Join Us Virtually for the 70th Annual Brother Mathias St. Patrick’s Day Celebration of Faith and Service Honoring St. Patrick and Founder, Brother Mathias. March 17, 2021, 6:00 PM-8:00 PM. Join us ONLINE at gscnm.org. For more information call 505-249-6416.
Students at Our Lady of Fatima School and public school students in the Catechism program will be receiving cardboard “Rice Bowls” to use during Lent as we participate in Operation Rice Bowl. Rice bowls will also be available in the church and parish office for other parishioners who would like to participate. The Rice Bowls will be collected during Holy Week. 75% of our Rice Bowl donations go to support the programs of Catholic Relief Services throughout the world, and 25% of our Rice Bowl donations support local projects to alleviate hunger and poverty here in our own Archdiocese.
The Stations of the Cross will be prayed in the church at 6:30 PM on Fridays during Lent. Parishioners are invited to participate. Because of the continuing COVID precautions, we will not be having Lenten Soup Suppers this year. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) will be offered during the Stations of the Cross.
Join us for a seven-week Adult Faith Formation Lenten journey beginning February 16, 2021. A study guide will be provided. In-person and Zoom meetings are available. Please call the parish office to register (505-265-5868).
Wednesday, February 3rd is the Feast of St. Blaise with the traditional blessing of throats which will take place after the 6:30 AM and 8:15 AM Masses. Given the current pandemic, I think it is prudent to not bless individual throats this year. The blessing will take place after the General Intercessions (Prayers of the Faithful) using an alternate form which is described in the Book of Blessings.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 17th. There will be three Masses with distribution of ashes that day: 6:30 AM, 8:15 AM, and 5:30 PM. The distribution of ashes will take place after the homily. There will also be a Liturgy of the Word (no Communion) with distribution of ashes at 12:10 PM in the afternoon. Ash Wednesday is a day of fast and abstinence. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, all Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are bound by the rule of fasting.
January is a busy month as we prepare for Catholic Schools Week. This week is a time for us to truly celebrate Catholic Schools and have some fun while doing it. Catholic Schools Week begins on January 31st and ends on February 6th. During the course of the week we make sure to thank those people who help to make our school successful: our students, our families, our Priests, our community and our Falcon teachers and staff!
We have begun the 2021 Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) Campaign. The ACA provides approximately 35% of the funding for ministries of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and every parish is assigned a mandatory goal. Our assigned goal is $42,500 in pledges this year. Remember that all paid pledges that are in excess of our goal will be rebated back to our parish. If you have not already made a pledge to ACA for 2021, please prayerfully consider doing so. Informational brochures and pledge cards are located at the entrances of the church. Please note that no funds from ACA go to pay Archdiocesan legal expenses or settlements. It all goes to support ministry.
Year-end contribution statements will soon be mailed to all parishioners who contributed a total of $50 or more to Our Lady of Fatima Parish in 2020. This would include donations made to St. Vincent de Paul, Fatima School Support (not including tuition), and other second collections. Please contact the Parish Office if you have not received your statement by the end of January. If your total donations for 2020 were less than $50 and you would like a copy of your contribution statement, it may be requested from the parish office. Thank you for your financial support of our parish.
On Saturday, December 19, 2020, my desire to respond to the universal call to holiness through the Catholic priesthood was confirmed by the Church through the imposition of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by His Excellency, The Most Reverend John C. Wester, the Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe, NM. I am grateful to God, and the Catholic Church for this precious gift and privilege to serve as “another Christ” among the People of God.
Deacon Anthony Ezeaputa, who has served in our parish the past several months, was ordained to the Priesthood yesterday by Archbishop John C. Wester at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe. He is now Father Anthony Ezeaputa!
The Saturday, December 19, 2020, 5:30 PM Vigil Mass will not be pre-recorded for online viewing. Online Mass will resume on Sunday, December 20, 2020 for the 12 noon Mass.
Just a reminder that pledges made last February for the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA) Campaign should be paid before the end of December. If you have not yet fulfilled your pledge, please make every effort to do so before the end of this month. Thank you!
For parishioners who wish to make an end of year donation to the parish, please do so by Monday, December 28th, 2020. Donations can be dropped off at the parish office from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM on Monday.
In place of an Advent Parish Mission this year, I am inviting our parishioners and guests to participate in a spiritual journey called “The Search.” At all Masses this weekend, we are distributing copies of the book, “The Search” by Chris Stefanick. This book accompanies a series of 30minute videos that are accessible through our parish subscription to Formed (go to www.formed.org to set up your personal log in at no cost).