March 7th & 8th, Lenten Retreat

Credo of the Catholic Laity in conjunction with St. Francis de Sales Oratory will be holding it’s Lenten Retreat Friday and Saturday March 7th and 8th at the Oratory located on Ohio Avenue at Gravois.

The retreat presenters will be:

The Very Rev Michael Monshau, O.P., Prior of the Dominican Priory in St. Louis and professor of Homiletics at Kennrick Glennon Seminary.

The Very Rev Michael Schmitz, Vicar General and Provincial Superior for the US of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

The highlight of the retreat will be the third conference on Saturday when His Grace The Most Rev. Archbishop Raymond L. Burke will make the presentation.

We are delighted to be able to have these men for our 2008 retreat and we thank the Rev Karl Lenhardt, Rector of St. Francis de Sales Oratory and Vice Provincial of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, for obtaining these outstanding presenters for us.

Take advantage of this opportunity to make this Lenten Retreat one of your most efficacious. The full schedule for the retreat is shown below.

The charge for the retreat is $20.00 per person. If you have a problem covering this charge don’t hesitate to ask for help. We want to make this retreat available to as many people as we can. Children under 12 are free but we need to know they are coming so we can prepare enough food.

St. Francis de Sales is a magnificent church known as the Cathedral of the south, but continues to need significant repairs. Since the Archbishop assigned the church to the Institute of Christ the King for its use as an oratory many repairs have been made. But the most important repair still needs to be completed. The 300 foot steeple must be stabilized as it’s pulling away from the main structure of the church. The cost is estimated to be over a million dollars. Any profits from the retreat will go toward the fund to repair the steeple. If you are financially able we hope you will consider a generous donation for this worthy cause. Just add the donation to your retreat check.

This year we are asking that you mail your check directly to St. Francis de Sales oratory. For more information, contact Howard Brandt at 314-894-6003

Retreat Schedule

Friday March 7, 2008 - The Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas

1:30 p.m.: Opening prayer: “Veni Creator” First Conference: Rev. Michael Monshau. (Hall)

2:30 p.m.: Stations of the Cross. (Church)

3:30 p.m.: Second conference with Father Monshau. (Hall)

4:30 p.m.: Light supper (Hall)

5:30 p.m.: Exposition, Adoration Benediction and, confession (Church)

6:30 p.m.: Solemn High Mass, Msgr. Michael Schmitz Church)


Saturday March 8, 2008 - Feast of Saint. John of God

9:00 a.m.: Confessions, Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy (Church)

10:00 a.m.: Solemn Adoration and Benediction with the Archbishop (Church)

11:00 a.m.: Third Conference by His Grace, the Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke, Archbishop of St. Louis (Hall)

12:00 p.m.: Lunch (Hall)

1:30 p.m.: Fourth Conference: Msgr. Schmitz (Hall)

2:45 p.m.: Closing Mass (Church)