Lent is closely associated with the transition from winter to spring. The word lent comes from the anglo-saxon word for springtime, lencten. It describes the gradual lengthening of daylight. Lent evolved around the theme of baptism which, from at least the 3rd century, had been associated with the Easter Vigil. Adults who are part of the OCIA process, who have never been baptized are baptized at the vigil. Let us pray for all those around the world preparing to receive the Easter sacraments. There are many opportunities to renew our Baptismal commitment during Lent. I invite you to participate in some of these: regular attendance at Mass, The Sacrament of Reconciliation, joining a renew group, adoration, prayer at home, and acts of charity. As we look forward to the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord, May we all experience the depth of Christ’s love and mercy. Fr Terry

With God as our Leader, may we be prepared to live another year under His guidance. Do not be afraid to face life, let God show you the correct path to become triumphant and thus become a better person. Life is not life without God by our side, embrace Him this year, open your hearts to others, be kind to yourself and your family, friends, and neighbors.

Over the years I have noticed that Christmas celebrations and decorations go up weeks and even months before Christmas actually arrives. I grew up celebrating Advent throughout December with very few decorations other than an Advent wreath. For most families now Advent has just become an extension of Christmas. We have all read denunciations of commercialization and pleas to put Christ back into Christmas. But how do we put Christ back into Christmas? I believe the key to Christmas is not the day itself, but rather the key is Advent. The near forgotten season, lost in shopping, baking, buying presents, parties, etc. Can we really hear the message of the prophets calling us in this Advent season to make straight our paths to the Lord with so much business? This year let us make a special effort to be watchful for the ways Christ comes to us each day. Let us make it a priority to go to confession. Let us make it a priority to be more prayerful. This year may Christmas find us ready to feel again the joy of the incarnation. ~Fr Terry

Fall Greetings! We have some exciting new and returning event opportunities for our parishioners coming up: Youth Faith Formation Registration, Young Adult Social Nights in session, MOM's Group begins, Respect Life Activities, A Grand Night for Singing, The Chosen Bible Study, Fare for All and 50s+ monthly and many other small group activities. Browse the website for more information!

Dear Parishioners, We are being invited with the whole Church throughout the world to go on retreat for six weeks. This annual spiritual renewal prepares us for the celebration of Christian's most fundamental belief; Jesus was raised from the dead. Lent is closely associated with the transition from winter to spring. The word “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for springtime. Soon we will be seeing signs of new life springing up from the death of Winter. Christ's resurrection was the sign of new beginnings: a springtime. This year we are more than ready for new beginnings as we look forward to being outside more. This has been a long winter of discontent with COVID cases making it difficult to socialize and be together. Let us come together, prepare for Lent, celebrate Holy week and in particular the great Feast of Easter. ~ Fr. Terry

We invite you to celebrate the Advent and Christmas seasons with SJCC at both the Parish Center and Historic Little Church! Visit www.stjosephparish.com/advent-christmas and don't miss our Children's Christmas Choir singing for the 3:30 PM Christmas Eve Mass - they will add JOY and delight to your day!

Similar to a city calling its members to gather and share their ideas for better neighborhoods, Father Terry and Archbishop Hebda are CALLING ALL OF US to gather and share our ideas for a better Catholic faith community. Two sessions, 6 meetings each will occur Sept - Nov, with light meals provided. Register now to make a positive impact on our Church: www.stjosephparish.com/synod-2022

~Prayer for an End to the Sin of Racism in Our Land~ Pope Francis exhorts us with these words: “My friends, we cannot turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion of any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.” (Message to the U.S. June 3, 2020) And so we pray: God of Heaven and Earth, you created the one human family and endowed each person with great dignity. Aid us, we pray, in overcoming the sin of racism. Grant us your grace in eliminating this blight from our hearts, our communities, our social and civil institutions. Fill our hearts with love for you and our neighbor so that we may work with you in healing our land from racial injustice. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Several years ago Carey Landry wrote a song called “I Believe in the Sun.” It contained the verses of a poem written during World War II by a Jew in a Nazi concentration camp. I thought how appropriate these words are as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. “I believe in the sun even when it isn’t shining. I believe in love even when there’s no one there. And I believe in God even when He is silent.” Hope grows out of faith. We believe that even when things seem hopeless, God will ultimately get us through it all and will lead us to the joy that will never end. I pray this Easter will bring you closer to the heart of Christ and I pray whatever darkness is around you at this time will not rob you of your peace and joy. He is Risen, Alleluia! ~Fr. Terry

We have many new opportunities as we observe this Lenten season and look forward to the grace of our salvation through our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are able to attend Mass both in person and online, receive drive-thru ashes, communion and palms, and we welcome back Saturday evening Masses. Although we have been presented with a variety of different challenges this year and our gatherings with family and parishioners have been limited, perhaps this Lent could be the most meaningful one for us if we can take this past year's challenges as an opportunity for spiritual growth. Now is the time to: Fast from criticism and feast on gratitude Fast from anger and feast on peace. Fast from resentment and feast on contentment. Fast from fear and feast on faith. Amid all of life’s uncertainties we know that our God walks with us on our journey through life. Let us be resolved to make this a holy season by our prayers of trust and works of mercy. ~Fr. Terry

We welcome Aaron VanDanacker at he starts his first day with SJCC on February 1. He is excited to serve our community, coordinating liturgy and music, while coaching all musicians at SJCC with the goal of uplifting the community in song. Aaron loves collaborating with the multitude of joyous volunteers who make beautiful liturgy possible each week. After attending the University of St. Thomas, Aaron has enjoyed a career of teaching middle school choir, serving in ministry, and most recently serving as the Interim Artistic Director of the St. John's Boys' Choir at St. John's University. In his free time, he stays active in the music scene by performing with musical theatre and jazz groups as a singer, pianist and conductor. Aaron lives in New Hope with his 6.5 pound dog, Reese. Please welcome Aaron to our Catholic family!

This Advent I have come to appreciate the theme of waiting: Waiting for Christmas, waiting for healing, waiting for the pandemic to end, waiting for times to gather again. This time of waiting has given us an opportunity to reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation (God’s Word becoming flesh). In becoming one of us, Christ showed us our sublime dignity. The incarnate God seeks us out! He sought us as the lover seeking the beloved. Jesus speaks of this searching out as the finding of the lost sheep. He seeks us out as “The Hound of Heaven” to use the image of Francis Thompson’s poem. In becoming one of us Jesus loved with a human heart and acted with a human will. In doing so, he taught us the value of truth, how to choose the good, and how to love our neighbor with forgiveness and compassion. My people, how Blessed we are. Merry Christmas. Fr. Terry Rassmussen Hound of Heaven Poem: http://www.houndofheaven.com/poem

Words From Father Terry: This year as we celebrate the Feast of Thanksgiving, we will likely have fewer people gathered around the table. The pandemic has caused us to do things differently this year. He words “thank you” can still be a part of our Thanksgiving holiday. This year, more than ever we need to put on an attitude of gratitude, especially when we may find many reasons not to be grateful. The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will influence our relationships, our jobs, and our prayer life. There are many things that we cannot change, but we can decide to find reasons for gratitude despite all the negatives. This Thanksgiving I hope we as a community of faith will continue to live in gratitude to God and in gratitude for family and friends. I am grateful for all of you, and so I say, “Thank you.”

Archbishop Hebda today shared his gratitude for our commitment in following safety protocols instituted by the Archdiocese and public health officials. In light of the increasing pandemic numbers, he has requested that all non-sacramental gatherings be paused, postponed or moved virtually. St. Joseph's will contact those groups affected. This will not impact the offering of in-person and online liturgies at the Parish Center as listed on this page. View the Archbishop's video address: https://youtu.be/CywjU-82YGM

On Saturday, November 7, 2020, Archbishop Hebda presided at our 4:30p Mass and lead our Catholic Community in worship! After Mass, Archbishop Hebda greeted parishioners, participated in Q&A session with St. Joseph's lay leadership, and blessed pavers for the new columbarium at the Historic Little Church! Click the picture to watch the Mass and see pictures!

Words From Father Terry: As we stand at this moment in history, give us the wisdom to discern clearly right from wrong. May our elected officials reflect the teachings of Jesus and show concern for all people regardless of race or religion. May we as a country not let our political differences prevent us from living out Christ's great commandment of love. Amen.

These past several weeks have caused many of us to look at the issue of racism in our cities, in our world, and in ourselves. Mostly we don’t think of ourselves as prejudiced against Blacks and other minorities, but then our history, our words or our thoughts betray us. While we mourn the death George Floyd and other black men who died violently, we need to listen to the voices of those who call out to us: The voices of grief and anger, the calls for justice and social change. Of course we deplore the violence that followed the death of George Floyd, but let us not let that prevent us from hearing the message of protesters. The extent of the anger in many people of color expressed itself in cities throughout the United States and world. Our nation just celebrated Its independence. The Fourth of July usually brings parades and picnics and gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy. This year was different for me. The pandemic along with the Black Lives matter protests kept me from feeling like celebrating. I grieve that the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King is only in its infancy. I grieve that the pandemic has taken so many lives and prevented close interaction with our neighbors and families. While our country may be in a time of distress and appear broken, I believe God is giving us an opportunity to be better people. Let us use this time to put into practice our better impulses. God bless and help us all. ~Fr Terry

Archbishop Hebda recorded a video message for all the elderly and those in care centers throughout our Archdiocese. This message of thanks, hope, and encouragement may be helpful for older parishioners who cannot yet return to the limited public celebration of Mass.

Special Message from Father Terry, Let us pray for all those affected by the violence in the Twin Cities these past days, for the family of George Floyd and for all those who have lost their businesses or access to food and medicine due to the fires. Please also consider financial support of those in the affected neighborhoods by organizations providing aid, through the links below: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Minneapolis: https://htlcmpls.org/donate/ Community Emergency Service Food Shelf, Minneapolis: https://www.cesmn.org/index.php/food-program/food-shelf North Star Health Collective (medics and health professionals): https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org/

Yay! As of today we have received approval from the Archdiocese, CDC and the State of MN to re-open under recommended health orders. We have done a tremendous amount of planning and preparation for the re-opening celebration of St. Joseph Catholic Community and now can finalize our safety protocols and properly educate our staff, volunteers, parishioners and visitors. We are excited to celebrate with you in a safe and welcoming return to the physical church on Sunday June 7. All information is posted on our website www.stjosephparish.com/welcome-back. We will also continue to pray with and for our community ONLINE with Masses and liturgies throughout the week. Blessings to all and stay safe!