Holy Childhood of Jesus Catholic Church
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Holy Childhood of Jesus Catholic Church
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January 27, 2008
FATHER'S TWO-CENTS WORTH
I know! I missed last week because I was away. However, I will make my comments short, since I am writing this way before I even went to Iowa.
This week is Catholic School’s Week, and is a very important week in our parish life. Our Holy Childhood School is a very good school and shows its worth in the many students who have graduated from it. I can’t say that all were stars; however, many went on to excel in high school and from there to college. Many others excel in various other ways, such as being good Catholics, good parents, and good workers. Our school provides the foundation for the student’s future life, both here and into eternity. For many, it remains as a foundation and a frame-work. For others, it goes further and is “fleshed out” in various ways of stewardship to church, family, and community. What is so important is that our school tries to give a good education with high Catholic values. It does that! How it is received and developed depends on the student, the receiver, and the student’s family and peers. However, if we do not plant the seeds, the plants, or trees, will not get a start. Our school—faculty and staff, work hard to give their best for all of our students. Their work is a vocation—not merely a job. We thank them for their dedication, their efforts, and their love of the students. Send them a “thank-you” note this week, and assure them of your support. As pastor, I sincerely thank our principal and all of the teachers, and offer prayers for them every day. May God bless them! May God bless all who support our school personally and through the parish!
In line with this, I also want to thank all of our PSR teachers who give so generously of their time and talents to enlighten our students who do not attend Holy Childhood School. So often, theirs is a thankless task because they work to accomplish in one period a week what takes place over five periods a week in HC School. They depend heavily on the support and cooperation of the parents and the family, and do an excellent job. They too, need our prayers and appreciation of the parish as they strive to “spread the good news," and prepare our children for their lives in the world, and into eternity. May God bless every one of them! They are doing us a service and we need to let them know that we appreciate all that they do also. Let them hear from you!
I will be coming back Thursday evening. I will be saying Mass in the school on Friday morning in celebration of Catholic School’s Week. I will be taking communion to the nursing homes, but will delay visiting the home-bound until the following Friday.
Have a good week and enjoy God’s blessings, especially His love and gifts as you grow in prayer!
Announcement for Parents: Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 6th. PSR will be collecting dry goods for the Food Pantry as a Lenten service project. The 8th grade will be heading up this project and will be responsible for collecting and assigning items to each grade. The food pantry is in need of paper towels, tooth paste & brushes, dish soap, face soap, toilet paper, lotion, shampoo, etc. PSR will be collecting these items during the six weeks of Lent. Thank you for your help.
REMINDER The 2nd grade students will be receiving First Reconciliation on February 7th, 2008 at 7 PM in the church.
Mark your Calendar: There will be NO PSR on February 17th-President's Day weekend.
News IN OUR PARISH
ANNUAL LENTEN SPEAKER & SOUP SUPPER SERIES will begin on Monday, February 11th with Msgr. William Hitpas as the speaker. His topic will be "How to Make Lent Meaningful." On Monday, February 18th Msgr. Carl Scherrer will speak on "Forgiveness and the Sacrament of Reconciliation." and the third and final session will feature Fr. Elmar Mauer, OMI, whose talk is entitled "Alleluia People." We are fortunate to have three outstanding speakers. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend these sessions. Soup, bread, cookies and drinks will be served at 6:30 PM each evening in the parish center. The speakers will begin at 7:00 PM. See you there!
BAPTISMAL CLASS a requirement for all parents wishing to have their child baptized. First time parents or anyone who wishes to have their child baptized and it's been two years since attending the class. Class will be held on Sunday, February 3rd from 2 to 3:30 PM in our parish center. No registration required, you will sign in when you arrive.
"CARING FOR CHRIS" Chris Berry, a parishioner and former student of Holy Childhood School, as well as former member of the youth group is serving in Iraq. The youth group is sponsoring a "Caring for Chris" campaign for Chris and his fellow soldiers. There will be boxes at the exits of each door if you would like to make a donation for this cause. If you would like to make a financial contribution to help offset the cost of shipping and handling please use an envelope marked "Attention CYO" or "Caring for Chris" and place in collection basket or contact one of the youth ministers. This campaign will run from January 19th to February 18th. Requested items: AT & T cards (the only ones they can use), Wet Wipes, tooth brushes, hand cream, antibacterial soaps/hand sanitizer, candy (gum, M&M's, snacks, hard candy, etc.)
ORDER YOUR PARISH HISTORY BOOK NOW- $10 EACH The Sesquicentennial committee proudly announces that the history of the parish will soon be available in print. The book is titled "Celebrating Our Faith" and is a 216 page look at the varied and colorful history of Holy Childhood of Jesus from the early 1800s and Mascoutah's earliest beginnings through our closing Mass on November 18, 2007. It includes many pictures. You may wish to order several of these for your children to have in the future. Look for order forms in the pews until January 27th. Drop them in the collection basket or mail to the rectory. Books are expected to be available March 1. Pay at the time you receive the books. If you ordered yours at the banquet, we have your order. Thanks!! MARK YOUR CALENDARS The Knights of Columbus will be serving breakfast on February 10th in the school cafeteria from 7 AM to Noon.
"That's My Pan" Pans are still available! The company has extended our Fundraiser to January 29, 2008. If you are interested please contact Dianne Surmeier 566-4926 or 304-4881. Thank you for your support! FAITH IS BOTH CAUGHT AND TAUGHT! Are you looking for resources to help you pass your faith on to your children? Would you like to learn more about how other families in the parish are doing this? Then visit the a new website designed for the families of our parish, by families of our parish, "Domestic Church" (http://domesticchurch.wordpress.com). On this new site you will find resources and encouragement to help us live-out our faith in our families and help our children to grow-up in their faith and make it their own. The site includes resources for children and teens as well as parents. Please visit, let us know what you think (gaharne@gmail.com) and share the resources that you are using in your own families.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION "Could you not then watch one hour with me?"
To St. Faustina our Lord said, "I have opened My Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. On the cross, the fountain of mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls - no one have I excluded. I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is the image with signature: 'Jesus I trust in you.' The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive." The Divine Mercy Fr. Seraphim Michalenka, MIC.
Join your fellow parishioners in prayers at Eucharistic Adoration every Tuesday after the 8 AM Mass until 7 PM, and on Saturday from 9 to 10 AM. Come for any amount of time you would like to share with our Lord Contact Mary Ellen Mueller at 566-9529 if you can commit to a specific hour.
Mass Intentions
Tuesday, January 29, 8:00 AM 1. Msgr. Angelo Lombardo 2. Fr. Gary Mueller
Wednesday, January 30, 8:00 AM NO MASS
Thursday, January 31, 8:00 AM NO MASS
Friday, February 1, 8:00 AM Rachel Anderson
Saturday, February 2, 5:30 PM People of the Parish
Sunday, February 3, 8:00 AM 1. Dan & Rose Mueth 2. Fr. Gary Mueller 10:30 AM Spec. Int. Norrenberns Family
TITHE FOR JANUARY 20, 2008
DEPOSITS To Holy Childhood Sister Parish, St. Brother Peter: 2005-2007
2005 Deposits $ 16,526.00 2006 Deposits $ 20,026.50 2007 Deposits $ 16,056.24 Total Contributions $ 52,608.74
THIS COMING WEEK
MONDAY, January 28, 7:00 PM Welcome Cmt-pc
Tuesday, January 29, 8:00 AM Mass (Fr. Blazine) followed by Adoration until 7:00 PM 9:00 AM & 6:30 PM Quilting
Wednesday, January 30, NO MASS 7:30 PM Choir practice
THURSDAY, January 31, NO MASS 9:00 AM Quilting
FRIDAY, February 1, 8:00 AM Mass (in the school gym)
SATURDAY, February 2, 9:00 AM Adoration 4:30 PM Confessions 5:30 PM Mass 6:45 PM Dressler Baptism
SUNDAY, February 3, WELCOME SUNDAY & SCOUT SUNDAY 8:00 &10:30 AM Masses 9:00 AM PSR-hcs 2:00 PM Baptismal Class-pc
HOLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOL
WEB SITE:
holychildhoodschool.com
What did John the Baptist have in mind when he said, “Behold the Lamb of God?”
In November 1989 when communism fell in Czechoslovakia, the church was once again free. They put a sign on the lawn of a Prague church. It read, "The Lamb wins.” Those folks understood “Lamb of God”.
Who is this Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world? There are lots of sins and the governments try to take them away.
In the 1920’s the sin was alcohol. The belief was that, if we take away alcohol, industry would be more productive, wife beating and child abuse would stop. The theme of the drive was “Save the children.” For a while it did work. Then bootleggers, and gangsters took over and even children were recruited to deliver alcohol. The repeal began and state after state voted the 18th amendment down. The theme was "Repeal prohibition and save the children.” The government program failed to take away the sins.
Communism was to take away the sin of poverty and inequality and it roared like a lion. Life for everyone would be better. For over 70 years the leaders squashed dissidents, banned religion, set up a secret police and brutally killed millions. It failed because it failed to feed the people physically or spiritually.
The point is that it is easy for governments to say they will take away sins when in fact there is only one, the gentle Lamb of God who gave his life for us. And in this we can see the message that it is self-sacrifice, self-responsibility grounded in faith that will take away the sins of the world. It is the lambs of the world, the little people, people of principle, honesty, integrity and faith that will conquer sins.
The message is that the lambs in this school, church, community, country is where salvation comes from. It comes from you, not the government. It comes from faith in God, believing and practicing faith. Thank you to all the lambs that do it day in and day out. You are Christ’s lambs.
From another lamb, Deacon Ron Karcher Principal – Holy Childhood School
Announcing Holy Childhood's Pre-school! Our 1/2 day preschool will be offered to 4 year olds on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and 3 year olds on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Holy Childhood parishioner, Mrs. Judy Schneider, will be the director. (We will be accepting applications for aides February 11th.) The funding for our preschool comes from the Dinner Auction, Annual Fund Drive and our Before and After Care program. Donations are always appreciated as we transform the art room to a preschool program and refurbish the boy's bathroom in the basement. We are looking for a children's kitchen set and workshop set. Open House will be March 11th at 7 PM. Mark your calendars!
JANUARY CALENDAR
NATIONAL SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS 2008 Roundtable Series, January 29th from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. "Life is Not Over" - Presenter: Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P., Aquinas Inst. President. Join us for a discussion of how faith in Jesus allows believers to prepare for a "happy death" that leads to the joy of everlasting life. Cost: $20 (lunch included). Call 394-6272 for more information or to register.
SH - BOOM The Althoff Alumni Association is sponsoring SH - BOOM performing the greatest hits of the 50's, 60's, & 70's on February 2, 2008 at the Althoff gymnasium from 8 until midnight. Tickets are $15.00. Please call 618-235-1124 for more information.
"Your're a Better Parent Than You Think" Parent Network (parentnetworkstl.org) of Catholic High Schools invites you to join us Thursday, February 7th at 7:00 PM at Christian Brothers College High School Gundaker Theatre to hear Dr. Ray Guarendi, Ph.D. speak about parenting your teenager. If you have ever been frustrated by the behavior of your teenage son or daughter, this talk is for you. Please join us to hear Dr. Ray, author of several books including, Good Discipline, Great Teens. Dr. Ray is a clinical psychologist and father of ten. He hosts a national radio program, The Doctor Is In, and is a regular guest on national TV and radio programs. An hour with Dr. Ray will give you new insight on topics like the importance of parental authority, effective discipline, family rules, teen attitudes towards adults, and the necessity of chores and responsibility.
"Gather the people, notify the congregation and assemble the elders…" (Joel 2:16a). Yes! All of the faithful are invited to embrace the possibilities offered to us by Jesus Christ as Disciples of Hope. Please join us for "Seeds of Hope: A Lenten Journey" on Saturday, February 23rd, at Shryock Auditorium in Carbondale. Timeframe is 9 AM to 2 PM. Presenters include Rev. Ron Rolheiser, OMI, Rev. Godfrey Mullen, OSB and the Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton. There will be an outstanding team of musicians to guide us on this journey. For additional information, contact Patti Warner at 618-235-9601, Ext. 145; e-mail: pwarner@diobelle.org. Registration deadline is February 8th so the time to register is now. We hope you will join us!
Are you living the beatitudes in today's gospel in your marriage? Learn how to live the way God wants you to in your marriage. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend in this area is February 8th to 10th. To register or for more information call 888-889-9963 or go online to www.aweekendofdiscovery.org
MESSENGER RENEWAL WEEKEND Where can you find out what is happening in the Diocese of Belleville, a neighboring parish or one across the state? Where can you find stories of faith from many areas of the diocese, across the nation or around the world? The Messenger, your local diocesan newspaper, brings news of events important in your parish, your diocese and the universal church. Please stay "connected" through a subscription to The Messenger. Annual subscriptions are $23 (less than a month of cable TV), and envelopes are provided in your packet.
AN INVITATION I would like to invite and welcome all high school students to attend the "Destination Jesus XIII" retreat (www.Destination Jesus.com) which will take place at St. Theodore Guerin High School in Noblesville, IN on February 15-17, 2008. This year's keynote speakers are Fr. Stan Fortuna (www.francescoproductions.com) and Immaculee Ilibagiza (www.lefttotell.com). For more information contact John Pettinger at 618-677-2724 or johnpettinger@yahoo.com. This is a life changing retreat!
ALTHOFF CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL incoming Freshman registration on February 25th, 26th and 28th. Schedule your appointment today, 618-235-1100.
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