Lent is Right Around the Corner!

We hope that 2021 is off to a good start for you, and that this year is filled with many blessings for you and your families.  As always, there are lots of opportunities to get involved and try new things at St. Monica.

Healthy Living Speaker Series returns withGet the Facts about the COVID-19 Vaccine!  On Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7:00 p.m., we'll have an amazing opportunity to hear from three experts in this area:  Joseph Pisegna, M.D., (who helped lead the development and testing of the Moderna vaccine!) Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and a key leader in the development & testing of the Moderna vaccine, Karen Pavic-Zabinski, Ph.D., M.A., M.B.A., M.S.N., Regional Director of Ethics, Providence Health System, and Eric Margallo, Pharm.D., Oncology Pharmacist, UCLA Health. 

It's Religious Education Congress this weekend!  Stop by our virtual Hospitality Suite this Friday & Saturday at 7:00 p.m. to share your Congress experience with other members of the St. Monica Community!

Our Peace & Justice Ministries are busy! Our Green Team is turning its attention to Lent.  Check out the website for some creative ideas for Rethinking Lent and make sure to join us on February 21 for Switching to Planet-Friendly Fish Fridays with Tom Ford. 

Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowls were distributed in our Lenten Care Packages last weekend, but there will be a number available for our Communion Procession and Outdoor Masses this weekend; a great way to practice Lenten almsgiving, and a fun family activity.  Pick yours up at Holy Grounds or in the Communion procession line!

Join in the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization for the Annual Black History Month Mass on Saturday, February 27, at 4:00 p.m. Click Here to Read more!

Our Community Life Ministries are going deep this Lent! The Young Ministering Adults have a Compassion Retreat on Feb. 20 and are talking about Racial Equity Through Images at Vespers on Tuesday. On Feb. 21, Primetime Ministry begins its Lenten small faith-sharing group and the GLO: LGBTQ+ Outreach Ministry welcomes Msgr. Torgerson for their Lenten Evening Retreat. Thirty-Five through Forties Ministry is exploring simple but powerful Lenten practices on Feb. 22 as we embrace the season.

Are you or someone you know experiencing pandemic fatigue or is in need of help with shopping? Consider Stephen Ministry or our COVID-19 Response Ministry as possible supports.

Thinking of you always and sending our love & good wishes,
 

St. Monica Outreach & Pastoral Care Team:

Delis Alejandro, Director       Christine Gerety, Assoc. Director          Marcus Johnson, Ministry Asst.

Highlights

• It's RECongress Weekend! Stop by our virtual Hospitality Suite, watch a Keynote speaker, and register for the Congress Happy Hours! Click Here for More information!
• CRS Rice Bowls are here! If you didn't pick up a Lenten Care Package last week, a limited amount will be available this weekend at our Communion Procession and Outdoor Masses!
• Check out the Green Team webpage for this month's event: Switching to Planet-Friendly Fish Fridays on Feb. 21.
• Healthy Living Speaker Series is back on Feb. 24 with Get the Facts about the COVID-19 Vaccine!  Drs. Joseph Pisegna, Karen Pavic-Zabinski, and Eric Margallo will be our terrific speakers! Register now to save your spot!
• Our Thirty-Five Through Forties Ministry invites you to our Drop-In Lounge this Monday evening!
• Check out the Young Ministering Adults page for more information on all their upcoming events, including: Vespers, YMA Virtual Retreat, Volunteering and more!
• Msgr. Torgerson will be joinging the GLO: LGBTQ+ Outreach Ministry's Lenten Evening Retreat!
• Stop by Virtual Holy Grounds to say hello! We're online every weekday after the 12:10 Mass! Click Here to Register Once and Join Anytime!
• If you feel that you need some support, make sure to check out the links below for help!
  Stephen Ministry
  Hope at the Door
  COVID-19 Response Ministry

Calendar 

Lent is Right Around the Corner!

We hope that 2021 is off to a good start for you, and that this year is filled with many blessings for you and your families.  As always, there are lots of opportunities to get involved and try new things at St. Monica.

 

Healthy Living Speaker Series returns withGet the Facts about the COVID-19 Vaccine!  On Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7:00 p.m., we'll have an amazing opportunity to hear from three experts in this area:  Joseph Pisegna, M.D., (who helped lead the development and testing of the Moderna vaccine!) Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and a key leader in the development & testing of the Moderna vaccine, Karen Pavic-Zabinski, Ph.D., M.A., M.B.A., M.S.N., Regional Director of Ethics, Providence Health System, and Eric Margallo, Pharm.D., Oncology Pharmacist, UCLA Health. 

 

It's Religious Education Congress this weekend!  Stop by our virtual Hospitality Suite this Friday & Saturday at 7:00 p.m. to share your Congress experience with other members of the St. Monica Community!

 

Our Peace & Justice Ministries are busy! Our Green Team is turning its attention to Lent.  Check out the website for some creative ideas for Rethinking Lent and make sure to join us on February 21 for Switching to Planet-Friendly Fish Fridays with Tom Ford. 

 

Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowls were distributed in our Lenten Care Packages last weekend, but there will be a number available for our Communion Procession and Outdoor Masses this weekend; a great way to practice Lenten almsgiving, and a fun family activity.  Pick yours up at Holy Grounds or in the Communion procession line!

 

Join in the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization for the Annual Black History Month Mass on Saturday, February 27, at 4:00 p.m. Click Here to Read more!

 

Our Community Life Ministries are going deep this Lent! The Young Ministering Adults have a Compassion Retreat on Feb. 20 and are talking about Racial Equity Through Images at Vespers on Tuesday. On Feb. 21, Primetime Ministry begins its Lenten small faith-sharing group and the GLO: LGBTQ+ Outreach Ministry welcomes Msgr. Torgerson for their Lenten Evening Retreat. Thirty-Five through Forties Ministry is exploring simple but powerful Lenten practices on Feb. 22 as we embrace the season.

 

Are you or someone you know experiencing pandemic fatigue or is in need of help with shopping? Consider Stephen Ministry or our COVID-19 Response Ministry as possible supports.

 

Thinking of you always and sending our love & good wishes,
 

St. Monica Outreach & Pastoral Care Team:

 

Delis Alejandro, Director       Christine Gerety, Assoc. Director          Marcus Johnson, Ministry Asst.

                                               

 

Highlights

• It's RECongress Weekend! Stop by our virtual Hospitality Suite, watch a Keynote speaker, and register for the Congress Happy Hours! Click Here for More information!
• CRS Rice Bowls are here! If you didn't pick up a Lenten Care Package last week, a limited amount will be available this weekend at our Communion Procession and Outdoor Masses!
• Check out the Green Team webpage for this month's event: Switching to Planet-Friendly Fish Fridays on Feb. 21.
• Healthy Living Speaker Series is back on Feb. 24 with Get the Facts about the COVID-19 Vaccine!  Drs. Joseph Pisegna, Karen Pavic-Zabinski, and Eric Margallo will be our terrific speakers! Register now to save your spot!
• Our Thirty-Five Through Forties Ministry invites you to our Drop-In Lounge this Monday evening!
• Check out the Young Ministering Adults page for more information on all their upcoming events, including: Vespers, YMA Virtual Retreat, Volunteering and more!
• Msgr. Torgerson will be joinging the GLO: LGBTQ+ Outreach Ministry's Lenten Evening Retreat!
• Stop by Virtual Holy Grounds to say hello! We're online every weekday after the 12:10 Mass! Click Here to Register Once and Join Anytime!
• If you feel that you need some support, make sure to check out the links below for help!
  Stephen Ministry
  Hope at the Door
  COVID-19 Response Ministry

Calendar 

 

 

Fellowship

Young Ministering Adults

Vespers - Racial Equity Through Images

Tuesday, Feb.23 | 7:30 p.m. | Zoom

It's Black History Month, so we invite you to join the Black Lives Matter Committee for a conversation on systemic racism and why it is important for Catholics to speak up and take action.  We will enter the topic of racial equity through images that will allow us to examine our own heart, notice where our blind spots may be, and see how God is calling us towards racial justice.  We are honored to a guest speaker, Fr. Ike Udoh, a Jesuit priest who serves the diverse community of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Hollywood.

Virtual Morning Retreat: Compassion

Saturday, Feb. 20 | 10:00 a.m. | Conducted via Zoom - Registration Has Been Extended until 9:00 a.m. on Feb. 20!

Check out the YMA page for more information on how to participate in YMA Events!

  

Thirty-five Through Forties (TTF) Ministry

Drop-In Lounge: Embracing Lent!

Monday, Feb. 22 | 7:30 p.m.| Zoom

This Lent, we're called to both embrace the season, and allow ourselves to be embraced by God's infinite love.  Join us to share what you are planning to do to embrace Lent, or come by for some ideas!  We'll talk about a variety of practices, including our parish's Lenten reflection book - Embrace This Holy Season, many other opportunities here at St. Monica, and simple steps that you can take in your daily life.

 

Click Here for the TTF Ministry page!

   

Primetime Ministry

Embrace and Be Embraced! Lenten Small Group!

Primetime Fellowship invites you to deepen your Lenten experience by joining in a Lenten Small Group with other adults from the parish community.  We will be using as our guide the book Embrace the Holy Season written by Fr. Joseph Sica. Starting Feb. 21!

 

Click Here for the Primetime Ministry page!

 

GLO/LGBTQ+

Lenten Evening of Retreat

Sunday, Feb. 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Conducted via Zoom - With Special Guest, Msgr. Torgerson!

Interested in Getting Involved on GLO Core Team?

Is one of your New Year's resolutions to be more involved? We are looking for people to join our GLO Core Team. 

Book Club

Like to read and discuss your thoughts with others? GLO has an active and dynamic Book Club just for you! The Book Club meets once a month via Zoom.

 

Click Here for more information on GLO!

   

 

Peace & Justice

CRS Rice Bowl

Embrace Poverty: It's Time to Pick up Your CRS RIce Bowl

In Madagascar, families gather to watch puppet shows that entertain and teach. They love seeing the brightly colored puppets talk to each other, tell stories and ask the crowd questions. After each show, parents leave with new information to help their families.

 

Half of all children in Madagascar are undernourished, meaning they don’t have enough nutritious food to stay healthy. Community health workers trained by CRS use the puppets to teach families about how doctor visits, hand washing and rainbow foods—different colored foods like tomatoes and carrots that have important vitamins and nutrients—are necessary to stay healthy.

 

Frankline and Labaladezy have eight children. Their youngest child, Thorin, is almost a year old. While Frankline was pregnant with Thorin, she and her husband Labaladezy watched the puppet shows and learned new ways to support Thorin’s growth and development. Frankline is happy her youngest son is doing so well, and she sees the positive effects of their new rainbow diet on the rest of the family. Every parent wants their children to reach their full potential, and CRS is helping make sure they can do just that.

 

Jesus calls us to help those in need. The CRS Rice Bowl invites Catholics to live in solidarity with our poorest and most vulnerable brothers and sisters. Participants pray over what sacrifice they would like to make this Lent and use the CRS Rice Bowl as a tool for collecting their Lenten alms. Alms are then gathered at the end of Lent and sent to CRS to support projects around the world to help those in need.

 

At the end of Lent you will be able to bring your bowl with alms back to the parish. You also have the option to send your donation directly to CRS Ricebowl at Donate to CRS Rice Bowl | Catholic Relief Services

 

CRS Rice Bowls are included in the Lenten Care Packages, which will be available for pick up in Holy Grounds, as well as at the Communion Procession and Outdoor Masses!

 

Green Team

Rethinking Lent

Lent invites us to remember the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert as we reflect, repent, fast, and listen to God.  In the spirit of  Pope Francis’ invitation this Lent, let’s commit to overcome our indifference to the climate change crisis and its victims. Let’s pray and fast for a renewal of our relationship with all of God’s creation and with our brothers and sisters who live in poverty and are already suffering the impacts of climate change. Read more by clicking below! 

Rethink Fish Fridays

Sunday, Feb. 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Conducted via Zoom - click below for more info & to attend!

 

 

 Click Here for more information on the Green Team webpage!

 

 

Virtual Loaves & Fishes Food Drive

Our Loaves & Fishes Food Drive has gone virtual!  During this Safer at Home time, our community partners have asked us to support them with cash donations rather than with the in-kind food donations we usually share.  By doing so, we can help them buy massive quantities of needed food in bulk ($1 feeds four people), and deliver that food more safely to those who need it.  This month we are focusing on helping the Westside Food Bank, a great community organization that provides food to individuals, and to over 50 local agencies that serve people in need.

 

Click Here to Learn More and to donate!

 

Black History Month Mass 

In celebration of Black History Month the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization will host the annual Black History Month Mass on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 4:00 pm on Zoom. All are welcome!

 

Click Here to Read More and to Register!

 

   

Pastoral Care

Health Ministry

Healthy Living Speaker Series: Get the Facts About the COVID-19 Vaccine!

Wednesday, Feb. 24 | 7:00 p.m. | Conducted via Zoom

We welcome an amazing opportunity to hear from three parishioners who are experts & leaders in this area:   Joseph Pisegna, M.D., Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and a key leader in the development & testing of the Moderna vaccine, and Karen Pavic-Zabinski, Ph.D., M.A., M.B.A., M.S.N., Regional Director of Ethics, Providence Health System, and Eric Margallo, Pharm.D., Oncology Pharmacist, UCLA Health. 

 

They'll focus on COVID-19 vaccines, including the underlying science, vaccine safety, the Catholic bioethics perspective, and the vaccination process. 

 

Click Here to Learn more on the Health Ministry page!

 

Stephen Ministry

Are You Experiencing Pandemic Fatigue? Are You in Need of Support?

Are you feeling exhausted from all the disruptions to life brought on by the pandemic?

Are you or someone you know struggling with challenges like . . .

• Isolation and loneliness
• Anxiety over health
• Grief due to many different kinds of losses
• Tension from juggling work, childcare, and schooling
• Financial strain or job loss
• Uncertainty about the future
• Other unexpected life challenges?

If you wish to speak with someone please call and leave a message for one of our Stephen Ministry leaders at (310) 566-1575. They will get back to you.

 

Check out the Stephen Ministry page for more information on how to get help

 

COVID-19 Response Ministry

As we continue to navigate the challenges of the pandemic the COVID-19 Response Ministry can help.

 

If you need help shopping for food or needed supplies let us know and we will assign a volunteer to shop for you and leave items at your door. If you would like someone to check in on you, a relative or friend by phone. Contact the parish office at (310) 566-1500 or visit our website www.stmonica.net/crm. 

 

COVID-19:  If You Need Help

• COVID-19 Response Ministry: If you need help shopping for food or needed supplies let us know and we will assign a volunteer to shop for you and leave items at your door. Contact us at stmonica.net/CRM
• General information on local community and social services: Please visit our Hope at the Door Ministry website at www.stmonica.net/Hopeatthedoor