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May 13
Carlo Acutis Parish Weekly Newsletter - May 13Dear Friends ...
Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise;
from you rose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
Happy Wednesday everyone ... Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima! Read more about those special events below.
SCAP Women & Men's Club - The Parish Council is excited to launch two new groups for adults in our parish: the SCAP Women’s Club and the SCAP Men’s Club. These groups are meant to be simple opportunities to connect, build community, and enjoy time together. Please see below for more info!
SCAP Young Adult Group - Young adults, ages 18 to 35, are invited to join the SCAP Young Adult Group, in partnership with Iskali, a Catholic organization that helps young adults grow in faith, purpose, leadership, and community.
The group meets every Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the St. Hedwig Rectory. This is a welcoming community for young adults who want to deepen their relationship with the Lord, and build friendships rooted in our shared sacramental life. All are welcome, we would love to see you there!
The Solemnity of the Ascension - Some of us may have grown up with "AscensionThursday", which is tomorrow, but in this Diocese, and many others, the Solemnity is transferred to Sunday. Read more about the Ascension below ...
Vacation Bible Camp - Announcing "True North Vacation Bible Camp", from June 8-12 at St. Hedwig. See below for more information and how to register.
Prayers for the Sick - Each week in the Sunday Bulletin and this newsletter, we list the names of those who are sick and in need of prayer. These individuals are remembered during the Universal Prayer/Petitions at Mass. To add someone to the list, please contact the Parish Office by phone or email.
Online Book of Intentions -Did you know? Every Sunday during the Universal Prayer, we include the intentions submitted through our "Online Book of Intentions". It’s a beautiful way we support one another in prayer.
Mass Times and Devotional Schedule - For the complete schedule of Masses and Devotions, please visit our parish website.
God Bless—see you in church, and don’t forget to bring a friend!
The Ascension of the Lord May 17, 2026
Christ is lifted up in glory, yet remains with us always.
As his disciples, we are sent forth to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.
SCAP Women’s Club: Vino & Virtue
Thursday, May 28 - 7:00 PM
St. John Berchmans Courtyard
Wine & cheese provided
The evening will include a brief reading or reflection for inspiration, but the focus is on good conversation, new connections, and enjoying time together as a parish community. No pressure, just come as you are!
Please RSVP via SignUp Genius so we can be sure to have plenty of food and drinks for everyone.
SCAP Men’s Club: The Pews Brothers
Thursday, June 4 - 6:30 PM
St. John Berchmans Courtyard
Brats & beers provided
The evening will include a brief reading or reflection for inspiration, but the focus is on good conversation, new connections, and enjoying time together as a parish community. No pressure, just come as you are!
Please RSVP via SignUp Genius so we can be sure to have plenty of food and drinks for everyone.
Please click on the graphic to register.
The Ascension of the Lord
The Solemnity of the Ascension is a special day of the church year on which Catholics celebrate the glorified and victorious return of the risen Jesus to his Father in heaven. The feast occurs on a Thursday, 40 days after Easter. In most dioceses across the United States, it is celebrated on Sunday in place of the 7th Sunday of Easter.
Through history the Ascension has commemorated the moment when Christ entered the place of eternal life in order to send the Holy Spirit to his followers. Early Christians considered the Ascension one of the greatest feasts since it is a wonderful sign that all human beings are meant to be united with God in happiness forever.
The gospels of Luke and John seem to indicate tha the Ascension happened on Easter night. But the Acts of the Apostles places it some forty days after Easter Sunday. The reason for the Ascension, however, is more crucial than the when of the event. Jesus Christ returned (or rose), to heaven in full glory. Seated at God's right hand, he sent forth his Spirit to his church and to the members of his church in this world. Jesus lived, died, was raised from the dead, and will come again in glory at the end of time.
The Ascension begins the prayerful nine-day wait for the feast of the sending of the Spirit called Pentecost. The risen Jesus is not absent from our world but is present to his followers through the Spirit. The Ascension is a powerful sign of the coming happiness with God in heaven that Jesus promised.
~ Concise Catholic Dictionary for Parents and Religion Teacher
Saint of the Day for May 13
The Story of Our Lady of Fatima
Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children–Francisco and Jacinta Marto and their cousin Lucia dos Santos–received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners, and for the conversion of Russia.
Mary gave the children three secrets. Following the deaths of Francisco and Jacinta in 1919 and 1920 respectively, Lucia revealed the first secret in 1927. It concerned devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The second secret was a vision of hell. When Lucia grew up she became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97.
Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See’s Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000; it spoke of a “bishop in white” who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this vision to the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981.
The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church’s worldwide calendar in 2002.
Reflection
The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event for which they are now the only reliable interpreters. They have, for example, claimed that Mary’s request that the world be consecrated to her has been ignored.
Sister Lucia agreed that Pope John Paul II’s public consecration in St. Peter’s Square on March 25, 1984, fulfilled Mary’s request. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared a June 26, 2000, document explaining the “third secret.”
Mary is perfectly honored when people generously imitate her response “Let it be done to me as you say” (Luke 1:38). Mary can never be seen as a rival to Jesus or to the Church’s teaching authority, as exercised by the college of bishops united with the bishop of Rome.
We’re still in the process of helping parishioners transition from our former online giving platforms, “GiveCentral and E-Giving”, to our new platform, “Pushpay”. If you are still active—or have been active—on those previous platforms, you should have received a letter in the mail with simple instructions on how to make the switch.
You may also transition at any time by visiting our parish website (carloacutisparish.org) and clicking “Donate.” If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the parish office. Thank you for your continued generosity and support of our parish.
Online Book of Intentions
Praying for each other's intentions is an important part of our parish life. If you would like the parish to pray for your intention, please write the intention in a sentence or two in this Online "Book of Intentions." These intentions will be remembered in our intercessions at our Sunday masses. Click HERE
Please pray for the Sick of our Parish
Tony Lang, Meg Fiorenza, Rose M. Martin, Juan B. Gonzalez, Jose V. Sanchez, Marcos Torres, Jose & Maria Garcia, Frank McMahon, Maria Mendizabal, Helen Jendricks, Lori Turner Alfirevich, Ben Leo, Ligia G. Galvan de la Cruz, Sergio Torres, Genaro Cortes, Antonio Alcantara, Lukas Fitzpatrick, Ryan Krug, Fr. Paul Reicher.
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