New Prague Catholic

What I did in Belize What does being a missionary mean to you? For me, it means sharing the love of Jesus Christ with those I encounter through my words, actions, or the simple witness of my life. During this year’s spring break, the Lord called me to be his missionary in San Pedro, Belize. FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, offers Catholic mission trips to college students to places all around the world during their seasonal breaks. Just recently, I went on my first FOCUS mission trip. I was also joined by a chaplain, four FOCUS missionaries, and six other Catholic, college students, like myself, from around the U.S.                    On the ground, we worked with the local Catholic Church, San Pedro (St. Peter). Our first day, we drove around on golf carts with local parishioners, evangelizing and offering to pray with those who desired it. This was so fun and a great opportunity to wor...

Archbishop Hebda Suspends Masses in Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis  March 18, 2020      Letter to the Faithful from Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda:  Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, State Officials have communicated to religious leaders that the next two weeks are critical for the containment of the COVID-19/coronavirus and that all congregational gatherings should be avoided. While I am sure that the advice is startling for those of any creed, it particularly hits hard for Catholics, given our beliefs about the Mass and the Eucharist. In light of that advice, after consulting with the Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors, and having learned that an active parish priest in another U.S. diocese has tested positive for the virus – unknowingly putting his parish at risk prior to the manifestation of any symptoms – I have made the difficult decision to suspend all regularly scheduled public celebrations of Mass in the Archdi...

Dearest Faithful at St. Wenceslaus, St. John, and St. Scholastica,   Due to the increasing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19/coronavirus in Minnesota, Archbishop Bernard Hebda this week announced his decision to dispense all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass, until further notice. This is a rare dispensation and a decision he said he did not take lightly. A copy of the Archbishop’s letter is on our parish website  www.npcatholic.org  , posted on bulletin boards, and a limited number on tables in back of our churches.  Despite the Sunday Mass dispensation, I will continue to offer Mass daily and weekends.  Please use your good judgement as to whether to attend or not.  Archbishop Hebda h  as also provided some simple ways to stay spiritually connected to the Church and each other, foremost among these is an invitation to participate in a special fast and abstinence this  Wedne...

We have all been told that God is with us, He wants a relationship with us, He loves us; but sometimes … I wonder. If God is all-knowing, all powerful, omnipotent, why would He care about one insignificant person like me? Does He even notice me? Does He really care? Am I worthy? I don’t think these thoughts are unique to me. We do have questions, we want answers. As a loving Father, God wants to give us these answers, and His answer is: of course, my child! You do matter, I desire a relationship with you, I created you for that. You are so valuable to me, and I love you. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and before you were born, I consecrated you.” (Jeremiah 1:5) The 99 Experience helps us examine our relationship with God; whatever that looks like … non-existent, distant, holidays only, friendly terms, best buds. All equally important, because He is patiently waiting for YOU wherever you may be. He created you and will pursue you if you are the one lost sheep or...

WE ARE NEW PRAGUE CATHOLIC We are farmers and lawyers, doctors and teachers, unemployed, and underemployed. We are working mothers and fathers, working at home mothers and fathers. We are judges and the judged, loved and spurned. We are Catholic schoolers, homeschoolers, public schoolers, and unschoolers. We play ball, poker, we dance and skate. We knit, we paint, we wish we could knit and paint! We read books, we read newspapers, we follow Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. We speak Czech and German. We speak English and Spanish. We drive moderate cars and fancy SUVs. We drive pick-up trucks and harvesters. We love, we celebrate. We mourn. We worship at St. Wenceslaus, St. Scholastica, and St. John. We are New Prague Catholic In an effort not to replicate 1 Matthew and Jesus' genealogy - many vocations and occupations did not make the final draft. This is not mean as a slight, but a conversation starter: Who are YOU? What do you do? Where do yo...

Emily Shimota, our Youth Minister at St. Wenceslaus in New Prague and a high school youth from our parish is on pilgrimage with March for Life and the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. She will be blogging about her experience which will be shared here. Please follow this blog for regular updates about this awesome and life changing pilgrimage!The photo below was taken by our youth traveling with Emily while at the National Cathedral!  Sunday, January 26: This morning, we attended Mass at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Janesville, Wisconsin. It was a beautiful Mass and some of our youth sang in the choir. We went to lunch after, and made the last leg of the trip home. On the way, everyone shared how the pilgrimage affected them and what they were going to do to continue pro-life work when they get home. We arrived at the St. Paul Cathedral Sunday evening and said goodbye to our new friends. This was an incredible journey.  Jaden said he is coming back nex...