All posts by Lynda Marsh

Summer Reading

Parish News

With summertime comes slower days and more time to relax and do the things we’ve always wanted to do. So why not consider joining our Parish Book Club? You can bring your book with you while traveling, while at the beach or pool, or even while relaxing on your back porch with a cup of coffee on those endless summer days.

The group meets once a month to discuss a particular book, and they’ve planned out their reading schedule for the next several months. If any of these books interest you, we hope you join them!

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Journey With Us for Holy Week

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Holy Week is a journey into the Heart of the Gospel. We hope that you will make room for God during your busy life as it intersects with this Holy Week. It is a matter of the heart. It is at the center of our Christian Faith.

If you’ve never attended the events of Holy Week, here’s a little bit more about them, including what you can expect. To read more about the Triduum, click here.

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Parking on March 5th

Parish News

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Please be advised that this weekend the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts will be at Curtis Hixon Park. Due to the increased traffic in and around downtown Tampa, parking may be more difficult to find.

Parking options in and around Sacred Heart can be found here.

Please note: The Parking Garage facility next door to the church will not be available for parishioners during the 7:30 am and 9:00 am Masses. It will be available for the remaining morning Masses at 10:30 am and 12:00 pm. Please let the attendant know you are going to Mass, and you will not be charged. If you plan to stay after Mass to attend the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, please pay the posted rate. Thank you.

Franciscan Lenten Reflection

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metanoiaReflections on the Common Good

Marked with an ash-cross on our foreheads we began Lent with the hope that we would encounter the transforming effects of the cross of Jesus Christ in our upcoming Easter celebration and ultimately when we face our personal transition from this life. With these goals in mind, Lent becomes a critical season for us to enter into intense periods of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in order to experience a “change of heart” – a metanoia – that will help us look upon the world and respond to the needs of others with the love and compassion of Jesus.

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Franciscan Statement on the Recent Executive Orders

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Syrian-Refugees-US-borderIn flurry of activity, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States” (you can read the full text here). The key points of the Executive Order are:

  • 90-day ban on entry into the US from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan
  • 120-day suspension of the refugee resettlement program
  • Indefinite suspension of the arrival of Syrian refugees
  • 64% decrease for refugees admitted into the US in 2017
  • Prioritization of refugees who are religious minorities suffering religious persecution
  • Mandated review of stricter vetting procedures for refugees and immigrants.

The Franciscan OFM friars of the United States have issued a joint Franciscan Statement on the Immigration Ban:

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25.35).

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Teaching Mass

Parish News

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Join us Saturday, January 21st!

We Catholics attend Mass on Sundays, Holy Days, and even weekdays. We instinctively know when to stand, sit or kneel; what responses to make at different times during the Mass; and all kinds of other actions during the liturgy. But it is not always clear why we do what we do. For example, what is the meaning behind the making of the cross on our forehead, mouth, and heart before the reading of the Gospel? Why do we bless ourselves with holy water as we enter the church for Mass? Why do Catholics pause at the end of the Lord’s Prayer for the priest to add his part? Why is it that sometimes we sing the “Gloria” at Sunday Mass? What is the meaning of all the actions by the priest during Mass?

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Sacred Heart & the College Football Playoffs

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cfb-playoffsWhat is going on in downtown Tampa in connection with the NCAA Championship game?
Superbowl-sized crowds are expected to participate in this exciting, multi-day, multi-location event.  Signature events include a free, 3-day music festival at Curtis Hixon Park (Friday, January 6th thru Sunday, January 8th – 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm each day), Playoff Fan Central at the Tampa Convention Center (Friday thru Sunday), Taste of the Championship at the Florida Aquarium, and 5K & Fun Run on Bayshore Boulevard (Sunday morning). They are estimating over 40,000 people in and around Curtis Hixon Park on most days (January 6th thru 8th). You can get notifications regarding road closures and emergency notifications by texting CFBPlayoff to 888777.

Will Sacred Heart have the usual weekend Mass schedule?
We will maintain the Mass schedule for Saturday and Sunday morning, however, we will not hold a 6:00 pm Mass on Sunday due to the extremely large crowds expected for the Sunday evening concert and the affect it will have on available parking.

Will you be coming from Davis Islands or South Tampa on Sunday morning?
There will be a race/fun run starting from the Amalie Arena on Sunday morning, which will also extend onto Bayshore Blvd. Please plan accordingly. You can get notifications regarding road closures and emergency notifications by texting CFBPlayoff to 888-777.

What about parking?
The Madison Building has assured us that they will make parking available as they normally do. The parking lot at the corner of Kennedy Blvd. and Florida Ave. will not be available unless one pays the posted fees.