This Week's Message
from Fr. Amesse
March 9, 2025

I’ll keep you posted about May 1st.  Archbishop Henning will be here for the noon Mass.  Author Joseph Hollcraft will be here for the 5:30 that same day.  May 1st is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.  He’s our patron.  What a wonderful way to honor St. Joseph.  Thursday, May 1st will be a glorious day.  Pray for fine weather, please.  

Contemplating the 7 Sorrows of Mary is the book I have been suggesting for you to read for quite some time now.  Joseph Hollcraft is one of the 2 authors.  He’ll be with us.  Now that Lent has begun, can we refocus on Mary’s sorrows; 7 of them.  Why?  Because God kept His promises to the Blessed Mother.   

The Father in heaven wants us to be with Him.  Why are we focusing on Mary’s 7 sorrows?  In each trial, God promised victory to her.  The victory happens at Easter.  One day, this victory will be ours.  But we have to tell God we want it badly.  That’s why we want the Lord to blot out all the sins we have committed. 

Not only that.  We want, with God’s help, to eradicate (take away) all the sinful tendencies we have deep down, and not so deep down, within our souls.  May 1st is 2 weeks after Easter, which falls on Sunday, April 20.  Two weeks from Easter we will be happy to honor St. Joseph the Worker in special ways.

I remember you at Mass.

Catholic Conversations

In this Lenten episode, Part 1 of 2, Dr. Rebecca Duda talks with Br. Richard about the Stations of the Cross 

First Fridays at the Shrine
Next First Friday, March 7

Immediately following the 8:00 am Mass, we will pray the Rosary with reflections written by the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen.

Immediately after the Noon Mass to 5:15 we will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Please keep First Fridays fervent here at the Shrine by spending some time with our Lord. 

Pilgrim Virgin Statue To Visit Shrine
March 27-30 

The Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Notre Dame du Cap (Our Lady of the Cape) from Notre Dame du Cap Shrine in Three-Rivers, Canada will be visiting the Shrine March 28-29-30, 2025, as an integral part of “Pilgrims of Hope” Jubilee 2025. 

. . . Father Luc Desilets re-introduced devotion to the rosary and soon numbers to the nightly recitation increased. When the small fieldstone church of 1720 could no longer accommodate parishioners, it was decided that a larger church was needed.  It would be built with stones from a quarry on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence River once it had frozen in the winter.  Fr. Desilets urged his congregation to begin praying the rosary for nine days that ice would form on the river.  He also promised the Blessed Virgin that if she interceded, he would rededicate the old church to her instead.  Despite it being an unusually mild winter in 1879, a small section of the St. Lawrence froze sufficiently by the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19th.  By adding more snow and water to the ice floes that had gathered, parishioners were able to construct a narrow mile-and-a-half long ice bridge. 

The Miracle of the Ice Bridge

The ice held for a full week which allowed for the stones to be hauled across on horse-drawn sledges. During that time, Our Lady was watching over the transport of stones over the ice bridge. This prodigy (phenomenon) was dubbed the Miracle of the Ice Bridge.  It also became known as the “Bridge of Rosaries” since the men transporting the stones over the ice bridge recited the rosary for protection.    To be continued . . .Learn more.

24 Hour Adoration &  Confession
March 28-29

While the Lady of the Cape is here,  the Shrine be offering 24 Hour Eucharistic Adoration & 24 Hour Confession on March 28-29, The 24 hours will begin at 4 pm on March 29 and will conclude with the 4 pm Mass on March 29.  Please see Sacristan David Lazu to sign up.

Lenten Appeal

 We are so grateful for all who, year after year, take advantage of the Lenten Season to make a special sacrifice and contribute to St. Joseph the Worker Shrine. Many of you have received the Shrine’s Lenten Appeal letter for 2025, but if you haven’t and  would like to contribute, please use the envelopes available in the Confessional Lobby.  Be sure to specify “Lenten Appeal 2025” on the check memo line and place your check in any of our collection boxes.  The financial support you provide ensures that the Shrine continues to serve and bless the many souls in need. 

Legion of Mary
at the Shrine

Meetings are held in the downstairs Conference Hall each week after the Sunday noon Mass.

The Legion of Mary is a Marian movement founded in Ireland in the 1920’s. It is currently the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis’ March
Prayer Intention

Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other's gifts, even in their differences.

Words of wisdom from the letters of St. Eugene de Mazoned, founder of the Oblates of Mary  Immaculate and the patron saint of dysfunctional families: 

“...devote yourself more than everto the service of the Good Master…”

 1850 letter to Fr. Eymere

St. Joseph
Terror of Demons
Pray for us!

Full Litany of St. Joseph

Praying with the Stained Glass Windows of
St. Joseph the Worker Shrine

Part I - The 100 Year+ Windows Series
Part II - The St. Joseph Windows

May 27, 2024 - End of 40 Hours of Devotion Eucharistic Procession

Self-Guided Tour
St. Joseph the Worker Shrine

Ring the Bells of the Shrine

Everyday of the year, the “Bells of St. Joseph” ring-out God’s praise for all to hear!

Our Carillon can play Special Hymns of your choice any day of the year. At your request, our chimes will ring in honor of loved ones for the entire community to hear and prayerfully remember.Your offering of $20.00 will be greatly appreciated and will assist us in maintaining the Shrine and its ministries. Thank You!

Bell-ringing selections may be reserved for specific days & times throughout the year(s) in the Shrine Gift Shop/Bookstore.

St. Eugene de Mazenod’s Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother

 O Lord, Almighty God, you endowed the Blessed Virgin Mary with the fullness of every gift and grace. By allowing her heart to be pierced with the deepest sorrow, you crowned her merit and placed her at the head of countless legions of martyrs who, for love of your Son Jesus Christ, have shed their blood. Through the painful martyrdom endured by this gentle Mother seeing her beloved Son dying as a Victim because of his love for us, grant us the grace to bear with fortitude the disappointments and setbacks in our life, and not to fear torment or death itself, when we are called to confess our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Confession

Mon - Friday
10:00 am - noon
4:30 pm - 5:15 pm

Saturday 
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

First Wednesday of the month

Eucharistic Adoration

The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration on -

Saturday after the noon Mass until the 4:00 pm Mass
First Fridays after the noon Mass until the 5:30 pm Mass