FATHER'S TWO CENTS WORTH

Hey! It is good to be back home again.  Vacations are nice, but home sweet home is better than living out of luggage.  Thank you for keeping everything going well and as they say: “holding the fort”.  As I said last week at my Sunday masses, Canada was very hot, and not cool as expected.  Whistler (the city where we were staying) was very nice and scenic, full of activity for the young of heart and body.  We were about forty years too old to keep pace.  But it was a great change for awhile, and restful.  The mountains were scenic, and there was snow on many of the peaks.  Some were skiing and snow-boarding on the glaciers and upper altitudes.  Not me!

Thanks also to all who cooperated with the Mascoutah Homecoming to make it a success.  You responded well to manning the Hamburger Stand, and did a great job representing our parish family.  I heard compliments of how our Boy Scouts helped with clean-up to get ready for the next day’s run.  You represented our parish well in the parade, and did a great job letting the public know about our coming picnic.  Great job, everyone!

Our own picnic is quickly approaching.  It is only two weeks away—a week from Saturday.  I ask all of the stand managers to recheck your helpers and your needs so that you are not caught in a lurch at the last moment.  Most of all I ask every member of the parish, from the youngest to the oldest, to pray for good weather for the picnic.  That is something everyone can take part in—prayer!  Also tell your friends, far and near, about the picnic, and invite them to come.  The success of the picnic is very vital to meeting the needs of our parish and our school.  Sell and buy the raffle tickets—this is sure income in case there is inclement weather.  If every family of our parish would buy or sell the tickets sent to them, it would be nearly eighteen Thousand dollars in the bank without the other sources.  This could be our best picnic ever if we want to make it so!  It is all for your parish and your school!

Thanks to Mike Amann and his helpers for getting out the Picnic signs along the highways before the Homecoming.  Many people saw, and will see your good work!

This Saturday is the feast of the Assumption, August 15^th.  It is a Holy Day, but not one of obligation, meaning you do not have to go to mass for this feast.  However, since it is the Feast of Mary, I believe that we should honor her that day.  In the Monthly Calendar, we did not schedule mass on Saturday morning.  HOWEVER, WE WILL HAVE MASS AT 8:00 A.M., INSTEAD OF ADORATION, TO HONOR MARY ON THIS SPECIAL FEAST.  Mary gave us Jesus!  We can give her our love, for what she did for us, and still does for all of us.

Our Community Blood Drive will be on Thursday, August 27, after the picnic!   Make plans to be a blood donor and save some lives.

Thanks to all who gave so generously last week-end.  It will help to pay the bills and salaries.  We need the support of all parishioners to catch up and make ends meet.

HOLY CHILDHOOD PICNIC NEWS:

* You can now start turning in your baskets, home-made canning products as well as home-made wine and wood crafts.

 * This Tuesday, August 11th, we will assemble baskets for the Parish Picnic. If you would like to help, please meet at the parish center after the 8 am Mass.

* Stand Managers, please turn in your workers list NO LATER than August 12th!

* If anyone is in need of empty wine bottles, please call Stacie at 566-0355.

GIFT CARDS:  Use Gift Cards to purchase back-to-school items for students of all ages.  We have Office Depot ($25), Wal-Mart ($25 & $100), Best Buy ($25), J C Penney ($25 & $ 100), Kohl’s ($25), T.J. Maxx ($25), American Eagle ($25) in stock. Thanks for supporting HCS.

FOOD PANTRY: Some items needed by the Mascoutah Food Pantry this month are: instant mashed potatoes, pasta sauce, sloppy joe sauce, chili beans, stuffing mix, & corn muffin mix. The Pantry is also in need of grocery bags, especially paper bags. Thank you!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS will meet this Thursday, August 6th at 7:30 pm in the parish center.

ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS FROM THE CLASS OF 1951, 52, & 53: All students who attended Holy Childhood School in 1951, 52, 53, are invited to meet in front of church on Saturday, August 22nd at 3:30 pm to visit before the 4 pm Mass. If anyone has questions, please call Thiry at 566-2756.

2009 PARISH DIRECTORY:  Sign up after mass on August 8, 9, 15, 16, 29 or 30.  We will NOT have sign up the weekend of the Church Picnic. If you sign up on or before August 30, you will be entered to win one of two $50 gift certificates that can be used toward additional portrait purchases.  Pictures will be taken at the following times:

* Tuesday September 8^th –--  Friday September 11^th                 2:30 PM – 9:00 PM

* Saturday September 12^th                                                            10:00AM – 4:30 PM

* Tuesday September 15^th –--  Thursday September 17^th         2:30 PM – 9:00 PM

On-line sign-up is available through our parish website –

http://www.holychildhoodchurch.com

Note:  On-line sign-up will be disabled during weekend sign-up.

PARISH DIRECTORY VOLUNTEERS: We need help with sign up and picture day hosts and hostesses. Please call Karen Wobbe at 566-8118 or write karen_wobbe@yahoo.com if you can help in anyway. We need help after each Mass in August and September 8th - 12th and 15th-17th.  

Registration

August 15-16 after Mass

* PSR begins on 9-13-09.

MASS INTENTIONS

TUESDAY, August 11

8:00 AM            Dan & Rose Mueth

WEDNESDAY, August 12

8:00 AM            Joseph Dressler

                           Mr. & Mrs. Joe Rist

                           Estelle Bonczek

THURSDAY, August 13

8:00 AM            Mary Waigand

FRIDAY, August 14

8:00 AM             Father Lloyd Misho

SATURDAY, August 15

8:00  AM            In Honor of the Solemnity of Our Lady's Assumption

5:30 PM              David Haas

                            Paul Hopfinger

                            Dr. & Mrs. Nicholas Young

SUNDAY, August 16

8:00   AM           People of the Parish

10:30 AM           Henry & Mary Jo Bechtoldt

                                (50th Anniversary)

 August 2, 2009

Dear Friends,

                Church signs always interest me. Here are a couple:

Adam blamed Eve

Eve blamed the snake.

And the snake didn’t

Have a leg to stand on

Or

As you pass this little church,

Be sure to plan a visit,

So when at last you are carried in,

God won’t ask, ”Who is it?”

School News:

 Holy Childhood Catholic School Prek-8

                 Please keep all students and staff in your prayers. Visit our website www.holychildhoodschool.com

Sincerely,

Deacon Ron Karcher

Principal

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”  A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend can feed your relationship.  The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend in this area is September 25^th through 27^th.  Early registration is highly recommended. To register or for more information call 888-889-9963 or go online to www.aweekendofdiscovery.org.

ST. MEINRAD: The One Bread, One Cup Summer Liturgical Leadership Conference for High School Youth, Campus and Youth Ministers is a weeklong conference at St. Meinrad School of Theology and Seminary.  While on the Holy Hill youth and campus/youth ministers receive Benedictine hospitality, and the understanding of the Word of God, the Sacraments, and the Mission to go out. While there, the youth are able to experience living in a faith community praying morning prayer, Mass, and compline together; as well as the ability to pray Vespers with the Monks of St. Meinrad. If anyone is interested in receiving more information, please feel free visit the website at  oboc.saintmeinrad.edu

ST. JOSEPH PARISH PICNIC in Freeburg will be Friday and Saturday, September 11 & 12th. On Friday night there will be a Fish Fry and Music and on Saturday night, Mass will start at 4 PM. A chicken Dinner is from 4 - 8 PM. Quilt Bingo starts at 6 PM. Please come and join in the fun! 

CATCH ONTO THE NEW TESTAMENT with a Walk Through the Bible's New Testament seminar to be held at St. John United Church of Christ, 55 West Church Street, Mascoutah on Sunday, September 27, 2009. The seminar begins during 8 am or 10:30 am worship services at St. John. Lunch is provided and the afternoon sessions are from 12:45 - 5 pm. Registrations are required, for more information, please call St. John at 566-7311.

STARTING OVER is a six-part support series for men and women who are adjusting to a widowed lifestyle. This will be held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows on Sunday, September 20th from 2-4 pm. To register or for more information, please contact 618-233-0446 or 618-632-5944. Thank You!

ST. LIBORIUS YOUTH MINISTRY is sponsoring the Eighth Annual "Run For The Son", a 5-K run/walk and a 1/2 mile "Fun Run" for the kids starting at 8:30 am on September 6th. For more details about this event please call 618-768-4941 or 618-768-4336. The Youth Ministry has chosen to donate half of the proceeds to Anna Carr, a 20-month-old who suffered severe head and facial injuries when she was run over by a vehicle in June. We thank you for your support.