St. Pius X Faith Formation

St. Pius Parishioners Making a Difference

2012-02-16T13:04:00.003-06:00

Old hands at helping hard to replace

For 22 years, Joe and Bobbie Driscoll have cooked warm meals every week for needy folks at the Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul. When they walked out the door after retiring Wednesday, it was unlikely the center would find anyone like them again.

Nonprofit leaders call them "the greatest generation of volunteers." Largely retirees who often worked one job for life, they've brought the same dedication to unpaid service. Now, while more than 1.5 million Minnesotans volunteer, one of the largest numbers in the nation, few are sticking with an organization more than a few years.

Their attrition is prompting many charities, arts groups and hospitals to recast their volunteer programs to make them more attractive -- and less time-consuming -- to their children and grandchildren.

Read the rest on the Star Tribune page, complete with photo of St. Pius Parishioners!

Staff Planning Meeting

2011-08-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

The Faith Formation Staff was hard at work yesterday at Admiral D's. We spent a couple hours sipping lemonade and diet coke while we hashed out plans for the upcoming year. Hey, it was too nice of a day to sit inside. Shawn conveniently took the picture to avoid being in it.

Congratulations to the newly initiated members of the Catholic Church

2011-04-25T18:42:00.000-05:00

Eight people celebrated Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil this year. They have been learning about the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Aduilts (RCIA) and the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) for the last several months. Please continue to pray for them as they continue to learn and grow in their faith as Catholics.

If you know of someone who is not Catholic and is interested in learning more about becoming Catholic or who has questions about the Catholic Church, contact the Faith Formation Department.

The Pope Dropped by Today

2011-04-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

The Pope dropped by the Faith Formation Office today in preparation for tomorrow's festivities.

Pope Party This Saturday April 16

2011-04-11T14:03:00.001-05:00

Planning for the 4th Annual Pope Party has been underway for some time and we are excited for Saturday Night. Join us for an all around good time as we celebrate Pope Benedicts 84th Birthday. Check out the flyer for more info (click on the title).

Steubie North Conference and Retreat!

2011-03-25T20:14:00.000-05:00

Join Pius High School Students at Steubie North Conference and Retreat.

Thursday, July 28, 8 a.m. – Sunday, July 31, 2 p.m.

Register online at www.partnershipforyouth.org before MAY 5th. Only 12 spots left!

Total cost: $325 includes Thursday-Friday Retreat at Mog’s Birch Bay Lodge, coach bus, food, chaperone fees, Steubie Conference, and 2 - yes - 2 t-shirts!!

Enhance Your Lent

2011-03-10T20:39:00.001-06:00

Click on the above link for great ways to enhance your lent.

Extreme Faith Camp - sign up ASAP!

2011-03-09T15:07:00.001-06:00

Hey, Middle School!

Check out this video for Extreme Faith Camp!

Get signed up and SOON or you'll lose your chance to go! Sign up ASAP!

Laura Fenzl in the Faith Formation office has all the info!

Ash Wednesday Faith Formation Schedule

2011-03-09T13:38:00.001-06:00

Tonight the 5:30 class meets on its regular schedule. However the 7:15 session, will meet at 6:50 in their classrooms as they will be attending Ash Wednesday Mass. (A Flyer was sent home with students last week)

“In Good Times and Bad...The Power of Marriage in the Midst of Trial”

2011-02-11T10:14:00.000-06:00

Tickets for this year's Cana Dinner are on sale now through February 22. The evening will include Mass and a renewal of wedding vows, wine tasting and dinner. Our keynote speakers this year are Brad and Libby Dupont.

Cost is $45 per couple. Registration forms are available under Current Events on the parish home page )www.stpiusx-wbl.org, in the commons kiosks and in the Faith Formation office. Seating is limited so register early. Child care is available.
About Brad and Libby:

Brad and Libby met while serving as missionaries with NET Ministries. In the summer of 2003, Brad and Libby married and started working together in full-time in parish ministry. In their talk, Brad and Libby will share how the Sacrament of Marriage has provided joy and sustained them through the birth and loss of two of their four children.

Upcoming Adult Formation Programs

2011-01-31T12:30:00.002-06:00

It's not too late to register for the following Adult Formation Programs at St. Pius.

Untold Blessings: Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:00 pm

February 1, 8, & 15

Cost: $5/person Walk-in Registration

Our ultimate goal is to be a saint. It is our greatest calling and what is desired for us by our Creator. Father Robert Barron paints a beautiful and mysterious image of what it takes to be a follower of, “the One who is, Jesus Christ.” He lays out three intriguing paths to holiness: Finding the Center; Knowing You’re A Sinner; and Realizing Your Life is Not About You. He also provides practical approaches to enhance the journey along these three paths.

Limited Spaces still available.

7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free 7-9 pm

Wednesdays February 9-April 6

Cost $25 per person or $40 per couple

St. Pius is sponsoring 7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free: A Catholic Small Group Study, created by author and speaker, Phil Lenahan from Veritas Financial Ministries. All are invited to this faith-based personal money management small group study. Learn how to manage your money and plan for your future with a Catholic perspective. Wednesdays 7-8:30 pm February 9 – April 6. Space is limited. Registration forms are available on the Faith Formation page of the parish web site, in the Commons Kiosk and in the Faith Formation Office. Cost is $25 per person or $45 per couple. Financial Assistance is available, contact Shawn Gutowski 651-762-3634 sgutowski@stpiusx-wbl.org.

Upcoming Events!

2011-01-27T13:00:00.000-06:00

We have several things going on in the next few weeks and months.

FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN

This coming Wednesday evening, February 2nd, Faith Formation middle school and chaperones will be heading to Feed My Starving Children. All those who signed up should meet at 5:00 pm in the Community Rooms. The bus will be departing at 5:15 pm sharp! We will return at or before 8:30 pm.

FIRST COMMUNION!

There have been many inquiries about First Communion and when prep begins for that. The Parent Orientation meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 15 in the Community rooms, from 6:30-8:30 pm. A letter will be sent out early next week containing the reminder and a Mass sign-up sheet. Keep an eye on your mail if you have a 2nd grader in the program!

Maybe your children will want to keep an eye out for you? Tell them to look for the 1st Communion sticker on the envelope signalling what is inside!

CONFIRMATION

If you have an 8th grader, be on the lookout for a letter announcing the dates for the Parent Orientation, Candidate Orientation, and Sponsor Training. We begin the Confirmation program at the end of the 8th grade year. If your son or daughter has not had the 8th grade curriculum, they may still attend the Orientation, however they will not be permitted to begin Confirmation classes until they have caught up. Please contact Julie in the Faith Formation Office at 651-762-3631 if you have any questions.

We will keep the blog and our Facebook page updated with specific dates and reminders to help you stay on top of your busy spring schedule!

On the Frontlines In Defense of Life

2011-01-24T20:06:00.001-06:00

St. Pius X defending Life at the Supreme Court

and...at the Capitol:

Priestolalapalooza!

2011-01-24T10:05:00.001-06:00

250 priests 23 bishops!! Holy Roman Sweetness !

Our God is truly "mighty to save". Mass begins before our trek to our national seat of human power.

Archbishop Nienstedt Joins Our Group

2011-01-24T08:19:00.000-06:00

Archbishop Nienstedt joins our group at the Verizon Center Pre-March Youth Rally and Holy Mass. Monday morning only about a mile from our destination, the Mall and our Supreme Court.

P.S.: Join SteveO's WBL Public School's Pro-Life Group this week.

Faithfulness...

2011-01-23T22:19:00.001-06:00

Congressman Lapinski speaks for Life. He was the man who drafted the bill for a healthcare system free of abortion funding. And, yes, he is a Democrat!!

Sunday night praise and Adoration. Jesus is the One who asks faithfulness of us.. Faithfulness to guard EVERY person!

AMEN!

Rally for Life!

2011-01-23T15:38:00.004-06:00

Laura sends us this picture from Rally for Life:

"Yes, we are missing our friends. JJ, Cashmoney, Tree, Jimmy, Abe, E, Kory, the girls, Next year?"

We Bring You These Updates...

2011-01-23T12:01:00.001-06:00

Well...he's awake. Kinda.....

Warming up before Mass on Jan. 22nd

Music before Mass with Tony Melendez.

Taken just after arrival at the Students for Life of America Conference! College and high school students by the thousands rallied before Mass, excited about the possibility that ALL persons, from conception to natural death, will be protected in this country.

And how can we miss this image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn, taken before the Anticipatory Mass Saturday evening.

Keep your prayers coming!

First Photos from our DC Crowd!

2011-01-22T18:58:00.000-06:00

Our St. Pius X group has arrived in Washington DC for the March for Life and sent along a few pictures to ensure you're a part of the pilgrimage, too.

Some of you may have heard that one of the buses from the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese did have some mechanical trouble in Illinois which delayed them a bit, but our St. Pius group assures we homebodies that all have arrived safely. The first rule of a true pilgrimage: there will be trials along the way!

Please keep them and their prayer intentions in your own prayers as they all sacrifice and pray for the rights of the unborn!

Keep watching for further, hopefully live updates!

Midnight Observations

2011-01-21T23:28:00.001-06:00

Our bus rolls down the dark road, bringing us ever closer to the pilgrim home. I watch the Illinois lights pass by and am captivated by the reflection I see in the window. A nun sits solitary reading her devotionals. It is easy to recognize that she is not only reading but in deep conversation with her Lord, Jesus. I can not help but be jealous of her contentment in the Lord.

I recall the fleeting moment in my life when praying that I realized that that connection with God is what I truly need to bring me perfect happiness in my life.

As I lay my head down to sleep I pray that the Holy Spirit might be that connection with God. That is what I truly need to bring me perfect happiness in my life. As I lay my head down to sleep I pray that the Holy Spirit might bring me that contentment once more, if only for a fleeting moment.

~ Posted by Jack

2011-01-21T11:34:00.002-06:00

Getting ready to head to D.C. So exited!!

March for Life Group

2011-01-20T18:02:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the March for Life, Washington D.C. ! Lace up your boots, grab your rosary, and get ready to share our experience. St. Pius X and Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary are teaming up for this year's march and Students for Life of America Conference. Join us for our continued messages and photos as we travel, learn about life issues, and take positive and peaceful action in support of all life. We will be traveling from Friday, January 21 through Tuesday, January 25. Feel free to respond with your prayers and comments to encourage our parish group.

Greetings and Welcome!

2011-01-17T15:52:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the blog of St. Pius X Faith Formation!

We plan to use this to pass on current information, updates, and report on special events in relation to our wonderful parish!

If you click on the image of St. Pius X parish on the upper-right portion of the sidebar, you'll be taken directly to the main St. Pius X parish website, where you'll find contact information, different departments, etc.

The blog, on the other hand, is designed to be more interactive, for your convenience. If you have questions for Faith Formation, especially on a particular posted topic, you'll see a "comments" link at the bottom of each article. Click on that and a pop-up box will open in your browser.

You may also contact us via email at stpiusxff@gmail.com

Upcoming News and Events....

Keep your eyes open for next weekend's event, the March for Life in Washington DC. There are several St. Pius X parishioners heading out to this incredible weekend of prayer for the life of the unborn, so expect commentary, photos, and even videos taken by people you know, live on scene!

We'll also soon be posting on Confirmation Orientations, scheduled for new Candidates, Sponsors, and of course Parents! Although letters will also be sent out in the mail, we hope that this venue will also be of assistance to you.

First Communion is also one of the most important events of the spring, so look for updates here!

Again, welcome to our new blog, and may God bless you always!

Do Children Belong at Mass?

2011-01-17T13:07:00.000-06:00

When I was growing up, Mom made sure Mass was a priority every week. She taught my brother and me to sit and stand just like everyone else, and when I was too little to kneel, she allowed me to stand on the kneeler and directed my attention to the altar. When I was restless or complained about having to go to Mass instead of staying home and playing, Mom reminded me that I had no problem sitting in front of the TV for an hour. Couldn’t I be just as well behaved for God?

Yes, yes I could! I truly did try to pay attention, and was familiar with, most especially, the music. Sometimes it confused me, though. I knew we were there to worship God so who, for example, was that “Hosanna” character we always sang about? Was he just a really good friend of God’s?

Every so often I hear people talking or read in various articles the suggestion that children don’t belong at Mass. That saddens me. Not just because my experience of learning how to worship God was so good, but rather because of the objective nature of the Mass; what it is and Who is made present during the consecration. In the Mass, heaven touches earth and even the very youngest among us and those who cannot receive the Sacraments experience a very real foretaste of Eternity. It’s not about feeling or sentimentality or even about parenting. It is all about God. The Mass, and the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ; this is the source and summit of our Faith.

We live in a time that speaks about inclusion; that inclusion should most especially embrace children, the most innocent among us and who perhaps have even MORE of a right to be present! Jesus Himself speaks through the scriptures and tells us that the angels of children look upon the face of God. He admonished His apostles to allow the children to come to Him, and indeed, they do see and understand some of the deepest mysteries of our faith that puts mere intellectual comprehension to shame.

Please bring your children to Mass, help them learn to worship Our Lord and recall His very words, “He who receives one of these in my name, receives Me.”

+ Julie Olson, St. Pius X Faith Formation Coordinator +

So Now What?

2011-01-17T12:41:00.002-06:00

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. During the Christmas season, we celebrate not only his birth, but his early life as a child and the beginning of his public ministry (his Baptism and the Wedding Feast at Cana). So now what? Advent and Christmas have come and gone. The shopping, present giving, Christmas parties and festivities are completed. Almost all of us are worn out come mid-January and happy to slide back into our ‘ordinary’ lives. Work, school, sporting events, laundry and household chores, all the humdrum things that take up 99% of our lives are welcomed back into our life.

The Church is settling back into our ‘ordinary’ life as well, Ordinary Time that is. But by Ordinary, we don’t mean humdrum or the same old thing. So what is Ordinary Time and why should we pay attention? Ordinary Time is the time of the Liturgical year outside Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter. During this time, we hear in the Gospel reading the stories of Jesus life and work. We see how Jesus acts and follows the will of his Father. He shows us that he has taken on the ordinary life of man for our salvation: he prays, he teaches, he observes feast day, he eats with friends, and he weeps. We see the growth and development of his followers as they progress from a few questioning men to multitudes of people seeking him.

Ordinary time can be the time for us to grow and develop as his followers as well. The liturgical color we use is green. It is a symbol of hope. But green can also remind you to continue to grow in your faith as your ordinary life marches forward. As we move into Ordinary Time here are a few practical suggestions for you and your family to help you continue to grow as disciples.

Mass: Almost everyone likes or is excited to go to Church at Christmas, but Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist at each and every Mass. So bring that Christmas anticipation with you to every Mass you attend. Sunday is a day of obligation (not a day of optional) so make sure to attend. If the St. Pius Mass times don’t fit your weekend schedule, there is another parish in the Metro that will (including on Sunday night). Trying to grow in your faith without Mass is like trying to swim without water, to breathe without air!

Prayer: If you and your family took up any special Advent or Christmas prayers, why stop now? Use the habit to continue to gather as a family and bring your needs to Jesus. Prayer is conversation with God. If you didn’t talk to someone, would you ever be friends? Relationships take time, including our relationship with Christ.

Gift Giving: Generosity at Christmas really can’t be outdone. We work hard to make sure that everyone has something. The average family spends about $2500 on Christmas gifts. During Ordinary Time, give “Ordinary Gifts”: shoveling a neighbor’s driveway or mowing their lawn , visiting an elderly friend or relative at the nursing home, volunteering for an hour or two for an organization caring for the poor, babysitting for free, donating food to the food shelf. The needs in our world our endless, so be the Light of Christ for someone throughout the year not just a Christmas.

Thankfulness: We are so thankful for the material things and hospitality we received at Christmas. We may have even remembered to thank God for the gift of his Son. Ordinary Time is also a great time to remember to thank God for your daily blessings as well. It’s all too easy to ask God for stuff (myself included) and forget to thank him for the things he’s already given us. (And if you happen to have children who can’t possibly think of anything to be thankful for ask them if they are thankful for the cell phone, Wii, Playstation, etc.) Once a day, remember to thank God for something ordinary in your life.

What an extraordinary time Ordinary Time can be!

+ Shawn Gutowski, St. Pius X Director of Religious Education +