Faith Formation Connections


From the heart of our Pastoral Associate...Dr. Kathie Amidei
Prayer Corner
I was listening to a discussion on Relevant Radio today and someone said "Don't just give up or do something for Lent. Let whatever you do or don't do be something that brings you closer to God." One way we probably can't go wrong this Lent is to incorporate some prayer practice, perhaps a new one, the Examen or the Labyrinth or just dust off one we already know, the Rosary or maybe just saying the Our Father slowing at the beginning and end of the day.

Lisa, mom of Nate and Maria, told me, that after being at the Prayer Fair her children came home and each made a "prayer corner" in their living room. Not a traditional devotional space with candles, a Bible, and religious pictures, but a cozy space complete with soft blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals; a comfy spot to curl up and enjoy some personal quiet time with God. Later she sent this picture and message. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church it says "The Holy Spirit, the artisan of God's works, is the master of prayer."
I think the Holy Spirit is at work in a church that encourages prayer, in the home that found room for unconventional prayer corners and in the creativity of children who want to pray. John Roberto said the walls of his Italian grandmother's home breathed Catholicism. May our homes breath with the beauty of prayer this Lent.
Upcoming Events:

March 9, 5:30-7pm Junior Retreat Planning.

March 9, 6:00 Bible Camp Planning Meeting
 
March 10-15 Labyrinth (FH-A).

March 10, 12pm Alpha at St. Anthony.

March 11,10-11am Parish Lenten Communal Reconciliation.


March 12, before/after Mass Donut Sunday and Blood Pressure Screening.

March 12, 7-8:30pm Buckets & Beliefs.

March 13, 5:30-6:30pm  SPARK.
(Come for 15min or stay the hour!)
 
March 13, 6:30pm
Common Leadership Night

March 13, 6:30-7pm Vespers.

March 14, 9:30-11am  Moms Group.

March 14, 6:30-8:30pm Alpha at Queen of Apostles.

March 15, 8am Active at St. A (Gym open to all for  walking)

March 15, 10-11:30am  Molly Ministry  Open Gym.

March 15, 5-6pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Church).
 
March 15, 6pm Mass.

March 15, 6:15-8pm  Middle in the Middle (Youth Room).

March 16, 2:30&/or 4:30pm  Children's Choir rehearsal. Gr. 3-8 welcome to join at any time!
 
March 16, 5:30-7pm Junior Retreat Planning.
 
March 17, 8am Active at St. A (Gym open to all for  walking)

March 17, 12-2pm Alpha at St. Anthony.

March 18, 4-4:30
Confessions
 
March 19/20 Family Program
(Last one for this year)

March 19 7-8:30pm  Buckets & Beliefs .

March 20, 6:30-7pm Vespers (Chapel).

March 21, 6:30pm
Separated and Divorced, FH-E

March 21, 6:30-8:30pm Alpha at Queen of Apostles.

March 22, 8am
Active at St. A

March 22, 10am
Guardians and Angels

March 22, 5-6pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Church).
 
March 22, 6pm Mass.

March 22, 6:30pm
Lector Training

March 23, 1:00
Quilters

March 23, 5pm
Schola

March 23, 5:30
Hand Bell Rehearsal, church

March 16, 5:30-7pm Junior Retreat Packing Meeting.

March 24, 8am
Active at St. A

March 24-26 Junior Retreat

March 24, noon
Alpha at St. A
 
See full Calendar
In our community...
 
 


  
Lent 2017:  Resources for your Lenten journey are available in the gathering space, and on our Lenten Prayer Opportunities page .
 
Al McCauley will be here March 12 to present "Learning to See, Praying with Christian Art" following the 9:00 Mass.


The Labyrinth in Fellowship Hall will be set up and available to walk during open church hours from Friday March 10 at 3:30pm to Wednesday, March 15 at 8:30pm.  Information on what a labyrinth is, and how to pray it is available in Fellowship Hall, and on our website. 

See the upcoming bulletin for 
  • 40 Things to Give Up For Lent - The List
  • Succession Plan... Pastoral Council/Standing Committee/Trustee Nominations
Jr. Retreat Planning:  Our meetings are Thursday nights, in PLC-A from 5:30-7pm, March 9,16,and 23.  The retreat will be held the weekend of March 24-26. High School seniors, college students and interested adults are invited to help plan the retreat. Contact Cindi, if you are interested.

The Men of St. Anthony invite you to join them for the 
Men of Christ Conference
Saturday, April 1st - Downtown at Milwaukee Theater
Men of Christ Conference - Obedience Amid the Rebellion, a one-day conference, begins at 9:00 am.
Please call Bill Goggins at 262.617.8001 for more information 
                
Cardinal Stritch University's  S aint Clare Center for Catholic Life
Saturday, March 11: Morning of Reflection entitled "Simplify." Come slow down and reflect on ways you can simplify and unclutter your spirit this Lent. Information
Monday, March 13: Breakfast presentation by Fr. Dan Horan called "The Foolishness of Christianity." Fr. Horan will explore the foolishness of Christianity as a positive force for change and conversion in the face of division, discrimination, and violence. Information

St. Anthony On-Site Community Garden
Individuals, families, and groups are needed to help build, plant, and care for the garden and to get our produce to those who are in need. If interested, contact Kathy Waters or call her at 262-695-8314.

Employment Opportunity:
St. Anthony on the Lake is currently looking to fill the position of Hospitality/ Food Service Ministry Coordinator.  For more information, please contact  Art Scheuber  at 262-691-1173.

Eucharistic Adoration is open for anyone to stop in. Can you give an hour each week?  Contact Nancy Kelley at 549-0981 or Dave Lechtenberg at 424-6162. 


St. Anthony Athletics
Basketball:  We're in the Padre!
Our boys and girls 8th grade basketball teams were invited to the prestigious Padre Basketball Tournament.  Thank you to everyone that came to cheer on the boys last weekend at Mount Mary University. We are proud of you boys, you fought hard! Join us this Saturday,  March 11 @ 11 a.m to cheer on the girls!

Track: 
2017 Track and Field - Grades 5th-8th
Click here for information regarding the track season and program.  Registration is open.

Want to help welcome our little ones and their families?Baptism hospitality
 ministers and volunteer helpers in our childcare room are needed? Contact Kathy Paro.

Planning for summer?


Bible Camp will again be offered this summer! Our theme is "Camp Covenant". We will begin with a Pentecost Party the evening of Tuesday, June 13, 6:30-7:45. Then our 9:00-12:00 program with kids will be June 14-16! 
Want to help with the planning? Join us tonight, March 9, from 6:00-7:30pm in MR-G (the meeting room behind the Fellowship Hall kitchen).  Email Debbie if you are unable to make it, but would like to help.






Volleyball Camp with Coach Casey is returning. .
Boys and Girls Currently in 3rd-8th Grade
Cost:  $85, Location : St. Anthony Gym
JULY 17-20 9:00-11:30 a.m.
Make a Difference

Greeters at Mass
All families are invited and needed to sign-up to be greeters at Masses. Help be a welcoming presence as we open the doors for visitors and parishioners coming for Mass. Your smile may make someone's day! More information and video here.
Ministry Highlight: Family Program
Look at all the ways we've prayed in Family Program this year! We prayed in nature, with the Saints, with sacramentals, using ACTS, walking the labyrinth, the rosary and the Examen, to name a few. Family Program Blog with videos.
 
"We have loved the Family Program focus on prayer this year!  It is hard to believe we have only one session left; March 19 for the Sunday program and March 20 for the Monday program.  Lent and Holy Week will be the topic.  We welcome any guests and families not currently enrolled in Family Program to join us on the evening of March 20. Please contact Ann Fons if you plan to join us; so she can let you know which room would be the best fit for you and your family."  
 
For more about Family Program please see Family Program page.
Prayer Resources
Looking to try a new prayer or learn more about one you've experienced? Resources and handouts on prayer, can be found  here.
Help Us Celebrate 100 Years - By Sharing YOUR Story!
Did you know that our parish will celebrate 100 years on June 30th, 2018? As we prepare to mark this exciting moment, we are embarking on a living history project. Do you have a memorable story from St. Anthony's history? Is your family tied to the origins of our parish? Do you have photos, documents or other artifacts that represent important moments in our history and development over the years?
Molly Ministry/Early Childhood

Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate Fat Tuesday and took time to think about the beginning of Lent the following day with us. Your presence and participation in the fun helped to make it a very fun event.

          
Moms Group: Tuesdays March 14 and 28 , 9:30-11am. Childcare is available while the moms meet for discussion, prayer, support and faith sharing on this shared journey of parenting.  New moms always welcome.  We will have our traditional Lenten moms group doing Mary's Way of the Cross on April 4 this year.

Open Gym for preschoolers and a guardian : Wednesday March 15, 10-11:30.
Guardians and Angels: Wednesday, March 22, 1 0-11:30  
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We are blessed with a dedicated staff to love and play with our youngest parishioners while parents are in Mass, moms group, bible study, sacramental prep with older siblings, the adult presentation during Family Program, and many other offerings. Here is Angela reading to two of them.


Grades 1-5

Please pray for the children who have started preparing for their First Communion.

The Bread Baking Retreat for First Communicants is April 1, 9-1:30. 

Planning for summer? Save the dates June 13-16 for 
Bible Camp at St. Anthony. Registration now available.   

Students in family program begin class with prayer. Each room contains a prayer bin with liturgical colored cloth. This week, as they prayed in Lent, they noticed the cloth was purple.  Here are some of the 5th graders Sunday morning.

Middle School Ministry


An interesting question to ponder with our middle school youth: On Tuesday, March 7, Pope Francis asked, "What if we treated the Bible as we treat our mobile phones?   See and hear his comments. 

Currently in 7th or 8th grade? Want to make a difference this summer?

  Register now for our middle school mission experience:  Summer Outreach Camp!   Camp begins the evening of July 25 with fun and orientation, We'll stay overnight at St. Anthony and spend the days of July 26 and 27, serving in Waukesha County. We close with a family celebration the night of the 27th. This is a half week Christ-centered mission, offering 7th & 8th graders an opportunity to serve our  neighbors and community through hands-on assistance and work.
 


Middle in the Middle meets again March 15, 6:15-8pm. RSVP here.




Students in Family Program middle school classes continued their learning fun with faith facts by playing a game of "Jeopardy". Categories included: Creedal Beliefs, the Bible, Liturgy and Prayer, and the Moral Life.
For more photos and instructions on how to do Lectio Divina as a family, see the Middle School Blog .
High School Ministry

SPARK:  Eucharistic Adoration, similar to the experience offered at the prayer fair, is offered here on Monday evenings, twice a month. This is teen-friendly; all are welcome! 
Next date: Monday, March 13, 5:30-6:30pm 


Attention 11th grade Confirmation: 
If you missed the Parent/Teen/Sponsor Night, stop by the office to pick up the forms you need for  Junior Retreat and Confirmation.

Jr. Retreat Planning: Our meetings are Thursday nights, in PLC-A from 5:30-7pm, March 9,16,and 23.  The retreat will be held the weekend of March 24-26. High School seniors, college students and interested adults are invited to help plan the retreat.

Summer Mission Trips:  Preparations are underway for the  high school mission trips !  Final payments are due now. Thank to everyone who has volunteered to chaperone!  Please contact Ann Fons if you have any questions.

Selling Shares and Volunteering are expectations for mission trip participants.
Watch for an email coming soon with details. If you don't receive one in the next week, contact Ann! The next meeting is April 24. 

Confirmation Group Team Building:
"St. Anthony had our back tonight. The team escaped the room. What an awesome group of young adults!"
~Patti








My favorite thing to do for Lent : See this great idea to help us pray for others this Lent!
Family Program

All the ways we have prayed:  Families shared their experiences of prayer over the year in a "Family CafĂ©" style. Some of the questions discussed were:
  • What did you learn about prayer that you didn't know before?
  • What prayer practices would you like to continue to implement in your life?
  • What are some obstacles to a life in prayer?

Continue the conversation, see more photos and some of the answers to these questions as  well as links to handouts, on the  Family Program Blog.   

What kind of prayer helps you feel closer to God?
rosary.jpg
LaPetite Family Program
Congratulations goes to Noah for earning his rosary this week. Several other students have successfully memorized their prayers and are on their way to earning theirs as well.Keep up the good work!

Family Inspiration:

Here are  41 ways to keep Lent. . .

 

Make Lent a time of love in your family. Print this poster and hang it on your fridge. When members of your family do any of the loving and thanking actions, highlight or circle those words. By Easter, you will have a 41-day history of love.

and we offer one more. . . make a "Praying Always" online family retreat.  Here is how it works:  choose a day and time when you can set aside 20 minutes to pray together; 'retreat' to the family room; click the link above and then take turns reading the prayers and follow the prayer directions.  
STAY CONNECTED: