The bulletin is available here.

Calendar:
   Legion of Mary, Mondays, 6 pm, Legion Room   
   Girl Scouts, Tuesdays, 3:30 pm, Flynn Hall 
   Marriage Prep Class, Tuesday, 8:00 pm, Flynn Hall
   CCD classes, Wednesdays, 4:30 pm, Flynn Hall
   Lenten Bible Study, Wednesday, 7:30
   Fish Fry, Friday, 5-7 pm, Flynn Hall
   Stations of the Cross, Friday, 7:30 pm
   Food Net, Saturdays, 1:00 pm, Flynn Hall
   First Confessions, Sunday, April 2, 1:45 pm, Church

We need your help. Did you know that St. Mary's Altar Society is responsible for keeping our church clean? Did you know that every female member of St. Mary's is also a member of the St. Mary's Altar Society, whether active or inactive? If you can't participate in our meetings (1st Tuesday of the month in Flynn Hall at 7 pm) you can still be active by volunteering to help with our activities. One of those activities is church cleaning; we have lost a number of our helpers due to health issues. Cleaning takes place the 3rd Saturday of the month from 9 am - 10 am. We have all of the cleaning supplies. If you can spare one hour a month, please call Pat at 402-435-5905 or Margaret at 402-328-9818.

Stations of the Cross are being prayed every Friday evening at 7:30 pm following Mass, until Good Friday. See how making the Way of the Cross with our Lord can lead you to a more meaningful celebration of Easter.

Fish Fri Fridays! Only TWO left for the season. Come and join us this coming Friday from 5 to 7 pm in Flynn Hall.

Coming soon: Easter Season Donation Drive for St. Gianna's Women's Home. On March 31, April 1-2, St. Mary's Altar Society will be asking for new household donations for St. Gianna's Home. St. Gianna's assists women and their families fleeing domestic violence or who are being coerced into having an abortion. Each family is provided a safe and secure environment to deal with the trauma caused by the abuse; they become self-sufficient and learn to develop healthy relationships in the future. New furnishings are needed for families moving into St. Gianna's. Altar Society will be providing lists of those items needed during all the weekend Masses April 1-2. Please consider donating one or more items on these lists. Items will need to be dropped off in the bin provided in the vestibule of the church on the following weekend (April 8th & 9th).

Lenten Regulations for the Diocese of Lincoln
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence.
All Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence.
Fasting means:
   • Eating only one full meal and two smaller meals; the two smaller meals together must be less than the full
meal
   • No snacking/eating between meals
   • Obliges all Catholic between the ages of 18 and 59.
Abstinence means:
   • Eating no meat, and no soup or gravy made from meat.
   • Obliges all Catholics over the age of 14
Sickness, hard manual labor, pregnancy, etc. automatically excuse a person from these obligations.
These are serious obligations; in case of doubt or question about exceptions, a person's confessor should be consulted.

Signs and Wonders: A Lenten Bible Study: Wednesdays during Lent following the 7:00 pm Mass (around 7:40 pm) beginning March 8th in Flynn Hall. Books for 30 participants have been ordered at $10 each; however, you may come to the weekly program and participate without the book. Each study will consist of a short prayer, Scripture. and discussion questions for small groups.

Stations of the Cross: Fridays during Lent
2:30pm (school) on March 3rd & 17th
7:30pm (after the evening Mass) on March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st, April 7th

Homilies: Some of Father Dietrich's recent homilies are available here.

Diocese of Lincoln Natural Family Planning Creighton Model lntro Sessions for April will be Thursday, April 6 and Tuesday, April
25th. Go online to register or download a registration form at www.lincolndiocese.org/nfp.

The 2017 Lenten Series held at St. Teresa Parish will be held on Monday evenings of Lent from March 6 to April 3 from 7:30 to 8:30pm. The theme for this year is "Universal Call to Holiness and Mission: The Vocation of the Laity."

40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil Spring 2017. 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil is taking place now outside of Planned Parenthood at 48th & Old Cheney. St. Mary's assigned hours are 6 am to 1 pm on Thursdays. You may sign up in the back of the church or 40daysforlife.com/Lincoln. The more people that are praying each hour, the more powerful the witness.

The Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (LDCCW) will meet in Imperial on Saturday, April 8th, beginning with Stations of the Cross at 8:30 am Mountain Time, followed by registration at 9:00 am MT. The LDCCW Spring Full Board Meeting will convene at 9:20 am MT. all women and priests of the Lincoln Diocese are invited and encouraged to attend. Marian Mantle Silent Strength Prayer Group will meet on Tuesday, March 28th at 3 pm in the Lancaster Room at Madonna Hospital. Bring a rosary. Mass follows at 4 for those who wish to attend. For questions call Kathy at 402-423-3810.

Lincoln MOMS next meeting is Saturday, April 1st from 8:30 am - 10:30 am and is titled "Called & gifted". Fr. Benjamin Holden will speak on discerning our spiritual gifts as women and mothers so that we can better love and give to the people in our lives. We are a group of Catholic mothers searching for fellowship, hope & joy in our ever changing vocation. Monthly meetings are held every first Saturday at John XXIII Center, 37th and Sheridan Blvd. Free will donation helps cover the cost of speakers, reserved babysitting, and coffee/snacks. Contact Rosie Bohnart lincolnmooms@outlook.com or our Facebook page. Please come and bring a friend!

Auditions for the S.T.A.G.E. Summer Musical Production, The Outlaws of Ravenhurst will be held in St. Teresa's Kaczmarek Hall on March 31, April, 1-2. Roles for students ages 10-18 and adults are available for this dynamic piece set in Scotland during a time of persecution. Dance, music, and dramatic scenes! Based on the novel, this piece will be an exciting challenge for vocalists and experienced dancers. Strong performers needed! For more information on role descriptions, schedule, and auditions via sign up genius, please go to stage4kids.com. Performances are set for the last two weekends of June at the Pius LPAC.

The Marian Sisters invite you to their annual Holy Week Retreat. The retreat will provide an opportunity for single young women (ages 17-35) to enter more deeply into the Passion and Death of our Lord. The silent retreat will be held at Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly, NE on April 13 - 15, 2017. The cost is $30 for students and $40 for non-students. For more info or to register, please visit their website at www.mariansisters.org or contact the Marian Sisters at marianvocations@cdolinc.net or 402-786-2750.

Planned Parenthood is doing abortions every Tuesday now that a new abortionist, Deborah Turner, has been hired. Please pray on Tuesdays for the mothers/fathers with abortion appointments plus our sidewalk counselors who offer hope and help. (From Lincoln right to life)

The next CALIX meeting (for those concerned with alcoholism) is today, Sunday, March 26th at Madonna in the Ryan Memorial Chapel. Mass is at 5 pm, refreshments and meeting to follow. For questions, call Tim at 402-430-1223.

Retreats at Good Counsel Retreat House in Waverly: March 31 - April 2 with Sister Ann Shields - "God is Savior, Shepherd, King." Call Good Counsel at 402-786-2705 or www.goodcounselretreat.com and receive immediate confirmation.

Healing Hearts Support Sessions for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one are being offered to assist Catholics in the grief process. The sessions will be held on six weekly Tuesday evenings beginning March 7th from 7-9 pm at John XXIII Center, 37th and Sheridan Blvd. Suggested donation $25 (for materials). To register call 402-473-0620.

DON'T GIVE UP CHOCOLATE FOR LENT
Join Dynamic Catholic for Best Lent Ever, a FREE email program designed to help you have a life-changing Lent. You'll get
• Short inspirational videos
• Practical tips
• Study guide (for groups or individuals)
Based on Matthew Kelly's latest book, Resisting Happiness, this year's program will help you identify what stands between you and happiness ... and what to do about it. Are you ready for your best Lent ever? Sign up at BestlentEver.com.

Icon Painting Workshop - Come experience a unique opportunity of a six-day intensive course in traditional painting techniques of Byzantine iconography! Held at John XXIII Center on June 12-17 from 9-5 pm daily. Cost is $680. For info or to register call Mr. Terrence St. Hilaire, 402-817-8996 or info@terrencesthilaire.com.

Pius X Cheerleading info meeting will be held for NEW students (and parents) interested in trying out for the 2017-2018 Cheer Team on Monday, March 13th at 5:30 pm in the basement (study hall rm 008). An informational meeting for ALL girls and at least one parent will be held Monday, Apr. 3 in the commons at 5:30pm. Tryout practices will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm April 4th, April 5th and April 6th. Tryouts will be held Friday, April 7th beginning at 5 pm. Each girl trying out will be required to run a timed mile during the week of tryouts. Incoming freshmen ARE eligible to try out. All girls who make the squad must be available to attend summer camp from July 6th-9th. For questions contact Amanda at amandalargis@yahoo.com, Erin at erin.andrus@piusx.net or Katy at katy.benal@gmail.com.

Join Fr. Coulter for an Easter Monday Pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine at Arapahoe on Monday, April 17. The day starts with 7:15 am Mass at St. Teresa, return by 6 pm. Cost is $50 / adult, $20 / minor, which includes a charter bus and lunch. RSVP early: 402-786-2705 or frcoulter.com/EasterMonday. Deadline Apr. 9th to register.

Support St. Mary's when you shop on Amazon. See here for details.

One Book + One Diocese: the Evangelization Office is recommending "Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living" by Fr. Timothy Gallagher.

What is an Endowment and why might you consider this gift? An endowment is a sum of money, held by the Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska, of which up to 5% of the income is paid back to the parish annually. The remainder is never touched and continues to grow in perpetuity. Some parishioner and family members have set up endowments in their family name as a tribute to their parents. For more info contact Les Mach at 402-443-6180 or lesmach@catholicgift.org.

Retrouvaille helps couples through difficult times in their marriages. It is designed to provide the tools to help get your marriage back on track. For confidential info call 888-317-5654 or www.HelpOurMarriage.com.

The Pope's Prayer Intentions for March 2017:
Support for Persecuted Christians: That persecuted Christians may be supported by the prayers and material help of the whole Church.

The Pope's Prayer Intentions for April 2017:
Young People: That young people may respond generously to their vocations and seriously consider offering themselves to God in the priesthood or consecrated life.

Planned Parenthood is doing abortions every Tuesday, now that a new abortionist, Deborah Turner, has been hired. Please pray on Tuesdays for the mothers/fathers with abortion appointments plus our sidewalk counselors who offer hope and help.

Homilies: Some of Father Dietrich's recent homilies are available here.

10-Day Pilgrimage to Fatima & Lourdes with Frs. Coulter & Homes, July 5-15, 2017. For info call 402-786-2705 or frcoulter.com/fatima.

Religious Awards for Girls & Boys! Scout Leaders obtain the religious awards books for girls from the Family Life Office; for boys from the Local Cornhusker Council. Applications due Jan. 23. Award ceremony Feb. 26, 2017

Catholic Coffeehouse invites you and your family to Gianna's Java & Gelato, 2241 O St. from 7-8:30 pm on Sunday evenings. This year's theme is "The Pilgrim Church: Rediscovering the Faith through Pilgrimage." www.lincolndiocese.org/coffeehouse

Propelr is a reloadable VISA Prepaid card that can be used at any merchant that accepts VISA cards. When the St. Mary’s card is used at participating merchants, the merchant donates a percentage of the transaction to St. Mary’s. To sign up for your PropelrCard, go to https://propelr.mycardplace.com/cholder. For step by step instructions call the rectory or pick up the instructions on the pamphlet rack.

One Book + One Diocese is recommending Unbound: A Practical Guide to Deliverance by Neal Lozano. This is an excellent read for continued spiritual growth.

FORMED.ORG (from the Augustine Institute) provides Catholic media to your home. St. Mary's has a subscription to this program where you can study the Catholic faith, read spiritual books, listen to inspirational CD's, engage in Bible study, learn how to pray better and much more! Go to Formed.org, go to the bottom of the page, in the parish code box enter VZQ3C3 (case sensitive) and click submit. Then follow the directions to create your profile.

Propelr is a reloadable VISA Prepaid card that can be used at any merchant that accepts VISA cards. When the St. Mary’s card is used at participating merchants, the merchant donates a percentage of the transaction to St. Mary’s. If you have questions on how the card works please look at the website or call the rectory with questions. The Propelr card has the capability to give back to St. Mary’s much more than we made when selling SCRIP. To sign up for Propelr go to https://propelr.mycardplace.com/cholder then click on Sign up today. When you are looking for St. Mary's remember to look under Saint Mary's. After you are signed up, Propelr will show two small deposits to your card. About two days after you sign up you will have to go in to your Propelr Account at www.PropelrCard.com and enter the amount of the deposits. Once you have done that you can go to "manage funds" and click on my bank accounts. Then load funds to your Propelr Card from your verified bank account. Activate your card when you receive it and use at participating merchants to raise money for St. Mary's. If you have questions on how the card works please look at the website or call the rectory with questions.

Birthright's guiding principle is: It is the right of every baby to be born and the right of every woman to give birth. We care and help them both. Will you help by considering to volunteer one shift per week Monday - Saturday? No experience needed. Please call 402-466-2609 for an application.

Why should a parish or school have an endowment?
An endowment is a sum of money that has been designated for the benefit of the parish or school. It is different than a cash gift because the principal is never touched and only the interest is used to fund the needs of the parish or school. Endowments are important for the future of the parish/ school because we have fewer parishioners than in years past and the burden of the parish finances becomes greater per individual. In order to keep our parishes and schools open we need to use some part of our estate to fund these types of accounts. Please consider starting your own endowment or contribute to an existing one held by St. Mary's. Your fund will remain for the benefit of St. Mary's in perpetuity. The Catholic Foundation holds these accounts and pays out up to 2 1⁄2% of the interest income to the school or parish bi-annually. These funds will be used for the many needs established through donor intent or according to parish needs established the endowment agreement. Contact Les Mach for more information at 402-443-6180.

Prayer people needed on Abortion Tuesdays to come and pray between 7 am and 3 pm at 48th and Old Cheney (west side of 48th Street, north of Old Cheney). Group rosary is prayed at 9:30 am.

Lincoln Right to Life needs Sidewalk counselors for Abortion Tuesday to offer hope and help to mothers with abortion appointments. 1 or 2 hours shifts available. Training is provided. Call Pam at 402-489-7968 or bobandpammccabe@yahoo.com.

My Own Church: St. Mary's now has database software that is accessible to parishioners. If you need to update your personal information including mistakes about birthdates, adding a new baby or even uploading a picture of your family go to: connectnow.parishsoft.com/lincoln - click on New user? or click here. Fill out the organization - St. Mary Parish, Lincoln. You will pick a user name and fill out the questions. Any question with an asterisk is a required field to be answered. The system sends an e-mail to the office, we confirm that you are a member of St. Mary's and email you a temporary password. You are then able to access your info.

Compendium Clips - check out Fr. Heaslip's short illustrated videos on the Catholic faith at www.compendiumclips.com. It is a great resource for all who want to know what the Church teaches or want ot brush up on their Christian faith. The first video is entitled: Introduction & 4 Pillars of the Compendium Catechism.

Televised Mass: Sundays at Noon and Mondays at 9 pm on cable channel 13.

Retrouvaille - A Lifeline for Marriage - helps couples through difficult times. It is designed to provide the tools to help get your marriage back on track. For confidential information or to register, call 1-888-317-5654 or www.retrouvaille.org.

Did you know that St. Mary's has a Facebook page? The URL is www.facebook.com/stmarylincoln. You don't have to be on Facebook to view this page. Check it out!

Church Library: There is now a lending library in the church basement directly next to the south stairs. Please check out a book or CD and write your name in the notebook that is on the shelf next to the books. Suggested check out time is two weeks.

St. Mary's Food Net: We are looking for some additional volunteers to help with our Food Net distribution of donated food, which occurs every Saturday in Flynn Hall. If you can commit to one or more Saturdays a month, it would be a big help. Work may include setting up tables and chairs, unloading food from vehicles, sorting and distributing food, and/or clean-up. Volunteers needed between 10 am & 2 pm but don't need to stay the whole time. Please call Kathy at 474-2360 or Linda at 476-1221. This might be good for high school students to complete community service hours.

Please register in your parish. Although it may not seem that it matters all that much, it is important that Catholics be registered in their local (usually territorial) parish. This not only assures that you will receive the Southern Nebraska Register. More importantly, it gives us a reference point if we are called about hospital stays, deaths, or requests to serve as sponsor for baptisms or confirmation. Don't be an "anonymous Catholic" - REGISTER.

Earn cash for Saint Mary's School! Clip, and donate to us, UPCs (the "bar code" scanned at the registered for prices) from General Mills products, Best Choice, Our Family, and Tyson Project A+ labels. Saint Mary's School will collect them, and then receive check from participating companies.

St. Mary's School collects aluminum cans to help raise funds for our school library. Please leave your aluminum cans by the playground school doors on Fridays if you would like to contribute.

Wanted: A volunteer to videotape Mass occasionally (Saturday 4:00 Mass or Sunday Mass), probably once a month or less. Please call the rectory if you are interested or leave a message for Phil at 402-474-2360.

Have you had a Mass offered lately?  It is a spiritual work of mercy to pray for the living and the dead (2 Mac 12:44).  Call the rectory to schedule a Mass for a loved one.

St. Mary's Altar Society: Members perform services works for our parish, both spiritual and corporal. The works range from praying the rosary to helping out someone else. These volunteer hours should be reported to the circle leaders to be reflected in our yearly report to the Lincoln Deanery. Altar Society meets the first Tuesday of every month (except July) in Flynn Hall, at 7 pm.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House schedule: You may pick up a complete schedule in the bookrack in the entry to the church. Please call 786-2705 to make reservations. http://www.goodcounselretreat.com

Project Rachel can help heal the wounds of abortion. For private and confidential counseling, and/or reconciliation, call 800-964-3787.

Church Cleaning is the 3rd Saturday of the month. Please be at the church by 9 am to help out.

Acolyte / Lector / Reader Meeting: Usually on first Saturdays, 9 am, Flynn Hall. The Acolyte-Lector-Reader Schedule is available here. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal can be found here.

St. Vincent de Paul meetings normally are Sundays at 1:30 pm in Flynn Hall.

Natural Family Planning Introductory Sessions are offered by Rosemary Clements (402-326-0681) or through the Diocesan Family Life Office (402-488-2040).

First Friday Holy Hour: Holy Hour for Vocations is First Friday of every month at 7:15 pm (includes Compline & Benediction). Adoration Convent of Christ the King (The Pink Sisters), 1040 South Cotner Blvd.

The Pope's Prayer Intentions are here.

The Acolyte-Lector-Reader Schedule is available here.