The Man Who Befriended a Lion
 Greetings!
Greetings! How are you doing? On this last day of the month of September we have the blessed opportunity to reflect upon the life of and ask for the intercession of Saint Jerome. He lived in late 300s and into the early 400s and had a reputation for being a bit cantankerous or even “Irascible.” In spite of some anger management issues he was a faith-filled man who helped to translate the Bible from the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament into the Latin Vulgate or language of the people. In addition to the facts that are known about his life- like his birth name was Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus - there are some more mythical elements as well (newworldencyclopedia.org).
 
For instance, according to a legend from the Medieval period, when Jerome was living in a cave near Bethlehem a lion visited him with a thorn in its paw. The saintly man removed the thorn from the lion’s paw and the grateful feline protected him. There are some wonderful artistic renderings of this unlikely friendship. One of the more whimsical can be found here: scottgustafson.com. Apart from playful paintings I even came across a poem that claims to be an old English nursery rhyme titled, “St. Jerome’s Cat”:
St. Jerome in his study kept a great big cat,
it's always in his pictures, with its feet upon the mat.
Did he give it milk to drink, in a little dish?
When it came to Friday's, did he give it fish?
If I lost my little cat, I'd be sad without it;
I should ask St. Jerome what to do about it.
I should ask St. Jerome, just because of that,
for he's the only saint I know who kept a kitty cat.  

On this day in honor of the Patron Saint of Librarians, Students, Scholars, and Archaeologists we ask for his prayerful intercession that we would grow ever more in our knowledge and love of Scripture and our knowledge and love of Christ.

Life with Christ
Fr. James
P.S. Did you know something about St. Jerome and the Lion that you can see in our church of Immaculate Conception? On the wall behind the altar, we have a small artistic representation of St. Jerome. He is depicted as one of the “Four Western Doctors” along with St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, and St. Gregory the Great. Providentially, the Gospel of St. Mark by the crucifix is represented symbolically by a lion…  
Fr. James Daily Video Message
Daily video messages from Fr. James and Masses celebrated by Father James can be found on Facebook, YouTube, our My Parish app and on our website:
Trivia Question of the Week
The Responsorial Psalm for Mass today says that “The__________of the Lord give joy to the heart?”

A. Precepts
B. Commands
C. Decrees
D. Mercies 

See the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Archdiocesan Synod
Mark Your Calendars!
Remember you have a voice! Come ready to pray, learn and give your input as parishioners come together to discuss and give feedback on priorities within each of the following Synod focus areas.
 
  • Parishes that are in the service of evangelization;
  • Missionary disciples who know Jesus’s love and respond to his call; and
  • Youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.
 
We invite you to join our small groups for six Thursday sessions starting September 23 through October 28. We will offer afternoon sessions from 1:00-3:00 pm and evening sessions from 7:00-9:00 pm. Meetings will be in Fellowship Hall. Registration is available (but not required) after Masses the weekends of September 11-12 and 18-19. You can also contact Mary Nawrocki at mnawrocki@immac-church.org or 763-788-9062 x 210 for more information.
 
In the meantime, pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and inspire His people. “Come Holy Spirit, Come!”

Synod Small Group Gathering Focus Areas

Focus area #1: Forming missionary disciples who know Jesus’ love and respond to his call.

Session 1 – September 30 (English), October 2 (Spanish)
  • Topic A: The Good News of Jesus Christ – the “Kerygma”
  • Topic B: Personally encountering Jesus

Session 2 – October 7 (English), October 9 (Spanish)
  • Topic A: Life-long formation
  • Topic B: Universal call to holiness

Focus area #2: Forming parishes that are in the service of evangelization.

Session 3 – October 14 (English), October 16 (Spanish)
  • Topic A: Welcoming parishes
  • Topic B: Collaboration in parish ministry

Session 4 – October 21 (English), October 23 (Spanish)
  • Topic A: Liturgy and the Sunday experience
  • Topic B: Sharing the Gospel in word and deed

Focus area #3: Forming youth and young adults in and for a Church that is always young.

Session 5 – October 28 (English), October 30 (Spanish)
  • Topic A: Parents as primary educators (birth – adult)
  • Topic B: Helping the young encounter Jesus (birth – grade 6)

Session 6 – November 4 (English), November 6 (Spanish)
  • Topic A: Youth ministry (grades 6-12)
  • Topic B: Young adult ministry (ages 18-35)
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Fr. James!

November 7 - 18, 2022
Experience a once-in-a-lifetime journey in faith while walking in the footsteps of Jesus. Sail on the Sea of Galilee, explore the Old City of Jerusalem and have Mass at the most meaningful sites in Christianity. Accompanied by an excellent local guide, learn about the spiritual, historical, and cultural significance of the Holy Land. More information coming soon! magitravelinc.com/holy-land
Enjoy a free subscription to FORMED.org

FORMED provides amazing online videos, audio and books 24/7 for you to grow in your faith. It's EASY and FREE to Register!

  • Go to iccsonline.formed.org and click next
  • Enter your name and email and click sign-up
  • Enjoy and share with others in our local community!

You can watch with your free parish subscription by simply selecting our parish’s name during registration at formed.org/signup.
Immaculate Conception School
We are still registering students for the upcoming year. Please contact any of the following with questions – we love to show off our wonderful school!

Jane Bona, 763-788-9065, x 220
Megan Sackmaster, 763-788-9062, x 207
Immaculate Conception Parish App
Answer to the Trivia Question of the Week:
A. Precepts
 Immaculate Conception
Church and School
Church: 763-788-9062
School: 763-788-9065
info@immac-church.org | ICCSonline.org
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