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Dear Friend,
Growing up, I attended a Catholic school in Buffalo, New York. For me, Lent was wonderful. Yes, it meant lots of time at church, but to my young mind, praying the Stations of the Cross equated to leaving school an hour early! Lent also meant fresh cookies and chocolate milk. For the children who attended Mass in the mornings before school – we would not only miss an hour of school – but we would also be treated to sweets made by the Sisters working at our school.
Lent also meant collecting money in the mite box that was given to us on Ash Wednesday. The purpose of this box was to raise money for the poor,and it opened my eyes to mission work, as the money was collected at the end of Lent and given to the Holy Childhood Association. I won’t tell a fib, even the mite box had a second meaning to me. When I was a child, Fridays, every Friday – was meat-free. To my mother, this equated to every meal centering around a cheese product. There was never fish – my mother hated the smell of it. So, on Fridays, I would go to my grandmother’s house and wash her windows in order to fill my mite box. As an added bonus, I would stay for dinner, relishing in every bite of the fish she would fix.
Even though I looked forward to arriving at school late or leaving class early, I know now that the time I spent in church during Lent helped me to lay a firm foundation for my adult faith. Today, I look forward to the beautiful celebrations our Church provides in preparation for the great feast of Easter.
Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
Alleluia - the Lord is Risen
Easter Blessings
One way the Missionary Oblates will be observing the Easter season is by praying a nine-day Easter Mass Novena that begins on Easter morning here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. In this Mass Novena, I would also like to remember any friends or relatives you wish me to pray for.
- Please send their names to me as soon as possible. You may also indicate any other special intentions you would like me and my fellow Oblates to include in our prayers.
- Send the names of the people you’ve chosen to receive the beautiful Easter cards. They will be prayed for in the Easter
Mass Novena.
- Send a generous donation of $25, $50, or whatever you can give in support of the Missionary Oblates’poorest missions.
- Please choose a gift for your donation. In addition to praying for your intentions in the Easter Mass Novena, I would like to show my appreciation for your generosity by sending you an Easter gift as a remembrance of our 2008 Easter celebration.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please be assured that I will be praying for you, and those you love, in my Holy Week and Easter prayers.
 Through Christ and Mary Immaculate,
Fr. John Madigan,O.M.I.
Oblate Director
 P.S. May the light of the Lord surround you this Easter season! For a donation of $25, you may have an Easter Votive Candle lit for you or a loved one here at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois.
Since 1816, when St. Eugene De Mazenod, O.M.I., sent his first Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate to evangelize the forgotten people in the rural areas of France, the Oblates have followed Jesus’ Easter command to “go into the world, making disciples of all the nations.” Today, the Missionary Oblates continue to follow in the footsteps of the earliest missionaries, the disciples of Jesus, to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the “forgotten” people in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world. We couldn’t do it without the prayers and financial help of you – our partners in ministry.
When you send me your petitions and the name of those who will receiving the Easter Spiritual Bouquet Cards, won't you please send a donation in support of our Oblate Missionaries all over the world? On behalf of my fellow Oblates, I thank you most sincerely. Fr. John |