I was able to get away for a long-overdue vacation this past weekend to celebrate a good friend’s 40th birthday. We chose Nashville, hoping to escape the cold, only to find ourselves in one of the worst winter ice storms Tennessee has seen in decades! Thankfully, it didn’t keep us down. A little live country music, some Tennessee barbecue, and good company were more than enough to keep us warm and grateful.
 
I’ll admit, I deliberately tuned out the news for a bit in order to live in the present moment—to enjoy friendship, peace, rest, and renewal. But no vacation is ever a vacation from being a priest. Each day, I celebrated Mass in our Airbnb and offered prayers for you, for our parish, for Minnesota, and for a country that feels heavy and hurting right now.
 
The gift of the Mass continues to strike me as one of the most powerful and beautiful places we can bring our raw selves—our fear, anger, sorrow, and confusion. At Mass, we place all of that on the altar. And in return, God gives us His Word and His Body. We receive Jesus Himself. At every Mass, we pray for “the peace and salvation of all the world,” and then we are sent forth to carry what we have received into a wounded and divided world.
 
I’ve also been struck by how often the Mass prays for unity, healing, and peace. It is the lifeblood of our worship. In times of turmoil and tension, the Church does not fan the flames of anger—it gathers us around a fire. The fire of Christ’s love. A fire that warms cold hearts, softens hardened ones, and gives light when things feel dark.
 
The Mass is available to us every day. Let it warm us. Let it form us. And then let us go out and bring Christ’s hope, truth, and peace to a world that desperately needs it.
 
Come, Holy Spirit.

Fr. Mike
Parochial Administrator 

February 25 - 28
St. Joseph the Worker - Maple Grove

This is our 10th annual Northwest Metro MobilePack for Feed My Starving Children! 

Click Here for more details and to sign-up to pack at the event or to make a donation. 

Join us for one or both of our upcoming Lenten fish dinners hosted by the Knights of Columbus!

Friday, Feb. 27— 5:00-6:30 PM (Tickets sold through Noon on Wednesday, Feb. 25)
Friday, March 20 — 5:00-6:30 PM (Tickets sold through Noon on Wednesday, March 18)

Each dinner will include pan-fried tilapia with tartar sauce, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, dinner roll, and dessert. Tickets are $14.00 per plate and must be purchased in advance online or by calling the Parish Office.

Purchase Tickets

Mondays in March (3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23 & 3/30)
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Regan Hall

Cost: $20 (includes an in-depth workbook, but there is no homework!)

Fr. Mike will be leading Dr. Edward Sri’s A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, a fascinating exploration of the extraordinary biblical roots of the Liturgy—what it all means, where it comes from, and why it matters. If you’ve ever wanted to understand the Mass more deeply—and love the Eucharist more fully—this study is for you. Space is limited, so please sign up today!

Click Here for more information and to register. 
Registration closes at Noon on Friday, February 20 or until full.

Our Wednesday Mass time has changed from 8:00 AM to 5:15 PM, with confessions offered in the Adoration Chapel starting at 4:45 PM. 

We have been considering offering an evening Mass for some time and are excited to offer an opportunity for people to come to a daily Mass who currently cannot make the morning option work. This will also allow for opportunities for our Faith Formation participants to attend Mass before programs begin on Wednesday nights.

Mass at 8:00 AM will continue to be offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with confessions offered in the Adoration Chapel at 7:30 AM.

Please know that we welcome new adorers to take open hours! Click here to sign-up as an adorer or substitute adorer.

Adoration Sign-up