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195 Amicks Ferry Road, Chapin SC 29036

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Dear Friends,

Urgent Note: Time is running out to secure your tickets to attend the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress on 5 and 6 April. The Congress will continue to enhance your spiritual growth following Easter. Please read the details at the end of this message in the "Notes of Importance from the Diocese" section of this email or simply SIGN-UP for tickets.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord and marks the beginning of Holy Week! Learn more about HOLY WEEK from the EWTN web site. 

Why are the statues and crosses in the church covered? Read about Passiontide to find out!

Many of you may be aware that Pastor Dinkins from Chapin Presbyterian Church lost his family home and all family possessions to a fire this past week. While the Dinkins family are all safe, thanks be to God, and are receiving tremendous support from their church family, a GoFundMe account has been set up for community support from the greater Chapin area. To help the Dinkins family CLICK HERE - GoFundMe.

Many thanks to all who gave a one time gift or made a pledge for Pledge Weekend and the 2024 Catholic Appeal of South Carolina (CASC). There is still time to make a one time gift or pledge.  As of 12 March 134 families have made one time gifts and pledges received totaling $44,586.18. This represents 76% of our goal of $58,503. An additional $14,482.50 has been pledged but it is not included in our total until the monies are received. We need 291 families of the 1,166 families registered to make a gift to the CASC to reach 25 percent of our parish families participating. Currently we are at 11.5 percent participation. Please watch this short VIDEO to better understand the needs met by this appeal and to prayerfully consider your gift. 

BAKED GOODS ARE NEEDED for the Annual Palm Sunday Bake Sale directed by the Woman’s Club after all Masses, 23-24 March in St. Andrew Hall. If you are donating goodies for the sale, drop off times are 1:00-6:00PM on 23 March and 7:30AM-1:00PM on 24 March in St. Andrew Hall. The Sale is before and after each Mass. Please come out and support this fundraiser! Proceeds go toward helping the Parish with special projects.

This year’s Seder Meal will be on Wednesday 27 March at 6:30 PM in the Family Life Center. Sign up sheets will be in the Narthex this weekend 23-24 March. Seating is limited.

HELP ADORN OUR ALTAR FOR THE HOLY SEASON! Would you like to purchase a lily in loving memory of or in honor of a family member, a friend, or for a special intention? Use the FLYER HERE or on the Offertory Table in the Narthex. Envelopes are provided and you may drop in the Collection Basket or bring to the Parish Office, M-F, 9:00-1:00pm. Many thanks!

40 Cans for Lent began on Ash Wednesday and ends on Good Friday. Please support this worthy effort of the Knights of Columbus. Since the beginning of Lent 3,215 pounds of food has been collected! An additional $1,220 in cash and checks has been collected to purchase food. Thank you for your continuing support!! 

From our Respect Life Committee: Lenten 40 DAYS FOR LIFE Campaign ends on 24 March. There is still time to be a part of this effort and pray for an end to abortion! Make an appointment with God on the sidewalk! A great way to pray at Planned Parenthood for the first time is to join us at the weekly year round Catholic Prayer Vigils. Still want to know more? Here's a great 3 Minute Video on 40 Days for Life. If you or your ministries are praying for an end to abortion and for a successful 40 Days for Life Campaign, let us know! Send a picture of yourself or your group for our photo gallery and 40 Days for Life Columbia Facebook page. Questions? Contact Maureen 803-932-6032 or respectlife@ollchapin.org. To learn more visit 40Daysforlife.com/columbiasc. 

The Men's Club is now accepting applications for the 2024 Men’s Club Scholarships. These scholarships are based on church service, community service and on a faith-based essay.  There is also a Deeds and Need Scholarship which takes into consideration financial needs.  All seniors headed to post-secondary education or training (university or technical school) are encouraged to apply for these four $3,000 scholarships! Follow the links to apply. Applications are also available in the Bell Tower. Applications must be received by 1 April 2024 to be considered. (The Chapin Junior Women's Club has 10 other scholarship opportunities. Check out their FLYER for details and to apply.) 

The MOMS group (Ministry Of Moms Sharing) is holding a focus meeting to define its goals and intents on Tuesday 2 April in Saint Andrew Hall from 10:00AM to Noon.  All moms are invited to attend.  We will have two guest speakers to help us maximize our creativity. Please reply to stewardship@ollchapin.org, but walk-ins are welcome!

Parking Reminders: Please be respectful of your fellow parishioners by parking in the assigned spaces only. Recently, there have been numerous cars parked by the island curbing on the Amicks Ferry side of the front parking lot.  These are not parking spaces! Parking along these curbs makes it difficult for those parked in lined spaces to exit and, even more importantly, emergency vehicles are not able to enter the parking lot!

There is ample parking available behind the Family Life Center and in the overflow parking lot to the right of the church.

Thank you for demonstrating courtesy in the parking lots!

Faith Formation Classes, Edge, Life Teen and Bible Studies are meeting this Sunday!

Pray for peace in the world and for protection from storms and other natural disasters.

Some brief, but important news and reminders:

There is NO 8:00AM or 10:30AM hospitality this Sunday. Please support the Women's Club Bake Sale!

Peace and all good,

Fr. Dennis

LENT 2024

Just TWO more opportunities to make a good confession before the beginning of LENT!

Traditionally, your Easter Obligation is to make a good Confession at least once from Ash Wednesday until Pentecost Sunday. 

During Lent, Fridays are Lenten Family Fridays with a Meatless Dinner in Saint Andrew Hall at 6pm followed by the Stations of the Cross at 7pm. The last Lenten Family Dinner this Season will be Friday, 22 March hosted by Parish Neighbors.  We thank them and all the ministries who made the meals possible for fellowship before the Stations of the Cross: The Women’s Club, The Men’s Club, Knights of Columbus, Respect Life/Senior Luncheon, and Cursillo/Sunday Morning Bible Study. The last Friday of the Season is Good Friday with Stations of the Cross led by Father Dennis at 12 Noon and the Passion at 3:00PM.

REMINDER: LENTEN REGULATIONS for Catholics: Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence from meat. Ash Wednesday & Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence. 

During LENT, Father Dennis and Father Morey will be available for Confessions every Thursday from 6:00PM-7:30PM, as well as on Saturdays from 3:00PM until 4:30PM.  See Schedule below and mark your calendars!

Thursday: 21 March from 6:00PM-7:30PM.

Saturday: 23 March from 3:00PM-4:30PM. 

I encourage all parishioners to take advantage of the above times for confession. The last scheduled times before Easter are always standing room only and many end up not having their confessions heard due to not enough time or priests!

EASTER 2024

It is not too early to plan for Easter. Below is our schedule for Holy Week, the Easter Triduum, and Easter Sunday. The 8:00AM and 10:30AM Easter Sunday Masses will have overflow seating in the Family Life Center and in St. Andrew Hall. The Easter Vigil Mass and 1:00PM Mass in Latin will both have plenty of seating. We expect the main sanctuary to be filled to capacity 30 to 45 minutes early on Easter Sunday! Plan ahead so that you won't be disappointed if you don't get into the Church on Easter Sunday.

FOUNTAIN CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

The fountain is up and running! Future plans for the fountain are to extend the plaza in front of the church with pavers so as to include the area around the fountain. Designs are currently being proposed. Once a final design is approved we will raise funds to complete this project by selling pavers to be inscribed with family names, in honor of, or in memorial. Once the plaza is completed there will be no further opportunity to add inscriptions!

URGENT!

Time is running out to secure your tickets to attend the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress on 5 and 6 April.

You must have tickets to the Congress on Saturday, 6 April to attend. We have established a Sign-Up Genius Link for the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress to secure your ticket(s). Tickets are limited to this event. Less than 70 remain for our parish! This event will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Featured speakers including Bishop Joseph Espaillat and Dr. Edward Sri. (These are AWESOME SPEAKERS!) The event will also include Mass with Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, Bishop of Charleston, a Eucharistic Procession, and opportunities for adoration and confession.

Due to limited capacity, this will be a ticketed event. Our Lady of the Lake has been issued a limited number of tickets. Tickets will be distributed in a "first come, first served" manner based on order of signup.

Lenten Synod Listening Sessions

We want to hear from you!

In preparation for the next session of the Synod on Synodality, the synod team from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) wants to hear from the faithful on important issues so they can properly address what is facing the Church today. 

Synodality means "walking together,” and walking together also means we listen to each other. We cannot change Church teaching; what we can do is listen to comments and advice from the faithful on plans, projects, and practices coming out of the Vatican.  

Please feel free to click HERE to share comments, concerns or questions with the Synod committee.

Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate. This is a wonderful opportunity for Catholics to express ideas about how the Church can better carry out her mission of converting and saving souls for the Kingdom of God.  

Rediscover Your Marriage

Retrouvaille (pronounced retro-vi with a long i) simply means 'rediscovery'. The program offers the chance to rediscover yourself, your spouse, and a loving relationship in your marriage. 10’s of 1000's headed for divorce have successfully saved their marriages by attending. Retrouvaille is not a sensitivity group, not a seminar, not a social gathering, but is anchored in Christian reconcilement, communication and healing. For confidential information about, or, to register for the program beginning with the weekend of 12 - 14 April in the Charlotte area; contact Bill and Lyn Folsom at 727-343-6701 or email: 3062ac@helpourmarriage.org or visit the web site at www.HelpOurMarriage.org

National Eucharistic Revival

The National Eucharistic Revival is the joyful, expectant, grassroots response of the entire Catholic Church in the United States to the divine invitation of re-centering our lives on the Real Presence of the Eucharist. In South Carolina, this movement seeks to ignite fervor for the Most Blessed Sacrament in the hearts of faithful through teaching, practice and evangelization. For more information see the following links:

National Eucharistic Revival Website (Includes tab for the National Eucharistic Congress)

Diocese of Charleston

Vocations Resources and Upcoming Events

These websites offer good sources of shareable information and resources:

• Vianney Vocations - vianneyvocations.com

• Vocation Ministry - vocationministry.com

The diocesan site is being redesigned and should be ready by next summer. For now, posters and a prayer card can be downloaded from charlestondiocese.org/vocations.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

• May 24, 2024 — Four seminarians are set to be ordained deacons, 6 p.m. at St. Joseph Church in Columbia

• June 7, 2024 — Two deacons to be ordained priests, 6 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston

Interest in the priesthood, diaconate and religious life is increasing in our diocese! Please continue fostering the openness to serve God and his people. The most fruitful environments for religious vocations are always in families attending Mass weekly with faithful priests celebrating reverent liturgies with quality music. In addition, let us promote prayer time in front of the Blessed Sacrament and invite young people to take those graces out to serve the people of God through weekly involvement at our Parish Youth Programs Edge and LifeTeen. 

Retreats for survivors of abuse

The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is sponsoring “The Way” retreats for survivors of abuse. Each offers a path forward for survivors of all forms of abuse (physical, emotional, and/or sexual) to reflect on God’s plan for their lives and for healing through prayer and the sacraments.

The women’s retreat will be April 26-28. There is no cost for the retreat. For more information, visit adw.org/the-way-retreat.

To register, email Deb McDonald: mcdonald@adw.org. All inquiries are strictly confidential.