blogtcs.com

Sports dominates this edition of “Weekend calendar.” Of particular note is a re-match of a 1990 state championship that ended in a tie.

Other Catholics throughout the diocese are likely busy with confirmations. Some will join our bishop in an anniversary celebration at one of our ethnic parishes.

Good luck to Catholic high school athletes in state tournaments this weekend.

Here are some assorted highlights:

St. Mary’s v. Xavier — The softball teams go head to head at 10 a.m. in the state quarterfinals at Marcos de Niza High School, 6000 S. Lakeshore Dr. in Tempe.

Re-match for Brophy’s 1990 soccer team — It’s been 20 years since the state championship soccer match between Brophy and Marcos de Niza ended in a scoreless tie. Tomorrow at 7 p.m., at Brophy’s new sports complex, it won’t. Players from both teams will again take the field and finally crown the 1990 state champion. Check out a quick recap and a fuller article about the match. Tickets are $10 adults, $5 students/children. Even if Brophy loses, one of the school’s scholarship funds will still win. It pockets all ticket proceeds.

Other state matches — Seton girls softball 11 a.m. Saturday at the school in Chandler. The Sentinels have a 13-1 record in regional play. Boys Tennis is in the state tournament championship Saturday at Paseo Racquet Club. The baseball team plays at 11 a.m. Saturday at High Seed. Notre Dame’s baseball and softball teams have home field advantage tomorrow at 11 a.m. Boys Lacrosse plays Phoenix Country Day School at 6 p.m. at Chaparral.

Our Lady of Czestochowa anniversary — Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Polish community with a Mass Saturday at 5 p.m. The community was elevated to a parish in 2008 and are quite devoted to the Blessed Mother. With Mother’s Day on Sunday, a look at their Marian devotion from our 2009 article makes a perfect close to our weekend calendar:

At Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in North Phoenix, Sr. Weronika Ilnicka, MChR, spoke of the Marian devotions popular in Poland that now bloom in the Arizona desert. About 1,200 people worship at the church each weekend. Many participate in the Rosary Society, a popular organization in their homeland.

And while some of the parishioners have come to the Valley directly from Poland, others left Chicago and New York behind and found a Phoenix parish that celebrates the sacraments in their beloved mother tongue.

The faithful gather each day at the church before Mass to pray the rosary. The Mass and rosaries at the parish are in Polish and Sr. Weronika and the pastor, Fr. Eugeniusz Bolda, S. Chr., direct a four-hour language school for 154 children on Saturdays.
The John Paul II Polish Language School is for students in elementary through high school to study and learn Polish. They also examine the truths of the faith and participate in Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.

Click here for more information about the Polish parish in Phoenix.

Love of the rosary and devotion to saying it is a cornerstone of the program. The children are divided into groups of 20 students each to pray a decade of the rosary daily.

Love for the Blessed Virgin is also manifested in the Wednesday evening novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa that follows the Mass. Members of the congregation write down individual prayer intentions, placing them in a basket for the pastor to read aloud.

On Sunday at 8:20 p.m., parishioners gather to pray the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sr. Weronika sings and leads the people in prayers for the sick.