Category: Bulletins and Newsletters

Contributed by Terrie Evans

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Our Saturday, March 7^th Annual Pizza Party will go down in the history of San Antonio Church as another huge success.  The ticket sales for 2020 surpassed those from last year and we more than doubled our carry out orders from 2019.  We had 144 presale tickets for dine in and all our guests were delighted with the variety of pizzas ready for their families and friends to enjoy.  Our workers have done a fantastic job selling tickets and handling the many different tasks required for this event to run smoothly; please know everyone at San Antonio really appreciates all your efforts.  We cannot thank Buddy, Mike and Mark LaRosa enough for their generous donation of all the items needed.  They have always supplied us with all the ingredients for kitchen staff to get the pizzas baked and ready to serve our dine ins and pickup orders.  They graciously delivered olive oil, the doughs, cheese, the sauce, and all the meat toppings and Mark LaRosa even made a special trip to the Hall to check on our amounts so we wouldn’t run out of cheese.  All the parishioners at San Antonio Church know we could not have done this event without the LaRosa’s and we will never forget all the kindnesses you have bestowed on our little mission church over the years.  Because of their thoughtfulness, the kitchen crew was able to bake the remaining 11 pizzas for our Tuesday, March 10^th Lunch on the House.   

Our Split the Pot winner was  Dave Dalessandro (son of Connie and Ron) who won the $345.00 Prize and in an unexpected act to pay it forward, returned the prize money  for our next big church building repair, “The Ring the Bell Fundraiser”.  This would go to fix of our church bells that are located in Bell Tower that was dedicated in 1954 by the new Bishop, Clarence Issenmann.  Again, we thank everyone who supported this and our many fundraisers over the years, we are successful because of YOU!  Our next event will be the Palm Sunday Bake Sale on Sunday, April 5^th.  Please check the signup sheets in the Hall to volunteer.

On this 5^th week of Lent the Station Church visited today will be St. Peters Basilica (Part 2) known for its solid bronze altar, the Baldachin that took 11 years to build.  Construction began in 1506 and took 120 years to complete with the new Basilica built around the old one and over the tomb of St. Peter, 23 feet below the marble floor.  On Monday, the Station Church will be San Crisogono, dedicated to the Martyr, St. Chrysogonos.  For many centuries, San Crisogono was the National Church of the Sardinians and Corsicans who resided in Rome.  On Tuesday, the Station Church will be Santa Maria in Via Lata, known as the 1^st Christian place of worship.  The 5^th century chapel and welfare center are now located under the present church and it is thought St. Paul spent 2 years here under house arrest while waiting for his trial.  The Station Church on Wednesday is San Marcello, administered and owned by the Servite Order since 1369.  Thursday’s Station Church is San Apollinare, dedicated in the 7^th century to the 1^st Bishop of Ravenna.  It is always the Station Church for the Thursday of the 5^th week of Lent.  The Station Church for Friday is San Stefano, the ancient Basilica that is Hungary’s National Church in Rome. In 1454, Pope Nicholas V entrusted the Church to the Pauline Fathers, the only Catholic Order founded by Hungarians.  On Saturday, San Giovanni a Porta Latina or “St. John Before the Latin Gate” is the Station Church.   Construction was during the reign of Pope Gelasus (492-496) when the imprint of a taxation stamp was affixed on buildings at that time.  The imprint was used on the roof tiles and found many centuries later with one of those ancient roof tiles is now used as a lectern.           

Contributed by Terrie Evans

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On March 22^nd, we honor the 4^th Sunday of Lent with Laetare or Rejoice Sunday which falls 21 days before Easter Sunday.  In Rome, this day is called Dominica de Rose for the Golden Rose sent by Popes to Catholic Sovereigns which dates to the 11^th Century.  On Laetare Sunday, the Station Church visited on this Sunday by Pope Francis will be Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Basilica of the Holy Cross) one of 7 Pilgrim Churches of Rome that was consecrated in 325 with relics of the Passion of the Christ. 

The other Station Churches for the week of March 23-28 are for Monday:  Santi Quattro Coronati (Dedicated to the Four Holy Crowned Ones-Martyrs),Tuesday:  San Lorenzo in Damaso (once the site of a pagan temple dedicated to St. Lawrence), Wednesday:  St. Paul Outside the Walls (Founded by Emperor Constantine over the burial place of St. Paul.  It is an ancient Basilica owned by the Holy See), Thursday:  Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti (St. Martin in the Mountains where in 324 a meeting regarding the Council of Nicea was held ), Friday:  San Eusebio (Dedicated to 4^th Century Martyrs) and on Saturday, San Nicola in Carcere (St. Nicholas in Prison, dedicated by the Greek population in the area around the 11^th Century, one of the Traditional Station Churches of Lent that holds special celebrations to the Madonna, Our Lady of Pompei and Our Lady of Guadalupe). 

Laetare or Refresh Sunday is considered a day of hope and joy with Easter getting closer while allowing Rose colored vestments to be used, flowers being placed on the Altar and weddings may be performed on this day.  In England it is also called “Mothering” Sunday from a time when servants were released from service on this day to visit their Mother’s. 

On Laetare Sunday, the University of Notre Dame will announce the recipient of the Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious award for American Catholics.  In Notre Dame’s history, it was the founder of the University, Fr. Edwin Sorin, C.S.C. who suggested that such an award be given.  First awarded in 1883, to John Gilmary Shea and historian of the Catholic Church in the United States, the medal is an external award which can be given to a person outside of Notre Dame. This award was conceived as a version of the papal Award, the Golden Rose.  The Medal has the Latin inscription “Magna est veritas et praevalebit” which means, “Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail”.  A committee will take names of potential recipients from the faculty and staff at the University of Notre Dame and will then select two or three candidates which will then be voted on by the Officers of the University. 

A candidate for the award must be a practicing American Catholic who has made a distinctly Catholic contribution in his or her profession or intellectual life.  The past recipients of the Laetare Medal have come from a variety of fields including Cardinals, Philanthropists, Ambassadors, Authors, Opera Singers, Senators, Doctors, Generals and a U. S. President.  The 2020 winner will be awarded at the 175^th Commencement Ceremonies at the University on May 17^th.  The commencement speaker will be Patriarch Bartholomew, the 270^th Orthodox Archbishop of Constantinople who is known as the “Green Patriarch” promoting the causes for the protection of the environment, human rights and religious freedom.