For the week of Sunday, May 22, 2022
Dear Friends ~
The Bishop (Carol Bishop that is) is stepping into the pastor’s eNEWS spot today, but since those are big shoes to fill, please lower your expectations. I’m no homilist or trained theologian, and yet what’s on my mind as I write this are last weekend’s readings.
I was struck by the reading from Acts in which Paul and Barnabas are traveling the countryside making “a considerable number of disciples.” They appointed elders in each church and commended them to the Lord. The apostles recognized that there are many gifts among the people of God, but one Body. They sought to put those gifts to work in organizing the life of the Church. That’s exactly what we’re doing at Pax Christi.
Over the past months, several dozen of our parishioners have been participating in our “leadership call” and praying about how to serve this parish. As I told them on our “Information Night”, they are continuing a commitment to lay leadership that was rooted in the founding of this parish 40+ years ago. It wasn’t the Archdiocese that decided to plant a parish on Pioneer Trail. It was a group of committed lay leaders who listened to God’s call and told then-Archbishop John Roach that a parish was needed in the growing Eden Prairie area.
Just like the early disciples, these lay leaders set about establishing this parish in an authentic and committed response to their baptismal call and to a very distinct call from God. Our community continues this tradition today as other committed lay leaders step forward to help. We are a parish built on the commitment of the disciples of today.
And how do we know these disciples? In John’s gospel from Sunday, Jesus tells us, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” And I thought Fr. Mike left big shoes to fill?! Jesus left us with some big sandals to fill when it comes to love. As the very incarnation of God’s love, His life gave us the ultimate example of ultimate love. Then He called us to love.
We live in a world that desperately needs us to respond with love. It's not always easy, but let’s keep trying. Together. As a community of disciples.
Carol Bishop
Parish Director
JOIN US FOR PRAYER AND WORSHIP
WEEKDAY MASS
Tuesdays ~ 8:30am
Wednesdays ~ 8:30am
Fridays ~ 8:30am
Wednesdays ~ 8:30am
Fridays ~ 8:30am
WEEKDAY WORD AND EUCHARIST SERVICE
Thursdays ~ 8:30am
WEEKEND MASS
Saturdays ~ 5:00pm Live Stream available
Sundays ~ 9:00am
Sundays ~ 11:00am
Sundays ~ 11:00am
Sundays ~ 4:00pm
RECONCILIATION
A priest will be available to hear confessions at 4:00pm each Saturday inside in the Chapel. Those who wish to celebrate this sacrament can enter through door #3. Please wait in the hallway to the right leading to the Chapel for the person who is celebrating the sacrament to be finished, and then come forward to receive the sacrament.
COVID-19 UPDATES
CLICK HERE to view schedules, updates, and resources during COVID-19.
REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS
Thank you for your continued generosity!
May 8:
Weekend Collection 20,449
Online Giving 5,987
Other 6,822
Total Week #45 33,258
Weekend Collection 20,449
Online Giving 5,987
Other 6,822
Total Week #45 33,258
Budget 30,000
Variance 3,258
YTD Actual 2,199,578
YTD Budget 2,185,000
YTD Variance 14,578
Other contribution methods include grants from donor-advised funds, stock donations, and qualified charitable distributions from an IRA. Consult with your tax advisor to see if one of these methods could be beneficial for you.
CLICK HERE for online giving.
PAX CHRISTI PRAYER CORNER
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL
Please join us in holding up the prayers that were brought forward during all Masses last weekend.
PAX CHRISTI PRAYER WALL
Pray for the Pax Christi Community! One of the ways we can care for each other as a faith community is to pray for each other. Pax Christi has an online Prayer Wall for people to share their prayer requests and also to let people know that they are heard and we are holding them in our prayers. Please view the prayer wall and pray for the needs of fellow Pax Christi Community members by CLICKING HERE.
Do you have a prayer you would like to add to the Pax Christi Prayer Wall? If you would like to add a prayer request to the Prayer Wall, CLICK HERE. This link invites you to fill out a very brief form so that we can pray for your intention.
HOLDING UP THOSE EXPERIENCING LOSS
To see a full list of all upcoming funerals being held at Pax Christi along with an obituary if the family chooses, please CLICK HERE.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CLICK HERE for all upcoming events and registration.
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY CLEANUP
Everyone Ages 12 and Up Welcome!
Saturday, May 21, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Saturday, May 21, 9:00am - 12:00pm
All people aged 12 and up are invited to join us as we show our care for God's creation and our care for the Eden Prairie Community by cleaning up our stretch of Flying Cloud Drive from Anderson Lakes Parkway to West 78th Street. We'll meet at our designated staging area at 9:00 am and work until the project is complete! Bring your own work gloves, sunscreen, and water bottle.
CLICK HERE to register.
HELPING THE PRIESTS WHO’VE HELPED US
The GRATITUDE Capital Campaign Renovation Project Supporting the Leo C. Byrne Residence
Did you know there's a home for retired priests of the Archdiocese including former Pax Christi pastor, Fr. Patrick Kennedy? There is and you have an opportunity to share your gratitude by supporting the men who have ministered to you and your family for many decades.
The Leo C. Byrne Residence offers 29 individual apartments for priests who have reached retirement age, most of whom continue to actively serve parishes and organizations around the Archdiocese.
The GRATITUDE Capital Campaign Renovation Project (coordinated by the Catholic Community Foundation) will fund the work required to bring the entire Byrne Residence to a level of security and efficiency suitable for the safety and well-being of each resident priest.
We ask for your support for this much-needed renovation.
How to get involved:
- Write a check payable to “CCF/Byrne Residence” and mail it to
Court West Suite 500
2610 University Ave W
St. Paul, MN 55114 - Donate online through the CCF website by CLICKING HERE
The project brochure is available below.
TWELVE BASKETS BABY CARE DRIVE
Saturday, May 21 & Sunday, May 22
The Twelve Baskets Baby Care Drive is Saturday & Sunday, May 21 & 22! Once again we are excited to tell you that you have the option to purchase actual items for this drive. This drive will benefit 4 agencies that help pregnant women in need obtain necessary items for their babies. Most needed are: Diapers New Born - 6 months and wipes; Infant hygiene products and pacifiers; new clothing NB (New Born) - 18 months; blankets, towels, and 4 oz bottles.
How to Help:
- Bring suggested items to Pax Christi by May 22 and leave in bins near Door # 3 or at the Parish office
- Donate electronically by selecting the Baby Drive option on the Pax Christi Giving Webpage
- Drop off/send a check to the Pax Christi office with a note in the memo saying “Baby Drive” and we will purchase the most needed items.
Thank you once again for helping Twelve Basket Ministries assist those in need.
CLICK HERE to view the online giving page.
FAITH AND RACIAL EQUITY
Exploring Power and Privilege
Opening Retreat: Saturday, June 4, 8:30am - 3:30pm
Sessions on Thursdays from June 9 – July 28 with Two Options to participate:
Opening Retreat: Saturday, June 4, 8:30am - 3:30pm
Sessions on Thursdays from June 9 – July 28 with Two Options to participate:
- Afternoons 1:00-3:30pm, In-person
- Evenings 6:00-8:30pm, via Zoom
Do you want to address racism in your community, but you don’t know where to begin? Presented through the lens of the Christian tradition, JustFaith Ministries’ Faith & Racial Equity: Exploring Power & Privilege is an eight-session program that awakens individuals and groups to racial injustices within our systems and structures that empower some and oppress others. After Opening Retreat program meets on Thursdays 1:00-3:30pm in person OR 6:00-8:30pm by Zoom June 9- July 28. The program is free. Questions? Please contact Joan Howe-Pullis: jhowe-pullis@paxchristi.com
CLICK HERE to register online.
PENTECOST INTENTION READERS NEEDED
Join the tradition of celebrating the Global Church
The weekend of Saturday, June 4, and Sunday, June 5
Please consider celebrating the wonder of the global church and the diversity of our Pax Christi community this Pentecost! Keep the Pentecost tradition of multilingual readers at Pax Christi alive. If you can translate and read an intention in a non-English language, we need you! Please consider volunteering to read an intention at any of the weekend Masses on Saturday, June 4 and/or Sunday, June 5. The disciples, filled with the holy spirit, astonished the people by speaking in tongues. You can too! Please register with the form below or contact Sally Bergum at 952-405-7227 or sbergum@paxchristi.com by Sunday, May 22!
CLICK HERE to register online.
MOVIE VIEWING EVENT: VISION
From the Life of Hildegard Von Bingen
Wednesday, June 1, 6:30-9:00pm, Hall of Martyrs
Join us for a viewing and discussion of Vision, a film about 12th-century Benedictine nun Hildegard von Bingen, who was determined to expand the responsibilities of women within her order. Lushly shot in original medieval cloisters of the fairytale-like German countryside, Vision is a profoundly inspirational portrait of a woman who has emerged from the shadows of history as a forward-thinking pioneer of faith. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.
CLICK HEREto register online.
SUMMER CHAIR YOGA REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Kick Off Your Summer with Chair Yoga!
Mondays starting June 6, 1:30 via Zoom, $20
Pax Christi will be holding a four-week session for Chair Yoga. Classes are held on Mondays at 1:30pm via Zoom. Denise Bunch, a popular yoga instructor will lead. Register today. The cost is $20 for the June session. The dates include: June 6, 13, 20, and 27. Classes fill quickly. Chair Yoga will take a break during July. Pax Christi Chair Yoga will return in August for an eight-week session. We hope you will join us!
CLICK HERE to register.
SUMMER BOOK CLUB: HILDEGARD OF BINGEN
A Saint for Our Times by Matthew Fox
Two 8-Week Options To Attend:
- Mondays, June 6 - July 25, from 6:30-8:00pm via Zoom
- Tuesdays, June 7 - July 26, from 9:00-10:30am, both In-Person or via Zoom
In May 2012, Pope Benedict XVI formally declared 12th-century Benedictine nun Hildegard of Bingen a canonized saint. As a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, healer, artist, feminist, and student of science, she was a pioneer in many fields in her day. In an era when women were marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial figure. Yet so visionary was her insight that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for advice. Through readings and discussing this book, we will listen to the wisdom she has for us today. All participants are responsible for obtaining their own copy of the text.
CLICK HERE to register online.
2022 VACATION BIBLE CAMP
Best Week of the Summer!
Monday, August 1 – Friday, August 5, 9:00am-12:00pm, Early Bird Rate Available Now $55 per youth participant with a $110 family cap
Monday, August 1 – Friday, August 5, 9:00am-12:00pm, Early Bird Rate Available Now $55 per youth participant with a $110 family cap
CALLING ALL CAMPERS! Come join us for the BEST WEEK OF THE SUMMER: August 1-5 from 9:00am-12:00pm. We are so excited to be back in-person for Bible Camp and we will explore the beauty of creation through our campus grounds. Come sing with us and make some fun crafts. We’ve got some surprise guest presenters who will share their passion about our land, trees, water, and campsite. We welcome students entering Kindergarten through Grade 5 in the 2022-23 school year to participate. Register your children and grandchildren online below and then volunteer and be ready to grow together in your faith. We hope all of you join in the fun, faith, and friendships! Contact Renee Dignan at rdignan@paxchristi.com with questions.
CLICK HERE to register campers online.
CLICK HERE to register as a volunteer without registering a camper.
2022 MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER SERVICE WEEK
The week of August 1, 8:30am-4:00pm, Room 111, $180 RSVP
Sixth- through eighth-graders, join us for a week of service and fun! The middle school summer service week runs concurrently with Vacation Bible Camp with service opportunities in the morning and fun activities in the afternoon. Lunch and transportation are included. The participants will visit a variety of service sites such as Cascade Bay, Grand Slam, and Valleyfair and participate in fun activities! Questions? Contact Evan Bierer, Youth Formation Minister, 952-405-7213, or ebierer@paxchristi.com.
CLICK HERE to register online.
WELCOME HOME SNOWBIRDS!
Thank you to everyone who let us know that they were going to be out of town for an extended period of time this winter! As you get back, please let us know when you would like to start receiving direct mail again. Contact Debbie Hemann at dhemann@paxchristi.com or 952-405-7221 to get your mailing restarted!
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