February 20, 2026

Greetings in Christ,

This weekend, the Church provides us with very rich readings for the First Sunday of Lent.   In addition to the famous original rebellion of our first parents against God in the Garden of Eden, we also have our Lord’s battle with the evil one in the desert with his threefold testing.  Lent is a spiritual battle – with ourselves, with the evil one, and with the challenges of living in a broken world.  The Good News is that God loves us and never gives up on us! :)

Christ in the Movies:  If you did not get a chance to participate in the Rocky talk on Thursday (Feb. 19), below are the slides for the talk.  Admittedly, I really enjoyed putting the talk together, reflecting on the rich Catholic themes woven throughout the movie.  More than a few times in my life, the Lord has placed the image of Rocky getting back up after getting beaten down by Apollo Creed, and to keep fighting.  There are some movie clips in the presentation that are a bonus as well! The recording is also on our archive page for our livestreams.

The Truman Show:  The second movie that we will reflect on for our Christ in the Movies series will be The Truman Show (1998).  This is a very fascinating movie where Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is an ordinary man who gradually discovers his entire life, including his hometown of Seahaven, his friends, and his family, is a massive reality television show broadcast 24/7 to the world.   Things begin to unravel as he notices inconsistencies, and he begins a quest for the truth and freedom from the artificial world constructed around him by a visionary producer.  In short, Truman has everything in the material realm a person could want, and yet, his heart still wants more.  The talk on The Truman Show will be on Thursday, March 5, at 10:00 am and 7:30 pm.

Men's Connect: The evening of Thursday, March 5th at 6:00 PM the Men’s Group of St. Thérèse Parish will be having their next Men’s Connect Meeting.  

Winter Fun:  We are always trying to find creative ways to build community at St. Therese and to have some fun as well!  This year, we are going to have a celebration called Winter Fun on Thursday, March 12, for families.  We will begin with Mass at 4:00 pm, followed by a dinner in the Community Room, and then some fun activities in the Community Room sponsored by our Families United in Faith Ministry.  There is no cost for the event.  The celebration is open to St. Therese families!

Mardi Gras:  A heartfelt thank‑you to Pat Strandberg and to all our wonderful volunteers who helped make Mardi Gras such a beautiful success this year. The joyful mix of games, good food, and fellowship always brings so much laughter and warmth to our parish community, and this year was no exception. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making Mardi Gras another memorable celebration for St. Therese.

Altar Wine:  With the change of the liturgical season, we will change the altar wine that we use at Mass for Lent and Easter.  We typically use an altar wine called Rosato Altar Wine, which is quite lovely.  We will switch to Golden Angelica Wine for Lent and Easter.  Sometimes, changes can help wake us up from taking things for granted so that we not only think more deeply about the meaning of something but also increase our gratitude to God for His gifts.  In this case, we thank God for the gift of His Body and Blood, truly present under the appearances of bread and wine.

Sunday 5:00 pm Mass:  Our next Sunday 5:00 pm Mass is this Sunday, February 22. We are blessed to have Teresa Shackelford sharing her beautiful singing voice and musical gifts with us at this liturgy.

St. Therese’s Prayer Card:  If you did not get a chance to grab a St. Therese prayer card with her famous prayer Oblation to Merciful Love, they are still available in the gathering space.  It is her famous prayer, composed on June 9, 1895, where she offers everything to Jesus.  The prayer reveals her beautiful heart.  I invite you to take a prayer card and include it every day in your personal prayers in Lent.  Praying from your heart, it will deepen your love for Christ. Below is also a PDF if you would like to have a copy electronically.

Stations and Soup Supper:  We will have Stations of the Cross starting every Friday in Lent, beginning this evening (February 20) at 5:30 pm, followed by a soup supper.

Join Us in Praying the Rosary:  You are invited to gather with us on Thursdays at 10 am by the fireplace to pray the Rosary together. It’s a peaceful way to pause, reflect, and lift our intentions as a community.

As a reminder, we also offer the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet every Thursday at 3 pm in the Chapel for those who think this time works better.

Discerning Vocation Invite:  The Archdiocese invites young men 16 and older to join them for dinner and conversation about the priesthood and religious life. See flyer for more details.

Adoration:  We’d love for you to join our community of scheduled adorers by committing to one hour with our Lord. If you are able, please consider signing up for our open time slots. And of course, you are always warmly invited to come, pray, and spend time in our chapel whenever you wish.

 Tuesday, 3–4 pm

Please join us as we recite the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy every Thursday at 3 pm in the Chapel.

For more information, call Geri at 952-473-4422 or Marilyn Olson at 952-474-4344.

The 2026 Gerten’s Spring Plant Sale:  Sponsored by St. Martha’s Circle! 

Order your plants through us and help support St. Therese & our community. 

Orders can be placed NOW (through April 6) at www.gertensfundraising.com. 

Be sure to enter the St. Martha’s Circle Store ID: 146.

Questions? Please contact Barb Chacko (612-483-2482) or Ellie Kuhns (612-385-1580). 

The St. Therese Parish Meal Pack Save the Date:  Mark your calendars for March 17-18. This year, our goal is to pack more than 132,192 meals.

High Schoolers Embark Session:  Join us on February 25 from 6:30–8:00 pm in the Community Room for a meaningful Embark session on faith and mental health with Addy Diaz from the Martin Center for Integration. Addy is a Master’s-level clinician working toward licensure as a Licensed Practicing Clinical Counselor (LPCC), a former youth minister, and an active worship leader with In The Name Worship. She brings real-life experience, practical tips, and a passion for helping teens grow in both faith and emotional health.

Together, we’ll explore how our Catholic faith offers hope, healing, and practical support for the ups and downs of life. This is a welcoming space for anyone seeking encouragement and tools for the journey. Parents are also invited!

Extreme Faith Camp Prayer Team Application Now Open!  High school leaders play a vital role at Extreme Faith Camp, helping middle school youth encounter the love of Jesus Christ while also growing in their own faith. One of the most meaningful ways to serve is through the Prayer Team, which supports the spiritual heart of camp by praying and interceding throughout the week and assisting behind the scenes with set-up for Mass, evening sessions, and prayer experiences. Prayer Team leaders also receive intentional formation through talks, small groups, and mentorship, and many students share that their Prayer Team year was one of the most impactful parts of their Extreme Faith Camp experience. For students hoping to serve on the Extreme Team in the future, Prayer Team is an important first step and a foundational prerequisite for that leadership role. Students interested in serving on the Prayer Team must complete an application by March 20th. For more information, contact Chelsie Blustein at (952) 261-0566 or cblustein@st-therese.org. Click below to apply or scan the QR code.

Extreme Faith Camp: Registration Now Open!  Registration is now open for Extreme Faith Camp, our middle-school summer camp, which will be held from July 13-17, 2026.  EFC is a high-adventure summer camp for middle schoolers.  It is packed with incredible activities, including high ropes, zip lines, tubing, laser tag, climbing walls, archery, water activities, and more!   It is also a wonderful opportunity for middle schoolers to grow in community and fall in love with Jesus and our Catholic faith.

For a taste of what EFC is like, you can check out this video of past camps!

Registration is open now at this link.  For more questions or information about our scholarships, you can email Joe at jschiltz@st-therese.org.  Space is limited, so sign up now!

Greece Pilgrimage:  Registration is open for the Greece Pilgrimage in 2026!  We will be taking a pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul on a 9-night Cruise plus 4 nights in Athens.  The pilgrimage that will take place from September 14 to 28, 2026, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

We will follow in the footsteps of Saint Paul through Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Thessaloniki, and Philippi!  The 9-night cruise will sail through the breathtaking Greek Isles, giving you the opportunity to visit ancient temples and idyllic seaside villages in six ports of call: Rhodes, Ephesus, Santorini, Mykonos, Philippi, and Thessaloniki.  Check out this updated link:

More information on our school website or the Archdiocesan careers page.

Estate Planning:  A reminder that we have a Little Flower Legacy Society at St. Therese to encourage planned and estate gifts to our parish, our school, or one of our endowment funds.   Please include St. Therese as a beneficiary in your estate planning!  It is an opportunity to give back to our beloved parish and ensure that our parish remains financially viable for generations to come!

Flocknote:You can receive my daily Mass reflections sent right to your

phone! To sign up, just text the word “ANDRIE” to 84-576 to follow the link.

Stewardship:Thank you to everyone who continues to support St. Therese! I invite you to continue supporting our beloved parish as it helps us to serve you and remain connected with you! This can be done in the following ways:

As always, be assured of my gratitude for your generosity and prayers to St. Therese. Be assured of my prayers for you as well!

Blessings, 

Fr. Andrie