St. Agatha Parish exists primarily to serve the spiritual needs of those of the Polish language and ethnicity living in the St. Louis area.  We live our faith in union with the Supreme Pontiff and the Archbishop of St. Louis.  While living in American society, we celebrate our heritage of rich cultural traditions.  Through the intercession of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the Queen of Poland, and St. Agatha, the patron of our Parish, we seek to fulfill our calling in Jesus Christ by living out our Catholic faith in love, justice and peace.

THE HOLIDAY OF THANKSGIVING

Eucharist means “thanksgiving”.  Every time we celebrate the Eucharist at Mass in the Church, we share a Thanksgiving meal.  We celebrate God’s works:  creation, redemption and sanctification.  We are united as one body, one family sharing in the one bread and one cup of Christ. President Abraham Lincoln instituted the holiday in 1863 during the Civil War.  He wanted Americans to celebrate the holiday as a sign of unity and thanksgiving to God, and so we continue this tradition in giving thanks to God who has given us great gifts.

 

NEW LITURGICAL YEAR

With Advent, a new liturgical year begins. Every Catholic, every Christian, has a mission to fulfill because he is filled with the Holy Spirit. Let each of us, although living far from our homeland, be aware of the mission of the Church and the role it fulfills in the world, but also of our own individual mission as a Christian in our family and parish community, as well as in the community of the whole society.

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON OF ADVENT

Advent begins with First Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent (Saturday, November 26) and lasts until First Vespers of the Solemnity of the Nativity (so it ends in the evening of December 24). The first and second Sundays of Advent remind us of the promise of the second coming of Jesus, and third Sunday, (also called Gaudete) teach about the figure of St. John the Baptist. The last, fourth Sunday of Advent, focuses our attention on the person of Mary-Mother of God.

 

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

Dear Lord:  Today we give thanks for our many blessings as we pray for those in need.  We give thanks for our family and friends as we pray for those who are lonely. We give thanks for our freedoms as we pray for those who are oppressed. We give thanks for our good health as we pray for those who are ill. We give thanks for our comfort and prosperity as we share our blessings with others. On this day of Thanksgiving may the love of God enfold us; the peace of God dwell within us and the joy of God uplift us.  Amen.

 

 

THANKSGIVING – THANK YOU

As the USA celebrates Thanksgiving Day this Thursday, I want to once again thank you for all of the ways you have been generous to St. Agatha’s Parish, the Sisters of Precious Blood, the Society of Christ Fathers and so many others. I have no doubt that you are as kindhearted to others as you are to us, and that’s a wonderful blessing in itself! We hope and pray that you’ll continue to remember our community in your charity.

 

Fr. Stan