On Friday nights in Lent, the Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin (like the vast majority of Catholic Churches all over the world) will walk the Stations of the Cross (beginning at 6;00 pm followed by a meatless meal at 7:00 pm) These Stations of the Cross originated in pilgrimage to Jerusalem and a desire to reproduce the Via Dolorosa. Imitating holy places was not a new concept. ... their efforts were recognized when Franciscans were officially proclaimed custodians of holy places by Pope Clement VI in 1342.
In the end it was St. Leonard of Port Maurice or Porto Maurizio (Italy) (1676–1751), a Franciscan who established what we know as the 14 Stations of the Cross. During his long life as missionary, Saint Leonard erected more than 570 Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross are representations of the path Jesus bore on his way to the crucifixion. They involve Jesus enduring suffering, insults, moments of support, and relay the intense sacrifice that we Christians believe Jesus undertook for human salvation. The Stations of the Cross provide a type of meditation or reflection about individuals and the configuration that governs human beings.
The Scriptural significance of the Stations of the Cross is to detail the path Jesus walked on his way to eventual redemption of humanity. This path was one that featured him bearing the weight of the cross, falling down three times due to the physical exhaustion he endured, meeting his mother, Simon the Cyrene, and a woman named Veronica along the way. The Stations of the Cross also include Jesus being nailed to the cross, his death, and eventual resurrection. The path to spiritual paradise lies in the Station of the Cross when individuals recognize what Jesus endured and enable it as a call to action in their own lives. To illustrate this, after each Station we say that "We adore you O Christ and we praise you," to which the respondents reply that "Because by Thy holy Cross Thou have redeemed the world."
Pope Pius XI argued that the Stations of the Cross was necessary so that Christians could understand the magnitude of what was endured, providing "some sort of compensation to be rendered for the injury."
The traditional 14 stations are as follows: Jesus is condemned to death; Jesus takes up his cross; Jesus falls the first time; Jesus meets his mother; Simon of Cyrene carries the cross; Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; Jesus falls the second time; Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem; Jesus falls the third time; Jesus is stripped of his garments; Jesus is nailed to the cross; Jesus is crucified; Jesus is taken down from the cross; Jesus’ body is laid in the tomb.
Please join your Parish Family and walk the Stations of the Cross each Friday in Lent.
Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor,
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook
It is the beginning of Lent, and the time in the Church Year when all Catholics should make their Confessions. I wanted to write a brief guide on how to make a Good Confession here at the Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin. One should tell ALL mortal/capital (serious) sins and you should add any details that affect the severity of them. For instance, the sin might be "I stole." That means that you confess that you stole, from whom you stole, but it is not always necessary to go into the question of "why did you steal it."
For example, if you stole the $100 from the little old neighbor lady, who had nothing else to live on, that would be a little different from the lottery - they are both sins, indeed, but the first would be way worse, and so that detail is important. Now when it comes to venial sins (less serious sins, which you are NOT bound to confess)- less is more. You only need to mention those venial sins which are habitual, or that are really bothering you, or that you can't seem to overcome. And ONLY in enough detail so that the priest knows exactly what you are dealing with. Be brief with venial sins.
Actually, for the most part, less is more all through your confession. The only absolute requirement is that every serious (Mortal) sin must be mentioned by number and kind (I drank three times, I looked at inappropriate images twice, I used the Lord's name in vain four times, etc.)
Please do NOT share anything along the lines of what someone else did, etc. This is YOUR confession, not your neighbor's, spouse's, or child's. (If you have children, Father does not need to know that the child was "acting out" or something. You are a parent, you are supposed to be a good parent regardless of how the child was acting, etc.)
Also, please PREPARE for your confession (writing down your sins ahead of time can be very helpful) and try to be mindful of the other parishioners who also need to confess. Again, the concept of less is more is a good guide at any time, especially during Lent.
The Diocese of Dallas has this helpful link https://www.cathdal.org\confessions.
We will hear confessions at our usual time of Wednesdays from 11:00 am to 11:50 am (before the Noon Mass) and on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 11:00 am (after the 9:00 am Mass) throughout Lent and will have a third priest joining us on Saturday, March 20th at 10:00 am.
If you are unable to make your Confession at the scheduled times here at SMV, we have posted the scheduled times of the two other Catholic Churches on Davis Drive (Most Blessed Sacrament and St. Maria Goretti) on the Confessional door, and the Dallas and Fort Worth Diocesan Penance Services will be posted on their respective websites.
It is an honor and privilege for your priests to hear your Confessions, lets all try to make sure that everyone gets a chance to be heard and absolved.
Your Friend and Pastor,
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook
As you all know, the commutation of the obligation to attend public Mass during the coronavirus pandemic has been in place since the middle of March. It was already my intention to revisit this in September, but now even the Vatican has beaten me to the punch! Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, has written to the presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences to remind them of the urgency of encouraging the faithful to return to in-person Mass.
Our faith is sacramental, not notional. The Word became flesh, and gives himself to us in the flesh in the Eucharistic sacrifice. This sacramental principle also applies to the Liturgy of the Word, as the liturgical proclamation of the Word is categorically different than reading the scriptures in our private devotional prayer. The circumstances of these last months have been exceptional, certainly. Given the sacramental character of our worship and life, however, we risk great and lasting harm to the Church and to individual souls the longer people stay away from Mass and Confession.
Beginning October 1, 2020, I am modifying the commutation of the obligation to attend Mass. As of that date, the commutation applies only to those persons who are at higher risk for the Coronavirus (according to the CDC, those who are 60+ years of age, those with underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, COPD, kidney disease, or are immuno-compromised). Persons not in this vulnerable group should be encouraged to return to Mass and the Sacraments.
As always, we seek to balance our religious obligations with a common-sense approach to health and safety. I encourage each congregation to redouble efforts at disinfecting churches and spaces. Please, encourage mask wearing.
Mass is essential. Faithfulness in a pandemic takes pastoral courage. It is our obligation to witness now to the certainty of the redeeming presence of Christ in the Mass and Sacraments.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Steven J. Lopes
Bishop, Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter
SUNDAY
8:00 AM Low Mass
10:30 AM High Mass
with full choir and ceremonials
1:00 PM Low Mass with Hymns
MONDAY
12:00 PM
TUESDAY
6:00 PM
WEDNESDAY
12:00 PM
THURSDAY
12:00 PM
FRIDAY
12:00 PM
SATURDAY
9:00 AM
CONFESSIONS
WEDNESDAY 11:00 AM
SATURDAY 10:00 AM
ADORATION AND BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT IS ON FRIDAYS FOLLOWING THE NOON MASS UNTIL 5:00 PM
If you're wondering how to donate to St. Mary the Virgin during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are several ways to do so. Your tithe offering may be mailed to the church. You also may set St. Mary the Virgin up with your bank in their online “bill pay” option. With this option, a check will be mailed to the church directly from your bank. We have also set up PayPal as a payment option. To use PayPal, go to PayPal.com, log into your account or create a new one and search for stmaryarl@sbcglobal.net. We ask that you use the Friends and Family option as this donation option is temporary until we are able to attend Mass in person again.
St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Pray for us.
O Glorious St. Joseph, thou who hast the power to render possible even things which are considered impossible, come to our aid in our present trouble and distress. Take this important and difficult affair under thy particular protection, that it may end happily.
O dear St. Joseph, all our confidence is placed in thee. Let it not be said that we have invoked thee in vain, and since thou art so powerful with Jesus and Mary, show that thy goodness equals thy power. Amen.
St. Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart, pray for us.
My Jesus, I believe that thou
art truly present in the
Most Holy Sacrament.
I love thee above all things,
and I desire to receive
thee into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive thee sacramentally,
come at least
spiritually into my heart.
I embrace thee as if thou were already there and unite myself wholly to thee. Never permit me to be separated from thee. Amen
I am so grateful that our Governor, Gregg Abbott, has continued to uphold our Religious Freedom (the 1st Freedom as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has reminded us) and exempted churches from many of the restrictions faced by other entities. With the recent rise of Covid-19 cases in Texas, we will continue to adhere to the directives of state and local authorities and take the necessary safety precautions, namely proper social distancing spacing, disinfecting all pews and the altar rail after every Mass. (Volunteers for this are needed – please call the parish office if you can help) Please consider bringing your own wipes and wipe down your pew and kneeler before you leave – this will ensure a double cleaning of that area. We also have hand sanitizer available in the Narthex. If you have extra hand sanitizer, wipes, disinfectant spray or liquid that you can donate, please contact the parish office.
For parishioners over the age of 65, those who have pre-existing conditions and those that prefer to remain at home, we will continue to live stream one of our Sunday Masses on our parish Facebook page. You may use this link to access the SMV Faceb
For those of you who will join us for Mass, welcome!
We ask that you:
Please consider wearing a mask while socializing on the church grounds (the mask can be removed when inside the church and during the mass itself)
Please continue to sit in every other pew; Please do not sit in the pews marked off with blue tape.
Families are encouraged to sit together in a pew. If there are two or more families in the same pew there should be a proper distance between each family;
For those in the overflow seating in the Parish Hall, please follow the Ushers’ instructions, they will direct the flow of traffic to and from the altar rail;
When socializing in the courtyard or parish hall after mass, please continue to keep socially distant from each other.
Please do NOT set up any displays, tables with books or religious items, information booths, or advertisements (for either parish or non parish events such as off campus talks and events, or possible future trips or pilgrimages) or hold any fundraisers in the courtyard, narthex, parish hall or the parking lot until further notice. These displays and tables (with things like books or religious articles) complicate our efforts to maintain Social Distancing.
Please remember that the collection plate is located in the Narthex of the Church. Your generosity is especially appreciated during this unusual time.
Please recall that Bishop Lopes has commuted the normal obligation to attend Sunday Mass at this time for some parishioners (See His Excellency's letter above) . This “commutation” means that the Sunday obligation of these Christian faithful who meet the expected conditions (see above) to be present in Church on Sunday is met through one of the two following pious practices:
A. Prayerful reflection upon the Sunday Scripture readings, and concluding that reflection by the recitation of the Prayer of Humble Access or the Anima Christi;
B. The recitation of the Rosary as a family; Having the obligation to attend Sunday Mass commuted does not mean you have a day off, like taking a day off work. It is still The Lord’s Day: the Day of the Resurrection. Below are some prayers which are helpful to fulfill your obligation on Sunday, as well as prayers for making a “spiritual communion.”
Prayer of Humble Access We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up thy crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his Blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his Body, and our souls washed through his most precious Blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
Anima Christi (As taken from St. Gregory’s Prayer Book, page 32). Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from Christ’s side, wash me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me; O good Jesus, hear me; Within thy wounds hide me; Suffer me not to be separated from Thee; From the malicious enemy defend me; In the hour of my death call me; And bid me come unto Thee; That with thy Saints I may praise Thee; forever and ever. Amen.
Prayers for Spiritual Communion (As taken from St. Gregory’s Prayer Book, page 230) In union, dear Lord, with all the faithful at every altar of thy Church where the blessed Body and Blood are being offered to the Father, I desire to offer thee praise and thanksgiving. I believe you are truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. And since I cannot now receive thee sacramentally, I beseech thee to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself unto thee, and embrace thee with all the affections of my soul. Let me never be separated from thee. Let me live and die in thy love. Amen
I worship thee, Lord Jesus, and kneeling unto thee, as thou didst come to Mary, I pray thee come to me, I beseech thee, and unite me to thyself. Though I cannot now receive thee sacramentally, yet I believe that thou art able, even when received by faith and desire only, to heal, enrich and sanctify me. Come thou spiritually into my heart. I desire to unite myself to thee with all the affections of my soul. Possess me wholly; let the consuming fire of thy love absorb me, and thy presence abide so intimately in me, that it will be no longer I that live, but thou that livest in me. Come, Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart. Amen.
Please know that your priests and staff at St. Mary the Virgin are praying for you, and we ask that you continue to pray for us as well.
Faithfully, Your Friend and Pastor,
Fr. Christopher C. Stainbrook
Eucharistic Adoration is offered on Fridays, beginning after the 12:00 noon Mass and concludes at 5:00 p.m. Please come and sit with our Lord for an hour. WE NEED MORE ADORERS to maintain this Ministry, as the Blessed Sacrament cannot be left alone in the Church. Please call the Parish Office to Sign Up for a time.
(2 needed each hour)
The Catholic Church of St. Mary the Virgin wants you to know that the church remains unlocked for private prayer and reflection before and after daily Mass from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
We are now streaming ALL Sunday Masses
(the 8:00 a.m. Low Mass, the 10:30 a.m. High Mass with
full choir and ceremonial and
the 1:00 p.m. Low Mass with Hymns) on the
St. Mary the Virgin Facebook Page
Please consider supporting our Parish with time, talent, and treasure!
are currently looking for men & women to serve as USHERS at all Masses. The work of an Ush
If you are a young man interested in serving on the altar, please see Head Acolyte, Brandon Gunnip to add your name to the Server Roster
"I will Go unto the Altar of God"