The Basilica of Saint Mary along with its sister parish Ascension Catholic Church will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sunday, December 9, 2018.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe brings the Basilica’s vibrant multi-cultural community together to celebrate with music, dance, and liturgy.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Schedule:
Sunday, December 9, 2018
3:45pm: The Banderas and traditional Aztec dancers on the Basilica plaza with procession into the Church
4:30pm: Bilingual Mass with music by La Familia Torres-Peña
5:30pm: Fiesta in the Basilica’s lower level, Teresa of Calcutta Hall
December 12th marks the feast day of the Virgin Mary, or Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the Americas who appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico City in 1531.
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
FROM THE PASTOR
With this column I would like to update you in regard to several areas of our parish’s life.
1. Our Parish Finances: First and foremost, I want to thank to all those who have made a commitment of financial support to our parish community during our financial stewardship campaign this fall. Please know your commitment of financial support to our parish community is greatly appreciated. Your pledge—no matter the size—is important and makes a difference. It allows us to continue to offer the many programs, ministries and services that are the hallmark of our Basilica community.
In regard to our parish finances, as I write this column we are behind in our anticipated income at this point in our fiscal year. Our finance committee monitors our income and expenses closely so that, if it becomes necessary, we can make the appropriate decisions about balancing our parish budget.
I am hopeful that with our collections at Christmas and with year-end giving we will be back on track with our projected income. Thank you to all of those who support our Basilica community financially. Please know of my great gratitude for your ongoing financial support.
2. Advent and Christmas Events/Activities at The Basilica: As we move into the Season of Advent and Christmas, there are several events/activities at The Basilica which you are invited to attend.
- On Sunday, December 9 we will hold our annual Global Fair Trade Market from 8:30am to 3:00pm. Great gifts will be available from local vendors, just in time for Christmas giving.
- Taizé prayer, with the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, will be celebrated in the lower level of The Basilica on Tuesday, December 11 at 5:30pm.
- On Sunday, December 16 our Cathedral Choristers, Children’s Choir, Cherubs, and Juventus as well as the children of the Learning Program will present Room for Christmas by Mark Burrows. The musical combines original songs and familiar carols from around the world to tell the story of the Incarnation. The musical will be presented in the lower level of The Basilica after the 9:30 and 11:30am Masses.
- The Basilica will also be hosting Messiah on Thursday, December 20 at 7:30pm and Friday, December 21 at 8:00pm. For more information about these performances visit thespco.org. To reserve your ticket for the December 21 performance contact Holly Dockendorf at hdockendorf@mary.org.
- Finally, we hope you will plan on joining us for one of our Masses on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Our Mass schedule is available on our website.
3. Sanctuary Supporting Congregation: As I have mentioned previously, one of the values we strive to live every day at The Basilica is compassion. As such, we become aware of our shared brokenness, and we deeply respect all of God’s people and gratefully welcome all as Christ as we share hospitality, love, acceptance and care. We are a community serving the needs of people in our community. Every day we provide basic tangible and physical resources such as sandwiches, clothing, toiletries, shoes, bus cards, help with I.D. cards and assistance with transportation.
A few months ago our parish leadership made the decision that The Basilica would become a Sanctuary Supporting Congregation. In becoming a Sanctuary Supporting Congregation, we would continue to do what we currently do for those who come to our St. Vincent de Paul Ministry, many of them from Ascension, our sister parish in north Minneapolis. We would also continue our advocacy work and our prayerful support particularly for those who are on the margins and in need. The difference would be that we would be named as part of a network of congregations that are committed to supporting this work.
Now admittedly, in today’s world, the word “Sanctuary” may come with a lot of baggage. It may be helpful to note, though, that it shares the same root as the Latin word: “Sanctus,” which means holy. Jesus has told us that “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do for me.” Additionally, on his trip to Colombia this past September Pope Francis called on Catholics to “promote the dignity of all our brothers and sisters, particularly the poor and the excluded of society, those who are abandoned, immigrants and those who suffer violence and human trafficking,” Responding without judgement to the needs of those who come to our doors is what we are called to do as followers of Jesus Christ.
Becoming a Sanctuary Supporting Congregation is very different form being a Sanctuary Congregation. Being a Sanctuary Congregation requires additional commitments that could put The Basilica at some legal risk. As your pastor, I cannot do that in this circumstance. This is why our leadership has been carefully evaluating Sanctuary Supporting Congregations, which have significantly fewer commitments and would serve as a way to continue to compassionately serve a community in need and as an outcome of living our faith.
I would encourage anyone who has questions or concerns about this issue to take them to prayer. If after praying about them, you would like to share them with me or with a member of our parish council, you can contact us through our parish website. As we continue to discuss this important issue we will need your thoughts and your prayers to do what is right for our Parish and to follow our faith calling.
4. 150th Anniversary of our Parish: This year our parish celebrates its Sesquicentennial. 150 years ago the Church of the Immaculate Conception was founded in Minneapolis. The first Mass was celebrated on October 4, 1868. (When the parish outgrew its original site, seven lots were donated at 16th Street and Hennepin Avenue in 1904. The cornerstone of The Basilica, which was initially known as the Pro Cathedral, was laid in 1908, and the first Mass was celebrated in The Basilica on May 31, 1914.)
We kicked-off a year long celebration of our 150th anniversary on Sunday, September 30. Archbishop Hebda presided at the 9:30 and 11:30am Masses that day.
Throughout the coming year there will be a variety of events, activities and exhibits to celebrate our Sesquicentennial as a parish. I invite you to attend as many of these as you are able as we celebrate 150 years of faith.
Two events in particular I would like to note are a reunion for all couples who were married at The Basilica. This Marriage Reunion will take place on Saturday, February 23, 2019. There will also be a School Reunion for former students of The Basilica School. This reunion will take place September 7, 2019.
5. Updating our Parish Strategic Plan: As I have mentioned in previous bulletins, several months ago we received approval from our Finance Committee and Parish Council to engage the services of the MacCallum Ross company to help us begin the process of developing a new strategic plan for our parish. (Our previous plan carried us through spring of 2018.)
The reason we engage in strategic planning is simple. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29.18). If we don’t consciously and prayerfully plan for our future, we are at risk of drifting into a future not of our choosing and certainly not of our making.
I am pleased to report that at the October meeting of our Parish Council our new Strategic Plan was approved. Our new Strategic Plan retains our core Vision, Mission, and Values, and builds on, instead of replacing, the previous strategic plan. There are three Strategic Areas of Focus in our new Plan:
Art: move, inspire, and transform individuals and communities through excellence in the arts and creative practices.
Inclusivity: build a culture where people feel valued, welcome, integrated, and included.
Homelessness: respond to the needs of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
This plan will serve as a road map to guide and direct our efforts for the next three to five years. Our efforts will help us identify those ministries, programs, services, etc. that are important and necessary for our parish community. If you would like to review a copy of our new Strategic Plan, please call the parish office.
6. Special Collections: While no one is fond of special collections, it is heartening for me to report that the people of The Basilica have been very generous to the last few special collections here at The Basilica.
- On the weekend of June 17 and 18, $9,679 was contributed to help defray the cost of air conditioning The Basilica during the hot summer months.
- On the weekend of July 28 and 29, $10,835 was contributed to help fund our St. Vincent de Paul Ministry.
- On the weekend of September 15 and 16, $9,514 was contributed to help fund our St. Vincent de Paul Ministry.
The contributions to these collections testify to the generosity of the people of The Basilica. Please know of my gratitude for your generous response to these collections.
7. Campus Space Planning: As I mentioned previously, a few months ago The Basilica Landmark approved funding for the hiring of a liturgical space planning consultant. Fr. Gil Sunghera S.J. was hired and has been working with our Campus Space Planning Committee to build a vision for our campus spaces that will help us welcome the community and our guests. Fr. Gil is on staff at the University of Detroit Mercy and works with their School of Architecture.
Some of the important issues/concerns that will need to be considered are accessibility, making The Basilica and its campus more open and welcoming, and renovating and updating the interior of The Basilica.
This process of developing a master plan for The Basilica and its campus continues as I write this column. It will also occur concurrently with the development of our new strategic plan. We will share more information about this important work as we move forward.
8. The Basilica App is Now Available: To get the App you go to the App Store and download MyParish. Once you download it, you search for Basilica of Saint Mary. The App was launched to the parish beginning on November 4. The App has message notification and group messaging features that we will be expanding soon. It is our hope that the App will help us keep in touch with people and make it easier for people to find out everything that is happening at The Basilica.
Rev. John M. Bauer
Pastor, The Basilica of Saint Mary
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
SECOND WORLD DAY OF THE POOR
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
18 November 2018
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
[complete letter]
http://www.pcpne.va/content/pcpne/en/attivita/gmdp/2018/messaggio.html
On this World Day, we are asked to fulfil the words of the Psalm: “The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied” (Ps 22:26). We know that in the Temple of Jerusalem, after the rites of sacrifice, a banquet was held. It was this experience that, in many dioceses last year, enriched the celebration of the first World Day of the Poor. Many people encountered the warmth of a home, the joy of a festive meal and the solidarity of those who wished to sit together at table in simplicity and fraternity. I would like this year’s, and all future World Days, to be celebrated in a spirit of joy at the rediscovery of our capacity for togetherness. Praying together as a community and sharing a meal on Sunday is an experience that brings us back to the earliest Christian community, described by the evangelist Luke in all its primitive simplicity: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers… And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:42.44-45).
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Wednesday, November 14, 6:00pm-9:00pm
We will offer our highest prayer for people who have been harmed by clergy abuse.
This Mass for Justice, Healing and Peace will be followed by a program on Restorative Justice, and an introduction to Healing Circles.
Mass 6:00pm
Healing Circles 7:00pm
Evening for Justice, Healing and Peace
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Hofstede Hall
One Lourdes Place, Minneapolis, MN 55414
www.ourladyoflourdesmn.com
Vouchers for two hours of free parking in the Riverplace parking ramp on 2nd Street SE by the church will be available.
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
The Together in Hope Project has orchestrated three concerts in Rome and an entourage of ecumenical visitors, including 64 choir members and 120 goodwill ambassadors.
Standing in front of the conductor’s podium will be Teri Larson, music director of the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, and Mark Stover, who recently was the conductor of the St. Olaf Chapel Choir in Northfield.
Full article
http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-choir-heads-to-vatican-in-support-of-christian-unity/498734481/
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
Our new Basilica of Saint Mary app is now available to download for iPhone and Android phones.
Stay connected with notifications, community events, prayers, daily readings, Mass reminders, and much more.
We expect the features and capabilities of our new app to foster a stronger sense of community and faith in the daily lives of all parishioners. The Basilica will be able to communicate quick and easy with all parishioners via messages and notifications to keep you in the loop with what is going on in our parish.
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
The Basilica of Saint Mary will show the film Summer in the Forest, Saturday, October 27, 2018 at 3:00pm. This highly acclaimed, documentary tells the story of L’Arche, an international federation dedicated to the creation and growth of homes, programs, and support networks with people who have intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1964, today it operates in 147 communities in 35 countries, on 5 continents.
This screening is presented by the Disability Awareness Ministry as part of the Basilica’s Disability Awareness month in October. The Disability Awareness Ministry's mission is to remove barriers that prevent the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their families in parish life and in the community at large. The Basilica continually strives to make the church and campus facilities accessible to all parishioners and visitors.
Summer in the Forest
Basilica of Saint Mary
October 27, 2018 at 3:00pm
Doors open at 2:30pm
Free of charge
2017 (NR) 108 min.
French with English subtitles
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
We begin this month of remembrance with solemn Evening Prayer for all our beloved dead. The names of all those who have died within the last year will be mentioned during the Litany of the Saints. All other names of the faithful departed will be listed in the worship leaflet. If you wish to include names of the faithful departed, please submit names online at mary.org/allsouls or call Wendy at 612.317.3474 by end of day October 25.
Evening Prayer for All Souls Sunday, November 4, at 3:00pm.
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
October is Disability Awareness Month at The Basilica
The Disability Awareness Ministry's mission is to remove barriers that prevent the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their families in parish life and in the community at large. The Basilica continually strives to make the church and campus facilities accessible to all parishioners and visitors. Join us as we continue to look at ways to eliminate barriers to participation at The Basilica.
Taizé Prayer with Individual Confessions
Saint Joseph Chapel, Ground Level
Tuesday, October 9, 5:30pm
A service of mantra-like singing following communal prayer focused on reconciliation and healing. Braille Leaflet, wheelchair seating, lighting for those with visual impairment are just a few of the ways we are making this prayer service more accessible to all.
Disability Awareness Ministry Fair
Sunday, October 14, Following 9:30 and 11:30am Masses
Come down to Teresa of Calcutta Hall for special treats and resource tables featuring organizations with information on breaking down the barriers to participation on many levels. If you have an organization you would like to participate, or for more information, contact Janet.
Documentary Film: Summer in the Forest
Saturday, October 27, 3:00pm, Teresa of Calcutta Hall, Ground Level
This highly acclaimed, recently released documentary tells the story of L’Arche, an international federation dedicated to the creation and growth of homes, programs, and support networks with people who have intellectual disabilities. It was founded in 1964, and is operating today in 147 communities in 35 countries, on 5 continents. Doors open at 2:30pm and special treats will be available.
Book Club: The Road to Daybreak
Before coming to see Summer in the Forest, we invite you to join us in reading The Road to Daybreak by Henri J. M. Nouwen. This book documents the author’s spiritual journey that took him to the L’Arche community in Trosly, France and the impact it made on him for the remainder of his life. If you would like to purchase a copy, please contact Janet.
For more information, contact Janet.
Posted by Mae Desaire
Comments 0
Categories News
