2011 Nativity Sets Are In!

All of our Nativity sets are in for the Advent and Christmas season. You can find some great deals on our large indoor and outdoor Nativity scenes. Like every year our Fontanini figurines and Nativity Sets are in and the collection is better than ever. Enhance your current Nativity scene or give the gift of a Fontanini Nativity set to a familily member or those newlyweds close to you. Take a look at our best deals on Nativity Sets and for our best offers yet click here.

Advent is approaching fast. Get prepared by shopping our Advent wreaths and Advent candle selections. A very popular item last year and again this year is our battery operated Advent candles. Keep your home and children safe from the fire of real candles and buy our battery operated Advent Candles. Also save from buying Advent candles in the years to come!

St. Patrick's Guild has opened a sister store in the Mall of America called Irish Blessings. If your in the Twin City area check out the store at the Mall of America 101 N. Garden. Or shop their wide array of Irish Gifts, Claddagh rings and Irish Clothing at www.irishindeed.com

The New Third Edition of the Catholic Roman Missal available for Pre Order.

Visit our website to pre order your new version or 3rd edition of the Roman Missal. With over six publishers to choose from you find just the right design and fit for your Church or Chapel. St. Patrick's Guild is offering competitive pricing on the the New Roman Missals that will be available in early October. Classic publishers like Catholic Book and Liturgical Press are offering several versions of the Roman Missal giving you a great selection to choose from. If you are interested in learning more about the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal click here to view a video that explains what should be expected in the new version.

Roman Missal Video

Start shopping now online at St. Patrick's Guild for the New Roman Missal

FREE First Communion Veil or Tie Clasp with $100 Purchase or More

Click here to view our latest email promotion. As some of your families approach the Sacrament of First Communion we want to extend an exclusive offer so you can save as you shop for First Communion Gifts and First Communion Apparel. Spend $100 at www.stpatricksguild.com and you can receive a First Communion Veil or a First Communion Tie Clasp for FREE! Once you reach $100 in your shopping cart choose from 3 different veils and add one for free. Or if you would like a Gold Colored Cross Tie Clasp add that for free instead. This offer is only good thru Monday April 4th, 2011 so hurry and get your First Communion Shopping in this weekend and take advantage of this great offer.

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.