SENIOR FELLOWSHIP @ ST JOHN'S

 

  

Senior Fellowship Community Luncheon

ITALIAN THEME 

 

1 st Wednesdays

Next Meeting: May 4 th @ 12 Noon

St. Johns Lutheran Church

 

Questions ? Call 410-859-0020

STATIONS OF THE CROSS; CROSS WALK. GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 15TH @ 12 NOON

 

Stations of the Cross ; "Cross Walk" .

An Ecumenical Event. 

 

Various Churches in the Linthicum Area will participate in a 

STATIONS OF THE CROSS; "CROSS WALK"

Starting At St. Phillip Neri @ 12 Noon Good Friday April 15th 

The Next to last stop will be at St. Charles /  St. Christophers

Concluding at St. John's Lutheran Church

NIGHT AT THE MOVIES / APRIL 23 RD

 

Below. Review about a movie to be released on April 15 th. 

Looking to get a group together for a "Movie Night" on Saturday April 23 rd.  Interested ?  Contact Charlie Ernst 410-859-8298 or cfe1215@gmail.com 

Mark Wahlberg has been wanting to make a movie like ‘Father Stu’ for years

Mark Walhberg is the title character in ‘Father Stu’ . Will open in theatres April 15, 2022

“The religious types were all very nervous, and they all wanted me to make a faith-based movie that was very safe, very middle of the road, and very kind of, you know, bland,” says Mark Wahlberg. “And we’ve seen those movies, and they don’t really move the needle much.”                                                                                                                                                       

It is early March, and Wahlberg is deep into an intense promotional campaign for his new film, “Father Stu,”. Wahlberg spent the previous night screening the film at Loyola University Chicago for an audience that included a group of young Jesuits. He is holding screenings all across the United States beating the drum for “Father Stu,” a true story about a rough-and-tumble failed boxer who became a priest.

Wahlberg recently called the film the “most important movie I’ve ever done, and…the best movie I’ve ever been a part of.”

The film is clearly important to Wahlberg, a very public and committed Catholic with his own violent past, on personal, professional and spiritual levels. “I’ve always talked about my faith, which is good and fine and dandy and people know that,” he says. “But then at the same time, you’ve got to kind of put your money where your mouth is.”

For Wahlberg, “Father Stu” represented a level of engagement around his faith and his work life that he had been considering for years.

“I’ve always been like, O.K., as soon as I get to a certain place, and I have a certain voice and reach and platform, then I’ll start doing more things that will move the needle in terms of my faith, and things that I think could be productive, helpful and in service. So when this project came to me, I was like, ‘You know what? I need to go make this.’”

Wahlberg first came across the story in 2016 and had been developing the film with David O. Russell, who directed “The Fighter.” But he felt the script they had wasn’t going in the right direction. “I just had a sense of urgency that I didn’t really feel like [Russell] had or anybody else had,” he says. Wahlberg wanted complete creative control, so he decided to finance the film largely with his own money..

In “Father Stu,”  Stuart Long (Wahlberg),  is a Golden Gloves-winning boxer who leaves his native Montana after his prizefighting dreams fizzle. Chasing stardom, Long moves west to become an actor in Hollywood. While looking for his big break in Los Angeles, he works as a bouncer and gets into his own share of trouble, getting arrested for fighting and drunk driving.

A near-death experience on his motorcycle leads him to explore religion, and he agrees to become a Catholic in order to marry his Mexican-American girlfriend. At his baptism, Long feels a powerful call to ordination. After significant resistance and numerous roadblocks put up by the seminary rector—played by Malcolm McDowell—he is finally admitted to study for the priesthood.

While in seminary, Long is diagnosed with inclusion body myositis, an extremely rare, incurable autoimmune disease that mimics the symptoms of A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig’s disease). The disease causes his once powerful body to weaken significantly, creating new roadblocks to his ordination.

Ultimately ordained in his hometown diocese of Helena, Mont., in 2007, the real-life Father Stu had only a brief career in ministry. In the seven years before his death in 2014, his physical condition deteriorated rapidly, though the spiritual impact of his ministry grew exponentially. When he was confined to a motorized wheelchair, people lined up to meet with him outside the Big Sky Care Center, a rehabilitation center and nursing home where he lived and worked as a priest, confessor and spiritual advisor. Father Stu came to see his illness as the best thing that had ever happened to him, because it enabled him to let go of an unhealthy sense of pride he’d had for most of his life.

Wahlberg was convinced that Long’s story of redemption could have a real impact on a wide range of audiences, not simply on Catholics and Christians. “Tough grace and tough mercy is what Stu earned through his suffering, and through his work and giving back,” he says. Wahlberg hopes the film amplifies “the importance of redemption and rooting for people to change and grow as opposed to turning our backs on them.” In very troubled and uncertain times, Wahlberg says, his intention is to “give people hope, and encourage people to pursue their faith, whatever that is.”

In order to show the reality of what tough mercy truly is, Wahlberg needed the freedom to tell Father Stu’s story as unapologetically and realistically as possible. The film’s R rating might scare off more pious religious audiences, but he believes strongly that the roughness of the film is also the source of its power.

“We wanted to make a movie that was edgy, and real and relatable to everybody,” he says. “And Stu was one of those guys that when he did his prison ministries, it was where he was most effective, because he could speak with [prisoners] on their level and he understood that he was one of them and that he had been in those seats. And now he was on the other side, and he was reminding them that God’s not going to give up on you and neither is he.”

 Now, he brings to the screen the story of the hell-raising Stuart Long, who is moved to change his life only to find his life transformed in ways he could not have foreseen. These choices of film roles suggest that Wahlberg is compelled to move beyond rhetoric and piety. “Father Stu” will likely appeal to church audiences, but it is not a story of holiness or triumph; it is a story of struggle and accompaniment. It is as if Wahlberg wants to shed mere ideas and abstractions and move toward embodiment.

“Stu really wasn’t so much about church,” he says, “as he was about the guy who died to build it.”

 

HOLY WEEK SERVICES APRIL 14 AND 15 TH @ 7 P.M.

 

HOLY THURSDAY AND GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES; APRIL 14^TH AND 15^TH @ 7 P.M.

HOLY THURSDAY APRIL 14^TH @ 7 P.M.

GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 15^TH @ 7 P.M.

Please consider joining us for both of these special, prayerful services

Five Charities One Event on Cinco De Mayo

 

We are partnering with four other charities to host a Cinco de Mayo event at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds on Thursday, May 5th from 5-9 p.m. Food, drinks, music, and fun, all for one price, will support HOPE For All, The Table Foundation, Blessed in Tech Ministries, Marshall Hope, and Center of Help.

Father Leo Patalinghug, a Catholic priest, author, and speaker who brings together food and faith, will be there, and is coordinating food trucks for the festivities. Tickets will go on sale in April. We are excited to be a part of this Charity Bash!

 

OUR LIVES WITH THE SAINTS ; SUNDAY APRIL 24TH

 

A look at our Lives with the Saints

What people are saying about My Life with the Saints;

 

“In a cross between Holden Caulfield and Thomas Merton, James Martin has written one of the best spiritual memoirs in years.” —Robert Ellsberg, author of All Saints “It isn't often that a new and noteworthy book comes along in this genre, but we have reason to celebrate My Life with the Saints”

 

After Mass On Sunday April 24^th :

We will be reading some brief selections from the new James Martin book.  The focus will be on how he started his connection and friendship with these Saints.  That will be how we start and introduce the main portion of the presentation.

 

We will share his insights into his relationships, but more importantly, we would like to hear from you !!

 

What Saints do you admire ?  What stories can you share about your relationship with these Saints ?  What is it about their life or their stories do you find interesting ? , Inspiring or helpful in your own spiritual journey ?

 

We will meet and discuss this topic in the hospitality area.  See you then. The Parish Life team will prepare and have available some tasty refreshments to enjoy during this presentation.

 

ST CHARLES OF BRAZIL 2ND ANNUAL YARD SALE !!

 

St. Charles of Brazil

will hold its

2^nd Annual Community Yard Sale

 Saturday April 30th 

from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

 

(Rain date: Saturday May 7th)

 

Location:    private property behind Vocelli's Pizza, 7894 Crain Highway in

                   Glen Burnie.

 

Parking:  North Arundel Aquatic Center, 7888 Crain Highway.  If needed, volunteers will be available to assist in carrying purchases back to the parking lot.

 

Now is the time to clean out your garage, basement and closets.  We welcome all  items in good condition.

 

Please bring your donation directly to the site on the day of the yard sale from

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.  All items should be tagged with a price.  If you are unable to deliver your donation on yard sale day, call Alice Jo Weaver (443-848-7439) to make other arrangements. 

 

Volunteers are needed!!  Don't hesitate even if you can only come for an hour.  Everyone who participated last year will tell you how much fun and fellowship we enjoyed!  Volunteers should bring a lawn chair and drinks/snacks.

 

This is an excellent way to support our St. Charles of Brazil Community, share time with others in our Parish, and meet some new and interesting people.

 

Call Alice Jo Weaver with any questions.  See You Then!!

                                                         

WEDNESDAY'S ECUMENICAL LENTEN SCHEDULE

 

This is the schedule , location and addresses of the five Ecumenical Lenten services that will be held at various Linthicum Churches.  Please make every effort to attend as many as possible to show your support for this very important ecumenical effort.  An e-mail was sent out to all on our Parish list.  Please feel free to forward this or the e-mail you received to any people who you think may be interested. 

EARTH DAY EVENT / PROTEST AT NORTHUP GRUMMAN

 

As part of the call by the War Industries Resistance Network, Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland is organizing a demonstration at Northrop Grumman, a letter to its CEO and a leaflet to be handed out to the workers at 793 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum, Maryland on Earth Day, April 22, at 3 PM.

Northrop Grumman is a notorious weapons contractor, which has received the largest amount of tax dollars to work on nuclear weapons.

 President Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons in its invasion of Ukraine has created the most tense nuclear weapons crisis since 1962 when Russia installed nuclear weapons in Cuba.  Unfortunately, President Biden is using the invasion of Ukraine to release an outrageous military budget. And the figure for the nuclear weapons arsenal is $50.9 billion, This is a $7.7 billion increase from last year’s proposed budget. 

 Biden’s budget includes $5 billion for the B 21 long range strike bomber made by Northrop Grumman, which is also capable of deploying nuclear and conventional weapons. The budget includes $3.6 billion for a Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. That system is a replacement for aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that are located in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming. The ICBM is the land component of the nuclear triad the Biden budget proposal referenced. The GBSD would ensure that these missiles remain deployed in U.S. states for another 50 years.

 In 2020, Northrop Grumman was awarded a $13.3 billion engineering and manufacturing development contract for the U.S. military’s next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile system for  the Air Force. That program is projected to be worth up to $85 billion. The ICBMs increase the chances of a catastrophic accident or miscalculation because they are kept on high alert at all times, and hundreds of them would be launched with a single order. Once launched, they cannot be recalled.

 If you are interested in joining Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland on April 22, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001@comcast.net  We will be doing carpooling to meet at a fast food restaurant across from the Northrop Grumman site. 

HOPE FOR ALL ON-LINE AUCTION

 

HOPE FOR ALL ON-LINE AUCTION

HOPE FOR ALL will have another spring online auction from April 3-7^th where people can bid on all kinds of great items from the comfort of their home. They can simply visit our website at www.hopeforall.us to link to the auction once it opens.

Since the majority of our clients are children, we hope that this will help bring awareness to the hundreds of kids that we support each year. Thank you for helping us spread the word and thank you for supporting HOPE FOR ALL !!