Praying for France with French Saints

People throughout the world have been praying for France and the victims of terrorism there.

As Catholics, we can turn to the saints, especially the many French saints, for intercession as we pray. And we can look to them for timeless words of wisdom and inspiration.

Here are just a few thoughts from some great French saints:

Our Lady of Lourdes:
"Pray for sinners."
"Go drink at the spring and wash yourself in it."
"Penance! Penance! Penance!"

St. Therese of Lisieux:
"I know of one means only by which to attain to perfection: LOVE. Let us love, since our heart is made for nothing else."

St. Joan of Arc:
"I fear nothing for God is with me!"

St. Martin of Tours:
"With the Sign of the Cross I shall more certainly break through the ranks of the enemy than if armed with shield and sword."

St. John Vianney:
"I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the cross than in serving the world and its pleasures."

St. Jeanne Jugan:
“He is so good ... love God very much. All for Him, do everything through love.”

St. Genevieve:
"We must keep vigil in prayer and fasting so that the Lord will find us ready when He comes."

St. Bernard of Clairvaux:
“What we love we shall grow to resemble.”

St. Peter Julian Eymard:
“Hear Mass daily; it will prosper the whole day. All your duties will be performed the better for it, and your soul will be stronger to bear its daily cross. The Mass is the most holy act of religion; you can do nothing that can give greater glory to God or be more profitable for your soul than to hear Mass both frequently and devoutly. It is the favorite devotion of the saints.”

St. Louis:
"Therefore, dear son, the first thing I advise is that you fix your whole heart upon God, and love Him with all your strength, for without this no one can be saved or be of any worth."

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque:
"Hope in His goodness and redouble your confidence in proportion as your troubles increase."

St. Madeleine Sophie Barat:
"We can only save souls if we are founded in charity, the bond of hearts. If charity grows weak, all the means we employ will fail. The Heart of Jesus recognizes as His own those who put in practice His chosen commandment."

St. Jane Frances de Chantal:
"Remain in Him or near Him, in peace of mind and utter trust ..."

St. Catherine Laboure:
"One must see God in everyone."

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne:
"I am where God wills me to be, and so I have found rest and security. His wisdom governs me, His power defends me, His grace sanctifies me, His mercy encompasses me, His joy sustains me, and all will go well with me."


St. John Eudes:
"He belongs to you, but more than that, He longs to be in you, living and ruling in you, as the head lives and rules in the body. He wants His breath to be in your breath, His heart in your heart, and His soul in your soul."

St. Vincent de Paul:
"Lord, help me to make time today to serve You in those who are most in need of encouragement or assistance."


St. Hilary of Poitiers:
"Servants of the truth ought speak the truth."

St. Isaac Jogues:
“Well must we use the time that is accorded us that we must do that in our life which we would have wished that we did at the moment of our death.”

St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle:
"I will often consider myself as an instrument which is of no use except in the hands of the Workman. Hence I must await the orders of Providence before acting and be careful to accomplish them when unknown."

Saints of France, pray for us. Help us find true peace.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Vocations Monstrance

Before the Year of the Eucharist St. John Paul II blessed six monstrances, one for every continent (okay -- he didn't include Antarctica). Each was to travel within each continent to pray for Vocations. There was such a demand, that they continue to be used.

Tonight it is in our chapel. After the noon Mass today it will be used within Benediction then it will move on to another parish. So stop by this morning and pray -- even if just for a few moments.

Prayer Service Tonight

Jean Lahrs is suffering from a serious liver condition and needs our prayers.  Our parish community will gather to pray...........

Prayer Service for Jean Lahrs

Thursday, September 18

6:30 pm

St. Columbkille Worship Space

Please join us as we lift Jean and her family in prayer. 

Praying to Prevent a Black Mass

August 4, 2014

The Memorial of St. John Vianney

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

By now you are probably aware that a Satanic group has scheduled a so-called Black Mass for Sunday, September 21 at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City.

Even though tickets are being sold for this event as if it were merely some sort of dark entertainment, this Satanic ritual is deadly serious.  It is a blasphemous and obscene inversion of the Catholic Mass.  Using a consecrated Host obtained illicitly from a Catholic church and desecrating it in the vilest ways imaginable, the practitioners offer it in sacrifice to Satan.  This terrible sacrilege is a deliberate attack on the Catholic Mass as well as the foundational beliefs of all Christians.  It mocks Our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we Catholics believe is truly present under the form of bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist when it has been consecrated by a validly ordained priest.

In spite of repeated requests, there has been no indication that the City intends to prevent this event from taking place.  I have raised my concerns with city officials and pointed out how deeply offensive this proposed sacrilegious act is to Christians and especially to the more than 250,000 Catholics who live in Oklahoma.  I am certainly concerned about the misuse of a publicly supported facility for an event which has no other purpose than mocking the Catholic faith.  I am especially concerned about the dark powers that this Satanic worship invites into our community and the spiritual danger that this poses to all who are involved in it, directly or indirectly.  Since it seems this event will not be cancelled, I am calling on all Catholics of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City to counteract this challenge to faith and decency through prayer and penance.

Specifically, I am asking that the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel be included at the conclusion of every Mass, beginning on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6) and continuing through the Feast of the Archangels (September 29).  I invite all Catholics to pray daily for divine protection through the intercession of this heavenly patron who once defeated Lucifer in his rebellion against the Almighty and who stands ready to assist us in this hour of need.

Secondly, I am asking that each parish conduct a Eucharistic Holy Hour with Benediction to honor Christ’s Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, between the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15) and September 21, to avert this proposed sacrilege.

Finally, I invite all Catholics, Christians and people of good will to join me in prayer for a Holy Hour, outdoor Eucharistic Procession and Benediction at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Oklahoma City at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, the day of the proposed sacrilege.  We will pray to avert this sacrilege and publicly manifest our faith in the Lord and our loving gratitude for the gift of the Holy Eucharist, the source and summit of our lives.

A printable version of the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese on the archdiocesan website (www.archokc.org).  If you have not yet done so, I urge you to contact the Office of the Mayor, the Honorable Mick Cornett, to express your outrage over this offensive and blasphemous sacrilege and this misuse of a tax-supported public space.

Commending our efforts to the Lord through the loving intercession of Mary, the Mother of God, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Paul S. Coakley
Archbishop of Oklahoma City

A FOCUS visit

On Monday of the last week of school, three FOCUS missionaries visited our school. Since Ash Wednesday Mrs. English's 1st grade class has been praying for FOCUS missionary Mat Wuebben. Mat grew up in Holy Trinity Parish in Hartington and has been serving as a missionary at the University of Minnesota in Duluth.

The students were curious to see if 

Mat was as tall as Abraham Lincoln.

Mrs. Wilson's third grade class has been praying for Elizabeth Connealy who is from St. Mary's parish in Bellevue. This year Elizabeth has been serving at Wayne State College in Nebraska.

 The students had a gift waiting for Elizabeth.

Mrs. Meier's 4th grade class had been praying for Jamie Fox. Jamie is from St. Thomas More Parish in Omaha and served at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Everyone told Jamie she was in North Dakota for the coldest winter ever.

Jamie is Mrs. English's niece, but one student

 also claimed her as a long lost sister.

It was great to have the three of them visit.

Wednesday morning we had a visit from Rob Cargill who is from St. Columbkille Parish. Rob has been serving at the University of Illinois in Champaign for the last two years. Miss Hart's 6th grade class was praying for him.

Mrs. Yanovich's Kindergarten class had been praying for Rob as well. When he walked into the room the students immediately recognized him and began calling out, "Rob!"

It was great for the students to connect with the recipients of their prayers.

Thank you all for your visits!

Praying in Pink

Thinking of Dr. Blue, our principal, and her last chemo treatment this morning, students at St. Columbkille Catholic School had the option of wearing pink today instead of their uniform.

After Mass this morning, the first and second grade students stayed to pray a rosary for Dr. Blue at the same time that she was receiving her chemo treatment.

 We pray she is doing well.