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St. Pius V Celebrates the Year of St. Paul June 28, 2008 to June 29, 2009
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 St. Pius V Parish is celebrating the Jubilee Year of St. Paul with a number of presentations, Scripture studies, and parish activities. Pope Benedict XVI has declared the Jubilee Year of St. Paul to be from June 28, 2008 until June 29, 2009, in celebration of the 2000th Anniversary of the birth of St. Paul, which historians have placed between the years of 7 and 10 A.D. Announcing the Holy Year last year, the Holy Father called for “liturgical, cultural, and ecumenical events” in honor of Saint Paul by dioceses and churches throughout the world. In addition, the Pope said that there should be a definite ecumenical dimension to the Jubilee Year, saying, “The Apostle to the Gentiles, who was especially committed to taking the Good News to all peoples, left no stones unturned for unity and harmony among all Christians. May he deign to guide and protect us in this bimillenial celebration, helping us to progress in the humble and sincere search for the full unity of all the members of Christ's Mystical Body.”
At the urging of Fr. John Vien, the Pastor of St. Pius V Parish, the parish’s Christian Formation Commission took the Pope’s invitation to heart and have planned a number of activities at the parish in celebration of the Pauline Year.
St. Pius V will kick off the Holy Year by celebrating the Feast of Saints Peter & Paul on Sunday, June 29. On that day, every parishioner will receive a holy card with a prayer and an image of the Saint. A map detailing the journeys of Saint Paul has been placed in the Parish Hall, and a series of brochures covering Saint Paul’s biography, theology, writings, and travels will be distributed to parishioners over the course of the Holy Year. On Thursday, September 11, the parish will host a lecture on Saint Paul given by the Reverend Sean Martin, professor of Scripture at Aquinas Institute of Theology; the evening gathering will feature Greek foods and wines. Fr. Martin will return in the spring, on April 17, to continue the discussion. That evening's gathering will feature Italian foods and wines!
In the Fall of 2008, St. Pius V Parishioners will be invited to participate in a Small Group Scripture Study on Paul’s Letters to the Thessalonians. In the Spring of 2009, the Faith Sharing Groups will consider Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians in their gatherings. In January, 2009, near the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, the parish will host an ecumenical prayer service, inviting other Christian communities to come together in prayer. The parish’s Book Club will be reading and discussing books about St. Paul and reading his Epistles over the course of the year.
The culmination of the Pauline Year will be a Pilgrimage to Greece in the Footsteps of Saint Paul. The pilgrimage, which is open to all in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, is scheduled for May 10-22, 2009. Pilgrims will visit sites in Greece and Turkey that Saint Paul visited on his missionary journeys, including Athens, Corinth, Thessaloniki, Philippi, and Ephesus. Also included is a four-day cruise of the Greek Isles. Fr. Vien will be the Spiritual Director for the Pilgrimage; the details are being coordinated by Travel Tyme, a local travel agency that has conducted many pilgrimages for groups in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. For information about the Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Saint Paul, contact Travel Tyme at 636-391-1000.
All are welcome to participate in the various activities St. Pius V has planned for the Holy Year of Saint Paul. Click on any of the links at the left to become acquainted with what is being planned (Schedule of Events); or, take a personal journey with St. Paul by exploring any of the other links. St. Pius V is located in South St. Louis City at 3310 South Grand Boulevard. For more information, call the parish at 314-772-1525, or check back here often for additions and updates.
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