's time to brush up on why we go to confession.  Take a look at this 5 minute video to review why in the world we should go to confession instead of only asking God for forgiveness on our own.



Where do you need healing?  Where is God calling you to new life?  Is there something you did that's weighing you down?

Put on Superman

A version of this article appeared in the October 2010 Maneline.  Make this Halloween a teachable moment for your children.

Superman: always a popular costume choice

At the end of October, children across the country venture out into neighborhoods donning Superhero attire, Angel outfits, and all other sorts of costumes.  As a child I always looked forward to Halloween, the day I would march around in my homemade Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume (as Donatello, of course) and walk from door to door trick-or-treating.  A funny thing would happen when I wore this costume -- I changed.  While in costume, everyone expected me to take on the persona and the behavior of Donatello and I happily obliged with “Cowabungas”, “Dudes”, and attempts at athletic jump kicks.  I had put on Donatello and the outside changed my very thoughts, words and actions.  I was a “little Donatello” for a night, realizing a lifelong dream of being a “hero in a half-shell.”

In baptism, we hope for a similar transformation.