Strengthening Friendships through Spiritual and Charitable Social Activities
The Ambrosian group began with Monsignor Pates while he was at Saint Ambrose in the early 2000’s. The group was established to encourage and strengthen friendships, along with providing spiritual, charitable, fun, and social activities for all members ages 50+.
The group meets monthly on the 1st Thursday of the month with meet and greet beginning at 5:00 pm, followed by dinner at 6:00 pm.
Upcoming meeting dates for 2025:
January 9th, February 6th, March 6th, April 3rd, May 1st, June 5th, July 10th, August 7th, September 4th, October 2nd, November 6th, December 4th
For more information on Ambrosians or if there are any questions, please contact Patricia Schwietz, Ambrosian President, at (651) 336-7921. Also, keep watch for additional information on upcoming gatherings in the weekly bulletin.
Next Ambrosian Gathering Details
We invite all parishioners age 50+ to join us for the next Ambrosian gathering on Thursday, February 6th. The monthly dues of $15 cover our dinner: the menu: Pizza, pasta salad, garden salad, bread, and dessert. The evening begins with a meet and greet @ 5 pm and dinner @ 6 pm. Please call in your reservation to Diane K. @ 651.714.4548 or Marie N. @ 651-735-7762. Reservations due Sunday, February 2nd. Please know that if you make a reservation and are not able to attend, you are still responsible for paying for your meal – we have called in your reservation to our caterer and are responsible for paying for your meal. Thank you for understanding!
Our guest speaker: . Rick Storms, Parish Administrator at St. Odilia Catholic Church in Shoreview, MN, will speak about The Saint John’s Bible that was donated to their parish. The John Roberts Company in Coon Rapids donated a copy of the Saint John’s Bible they reproduced to St. Odilia Catholic Church.
In November 2022, Father Erich Rutten, pastor of St. Odilia in Shoreview, received an email from the John Roberts Company, a Minneapolis-based commercial printing company.Wanting to honor former owner and CEO Robert “Bob” Keene, the company hoped to donate its seven-volume Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible to the parish, of which Keene was a longtime member. Company officials — including Michael Keene, the late Keene’s son and current owner of the company — had a deep desire to find a home for the Bible, where it could more fully accomplish its purpose of being seen, experienced and used. Father Rutten formally presented St. Odilia’s set of the Bible to the parish. Representatives from the John Roberts Company were there to make the formal gift.
“Many parishioners stayed after Mass to get a closer look, to ask questions, and to personally turn pages,” Father Rutten said. “They were ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing.’ Since then, we’ve had a number of parish events and a public event discussing the history of The Saint John’s Bible Project and the wonder of it all. The response from parishioners and the Shoreview community has been very positive.”
The Saint John’s Bible, the first handwritten and illuminated Bible to be commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in over 500 years, is the result of a collaborative effort that began in 1998 among the monks of St. John’s Abbey and St. John’s University in Collegeville and renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson, as well as theological advisers and artists. The Heritage Edition of the Bible is a limited-edition, full-size fine art edition enhanced by hand with gold and silver foil applications and leather-covered binding.
Father Rutten, “The Saint John’s Bible is an amazing expression of God’s word in both the handwritten script and the incredibly beautiful art. Having the Heritage Edition here allows us to more fully engage God’s word in study, prayer and conversation. It is one more way of learning more about God and actually experiencing God.”
The addition of the set has prompted parishioners to use the Bible in the parish school, faith formation programs, faith sharing and Bible study groups, and in ecumenical and interreligious dialogues in the broader community.
Rick Storms, parish administrator at St. Odilia, said the number of attendees for events highlighting the Bible have been great, but even better is the excitement and energy as people experience the word of God in a new way. “The reactions have universally been over the top excitement with it,” Storms said.
Funeral Ministry
If you are interested in volunteering and becoming involved with the Funeral Ministry, please call Judy Donohoo at (651) 308-2141, making sure to provide your name and phone number. The staff at Saint Ambrose truly appreciate those involved with the Funeral Ministry.
If looking for additional upcoming service opportunities, reach out to Judy as well.