Our Lady On The River Parish - Holy Cross, Marine City; St. Catherine, Algonac; St. Mark, Harsens Island
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time February 22, 2009
Sponsor of the Week	Theut Products, Marine City

Please pray for our sick and suffering
St. Mark:Betty Baker, Jacob Bryson, Ken Cihon, Marge Hamlin, Shirley Hollowaty, Shirley Koster,
Clark Odzark, Sally O’Neil,  Sophie Palmer,  Walter Sawkin,  Bob Soulliere, Patrick Tierney, Sheila
Thompson, Tena Van Loon, Mike & Sandy Weaver, JoAnn White, Paulette Wieczorek, Keith Wright
Holy Cross: Jill Block, Valerie Brettin, John Chadra III, Barbara Corn, Laura Goltz, Jim Gramer, Annette
Griffith, Dave Hull, Dolores Hauer, Betty Holtz, William Hubbarth, Derek Jacobs, Jim Keelan, JoAnn
Kramer, James KuyKendall, Ava LaVere, Donald Lipa, Gerald Magnan, Jerry Malinowski, Ryan Markel,
Jim McCalla, James McPhee, Patty McPhee, Lorraine Merglewski, Josephine Michalski, Roger
Musialowski, Lisa Jones Nagy, Margery Osterland, Barbara & Tony Pizzo, Eugene Pollock, Sharon
Rao, Andrew Redlawski, Lorena Sadler, George Schafer, Helen Schweihofer, Dee Dee Stockwell,
Louise Streitz, Barbara Susan, Kris Taylor, Louise Torre, Alice Trader, Ashleigh Tranchemontagne,
Kathy Vayko, Richard Wood, Dorothy Walters
St. Catherine: Hank Babisz, Angela Bills, Beverly Carr, Dean Bryeans, Yolanda Cassanova, Marion
Dayle, Fr. Gregory Deters, Darrell Doughtery, Janice Doughtery, Carol Dyde, Betty Flum, Ruby Gerow,
Jay Gibson, Anne Guillery, Nancy Austin Halverson, Ellen Hatcher, Maureen Ireland, Jim Knapp,
Richard Koss, Nicole Lake, Zitta Marconi, James Mihalich, Theresa Pawlowski, Ted Pilawski, Judy
Piotrowski, Sandy Polomas, Richard Ross, Bill Sadecki, Joan Smith, Steven’s Family, John Vance,
and Catherine Ziegler

Names will remain on the sick list for a length of four weeks.  Please contact the office to make other
arrangements.

Sacrament of Baptism  12:45 p.m.

Holy Cross 	3rd Sunday
St. Catherine 	last Sunday
St. Mark 		by appointment


Membership & preparation required
Please call your Church Office to
register & verify dates

Mass Schedule

	St. Mark Chapel
	Sunday: 		10:30	a.m.
	Tuesday - Friday: 	9:00 	a.m.

(mass schedule continued)
	St. Catherine
	Saturday: 	4:00	p.m.
	Sunday: 		8:00 	a.m.
			10:00 	a.m.
			7:00 	p.m.
	Monday – Friday 	7:30 	a.m.

	Holy Cross
	Saturday: 	5:30 	p.m.
	Sunday: 		7:30 	a.m.
			9:30 	a.m.
			11:30 	a.m.
	Monday – Friday 	9:00 	a.m.

Parish Directory
www.OurLadyontheRiver.net

Fr. James Lopez, Pastor
Fr. Matt Ellis, Associate Pastor
Sr. Mary Ann Ankoviak, csj
Pastoral Associate

Fr. Sig Kowalczyk, Fr. Ron Kurzawa,
Fr. Fred Bodde, Fr. Leo Broderick & Msgr. George Browne, Senior Priests


***Holy Cross***
810-765-3568     FAX 810-765-2974
www.HolyCrossOnline.net
e-mail  church@holycrossonline.net
Office Hours:
Monday & Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
(closed 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. for lunch)
Saturday 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

***St. Catherine***
810-794-3301     FAX 810-794-1849
www.StCatherineOnline.net
e-mail  info@stcatherineonline.net
Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday 8:30a.m.-1:00p.m.

***St. Mark***
810-748-3828     FAX 810-748-9148
www.StMarkOnline.net
e-mail  info@stmarkonline.net
Office Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

***Holy Cross
Catholic School***
(810) 765-3591 FAX:  (810) 765-9074
www.HolyCrossOnline.net
e-mail  school@holycrossonline.net
Amanda Lund, Principal


Bulletin Info
bulletin e-mail:
bulletin@OurLadyontheRiver.net
(deadline 12 noon Monday)

Marriages:
Membership & six month preparation
period required.

Sacrament of Reconciliation  3:00 p.m.

Holy Cross  	1st & 3rd Saturdays
St. Catherine  2nd & 4th Saturdays
St. Mark	1st Fridays before Mass

Mass Intentions
Monday, February 23
	7:30 a.m. Mass	St. Catherine
		V Stanley Pawlowski and Peter, Margaret and 	Marlene Dill by Family
	9:00 a.m. Mass 	Holy Cross
Tuesday, February 24
		For the People of Our Lady on the River
	7:30 a.m. Mass	St. Catherine
	9:00 a.m. Mass	 Holy Cross
	9:00 a.m. Mass	St. Mark
Wednesday, February 25 	Ash Wednesday
	7:30 a.m. Mass	St. Catherine
		V Deceased Members of the Skalba Family by Joann Shano
	7:45 a.m. Mass	Holy Cross
		V William B. Hintz by Family
			(23rd Anniversary Remembrance)
	9:00 a.m. Mass	Holy Cross
		V Iva Guyor by Daughters of Isabella, St. Agatha Circle #419
	9:00 a.m. Mass	St. Mark
	7:00 p.m. Mass 	Holy Cross
		V Iva Guyor by Wilma Ruszkiewicz
Thursday, February 26
	7:30 a.m. Mass	St. Catherine
	9:00 a.m. Mass			         Holy Cross
		V Helen J. Goch by Martha Kessel
	9:00 a.m. Mass	St. Mark
Friday, February 27
		For the People of Our Lady on the River
	7:30 a.m. Mass	St. Catherine
	9:00 a.m. Mass	 Holy Cross
	9:00 a.m. Mass				 St. Mark
Saturday, February 28
	4:00 p.m. Mass	St. Catherine
		V Alfred Holzhauer by Doris Byers
	 	V George Ral Abel by Bruce & Sue Abel
	5:30 p.m. Mass			        Holy Cross
		V Merle Streitz by Robert & Janice VanWormer
			(5th Anniversary Remembrance)
		V Thelma Arlow by Andy Markel
Sunday, March 1
	7:30 a.m. Mass 	Holy Cross
	8:00 a.m. Mass	    St. Catherine
		V Raymond Cooks by Family & Friends
		V Phyllis Sharrow by Family
		V Leon, Mary, Dwayne Sobon by Rosemarie Dinehart
	9:30 a.m. Mass	       Holy Cross
		V Stanley Walendowski by Friend
		V Gordon Westrick by Children
			(6th Anniversary Remembrance)
		V Raymond Jovanovich by
						 St. Clair County WIC Office


10:00 a.m. Mass 	    St. Catherine
		?  Special Intentions of Yolanda Casanova by The Girls
		V Marion Dayle by The Algonac Lions Lioness Club
		V Michael Lubinski by Diane Babij
		V James O’Driscoll by Ben Beckett
		V Margaret & Joseph Voss by Kathleen Brack
10:30 a.m. Mass	            			 St. Mark
		? Special Intentions of Sister Geraldine Arnold
							by John & Midgie Fannon
		V Helen Nemens by the Freeman Family
11:30 a.m. Mass	        		Holy Cross
  7:00 p.m. Mass 	St. Catherine

Sharing the Gospel

	"I forgive you." Those are small words that make a huge difference. If a friend accidentally

broke one of your toys, you would have a choice to make. You could get angry at your friend, or you

could forgive her. Your toy will stay broken. Don't break your friendship, too. In today's Gospel, Jesus

taught the importance of friendship and forgiveness.

Prayer
Jesus, thank you for teaching me to forgive others, just as you forgive me.

Mission for the Week
Jesus forgives you every day. Make sure you forgive other people, too.
- LPiResourceCenter.com

FR. MATT’S MATTERS
 Yes, the Season of Lent begins this Wednesday!

   You may feel some personal irony this week. Why? Because it may feel very much like you are going

through one very long Lent and don’t need another one from the Church!  Many of us are experiencing

uncertainty, deprivation, sacrifice, suffering, and good work that goes unappreciated, etc. It may seem

as though no good deed goes unpunished! Yes, but here’s the difference: Lent for us is to freely choose

to learn new ways and strengths to cope, and not only to survive but to thrive within and from our ‘hard

knocks’. A primary purpose of the Christian faith is to enhance and to give purpose to our ability to

willingly bear hardships so as to become ‘deep’, to become receptive to ‘meaning’ and to find ‘meaning’,

as opposed to remaining vacuous (empty) in mind and spirit. Have you ever been surprised by your

spiritual endurance, that you thought, assumed or were afraid was not possible? It is likely you would

no longer be here, if not for having developed some spiritual depth (which you may not acknowledge and

thus may also not give due credit to the real source, God and the power that comes from His Son’s

cross).
   Apart from Ash Wednesday’s Bible readings, here are more Gospel reasons for Lent, from Matthew,

7: 1-5, “Jesus said…If you want to avoid judgment, stop passing judgment. The measure with which you

measure will be used to measure you. Why focus on the speck in your neighbor’s eye when you miss

the plank in your own?...You hypocrite! Remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see

clearly to take the speck from your neighbor’s eye”. From Matthew 7: 13-14, Jesus said, “Enter through

the narrow gate. The gate that leads to damnation is wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel

it. But how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how few there are who find it!”

From Luke 9:23, “Jesus said to all: whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up

his cross each day, and follow in my steps”. Within the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:48, Jesus

said, “In a word, you must be made perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”.
   It sounds impossible, which was what the first disciples thought. ‘Being made perfect’ in the Hebrew

biblical context is not about not having flaws. It means that our spirits have matured through our

sufferings and are thus more the embodiments of the Father of Jesus and Jesus: being more intensely

merciful, sympathetic, charitable and compassionate, which are the evidence of the presence of God in

us, not in spite of, but because of our own experiences of failure, inferiority and humiliation. Only God’s

grace can make these weaknesses useful for His work on earth. Otherwise, humiliations and failures

move their recipients into bitterness, anger, multifarious revenge campaigns, etc. As we invite God in for

God’s renewal of our inner selves, if translated into the actions of real life, are the fulfillment of Jesus’

teachings, actions and choices to not act in certain ways (the narrow gate and the road less traveled).

One of my goals this Lent is to let the Lord shape the center of my being (Biblically speaking, my

‘heart’) to be a bit more like His as I give to Him for His use my failures and humiliations. I hope this is

accomplished through prayer and actions that move beyond where I used to be.
    Join us for the Friday Stations of the Cross this Lent (note the various times they are scheduled).

Check the bulletin here also for the Friday Fish Dinners. Please pray for the ill and those undergoing

medical diagnosis.  May the Holy Spirit be with you,
Fr. Matt Ellis, Associate Pastor.


R.C.I.A.

	This week we continue our introduction of the RCIA participants to the parish.
	Hello, my name is Angela Mackey, but I go by Angie. I reside in Marine City with my

husband, Stefan. I work at a group home in Algonac for developmentally and physically disabled adults.
	I came to RCIA for numerous reasons. One reason is that I have wanted to come back to

Church, and felt that if I were to come into the Church, I wanted to have a deeper understanding and

belonging. Another reason would be that I want to have a child, and we have been unsuccessful. I have

tried numerous ways except to put my entire faith in God, and now I am.
	I feel that a huge change occurred for me when Linda joined our group. Losing her husband

and having such faith to follow the Lord after such a loss was huge for me.  It made me realize that God

does work in mysterious ways. Here she came full of grief, with such a light about her. She was kind

and caring with an open heart. This helped my faith grow, and made me realize that I do need God. He

will guide me in my time of need as He has guided her.
	Prayer has taken on a whole new meaning for me.  When we first started reciting prayer

together, it was just words we spoke. Now I feel the meaning behind them. I reflect on the words and

can say them with truth and sincerity unlike before; I have a deeper connection to them leading me to

the Lord.
	I know that the above words I have written may sound corny, almost rehearsed, but they are a

true reflection of how I feel. I know that Jesus died for me and that is such a huge gift. I keep Him in my

heart and in my actions each day as I move forward. I also know that if I stray, that I will be welcomed

back with open arms, and that in itself gives me a deep sense of belonging.

	At the Easter vigil, Angie will be welcomed into full communion in the Church through

Confirmation and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, completing her sacramental initiation. Please offer

her your welcome and support in prayer as she continues her preparation.

Holy Cross Choir
Leads worship at Sunday 9:30 a.m. Mass,
other liturgies as scheduled.
Tuesday rehearsal, 7-8:30 pm

7:30 Choir
Leads worship at Sunday 7:30 a.m. Mass
Rehearsal Sunday 7:15 a.m.

Schola Cantorum
Small ensemble of mixed voices

Saturday  All Generation Choir
All ages welcome
ALL AGES - ALL SINGERS - FAMILIES
Parents and Grandparents—please bring your child and stay!
Leads worship at Saturday Mass
Saturdays:  5 p.m.

Cantors
Assists with congregational song

Resurrection Choir
Leads worship at funerals
Meets 15 Minutes before the Mass

Instrumentalists
Assist at Mass as scheduled

Handbell Choir
Plays at Mass as scheduled
Wednesday rehearsal 7-8:30 p.m.
Diane Bowden, Director - 810-765-4824
HOLY CROSS MUSIC MINISTRIES | Daniel J. Susan, Director | www.holycrossonline.net |

music@holycrossonline.net

Died in Christ

Please remember in your prayers:

	V Marion Dayle
	V Norma Arnold
	V Michael W. Gillman
	V Iva Guyor

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
Let the Perpetual Light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
And the Winners Are . . .

	The winners in February’s Holy Cross School Calendar Raffle are:

			Mark Fraley of Marine City
			Georgia Phelan of Cottrellville
			William & Joan Cullen of Marine City

Congratulations and
Thank You For Your Support!!
Our Lady On The River Parish	February, 22, 2009	Page #
	Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings for the Week of February 22, 2009

Sunday:	Is 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25/2 Cor 1:18-			22/Mk 2:1-12
Monday:	Sir 1:1-10/Mk 9:14-29
Tuesday:	Sir 2:1-11/Mk 9:30-37
Wednesday:	Jl 2:12-18/2 Cor 5:20---6:2/Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
Thursday:	Dt 30:15-20/Lk 9:22-25
Friday:		Is 58:1-9a/Mt 9:14-15
Saturday:	Is 58:9b-14/Lk 5:27-32
Next Sunday:	Gn 9:8-15/1 Pt 3:18-22/Mk 1:12-15

©Liturgical Publications Inc


St. Mark

160 Families
  31 Envelopes:	        $611.00
Loose Cash:	          $53.00
Total:		        $664.00


Holy Cross

1024 Families
297 Envelopes	    $7,637.00
Loose Cash        	       $584.95
Children           		     $10.80
Total  		    $8,232.75
St. Catherine Church

564 Families
221 Envelopes:	 	    $5,031.00
Loose:		  	       $288.15
Children:		         $12.00
Total			    $5,331.15
Collection of Sunday, February 15, 2009
Adults  $7.00   Seniors $6.00   Children $5.00   Under 5 Free

Parish Directory
www.OurLadyontheRiver.net

Fr. James Lopez, Pastor
Fr. Matt Ellis, Associate Pastor
Sr. Mary Ann Ankoviak, csj
Pastoral Associate

Fr. Sig Kowalczyk, Fr. Ron Kurzawa,
Fr. Fred Bodde, Fr. Leo Broderick & Msgr. George Browne, Senior Priests

Gary Krueger, Bob McCleod, Deacons


***Holy Cross***
810-765-3568     FAX 810-765-2974
www.HolyCrossOnline.net
e-mail  church@holycrossonline.net
Office Hours:
Monday & Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
(closed 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. for lunch)
Saturday 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

***St. Catherine***
810-794-3301     FAX 810-794-1849
www.StCatherineOnline.net
e-mail  info@stcatherineonline.net
Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday 8:30a.m.-1:00p.m.

***St. Mark***
810-748-3828     FAX 810-748-9148
www.StMarkOnline.net
e-mail  info@stmarkonline.net
Office Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

***Holy Cross
Catholic School***
(810) 765-3591 FAX:  (810) 765-9074
www.HolyCrossOnline.net
e-mail  school@holycrossonline.net
Amanda Lund, Principal


Bulletin Info
bulletin e-mail:
bulletin@OurLadyontheRiver.net
(deadline 12 noon Monday)

Marriages:
Membership & six month preparation
period required.

Sacrament of Reconciliation  3:00 p.m.

Holy Cross  	1st & 3rd Saturdays
St. Catherine  2nd & 4th Saturdays
St. Mark	1st Fridays before Mass
Sacrament of Baptism  12:45 p.m.

Holy Cross 	3rd Sunday
St. Catherine 	last Sunday
St. Mark 		by appointment

Membership & preparation required
Please call your Church Office to
register & verify dates

Mass Schedule

	St. Mark Chapel
	Sunday: 	   10:30	a.m.
   Tuesday - Friday:   9:00 a.m
(mass schedule continued)
	St. Catherine
	Saturday: 	4:00	p.m.
	Sunday: 	8:00 	a.m.
		10:00 	a.m.
		7:00 	p.m.
	Monday – Friday 	7:30 	a.m.

	Holy Cross
	Saturday: 	5:30 	p.m.
	Sunday: 	7:30 	a.m.
		9:30 	a.m.
		11:30 	a.m.
	Monday – Friday 	9:00 	a.m.
Holy Cross Altar Society

	The regular meeting of the Holy Cross Altar Society will be on Monday, February 23rd at 7:00

p.m. in the Activity Center.
	The social committee is:
		Dorothy Stephenson	Mary Endres
		Edna Hahn	Amy Greenia
	Members are reminded to pay dues of $5.00 and also to bring food for the SVdP pantry.

Thoughts from your Pastoral Associate
“Jesus does not withhold His compassion from us:
Let us give thanks and praise!”

	In today’s Gospel from Mark, Jesus is showing the people (and us) what is most important in

life, God’s forgiving love and compassionate care.
	Over twenty-five years ago, Catherine Ryan Hyde, the author of Pay It Forward, (both a book

and a movie), experienced help from strangers who didn’t stay around for thanks. She wanted to pay

them back for their courage and compassion. Since she didn’t know who they were, and couldn’t ‘pay

them back’, she decided to “pay it forward.” The moral to this story and to today’s Gospel story, is

simply that Jesus and the Church urge you and me, us, to render true forgiveness to people who hurt

us. True, only God can forgive sins. Yet, because the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we can learn to

forgive others as we have been forgiven. It is only by Jesus’ grace and love that I or you, we, can learn

to forgive completely and always.
	God does not demand an apology before God forgives. When we experience the favor of God’s

forgiveness, we are invited to pray the forgiveness we experience forward to someone else. We can pray

forward the pardon and peace we receive by forgiving those who have hurt us or harmed us, betrayed us

or belittled us.  We don’t look back – we always look forward. “This is what hope does,” Fr. Nassal

says in Moments of Truth.  “It is always forward looking.”
	The virtue of hope doesn’t dwell on the past but looks to the future. All God asks is that we

pray the peace and forgiveness we receive, in the Sacrament of  Reconciliation, in everyday living,

forward to someone else in our lives who needs our mercy. Pray for those people in our lives – those

strangers and family and friends – who have helped us in the past, those we’d love to pay back but

can’t. In their name, we pray their kindness forward to someone else. There surely are more than

enough people in our lives who could use our prayer of forgiveness and/or our prayer of gratitude.

Maybe this week, we can each take a moment to ‘hold in prayer’ to allow God’s Holy Spirit to empower

our voices to offer a word to those in our lives who need to hear from us a message of forgiveness and

hope.
	The four friends who carried the paralytic had something special in mind. Jesus was present,

and He could bring healing to their friend. Jesus’ concern for the friend is the same concern He has for

each one of us.   He is present in the Eucharist, He is present in our lives to show God’s concern for

our complete health:  physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Jesus knows our hearts and the

concerns therein.  He heals and He forgives.
	Lent begins next week. These coming days of Lent might be a good season of allowing Jesus

to help us open our hearts, our lives to move forward in peace and to ‘pay it forward’ to others.
Never let yesterday use up too much of today!
Have a blessed, happy, healthy week.
Love, prayer, peace.
Sister Mary Ann Ankoviak, csj
pastoralassociate@ourladyontheriver.net

2009 Lenten & Easter Schedule
	Ash Wednesday - February 25
  7:30 a.m.		Mass				@ St. Catherine
  7:45 a.m.    		Mass (w/ Holy Cross Elementary)    	@ Holy Cross
  9:00 a.m.  		Mass (w/ Cardinal Mooney High)     	@ Holy Cross
  9:00 a.m.		Mass				@ St. Mark
12:00 p.m. 		Mass				@ St. Catherine
  4:30 p.m.    		Scripture Service with Ashes           	@ St. Catherine & Holy Cross
  7:00 p.m.    		Mass		        		@ Holy Cross
             (Ashes will be available in Church throughout the day for self distribution)

	Communal Reconciliation Service with Private Confession
1:00 p.m.  		Saturday, March 21   		@ Holy Cross
1:00 p.m.  		Saturday, March 28   		@ St. Catherine

	Individual Sacrament of Reconciliation
  3:00 p.m.		1st & 3rd Saturdays   		@ Holy Cross
			2nd & 4th Saturdays  	 	@ St. Catherine
  8:15 a.m.		1st Fridays 			@ St. Mark
  3:00 p.m. 		Saturday, April 11			@ St. Mark

	Stations of the Cross – Every Friday in Lent
   		9:30 a.m.		@ St. Mark
		1:30 p.m.		@ Holy Cross
	7:00 p.m.   		@ St. Catherine

	Other Events During Lent
6:00 p.m. 	Soup Supper 		March 11			Holy Cross
7:00 p.m. 	Ecumenical Lenten Service	March 11		Holy Cross
6:00 p.m. 	Ecumenical Lenten Series	Wednesdays	Marine City Churches
4-8  p.m.		Lenten Fish Fry		Fridays in March		St. Catherine
4-8 p.m.		Lenten Fish Fry		Feb 27 & April 10		Marine City K of C

Holy Week (Triduum)

	Holy Thursday - April 9
5:30 p.m. 		Pot Luck Supper			@ Holy Cross
7:00 p.m. 		Mass of the Lord’s Supper   		@ Holy Cross
          (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from the conclusion of Mass until Midnight)

  	Good Friday - April 10
	10:00 a.m. 	Ecumenical Cross Walk		@ Holy Cross
	12:00 p.m.  	Living Stations of the Cross		@ St. Catherine
	  1:00 p.m.  	Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion		@ St. Catherine

	Holy Saturday - April 11
		Food Basket Blessings
12:00 p.m.	@ St. Mark  		(Easter Egg Hunt Follows)
12:30 p.m. 	@ Holy Cross 		1:30 p.m.  	@ St. Catherine

  7:30 p.m.	Easter Vigil Mass   	                      @ Holy Cross

Easter Sunday - April 12
  7:30 a.m. 	    @ Holy Cross		 10:00 a.m.	@ St. Catherine
  8:00 a.m. 	    @ St. Catherine               10:30 a.m.	@ St. Mark
  9:30 a.m. 	    @ Holy Cross		 11:30 p.m.	@ Holy Cross
Knights of Columbus Fish Fry

Friday, February 27th and Friday, April 10th
Marine City Knights of Columbus Banquet Center
6385 King Road, Marine City
4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Adults $8.00; Seniors $7.00 Children $6.00 Under 5 free

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
23
24
25
26
27
28
March 1
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 3:00p Reconciliation
Sunday Masses
HC 7:30 a; 9:30a;
11:30 a
StC 8:00 a; 10:00 a;
7:00 p
StM 10:30 a
StC 8:15a St. Vincent de Paul
StM 9:00a Mass
HC 7:45 a HC School Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
StM 9:00a Mass
StC 4:00p Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
HC 9:00 a CMC school Mass

StM 9:00a Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
HC 5:30p Mass
StM 9:00a Mass
Marysville 10a Bingo
StM 9:00a Mass
HC Fine Arts Bldg 6:30 p Bible Study
MC K of C
4-8 p       Fish Fry
MC Concert St. Martin’s
StC 10:00a RCIA Session
StC 10:00a MOMs
KC MC 7p Bingo
St. C 12:00p Mass



 HC
Hospitality
HC 5:30 Religious Education
HC 5:30 Religious Education
St C & HC 4:30 p Scripture Service with Ashes



StC 12:45p Baptism
AC 7:00p Altar Society
StC 6:45p One in the Spirit Prayer Group
HC 7:00 p Mass



StC 6 p Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

HC 7p Choir Rehearsal




St C 7:00 p Mass

HC 7:00 p Handbell rehearsal

ASH WEDNESDAY




 Plant a Praise Garden

	The ladies of St. Mark Women’s Guild are looking for creative ways to ensure that fresh

flowers will be available to be placed on the altar in church in praise of the Lord at a more reasonable

cost during the growing season than they are during the rest of the year. If you are willing to dedicate a

portion of your personal garden for growing flowers to be used for this commendable purpose, please

call the St. Mark Office 810-748-3828 or Lynn Decker.

A Note From The Principal

  I was recently able to attend a retreat for Catholic school principals at the St.John’s Retreat Center in

Plymouth. This was the second part of a two-year retreat, and the focus was on Catholic identity. One

of the highlights of this event was that I was able to reconnect with principals from all over our state, not

just our archdiocese.
  At one point during the keynote speaker’s presentation, someone sneezed. A chorus of “Bless You”

resounded throughout the room. The speaker pointed out, in a nice way, something that many of us

never stopped to think about. While ‘”bless you” is an automatic response, we often have to think about

adding God to that blessing. That really struck a chord in my heart. We often get into a pattern and do

what is easiest for us. I find that I am using God in my blessings more and more, and pray that you will

feel God’s blessings each day.
   Change is not something that comes easily to many people because we get comfortable where we

are. From a new hairstyle to a new meal, we often hesitate because we don’t know if we will like it, even

if might make us feel better. As our communities change, I hope that you will consider making a

positive change for your children by visiting Holy Cross Catholic School. We are very blessed to be the

school for Our Lady on the River Parish. Many of you may see our building when you come for weekly

religious education classes, but you don’t have the opportunity to truly see what goes on in our

classrooms each day. Please call me at 765-3591 or email me at principal@holycrossonline.net to

arrange a personal tour for you and a visitation day for your children. I also hope that you will visit our

open house on Sunday, March 8th from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.. This is an excellent opportunity to meet

our teachers and learn more about what we are all about. Information about scholarships and other

means of reducing your tuition will also be available. You are the primary educators of your children and

we would be honored to be your partner in education.

In His Service,
Mrs. Amanda Lund, Principal
Archdiocese Tuition Assistance Available

	As a result of the Stewards for Tomorrow Campaign and the establishment of an

Archdiocesan Endowment, the Archdiocese of Detroit extends tuition assistance grants to Catholic

families with children in grades 1-12 attending Catholic Schools.
	A Student Aid Form, must be completed by each family applying, and mailed directly to

Private School Aid Service (PSAS) in Lakewood, Ohio. Awards are based solely on financial need.

Receiving an award in previous years does not guarantee award for the current year.
	Forms are available at your Catholic school or in the Parish Office at Holy Cross.
	In addition to the Archdiocese Assistance, you may apply for assistance from Our Lady on

the River Parish for Cardinal Mooney High School students, if you are an active member of the parish.

Contact the office for more information.
Stations of the Cross

Every Friday During Lent
	St. Mark 		9:30 a.m.
	Holy Cross	1:30 p.m.
	St. Catherine	7:00 p.m.

Living Stations Good Friday
	Holy Cross	12:00 p.m.
	Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 25th, will be celebrated at 7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 7:00

p.m. at Holy Cross. At St. Mark Mass will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m.  And at St. Catherine at 7:30 a.m.

and 12:00 p.m. A Scripture Service with Ashes will be at 4:30 p.m. at St. Catherine and at Holy Cross.

Ashes will be available for self-distribution all day long.


Liturgial Schedule
Day/Time
Lectors
Altar Servers
Saturday
4:00 p.m.
St. Catherine
Ed Ptasnik
Aaron Milenbaugh
Alan Milenbaugh
Sal Ponessa
5:30 p.m.
Holy Cross
Shellee
        Schweihofer
Alexis Semaan
Rachelle LaFontaine
Sunday
7:30 a.m.
Holy Cross
Wynne Achatz
Emily Bryer
Stone Moody
Maggie Bachler
8:00 a.m.
St. Catherine
Gary Kupper
Nicholas Todino
Alex May
9:30 a.m.
Holy Cross
Wally Street
Ginny Fielhauer
Grace Fielhauer
Zachery Cadena
10:00 a.m.
St. Catherine
Nick Licari
Rachel Winquest
Maria Winquest
10:30 a.m.
St. Mark

Jim Laethem

11:30 a.m.
Holy Cross
Patty Nichols
Veronica Delaharpe
Natalle Tipton
Natalie Sykes
7:00 p.m.
St. Catherine
Celebrant
Celebrant

20th Annual Irish Night Dinner & Auction
	Please plan on joining us March 14th at 5:30 p.m. at the Marine City K of C Banquet Center

for a night filled with good food, friends and lots of fun.  The cost of the evening is only $35 which

includes dinner, open bar and live and silent auctions.
	This week's featured Auction item is "Dinner with Father Jim."  Enjoy an experience of a

lifetime!  Share a unique and enjoyable dining experience, catered with meat lovers in mind, with our

very own Father Jim Lopez.  Limited to 4 people. 
	We are also featuring this week a reserved pew for the Christmas Eve Children's Mass or

Christmas Eve Midnight Mass (highest bidders choice) at one of the churches at Our Lady on the River

parish.
	If either of these items is of interest to you, please plan on joining us Saturday, March 14 at

the Marine City Knights of Columbus Banquet Hall for a night filled with good food, friends and lots of

fun.  Tickets are currently available.  For information please call Gretchen Rogus (810)329-9649,

Jennifer Laster (810)765-3510 or the school office at (810)765-3591.

Lenten Children’s Liturgy of the Word
	The Children’s Liturgy of the Word will be starting again next Sunday, March 1st at the 9:30

a.m. Mass at Holy Cross and the 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Catherine. It will be offered each of the six

Sundays of Lent for children, ages 4 through 11.
	This is a good opportunity for helping the children towards fuller participation the Sunday

celebration of the Eucharist. They are welcomed at the beginning of the Liturgy to come forward and

proceed to a separate area to hear and share the scripture readings suitable to their age and ability,

and return to the assembly at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Little Black Books for Lent

	The Little Black Books originally inspired by the late Bishop Untener are available at the

Church entrances. This is a wonderful help during Lent, giving the opportunity of six-minute reflections

for each day of the season to inspire faith and deeper prayer. Please be sure to take one home.


Saturday, March 14, 2009
Marine City Knights of Columbus Banquet Center

Collection for the Church in
Central and Eastern Europe

	In the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Catholics face many challenges. The strength of

this Church is based on its belief in the power of the Spirit of Love, which has sustained it through trials

and energized it for change. Stand in solidarity and make a difference to your Catholic brothers and

sisters in Georgia, Ukraine, Estonia, Poland, Serbia, Latvia, Belarus, and other distant places. Please

be generous in next week's Collection with your gifts to this unique and faithful part of the Church.

www.usccb.org/nationalcollections.
	We would like to thank the Lady on the River Parish for the wonderful support and prayers

during our time of sadness. Our mother, Agnes Sheahan, was born and raised in Marine City. Her

wishes were to return home and have her funeral mass in the Parish she was baptized, raised and

married in to our father William Sheahan. We would like to especially thank Father Bodde, Daniel

Susan and the funeral Committee for making the day a wonderful tribute to our mother.
Sheahan Family

Rice Bowl Collection For Lent

	This year our Lenten Rice Bowl Collection will benefit our local St. Vincent de Paul Agencies.

Please use the Rice Bowls which are located at the exits for your Lenten sacrifice.  Take comfort in

knowing that your sacrifice will help out families within our communities that are suffering and living

without.

Krueger’s Korner
	We will begin Bible Study Class “Pathways Through Scripture” this Thursday, February 26th

and continue each week on Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. If you are interested, please meet on the

porch of the Fine Arts Building, next to Holy Cross School.
	We will begin with the Old Testament and review things like The Pentatuch (the first 5 books

of the OT).  The major prophets and minor prophets…as a basis for the understanding of the

Incarnation.
	We will look at the Gospels and other New Testament writings most particularly St. Paul.
	This will be a hands on study class and interaction between participants would be really a

great thing. I hope to make the experience enjoyable as well as instructive.  Come join me and ask

questions, give opinions, share understandings.
Deacon Gary Krueger

One in The Spirit Prayer Group
Winter 2009: Faith, Trust and the Desire to be Holy

February 24	St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
March 3	St. Paul
March 10	Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 		DCCR collection
March 17	St. Patrick
March 24	No meeting
March 26	Family Healing Mass,
		Father Art Cooney
March 31	St. Catherine of Alexandria
April 7		No meeting

	Our meetings are held on Tuesday evenings @ 6:45 p.m. in St. Catherine Chapel. All are

welcome to join us to sing praises to the Lord, listen to His Word, pray and share fellowship. If you are

in need of prayer for yourself or someone else, write your requests in the Prayer Petition Books located

by each exit of St. Catherine Church, the Prayer Group prays over them weekly-year round.
	To be placed on the prayer chain or for further information, please contact Eloise @

810-794-9975.
Parish Lenten Prayer For Vocations

“Every one of us is called by the Lord;
The important thing is to know how
To answer His call.”
Blessed John XXIII

	A few years ago, during a special Vocations Awareness Week, our parish had a practice of

having a family or individual take home a ‘vocations chalice’ each week to focus on prayer for church

vocations.
	This Lenten season, the Parish Council encouraged a similar practice.  So, the Worship

Commission is inviting families and/or individuals to volunteer to take home a parish crucifix to use

during the week for a specific time of prayer for vocations.  The invitation is open to all people of the

parish.  The crucifix will be accompanied by a journal with special prayers on vocations to the

priesthood, diaconate, religious life, married life and generous single life.
	A request is made that time be given for this prayer before the crucifix each week, and a

follow-up comment or reflection be written in the journal of the experience to be passed on the next

week’s recipient, which can later be shared with the whole parish.
	If you are interested in taking part in this Lenten endeavor, please call the parish office to

reserve one of the six weeks of Lent and let us know which Mass you will be attending.  We will begin

on Sunday, March 1st at the 9:30 Mass at Holy Cross, 10:00 at St. Catherine and 10:30 at St. Mark.
Information Night for Men Considering the
Permanent Diaconate

Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Wednesday, February 25th
Monday, March 23rd
7:00 p.m.

	If you are married, please bring your wife. If you have questions, please call the Permanent

Diaconate office @ 313-865-6300 #226

Office of Clergy Life and Ministry


February 22, 2009
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Online Edition | www.OurLadyontheRiver.net