"Do you also want to leave?...This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Saint John wrote those words about 2,000 years ago. The lack of belief was a problem then and it's a bigger problem now based on surveys that show the increasing number of Catholics who don't believe in the Real Presence — the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus. However, we have an advantage compared to those ancient would-be followers of Jesus Christ. We have scripture, tradition and the teachings of the holy Catholic Church. We have the opportunity to zoom back thousands of years ago into Jewish history and then speed ahead into the time of Jesus and the authors of the New Testament. And then we fast forward to now, to ask ourselves that same question, can we accept this teaching? In this Lenten study at Christ the King in Mandan, we will be following the book, "The Eucharist," from Fr. Mitch Pacwa. This book will be $5 for Christ the King parishioners and $11 for non-parishioners. Beginning Sunday, Feb. 26, there will be five one-hour sessions held each Sunday during Lent after the 10 a.m. Mass. Please bring to each session "The Eucharist" book, your Bible and a notebook. To register for the Lenten study, go to "Parish News" on ctkmandan.com, call the parish office at 663-8842 or email shaina.wandler@ctkmandan.com. For the parish to order the correct number of books, please register no later than Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Going forward, the N.D. march will now be held annually in October.

This constancy by our episcopal shepherds on this issue demonstrates that the bishops' opposition to repealing or weakening the law is deeply rooted in Catholic doctrine.

The Church stresses the importance of showing careful regard for human remains and honoring the memory of the deceased.

Since marriage is such a great gift from God and is sacred, the Church sets up boundaries to keep Jesus’ institution of marriage safe and protected.

You will still find the same reliable information and the same excellent articles on matters of faith, liturgy and pastoral life.

Dakota Hope Clinic in Minot celebrates milestone and opens location in Tioga.

Dakota Hope Clinic program helps post-abortive women cope.

Embracing the beauty of Lent as a family.

Patty Schneier, who has served as a speaker at parishes and Catholic conferences across the United States for the past 20 years, will be the presenter for the upcoming Lenten parish mssion at Our Lady of Grace in Minot. With a theme of "See the Beauty, Discover the Joy of Repenting and Believing in the Gospel," the three-day mission will take place in four sessions, with a Tuesday morning session designed especially for those who are unable to attend in the evening. Fellowship will follow each session. Childcare will be provided at the evening sessions. A free will offering will be taken at each event. People from throughout the region to attend. Parish mission schedule is: Sun., Feb. 26, 6:30-8 p.m. (childcare provided); Mon., Feb. 27, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (childcare provided); Tue., Feb. 28, 9 a.m. Mass, followed by condensed mission message (approx. 9:45-10:45 a.m., no childcare at this session); and Tue., Feb. 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. (childcare provided).

University Ministry at the University of Mary is hosting a Lenten 40 Hours Devotion Feb. 24-26 in Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel on campus. Father James Mason will be giving three talks over the course of the weekend along with time for adoration, Mass, reconciliation, Liturgy of the Hours, rosaries and more. Father James Mason is a priest of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and was rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. He will be speaking each evening (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Feb. 24-26 at 7 p.m.) on the relevance of the Eucharist in our lives. He was named a national Eucharistic Preacher by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for the Eucharistic Revival. For more information, contact Anna Regnier at amregnier@umary.edu or 701-355-3704.

Corpus Christi fish fry season is back. Come for a fantastic fish fry each Friday in Lent at the Church of Corpus Christi in Bismarck. The meal is served from 5 to 7 p.m. and features tasty baked and fried fish, French fries, fried shrimp, noodles, fried green beans, applesauce, coleslaw, coffee, tea, milk and homemade desserts. All proceeds from the fish fry supports youth participating in retreats and conferences. Prices are $12/adults, $8/children, $45/family (immediate members only). The church is located at 1919 N. 2nd Street. Contact Melanie with questions at 701-975-9809.

Bishop Kagan has been celebrating a holy hour in each of our five deaneries within the different regions of the diocese during the months of January and February in conjunction with the National Eucharistic Revival. Each holy hour includes a homily and time for silent prayer concluding with benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. There will be time for discussion after the holy hour. Here are the dates, times and locations remaining are Saturday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck and Saturday, Feb. 25, 12-2 p.m. at St. Joseph in Williston.

The Cursillo of the Bismarck Diocese will be holding their 2023 Cursillo weekends at Trinity High School in Dickinson in March. Cursillo is a short course in Christianity for adults that takes place over a four-day weekend retreat. The women’s weekend is March 16-19. For more information or to register, visit bismarckcursillo.com or call/text Anita Elkin at 701-426-7384 (for the women’s weekend).

The public is invited to a diocesan-mentored pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fatima June 24-30. Father Bruce Krebs, retired priest of the Bismarck Diocese, will be the chaplain on a pilgrimage. Cost is $3,799 per person/all inclusive (including airfare). To register or for more information, contact the Catholic tour company, Proximo Travel, at 855-842-8001 or 508-340-9370 or online at www.proximotravel.com.

We should never be afraid to seek counsel and to avail ourselves of the Church’s wisdom in these areas.

Overcome that fear and bring the children along to Mass, we want to see you!

2023 will be filled with abundant opportunities to grow and extend our faith for ourselves, our families and friends and for our Church.

Issues surrounding religious freedom, gender, parental choice in education and protecting the most vulnerable among us will likely be debated by state legislators.

Next month, the Dakota Catholic Action newspaper will come to you via a new format—a magazine.