Grande Olde St. Mark's Days

Peace and Justice

There will be a meeting of the Peace and Justice group on Monday, April 14, in the Community Room in the basement of the church. It will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Please come, and bring with you some thoughts and possible answers to this question: How might the work of justice, of ensuring basic human rights and needs, become woven through the entire parish life of St. Mark's? What would you do to see this happen?

Youth Group

Youth Group Meeting
Next Sunday, April 20, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Rumpus Room. We are planning a lemonade stand for the Parish Festival. It will be a fundraiser to help offset the cost of Urban Immersion. We need your help!

Urban Immersion Service Retreat
Wednesday, June 11 to Saturday, June 14. Details and paperwork were mailed out this week. Please contact Keely at the Parish Center (651) 645.5717 if you would like to attend and did not receive the information.

Faith Formation

Decision Making at the End of Life
Join us on Sunday, April 13 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Carolyn Hall. Dr. Michael Degnan and Dr. Paul Wojda will help us to understand the context for Catholic moral teaching as it applies to end of life decision-making. They also will help us to interpret and use the Guide to Health Care Directives that was issued by the Minnesota Bishops in 2006.

First Eucharist Make-up Retreat
Families who were not able to make our First Eucharist Retreat on Saturday will have a make-up Retreat on Tuesday, April 15 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Church.

Sunday School Program
Everyone is invited to the Sunday School Spring Program on Sunday, April 20 after 9:30 Mass in Carolyn Hall. Families of Sunday School children--please bring a plate of cookies, muffins or sweetbreads to share.

Wrapped in Love

Our St. Mark's "Wrapped in Love" Prayer Shawl Ministry will be meeting on April 9,
and May 7. Please come to the Parish Center at 1:00 p.m. on those dates if you would like to join.

Parish Pastoral Council Elections

St. Mark's Pastoral Council elections will be held Sunday, May 11 to select 2 new members. Members serve a 3 year term. The Pastoral Council serves in an advisory capacity to the pastor, deliberating on pastoral matters and making practical suggestions for the benefit of the parish.
Please consider serving or nominating someone you think would be a good candidate. Nomination forms will be available in the pews on Sunday, April 13, or nominations can be made at the Parish Center. All nominees will be contacted and invited to an informational meeting Sunday, April 20.

School Advisory Committee Elections

Elections to select 3 new members to the St. Mark's School Advisory Committee will be held Sunday, May 11. Members of the committee assist in formulating school policy, finances, marketing and public relations. Nomination forms will be available in the pews on Sunday, April 13. Nominations can also be made at the Parish Center.

Nominees must be a parent or guardian of a child attending our school. Please consider nominating someone you feel is committed to Catholic education and would be a good candidate.

Position Available

Full Time Summer Custodian Position Available
Call Mike at 644.3380, ext. 3302.

Monday thru Friday
6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
June 9 through August 29

Applications may be picked up at the Parish Center
and will be accepted until May 5, 2008.

Spring Luncheon, Style Show, and Silent Auction

The theme of this year's annual CCW Luncheon, Style Show and Silent Auction is gardening and growing. This event needs your help once again in making it a success. The popular Silent Auction part of the Luncheon and Style Show needs your donations of collectibles and vintage items, antiques, silver, crystal, linens, gift baskets, gift certificates, etc. You can drop your donations at the Parish Center before April 10 or until 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 12 at the Town and Country Club. If you would like your items imagesked up, please call the Parish Center at 651.645.5717.

The proceeds from the Silent Auction go to benefit the mission fund of the Madonna Plan, which seeks to ease the burden of women as they struggle for a better life in Third World countries.

Council of Catholic Women — Rummage Sale

Friday and Saturday April 25 and 26
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday April 27
from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Hours for drop off
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
April 21, 22, and 23
from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Please note there will be no drop off on Thursday

We cannot accept humidifiers, dehumidifiers, used mattresses and box springs. We also cannot accept baby cribs and car seats unless they meet current standards. We ask that the items you bring be clean. We can only accept operational televisions...19 inches or less and operational computer systems with minimum components (processor, keyboard and monitor).
Thank you.

Family Night Out

Wednesday, April 16
4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Subway 2121 University Avenue W.

St. Mark's Children's Theatre

17th Annual Summer Play
All parish/school children who have completed 1st through 8th grade are invited to join us. Rehearsal will start June 16 and will be Monday-Thursday afternoons. The performance is July 18 and 19 so hold those dates for a great time! Watch the bulletin and Marker's Pride for audition details. For more information call the Parish Center 645.5717.

Furniture Drive

As you have hopefully heard, our parish will soon be having a furniture drive. On April 19 and 26, St. Mark's youth will be collecting furniture in good or "nearly new" condition for the homeless families from Family Place in downtown St. Paul.
St. Mark's, through the St. Paul Council of Churches, has served these families each August by providing overnight shelter here in our "old gym" and in Carolyn Hall. If you have any unused, nearly new tables, end tables, bed frames, dressers, chairs, tables, etc., parish teenage volunteers will imagesk up your donation on April 19 and 26.

Look for signs for your donation at the exits in the church on the Sunday after Easter. Call the parish center at 651.645.5717 to be put into contact with Danny McClure or Rose Assad. They can answer your questions and make arrangements for imageskup. Please be generous! Have a blessed Holy Week and Easter.

Saint Mark's School

Kindergarten through eighth grade Open Enrollment
For the 2008-2009 School Year

It is the philosophy of St. Mark's Parish that every child in our parish have the opportunity to attend our fine school. Your income level should not hinder your decision to check us out. Tuition assistance and scholarships are available. Please call the school at 651.644.3380 if you would like more information or for a tour.

Spring into Action

Help support your Parish School
and boost economic activity!

The school's Annual Fund is almost halfway to its goal and we need your help. The school's goal this year is to expand its endowment, continue computer upgrades and replace some of the aging playground equipment.

Please consider St. Mark's School in your charitable giving. No contribution is too small. Pledges are welcome, just let us know. Simply send your tax-deductable donation in by June 30, 2008.

Your support is needed and deeply appreciated, and helps to continue providing a quality Catholic education that builds and strengthens the spirit, character and minds of our children.

For more information, contact Renae Mullenix at the School Office, 651.644.3380, or renae.mullenix AT markerspride DOT com.

Evangelization Initiative

What's Next with the Evangelization Initiative?
Four years ago, under the leadership of Archbishop Flynn, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis began the Evangelization Initiative. Over the past four years, small groups have been formed and met during Lent in over 180 parishes that included over 25,000 people. At St. Mark's, over one hundred parishioners have met with the goal of "Making Jesus Christ known and loved in our time by choosing to live out the Gospel in every moment."

The Archdioce of St. Paul and Minneapolis is planning "The Evangelization Gathering" to be held at the St. Paul River Center on Saturday, November 8, 2008. Thousands of people from all over the Archdiocese will meet to summarize the four year process and to launch more vigorously the ongoing call to "Witness." The day includes Dynamic Speakers, Teen and Children's Programs, Music, Food and Mass with Archbishop Nienstedt. Mark your calendars and watch for details in the coming month. All are invited to attend.

Thank You to the Parishioners of St. Mark

St. Mark's Council of Catholic Women thanks everyone who supported our efforts over the last several years to clean and restore our beautiful Stations of the Cross. They are done and are beautiful!! The stations had not been cleaned since 1941 so it was a big project, and took over three years.

We think the stations were donated to the Parish of St. Mark by an art school in Wisconsin during the building period in the early 1900's. We know they were given before 1917 because the composite frames were ordered that year from a firm in New York. The frames were made for the oil paintings and cost $25.00 each.

The stations were cleaned and the frames restored by the Upper Midwest Conservation Association at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. There was much water damage on stations 1-7 because of the roof leakage on the east side of the church, and three of the canvases on the west wall were torn. Station 9 had been glued into the frame with an epoxy and offered quite a challenge, but the restorers were able to carefully remove it without damage to the oil painting, and then restore the frame.

We hope that you will enjoy these lovely paintings and that they will inspire you as you pray the Stations of the Cross, and again we thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
The St. Mark's Council
of Catholic Women