Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Many of you know that May is historically the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our mother. It's so apropos that this month every year also celebrates our earthly mothers, as well as renewed hope and rebirth as spring transitions into summer. We would like to encourage all families with children to set aside next Saturday, May 9, as a Family Day Retreat. We will be emailing you simple activities to be done at home, filled with fun and uplifting prayer, and opportunities for healing, forgiveness and better communication. We promise it will be unlike anything your family has ever done.

Also in this e-newsletter, you will find: 

• Sign up for Easter Home Blessings
• More news from Auction Season
• Food Collection for the Poor is this weekend
• Culver's Night to benefit Saint John's School
• Pictorial Directory drive-up days
• Pastoral Planning updates and Mass news from the Archdiocese
• A video prayer from me, Father Tom

May Is the Month of Mary

At the beginning of tonight's (May 2) live-streamed 4:30 PM Mass, we will be crowning our Mary statue. Please tune in to witness this beautiful event. And thank you to the more than 300 who have either live-streamed or later viewed our Rosary recitations from the past two Fridays. Equally important, THANK YOU to Nancy Johnson for leading us, even while maintaining our social distancing best practices. 

Live-Stream Schedule:
9:15 AM Fridays: Rosary
4:00 PM Saturdays: Rosary (Ste. Anne's)
4:30 PM Saturdays: Mass

Click here to view any of our live-streamed services.

Additional resources on Marian devotions and the month of Mary can be found in our News Feed on our website. Click here. Archdiocesan May Crowning is at 2:00 PM Sunday, May 3. Archbishop Hebda and Bishop Cozzens will preside at the annual Rosary Procession, which this year will be a private celebration live-streamed from the Cathedral. The statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be crowned, and Archbishop Hebda will also consecrate our Archdiocese to the Mary, Mother of the Church. Find the worship guide and video here.

Do you have ideas for more virtual offerings? Contact Laura Haraldson or Ryan Chimzar today.

Contact Us for Easter Home Blessings and Eucharist

Our director of pastoral ministry, Deacon Eric Cooley, makes a very generous offer in our bulletin this weekend. Following with Easter tradition, families have the opportunity to sign up for an individual home blessing. (See the image above from the Haraldson family's socially distanced home blessing, as an example.) Simply contact Deacon to arrange a time. Additionally, with full permission of the Archdiocese, we've been granted the ability to provide Eucharist to the Faithful in our parish one time during this Easter season. If you have yet to take advantage of this generous blessing, please contact Deacon Eric Cooley or Father Tom Balluff to set up your private appointment. 

Deacon Eric: 651-288-3268; ecooleystjohnsoflc.org
Father Tom: 651-288-3265; pastorstjohnsoflc.org

Support Saint John's School Auction Today!

Our Fund-A-Need is LIVE on our Auction Website now, and if we can raise $30,000 by May 10, we’ll receive a very generous match of $30,000. Click here to donate to Fund-A-Need.

Help us reach our goal of bringing quality Catholic education to more students!

PLUS: May 10th isn’t just Mother’s Day: It’s the day we launch our online bidding for the Boots & Bling auction. You can register and start peeking in at the auction tables today. Click here!

Virtual Bash: Help Us Win $10,000

Help our school win $10,000! Join our Saint John's Parish Watch Party for the Virtual CSCOE Bash, and we will be entered into a $10,000 drawing! Every group of 10 earns us another entry. The Bash is on Saturday, May 2nd, at 7:00 PM, right here on Facebook. Click this link to RSVP, and be sure to join our Saint John's ZOOM Meeting to give us credit! 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74301180704?pwd=ZTJPQjJ2NzMzdTJ6NHY4enl1N1ppZz09

Meeting ID: 743 0118 0704
Password: 029850

Let’s help CSCOE #BringTheLove to Saint John's. @CSCOE

Food Collection for the Poor

This weekend marks the second time we conduct Food Collection for the Poor since we've been staying in place, and we are going to open the Gathering Space from 9:00 AM to Noon Sunday, May 3, to collect every last bag. There is a table labeled “Food Collection” just inside the door. Franciscan Brothers thank you for helping those most in need during this time.

Support Culver's, Support Saint John's

Coming up May 12 is Saint John's Night at Culver's of Little Canada, and you can still participate, even while social distancing! Order pick-up or come to the drive-through at Culver's (2880 Rice Street) between 5:00 and 8:00 PM Tuesday, May 12, and 10 percent of the proceeds will go to Saint John's School. It's an easy way to support the school, and a very meaningful way to support our neighbors in the food industry during these challenging times.

Announcing Pick-up of our Pictorial Directories

For those of you who had your photo taken as a part of our Pictorial Directory project last summer, we have exciting news! We received our directories around Easter, as planned, but due to the uncertainty of this time, we've been working on a safe way for you to get your complimentary copy. And here it is! Drive up to the Gathering Space circle between 1:00 and 4:00 PM Friday, May 15, or Saturday, May 16, and we will deliver a sanitized package with your directory in it, all without you having to leave the safety of your car. Thank you to all of you who participated in this initiative.

Giving in Challenging Times

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued giving to assist both our church and school with operational expenses. As you are able, there are three primary ways you can continue to give, even while we're are social distancing:

1. Give online through Vanco: There are quick-links active on our website’s homepage and Coronavirus sub-page now. Go to www.sjolc.org/giving
2. Mail your contribution to the Parish Office: 380 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117
3. Drop check or cash off in the secure lock box at the Parish Office (between the front doors).

I encourage you also, if you haven't already had the chance, to read my Pastoral Planning quarterly update, which gives updates on our approach to Stewardship and Welcoming as we begin to plan for a safe return to worship in the coming weeks and months, once the Archdiocese gives us the permission to do so. Read the latest letter from Archbishop Hebda by clicking here.

Thank you so much for your continued generosity.

Peace,

Father Tom Balluff, pastor
(click here for my prayer)