St. Ambrose Newsletter
We send out an electronic newsletter about once a month. If you are a parishioner not on our email list and would like to be, please contact the office.
Lent
How are you living this Lenten season?
As Catholics, we are invited to “enter the desert” for the 40 days of Lent to prepare us for the resurrection of Jesus. It is through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that we can stay focused on His suffering, death, and rising. It is in prayer that we seek to encounter God and have a personal relationship with Him. Fasting reminds us of our dependency on God and strengthens us to be more Christ-like. We fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday; and abstain from meat all Fridays during Lent. Almsgiving is sharing our time, talent, and resources with the needy. It is a way to show love to all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Click below for special Lenten opportunities at St. Ambrose Cathedral and Lenten resources from the Diocese.
April 13-20
Holy Week Schedule
Palm Sunday, April 13
Masses at 8:30am & 11am
Holy Thursday, April 17
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 6pm
Adoration following Mass
No 12:10pm Mass
Good Friday, April 18
Services at 12:10pm & 6pm
Office closing at Noon
Holy Saturday, April 19
Easter Vigil at 8pm
No 8am Mass, no confessions
Easter Sunday, April 20
Masses at 8:30am, 11am, & 12:30pm
Monday, April 21
Office closed, No Mass, No Holy Hour
March 7 – April 11
St. Ambrose Fish Fry Lunches
Join us every Friday during Lent in the Parish Hall, for the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry lunches (no lunch on Good Friday – April 18).
Time:
11:30am-1:00pm
Menu:
Baked fish, chips, fruit, side dishes, and desserts
Suggested Donation:
$10/person
April 6
Doing any spring cleaning? SVDP truck coming soon to St. Ambrose!
On Sunday morning, April 6, a St. Vincent de Paul donation truck will be in the St. Ambrose Cathedral parking lot. St. Ambrose SVDP volunteers will be available to receive items you want to share with those in need. The truck will be in the parking lot starting at 8:00 a.m. and will stay until 1:00 p.m.
Bring the clothes you don’t wear and the home goods you don’t need, and drop them off when you go to Mass. At this time, the SVDP thrift stores would especially appreciate donations of gently used men’s and women’s clothing, small pieces of furniture, home décor, dishes, and other household items. For more information about items the volunteers can accept, see the St. Ambrose SVdP page on the parish website or click the button below.
Donated items are given to people in need at no cost or are sold in the SVdP thrift stores. Proceeds from items sold at the SVDP thrift stores support the SVDP food pantries, back-to-work classes, and practical help for people being released from prison. The items you don’t use anymore can do a lot of good for people in need!
Annual Diocesan Appeal
The ADA provides more than 70% of the funding needed to support the parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines. Each parish has its own goal to reach for the year based on number of parishioners. Our 2025 parish goal for St. Ambrose is $121,390.
Please click below to read how the ADA impacts our Diocese and prayerfully consider donating today. If you decide to donate online, please choose “Des Moines, St. Ambrose Cathedral ADA” from the drop down menu.
Thank you and God Bless!
2025
Jubilee Year of Hope
Pilgrimages
During the year of Jubilee, we are encouraged to make pilgrimages to different churches. Bishop Joensen has identified 5 churches in our Diocese as places of pilgrimage:
- St. Ambrose Cathedral, Des Moines
- Basilica of St. John, Des Moines
- Christ the King Church, Des Moines
- Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Atlantic
- Corpus Christi Church, Council Bluffs
Pick up a passport at any of these churches and begin your pilgrimage to all 5 locations in our Diocese. Stamp your passport at the church when you visit. If you visit all 5 Jubilee churches, the Diocese would like you to post a picture on social media and tag @dmdiocese or send a picture of your passport to them. They will send you a book by Pope Francis to use as you continue your faith journey! See the Diocese website for more information.
Reconciliation Times
During this Jubilee year, St. Ambrose will be offering these reconciliation times:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 10:30-11:30am
Saturday – 2:30-3:30pm
Confessionals are in the sacristy. Go into the short hallway near the West entrance (near the baptismal font) that leads to the sacristy. Lines form in that hallway.
Ongoing
Connection Café
You may notice white cardboard boxes in the Narthex of the church to be used for collecting items needed by the Connection Café.
- One box will be used to collect clean plastic shopping bags. Our clients will use these bags to take donated food and other items to their homes.
- The other box will be labeled to collect different items each month. This revolving need will be posted in our monthly newsletters, weekly emails, and below.
- October, November, December: napkins
You can help the Café by bringing these needed items and dropping them off each Sunday in the collection boxes.
What is Connection Café?
Connection Café was created by The Bridge, a collaboration of four downtown churches, including St. Ambrose. The Café serves lunch Monday through Friday for anyone in need, right behind us at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Our St. Ambrose group helps out on the first Tuesday of every month.
The members of the Bridge Board greatly appreciate your help in providing services at the Café. The Bridge Board members from St. Ambrose are: Fr. Nivin, Janis Conley, Amy Dagitz, and Becky Naderman.
Canned and boxed foods of many kinds are given to SVDP to share.
Lots of fresh, nutritious food also available through SVDP.
First Weekend of the Month
Help Those in Need by Donating Items to SVDP
On the first weekends of each month, baskets near the altar will be ready to receive your foods that don’t need refrigeration, or items to clean homes and bodies – or cash gifts to help SVDP buy what’s most needed today for the pantries. See details
“The poor have much to teach you. You have much to learn from them.” St. Vincent de Paul
Upcoming weekends:
- April 5-6
- May 3-4
- June 7-8
- July 5-6
- August 2-3
Do you need food or items for your home?
Nutritious food – including eggs, vegetables, fruit and milk – are available to you FREE at the SVDP food pantries. You choose the items your family likes and needs most.
- You can call SVDP to set up a food pantry appointment: 515-282-8327
OR - Our St. Ambrose SVDP volunteers can go with you and help you make your appointment. Call Anita at 515-249-4490 to begin.
Click HERE to learn more about the St. Ambrose chapter of St. Vincent de Paul
Last full weekend of the month
Bottle and Can Collection
Bring your empty bottles and cans to the St. Ambrose parking lot before or after the weekend Masses and we will recycle them. The deposit proceeds from these recycling efforts will go towards our youth programming.
Upcoming weekends:
- March 29-30
- April 26-27
- May 24-25
- June 28-29
- July 26-27
- August 30-31
Check out the Youth Ministry page for more activities for youth!
Sponsor Couples Needed
Would you and your spouse like to assist engaged couples in marriage preparation at St. Ambrose Cathedral? We are looking for sponsor couples who can facilitate the FOCCUS inventory that engaged couples participate in as part of their sacramental preparation requirements.
Contact the Parish Office for more information: 515-288-7411.
Keep Your Info Up to Date
We are working on updating our parish records. If you have moved or changed your email or phone number, please contact the parish office with your new information. Or if you would like to be added to our email list, please contact the office.
Parish Office: 515-288-7411 or secretary@saintambrosecathedral.org
Register for a My Own Church account to keep your information up to date without having to contact the office! See the My Own Church page to find out more.
St. Ambrose Yearly Report
Click below for a look at our yearly report from July 2023 through June 2024.
