This message includes the following:
- The Week at a Glance
- Archbishop Annual Appeal
- Scam Alert
- Ash Wednesday
- The Significance of Ash Wednesday
- Available Faith Formation during Lent
- Lenten Prayer Series
- Online at Home for Lent
- Online Simple Suppers
- Young Adult Group
- Pre-Baptism Talk (Spanish)
- Green Team Tips
Calendar
Saturday, February 13:
- 12:45 Secular Franciscans Zoom
- 4:30 Mass
Sunday, February 14:
- 8:30 Mass - Streamed
- 9:45 Catechism Class
- 11:00 Mass
- 1:00 Spanish Mass- Streamed
- 5:00 Youth Group
Monday, February 15:
- 9:00 Mass/Adoration
- 11:15 Online Rosary
- 11:30 Bible in a Year - Room 5 and Online
- 6:30 Pre- Baptism Talk (Spanish) room 5
Tuesday, February 16:
- 10:00 Women's Guild Online
- 10:30 Music Appreciation Online
- 7:30 On-Line Prayer via https://sfprayerministry.online.church
Wednesday, February 17:
- 9:00 Mass
- 11:15 Online Rosary
- 12:00 Mass
- 1:00 Prayer Talk #1 Room 5
- 1:30 Catechism in a year Online and Conference room
- 6:00 Mass
- 7:00 Saint Study Group Online
Thursday, February 18:
- 9:00 Mass
- 11:00 Fratelli Tutti - online
- 11:15 Online Rosary
- 1:00 Green Team- online
- 7:00 Lost Sheep - online
Friday, February 19:
- 9:00 Mass/Adoration
- 11:15 Online Rosary
- 4:00 Grace Force Marian Hall
- 6:00 Stations of the Cross
Annual Appeal
I am very grateful to all of our parishioners who have already joined together in pledging their gift to the 2021 Archbishop's Annual Appeal. The campaign goal is 8,700 and our parish goal is $42, 900. Every penny collected above our goal will be returned to the Parish.
To learn more about the impact of support to the Appeal, visit archatl.com/appeal You can donate online. A video of the appeal is also available online.
Scam Alert
You may receive or have received an email or text asking for money/ gift-cards etc. that seems to come from our Pastor Father Mario. This is a scam. Donations of any kind will never be requested through text or email from Father. If you ever have doubt about any donations you may wish to make please contact the Parish Office!
Ash Wednesday
On Ash Wednesday there will be Masses at :
- 9:00 am English
- 12:00 English
- 6:00 pm Spanish
There will be no adoration after the noon or 6 pm Spanish Mass.
The Significance of Ash Wednesday
Here’s what’s happening at St. Francis to help you practice the three disciplines
of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving this Lent:
Retreats
- Parish Mission in English: “Conversion and Repentance.” The details for this
mission are still being confirmed. Watch the bulletin and Flocknote for final
information. - Parish Mission in Spanish: “Conversion and Forgiveness” on Sundays in Lent at 12:15 beginning February 21 for five weeks.
- Women’s Guild Retreat with Deacon Loris Sinanian: Tuesday, March 16 at 10:00.
- Healing Service with the Alleluia Community: Sunday, March 21 from 3:00-5:00 in the church
- Online Parish Mission with Ralph Martin Sundays at 8:00 for 4 weeks Feb. 28-March 21.
- Consecration to St. Joseph, a six-week series beginning on March 30 and concluding on the Feast of
St. Joseph the Worker.
Educational and Faith Enrichment
- Music Appreciation – the music of Lent and Easter, beginning February 2, online.
- Suffering Saints – Saint Study Group meeting 1 st and 3 rd Wednesdays at 7:00 online.
- Parish Prayer Series (6 weeks) with Cricket Aull and Elizabeth Uhle Wednesdays at 1:00.
- Young Adults Search Program: 1 st and 3 rd Saturdays at 10:00 beginning February 20. Contact Jessica Ashcraft for more information: jessicasmithashcraft@gmail.com.
- Lenten Reflection Booklets: We have purchased enough for one per family. Pick up in the vestibule of the church this weekend. A special booklet is available for kids and will be distributed during Catechism classes this weekend. Any extras will be in the church on Ash Wednesday.
- Lenten Bible Study: No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ’s Passion: Filmed on location in the Holy Land, No Greater Love highlights the biblical foundations of every moment of Christ’s Passion - the Old Testament prophesies fulfilled, the amazing connections to our Catholic faith, the historical context of the events – all unfolding in a way that is ever ancient, ever new. Sign up in the vestibule of the church. Mondays at 10:00 (live and online) and 6:30 (online only) beginning February 22.
- Online Simple Suppers: Is it possible? We'll try. Each Friday during Lent at 6 pm. have your soup made at home, click the link to the Simple Supper Zoom meeting and we'll have supper together. Email Mary Smith at mergies@gmail.com to be sent an invitation.
Ongoing Faith Enrichment Groups
Join one of these ongoing small groups this Lent. More information for each group is available on the parish web site and in the Faith Enrichment booklets in the vestibule of the church.
- Bible in a Year
- Catechism in a Year
- Sisters in Faith
- Prayer Ministry
- Online Rosary (two groups)
- Grace Force
- Lost Sheep
- Fratelli Tutti Study Group
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
- Ash Wednesday masses are at 9:00, 12:00, and 6:00 (Spanish)
- Fr. Mario will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation after all masses during Lent, before the Friday Stations of the Cross beginning at 5:00 (with Adoration), and by appointment in your home or at church.
- Stations of the Cross at 6:00 on Fridays. Bilingual. (Adoration begins at 5:00.)
- Living Stations of the Cross on Good Friday before celebrating the Passion of the Lord.
Opportunities for Adoration
Times for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be expanded during Lent, so schedules some extra time with Jesus.
- Continuously for 40 hours from March 25 at 11:00 p.m. until March 27 at 3:00
p.m. (Please sign up so we can be assured that there are two guardians at all
times.) - After morning mass Monday and Friday until 11:00 and Wednesday until 2:00.
- After the 6:00 Spanish Mass on Wednesdays until 7:30.
- Fridays before and after Stations of the Cross from 5:00-7:00
- Holy Thursday after mass until 11:00.
- Check signup sheets and commit to be guardians for an hour during Lent.
Almsgiving Options
- To The Nations Project to fund the building of St. Joseph Vocational Institute in Uganda. Watch for more information about this project in upcoming bulletins and Flocknote messages.
- The parish welcomes any additional donations you feel called to make during this time.
- Donate eggs and candy for the Easter Egg Hunt (Easter Sunday after the 8:30 mass in Marian Hall).
Opportunities to Serve
- Parish Clean Up: Help us make our parish facilities beautiful for Easter.
- Friday, March 19 from 1:00-4:00: Church deep cleaning.
- Friday, March 26 from 10:00-1:00: Classroom cleanup in the parish hall building.
- Date TBD: Clean up the parish grounds (weeding, mulching, trash pickup,etc.).
- Perform an Act of Mercy each day. For example, make a phone call a day to a person who lives alone or is homebound, pray a daily rosary for the conversion of hearts, make a pot of soup and homemade bread for a neighbor each week, write a card to someone in a nursing home, etc.
To register or to get more information about anything on this list, contact the parish office.
Lenten Prayer Series
Plan ahead to join the Lenten Prayer Series on Wednesdays in Lent at 1:00 beginning Ash Wednesday. It will take place after mass and be available online. Elizabeth Uhle and Cricket Aull will share wisdom prayer, covering a different topic each week. Sign up now to get reminder messages and a link for the online meeting.
I'm interested!
Sign me up and I'll be there in person
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Sign me up and I'll be there online
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Sign me up- I don't know how I'll attend but I'l be there
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Online at Home for Lent
In addition to the numerous faith formation activities available both online and in-person at our Parish, we also have access to Formed.
Formed (https://formed.org/)has a large database of books, movies, and film series to help you further formation at home with your family. During the Lenten season please take advantage of this service to help you and your family have a fruitful journey to Easter! If you have any problems accessing or signing into Formed, please contact nicoleamcdougal@gmail.com or leave a note on this message and we will assist you!
Online Simple Suppers
Your parish friends miss you. You miss them. The solution? Virtual Simple Suppers. YES! We are going to try it. Here is the plan. You make a meatless soup (tomato soup out of a can? Meatless chili?) at home. At 6 PM the Fridays of Lent we will have a zoom meeting and have supper together over the internet. We'll have entertaining questions, a couple of jokes, chit chat. Small groups (8?). Each week a little different. Then, if you'd like to stay online, at 7 PM we will have Stations of the Cross. There are many well-done presentations available on YouTube and we will do a different one each week. Sound like fun? You must sign up below to get the link emailed to you for the first dinner - February 19th. And the Stations. So...get out those soup spoons! It's time to slurp. Don't forget the napkin.
Simple Supper Online
Friday, Feb. 19, you stay at home, join us at 6 pm online for supper. Your recipe. You don't have to drive at night. You can sit by your fireplace. You can drop treats to the dog. Join us!
Virtual Table 1
Virtual Table 2
Stations of the Cross
Friday, February 19th @7 pm after the online Simple Supper. If you can't make it to the church for the Stations of the Cross, we will have a presentation of the Stations prepared for online viewing.
Group 1
Group 2
Sisters in Faith Meets Tomorrow
The topic for our meeting is Living Our Purpose. This meeting will take place on Feb. 12 from 10-12:30. You can attend in person in Marian Hall or online. If you are interested in joining or have any questions please leave a note on this message or contact Colleen Orchanian. We hope to see you there!
Young Adult Group
Is that you? This group meets the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 10:00-11:30 beginning February 20 in the St. Francis Meeting House. All are welcome, married or single, with or without kids. For more information contact Jessica Ashcraft at jessicasmithashcraft@gmail.com or 706.897.4352.
Pre- Baptism Talk (Spanish)
A Pre- Baptism Talk will be given in Spanish on February 15th at 6:00 pm in Room 5. An application will be provided that can be filled out the same day!
Green Team Tips
It is important to learn lessons that first present themselves in family life: how to show
love and respect for life; the proper use of things; order and cleanliness; respect for
the local ecosystem and care for all creatures; how to learn and mature; how to ask
without demanding; saying "thank you" in genuine gratitude; controlling
aggressiveness and greed. "These simple gestures of heartfelt courtesy help to
create a culture of shared life and respect for our surroundings.” (Laudato Si, 213)
love and respect for life; the proper use of things; order and cleanliness; respect for
the local ecosystem and care for all creatures; how to learn and mature; how to ask
without demanding; saying "thank you" in genuine gratitude; controlling
aggressiveness and greed. "These simple gestures of heartfelt courtesy help to
create a culture of shared life and respect for our surroundings.” (Laudato Si, 213)
If you want to participate in online meetings but the technology is keeping you away, we can help. If you have a smartphone, iPad, or computer, you have the equipment needed. One of our parishioners has graciously offered to help people figure out the technology so that they can join online meetings. Contact the office to request help and your call will be returned in order to arrange a time to work with you.