Dear parishioners and friends,
It’s hard to believe that the Lenten season is almost upon us. With the change in liturgical season comes many events here at Assumption. We have opportunities to support our local Church, and several opportunities to come together for fellowship, reflection, outreach, and prayer. Listed below are some of those opportunities. We look forward to seeing you!
Catholic Services Appeal
The annual Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) kicks off this month. Every year the CSA is that opportunity to strengthen our local Church and support a range of ministries that no one parish could do on its own. The CSA helps those in need by providing meals and housing to those experiencing homelessness or food insecurity. It supports hospital ministry, prison chaplains and our Archdiocesan mission in Venezuela. The CSA brings life to Catholic education for K-8 schools, college outreach programs and support for our seminarians. It fosters faith formation for youth and adults and supports those experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and a respect for life in all its stages.
To find out more, watch a video from Archbishop Hebda and find ways to donate to this year’s CSA, please use the following link:
If you would like to support the appeal via cash or check, you can find envelopes located in the pews and near the doors throughout the church. The envelopes can be placed in the collection basket.
Catholic Social Thought Spring Speakers Series
The Center for Catholic Social Thought at Assumption is pleased to announce a four-week Speaker Series, occurring Thursdays, Feb 20-March13, at 6:30pm at Assumption – in the newly renovated historic school. The series is titled Land and Labor, City and Homestead: Working Towards a Local Economy. How can small farms, urban homesteads, crafts, gardens, chickens, good work, and local economies help us build stronger communities and be better Christians?
Speakers include author and scholar Dale Ahlquist, Professor Christopher Thompson of Saint Paul Seminary, and Tim Streiff of Catholic Rural Life. Please use the link below to learn more and register:
Spring 2025 Speaker Series | CCST at Assumption
Trivia Night at Assumption
Join us for a fun-filled evening of fellowship, friendly competition, and a bit of brain power! We are excited to host our first Generational Trivia Night, where all ages can come together to test their knowledge on topics from across the decades, ranging from pop culture, Catholicism, history, and everything in between! Teams will be made up of people from all generations—so bring your family, your friends, and your competitive spirit! There will be food, libations, and plenty of fun to go around.
When: Friday, February 28th 6:00 PM
Where: The Lower Church
A Walk Through the Mass
We will kick off our Lent with a Walk through the Mass. Father Treacy and team will help us understand the meaning and significance of the Mass’s words, gestures, and rituals helping us toward a fuller and more conscious participation in our Mass experience. This will be offered twice on:
Wednesday, March 12th, once after 12:00 Mass and again at 6:00 PM.
We will gather in the lower church. A soup lunch will be available after the noon Mass and a light dinner will be provided before we begin at 6:00 PM.
Lenten Soup Lunches
Lenten Soup Lunches will be happening again this Lent on the following dates with the listed speakers:
March 26 Kelly Jensen “A Lenten Journey with Mary, Our Mother”
April 2 Ryan O’Hara “The Gift of Chaos”
April 9 Jill O’Hara “Love of the Stranger”
Soup lunches will take place after the 12:00 Mass in the lower church.
Lenten Synod Small Groups
Groups will begin meeting the week of March 16th and end the week of April 21st. Our theme this year is Source and Summit: Coming Together in the Eucharist.
Each small group session will include prayer and reflection on the Sunday Gospel and discussion on the sacrament of Holy Communion and our relationship to others.
There are several ways to sign up for our small groups.
Sign-up online on the Assumption website https://assumptionsp.org under “Quick Links” and choose “Sign up for small groups”.
Paper sign-ups will be available in the parish office or after each Mass on February 22nd and 23rd.
Email or call Kelly Jensen at kjensen@assumptionsp.org, 651-789-6934.
We are offering several time slots again this year:
☐ Monday 10:00-11:30 AM ☐ Wednesday 7:30-9:00 AM ☐ Saturday 9:00-10:30 AM
☐ Tuesday 12:30-2:00 PM ☐ Thursday 12:30-2:00 PM
☐ Tuesday 6:30-8:00 PM ☐ Thursday 6:30-8:00 PM
Community of Saints Service Opportunity
In January, parishioners learned about Community of Saints School in West St. Paul and its important mission. As canonical administrator to the school, Father Treacy celebrates weekly Mass at the school which serves students from the parishes of St. Matthew’s, St. Michael’s, St. John Vianney, and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Celebrating Mass with classmates in the school environment is important to students’ faith development and helps to build up the next generation of disciples. COS is looking for volunteers to help organize and clean their sacristy. If you are interested in this enjoyable service project, please reach out to Kelly Jensen: kjensen@assumptionsp.org or 651-789-6934.