Dear Parishioners,
During this historic moment in which we are being asked by civil authorities to remain in our homes as much as possible, exceptions have been granted to priests for providing pastoral care in certain specific situations.
At this time, Archbishop Hebda has asked
that visits made by priests
be limited to those most in need, namely the gravely ill and dying.
A priest should be called in only this sort of situation. This can be done by calling our emergency number 763-572-4355. Please know that we may still have to observe certain protocols based on the facility to which we are being called. If we are being called to a private home, please try to ensure proper social distancing with as few people present as possible.
At minimum, we will be able to offer sacramental absolution and the Apostolic Pardon to those who are gravely ill and near death.
If you should need to call, please also indicate the person’s ability or inability to receive Holy Communion. This is always appreciated, whether or not we are experiencing a pandemic.
With prayers, especially for our parishioners who are sick,
In Christ,
Fr. Ben Little
Fr. Michael Barsness
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With great sadness, and upon further review and after discussions with other trusted priests, I have determined that it is best we close our Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in order to align with the Governor's Stay at Home order. We should not be obliging people to come to church for a specific purpose. Therefore, Eucharistic Adoration will close this evening at 6pm.
We are going to leave the church open for prayer with the Blessed Sacrament during the hours listed below. While Jesus will not be exposed in the monstrance, He is still very much present in the tabernacle and this remains a very meaningful and beautiful way to pray. I believe this aligns with the Archbishop’s statement that permits us to leave the church open for essential pastoral care. I do request that you continue to follow the very clear guidelines established by our public health officials and most importantly,
if you feel sick or have cared for or been exposed to someone who is sick, please STAY HOME.
Church hours for prayer beginning Saturday, March 28 through Wednesday, April 8:
Monday-Saturday: 9AM-6PM
Sunday: 12-6PM
Please enter through Door 11
We will provide an update on the schedule for the Easter Triduum next week.
CDC and MDH guidelines:
No more than 10 people in the church at anyone time; please be mindful of this
Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other people
Do not leave anything in the pews
Wash your hands and cover your cough
If you are in a high-risk group, please stay home
If you are ill or exhibiting symptoms of cold or flu, please stay home
If you have cared for or have been exposed to someone who is sick, please stay home
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*please note daily updates will be published each afternoon M-F by 5PM; if you know someone not receiving the email please send a note to communications @stjohns-savage with their name and email address to be added to the list.
**our
website
will continue to host the most up-to-date information for your easy reference.
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Once again, this year you have the opportunity to contribute donations for flowers in honor of a loved one. These names will be printed in our Easter bulletin on April 12 (and posted on our website). In order to have the name of your loved one printed, we must receive your donation by
Monday, April 6
. Please use the designated envelope in your package and mail to the church indicating who you would like remembered (please print clearly). If you don’t have an envelope, just mail in a plain envelope and mark your contribution “Easter Flowers” and include the name to be listed.
Our address is:
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
c/o Easter Flowers
4625 West 125th Street
Savage, MN 55378
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Given the Stay at Home Order that goes into effect Friday, March 27, please note the following:
- The parish office REMAINS CLOSED. Messages left on the parish office voicemail will be checked but email communication will be answered quickest. Staff listing found HERE. The parish office email is welcome@stjohns-savage.org
- Door #11 is open daily from 9AM-6PM Monday-Saturday and noon-6PM on Sunday (please note the change in time) to allow entrance for those wishing to pray in the church to remain open and will continue to follow the CDC and MDH guidelines.
- The school office and entire school building IS CLOSED.
- The church atrium is CLOSED.
- Adoration is CLOSED. (updated 3/27)
- Please contact Beth Prendi (bprendi@stjohns-savage.org) with regard to funerals.
- There are no baptisms at this time.
- Confessions will be offered (as indicated above through door #11).
Those entering the church to pray or come to adoration should please utilize extreme caution and use the following guidelines:
If you choose to come to church, maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other people
Do not leave anything in the pews
Wash your hands and cover your cough
If you are in a high-risk group, please stay home
If you are ill or exhibiting symptoms of cold or flu, please stay home
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SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
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As you are aware, our governor issued a "Stay at Home" order in effect from Friday, March 27 through Sunday, April 12. Fr. Michael and I will be hearing confessions during this time as it is deemed "essential pastoral care." Confessions will be heard this Saturday, March 28 at the church from 3:30-4:30PM.
You should please enter through Door 11.
In order to comply with the direction from the Archdiocese and public health officials, we have set up confessions to take place in the Cana Room. There is a private and face-to-face option in this room with appropriate distance between the priest and the penitent. Chairs will be placed 6 feet apart to support distance for those waiting in line. If all chairs are full, we will ask that you wait in your vehicle until you see somebody leave the church (to support the order given that 10 or more shall not gather). A staff member will be on-site to assist and provide direction as needed.
We encourage you to examine your conscience before coming, by utilizing online apps such as the Laudate, iConfess, or ConfesGuide. As we indicate in our video, given the number of people who may want to receive this sacrament, we'd encourage you to
"Be bold, be brief, and be gone."
;)
Additional opportunities for confession(subject to change):
Wednesday, April 1 at 6:30PM
Saturday, April 4 at 7:15AM and 3:30PM
Wednesday, April 8 at 6:30PM
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HOLY WEEK & EASTER MASS SCHEDULE
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Holy Week and Easter Masses
April 5/Palm Sunday: 10AM
April 9/Holy Thursday: 7PM
April 10/Good Friday: 3PM
April 11/Easter Vigil: 8:30PM
April 12/Easter: 10AM
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I do not know what will happen to me; I only know one thing for certain, that the Lord will never fall short of His promises. “Do not fear, I will make you suffer, but I will also give you the strength to suffer,” Jesus tells me continually. “I want your soul to be purified and tried by a daily hidden martyrdom”. . ."How many times,” Jesus said to me a little while ago, “would you have abandoned me, my son, if I had not crucified you.”
-
St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
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It is our sincere hope to be able to bring you Daily Mass beginning next Monday at 8AM on our YouTube channel. We've linked resources to join our Mass, or another, below. Please know that Bishop Barron has been doing this for some time now and has a well-oiled machine. We are a mere baby by comparison! But, we desire to bring Mass to you from your home Parish with familiar priests. This is a priority to us and one we are working on daily. We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we learn and navigate new and exciting territory.
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Envelopes:
If you currently use envelopes provided by St. John’s, those can be mailed to the church. Contributions can be mailed in any manner even if you do not have the envelopes we provide.
On-line giving:
A special thank you to all who currently give electronically. eGiving is faster, more secure and provides much needed donation consistency. If you’d like to register to give in this manner (either with an on-going contribution or one time gift), or make a change to your existing gift, please click
here
.
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Text to give:
Electronic and traditional givers accustomed to texting can now give through text giving as well. Make one-time or recurring offerings by simply texting the amount you wish to give to our secure account at 833-351-0063. It's a convenient solution when you can't attend services or don't have cash or checks with you.
*A minimum $5.00 donation is needed.
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