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JOB OPENING The Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands has a job opening on St. Thomas. The Catholic Chancery seeks an accountant/bookkeeper. Send resumes to the Catholic Chancery at P.O. Box 301825, St. Thomas, VI 00803 or fax to 774-5816.
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THE BISHOP’S APPEAL 2008 IS APPROACHING ITS GOAL The Bishop’s Appeal 2008 raised $185,883 in its first two months, on its way to a goal of $400,000. Each Lent, the Bishop’s Appeal raises funds to support the four Catholic schools in the diocese, Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands and local evangelization efforts. Brochures and envelopes for the Bishop Appeal’s 2008 are available at all Catholic parishes, schools and Catholic Charities. As of March 27, the Bishop’s Appeal 2008 has generated 603 gifts from the parishes, totaling $185,883. To date, the parishes of the diocese had raised the following amounts. St. Croix Holy Cross Church/Sacred Heart Chapel $41,875 St. Ann Church $16,298 St. Joseph Church $12,140 St. Patrick Church $ 6,725 St. Thomas/St. John Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral $44,394 Holy Family Church $21,299 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church $21,825 St. Anne Chapel $16,917 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church $ 4,412
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CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS All parishes in the Virgin Islands will have a second collection for the Catholic Home Missions Appeal on the weekend of April 26-27. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops established the Catholic Home Missions Appeal in 1998 to support the missions in America. Catholic Home Missions primarily supports those unable to offer their people the basic pastoral ministries of word, worship and service without outside help. It also gives grants to organizations and religious communities engaged in missionary work. The pastoral services include evangelization, religious education, ministry training and support for poor parishes.
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DIOCESAN ANNIVERSARY MASS IN Curaçao Msgr. Kosak will concelebrate a Mass celebrating the 50 th anniversary of the Diocese of Willemstad at the National Stadium in Curacao on April 28.The Diocese of Willemstad comprises the Dutch Caribbean territories and the Netherlands Antilles. The islands are Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maartin, St. Eustatius and Saba. The seat of the Diocese is in Curaçao, considered the capital of the Netherlands Antilles.
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BISHOP ELLIOTT THOMAS IS HEALING Most Rev. Elliott Thomas, retired bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, continues to recuperate from his surgery. Correspondence may be sent to him at Regina Cleri Residence, 60 William Cardinal O’Connell Way, Boston, MA 02114. |
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HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY Deacon Wilfredo Acosta has begun serving as Catholic Chaplain to the Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas, replacing Deacon William Kenny who retired on February 28. Deacon Acosta will make weekly rounds and liaison with the pastors on St. Thomas and St. John. He also will lead the weekly communion services in the All Faiths Chapel when Fr. Charles Crespo is off-island. |
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CHILD PROTECTION April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Callista Julien, diocesan Child Protection Coordinator, has posters and information on child abuse for display at parishes, schools and businesses. She can be reached at the Catholic Chancery on St. Thomas.
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MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Married couples are invited to a Marriage Encounter at Light of Christ Retreat Center on St. Croix on March 28-30. The weekend retreat will help couples discover God’s vision of marriage, family life and spiritual diversity and lead them to a clearer understanding of their relationship with each other and with God. SISTERS OF CHARITY CELEBRATE 75 YEARS IN VI The Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth celebrate 75 years of ministry on St. Thomas in 2008. They will be recognized at Sunday Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on March 30 at 10:30 a.m. A reception will be held in the school yard after the Mass. Members of the religious congregation have taught at Ss. Peter and Paul School and have been involved in diocesan ministries. |
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BURGLARY ATTEMPTED A burglar attempted to steal sound equipment from Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas on March 27 about 9:00 p.m. Very Rev. Neil Scantlebury, Rector, responded to the alarm, but as he approached the church, the burglar ran out and scaled a stone wall to escape. Police were notified but no suspects have been apprehended. |
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SOLEMNITY MASSES Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on St. Thomas will add two Masses to celebrate solemnities in March. A Mass will celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph on Saturday, March 15, at 7:30 a.m. A Mass to celebrate the feast of the Annunciation will be celebrated on Monday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m. |
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DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY Parishes will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on March 30 by praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. On St. Thomas, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church will begin with confessions at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 p.m. and a social afterwards in the parish clubhouse. On St. Croix, the chaplet will be chanted at St. Ann Church at 3:00 p.m.,
followed by a teaching and Benediction. The chaplet will be prayed at St.
Joseph Church at 4:00 p.m. LEGION OF MARY
CEREMONY The Legion of Mary will hold its annual Acies ceremony at Ss. Peter and
Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas on Sunday, April 6, at 3:00 pm. There, the
legionnaires will rededicate themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary. PRAYER GROUP’S FOOD SALE The Prayer Group at St. Patrick Church on St. Croix will have a food sale
at the Ann Heliger Vegetable Market on Friday, April 11, beginning at 11:30
a.m. Proceeds will benefit the parish’s Organ Fund and the upcoming Women’s
Conference. OPUS DEI WOMEN’S CONFERENCE Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on St. Thomas will host
a Women’s Conference on Saturday, April 12, at 9:45 a.m. in the Club House. Fr. Andres Eiroa of Opus Dei in Puerto Rico will lead the
conference, hear confessions and offer benediction. SATURDAY VIGIL MASS CANCELLED FOR CARNIVAL Carnival’s Adult Parade passes the front steps of Ss.
Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas on Saturday, April 26, creating
litter, noise and parking problems, so Very Rev. Neil Scantlebury, Rector,
has cancelled the Sunday Vigil Mass for that evening. Parishioners are encouraged to fulfill their Sunday Mass obligation by
attending a Vigil Mass at another Catholic Church that evening or attending
one of the regularly-scheduled Masses at the Cathedral on Sunday. REDEMPTORISTS’ LEADERS PLAN PASTORAL VISIT Fr. Mark Owen, CSsR, Fr. Joseph Krastel, CSsR, and Fr.
Vante Auguiste, CSsR, will visit with the pastors, associate pastors and
parish councils of Holy Cross Church on April 14 and St. Patrick Church on
April 15. The information gathered will be used when reassigning their
priests throughout the Caribbean in June. These visits are important because
the pastors of both St. Croix parishes will be completing their terms this
summer. MAGNIFICAT WORSHIP TEAM Susan Potvin and members of the Living Praise Worship
Team of Wintersville, Ohio, will minister at three events on St. Croix in
May. The team, which serves the Pittsburgh Magnificat Chapter and leads the
worship for the International Magnificat Conferences, will offer a concert
at St. Ann Church on Friday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m. Ms. Potvin will lead a
Worship Workshop at Light of Christ Retreat Center on Saturday, May 3, at ?
a.m. and speak at a Magnificat Meal at Gertrude’s Restaurant on Sunday, May
4, at 12:30 p.m. Admission to the concert and workshop are free; tickets for
the meal are available in advance from members for $40. PENTECOST RETREAT, RALLY Fr. John Theodore, CSSp, of Trinidad and Tobago will
preach a pre-Pentecost retreat at St. Ann Church on St. Croix on May 6-8 at
7:00 p.m. The closing Pentecost Rally will be at the Marian Hall on Friday,
May 9 at 7:00 p.m. Pentecost this year falls on Sunday, May 11, which
coincides with Mothers Day. FILM SCREENING The World Apostolate of Fatima and the Social Committee
of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on St. Thomas will screen the film
Bella at the Market Square East Theater on Thursday, May 8, at 8:00 p.m.
Cocktails begin at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the parish for $25 for
adults and $15 for children under 14. FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY AND FRATERNITY The Lady Clare of Assisi fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order will
present a "Come and See" program at Holy Family Church’s Columbian Hall on
St. Thomas on Sunday, May 18, at 2:00 p.m. The program invites adult
Catholics to an introduction to the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi
and a vocation to fraternity within the context of the Secular Franciscan
Order. Visitors will receive literature, hear a guest speaker and watch a
video of St. Francis’ life. |
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RED BALL WILL HONOR PAST PRINCIPALS Ss. Peter and Paul School on St. Thomas will host its first annual Red Ball at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Hotel on Friday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. Past principals Gwendoyn Blake, Sr. Marguerite Brenan, SC, Sara Connell, David Corey, Dr. Harold Hazlip, Sr. Barbara Kowalik, SSC, Br. Laurence Lavalle, FMS, Sr. Margaret Nully, SC, Sr. Ann Carmela Olive, SC, Diana Parker and Sr. Maria Magdalena Studer, SC, will be honored. All who attend the ball are asked to wear something red. Tickets are available at the school for a $100 donation. Contact the school to place an advertisement or to be posted on the patron list in the commemorative booklet. |
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LADY JAGUARS: GIRLS’ VARSITY SOFTBALL Ss. Peter and Paul School’s varsity softball team, the Lady Jaguars, won both its games so far this season, beating All Saints School in a 9-6 win at the Joseph Aubain Ballpark on March 19 and defeating Charlotte Amalie High School in an 8-2 win at the Joseph Aubain Ballpark on March 26. Pitcher Tredesha Pierre led the team to a 7-3 record last year while earning the honor of starting pitcher in the all-star game. She struck out 11 batters in the game opener this season and struck oout 12 batters in the second game. The team has four games in April: Wednesday, April 2, at 5:45 p.m. against Ivanna Eudora Kean High School at the Joseph Aubain Ballpark; Monday, April 7, at 4:00 p.m. against All Saints School at the Smith Bay Field; Tuesday, April 15, at 4:00 p.m. against Ivanna Eudora Kean High School at McBean Field; Wednesday, April 16, at 5:45 p.m. against Antilles School at the Joseph Aubain Ballpark.
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ST. THOMAS CALENDAR HOLY HOURS/EUCHARISTIC ADORATION St. Anne Chapel has a Holy Hour with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction on April 4 and all First Fridays at 6:00 p.m. Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral has Exposition and Benediction on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Holy Family Church has a Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church has a Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction on Fridays at 6:00 p.m., followed by Mass at 7:00 p.m. ROSARY WALK Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral hosts a rosary walk through its neighboring streets on April 5 and the first Saturday of each month at 7:00 a.m. MAGNIFICAT Magnificat, an international ministry to Catholic women, meets at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral’s Hospitality Lounge on April 5 and the first Saturday of each month at 8:30 a.m. OUR LADY OF FATIMA DEVOTION The Children of Mary lead a devotion to Our Lady of Fatima at Holy Family Church on April 5 and the first Saturday of each month at 5:00 p.m. LEGION OF MARY ACIES CEREMONY The Legion of Mary will hold its annual Acies ceremony at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on Sunday, April 6, at 3:00 pm. There, the legionnaires will rededicate themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary. ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY The Holy Family Chapter shares Vincentian spirituality at Holy Family Church on April 8 and the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. OPUS DEI WOMEN’S CONFERENCE Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church will host a Women’s Conference on Saturday, April 12, at 9:45 a.m. in the Club House. Fr. Andres Eiroa of Opus Dei in Puerto Rico will lead the conference, hear confessions and offer benediction. FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY The Lady Clare of Assisi Fraternity shares Franciscan spirituality at Holy Family Church’s Columban Hall on April 12 and the second Saturday of each month at 1:00 p.m. ST. JOSEPH WORKERS The St. Joseph Workers meet at Holy Family Church on April 13 and the second Sunday of each month at 9:30 a.m. CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA Court 2049 meets at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral’s Hospitality Lounge on April 19 and the third Saturday of each month at 3:00 p.m. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Council 6187 meets at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral’s Hospitality Lounge on the first and third Sunday of each month at 10:00 a.m. LEGION OF MARY Presidium María, Arca de la Alianza, holds meetings in Spanish on the first and third Sundays of each month at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral’s Hospitality Lounge at 2:00 p.m. Presidium Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces meets at the St. Anne Chapel Hall on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. Presidium Mary, Mystical Rose meets at Holy Family Church on Sundays at 3:00 p.m. MINISTRY TO THE SICK A multilingual communion service is held in the All Faiths Chapel at the Schneider Regional Medical Center on Mondays at 5:00 p.m. EVENINGS OF CHARISMATIC PRAYER Charismatic prayer meetings are held at Holy Family Church on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. INTERCESSORY PRAYER GROUP A team is prepared to pray for the needs of all who ask at Columban Hall on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. WORLD APOSTOLATE OF FATIMA The World Apostolate of Fatima meets at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. ST. CROIX CALENDAR HOLY HOURS/EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Holy Cross Church has Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction on April 4 and all First Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. St. Joseph Church has a bilingual Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction on April 4 and all First Fridays at 7:00 p.m. Sacred Heart Chapel has a Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction on April 16 and the third Wednesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. St. Patrick Church has a Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction on Fridays after the 8:00 a.m. Mass. St. Ann Church has a Holy Hour with Exposition and Benediction on Fridays at 5:30 p.m. HEALING MASS St. Patrick Church has a healing Mass on April 4 and all First Fridays at 7:00 p.m. EL SANTO NIÑO St. Joseph Church hosts devotions to El Santo Niño on April 5 and the first Saturday of each month at 4:30 p.m. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered. PRO-LIFE PRAYER VIGIL The Pro-Life Committee of Holy Cross Church will hold a prayer vigil outside the abortion clinic across from Beeston Hill on Tuesday, April 8, at 10:00 a.m. PRAYER GROUP’S FOOD SALE The Prayer Group at St. Patrick Church will have a food sale at the Ann Heliger Vegetable Market on Friday, April 11, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the parish’s Organ Fund and upcoming Women’s Conference. SECULAR FRANCISCANS The Our Lady of the Angels Fraternity shares Franciscan spirituality at the Franciscan House on April 13 and the second Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m. CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Jim and Centelia Matthews lead a cancer support group at St. Ann Church on April 16 and the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. EVENINGS OF CHARISMATIC PRAYER St. Patrick Church hosts an evening of charismatic prayer on April 18 and the third Friday of each month at 7:00 p.m. St. Ann Church has charismatic prayer meetings on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. CURSILLO PRAYER GROUP The Cursillo Movement hosts a Spanish prayer meeting in the St. Michael Chapel at St. Joseph Church on April 24 and the last Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. SECULAR ORDER DISCALCED CARMELITES The Our Lady Star of the Sea Community shares Carmelite spirituality in the St. Joseph Church Hospitality Lounge and Learning Center on April 27 and the fourth Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION Sr. Germaine Convery, WIF, offers free spiritual direction on Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Light of Christ Retreat Center. Appointments are not necessary. NEO-CATECHUMENAL WAY The Neo-Catechumenal Way has a Celebration of the Word at St. Joseph Church on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. CURSILLO ULTREYA Cursillo members meet for the "ultreya" in the Cursillo office at St. Joseph Church on Mondays after the 7:00 p.m. Mass. Meetings are in Spanish. WORLD APOSTOLATE OF FATIMA The World Apostolate of Fatima meets in the chapel at Holy Cross Church on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. SPANISH PRAYER AND REFLECTION Pray the rosary and share reflections on the readings of the coming Sunday Mass at Holy Cross Church on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are in Spanish. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Holy Cross Council 6482 meets at Holy Cross Church’s McAlpin Hall on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 6:00 p.m. LEGION OF MARY Presidium Our Lady of Grace meets in the Holy Cross Church rectory on Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. St. John Calendar FIRST FRIDAY BREAKFAST Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church hosts a breakfast on April 4 and the First Friday of each month after the 7:00 a.m. Mass. LEGION OF MARY Presidium Mary, Queen of Angels, meets in the Guadalupe Hall of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. SILENT EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church hosts an hour of silence before the Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. EVENINGS OF CHARISMATIC PRAYER Charismatic prayer meetings are held at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. HEALING MASSES A priest lays on hands for physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological healing at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on Fridays at the 8:30 a.m. Mass. |
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