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News - Sunday Bulletin and Web Site
 Our
Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty:
"Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that
without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of
grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles
increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only
true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to
climb to heaven.
When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me and seemed to place me
in the middle of a street, so that I might say in a loud voice to people of
every age, sex and status: "Hear, O people; hear, O nations. I am warning
you about the commandment of Christ by using words that came from his own
lips: We cannot obtain grace unless we suffer afflictions. We must heap
trouble upon trouble to attain a deep appreciation in the divine nature, the
glory of the sons of God, and perfect happiness of soul.
If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how
beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself,
how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about
troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on
which they are weighed when they are distributed to men."
From the writings of Saint Rose of Lima. From:
Patron Saint Index
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Saint Rose of Lima
Towards the close of the 16th century, the people of Lima, Peru,
were a pleasure-loving lot, more concerned about good food and good wines
than about the salvation of their souls. The demand was for something
out of the ordinary for sanctity that was heroic in proportions and clearly
it was part of the wisdom of heaven that Rose de Flores should appear at
precisely this moment when her presence and example should produce the most
telling effects.
Saint Rose was born in Lima, in 1586, and was one of ten children.
From her earliest years, Rose was very distrustful of herself and took small
stock in her own human judgments. Thus she came to lean heavily on the
advice of her parents and of the confessors who guided her spiritual
affairs.
Rose had little time for the ordinary needs of the body and much less for
its comforts. It was not that she saw wrong in the good things of
earth or in anybody's enjoying them. Actually, to one of her delicate
instincts and feelings, the niceties of life had an innate appeal. Yet
she resisted their lure and crucified her appetites. Though she was
exquisitely beautiful, both in face and in figure, yet she made no capital
of her gifts which other young women would have given a fortune to possess.
When she was 20 she resolved to put on the white wool of Saint Dominic and
become a member of his Third Order. It was logical that her thoughts
should turn to the Dominicans since their church was her favorite haunt from
the time she could walk.
Like her great model, Saint Catherine of Siena, she decided that her
vocation lay in the world where she would always be at the beck and call of
her family and friends and of the sick and impoverished. The short
span of years left to her was now to be spent in showing her neighbors how
to imitate Christ. And so, while swearing to be faithful to her vows,
she continued to dwell in the society of seculars subject to her parents in
temporal matters and to Christ through His Church in matters of eternity.
The Third Order of Saint Dominic is known as the Order of Penance; and with
her entrance into its ranks, Rose began to increase her austerities.
The use of the scourge and the hairshirt had long been a matter of routine.
To these she added a small metal crown whose sharp edged she kept constantly
shifting in order to multiply the wounds on her head. Often she went
without food for a week at a time, finding complete satisfaction in the
Bread of the Eucharist.
Of course, such utter disregard of all considerations of health was bound to
have its effects and it is easy to understand how the charity that burned in
her heart reached so intense a degree that the body cold not keep pace with
its demands. The saint's prayers and penances were redoubled, until
only the slenderest thread held her spirit and body together. Death
finally struck and Rose went to her eternal reward on the 24th of
August, 1616.
It is uncommon for a prophet to be accepted in his own day and country.
Yet Rose was acclaimed in her lifetime and cherished with the deepest
affection by her friends and the city in which she was born. With all
her holiness, she was human; and human she remained until the day of her
death. We have recounted her pains and sufferings, but even at their
worst, these still did not stop her from serving others with joy.
Rose's humanity stretched out in her fondness of nature. One of her
deepest delights was the cultivation of flowers which she carried about the
city to bedeck the altars and shrines of our Lady.
These and a thousand other details were recalled by the many in Peru when
Rose was raised to the altars in 1671. Her feast day was appointed as
August 30th and at the same time, she was proclaimed Patroness of
the Philippines as well ass of all the Americas, as she is the first
canonized saint of the western hemisphere.
Author: Unknown. Taken from the materials/documents in the
Parish archives. If you know the author, please contact Pattie
Fromknecht at, 814.949.9130 or by E-mail,
Contact Us.
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It's been a journey of faith, as we celebrate our 80th year as a parish community. Our
Saint Rose of Lima parish family has grown from a few dozen members over
three quarters of a century ago, to more than 1000 families today.
Our Journey of Faith began in early 1920's. The Eldorado section of Altoona was growing,
and Catholic residents yearned for a neighborhood church of their own.
In the first months of 1924, Bishop John McCort purchased a building lot
on the corner of 56th Street and Roselawn Avenue. Interested area
residents were invited to a planning session at the home of Clarence and
Pauline Lockard, who lived at 5506 4th Avenue. They met with Father
John McAllister, who was Secretary to the Bishop. All were in
agreement to move forward with planning the new parish, to include
building a chapel of worship.
The small chapel arrived at Roselawn Avenue in segments, and was erected with volunteer labor.
The first Mass for this new parish was offered by Bishop McCort on Sunday,
August 17th, 1924. Father McAllister, who had shepherded this
project from the planning stages through construction, was fittingly
appointed to serve as the first pastor. Perhaps more significantly,
Saint Rose of Lima was selected as the patron saint and parish namesake,
because she was the first canonized saint in the Americas. The
church was located on Roselawn Avenue, therefore the new name seemed a
natural choice.
A decade later, the parish family had outgrown the small church, and Father McAllister
purchased a convent down the street, that had formerly housed the order of
Discalced Carmelite nuns. The convent's chapel was expanded and
renovated to serve Saint Rose of Lima's growing congregation.
In 1955, a parish dream inched closer to reality, with the launch of a major fund drive to build a
new, much larger church and elementary school to educate the children of
Saint Rose. Our current church was dedicated on December 4th, 1958.
Saint Rose of Lima Catholic School opened its doors in September of the
following year, staffed by the Sisters of Devine Providence.
In the remaining forty years, the parish family has swelled to more than one thousand families,
and the school census has reached its full complement. The
elementary school serves children through the eighth grade, and has
recently added Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten programs. A
building program in 1977 added a new rectory to Saint Rose, and additional
school facilities to include a library, administrative offices and more
classrooms. In 2001 a new wing was added to the school building,
adding an additional four classrooms. With this addition, the
outdoor devotional setting was moved to the front of the church, and is a
place for quiet meditation and prayer.
The Saint Rose of Lima campus has grown with the acquisition of a private home on Roselawn
Avenue, to become Saint Martin's House, the new parish center for meetings
and adult education activities. Other properties purchased adjacent
to the church ground has created space for a new basketball court,
playground, and more parking. Additionally, in 2003 The Maria Parish
Center was erected on the corner of 56th and Roselawn Avenue. This
new building serves both the parish and the school as a reception hall and
gymnasium.
Taken from: St. Rose of Lima 75th Anniversary The Journey of Faith Continues
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Maria Parish Center
The Maria Center was built to enhance the spiritual, educational, cultural, and recreational
needs of the parishioners and students of Saint Rose of Lima Parish and
School.
To view the policy on using this facility, please click here:
Usage Policy -
Maria Center
For additional information please contact Cathy Damiano, Facility Manager, 814.942.7835
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