Catholic Charities Says Thanks: St. Gerald recently donated $300 to the annual Catholic Charities appeal, "Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation." This money, from your parish contributions, will help feed the hungry in our city. Stewardship in action.

On a personal note: My family is going through some tough times. As many of you know, my mother is almost 100 years old. Her birthday is November 29. My brother-in-law has been battling cancer for about a year and is in the final stages of losing that battle. His wife, my sister, Marilyn has taken sick and was admitted to the hospital. Most of us figured it was from exhaustion. She is now diagnosed with cancer that brings with it very little good news. It has set us all back and made us turn to the only thing that is reliable, our faith. My brother, Dean, told my mom and brought her to see Marilyn last Sunday. Things are moving really fast for her and she might not have much time left. If I could ask, please keep us in your prayers. Fr. OK

Corpus Christi Procession: The feast of Corpus Christi (The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ) which is always the second Sunday after Pentecost...this year it is June 2, is always an opportunity for us to honor Jesus in the Eucharist. On the Eve of this feast day we, as a parish, will show honor to Jesus in the Eucharist by having a Corpus Christi Procession. We are beginning to take names of folks who will want to participate. We also need helpers, and sign-ups are now underway. All groups and ministries in the parish are welcome and encouraged to make a banner to carry in the procession. I and a few others made the walk and it is a very pleasant walk. We have chosen the sites for the various stops. Here they are:
Station One: McIntyre/Kozal Orthodontics, 8318 Lakeview St.
Station Two: Mockingbird Heights Park @ 89th & Lakeview
Station Three: Mockingbird Hills Park @ 92nd & Mockingbird Dr.
Station Four: 9506 Mockingbird Dr.
The committee is working with parishioner neighbors, who live near the stops, to take care of constructing the altars at these stations. We have lined up the bus that will be available for us, transporting to and from Lakeview and 96th and Q as well as driving with the procession itself (those who cannot walk the route can ride-it's a 47 passenger bus). We will have a PA system mounted on a pick up that will help lead the procession and be very useful for us to lead prayers along the way. Plan on it now: Meet at Lakeview Chapel at 6:30 pm, Saturday evening, June 1. Rehearsal for all those involved in doing something: Canopy Carriers, Banner Carriers, Servers, Deacons-anyone with some duty: this Wednesday, May 22 at 6pm at 96th and Q

Plan Now To Attend: Dave Garland's Retirement Party. It will be held in the gym on Thursday evening, May 23. It includes a meal and lots of visiting. See more info on page 3 of the bulletin. Come wish Dave thanks for all the years he gave to this parish and school and wish him well in retirement.

Memorial Day Mass: There will be only one mass on Memorial Day, May 27. It will be at 9:00 am at 96th and Q.

Pre-Ordination Service: Deacon John Norman, who served in our parish last summer, will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 1 at 10:00 am at the Cathedral. It is the tradition in our Archdiocese for there to be a prayer service and supper for all the special participants (John's Family, Seminarians, Priests, Serrans and friends of the Ordinandi) the night before. Our parish will host this event and the Serrans and the Vocation's office is in charge of the details. If you wish to attend contact Kathy D'Ercole. Fr. John Norman's first mass will take place on Sunday, June 2 at St. Columbkille's at 2:00 pm. He will be coming to St. Gerald to have a Sunday mass but that will be announced at a later date.

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St Gerald Business Office will be closed at Noon on Friday, May 17th and all day on Monday, May 27th which is Memorial Day.

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The Knights of Columbus will sponsor an American Red Cross Blood drive in the fellowship hall on Sat, June 15, 7am-Noon. Contact Verl Squire 331-4930 or Bob Ryba 331-2125 or go to
www.redcrossblood.org use sponsor code 009662 to schedule an
appointment. "The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give Blood."

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Would you like a unique opportunity to serve the poor in Omaha? Habitat for Humanity of Omaha and St Gerald parish are working together to build a simple, decent home in Northeast Omaha with a needy family. Volunteers are needed to help build the home, provide meals for the volunteers, and to contribute to the cost of building materials. Sign up sheets for the project are available in the kiosks at the back of church. Please help if you are able. Contact Tim Mundorf at 592-9056 or tkmundorf@aol.com for additional information.

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If you have experienced the death of a loved one in the past 12-18 months, we invite you to consider joining us for a six week series of small group gatherings that begin Tuesday, May 28th. It will be held here at St Gerald Church. Limit to 10 in the group and plan on attending all six weeks. It will be 7-8:30pm each Tuesday evening. Call Valerie at 402-676-4333 for more information and to register.

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Totus Tuus dates are June 23-28. Registration forms were sent home with the children Wednesday, April 24th. The registration forms are also available in PDF format for you to print using the links below. Please pray for the success of Totus Tuus.

Medical Release Form
Elementary School Registration
Middle/High School Registration

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PRAYER TOGETHER IN ADORATION AS A FAMILY OF FAITH

Hosted at the Lakeview Chapel. Holy Hours on the 1st Sunday of the month at 4:30 pm.June 2 / July 7 / Aug 4 / Sept 1 / Oct 6 / Nov 7

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Our buildings that were constructed over 50 years ago have served us well. But they are showing their wear, the heat pipes are clogging more often, the bathroom fixtures are chipped and showing real wear and rust. Roofing and windows need replacing. Air quality and heating and AC have been improved in places but we do not have a total system that works. In the winter in one classroom you can find all the windows open because it is so hot and next door the kids are wearing their coats. What passed as an excellent facility when it was built---needs serious upgrade so that it can serve to the expectations of a school in 2013.

Much of parish life is concentrated here at the Lakeview Site. School, Religious Formation, Recovery groups, Meetings, Masses, Athletics, Dramas and Musicals, Wedding Receptions and Dances, School Lunch, Parish Office, Counseling and Marriage Preparation and more meetings. St. Gerald's straddles the line between the old parishes and their rundown structures and the new ones out west with their modern accessible features. I guess we are at a point of asking...which group should we resemble the most?

A committee with the assistance of architects from BCDM, spent many hours looking at what we have and what we will need to function well into the next half century. Click on the attached PDF document to see the presentation given to parishioners detailing the committee's findings.

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Heavenly Father, You created us in Your own image, and You desire that not even the least among us should perish. In Your love for us, You entrusted Your only Son to the Holy Virgin Mary. Now in Your love, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.

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If you know of anyone who is unable to come to Mass on Sunday and they would like the Eucharist brought to them, please call 402-331-1955.

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Mission Statement
We are a Catholic faith community devoted to becoming a dynamic center of worship. We challenge ourselves to lead lives patterned after Jesus. With gratitude we share our faith, talents, gifts and resources so that more people experience God's love.

Parish Goals
1. To help people feel "at home" in our parish.
2. To improve communications within the parish.
3. To increase our evangelization efforts.
4. To improve the financial state of the parish and the viability of its property.
Click here for more detail regarding parish goals.

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