Operation Rice Bowl
This Lent, our parish will be joining millions of Catholics across the country by participating in Catholic Relief Services' Operation Rice Bowl. Your family is invited to pick up a Rice Bowl packet after Mass and join in this simple yet powerful Lenten practice. We are all invited to pray with our families and fellow parishioners, fast in solidarity with those who are hungry, learn about our brothers and sisters around the world, and give sacrificial contributions to help those in need.
Madrid to Kick Off Lenten Series
We are excited to announce that Patrick Madrid will be kicking off our Holy Thursdays in Lent series at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27. Patrick hosts the Thursday edition of the EWTN "Open Line" radio broadcast (3-5 p.m.), heard across the U.S. on approximately 185 AM and FM stations. He is a fantastic and inspiring speaker who has a great knowledge of and love for the faith. We are excited to have him and the many other excellent speakers secured for our Holy Thursdays in Lent.
Stations of the Cross
Beginning this Friday, Feb. 24, and continuing on every Friday during Lent, we will pray the Stations of the Cross at 7 p.m. in the church. During this special devotion, through meditation and prayer, we will walk with our Savior on His way of suffering from the time he was condemned to death until he died and was buried. Making this devotion part of your Lenten commitment to prayer will help you grow closer to Christ. Surely there'snot a better way to spend Friday evenings during Lent than to pray the Stations of the Cross together after dining on a delicious fish dinner in the cafeteria.
Fish Fry to Begin Friday, Feb. 24
Join us for our Lenten Fish and Bake, Fridays Feb. 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The menu and prices are as follows:
DINNERS:
Fried Tilapia on Bun Dinner, $ 6.50
Baked Cod Dinner, $ 8.00
6pc Shrimp Dinner, $ 8.50
Dinners include choice of coleslaw OR applesauce AND choice of one of the following: fries, baked potato, mac & cheese, green beans or green salad
ALA CARTE:
Fried Tilapia Sandwich, $ 5.50
1pc Baked Cod, $ 7.00
6pcs Shrimp, $ 7.50
Cheese Pizza (1 slice), $ 2.00
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, $ 2.00
Cheese Fries, $ 2.00
Fries, $ 1.50
Baked Potato, $ 1.50
Green Beans, $ 1.00
Macaroni & Cheese, $ 1.00
Green Salad, $ 1.00
Onion Rings, $ 2.00
Fried Mushrooms, $ 2.00
Cole Slaw, $ 0.50
Applesauce, $ 0.50
Desserts & Carry-Outs Available!
40 Days for Life' Observance
We are offering a great opportunity for St. Cecilia parishioners to become involved with the 40 Days for Life Campaign by volunteering to pray outside of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility on Auburn Avenue during the 40 days of Lent. Please sign up after Mass at any church door to show your support for life. We have scheduled St. Cecilia for the alternating Fridays and Saturdays during Lent. Volunteers will alternate between Friday and Saturday every week for the 3-7 p.m. time slot. We're hoping to see good family participation on the weekend dates. 40 Days for Life is a prayerful, peaceful and unified effort across the country. Hundreds of lives have been saved and many abortion facilities closed. Most of the people who commit to covering one hour of prayer at the abortion facility have never done anything like this before but report that it is a very spiritual experience for them. To learn more, call Kathy Dwyer at (513) 871-7167 or go to http://www.40daysforlife.com/
What Would Julia Do?
We currently need three new volunteers to cook and deliver meals for Fr. Jamie and our seminarian, Jim Riehle, on the first and second Mondays and the fifth Friday of each month. We ask that you call ahead to check for any schedule changes and to use disposable containers. There are no dietary concerns except that Father Jamie is not fond of brussels sprouts or liver. Requested food delivery is at 5 p.m. Call Billie Jean at 631-8739 if you can help.
Online Giving Now Available at St. Cecilia
We are very proud to introduce Online Giving to St. Cecilia. This is a great program for those who do not wish to receive envelopes. Online Giving is a secure way to make reoccurring electronic donations to St. Cecilia, or even make a onetime donation to a particular fund. Online giving allows the parishioner the opportunity to contribute to our parish without writing checks or worrying about cash donations.
Online Giving offers you flexibility to choose to contribute weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, twice a year and even yearly. You choose the day of the week that you would like your contribution to come out. Online Giving will accept checks, Visa, MasterCard and Discover. You the parishioner will have the ability of choosing to donate to Sunday, holy days, designated collections and even St. Vincent de Paul! This program also off ers a detailed giving history to the user.
Please visit our online giving page and give it a try. Our current ACH system will remain intact, but I recommend checking out Online Giving. Contact Vince Woodall with any questions at (513) 871-5757, ext. 204.
A Note From Fr. Smith
"I want to thank everyone for all the cards, letters and gifts you sent to me over Christmas and after my surgery. I am getting better each day and am grateful for the excellent medical care I received. While I would like to sit down and send a personal thank you to each and every one of you for your thoughts, prayers and gifts, truth be told, I simply do not have the energy. I do want you to know, however, how much all of you mean to me. So please continue to pray for me as I will always pray for you. Thank you for your love."
Golden Anniversary Mass
A special Mass for couples celebrating their 50th anniversary will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. Scrolls will be available as a keepsake for couples celebrating their 25th, 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries. Please notify Barb Browarsky at (513) 871- 5757, ext. 202, by March 17 if you are celebrating one of these milestones this year. There will also be a special blessing here at St. Cecilia at all the weekend Masses of Feb. 11-12 for married couples. Those who have been married 25 years or more are invited to breakfast at the cafeteria after 10 a.m. Mass on Feb. 12.
Catholism: It's Your Story
Filmed on location around the world, this groundbreaking 10-part series is a fascinating exploration of the truths and treasures of our Catholic faith. The DVD series continues at 7 p.m. Sundays in the school cafeteria and 9:45 a.m. Mondays in the Parish Center. Come and join us!
Upcoming topics:
Feb. 26-27: "A Body Both Suff ering and Glorious: The Mystical Union of Christ and the Church"
March 4-5: "Word Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven: The Mystery of the Church's Sacrament and Worship"
Preview the series at www.catholicismseries.com.
Download Advent Mission Talks
Fr. James Sullivan, O.P., presented our parish Advent mission in December. To download MP3 copies of Fr. Sullivan's inspiring talks to enjoy on your computer or MP3 player,visit our multimedia page.
Join the Choir at St. Cecilia
Singing in choir does not require any advanced music skills. You don't need to know how to read music (but you will learn how to read music in choir). All you need is a voice that blends with other voices, willingness to praise God in song, and the commitment to attend Tuesday night rehearsal and the 10 a.m. Mass on Sundays. Can you play an instrument? Accomplished instrumentalists are also needed to augment the music program. Please seriously consider your participation in the parish music ministry. In return for your participation, you are guaranteed to acquire a level of personal accomplishment and satisfaction in your spiritual life you can't find elsewhere. Get in touch with Bob Kellison at 984-3938 or robertkellison@hotmail.com.
