From the bulletin for The Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (2025 December 28) Dec 28 - Holy Family The Feast of the Holy Family is a special one for me and my vocational story. It was on this day in 2011 that I had a fateful session of spiritual direction at the St. Mark’s rectory. I came armed with what I thought were very good arguments to defeat any suggestion of the priesthood for me (which I intuited the then-pastor was going to make… it was our second

School Gym | 7:00 - 10:00 PM Save the date for the 2026 St. Mark's Soirée! Join your parish family at 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, for an elegant, social evening of music, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages. All parishioners ages 21+ are invited by the pastor to attend. Formal invitation to follow. RSVP HERE

11:00 AM | Church The Church of St. Mark is staffed by the religious order Pro Ecclesia Sancta (they're great!) and on Jan 20 (1992) their founder, Fr. Pablo Menor, SJ passed to his eternal reward. This year, their annual Mass in remembrance of Fr. Menor's "heavenly birthday" will be at the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass of January 18. Reception in Carolyn Hall to follow. RSVP if attending the reception!

Mass at 6:00 PM on Dec. 31 (with choir) and/or 10:00 AM Jan. 01 January 1st is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God! And the last octave day of Christmas (Christmas continues afterwards though, so keep it going). And it's a Holy Day of Obligation! (Also, parish office is closed Jan. 01!)

Updated 2025 Dec 17: Note that, from what follows, 7:00 AM Mass will be suspended following the Christmas Eve Day 7:00 AM Mass. Adoration will be suspended from Christmas Eve Day with the 10:00 AM Mass and resume the following Monday after the 10:00 AM Mass. Dec 24 - Ordinary schedule in AM (7:00 & 10:00 AM) then Christmas schedule in PM 4:30 PM Vigil Mass with Cantor; 4:10 PM Carols Midnight Mass with Cantor Dec 25 - 10:00 AM only (with choir) Dec 26 - 10:00 AM only Dec

December 24th @ 4:30 PM Christmas Vigil Mass* | Church Come take part in telling the Christmas story! Children ages 4-12 are invited to participate in a nativity tableau at the beginning of the 4:30PM Christmas Eve Mass. Rehearsal will take place on TUESDAY December 23rd at 11AM in the church.   (Children who are 4 years old should plan to have a parent at rehearsal to assist them). Costumes will be provided. Sign up by Tuesday, 12/16. Please send questions to Katie Shra

St. Monica said to her saintly son before her death, "Remember me at the altar of the Lord." This Advent, you have the opportunity to place the memory of your deceased loved one close to the altar of God by means of a Christmas flower offering. Offerings will go to furnish the altar with the annual poinsettia arrangements. Please submit the donation and the name of your deceased loved one to the parish office by December 19th. Suggested offerings: 4.75” - $6 6.5” - $10 8” -

From the First Sunday in Advent (2025 November 30) Nov 30 - Advent 1 In today’s First Reading Isaiah envisions “all the nations” streaming towards God’s temple on Zion: “In days to come … many peoples shall come and say: ‘Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths" (Is 2:2-3). In the past weeks, we have had occasion to recall now that “those days” have come, the Lord’s mountain is

From the bulletin for The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (2025 November 23) Nov 23 - Christ the King Some speak of “separation of church and state.” The Bible, in contrast, speaks of an intermingling of “wheat and tares” both within the Church (see 1 Jn 2:19) and in the world (see Acts 18:10). There, the relevant separation is between those who gather with Christ and those who scatter (Mt 12:30); those who are “of the truth” (Jn 18:37) and those who

Start Advent off with the spirit of giving! And everyone in the family can get involved! Beginning November 30th, look for the Giving Tree in the St. Mark’s vestibule right as you enter the church for Mass! Take a moment before or after Mass to grab an ornament tag and help a local family in need. Then purchase the listed item and turn it in with the ornament tag attached on or before December 17th in “Santa’s Gift box” next to the Giving Tree! Make the most of your Advent

Dec 8 | Masses at 10 AM, and 6 PM | A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

7:10 PM | The Church (2001 Dayton Ave) Have yourself A French Baroque Christmas with La Grande Bande! Tickets required! 7:10 - Organ Prelude 7:30 PM - Concert Performance $35 (Sec A), $25 (Sec B), $15 (Sec C/Students) Use discount StMarks1225 to save 15% Tickets can be obtained at lagrandebande.org/tickets or by phone at 507-237-6539 About La Grande Bande: La Grande Bande was founded by Dr. Michael Thomas Asmus in 2011, with the goal of bringing high-quality arts programmi

December 6 (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM), December 7 (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) | Carolyn Hall (Moore St./Dayton Avenue - Free Entry! ) Mark your calendars now for the annual CCW Christmas Boutique, held on Saturday, December 6 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, and on Sunday, December 7 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Come to Carolyn Hall for homemade Christmas goodies and Christmas treasures for sale at a remarkable savings. There will be coffee and doughnuts after the Sunday masses. Volunteer help needed!

From the bulletin for Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (2025 November 16) Nov 15 - 33rd Sunday The end is nigh.  Mirroring the maple trees on Wilder Street, the liturgical year now blossoms with an apocalyptic flourish as we approach the cycle’s end. Having started it with our Advent expectations and Yuletide rejoicings, then marching through our Lenten campaign of Christian soldiering and solemn Paschal celebrations, and now completing our admiration of Our Lord’s active

5:30 - 7:30 PM | Carolyn Hall This is for you, dear reader, as a member of the WHOLE PARISH FAMILY. "Really, for me?" Yes. In no uncertain terms. The evening will feature meal (pizza), formation, adoration, and small group discussion. Please RSVP so we have a good headcount for pizza!

From the bulletin for The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (2025 November 09) Nov 9: Dedication of SJL In the Office of Readings of the day on which I write (Thursday the 6th), the Psalms contains two passages that echo one another:  Remember, Lord, the shortness of my life and how frail you have made the sons of men. What man can live and never see death? Who can save himself from the grasp of the grave?  (Ps 89:48-49) Our life is over like a sigh. Our

COMBINED MASS at 10:00 AM, Eucharistic Procession to Follow (with light reception after) Long live Christ the King! And he will; may we live long with him and share him with those around us! And so we will do just that on Sunday, November 23rd. And note Confessions will be from 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM.

From the bulletin for The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (2025 November 02) Nov 2: All Souls The landscape of American English and its cultural expressions are littered with stark disjunctives. “Liberty or death!” (Patrick Henry). “California or bust!” (1849 gold rushers). “God or nothing!” (2015 book by Cardinal Sarah). “Ride or die!” (1950s motorcyclists and early-2000s gangsta rappers).  Yet we Christians live our lives in the shadow of an even starker either/o

8:30 - 10:00 AM | St. Mark's Cafeteria For all women of the parish! Join your fellow women of the parish for a light breakfast, reflection, and a panel discussion on how to prepare homes and hearts for this liturgical season.

12:30 - 3:00 PM | Mendota Heights Remove invasive buckthorn [with extreme prejudice] and convert that labor into providing Christmas presents for poor children in the Peruvian Andes Mountains! RSVP