SAINT MARY’S & SAINT ELIZABETH’S CATHOLIC CHURCHES Phone: 701-579-4312 FATHER GARY BENZ-PASTOR [email protected]; Cell Phone 701-509-9504; Rectory 701-579-4874 VICTOR DVORAK –DEACON www.stmaryschurchnewengland.com Sixth Sunday of Easter — May 26, 2019 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” A Japanese girl, ten years old, lost her father and mother in the bombing of Hiroshima. Despite her young age, she was wise to know that she did not want to live her life with hatred towards those who dropped the bomb. Instead, she wanted to be an ambassador for peace, hoping, praying, and working for an end to war so that no one would have to endure the sorrow of war as she did. So, she began to make origami peace cranes and distributed them in temples, churches, schools, and businesses. In the course of a few years, she made over 500,000 peace cranes, with a handwritten prayer for peace within them. Her campaign for peace reminds us that our contribution toward world peace may seem small, but at least it is something and when multiplied by the efforts of others, we can make a differ- ence in our world. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that He has given us the gift of His peace; we are to share it with others and must work for peace. We might keep in mind the old proverb that states world peace begins in each heart. If the tree is to be green, its individual leaves must be green. Familiaris Consortio (cont.) The Situation of the Family in the World Today 6. The situation in which the family finds itself presents positive and negative aspects: the first are a sign of the salvation of Christ operating in the world; the second, a sign of the refusal that man gives to the love of God. On the one hand, there is a more lively awareness of personal freedom and greater attention to the quality of interpersonal relationships in marriage, to promoting the dignity of women, to responsible procreation, to the education of children. There is also an awareness of the need for the develop- ment of interfamily relationships, for reciprocal spiritual and material assistance, the rediscovery of the ecclesial mission proper to the family and its responsibility for the building of a more just society. Honoring our beloved dead With Memorial Day, I pray that we consider what it is all about. Its not about the start of summer fun; barbecues; time off from work; and opportunities for fishing. It is what its name implies: a time to remember ( memoria in Latin). I hope and pray that on Memorial Day, you remember those who have gone before us in a number of ways: 1) The Holy Mass at Saint Mary’s at 8:30 a.m. that day; 2) The civic Memorial Day celebration at the New England Memorial Hall; and 3) The visitation and blessing of our local Catholic cemeteries. In regards to the cemetery visitations, please know that you are welcome to join me in the prayers for the faithful depart- ed who are interred in these cemeteries. We will offer a general blessing and then I am happy to bless individual graves as well. I offer a general schedule for that day and please be patient if I am perhaps a few minutes late in arriving at each cemetery: 1) 1:00 p.m. (Saint Mary’s of New England); 2) 2:30 p.m. (Saint Elizabeth’s of Lefor); 3) 3:30 p.m. (Saint Pius of Schefield); 4) 5:00 p.m. (Saint Helen’s); 5) 7:00 p.m. (Saints Peter & Paul of Amidon). Enjoy Memorial Day with friends and family, but don’t forget our friends and family who have gone before us in death. They are gone from our midst, but they should never be forgotten. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
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SAINT MARY’S & SAINT ELIZABETH’S CATHOLIC CHURCHES
Eucharistic Ministers Leonard G./Martina S. David H./Vivian H.
Gifts Philip & Clem U. Ruth Fitterer
Rosary Leader Martina S. Richard W.
Greeters Leonard & Kathy G. Scott Schmitt Family
Homebound Minister Reenie T. Reenie T.
Saint Elizabeth’s Liturgical Ministers June 2, 2019
Lector Deran
Mass Server Bailey
Eucharistic Ministers Trish & Dorita
Gifts Cindy S. & Jessica S.
Greeters Gregg & Marsha
Ushers Elvin & Lenny
A point to ponder (Memorial Day)
We don’t know them all, but we owe them all.
Summer Camps for our youth
A reminder to parents and youth that there are some
great Catholic summer camps for your children. They are as
follows: 1) Trinity Youth Camp (grades 4-8) at Pelican Lake
(July 10-14; July 24-28), cost: $275; 2) Cor Christi (grades 9-
12) at the University of Mary (July 8-12; July 15-19), cost
$200; and 3) Camp of Eligeremus Dandelions (Latin for
“picking dandelions”). The kids will have fun picking all of the
pretty yellow flowers around the church property at Saint
Mary’s Church all summer long. Cost: $0. Again, if you cannot
cover the cost of these camps, know that we will find the funds
for you. We want our youth to have a great experience this
summer in a faith-filled and fun environment; they deserve it!
Saint of the week, Saint Rita of Cascia (1381-1457)
Feast day: May 22nd
Patron of: lost and impossible causes, sickness, wounds, marital problems, abuse, mothers
Saint Rita of Cascia was born in 1381 to a noble Catholic family in Roccaporena, a small suburb of
Cascia, Italy. Her parents were devout and charitable and raised their daughter to love the Lord and to serve
Him faithfully. She desired to become a contemplative nun, but her parents rejected these plans and at age
twelve, they arranged her marriage to Paolo Mancini.
Paolo was a quick-tempered and immoral man who had many enemies in the region of Cascia. He was very cruel to
Saint Rita and in married life, she endured insults, physical abuse, and infidelities for many years. But Saint Rita found solace
and comfort in her prayer life and in raising her two sons, Giovanni and Paulo. In time, she was able to convert her husband into
a better person, through her humility, kindness, patience, and love. Yet, Paulo remained engaged in a bitter family feud with the
Chiqui family and one day, near his home, he was violently stabbed to death.
At the funeral of her husband, Saint Rita publicly forgave her husband’s murderers. But her brother-in-law, Bernardo
Mancini, continued the feud between the Chiqui and Mancini families and hoped to convince Saint Rita’s sons to seek revenge.
Saint Rita, fearing that her sons would lose their souls because of the grave sin of murder, tried to persuade them from retaliat-
ing, but to no avail. So, she turned to prayer and begged the Lord to take her sons rather than allow them to commit the mortal
sin of murder. Her prayers were answered; her sons died a year later of dysentery. Saint Rita was saddened by the deaths of her
sons, but she found comfort in knowing that they died a natural death and were spared the eternal punishment of hell, which
would have been their lot had they murdered their father’s assassins.
After the deaths of her husband and sons, Saint Rita desired to enter the Monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene in Cascia,
an order of Augustinian nuns. The nuns recognized her deep faith, her piety, and her good character, but they were afraid of be-
ing associated with her, due to the scandal of her husband’s violent death; Saint Rita was turned away from entering the monas-
tery. Yet, she persisted. So, the Augustinian nuns made one condition: she could enter only after she reconciled her family with
her husband’s murderers. Saint Rita called upon her three patron saints, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Augustine, and Saint Nich-
olas of Tolentino to assist her in this task. Shortly afterwards, a plague ravaged Italy and it infected her brother-in-law, Bernardo
Mancini. Fearing it was the punishment of God for his murderous thoughts and intentions, he relinquished his desire to feud any
longer with the Chiqui family. With peace between the families in order, Saint Rita was allowed to enter the convent and a pious
legend states that she was transported into the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene via levitation at night by her three patron
saints.
In the monastery, Saint Rita was a model nun, entering deeply into the life of prayer and contemplation. In her desire to
enter more fully into the passion and death of Jesus Christ, she prayed one day before a Crucifix in her monastic cell. Suddenly,
a spine from Jesus’ Crown of Thorns flew through the air and embedded itself deep within her forehead. For nineteen years, she
bore this partial stigmata, which oozed blood constantly and had a foul odor. Yet, on the day of her death, it miraculously disap-
peared and her skin was pure and radiant. Another miracle shortly before her death was the miracle of the rose. A visiting cousin
asked Saint Rita if there was anything she wanted before she died and she requested a rose from the rose garden of her old
home. It was January and her cousin knew that roses did not bloom at that time of year, but at the insistence of Saint Rita, she
went to her old house. She was amazed to see a single rose blooming and she brought it back to Saint Rita at the convent. To
this day, on the Feast of Saint Rita, a holy scent emanates from Saint Rita’s tomb, a scent so beautiful it cannot even be likened
to the most fragrant of flowers. It is another of her great miracles, a phenomenon the Church calls the “odor of sanctity”.
Saint Rita of Cascia was canonized on May 24th, 1900. At her canonization ceremony, she was bestowed the title of Pa-
troness of Impossible Causes and she continues to inspire hope in abused wives and heartbroken women.
Memorial Day military humor
What are the main rules in the army?
1) The commanding officer is always right.
2) If the commanding officer is not right, see rule
#1.
GOD’S SHARE—Thanks to the generosity of many parishioners, Saint Mary’s to date we have pledges totaling $16,411, which represents 58% of our parish goal, with 36% of our families participating.
GOD’S SHARE—Thanks to the generosity of many parishioners, Saint Eliza-beth’s to date we have pledges totaling $2877.00, which represents 41% of our parish goal, with 39% of our families participating.
The Catholic Foundation of Western North Dakota will be hosting its 5th Annual Seminarian Golf Tournament on Monday, June 24th located
at Prairie West Golf Course in Mandan, ND. This event is supporting the Seminarian’s education. Registration and boxed lunch will be be-
tween 12 pm and 1 pm, with a shotgun start at 1 pm. Steak dinner to follow. To register, visit www.catholicfoundationdob.com/golf2019 or
by mailing in the registration form located in this week’s bulletin.
