July Wine Sale at St. Patrick's Guild

Spring Clergy Shirt Sale!

This Spring, St. Patrick's Guild would like to extend to you some special pricing on our most popular brands and styles of short sleeve clergy shirts. For the month of May, when you buy one, you get the second at half price! For more information, please give us a call at 1800-652-9767 or come in and visit us at 1554 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN.

What is a Deacon?

The order of the Deacon has been an integral part of Church history since the very beginning of Christianity. Tradition has it that in the 1st century, seven men were selected and identified as the first deacons. According to Acts 6, these men were "Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch". Most famous among the seven deacons was St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr who was killed in Jerusalem in 35 c.e. These men were to be servants and ministers to the Church and focus their energy on charitable work among the community. Originally, the deaconate was meant to be a permanent position, but over the centuries, the office of the permanent deacon fell out of use. However, the tradition of transitional deacons continued unabated. The transitional deaconate is a step for all men preparing for the priesthood. Transitional deacons have the exact same responsibilities as a permanent deacon, but they only remain in the order of the deacon for about a year before their ordination as a priest. Vatican II (1962-1965) brought about a reinstating of the permanent deaconate. Today, there are about 13,000 permanent deacons of the Catholic Church in the United States.

So what exactly does a deacon do? According the the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the deacons mission is threefold. "As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshalling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs." Unique to the order of the deacon is that the office is open to married men. Married men aged 35 or older are allowed to become deacons, while single men may enter the deaconate at age 25. If a deacon's spouse precedes him in death, he is not allowed to remarry, and must then assume a celibate life. Most deacons also have jobs outside of the church which leaves them in a position that falls somewhere between lay person and clergy. It is a unique role within the Church, and ultimately very enriching for the Christian community.

On May 1st, 2010, the St. Paul Seminary will be holding a deacon ordination for their 3rd year Seminarians. For those interested in witnessing an ordination and supporting the future leaders of our church, the service takes place at 10 a.m. at the Basilica in Minneapolis.

Palm Sunday

The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceded him and those following kept crying out and saying:
"Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."
-Matthew 21: 6-9

Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday, is celebrated one week before Easter Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week. It celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as found in all 4 gospels. (Mark 11: 1-11, Matthew 21: 1-11, Luke 19: 28-44, and John 12: 12-19). Traditionally, churches distribute palms to their parishioners during Palm Sunday to symbolically mark Jesus' procession into Jerusalem. Often, the palms are tied into a cross shape, but not all churches follow this tradition. These palms have been blessed by the priest, and following the ceremony, they are often recollected and saved to be burned the following year to supply the Ashes for Ash Wednesday.

Palm Sunday will be on March 28 this year.

What is a Paschal Candle?

The tradition of the Paschal candle may go back as far as the 4th century. We find in the letters of St. Jerome a description of the custom and tradition surrounding the Paschal candle. The practice probably stems from the Lucernarium rite as well as an old Jewish tradition. In the early church, after the candle had been used on Easter Sunday, they would break the candle up into fragments and pass out the pieces to the faithful in the community. Starting in the 10th century, however, the Paschal candle began to have a more prominent position within churches. By the 12th century, they were inscribing the current year on the candle which is a practice that continues to this day.

Paschal candles are the largest candles in the worship space. The candle will prominently feature a cross, and also displays the Greek letters alpha and omega to signify that God is the beginning and the end. The year is added as a reminder of God's immediate presence among the religious community. Five grains of incense (most often red) are embedded in the candle (sometimes encased in wax "nails") during the Easter Vigil to represent the five wounds of Jesus: one in each hand, one in each foot, and the spear thrust into his side.

Every year during the Easter Vigil, a new Paschal candle is blessed. Each parish should have a new candle every year as a sign of each community's participation in the Easter mystery. The candle is lit for all religious services throughout the 50 days of the Easter season. For the remainder of the year, the candle may be lit for baptisms, funerals, or weddings.

Check out some Paschal Candles at St. Patrick's Guild. Click here.

Dead Sea Scrolls at the Science Museum of Minnesota

For the first time ever, Minnesotans are getting a chance to view the legendary Dead Sea Scrolls. These documents, discovered between 1947 - 1956, are the oldest known copies of biblical texts dated from around 150 BCE to 70 CE. Discovered in caves by a young shepherd boy, they are generally attributed to a Jewish sect known as the Essenes. These documents are considered by many to be the most historically significant find of the 20th century, so this opportunity to see them first hand is remarkable. The exhibit will be open from March 12 - October 24, and there is an accompanying Omnitheatre movie.

History of St. Patrick

With less than 2 weeks until St. Patrick's Day, now is the perfect time to take a look at one of the most well known saints - St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Considering how loved and honored St. Patrick is, we know very little concrete facts about his life. It is thought that Patrick was born in 385 AD. He was born a Roman citizen in Britain (his Latin name was Magonius Sucatus Patricius). His grandfather was a priest (it was still common for priests to marry at this time), and his father was a deacon. However, most scholars believe that his father became a deacon for tax reasons, so there is no indication that Patrick was particularly religious at an early age.

When he was 16, he was captured by Irish raiders who were attacking his family estate, and he was sold into slavery in Ireland. During his 6 years of servitude working as a shepherd in County Mayo, he underwent a religious transformation. In 407, God came to Patrick in a dream and told him it was time for him to leave Ireland, so he walked 200 miles to the Irish coast and escaped by boat to Gaul. Although many like to believe that Patrick received his religious education in Britain, it was more likely that his education was received from monastic institutions in Gaul (modern day France). After 15 years of training, he was consecrated a bishop was was sent as a missionary to Ireland.

Tradition has it that St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, but this is not entirely true. Although he was the first successful missionary to Ireland, a man named Palladius went before him in 431. However, it is thought that he either died or went to Scotland, and there is no record of him in Ireland after 431.

There are many popular legends surrounding St. Patrick (such as the story of him driving the snakes out of Ireland), but there is little historical evidence to support any of the iconic stories. Our only definite information comes from 2 Latin letters that are generally accepted to be written by Patrick. They are the "Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus" and "Declaration". It is in "Declaration" that Patrick provides a bit of autobiographical information. So, Patrick remains one of the most well known and yet mysterious Saints in the Catholic Church. A fascinating character, St. Patrick will remain a favorite of the Irish and Catholics around the world.

Stations of the Cross

The following is a collection of different artistic representations of the Stations of the Cross from around the world. From Poland, to the UK, to America, these pictures come together to tell the heartbreaking and inspiring story of Jesus' crucifixion. Although immensely different in style, each artistic rendition of the Stations of the Cross brings a new emotion and surprising element to the story. This is a unique collection of the Stations of the Cross that acts as a reminder of the far reaching impact Jesus has had upon humanity.

First Station - Jesus is Condemned to Death

Grieshaber's woodcuts Polish Stations

Second Station - Jesus Takes Up His Cross

By Max DeMoss

Third Station - Jesus Falls a First Time Under the Cross

By Alan Joshua

Fourth Station - Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother
By Gwyneth Lech

Fifth Station - Simon of Cyrene is Forced to Take Up the Cross

By Kirsten Malcolm and Mark Prins

Sixth Station - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

By Beverly Carpenter

Seventh Station - Jesus Falls a Second Time

By Chris Gollon

Eighth Station - Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

By David O'Connell

Ninth Station - Jesus Falls A Third Time

From Jeju Island

Tenth Station - Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

By Chris Gollon

Eleventh Station - Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

From St. Raphael Church

Twelfth Station - Jesus Dies on the Cross

By Mimmo Paladino

Thirteenth Station - The Body of Jesus is Placed in the Arms of His Mother

By Aubrey Freeman

Fourteenth Station - Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

By Sister Mary Grace Thul

Catholics are Hilarious!

A cop pulls over a car full of nuns. The cop says, "Sister, the speed limit on this highway is 55 mph. Why are you so slow?"

Sister replies, "I saw a lot of signs that said 41, not 55."
The Cop says, "Sister, that's the name of the highway, not the speed limit."

"Silly me," the embarrassed nun says, "Thanks for letting me know. I'll be more careful."

But then the cop glances in the back seat where the other nuns are quaking with fear. He asks,

"Excuse me, Sister, what's wrong with your friends?"

Sister says, "Oh, we just got off Highway 101."

Q: What do you call a sleep walking Nun?

A: A Roamin' Catholic

Little Johnny opened the big family Bible with fascination, and looked through the old pages.

Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. Little Johnny picked it up and looked. An old leaf from a tree had been pressed between the pages. "Momma, look what i found," he called out.

"What have you got there, dear?" his mother asked.

With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered: "I think it's Adam's swim suit!"

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. There was a note posed by the fruit. "Take only one," it read. "God is watching."

At the other end of the line was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. One child whispered to another, "Take all you want. God's watching the apples."

Q: How did the bishop make holy water?
A: He took some tap water and boiled the hell out of it.

Did you know the apostles actually edited the Bible story about the woman caught in adultery because what really happened was quite awkward?

It seems Jesus was writing in the sand and said, "If anyone of you is without sin, you be the first to throw a stone."

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a rock came sailing in and whacked the poor woman in the head. Jesus stood up and with great exasperation

said, "Mother!"

A couple had two very mischievous little boys, ages eight and ten, who were always getting into trouble. The parents knew that if any

mischief occurred in their town their sons were probably involved.

The boys' mother heard that a monsignor in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The monsignor agreed. The mother sent the eight year old in first.

The monsignor, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the young boy down and asked him sternly, "Where is God?"

The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response. He just sat there with this mouth hanging open, wide-eyed. So the monsignor repeated the question in an even stronger tone, "Where is God?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer.

So the monsignor raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD?"

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet clamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him, he asked, "What happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time, dude. God is missing - and they think WE did it!"

-For more HILARIOUS jokes, check out The Book of Catholic Jokes by Deacon Tom Sheridan

St. Thomas Aquinas' Feast Day

January 28th is the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas. As one of the 33 Doctors of the Church, he is a remarkably influential figure who is viewed as the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood. As a great theologian and philosopher, he left behind some words of wisdom that are still incredibly relevant in today's world. As I was looking through some of his quotes, I found myself surprised by how much a 13th century priest could speak to me. Here are some of my favorite St. Thomas Aquinas quotes:

-Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.
-Friendship is the source of the greatest pleasures, and without friends even the most agreeable pursuits become tedious.

-Good can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good.

-How can we live in harmony? First we need to know we are all madly in love with the same God.

-If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.

-The things that we love tell us what we are.

-There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.

-To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.

-We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.

-Wonder is the desire for knowledge.

Prayers for Haiti

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday, our thoughts and prayers go out to those in need. Relief efforts are trying to save as many people from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, but 100,000+ are feared dead. This is a truly tragic disaster, so please pray and help in whatever way you can.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the patron saint of Haiti. In this time of grief, let us call upon her for help and comfort.

O Mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of every grace that God grants us in our misery; it is for this cause that He hath made thee so powerful, so rich, so kind, that thou might assist us in our miseries. Come once more to my assistance, for I commend myself to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation; to thee I entrust my soul. Enroll me among thy most faithful servants; take me under thy protection and it is enough for me: yes, for if thou protect me, I shall fear nothing. My dear Lady, obtain for me the forgiveness of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance and the grace to have recourse to thee at all times, O Mother of Perpetual Help.

Donations can be made to Haiti relief efforts through the Salvation Army here.

Candlemas Celebration

Candlemas (or the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord) is a Catholic celebration that falls on February 2. It is a remembrance of Jesus' presentation and purification in the Temple. According to Mosaic Law, a mother was to bring her son to the Temple 40 days after birth to be purified. During the ceremony, Mary received the Prophecy of Holy Simeon:

And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.

(Luke 2:34-35: )

The Feast of the Presentation is one of the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church. The first written reference can be found in the travel log of a 4th century nun named Egeria. Today, Candlemas is used as the time to bless candles to be used throughout the upcoming year. In a ceremony separate from mass, the priest blesses the beeswax candles with an aspergilium. Traditionally, parishes distribute some of these candles out to their parishioners. However, this tradition has somewhat fallen out of practice since Vatican II.

Candlemas is a day to celebrate new things. Home celebrations include a family meal with crepes, pancakes and cakes, and all grain based foods. Light candles around the house, spend time with your family, and remember the Holy Family.

Click here for special Candlemas Candles.