St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community

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Dear friends,

We have set foot in to the month of March already and with it comes the sacred season of Lent in all its glory. From Ash Wednesday we have put on, so to say, our sackcloth of humility and ashes of repentance to implore the Lord for his mercy and deliverance that our hearts might be molded unto His likeness. As we imitate Jesus in these 40 days of Lent, let us to be open to doing God's will as did Jesus, that we might be victorious like Him at the Easter celebrations. Pope Francis reflecting on this favorable time of Lent says: “Let us set out, then, on the path of prayer and use these forty days to restore God's primacy in our lives and to dialogue with him from the heart, and not only in spare moments. Let us set out on the path of fasting and use these forty days to take stock of ourselves, to free ourselves from the dictatorship of full schedules, crowded agendas and superficial needs, and choose the things that truly matter. Brothers and sisters, let us not neglect the grace of this holy season, but fix our gaze on the cross and set out, responding generously to the powerful promptings of Lent. At the end of the journey, we will encounter with greater joy the Lord of life, we will meet him, who alone can raise us up from our ashes."

Lent is very special for the Catechumens and Candidates who have been preparing to enter the Catholic Church on the Easter Vigil. Let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers that they might find this journey to the Catholic faith rewarding and worthwhile. We pray for their formators and sponsors who are accompanying them.

Safe Haven Sunday, March 5th: “Create in Me a Clean Heart” is a pastoral response of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops to address the deadliest and the most challenging sins of our times, namely the curse of pornography which is affecting a wide range of people. It is made all the more accessible by the dark side of the internet. It has been the most devasting source of destruction of families and marriages, singles, priests and religious, and most especially, the children. Harmful websites twist and distort a healthy view of relationships and love. Every Second Sunday of Lent is dedicated to creating an awareness in us of the extent of its destruction so that this time might: offer healing and hope to those who have been wounded; articulate the Catholic Church's response to this pastoral crisis; and raise awareness of its pervasiveness and harms. What will be our strategy to fight this evil? How strong are we to resist the temptations of the devil that craves for our attention and action? How can parents combat this disease when the children are exposed to its luring temptations? How can you be proactive about the issues of the dark side of the internet in the life of the home with your children? How safe is your home? We cannot fight this alone. Let us keep our focus on Jesus who fought the temptations posed by the devil. May Jesus our Lord and Master deliver us from this ugliest of sins. Covenant Eyes is a wonderful resource to aid us in our struggles. Please visit this site:

https://www.covenanteyes.com/catholic-resources/

Grotto: The work on the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at St. John's has been going on quite satisfactorily. Now I am able to give a timeframe for the dedication and blessing of our labor of love. Our Bishop, John Noonan, will be coming to bless the grotto on Saturday, 22nd April, 2023. We will use this opportunity to bid farewell to Misty Huff, as well as have our parish picnic. Hence, please mark your calendar.

I thank you all again for your generous support and participation at the Funeral Mass held for Fr. Bradley Beaupre on Monday, 20th February, 2023. Thanks again for all those who helped in making plans and executing them very meticulously. May we continue to place Fr. Brad in our hearts and in our prayers. May his soul Rest in the Peace of Christ!

Once again, I appeal to you to participate in Our Catholic Appeal 2023 so that we might share in the joy of so much good done in the Diocese of Orlando. Our percentage of participation is slow. I am waiting for you. Thanks a lot for those who have already participated.

CCW Scholarship Application: Every year our Council of Catholic Women of St. John the Evangelist Parish offer a scholarship to those going to Melbourne Central Catholic High School in view of encouraging Catholic education for our high school students. I encourage our children going to MCC to look out for the application details that should be in the bulletin and on the website.

Apart from our Lenten Calendar of hosting something special every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m., and an additional Mass at 12:05 p.m. on Wednesdays, and the whole day of prayer opportunities on Fridays, here are some significant dates and events to remember:

Lenten Mission: Fr. Tim Daly will offer our Lenten Mission 2023 reflecting on the theme of the Eucharistic Revival: A Deeper Dive into the Source and Summit. Please make greater use of this opportunity to know the beauty of the Catholic faith in its uniqueness. The Mission will be held from Monday 6th March thru Wednesday 8th March at 7 p.m. Fr. Tim will focus on the following themes:

Evening One: Communion and Community Evening Two: Deep Dive into the Eucharist Prayers Evening Three: Food for the Journey.

11th March: As part of USCCB's call for a Eucharistic Revival, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson will do a presentation titled: Created Anew by the Body and Blood of Christ at Ascension Parish on Saturday, 11th March, 2023 at 10 a.m.

17th March: The Feast of St. Patrick. Since this great feast falls on a Lenten Friday this year, what do we do? It is a day of abstinence. How do we celebrate this feast without indulging in meat and may be some wine? We asked our Bishop to give us a special dispensation and sure enough, he has granted it to us. This is what Bishop Noonan tells us: “The question of lifting the obligation of abstinence from eating meat on

Friday, March 17 has been discussed as it corresponds with Saint Patrick's Day, which is traditionally an occasion for celebrations within our Diocese. Having judged that it will serve the spiritual good of the faithful, I hereby grant to the faithful of the Diocese of Orlando, as well as to any visitors or travelers who may be physically present within the borders of this Diocese, a dispensation from the obligation of abstinence from meat on March 17, 2023. Those that take advantage of the dispensation are asked to undertake a work of charity or an act of comparable penance on some other occasion during the Third Week of Lent.”

19th March: Our outreach ministry will host their Lenten Long Sleeve Drive to benefit the Farm Workers at Fellsmere. It will be held on two weekends in March: 18/19 and 25/26.

20th March, The Solemnityof St. Joseph: The month of March is known for its devotion to St. Joseph. Normally, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, would be celebrated on the 19th of March. However, since it falls on a Sunday this year, the Solemnity of St. Joseph is transferred to Monday, 20th of March. In order to better prepare ourselves to celebrate this solemnity, we will pray the Novena to St. Joseph from the 11th to 19th and celebrate this Feast on Monday, 20th of March with a special Mass at 12.05 p.m., in addition to the Mass at 8 a.m.

20th March: Compass Catholic Ministries will host a “Faith & Money Matters” Bible Study. They will hold the Spring study group information session on Monday, March 20th at 6:00 p.m. in the Fr. Patrick Peyton Room. Want to increase savings? Reduce personal debt? Grow closer to God? Strengthen personal relationships? The Faith & Money Matters 6-week Bible study can help. Contact Tony and Joy Ramirez for sign-up details at [email protected];or 917-628-4833.

23rd March: Flourish Our Faith Ministries will begin their five-week journey of a new study program called: “A Biblical Walk Through the Mass.” Dr. Edward Sri, a Scripture scholar, takes us on a unique spiritual journey of the liturgy. His down to earth insights and explanation are extraordinary. Please register and delve deeper into the mystery of the Eucharist.

25th March:   Since the Solemnityof the Annunciationof the Lord falls on a Saturday this year, we will celebrate this event in a fitting manner with a Mass at 10 a.m.

25th March: Kerygma Prayer and Healing Ministry will hold their healing and Adoration service at 7 p.m. on Saturday, 25th March.

There is so much we can do in Lent to get closer to Jesus. Please make use of all or at least some of these opportunities.

May the Lord bless your Lenten fervor! With love,

Fr. John

Let's together as a parish read the Bible in its entirety. Have you joined Fr. Mike Schmitz's podcast: The Bible in a Year? If not,

Click HERE to join or listen.

Please click HERE to fill out the pledge form to read the Bible in a year!

Weekly Offertory

Thank you for your continued support of our Parish. Without your help we wouldn't be up and running. If you have not made your weekly donation you have the following options:

1. Online at stjohnviera.weshareonline.org 

2. Offertory can be sent by mail.

3. Offertory can be dropped off at the Parish.

Thank you to those who have already made their donation. You are all in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Office Hours

Monday - Friday
8:30am - 5:00pm

Church Address

5655 Stadium Parkway

Viera, FL  32940

Contact Us

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (321) 637 9650
Fax: (321) 637 9651