cannot be the starting-point for communion; it presupposes that communion already exists."  Sadly and scandalously, full union between Christians has been broken.  We are called to do whatever we can do to overcome this, to find the pathways back to full communion by our prayers and actions.  Meanwhile, our very desire for sharing the Eucharistic banquet with our separated brothers and sisters acts as a spur to our longing and our prayers.
     The Pope again: "By giving the Eucharist the prominence it deserves, and by being careful not to diminish any of its dimensions or demands, we show that we are truly conscious of the greatness of this gift. . . .  There can be no danger of excess in our care for this mystery, for 'in this sacrament is recapitulated the whole mystery of our salvation.'" 
School News…
Congratulations to all who will be receiving  the Sacrament of First Communion on May 3 and 4.
ST. JOHN'S ICE CREAM SOCIAL
Spring is a time to celebrate and what better way to do it than the annual St. John's Ice Cream Social.  Bring a friend and come join us for lots of food fun and excitement.  The kitchen will be busy preparing polish sausage, hot dogs, nachos and cheese dip, and of course, plenty of ice cream.  After you eat your snacks in the cafeteria, you can stroll on the cake walk, try your hand at the fish pond in the gym.  There is plenty of fun, food, prizes and mounds of ice cream!  See you there, Tuesday, May 6, 5:00-8:00 PM in the school.   Raffle takes place in the cafeteria.  Thanks.
PTO BOARD MEETING-   The PTO meeting scheduled for  Monday, May 5, 7:00 has been postponed to Monday, May 12.
Youth Newz…
ALL CURRENT 6-8TH GRADERS: Check out the April issue of the Newzpaper  for details about camp  TNT, an "explosive" summer camp experience. TNT campers meet on Tuesdays, June 10- July 29, from 9:00am-5:pm.  A trip to Valleyfair on August 5^th is also planned. Participants meet in the morning for a spiritual reflection and then travel with an adult to one of a variety of service sites. Participants enjoy a fun activity, such as a visit to Camp Snoopy or a water park in the afternoon. A  Registration brochure is included in the Newzpaper. Deadline to register is May 8^th.
PEER MINISTERS PLANNING TO VOLUNTEER FOR SUMMER CAMP TNT TAKE NOTE: You must submit  your schedules to Kate Roush by Thursday, May 8.  Peer Ministers must attend an orientation on Wednesday, May 21 at 6:30 pm in  St. John's youth room. Call Kate if you have any questions 763-754-7666.
Faith Formation News
A BIG THANK YOU!!  Thanks to all the parents, teachers and students who participated in the Faith Formation Fair.  Special thanks to the "Cut and Paste Brigade" for serving the food.
CONGRATULATIONS to all our First Eucharist students.  May you enjoy the Lord's Supper all of your life.

From the Associate…

The Holy Eucharist and Intercommunion

      Pope John Paul II recently issued an encyclical concerning the Eucharist. It is a magnificent thirty-page document that touches on various aspects of this extraordinary gift.  The Pope says that his hope is to "rekindle amazement" at the depth and beauty of the Sacrament.  In this he succeeds.  If you are looking to deepen your understanding and love for Christ in the Eucharist, you could not do better than to read this inspiring teaching.
     One of the points brought up in the Encyclical (a minor point, though if you read news articles about it in the secular press you'd think it was the whole purpose of the document) had to do with intercommunion.  The Pope again made clear that intercommunion (the practice of Catholics and other Christians sharing their celebration of Eucharist) was not allowable as a general rule.  There is nothing new here; this has always been Catholic teaching.  But it might be good to say a few words as to why.
     Too often one hears complaints that such teaching is an expression of exclusivity, or lack of charity, or the lingering remains of an old-fashioned ghetto mentality that Catholics should have gotten past.  After all, why should we not allow anyone who wishes it to come and receive the Eucharist, as long as they are respectful and believe in Christ?  Isn't this just another one of those rules that has no real purpose and just offends good people?
     Well, no.  The Church has not allowed intercommunion for very good reason.  But that reason demands an understanding of what the Eucharist is.  If the Eucharist is merely a symbolic meal, a community sharing time, then of course we will find it unreasonable to put up any barriers to it.  But the Eucharist is much more: it is a sacrament, the sign and the source of our full unity in Christ. 
     To take an example that might seem far-fetched but is in fact very similar: sex.  Sex is a sacrament (though lots of people don't realize it); it is the sign of a total union of lives, of minds, of hearts, and by the union of bodies it both expresses that total union and creates it.  This is why Christ has always taught that only a man and a woman who have pledged lifelong committed love can truthfully have sex.  Anyone else is lying, saying with their bodies what they will not say with their lives, and sooner or later (usually sooner) someone gets hurt.  On the other hand, when a married couple are careful to preserve their fidelity to one another, we understand that they are being truthful, that they are protecting their God-given union of life.  It would be odd to say to them that they should really be more inclusive, or that they are offending good people who would like to share their sexual relationship.   
     The same is true with the Eucharist.  It is not, like sex, necessarily limited in number: the Lord desires that everyone be "fully united in heart and mind."  But it is, like sex, a sacrament of union.  It both expresses and creates a union even more total than the union of marriage, and therefore it can only be engaged in by those whose unity is full.  As the Pope writes: "The celebration of the Eucharist