This Wednesday, February 2^nd, is our Monthly Day of Prayer for Vocation to the Priesthood and the Religious Life.     

Each parish community in our Archdiocese has an assigned day each month to pray for Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life.     The First Wednesday is our Monthly Day of Prayer with Jesus.     

We begin praying with Jesus in the Liturgy of the Hours Morning Prayer at 7:45 a.m. Then we pray with Him at the 8:00 a.m. Eucharist.    Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel follows that Mass till Benediction at 7:45 p.m.   The day closes with the 7:30 p.m. Evening Mass followed by the Novena to St. Jude.

Surely each of us can find a few minutes to gather with Jesus in prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood and the Religious Life.

As Jesus Himself stated:    "Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers into His Vineyard."   

This Thursday, February 3^rd, is the Optional Memorial of St. Blasé, Bishop and Martyr, who is invoked as the Patron of Ailments of the Throat and of Emotional Problems.

St. Blasé was the Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia.    He was a physician before becoming a priest and a bishop.    Tradition has it that St. Blasé miraculously cured a young boy who nearly died because of a fishbone that was stuck in his throat.

Since the 8^th Century, St. Blasé has been invoked as the Patron of the Sick, especially those who are afflicted with ailments of the throat and with emotional problems. The Blessing of St. Blasé will be given after the morning, noon and evening Masses, and also at 4:15 p.m. during a short Paraliturgy.

It is almost a year since our Lord called Monsignor Tommy O'Connell home.   To remember Monsignor Tommy, we will have two parish celebrations on his First Anniversary of Death weekend.

The first celebration will be Friday, February 11^th, with our Parish School children during the 8:00 a.m. Mass.

The second celebration will be Sunday, February 13^th, at the 12:00 Noon Sunday Mass for our parish community.      Our combined choirs will lead us in sung praise. After that Mass, there will be a "Pot Luck" in the Parish Hall.     The parish will provide refreshments (coffee, tea, punch, etc.) and dessert.     

Those planning to attend the "Pot Luck" are asked to bring a hot or cold main dish, or a salad, for six (6) or eight (8) people.     There will be people in the Parish Hall to receive your Pot Luck dish before Mass.    Since those helping prepare the Pot Luck would like to attend the Noon Anniversary Mass too, you are asked to please try to come early.     Your hot or cold dish, or salad, may be homemade or store-bought.     All is good!    All dishes are welcome!     What will be important that day, will be the fellowship and the sharing of each person's wonderful memories of Monsignor Tommy.

This Wednesday, February 2^nd, is the Feast of the "Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple".      This Feast commemorates Mary and Joseph bringing their 40-day old infant Son and presenting Him to God the Father in the temple in Jerusalem.     It also commemorates their buying their Firstborn Son back from the Father since all firstborn male humans and animals belonged to God since the "angel-of-death" passed-over the land of Egypt and killed all the firstborn Egyptian male humans and animals.     

Since Our Lord Jesus is the Light of the World, candles are blessed this day for the coming year.    Among the candles blessed are "Blessed Candles for Home Use".

Each and every family should have at least two Blessed candles for use when a priest or  a minister comes to bring Holy Communion to a family member who is sick or is confined to the house.    Also, Blessed Candles should be lighted when the priest comes to anoint an ill or elderly family member.      Blessed Candles should additionally be used during natural disasters and other special times when families gather in prayer and supplication to Almighty God.

Home Use Sets of Blessed Candles will be available in the Parish Pastoral Office from after the 8:00 a.m. Mass this Wednesday morning.     Home Use Sets of Blessed Candles are $3.00  per set and contain two Blessed Candles.

All who attended "St. Jude's Summer Spirit Day Camp" are encouraged to stop by the Parish Pastoral Office and pick-up their Summer Camp Scrap-Book.     One book was made for each family that attended the "Summer Spirit Day Camp".