St. Leo Church

We, the members of St. Leo Parish in Versailles, KY are a Roman Catholic faith community of diverse and caring people.  We come together to worship and to be nourished by the Eucharist and the Scriptures to strengthen us in order to fulfill the present and future spiritual needs of our members.  We strive to provide religious education for all members and to serve the community at large. 

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GOD'S GIFT OF FORGIVENESS
A Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Peace be with you!” With these words, the Risen Lord greeted his frightened Apostles in the Upper Room on the day of his Resurrection. They were troubled, anxious, and fearful—much like each one of us at some point in our lives. Christ repeated the words, “Peace be with you.” But then he added, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them” (Jn 20:19-23).

What an extraordinary gift! The Risen Lord was proclaiming that all the suffering he had just endured was in order to make available the gifts of salvation and forgiveness. He wanted the Apostles to receive these gifts. He wanted them to become apostles of this forgiveness to others. In the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, also called confession, we meet the Lord, who wants to grant forgiveness and the grace to live a renewed life in him. In this sacrament, he prepares us to receive him free from serious sin, with a lively faith, earnest hope, and sacrificial love in the Eucharist. The Church sees confession as so important that she requires that every Catholic go at least once a year.

The Church also encourages frequent confession in order to grow closer to Christ Jesus and his Body, the Church. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, we seek forgiveness and repentance, let go of patterns of sin, grow in the life of virtue, and witness to a joyful conversion. Since the graces of the sacrament are so similar to the purpose of the New Evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI has said, “The New Evangelization . . . begins in the confessional!”

We bishops and priests are eager to help you if you experience difficulty, hesitation, or uncertainty about approaching the Lord in this sacrament. If you have not received this healing sacrament in a long time, we are ready to welcome you. We, whom Christ has ordained to minister this forgiveness in his name, are also approaching this sacrament, as both penitents and ministers, throughout our lives and at this special moment of grace during Lent. We want to offer ourselves to you as forgiven sinners seeking to serve in the Lord’s name.

During Lent—in addition to the various penitential services during which individual confession takes place—we bishops and priests will be making ourselves available often for the individual celebration of this sacrament. We pray that through the work of the Holy Spirit, all Catholics—clergy and laity—will respond to the call of the New Evangelization to encounter Christ in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. Come to the Lord and experience the extraordinary grace of his forgiveness!

HOW TO GO TO CONFESSION

May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the saints, whatever good you do and suffering you endure, heal your sins, help you grow in holiness, and reward you with eternal life. Go in peace. –Rite of Penance, no. 93

1 PREPARATION: Before going to confession, take some time to prepare. Begin with prayer, and reflect on your life since your last confession. How have you—in your thoughts, words, and actions— neglected to live Christ’s commands to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:37, 39)? As a help with this “examination of conscience,” you might review the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes (Ex 20:2-17; Dt 5:6-21; Mt 5:3-10; or Lk 6:20-26).

2 GREETING: The priest will welcome you; he may say a short blessing or read a Scripture passage.

3 THE SIGN OF THE CROSS: Together, you and the priest will make the Sign of the Cross. You may then begin your confession with these or similar words: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [give days, months, or years] since my last confession.”

4 CONFESSION: Confess all your sins to the priest. If you are unsure what to say, ask the priest for help. When you are finished, conclude with these or similar words: “I am sorry for these and all my sins.”

5 PENANCE: The priest will propose an act of penance. The penance might be prayer, a work of mercy, or an act of charity. He might also counsel you on how to better live a Christian life.

6 ACT OF CONTRITION: After the priest has conferred your penance, pray an Act of Contrition, expressing sorrow for your sins and resolving to sin no more. A suggested Act of Contrition is: My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In his name, my God, have mercy. (Rite of Penance, no. 45)

7 ABSOLUTION: The priest will extend his hands over your head and pronounce the words of absolution. You respond, “Amen.”

8 PRAISE: The priest will usually praise the mercy of God and will invite you to do the same. For example, the priest may say, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.” And your response would be, “His mercy endures forever” (Rite of Penance, no. 47).

9 DISMISSAL: The priest will conclude the sacrament, often saying, “Go in peace.”

If it has been a while since your last confession, remember, “Do not fear” (Is 41:10). The priest will help guide you. And feel free to take this how-to guide with you! (For more information, visit www.usccb.org/confession.)

Copyright © 2013, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. Scripture excerpts are taken from the New American Bible, rev. ed. © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. Excerpts from the English translation of Rite of Penance © 1974, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. This text may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration for nonprofit educational use, provided such reprints are not sold and include this notice. 

A NOTE FROM FR. CHRIS, 
 
      As we continue our reflections on the precepts of the church (“the five precepts are the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor” to practice our Catholic faith CCC 2041), in this letter we discuss the second precept which is “you shall confess your sins at least once a year” (CCC 2041).  This “ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness” (Ibid).
 
   Lent gives an ideal time for us to go through an examination of conscience that we can find on the internet and reflect on all the sins we have committed and confess them.  If it has been more than a year since we have gone to confession, why delay, on what is one of the great privileges we have as Catholics to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to receive God’s mercy.
 
   As our Lord Jesus Christ said to Saint Faustina, “when you go to confession, to this Fountain of My Mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it.  Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My Mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul.  When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you.  I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself am waiting there for you.  I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself at in your soul.  Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy.  Tell souls that from this Fount of Mercy souls draw graces solely with the Vessel of Trust.  If their trust is great, there I no limit to My Generosity.  The torrents of grace inundate humble souls.  The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because “My grace turns away from them to humble souls” (Diary, 1602).
 
   At St. Leo we have confessions every week at these times:  Wednesday 5:30-6:15 pm, Friday 8:30-8:50 am, Saturday 8:00-8:20 am and 4:00-4:45 pm, Sunday 8:00-8:20 am and 5:00-5:45 pm. Confessions are in the cry room of the church where one enters through the doors inside the main body of the church.  In addition, Good Shepherd Church in Frankfort will have a communal reconciliation service on March 18th at 6:30 pm and St. Leo Church will have a communal reconciliation service on March 25th at 6:30 pm.
 
   If we are serious about growing in our relationship with God and neighbor it is offered here that we make a commitment of sacramental confession on a monthly basis.  When we go that often we find our Lord Jesus Christ, first hand, as the loving savior who forgives and redeems us.
 
   One of the most amazing moments of grace in my life was a general confession of the sins of my whole life that I made to a priest when I was on a 30-day silent retreat of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises.  It took about three hours to get through my sins that I had written down.  In receiving absolution I felt a deep sense of relief, consolation, and the love of God for me.  It seems fitting to think that Jesus was nailed to the cross and agonized on it for three hours from noon to three pm for me to be saved from sin and death.
 
   This is shared to offer that if one would like to set-up a time to have a deeper and more thoughtful general confession to surrender and let go of struggles and challenges please don’t hesitate to call Pat in the office to schedule a time.  Our Lord wants us to be able to walk with Him in deeper freedom and generosity where we can become much better instruments of His peace.

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24 HOUR ADORATION
FIRST FRIDAY, MARCH 5,  2021
FOLLOWING OUR FRIDAY 9:00 AM –MASS

*ADORERS IF UNABLE TO ATTEND PLEASE FIND A SUBSTITUTE FOR THAT HOUR.

                 MASS SCHEDULE

MAR. 6^th  – MAR. 14^th

FIRST SATURDAY, MAR. 6, 2021
Mi 7:14-15, 18-20 Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
8:30     AM      Inside Church
5:00     PM      Inside Church 
 
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, MAR. 7, 2021
Ex 20:1-17 1 Cor 1:22-25 Jn 2:13-25
8:30     AM      Inside Church
11:00   AM      Inside Church
6:00     PM      Dentro de la Iglesia, Inside
                        Church, Misa en Español/Spanish                           Mass 
 
MONDAY, MAR. 8, 2021 
2 Kgs 5:1-15ab Lk 4:24-30 
 
TUESDAY, MAR. 9, 2021
Dn 3:25, 34-43 Mt 18:21-35
8:30     AM      Mass 
 
WEDNESDAY, MAR. 10, 2021
Dt 4:1, 5-9 Mt 5:17-19
9:00     AM      St. Leo School Staff, Students,
                        and Families
10:00   AM     Adoration
6:30     PM      Mass 
 
THURSDAY, MAR. 11, 2021
Jer 7:23-28 Lk 11:14-23
8:30     AM      Mass 
 
FRIDAY, MAR. 12, 2021
Hos 14:2-10 Mk 12:28-34
9:00     AM      Mass
7:00     PM      Stations of the Cross
8:00     PM      Via Crucis, Stations of the Cross 
 
SATURDAY, MAR. 13, 2021
Hos 6:1-6 Lk 18:9-14
8:30     AM      Inside Church
5:00     PM      Inside Church 
 
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, MAR. 14 2021
2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23  Eph 2:4-10/Jn 3:14-21
8:30     AM      Inside Church
11:00   AM      Inside Church
6:00     PM      Dentro de la Iglesia, Inside
                        Church, Misa en Español/
                        Spanish Mass             

                         
                                          
 

Dear Friends,  

This is an unsettling time for our country and our community, as we are in a public health emergency due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Your elected leaders and public health officials are working around the clock to slow the spread of the virus and provide care to those who need it. It is important to remember that we need to be prepared, not scared. Heed the advice of public health experts who agree that the most effective way to “flatten the curve,” or slow the spread of the virus, is to practice social distancing. Below is some helpful information regarding COVID-19: 

How do I stay informed?  

It is important to remain informed with accurate information from an official source. Visit the state’s COVID-19 resource page for the most up-to-date and trustworthy information: www.kycovid19.ky.gov.   

How can you be infected? 

·Coronavirus can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Because these droplets can travel up to six feet, public health experts advise maintaining six feet of distance from others. 

·The virus can also remain on a surface or object and enter the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes. This is why it is important to wash your hands before touching your face. 

How long does it take to show symptoms after being infected? 

It takes 2 to 14 days to develop symptoms after exposure to the virus. The average is about 5 days. 

What are the symptoms? 

·         Fever 

·         Dry cough 

·         Shortness of breath 

When should you seek testing? 

·         If you are exhibiting symptoms 

·If you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus 

·If you have recently traveled to one of the high-risk countries 

Except in the case of an emergency, please call your healthcare provider before seeking treatment in person.  

While it is normal to feel anxious, there are ways to take control of the situation and be prepared. I urge you to take the following precautions to keep yourself and our community safe. 

·        Wash your hands often and for at least              20 seconds 

·        Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and                   mouth 

·        Avoid physical contacts like handshakes           and hugs 

·        Stay home if you feel sick 

·        Avoid large crowds 

·        Abstain from unnecessary travel 

What is the difference between “Healthy at Home” and “social distancing”? 

Healthy at Home is a stricter form of social distancing. There are some differences. Healthy at home means: 

Non-essential retail and businesses are closed. These types of businesses include entertainment, sporting goods, clothing, shoes, jewelry, book stores, florists, furniture and auto dealers.  

·Stay home (stay unexposed and do not expose others) 

·         Only go out for essential services 

·         Stay six feet or more away from others 

·         Don’t gather in groups 

It is important during this national emergency that we unite as a community, follow the advice of experts, and take responsibility for our actions to #SlowTheSpread of coronavirus. For more information, visit www.kycovid19.ky.gov or call the Kentucky COVID-19 Hotline: (800) 722-5725.