Lent

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.

Come, let us Adore Jesus

IN A SPECIAL WAY BY SPENDING SOME TIME WITH HIM IN EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Sunday, March 19th 7-8 p.m.

Includes St. Joseph’s Litany and Prayers for fathers on St. Joseph’s Day

Saturday, March 25th 9:30–10:30 a.m.

Includes rosary and prayers for mothers and families on this Feast Day of the Annunciation, when Mary said yes to being the mother of Jesus. Families of all ages are welcome.

Coffee, donuts and juice after adoration.

Tuesday, March 28th 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Adoration and Confession

CongratulatIons Deacon Steve!

Please join us in celebrating Deacon Steve’s retirement this weekend! 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. Best wishes on your well deserved retirement! May the Lord  bless you with good health, joy in abundance and peace in heart and mind.

Easter Mass Intentions

If you would like to offer up in prayer an intention at the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses this year, envelopes are due by Sunday, April 2nd. 

2023 Catholic Relief Services Collection 

The weekend of March 18th & 19th our parish will take up The Catholic Relief Services Collection. Funds from this Collection support six national and international relief agencies that provide food to the hungry, support displaced refugees, and bring Christ's love and mercy to vulnerable people here and abroad. Please give generously to the collection. Learn more about the collection at www.usccb.org/catholic-relief. 

A Message from Archbishop Fabre

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. 

Catholic Service Appeal

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 $131,453, 98% 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!

Director of Children’s Ministry

We have some great news to share! It’s with pleasure that we announce Sr. Sarah Cathleen Yungwirth, OSB, has accepted the position of Director of Children’s Ministry and will be joining the St. Albert parish staff on June 1, 2023.

She will be handling the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP), Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation preparation, as well as other elements of children’s ministry such as Children’s Liturgy of the Word and Sprouts.

Sr. Sarah graduated from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland with a bachelor degree in Elementary Education, and has graduate degrees in Theology and Learning & Behavior Disorders. She is a Master Catechist and has certificates in Pastoral Studies and Youth Ministry.

In addition, she brings experience with planning sacramental liturgies, leading Confirmation retreats, mentoring new religion teachers and attending youth conferences.

Currently, she serves as Associate Director for Vocations at the Archdiocese of Louisville and was a Teacher and Learning Support Coordinator at Saint Patrick and Saint Raphael schools.

Sr. Sarah is a member of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, IN one of the largest Benedictine communities of women in the United States. She enjoys dancing, singing, cross-stitch, and sudoku.

She has a love of young people and the Catholic faith and will be an asset to our parish and school community. Please welcome Sr. Sarah!

Adult Christian Enrichment 2023 

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. 

Baptism 

Our next scheduled Baptisms are April 23 at Noon. If your child needs to be baptized, please contact the Parish Office 502-425-3940. 

First Reconciliation 

Grandparents’ Day for PREP students will be Sunday, March 19th, and for the weekday school students on Wednesday, March 22nd. First Reconciliation is Thursday, March 23rd. Please keep our First Graders in your prayers! 

National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC)

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).

Loaves & Fishes

We collected $749.70 in food and $323 in hygiene for Sister Visitor. Thanks again for your GREAT spirit of giving! Our next collection will benefit the St. Ignatius Food Pantry and held the weekend of April 1st & 2nd.

Lenten Tree

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 FOR THE PIARIST COMMUNITY OF APPALACHIA *with a twist*

Benefits The Piarist Community of Appalachia. 

Saturday, March 25, 2023, 9:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

*The list of needs this year is different from the previous years due to overwhelming response to the flood victims in recent months and limited storage space. 

ITEMS REQUESTED AND DESPERATELY NEEDED:

• Cleaning supplies

• Toiletries

• School Supplies

• Baby Shampoo and Body Wash

Note: No clothes or household furnishings are currently needed. They are not an approved food pantry and, therefore, cannot accept food items.

Volunteers are needed on Saturday, March 25th for short 2 hour periods to assist in packing boxes and loading them onto the truck for transport.

Please call Cathy Roux (502-594-0974) if you have questions or would like to volunteer. This is a GREAT opportunity for charity and service during Lent!

Saint Vincent de Paul

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.”

Through your alms giving you are doing the will of the Father and finishing the work of Jesus. Know that your nickel, dime or quarter is multiplied by the coins placed by others in the St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box. 

Check out our Thrift Stores!  https://www.svdplou.org/thrift-stores/

One-hundred percent of the net profits from our stores help fund our many programs and services for the poor and homeless in our community. Stores located at 10280 Shelbyville Road at Dorsey Lane, and 2217 Hikes Lane. (Closed Sunday & Monday)

* You are welcome to bring donations to our two store locations from 11 am to 3 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Save the Date! Red Cross Blood Drive

SUNDAY, APRIL 30th 

8AM - 12:30PM IN THE PLC

You have the power to save a life in your hands and “pay forward” your gratitude for good health! 

The Social Concerns Team and the St. Albert school are sponsoring our quarterly Red Cross blood drive in the Parish Life Complex on Sunday 4/30/23 from 8am until 12:30pm. 

Hope & Healing Group: Substance Abuse Passing 

St. Albert the Great hosts a monthly support group for those who have lost a loved one from any type of substance use. Please come and connect with others journeying through the same type of loss. The group meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:00pm. The next meeting will be March 15th in the Sacred Heart Center. Contact Laura Graven at lgraven@stalbert.org or 425-3940 ext. 169 for more information.

Markey’s Group

The next gathering of Markey’s Group will take place on Tuesday, March 21st. This month we will be dining at Aspen Creek, 302 Bullitt Ln. We will meet at 4:30pm in the entryway of church and then carpool to the restaurant. Markey’s group is a long-standing gathering of those who have experienced the loss of a spouse. The goal of our outings is to enjoy an evening of good company and fine dining. We choose a location for dinner each month, thus providing an opportunity to enjoy a variety of culinary treats. For more information, contact Mike Ahrens at 836-7847.

NAMI SUPPORT GROUP

The group provides a safe space for family and friends of people with mental health conditions to discuss their loved ones mental health while receiving knowledge, encouragement and support. The next meeting is Sunday, March 12th at 7:00pm (PLC). Please share with friends and family outside the parish. Contact blair.mcbride.ky@gmail.com or gllm3112@gmail.com

SPECIAL DISCIPLES OF JESUS MASS 

All Special Needs family and friends are invited to Mass at St. Margaret Mary on March 19th at 3pm; the Mass will be shorter and geared towards our children. Your family will be welcomed with open arms and will meet other families in similar situations. For questions, more information or if you would like to help in this ministry, please contact Tara Mattingly at 502-690-2851 or tmattingly@stmm.org.

Upcoming Mass Schedule: Apr 16 | May 21 | Jun 25

Ministry to the Sick Training Program

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.

Retreat for the chronically ill and their caregivers 

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.

Summer Picnic

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.