"Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
~Jn 20:29BC
What is Divine Mercy Sunday?

In a series of revelations to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s, our Lord called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. Today, we know that feast as Divine Mercy Sunday, named by Pope St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000. 

The Lord expressed His will with regard to this feast in His very first revelation to St. Faustina. The most comprehensive revelation can be found in her Diary entry 699:

My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and a shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are opened all the divine floodgates through which graces flow. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My mercy.

In all, St. Faustina recorded 14 revelations from Jesus concerning His desire for this feast. 

Nevertheless, Divine Mercy Sunday is NOT a feast based solely on St. Faustina's revelations. Indeed, it is not primarily about St. Faustina — nor is it altogether a new feast. The Second Sunday of Easter was already a solemnity as the Octave Day of Easter. The title "Divine Mercy Sunday" does, however, highlight the meaning of the day. 
 
Liturgically the Easter Octave has always been centered on the theme of Divine Mercy and forgiveness. Divine Mercy Sunday, therefore, point us to the merciful love of God that lies behind the whole Paschal Mystery — the whole mystery of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ — made present for us in the Eucharist. In this way, it also sums up the whole Easter Octave. As Pope John Paul II pointed out in his Regina Caeli address on Divine Mercy Sunday, 1995: "the whole octave of Easter is like a single day," and the Octave Sunday is meant to be the day of "thanksgiving for the goodness God has shown to man in the whole Easter mystery." 
   
Source: Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Current Options for Mass at St. Mary of the Lake

Please view the guidelines for attending Mass HERE. Masks are required and seats are assigned.

Daily Masses
We have daily Mass in the church at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. There is no limit to the number of times you can attend daily Mass. Sign up is not necessary.
Saturday Mass
We will begin Mass in the church starting Saturday, April 10 at 5:00 PM. Sign up is required as space is limited. Saturday Mass will continued to be livestreamed and can be viewed HERE.

Sunday Mass
We have Mass in the church on Sundays at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Sign up is required as space is limited. These Masses are for those who are unable to attend Mass during the week.

All the Masses on April 17 and 18 are reserved for families with children celebrating First Communion. Watch Mass on YouTube this weekend and celebrate with our young people as we welcome them to the table of the Lord!
Sign up for Saturday and Sunday Masses HERE. Or you may call the parish office between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday at 651-429-7771 option 1.
Confessions Heard Saturdays,
9:00 AM at the House of Mercy

Thanks to a generous donation, outdoor drive-up confessions will continue this winter with Fr. Talbot sheltered in a fish house, a.k.a. “The House of Mercy.”

Drive up and stop alongside the fish house and Fr. Talbot will hear your confession through the window.

Learn how to use the House of Mercy in this YouTube video.

View Father Talbot’s Invitation to Reconciliation HERE
Going to Confession 101 – View HERE

No confessions this Saturday, April 10.
Funerals are Private
In our ongoing efforts to keep parishioners as safe as possible during COVID-19, funerals at St. Mary’s will be private. Many families choose to have the funeral live streamed so that others can participate online.
NEWS & EVENTS
Outdoor Volunteer Opportunity
Volunteers are needed this spring to clean-up and prep all the shrub areas at the church. Please contact Greg at 612-978-8167 or gmortenson@stmarys-wbl.org. Thank you!
Faith Formation Summer Programming
Our VBS program for Elementary children will be August 9-13. Our Summer BLAST program for middle school youth is yet to be determined. Registrations will be made available soon. Contact Karlene Feidt at kfeidt@stmarys-wbl.org with questions.
Social Justice
Advocate for peace and justice with our representatives in the Minnesota Legislature. The Social Justice Legislative Tracker provides continual status updates of important legislation impacting our shared values as Catholics. View the latest updates HERE
Synod Update
View the Year 1 and Year 2 recap — looking forward to Year 3 and small groups Synod update HERE. Watch for more to come. 
Cuppa Joe: 10 Talks on the 10 Wonders of Saint Joseph
First Tuesday of the month, March - December 2021, 4:00 PM
Cuppa Joe is a series of 10 talks by 10 theologians on the the 10 wonders of Saint Joseph, taking place at 10 locations in our archdiocese entrusted to the patronage of our spiritual father. These talks take place on the first Tuesday of the month, March through December, at 4:00 PM - just in time for your afternoon coffee. Talks will be posted on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram - and at archspm.org/synod/stjoseph/.
Softball is back!
We have the making of a Co-Ed softball team on Wednesday evenings. There are a variety of softball options from Men's, Women's, CoEd and Church leagues through White Bear Lake community recreation. The season runs throughout the spring and summer evenings. All games played at Lakewood Hills Park. Games will start the week of May 3!

Learn more HERE or email Samantha Hagel srhagel@stmarys-wbl.org.
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES
Prayer Network At
St. Mary of the Lake
Please call your prayer requests in to the Parish Office 651-429-7771, option 1 or Terry (651) 429-4972.
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis monthly prayer request for priests:

April: View Here
Blessed Sacrament Chapel - Adoration Hours
The 24 hour Eucharistic adoration chapel at church is now open for parishioners. Please call our main number 651-429-7771 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM weekdays for the three-digit code to get in the chapel. You will be asked to provide your name. Only one or two worshipers are allowed in the chapel at a time, to ensure social distancing. You must wear a mask in the chapel.
PARISH INFORMATION
Parish Office Information
The parish front desk is open from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday–Friday. During office hours, the door from the front entryway towards the front desk (to the right) will be unlocked. However, pick-ups and drop-offs are still available without approaching the front desk itself. If you would like our answering service to pick up your call when the front desk is closed, please call 651-429-7771.  

Note to Our Parishioners
Assistance may be available for parishioners who need some help during these uncertain times. Email cjgreen@stmarys-wbl.org or call the parish office at 651-429-7771 option 1 and ask for Casey Green. Thank you to parishioners who have made a donation to our Emergency Assistance Fund.  
How To Subscribe to Our Parish Bulletin on Parishes Online

  1. Go to www.parishesonline.com.
  2. Enter your church name and your city, state or zip. Click the search icon.
  3. Find your church on the search results page and click on the name of the church.
  4. Under recent publication, click subscribe.
  5. Enter your email, first name and last name in the pop-up box. Click subscribe.

You will now receive alerts in your inbox when new publications become available for your church on parishes online.

View this process step-by-step with visuals HERE.
Subscribe to St. Mary of the Lake on YouTube
Search and subscribe to St. Mary of the Lake - WBL on YouTube for Sunday Mass with Fr. Ralph Talbot. Or, just click on the Mass that is posted on the homepage of our website. 
Consider Remote Giving to Support Our Parish
There are currently three ways to give electronically:
  1. Monthly amount transferred from your bank account (click on the DONATE button on our website home page to find a form). It would be better to mail the form to us, since you need to include a voided check.
  2. Weekly, monthly, or one-time checks sent by your bank or other financial service organization (contact your bank to set up a plan that works for you). It is helpful to have your envelope number on the check your bank sends to us.
  3. Weekly, monthly, or one-time gifts charged to your credit card (click on the DONATE button on our website home page to set up your gift).

There is a way to give remotely that is not “high tech”: Simply mail us your check. Our address:
4690 Bald Eagle Avenue, White Bear Lake, 55110.

Thank you so much for your support in this difficult time.
FRASSATI CATHOLIC ACADEMY NEWS
The fifth-grade students at Frassati Catholic Academy are working on various weave projects, using a pattern of their choosing. Some students are creating coin bags, while others are working on wall hangings. The final designs should turn out beautifully based on how well the initial patterns are looking! 
Falcon Feed Blog
Stay in the loop on Frassati news and Falcon activities, be sure to subscribe to the Falcon Feed Blog. Have new blog posts sent directly to your inbox. Subscribe HERE
RESOURCES
White Bear Food Shelf Update
March is food sharing month in which every donation given to the White Bear Food Shelf is matched. Because of the pandemic this year, collections will be a little different:

  • First, there will be a social media campaign for nonperishable goods
  • Second, the WBL Food Shelf is in need of fresh and perishable foods
  • Third, diapers (sizes 4-6) and baby wipes are in high demand
  • Lastly, financial donations are encouraged for every dollar donated, the Food Shelf can purchase eight dollars worth of food. 

Please consider this donation. 
White Bear Area Food Shelf
1884 Whitaker Street
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
YMCA Food Distribution
The YMCA is partnering with Loaves & Fishes and United Health Group to serve free healthy meals to families in need. These organizations believe that supplying healthy fresh food is critical to supporting families in our communities to alleviate food insecurity and hunger. Together they combine the YMCA region-wide distribution network, Loaves & Fishes internationally recognized program, and United Health Group efforts to cover the more than $2 million in food costs and wages for the cafeteria employees preparing meals for people in the Greater Twin Cities.

Families may pick up food from Noon – 1:00 PM Monday through Friday at select YMCA and choose a meal package for a family of four including a protein, vegetables and other fresh food. Also, lunch bags with a sandwich, snacks and fruit are available. The White Bear Lake location is a designated pickup spot. Go to
Safe Environment Information
St. Mary of the Lake is devoted to creating safe environments for all to feel welcome. Protecting children, youth and vulnerable adults is of highest importance. If you want more information or suspect abuse go HERE