St. Mark Catholic Church Newsletter — March/April 2021

Saint Mark

APRIL 2021

NEWSLETTER

Respect for Life Ministry: Speaking for Those Who Don’t Have a Voice

Liturgy Schedule Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m. (Spanish) Sunday: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. (reserved for 60 & above parishioners), 4:00 p.m. (Lifeteen) Daily Mass: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, 7:30 a.m.; Wed, 12 p.m. (noon) Adoration: Mon. - Thurs. 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Confessions: Sat, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

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Michelle McDonald with her husband, Daniel, and their five children at the March for Life in Washington D.C.

s Catholics, we believe that everyone has a right to life from conception to natural death. This is often countercultural — as assisted suicide becomes more common and abortions continue, it’s important that we at St. Mark’s work to support life and end our culture of death, in whatever ways we can. This is where the Respect for Life Ministry comes in. continued on page 2

Respect for Life Ministry continued from front cover “With the availability of onof abortion clinics and helped demand abortions, up to birth, lead this year’s spring 40 Days and euthanasia, it is critical to for Life campaign. She has also help educate people to stand helped organize parish Prayer for against these evils in our world,” Life chains and facilitated consays Michelle McDonald, who tributions to pregnancy resource leads the Respect for Life Miniscenters, including Loreto House try. “As Catholics, it is our obliin Denton. In addition, she has gation to respect the dignity and attended many pro-life fundraisvalue of every human life.” ers throughout the area.

Mary Stroupe started this min“The knowledge I have gained istry a few years ago, and eventhrough being involved in all of tually Michelle McDonald took “With the availability of this has helped form the goals to over. Although they took about a lead this ministry,” Michelle says. on-demand abortions, year break from meetings with the Michelle greatly anticipates COVID-19 precautions in place, picking up where the group left up to birth, and they have recently been back to off prior to the pandemic, and she euthanasia, it is critical hopes to work to bring awareness meeting in person.

Michelle’s passion for the proto help educate people to end-of-life Catholic teachings, life movement began when she along with anti-abortion work. to stand against these attended her first March for Life The opportunities for pro-life adin 2017 in Austin, with the high vocacy work and prayer are endevils in our world. As school youth group. Her husband, less. She hopes it will become Catholics, it is our Daniel, had attended the March for a ministry of service as well, by Life in Washington D.C. with the helping those in need through obligation to respect older of the couple’s five children. hosting diaper drives and baby the dignity and value of “He used to tell me, ‘Just wait showers. She would also like to until you experience it for yourself start spiritual adoption, where every human life.”

— you will love it,’” Michelle says. babies in danger of being aborted Michelle went on to attend — Michelle McDonald are prayed for throughout a ninethe March for Life in Washington month period.

D.C. and she has returned each year.

“The pro-life movement is a blessing because it allows us “It was these experiences that shaped my future in- to evangelize as Catholics, to stand out from the world, and volvement with the culture of life, and gave me the cour- be who we were meant to be,” she says. age to share the truth with people, and to be a witness Michelle invites everyone with a passion for the proto my Catholic faith,” Michelle says. “My husband was life cause to get involved. right, I loved the entire experience, as it stoked the fire of “It is a pleasure to work with enthusiastic people the Holy Spirit to become more involved.” who have a heart for protecting the rights of the unborn Michelle is very involved in all areas of the pro-life and a deep conviction for protecting those at the end of movement throughout Denton. She has prayed in front their lives,” she says.

If you would like to get involved in the Respect for Life Ministry, please call or email Michelle McDonald at daniel.mcdonald1@att.net or 940-465-6059.

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Celebrating

A Letter From Our Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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Christ’s Resurrection

ow did you feel at the end of the Palm Sunday Mass? You may not have noticed, but there was an abrupt shift of tone in that liturgy. It began with great joy, as we celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the acclamation of the crowds.

But then the mood shifted to sorrow, despair even, when the Passion Gospel was read, for we heard the shouts of “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” from those same crowds a few days later.

Palm Sunday, of course, was the beginning of Holy Week, the most important week in the Christian year. The confusion of conflicting moods is spread through the week, especially during the Easter Triduum — from sundown Holy Thursday to sundown Easter Sunday.

Holy Thursday offers us the glorious Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrating the institution of the Eucharist before we pass to the sadness of the betrayal and arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The next day brings us the Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion with our recognition of what our sins did to the Incarnate Son of God. Then, after a day of waiting as we mourn Jesus’ burial and repose in the tomb, we celebrate His victory over sin, Satan and death at the Easter Vigil on Saturday night or at the Masses the next day. If we have participated in all the main services of the Triduum, we arrive at Sunday evening exhausted but joyful.

This year, Palm Sunday fell on the final Sunday of March, and we observe Holy Week and Easter Sunday early in April. That means we will spend most of April in the Easter Season, a period filled with joy and thanksgiving. Our gladness comes not only because Christ rose from the dead, but also because we benefit from it. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (§654) puts it, “The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates

us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life.”

In other words, Christ’s Resurrection is the source of our own future resurrection. St. Paul wrote about it to the Romans in the following words (Rom 6:5): “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.”

Eternal life in union with Christ — a hope for a new life beginning now and extending on into heaven — is the result of Jesus’ Resurrection. What greater grounds for thanksgiving can there be than this Easter hope? We should sing with joy about this promise from God! What’s more, Paul also wrote (Col 3:1-2): “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.”

Jesus’ Resurrection and His promise of a new life for us mean that we need to live in conformity with our status as adopted children of God. And how do we show our joy and our gratitude to God for this amazing gift He has given us? We join in worship and praise God by word and song. We share the Good News of Jesus’ victory over death with our family, friends and neighbors. And we offer back to the Lord a portion of the time, talent and treasure He has entrusted to us. Yes, the Easter message that we share in the benefits of Christ’s Resurrection is the ultimate foundation for all Christian stewardship.

The Lord is risen, alleluia.

In Christ, Fr. George Pastor

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Parishioners

Randy and Kala Guidry Reflect

Randy and Kala Guidry with their children, Randon and Kylie

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t. Mark parishioners Randy and Kala Guidry were both raised in the Catholic Church. So, when these two native Louisianans met as students at Northeast Louisiana University, their faith was one of many things they had in common. While the couple has attended Mass throughout their 22 years of marriage, their faith came alive in a new way several years ago.

In 2015, Randy attended his first ACTS retreat in Louisiana. The experience made such an impact on his faith life that he went on to serve as a team member for ACTS twice here at St. Mark.

“One of the biggest things about ACTS is that it helps you reset,” Randy says. “We used to go to church just kind of whenever, and it was just like checking off a

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box so we could say we were there and did our job. But with ACTS, it did spark that we needed to start doing more and putting more time in. It gave us that renewal.”

Prior to Randy’s first ACTS experience, Kala had begun to dig a little more deeply in her own faith life after receiving a copy of Matthew Kelly’s Rediscovering Catholicism from her father. Interested in taking the next step in reinvigorating her faith life, she followed Randy’s recommendation and attended an ACTS weekend herself.

“There is just such a light shining off the women at ACTS,” Kala says. “Then after the retreat, there is a sense of community, being able to pray with your sisters and have an impact on them as much as they do on you. I like to say the retreat is like a glowstick — you shake it up, and then you leave and go home, and you’re still glowing.”

Inspired by her transformative experience, Kala has remained heavily involved with the ACTS retreats and will serve as the director of the next St. Mark weekend.

She also helps with the St. Mark Capital Campaign and special events. As a Parish Champion for Matthew Kelly’s Dynamic Catholic, Kala distributes books and materials from the organization to our parish. Randy also continues to participate with ACTS, in addition to serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and with Knight of Columbus.

As Randy and Kala have nurtured a vibrant faith life over the last several years, the whole family has experienced a closer walk with Christ. Their son, Randon, 19, has made a TEEN ACTS retreat, and the couple looks forward to their daughter, Kylie, 15, doing the same. Last year, Randy, Kala and Kylie went on the parish mission trip to Peru — Randon was unable to join them due to his school schedule at Tarleton University. They felt incredibly blessed by their time there and hope to return.

The Guidrys’ faith renewal has even had an impact on their extended family.

“My mom is Catholic but was not active,” Randy says. “After my ACTS retreat in 2015, I started talking to her about it. I like to believe that my ACTS retreat inspired my mom to get back to Church. She couldn’t go to Mass by herself because she is legally blind, so my stepdad had to take her, and eventually he got to the point where he started wanting to go every day. He actually works at the church now and went to ACTS. Both he and my mom have teamed twice now.”

on Their Spiritual Renewal As Randy and Kala continue to make more and more of a commitment to a life of discipleship, they find themselves blessed in countless ways.

“It really helped our marriage,” Randy says. “It definitely brought us closer to one another to go through this together. It let us know that not only can we count on each other, but we can lean on God as well.”

“It has absolutely had a positive impact on our family,” Kala agrees. “Without that growing in the faith, we wouldn’t be where we are today. The whole journey has helped us become better people. It’s given us a brighter outlook on life and got us to focus not on ourselves but

on serving others. It has helped us develop deep roots for our children.”

As Louisiana transplants that have called St. Mark home for the last 10 years, Randy and Kala are grateful for the strong friendships and connections they have found in our faith family and look forward to being a part of life here as our parish continues to thrive.

“I’m excited about St. Mark continuing to grow and spread the love of Christ to others,” Kala says. “Through the building of the new church, it will be able to impact many more souls for years and years to come — it’s just a ripple effect. It’s such a beautiful parish.”

“I’m excited about St. Mark continuing to grow and spread the love of Christ to others. Through the building of the new church, it will be able to impact many more souls for years and years to come — it’s just a ripple effect. It’s such a beautiful parish.”

— Kala Guidry Capital Campaign Update: As of March 31, 625 families have made a pledge totaling

$8,012,932. Thank you to all who continue to support and build this parish community.

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Holy Week 2021

This April, we shared in the solemn observances of Holy Week, and celebrated His resurrection during the Easter Vigil.

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Saint Mark 6500 Crawford Road│Argyle, TX 76226 (940) 387-6223│www.stmarkdenton.org

All Masses can be streamed any time on the parish Facebook page — Facebook.com/st.markdenton.

If you are not attending Mass in person at this time, you can still contribute to the offertory through our online giving portal at membership.faithdirect.net/TX587 Or drop your check in the mail to St. Mark Catholic Church 6500 Crawford Rd. Argyle, TX 76226