St Vincent de Paul BUILD A BASKET Prescription Campaign Instructions

St Vincent de Paul BUILD A BASKET Prescription Campaign

St. Vincent de Paul Prescription Campaign

The St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy fills life-sustaining prescriptions, providing medicines for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses to individuals with limited means. Without a doubt, some people are alive today because of the good work of the pharmacy and their volunteers and financial supporters. When someone loses their job or insurance, what do they do? Where can they turn? People go to the SVDP pharmacy in desperate need. They are not looking for a hand-out, but desperately needed medicine …. and you can help! Donation canisters for this year’s prescription campaign will be in the back of the church beginning the weekend of Mar. 10-11, and remain through March 24-25. About $28.00 will fill a prescription and make a real difference in someone’s life. St. Thomas More has always been very generous to this life-saving effort – thank you for your generosity!

BUILD A BASKET BEGINS ITS 19TH YEAR

During this holiest of seasons, we want every child to feel God’s presence and loving hand in their lives. What better way to reach out to a needy child than to provide an Easter basket that includes a special card with a simple message about Christ’s ultimate sacrifice? Some of the children we serve have never been told the greatest story in the history of the world – a story of supreme love and surrender to God’s will. Please help St. Vincent de Paul to get the message of God’s love into the hearts and hands of needy children throughout our community. SVDP distributes baskets to the children served at our St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room and also to needy children identified throughout the area. They provide Easter baskets for the children at their shelter, as well as other area shelters.

In addition to candy and small toys, each basket also contains a card explaining what Easter is about in a brief story of Jesus’ resurrection. These young boys and girls have so little, and something as simple as an Easter basket can create a wonderful memory that will last a lifetime. Groups and families can make a big impact, but so can individuals. SVDP’s goal this year is to, once again, distribute several thousand baskets to needy children in our community. To reach that goal, we need many people to support this effort.

It’s easy to do. You can purchase an Easter basket that’s already filled with candy and ready to give to a child. You can also purchase items like Easter chocolate bunnies (6 inches), chocolate crosses, age-appropriate toys, candy, crayons, and coloring books for SVDP volunteers to use in assembling baskets. You can also make a donation that can be used to purchase the supplies we need.

You are invited to join St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Arts and Gifts in this effort to provide Easter baskets to needy children. You can build a basket, purchase a ready-made basket, or you can make a contribution and mail it to: St. Vincent de Paul, Build a Basket Effort, P.O. Box 127, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. You can also visit svdpbr.org to make a donation that will help our volunteers to build a basket. If you have questions about this effort, give us a call at (225)383-7837, ext. 0. Most importantly, please keep the children served by this important project in your thoughts and prayers.

• Purchase a ready-made basket or make your own wrapped in cellophane
• Donate Easter baskets to be filled
• Donate Easter candy of all sorts (no peanut products)
• Donate 6” chocolate bunnies or 6” chocolate crosses
• Donate Easter-related toys – small toys, stuffed animals, crayons, colouring books etc.
• Drop all donations off at Catholic Arts and Gifts by March 8, or SVDP Warehouse by Mar. 15
• Catholic Arts and Gifts (9a-5p) SVDP Warehouse (9:30a-3p) 6184 Florida Blvd. 6190 Greenwell Springs Rd.

Second collection next weekend

A second collection will be taken up next weekend, the second Sunday of the month, to help reduce the debt incurred from the beautiful church renovations and the new parish office building. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support of St. Thomas More Parish. If you would like to donate online through our online giving platform, Faith Direct, visit membership.faithdirect.net/givenow/LA554/50326. Donations may be made also through Venmo (donateSTMBR) – please note “Debt Reduction” in the What’s this for? section. Checks made payable to St. Thomas More Church with “Debt Reduction” noted on the memo line may be mailed to 11441 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70815.

Around The World
2024 STM Festival
May 3, 4, & 5, 2024
FOR ALL FESTIVAL NEWS, VISIT
stmfestival.com

If you would like to sponsor the 2024 STM Festival, please visit the Festival Store at stmfestival.com/sponsors or email stmchurchfestival@gmail.com. Raffle tickets are now online – visit the festival store to purchase tickets: stmfestival.com/online-store/Raffles

Magazine Donations Needed
Do you have magazines you are no longer using taking up space in your home and want to get rid of them? If so, please consider dropping them by the church office to be used by our parish school of religion. The magazines should have content that is appropriate for high school youth. Donations are needed by noon this Friday, Mar. 8.

Pray the Stations of the Cross
Join us on Fridays during Lent in praying the Stations of the Cross in the church at 6 p.m. The STM Bereavement Ministry will lead us in praying Everybody’s Way of the Cross on Friday, Mar. 8. “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”

Pope Francis Receives Sacrament of Reconciliation during Lent

• Tuesdays, 5 – 5:45 pm
• Thursdays, 8 – 8:30 am
• Saturdays, 3:15 – 4:15 pm

Here is a good resolution for Lent. Let us cultivate open outlooks and become “seekers of light,” searching for the light of Jesus in prayer and other people.

WEEKLY READINGS/OBSERVANCES

• Readings for the week of March 3
• Sunday: Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 (Jn 6:68c)/1 Cor 1:22-25
• Jn 2:13-25 Scrutiny: Ex 17:3-7/Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 (8)/Rom 5:1-2, 5-8
• Jn 4:5-42 or 4:5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42
• Monday: 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab/Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3,4/Lk 4:24-30
• Tuesday: Dn 3:25, 34-43/Ps 25:4-5ab, 6and 7bc, 8-9/Mt 18:21-35
• Wednesday: Dt 4:1, 5-9/Ps 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20/Mt 5:17-19
• Thursday: Jer 7:23-28/Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9/Lk 11:14-23
• Friday: Hos 14:2-10/Ps 81:6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-
• 11ab, 14 and 17/Mk 12:28-34
• Saturday: Hos 6:1-6/Ps 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab/Lk 18:9-14
• Next Sunday: 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23/Ps
• 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 (6ab)/Eph 2:4-10/Jn 3:14-21
• Scrutiny: 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a/Ps 23:1-
• 3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (1)/Eph 5:8-14/Jn 9:1-41 or
• 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38

Observances for the week of March 3
Sunday: 3rd Sunday of Lent
Monday: St. Casimir
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday: Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs
Friday: St. John of God, Religious
Saturday: St. Frances of Rome, Religious;
St. Catherine of Bologna
Next Sunday: 4th Sunday of Lent,
Daylight Saving Time begins

MASS INTENTIONS
Tuesday, Mar. 5 – 6 p.m.: Eugene
Clement, Jerry Cronin, Clarence P.
Millet Sr., Lan Pham, Trung Luu,
Patricia Annandsigh, Special Intention
Millie Quartararo
Thursday, Mar. 7 – 8:45 a.m.: Souls in
Purgatory
Saturday, Mar. 9 – 4:30 p.m.: Katherine
Juneau, Carolyn Talbot, Calvin Bajon,
Ernest Bonaccorso Jr., Homer Ashford,
Thomas Webre, Richard Conran,
Elizabeth Jackson
Sunday, Mar. 10 – 8 a.m.: Marie and
John Grosch; 10 a.m.: Joan Conroy;
5 p.m.: STM Families, Friends, and Neighbors

SANCTUARY LIGHTING

The sanctuary light in the church will burn in memory of Katherine Juneau the week of Mar. 3 as requested by Lisa Mohr. The sanctuary light in the chapel will burn in memory of Lynn Henderson the week of Mar. 3 as requested by Troy Henderson III.

PRAYER LIST
Please remember in your prayers these seriously ill persons: Laurie
Bolanos, Becky Cline, Diane Green, Tina
Koon, Kayleigh Mims, Hunter Pecoraro
John Pecoraro, Jr., Jim O’Rourke, Bob
Sanchez, Marci Ferracci Sells, Dianne
Tollett, Loressa Watts
To add a name to the prayer list, contact Elise Moran in the church office
(225.275.3940, morane@stmbr.org).

PRAYER LINE
For serious or urgent prayer requests, call Sharon Hebert at 225-978-1246
(leave your name and phone number if there, is no answer), or send a request by email to prayerline@stmbr.org.

VBS Coordinator Needed
We are very excited to announce our theme for STM VBS 2024! This year we’ll dive below the surface and build a strong faith with the Group’s SCUBA: Diving Into Friendship with God. Mark your calendar for June 17-21. Registration will open on May 1st.

In order to make the week possible, we are in search of a VBS coordinator. If you are a parish adult who is organized, detail-oriented, and interested in serving our youth, please consider helping us with VBS. Adults who would like to volunteer that week are asked to contact us at this time. Contact Jeanne Mancuso by Friday, April 26, at mancusoj@stmbr.org.

GOSPEL REFLECTION

I am the Lord your God … You shall not have other gods beside me. —Ex 20:2-3 One of the greatest golfers of all time — if not the greatest — was Jack Nicklaus. This is why it is baffling that at the beginning of each season, he would return to his childhood coach and re-learn how to grip the golf club. It’s like Shakespeare re-learning the alphabet and grammar. Why would he do that? Because Jack knew that the fundamentals were always relevant. Perfecting and obsessing over his grip allowed him to do everything else in the game well.

In sports and life, the best ones love the basics. Similarly, as we begin Lent, we re-learn the spiritual basics in the Ten Commandments. Consider the first, to “have no other gods besides me.” This is our “grip.” Is our connection to God one of absolute fidelity and exclusive worship? Am I willing to let go of my precious idols, the things I cling to instead of God? Once we say “yes” to this fundamental question of our spiritual “grip,” then we are ready to properly engage with everything else in life.

Watch how beautifully the game of life unfolds in the next nine commandments (numbered in parentheses): how we speak to God and others (2 and 8), how we organize our week (3), how we relate to our family (4) and the wider community (5 and 7), how we live our sexuality (6), and how we order all the other desires of the human heart (9 and 10). But don’t rush to these later Commandments too soon! Everything in life is built on the first Commandment. The more we focus on worshipping God alone, the better we navigate the complexity of life with panache, effectiveness, and love.

Lenten challenge: This week, identify what you can do to better worship God alone. If you’re not sure, scan the last nine commandments to identify what you are most likely to worship instead of God. Power, pleasure, control of your time, possessions, family, health, reputation, money? Commit to concrete action to help you let go of this “idol” to better hold on to God alone in faithful worship. Remember: the best love the basics. — Father John Muir, ©LPi

Cards and Games Day
Registration Ends This Week
Don’t miss a fun day of games, camaraderie, great food and door prizes! Join us for the parish festival fundraiser, Cards and Games Day, on Tuesday, Mar. 12, from 10 am – 3 pm.
Visit stmbr.org/news/cards-games for all the details and to download a registration form. The deadline to register is Mar. 6. Registration forms are also available in the church office. The $30 fee includes lunch and door prizes.

CHURCH STAFF
Pastor
Fr. Michael Aiello
Permanent Deacon
Rev. Mr. Joe Scimeca
Permanent Deacon
Rev. Mr. Paul Soileau

Administration
Mrs. Sheila Juneau
Formation/Liturgy
Ms. Sarah Neau
Religious Education
Mrs. Jeanne Mancuso

Secretary/Bulletin
Mrs. Ellen Guidry
Secretary/Receptionist
Ms. Elise Moran
Music Director
Mrs. Mallory Sollie

Sacristan
Mrs. Kay Fetterman
Maintenance
Mr. Alex Ho
Custodial
Mr. Roosevelt Hamilton

OUR PARISH FAMILY IN SYMPATHY
We extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family of Jeanelle DeLaune. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.

PARISH MISSION STATEMENT
In a caring environment dedicated to celebrating the Catholic faith and modelling the life of Jesus Christ, St. Thomas More Church provides worship, education, and ministerial and social opportunities for the spiritual growth of the parish family.

ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC CHURCH
11441 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70815
www.stmbr.org | Office Phone: 225-275-3940
Office Hours: Mon.- Thurs.: 8 am – 12 pm and 1 – 5 pm; Fri.: 8 a.m. – 12 pm

DAILY MASSES
Tuesday: 6:00 pm, and Thursday: 8:45 am

WEEKEND MASSES
Saturday: 4:30 pm Vigil
Sunday: 8 am, 10 am, and 5 pm

RECONCILIATION
Tuesdays of Lent from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Saturdays from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Also by appointment.

Emergencies After Hours
Please call 225.275.3940 and follow the directions given in the voicemail message.

References

• St. Thomas More Catholic Church and School
• Register for Cards & Games Day | St. Thomas More Catholic Church & School News
• STM Festival | Baton Rouge | St. Thomas More Church Festival
• FESTIVAL STORE | stmchurchfestival
• SPONSOR | stmchurchfestival
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul Baton Rouge
• St. Thomas More Catholic Church and School
• Stream padrehooch | Listen to podcast episodes online for free on SoundCloud
• FESTIVAL STORE | stmchurchfestival

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