St. Nicholas Catholic Church 412 W. 4th Street Carver, MN 55315 952-448-2345
"A community committed to welcoming, stewardship and evangelizing since 1868."
Click Here 2010 Pilgramage with Fr. Thomas Joseph - click here
Pancake Breakfast - Feb 7, 8:30 am - noon
Ash Wednesday Masses - 8 am & 6:15 pm
Lent: Fri 5 pm Holy Hour, 6 pm Stations of the Cross, 6:30 mass
Saturdays - Soup Supper 4:30 - 7 pm in the Parish Center
Wine Tasting - March 4, 6-8 Dolce Vita/Chaska
Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9am to 4 pm Stewardship Brochure Make Donations/Payments Here
Fr. Thomas Joseph
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FEBRUARY 7, 2010 – FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TME
Is 6:1-2a, 3-8; Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8; 1 Cor 15:1-11 or 15:3-8, 11; Lk 5:1-11
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Like all of you I love Super Bowl Sunday. It is a great opportunity for family and friends to cheer for the team of their choice. St. Paul in his Second letter to the Corinthians 9:6-7 writes, "Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Let us take time to cheer from our heart to our favorite team--because joy and cheer comes from God. As members/well-wishers of St. Nicholas we have an additional reason to cheer because of our delicious Pancake breakfast. Thanks to Skip Low and all of you good people who make it happen.
Haiti Relief! As I mentioned in the Masses, please continue your support to our brothers and sisters in Haiti. I recently spoke to our parishioners, Jack and Julie Van Remortel, who spend their winter in California. They shared with me how their association raised around $10,000 and continue to do so, reaching out to support Haitians. God is good and may our generosity be multiplied. We are proud of the Van Remortel’s who do works of Mercy, spreading the sweet fragrance of Jesus in California. *Remember, our support does not have to be monetary alone--our prayers will take the Haitians a long way. Mother Teresa reminded all of us, "Jesus in the Eucharist and Jesus in the poor is the same." In other words, our charity will be more effective when we first spend time with Jesus--so many lives are being pulled out of the rubble even after two weeks--this is the fruit of prayers.
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Ash Wednesday! In less than two weeks we will begin the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday on February 17. Please join us for Mass at 8 am and 6:15 pm. |
Lenten Soup Supper! Every Saturday evening during Lent we will have a soup or chili supper at the Parish center from 4:30 to 7 pm. This would be a great Lenten service project to do together as a family. We hope you will come and join us for one or all of the suppers if you are able. Please call the parish office if you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help out one week.
World Youth Day! Thousands of youth from around the world will gather in Madrid, Spain with the Holy Father in August of 2011. Anyone, young and old, 9th grade and above are eligible to join us for this historic event. Those of you who are interested should please call the parish office as soon as possible. Please do not let the cost become a discouragement for you. St. Nicholas has all kinds of creative ways to fund this and make it the experience of a lifetime for all. The following is Pope Benedict's 2008 World Youth Day Message: "My dear young friends, the Holy Spirit continues today to act with power in the Church, and the fruits of the Spirit are abundant in the measure in which we are ready to open up to this power that makes all things new. For this reason it is important that each one of us know the Spirit, establish a relationship with Him and allow ourselves to be guided by Him." Every person who had the opportunity to attend told me and others how World Youth Day is such a Spirit-filled experience for all. Let us pray that this historic pilgrimage to Spain may help all of us to have a Spirit-filled experience and renew ourselves in the life of the Holy Spirit.
Youth Group Update from Kayla Bolland! The past few months have brought a lot of exciting experiences to our Youth Group. In December, in spirit of the Christmas season we decorated a few of the Christmas trees at church, and later that month we went to St. Gertrude’s to bake cookies, which we handed out to the elderly there. Then, a few weeks ago, we attended a Lifeline Mass with some people from St. Victoria. The event was hosted by NET (they have been here at St. Nicholas in the past for confirmation retreats.) It was an incredibly powerful way of worshiping and connecting with other Catholics. There was a band, Mass, and discussion groups. I very strongly recommend going to a Lifeline Mass sometime, as well as checking out our Youth Group in general to see if it’s something you’d be interested in. It’s a great way to experience God with other people. The next meeting will be on Sunday, February 28 at 6 pm. We will meet in the rectory to have pizza and watch Lord of the Rings. Please join us.
Welcome Western Union! This week we hosted the Western Union group meeting here at St. Nicholas. Western Union is a group of office staff members representing many of the Catholic churches in our area. They gather bimonthly to share ideas, resources and learn from each other.
Happy Retirement to Jim Hamburge! After 40 years of ministry in Catholic education, Jim Hamburge, who has served as the President of Holy Family Catholic High School for the past three years is retiring on February 12. There will be a send-off gathering in the Slattery Athletic and Convocation Center at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 11. There will be a presentation that recognizes Jim’s contributions and enthusiasm as well as social time that will allow people to extend their best wishes to Jim. Please pray for Jim as he starts a new chapter in his life and for our Catholic schools.
Dear Padre Question! The following article was taken from The New Leader, January 16-31, 2010 and written by Fr. S. F. Anthonysamy.
Q. There is a prediction that there will be great disaster in 2012 and that the world will end. What happens then? Will Jesus Christ return in all his glory and establish the Kingdom of God?
A. This is a sort of question that is often asked these days. Everyone is interested to know when the world would end and when Jesus would return. The Pentecostal churches often excite people with such issues. These sorts of queries become even more persistent due to some movies which take up the theme of the disasters surrounding the end of the world. Just now the word is going around that the world is coming to an end in 2010! It is simply the fantasy engineered by the movie makers with an eye to the box-office collections.
The simple fact is that we do not know when the world would end. For it has been categorically told by Jesus, “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son but only the Father: (Mk 13:32). And when Jesus states that not even the Son knows the hour of the end of the world, what he means is that he would not like to divulge a fact that would do no good to people other than scare them or disturb the rhythm of normal life.
What about the return of Jesus in glory? From a Christian perspective it would mean the end of God’s saving history when Jesus would manifest himself in all his glory. And those who have been faithful to Jesus would certainly find this an occasion of their own glory.
The first century Christians thought that such a glorious return of Christ would take place in their own lifetime. Hence the New Testament abounds with references to the imminent return of the glorious Christ. But imminence did not mean a chronological proximity. The emphasis on Jesus’ imminent return only enhanced the hope of people in the midst of persecutions and helped them to stand firm in their faith in Jesus. And they were ready to die for him as we note in the great number of martyrs in the first centuries of Christianity. Their constant prayer was, “maranatha” which is Aramaic for ‘Come Lord’ (Rev 22:17-20; 1 Cor 16:L22).
In our own times we face several anxieties of life, and being a Christian is also a big challenge in certain regions. But the thought of the glorious return of Jesus and our own glory on such an occasion should ever encourage our Christian life.
Sunday Reflection! The Gospel of today is from Luke 5 in which Jesus tells Peter that he will be catching men/souls for God. During the time of Isaac Newton, many people saw apples falling from the trees. No one except Isaac Newton realized there was something special about apples falling from the tree. He took time to think and pray about why apples fall from the tree and invented the physic's theory of gravity. We see the same thing in Jesus Christ. To everyone else Peter was just an ordinary fisherman--but Jesus noticed something special in this fisherman and made Peter the catchers of men/soul. Jesus said to Peter, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Like Isaac Newton and Jesus, do we take time to pray, observe, to think and see the greatness in other people or do we go about our busy lives without noticing the greatness that is around us?
In Christ Jesus,
Fr. Thomas Joseph
This year's Guardian Angels Chaska Beef & Sausage Dinner is happening on Sunday, February 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (but for heaven's sake, don't wait until 1 p.m. to come as they often run out before then!). This is the meal that brings people from all over! The meal is served family style and is all-you-care-to-eat. Prices: $11.00 Adults, $5 Kids 12 and Under. Take Outs available for $11.00. Homemade Sausage is also available for sale too.
The Shakopee Knights of Columbus Council #1685 is sponsoring a Pork Chop Dinner on Friday, February 12, 2010, at the Shakopee Knights of Columbus Hall, 1760 4th Ave E., in Shakopee. 10 oz. Smoked Pork Chop with Au Gratin Potatoes, Corn, Coleslaw, fresh baked bread, dessert and coffee or milk, will be served continuously from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. The cost is $10.00 per person. Children's meal is available at a cost of $2.00 per child.
As we start a new month, we once again have a new selection of CDs in our display from Lighthouse Catholic Media. Please check out the titles available and take advantage of this great resource!
Confession
Saturday
8:30-9:00 a.m.
3:45-4:00 p.m.
6:45-7:00 p.m.
Sunday
7:45-8:00 a.m.
9:45-10:00 a.m.
or anytime requested
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3 Important Books
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Holy Bible
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Vatican II Documents
Pope's encyclical letters
CARITAS IN VERITATE
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Sunday School - at 10:00 am mass
Parents can drop their preschool and kindergarten age children off in the parish center to hear a bible story, sing songs, make a craft and more while parents attend Mass in church. If you have questions or are interested in helping out with the program (perfect opportunity for teens), please contact Tammi Anderson at 952-361-6773.
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"That Man is You" - Saturday Mornings
6:30 am in St. Nicholas Parish Center
Bill Hays - bhays02@yahoo.com
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Archdiocesan Planning Process
Web/Voice Mail Feedback lines
www.archspm.org/planningprocess
Voice Mail: 651-291-4435
Mailing Address: Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis/PST - Planning Process Comments/328 Kellogg Blvd. W./St. Paul, MN 55102
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Three Classes -
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Families Matter
Marriage Matters
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