Fasting and Abstinence
Good Friday (April 7) is a day of abstinence (no meat for those 14 and older) and fasting (for ages 18-59, one main meal with two lighter meals which if added together would not exceed the main meal in quantity). In addition, during Lent, all Fridays are days of abstinence from meat.
Confessions: Saturday, March 11th 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 28th 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Eucharistic Adoration: every Wednesday from noon-5 p.m. in the church.
Stations of the Cross: every Friday (including Good Friday) at 7:00 p.m. in the church.
Lent is a season marked by penitential practices, not least of which is the abstinence from eating meat on all Fridays. This practice has been the norm within the dioceses of the United States for many years, and I am confident that no Catholic Christian lightly neglects this penitential practice.
Nevertheless, it sometimes happens that during the Lenten season certain feasts occur that prompt a decision to exempt from the usual penitential practices. One such day is the memorial of St. Patrick, which falls this year on Friday, March 17. This day is well known as a day of convivial celebration for many American Catholics.
I therefore grant that on Friday, March 17, 2023, all Catholics of the Archdiocese of Louisville, and all other Catholics actually present in the Archdiocese on that day, are dispensed from the obligation.
Please join us in celebrating Deacon Steve’s retirement the weekend of March 11 & 12! Join us in the gathering space after all Masses for light refreshments to thank him for all he’s done.
God has blessed us with a wonderful deacon these past years. He has guided us when needed with his wisdom and experience.
Deacon Steve accepted the challenge to follow in Christ's footsteps and spread the Word of God in Detroit, MI. He was ordained on Oct 14, 2000 by Cardinal Adam Maida and is still incardinated in that Diocese. His parish assignments have been St. Kieran (2000-2006), St. Daniel (2006-2012), Christ the Redeemer (2012-2016) and St. Albert the Great (2017-2023).
He was assigned to St. Albert in March of 2017, shortly after he and his wife Marcia moved to Kentucky from Michigan. While at St. Albert he assisted with prayer, liturgy and catechesis. In addition, he is the Lead Deacon for Louisville Jail Ministry, having ministered to the incarcerated for 28 years.
He and Marcia celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with all eight of their children and families in December. He looks forward to spending more time with them. Best wishes on your well deserved retirement!
Dear Parish Family,
The financial report (see link below) shows our half-yearly financial update of the parish financial position for this fiscal year-to-date, from July 2022 through December 2022. The first column shows the actual dollars spent and the second column the budget. The total budget amounts for the whole fiscal year, July 2022 through June 2023, are in the third column. The parish continues to be financially sound. Thank you for your support.
July – December, 2022 Highlights
Sunday tithing is close to a very modest budget target.
Most income and expense lines show normal variances and some are timing effects that will revert closer to budget as the year moves on.
Several school income and expense lines are affected by higher than budgeted student enrollment. Overall, the results are expected to balance. The school is to be complemented on its recent growth.
The Parish picnic/fundraising income line is high due to the Picnic raising $20,000 more than budgeted (well done!) and $38,000 raised for an 8th grade spring field trip.
Other parish expense is high against budget due to a $46,000 August 2022 parish charity initiative to aid local food pantries to provide needed food supplies.
The parish balance sheet continues to be very sound.
We would like to thank all parishioners for their continued financial stewardship. However, we must note that tithing is still down in February 2023 year-to-date reports. With continuing cost inflation we need to do better on tithing. Please consider giving regularly through direct bank debit and online giving. Please go to: https://www.stalbert.org/giving for information and to sign up, or contact Cheryl Harper (502-425-3940, ext.107) in the office.
The Finance Council continues to monitor parish finances and procedures and conduct internal audits. Please contact a member of the Finance Council – Harry Alexander, Larry Brunner, Mindy Koeberlein, Phil Mattingly, Craig Vermost, and Jim Whelan -- if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Jim Whelan, Finance Council Chair, whelancj@bellsouth.net
On behalf of the Finance Council, February 2023.
RECEIVED AS OF February 26:
Cash & Check: $26,773.50
Online Giving: $5,862.20
Total Rcvd as of February 27th for FY 2022-23: $1,049,136.02
Needed Budget as of February 27th for FY 2022-23: $1,061,297.65
Total Over/Under Budget: ($12,161.63)
Thank you to all who have blessed St. Albert the Great with gifts of treasure! It is through your generosity that our parish is able to meet our financial obligations and continue God's work of supporting and serving our community and those in need.
Use Online Giving (scan the featured QR code, visit www.stalbert.org, or download the Give+App--available free in Apple and Android app stores).
Text 877-254-4667 your gift amount and follow the prompts. Click here for more information about Text-to-Give.
Mail gifts of treasure to the Parish Office. Our mailing address is 1395 Girard Drive, Louisville, KY 40222.
Drop off donations to the Parish Office or leave securely in the black security mailbox located on the brick wall to the immediate left of the Parish Office entrance doors.
Planned Giving: Visit https://stalbert.org/giving for more information.
Please call 425-3940 with any questions about giving.
Another way you can give to the Parish is through gifts of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Please contact lbrunner@stalbert.org for more information about this type of donation.
COMFORT MY PEOPLE
Our Parish Goal: $134,600
Thanks to those who have already responded with a gift to the 2022 Catholic Services Appeal. To date we have raised $127,909, 95% of our goal. Please consider making a gift to the Catholic Services Appeal this season of Advent. Gifts may be made through our parish office or online visit www.ArchLou.org/CSA.
Your prayers and generous support of the Appeal are continuing to make a difference in the Archdiocese of Louisville and right here in our parish. The fund supports more than 100 ministries, services, and programs offered by the Archdiocese.
A gift to the Catholic Services Appeal is a wonderful way to share our blessings with others and demonstrate our gratitude to God for all He has given!
SESSIONS ON ZOOM
Thursdays 7:00 - 8:30 pm OR Fridays 10:00 - 11:30 am
This year we are exploring challenges presented in Scriptures relating to Faith, the Church, and the World today. Join us. Call Lynnette LeGette 502-802-5966 to register (no fee) and receive the link to the class.
April
6-7 HOLY WEEK
13-14 What Makes Humans Happy?
20-21 Difficult Words of Jesus.
27-28 Signs and Wonders of Jesus.
May
4-5 DERBY
11-12 The Story of the Bible
18-19 Formation of TaNaK
25-26 Forms of Jewish Scripture
June
1-2 Origins of the Christian Bible
8-9 Formation of Jewish & Christian Canons
15-16 Production and Copying of Manuscripts
22-23 Constantine and the Bible
29-30 Syriac and Coptic Translations of the Bible
St. Albert the Great is seeking an individual to join our team to oversee our Children’s ministries. The Director will oversee the children’s Sacraments, our PREP program and coordinate various other ministries with regard to the children of the Parish and school.
The interested candidate should possess a Bachelor’s in Religious Education, Theology or a related field and be a practicing Catholic.
If interested in joining our Formation team, please send resume to Laura Graven lgraven@stalbert.org
Our next scheduled Baptisms are April 23 at Noon. If your child needs to be baptized, please contact the Parish Office 502-425-3940.
Our First Reconciliation Parent/Child Workshop will be Tuesday, March 7 in Church at 6:30 pm. We need all of our children with parents here for this fun, learning workshop AND rehearsal for the Sacrament! Grandparents’ Day for PREP students will be March 19, and for the weekday school students on March 22. The Nursery is available for younger siblings RSVP to dkoeberlein@stalbert.org
Is coming to Indy this November 16-18th for those in 9-12 grades in the Fall of ‘23!! The cost will be $170 if you register before March 31st! (St. Albert will pay $300 toward your fee and CEF pays $100) NCYC is a powerfully unique 3-day experience of prayer, community (with thousands of teens!), service and empowerment for Catholic teenagers of high school age. NCYC is the premiere Catholic youth event on a national scale that gathers people from all across America for a life-changing encounter with Christ! Contact Deacon Mark Preischel at mpreischel@stalbert.org before March 31 (price goes up after that).
MARCH 4TH & 5TH
The March food drive benefits the Sister Visitor Center, a Choice Pantry. The pantry is set up like a store, so that means the client is allowed to come and get the items that their family needs the most. Things that they always need are:
Jelly
Pancake Syrup
Pancake mixes
BBQ Sauces
Sugar
Vienna Sausage Bites
Spaghetti Os
Saltine crackers
Instant coffee & creamer
Dish detergent
Laundry detergent
Bleach
Cleaning supplies can not be purchased with food stamps so that’s why they are so helpful. Paper towels & toilet paper are needed too!
These are such great items because they are not given to the pantry by the USDA. Thanks again for your GREAT spirit of giving!
MARCH 10 – MARCH 26, 2023
The Lenten Tree is an annual gift-giving event which presents the parish with the opportunity to express our appreciation to our retired religious for their service and commitment to the Catholic Church. St. Albert the Great Parish families purchase personal care items which are given to show our love to over 400 religious from various organizations, including the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville and Mount St. Joseph in Owensboro, KY.
The Lenten Tree will be set up in the gathering space and filled with paper crosses starting on Friday, March 10. The crosses share the wish list from each religious organization/home. Please consider taking a cross from the tree and purchasing a few of the items listed. Please return all items to gathering space in a bag/box with the cross securely attached no later than NOON, Sunday, March 26, 2023.
The Social Concerns Committee sincerely appreciates the St. Albert the Great Parish Community for caring for our retired religious who give so much to our communities! Please email or call Marie Gould at mcgould@bellsouth.net or 502-439-9830 with questions.
COLLECTION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS, SMALL FURNITURE, AND CLOTHING
Benefits The Piarist Community of Appalachia.
Saturday, March 25, 2023, 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
The Piarist community is in a very poor area of Appalachia. As you clean out your home for Lent, please set aside all goods you no longer need so someone else has a chance to re-use them. Remember, anything you would use on a daily basis, they could also use. Consider soap, toothpaste, detergent, diapers, dishes, towels, sheets, children’s clothes and much more!
In the Gospel Jesus is transfigured and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased: Listen to him.”
Do we listen to Jesus when he asks us to take care of our brothers and sisters who are suffering? Your gift in the St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box will help the poor to celebrate the grace of God’s love this Easter.
Have you ever considered becoming more active in ministering to the sick but are uncertain where to begin?
The Arch Lou Family Ministries Office is offering a six-part Training Program to help anyone learn how to better help out in this important ministry for those who minister to the sick in hospitals, nursing homes, or to the homebound.
Training takes place at the Maloney Center at 1200 South Shelby Street on Fridays, 10:00 am - 12 noon. Cost is $10 per session
March 10, Introduction to Pastoral Care
March 17, Pastoral Communications Skills
March 24, Prayer
March 31, Understanding Loss & Grief
April 14, Self Awareness/Boundaries
April 21, Taking Communion to Sick/Homebound
To register or for more information, contact Denise Puckett at (502) 636-0296 or dpuckett@archlou.org.
A Maranatha Retreat, designed for those who are chronically ill and their caregivers, will be held May 13 at the Flaget Center, 1935 Lewiston Dr., from 9a.m. to 6 p.m.
The retreat will offer spiritual presentations, small-group sharing, time for meditation and the opportunity to take part in various sacraments. It will be offered to 10 individuals living with chronic illnesses and 10 caregivers. A few examples of serious health conditions are cancer, diabetes, heart or lung disease, stroke, anxiety and depression.
The retreat is free, but registration is required. To register, contact Denise Puckett in the Family Ministries Office at 636-0296 or dpuckett@archlou.org.
The Elizabeth Ministry is an outreach ministry in which volunteers in the parish provide meals for a new mother/family to provide support and congratulations upon the arrival of their new baby. If you are interested in more information- Please contact Audra Kenyon @ 502-599-8909 or abkenyon@gmail.com.
March 3rd, March 10th, March 17th, and March 24th
5:00-7:30p.m.
Dine -In or Carry Out
Our full menu is back as well that will include Baked Fish, Fried Fish, Fried Shrimp, Rolled Oyster, Pizza, Green Beans, Mac and Cheese, Hush Puppies, Baked Potato, Potato Rounds, Cole Slaw, Applesauce, Desserts. YUM! Pull Tabs and Beverages.
After a delicious fish dinner, walk over to church for Stations of the Cross at 7:00pm.
March 22nd | 11am-2pm
The Crowne Plaza Hotel
Fashion by Dillard’s | $60
Join us to view beautiful fashions presented by Dillard’s, enjoy a delicious lunch and buy a chance to win fabulous raffle prizes!
Two Reserved Box Seats for the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, including food, beverages and parking are being Raffled off for $50 a chance. Other raffle prizes include gift cards totaling $1,000, Night stay at the Galt House, and $500 Dillard’s Shopping Spree. You could also win one of the Beautiful Gift Baskets donated by our members. Tickets are available on our website: queensdaughtersinc.com.
Queen’s Daughters is a Catholic ministry of women and proceeds help support the Catholic Charities programs for mother and infants, donations to Little Sisters of the Poor and Little Way Pregnancy Center, partial scholarships to Catholic High School Students and other outreach programs as listed on our website. We would love to have you join us at this fun event. For more information go to www.queensdaughtersinc.com- Events Tab.
Please purchase your ticket online or mail a check and your reservation by March 14 to: Margaret Reinhart, 8211 Camberley Dr., Louisville, KY 40222
Don’t miss the fun! Summer Picnic is the third weekend in June. To join the Picnic Committee, captain a booth or help with set up contact Chris Boehnlein christopher@familyrealty.com.