St. Madeleine Catholic Church

[Diocese of St. Augustine] 17155 N.W. US HWY 441 High Springs, Florida 32643 Office@StMadeleineCatholicChurch.org 386-454-2358 Office Hours: 9 to 2 M-F
Stewardship Prayer for St. Madeleine Catholic Parish
Almighty God, my parish is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is. It will be friendly, If I am. It will be holy if I am.Its pews will be filled If I help fill them. It will do Good works if I work. It will be prayerful if I pray,It will make generous gifts to many causes. If I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship if I invite and bring them. It will be a Parish family of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, of compassion, charity and mercy. If I - who make it what it is - am filled with these same qualities, Therefore, with the help of God, I will dedicate myself to the task of being all the things I want my parish to be. Bless my journey, Lord God, That I might build the church, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord Amen
DONATIONS
We Worship God by doing as He said.: "Do This In Rememberance Of Me."
Luke 22:1919 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:2020 And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

On 441 - East of downtown High Springs & West of I-75.

Mass ScheduleSaturday Vigil: 5:00pm Sunday: 7:30am & 11:30am Tuesday 6pm,Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30amSaturday 9:00am Confession: Tuesday at 5:30pm, Saturday at 4:15pm - Also by appointment Adoration: Wednesday, Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm at the ShrineFirst Friday Adoration: 9:00am to 7:00pm at the ShrineThird Friday of Every Month: Healing Holy Hour 7:00 PM
Click calendar below to see "up-to-date" listing of coming events {This feature is still being developed}
INDEX of PAGES

UPCOMING EVENTS BELOW

Please don't forget to visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/stmadeleinecatholicchurch
This slide show is a link to our FULL EVENTS PAGE
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults begins on Sunday, August 25. OCIA is the process for adults who desire to join the Catholic faith, those who have not completed their sacraments, and those simply seeking more information about the Catholic Faith. Our classes also have students who are already Catholic and seek a deeper more adult understanding of our Faith.
By clicking the "Parish Giving" box to the right, you can easily sign up to make your contributions to our parish online. Recording your offering is automatic and eliminates the need for weekly envelopes'
Should you have any questions about using this convenient program, email our St. Madeleine Catholic Church office at: E-giving@StmadeleineCatholicChurch.org

A Note From Fr. Sebastian:

Many have called today’s Gospel, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the greatest short story ever written, but many also say it has been given the wrong title. It should be called the Parable of the Merciful Father, which was Jesus' intention when telling the parable. This parable was not intended to stand by itself. It is intended to be the climax of two other Parables, the parable of The Lost Sheep and the parable of The Lost Coin. Jesus’ audience for these parables were people full of their own holiness who complained that Jesus could not possibly be a holy man since he associated with people who were sinners. Our Lord’s kindness to these unsavory people becomes a stumbling block for them. Jesus responds to their complaints by saying, “Let me tell you a story that explains what God is really like. Let me show you how unfounded your complaints are.” Jesus asks them, “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” Jesus then asks, “What woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me…’” Jesus ends by saying, “I tell you…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” This sets the stage for the parable of The Prodigal Son, which reveals God’s joy when there is a return to the flock of even one lost soul. No one ever dreamed of a God like that – a God who actively seeks and searches for those who are lost. The younger son was prepared to grovel to prove to his father that his repentance was sincere, but his father interrupted him before he could do that and restored him to full son-ship. The father’s response is immediate and complete with the repentant son. St. Augustine famously said, "My soul is restless until it rests in Thee my God." Yet God is more restless than we are, and that’s what the Incarnation is all about. As Jesus says later in Luke’s Gospel, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” For Jesus, there is something worse than death, to be lost, and there is a condition better than life, to be found. The genius of the Parable of the Merciful Father lies in that we can identify with each of the characters in this story. We are the lost son when we fall into sin and return to seek restoration in God’s family through the sacrament of reconciliation. Like the other son, we can be jealous when God extends his mercy and forgiveness to those who we think don’t deserve it. Lastly, we can be like the merciful father who rejoices over the return of someone who was lost and has returned to the faith.Our Lenten journey should lead us to reflect on where we fit into this Parable of the Prodigal Son. When we sin, we repent and go to confession. We should rejoice when we see God show mercy and love to others, even if we think they don’t deserve it. Finally, we must be people of mercy who, like the father, are willing to forgive those who have injured us. Our Lenten practices of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting help us to see where we fit into God’s plan for our salvation and the salvation of the world. Let us pray for those in our OCIA program as they begin their final preparations to receive the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Our Lenten devotion of the Stations of the Cross continues on the Fridays of Lent at 6:30 p.m. in the Shrine following our Knights of Columbus Fish Fry.Never forget that our merciful Father relentlessly seeks us more than we seek him, and that is cause for joy!God bless you!Fr. Sebastian

The Grounds of St. Madeleine Catholic Church High Springs, Florida {View From Drone}

OCIA / Religious Education for Adults

Our OCIA Page
RCIA classes are designed to tell interested adults about the Catholic Faith. Some of these students will consider coming into the Catholic Church. Here at St Madeline's, there are number of students who are already Catholic and wanting a deeper understanding for the teachings of Christ, the Apostles, AND the Early Church Fathers.

Youth Group

Middle- and high school-aged (grades 6 to 12) children in our parish meet on the first and third Sunday evenings from September through June. A meal is provided by parish families. Activities include outdoor fun and group discussions on topics related to our faith in daily life. Activities also include pancake breakfasts and assisting with other parish functions and ministries. Parents are encouraged to attend with children. This video is their Good Friday Presentation.

Religious Education for Grade School Youth

.The Catholic Church is a Sacramental Church. These classes, divided by age, will start with first and second graders preparing for First Holy Communion by the end of the second year. Grades three through six, the children will learn Doctrine amd Dogma that is taught at a basic level that youngsters will comprehend. The seventh and eighth grades are devoted to the preparation for Confirmation.

Bingo

Bingo Night comes around once a month on Saturday evening. The doors to our Family Life Center open at 6:00 PM and games begin at 6:30 PM. This is a fund raiser to help with the building fund. Bingo also provides an opportunity to socialize with many others

Parish History

The picture on the right is a link to a page that tells the history of our parish. The button below is a link to our 100th Anniversary of our presence in High Springs Florida.
link to 100th Anniversary Mass

A Tour of Parish Grounds

We have been blessed with enough land just East of downtown High Springs Florida, in order to enjoy a beautiful Campus. Here we have Our Main Church as well The Shrine ofOur Lady of La Leche. Our Family Life Center includes a large hall, class rooms, a library and a kitchen. The Memorial Garden is a cemetary and one of our most recent additions. At the State Rd 441 entrance there is the Chuch office and just East of office is our activity center that is used for small group events. Surrounding the whole property is a nature walk that includes outdoor Stations of the Cross and the Grotto dedicated to our Holy Mother.

Blessing of Grotto

In addition to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, we have on the property of St Madeleine Catholic Church this Grotto designed as an area for quiet prayer and reflection. The Grotto is located along the Emmaus Pass just beyond the outdoor Stations of the Cross
St. Madeleine Community Outreach
It is OUR VISION to come together with churches, agencies, and members within the Communities of High Springs, Alachua, Newberry, Fort White, LaCrosse, Alachua & Gilchrist County in a community-wide ministry. Our goal is that this synergy of community and action will offer to those in need long-term permanent solutions by not only supplying the fish; but, the tools to fish as well.We have yearly food, paper good, toiletry & cleaning product drives sponsored by local clubs, organizations, churches, and members of the community. It is also possible to sponsor a drive on behalf or in remembrance of a loved one. We can post your drive information including drop-off locations.For more information on starting a collection drive to be the Hands & Feet of Christ helping those in need please call Belle Diefenderfer @ 386.454.1000 or email: smco@windstream.net.

Defend Our Faith

In order to defend our Faith, we need to know our Faith. Many of us attended eight years of Catholic Grade School. Once we left and went on to public education, our formal religious education came to an end. We are, in effect, going through life with the eighth grade understanding of our Bible, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium! The Church wants us to know our Faith as Adults. Adult religion classes that guide us to a deeper understanding of Catholicism, many of us have witnessed, is a most rewarding and enjoyable time that is well spent.