April coming events calendar

MAY

Srs. of Providence exhibit to open at historical museum
For the past year, students at Loyola Sacred Heart High School and St. Joseph School have been working with the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula to create a permanent photo-essay display on the Sisters of Providence, the school’s early founders, and the cultural contributions the Sisters made to the Missoula community. The exhibit will be unveiled at the museum at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 4, following a noon Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church celebrating the Sisters of Providence and their contributions.
Anyone having old photographs or related memorabilia that they are willing to loan for the temporary display, should contact Patrice Schwenk, Loyola Sacred Heart librarian, at 549-6101.

Latin Mass to be held
at Frenchtown parish
Sunday, May 4, is the next date for the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Liturgy of the Mass (according to the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal and as permitted by Pope Benedict XVI in Summorum Pontificum) at St. John the Baptist Church in Frenchtown. The Mass will begin at 11 a.m. Confessions are scheduled at 10 a.m. and the rosary will be prayed at 10:30 a.m.

Bishop Warfel to speak at MACC meeting
Bishop Michael W. Warfel of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings will be the guest speaker at the Montana Association of Catholics in Commerce luncheon Tuesday, May 6, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Best Western Grantree Inn in Bozeman. His topic will be “Work – A Way to Worship.”
Online registration is recommended by Thursday, May 1, at
http://www.macc.bz/faq.php?s=6#37 or by phone, 581-9971. The event is open to the public. The cost is $15 for non-members (lunch included) and $12 for members.

Nursing school banquet set for Butte in May
Reservations are required by May 12. for the annual St. James School of Nursing banquet and celebration weekend, scheduled May 16-18 at the War Bonnet Hotel in Butte. A no-host cocktail party will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, and another gathering at 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by a banquet honoring the St. James nursing class of 1958. The group will attend Mass at Holy Spirit Church at 9 a.m. Sunday, and then a brunch. All nurses are welcome.
For reservations and more information, call Claire Holman at 723-4258 or Deanna Thomas, 782-4435.

Cathedral Centennial Dinner
A Centennial Dinner will be held at the Brondel Center of the Cathedral of St. Helena on Saturday, May 17, following the 5 p.m. Mass.
Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased at the parish office. Raffle tickets are also available for various prizes, including a 7-day all expense paid Mexican Riveria cruise, and 500 gallons of gas. Raffle tickets are $20 each or 3 for $50.
Seating is limited to 250. Call Claire Holman at 723-4258 or Deanna Thomas at 782-4435.

Art in celebration of the Easter season
“Passion to Pentecost,” an exhibit of abstract spiritual paintings by Clancy artist Linda McCray, is showing at Blessed Trinity Parish in Missoula through May 23. Located at 1475 Eaton St., Missoula, the church is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday. 3 to 7 p.m.; and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
McCray earned a master of fine arts degree from the University of Montana. She currently teaches art at the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology.
For more information, call her at 800-923-5537 or visit MontanaDesignsUnlimited.com.

3-day retreat in Missoula
May 23 is the deadline for a three-day directed silent retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. It will be held May 30-31 and June 1 at St. Francis Xavier Parish, Missoula. Free of charge, it is offered by St. Francis Xavier Retreat Ministries. Schedule is 5-9 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call Ann Moriarity, 542-0321, or Maureen Murphy, 549-0718, or contact the parish office, 420 W. Pine St., Missoula, MT 59802 for an application. Space is limited.

JUNE

More Engaged Encounter weekends coming up
Coming weekends for Engaged Encounter, a marriage preparation program for engaged couples, will be Sept. 12-14 in Kalispell, June 6-8 and Oct. 3-5 in Great Falls; and Oct. 17-19 in Butte. For information and sign-up, couples should contact a registration couple in the area where they wish to attend: Stan and Margie Smith, 756-5848 in Kalispell; Joe and Beth Stimatz, 782-5873 in Butte, or Bob and Vickie Williamson, 727-5507 in Great Falls.
Couples are encouraged to make a weekend one to six months before their wedding date. Non-Catholics are welcome.

Lay Franciscan mini-retreat planned at Flathead Lake
The Secular Order of Franciscans will hold a half-day free mini-retreat Saturday, June 28, at Flathead Lake. A guided meditation on the lake, full information on St. Francis and how to become a secular Franciscan will be presented between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. For the agenda, location and other information, call Kitt Adams, SFO, at 406-849-5613, or e-mail KitKat_lake@hotmail.com, “Attn:SFO.”

ONGOING

Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
St. Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, is a local group of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS) located in Butte. Presently, members come from Helena, Bozeman, Belgrade and Butte. Secular Carmelites are called to make prayer penetrate their whole existence. If you desire to learn to pray in a way that fosters a deep friendship with Jesus Christ in faithfulness to his Church, the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites may be worth investigating. The group meets at St. Joseph’s Church, Butte, the third Sunday of the month. For more information, call Melldie Freeman, group leader, 406-494-7949, or Becky Hyle, formation director, 406-494-3892.

Benedictine monastic life
The Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, Minn., invite single women 21 or older to experience monastic life by living with them and participating in some of their ministries as a Benedictine Associate volunteer for six months to a year or longer. Room and board are provided, plus opportunities to participate in spiritual and educational programs. For more information, contact Sister Grace Marie at (218) 723-5984 or gmbraun@duluthosb.org, or write to St. Scholastica Monastery, 1001 Kenwood Ave., Duluth, MN 55811.

Secular Franciscans meet in Missoula
People who want a deeper experience of Christ and knowledge of the humble and peace-loving traditions of St. Francis of Assisi may contact the Secular Franciscan Order in Missoula. It is a group of Missoula-area married, single and divorced lay people who meet every month in fraternity. A two-year discernment period is required. Meetings begin at 10 a.m. the second Saturday of each month in the Loyola Chapel behind St. Anthony’s parish center. For more information, contact Joe Korona at 549-4239.

Published in The Montana Catholic, Vol. 24, No. 4, April 18, 2008.