From the Heart of the Shepherd
- Church of St. Mark
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
From the bulletin for the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Mar 30, 2025)
4th Sunday in Lent
March, we hardly knew you. Thirty one days strong, yet you melted away almost as quickly as the meagre snow February bequeathed you. April, with all her activities, promises to blow by even quicker. Here is an overview of the coming month.
On Saturday the 5th we will attempt to take over the world. More precisely: some brave volunteer evangelists will head out into public spaces with the goal of winning souls for Christ (or feel awkward in the attempt!). And give away some free bottles of water, ice cream, prayers, and/or coupons to the Fish Fry in the process. I am referring to “St. Mark’s in the Parks,” the evangelization initiative that will be the culmination of our Lenten Speaker Series. Pray for a harvest, and that the Lord grace the efforts of our “72” missioners for the good of souls. My pastoral gratitude to all the apostles!
On the 6th, a number of our young people will be Confirmed at the Cathedral at a 2pm Mass (which you are welcome to attend!). Pray for the confirmandi!
On the 8th there will be a special meeting of the Finance Council. By this point, you are now wondering if this article will read like a forecast of your pastor’s google calendar. It won’t. But I mention this to ask for even more prayers. The Council is meeting to do what perhaps has never been done before here: balance the budget for next year. The solution is tied up with a much larger discernment: the Campus Master Plan project. It is becoming more and more clear that “now is the time” for us to answer these difficult questions, for the sake of our financial sustainability and, more importantly, to ensure that our parish mission drives our use of resources and not vice versa. Thankfully, intriguing options are emerging, but we are far from a clear picture. To help in that process, we will be sending out a survey to solicit parish-wide input and ideas.
On the 11th is our annual Fish Fry. I invite you all to come out that evening for what always proves to be a lovely time with the parish family and some (too?) scrumptious Lenten fare. But don’t just bring an appetite. That Fryday is a great space to bring friends, neighbors, and anyone who likes long lines of happy people and delicious food. 10 Pastor’s Points for every heathen you bring to Stations afterwards!
April 17-20 is the Sacred Paschal Triduum. Be there! Be eager! This is it: our Christian playoffs, or rather the Time of Fulfillment, all culminating in the mother of all liturgies, the Easter Vigil. Note that due to the late date of Easter, and the requirement that the Vigil begins “at night,” our start time is 9pm this year. Should be glorious, complete with bells and hand candles and of course all the readings, the choir singing its heart out, your parish family gathered in sacred assembly, baptisms galore and confirmations (even more!) and the Lamb standing at the center of it all, who was slain but now lives (forever and ever, Amen!). And then look out: this year we will combine the morning Masses on Easter Sunday into a unified 10am service, to better celebrate as a parish family this Greatest of Holy Days. (parish-wide egg hunt afterwards, anyone?)
Finally, this year’s Easter octave features two very special community events. First, it’s the Spring Rummage Sale that following weekend. Drop off your “treasures” earlier in the week and go home with someone else’s underappreciated “trash” Thursday-Sunday. Just as it’s better to give than to receive, so too it is even better to volunteer at the sale than to shop. And in the heart of all that orchestra of moving stuff is the Feast of St. Mark on Friday the 25th. Like last year, we will toast our Patron with a roast of hog. 5-7pm in the cafeteria. (And if the stars align: round two of the pastor’s brain-busting St. Mark trivia!).
Such are the buds appearing here at the parish. Be ready for the bloom!
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