FATHER'S TWO CENTS WORTH

Well, here we are at the beginning of the month of October, with winter, Christmas and other events to come, fast approaching.  It does not seem that our parish picnic was just two months ago, that school started seven weeks ago, and that the farmers are quickly harvesting their corn with good yields, and some finished with the corn harvest.  Time flies, so it seems, and yet there are still twenty-four hours in each day, and seven days in each week.  So, we are called to make the best of our time for our own salvation through prayer, mass, sacraments, spiritual reading, and good works.  Our day is coming!

In today’s bulletin, we have the annual report for last year.  We still operate at a deficit, and already this year are behind in our goal for income.  Conscious that many are out of work, and many do not have the income they formerly had, we also ask you to be fair in your support of the church and to put it on the upper part of your priorities, rather than on the bottom.  We also encourage you to see your support of the parish as your gift to God for all of the blessings, even the least blessings, thanking God for life, health, family, and all of the material gifts we enjoy.  We also encourage you to motivate your children to bring an offering to mass as their sign of thanksgiving to God for all that they have.  We expect thanks from one another when we give gifts, and often try to reciprocate in kind when we have the opportunity.  Treat God in his church in the same way!

We also have the picnic report today.  As you will note, the Friday Fish-Fry was a saving blessing to our picnic.  Thank you, School Board, for your energetic “spear-heading” of this event and its success.  As you compare this year’s results with last year’s, you can see gains and reductions.  It is a challenge for the picnic committee to find opportunities for people to patronize the picnic.  Food was down; toy-land was way up.  I do not know if we had the crowd of previous years, or if too many other conflicting events hurt us.  At any rate, we must be grateful to God for the nice weather, and the success we achieved.

October is the month of the Rosary, and once again, we will have Rosary and Benediction on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 P.M.  I encourage you to make the sacrifice to come and bring your family.  We plan it early so that you have the rest of the evening open for other events.  We can shift our agendas and schedules for many mundane tasks.  Can we make room for the spiritual ones that bring us the blessings we need and want?  Remember:  Wednesday evenings at 5:30 P.M.!

I am going to visit my brother again this week, leaving on Wednesday afternoon, and returning the following Wednesday.  This will be my third trip to see him during this time of trial in his family, and I will probably have to make another trip before the year is over.  If someone is concerned that I am gone so much, I did not take my vacation this year but am using it this way.

School Auction is fast approaching—Oct. 16^th.  Buy your tickets now and have fun!

Pray for return of members of the parish and our families who do not go to church—that they return to the practice of their faith, and the love of God!

GIFT CARDS:  Now in stock: Moto Mart $25 and $50 cards can be used at Mascoutah and metro area gas stations.  We have recently added Papa John’s $10, PetSmart $25.  We can order Quiznos $10 and Steak ‘n Shake $10.  HCS thanks you for your support.

Get your flu shot at our immunization event! October 13th  and 15th from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Holy Childhood Parish Center.  Shots are covered with no out-of-pocket expense by Medicare Part B and many insurance plans;  otherwise Flu shots are $30 & Pneumonia shots are $60.   Call the Holy Childhood parish rectory office, 566-2958, between 9 AM and 3 PM Monday-Friday  to make your appointment. 

THE 17th ANNUAL HOLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOL DINNER AUCTION  is coming up on October 16th.  Doors open at 5:00 pm;  Dinner buffet at 5:30 pm;  Silent auction and raffle; Oral Auction at 7:30 pm; $30 per person includes buffet dinner, dessert, refreshments (draft beer, wine, whiskey sours and sweets, soda & snacks). To make a donation, contact Mary Moll 566-2300. For tickets, contact Debbie Hulliung 566-4196. Please bring your baked goods for the Sweet Tooth Booth to the HCS cafeteria on Saturday, October 16th between 9am and 12pm.

ENDOWMENT FUND REQUEST If you would like to submit a request from your organization for 2010-2011, please send a detailed account to the rectory for the Endowment Committee to review at the meeting scheduled for October 18th.

The Holy Childhood School Board  would like to thank all those who donated to the School Campaign Fund. Total donations to date are $29,782. If you have not made a donation or would like to make another one, please send donation to the school. We thank you for your support.

ROSARY/BENEDICTION  Is every Wednesday in October at 5:30 PM.  Servers are as follows:  October 6 Jamie Grawitch & Mikey Potrawski; October 13 Clare Norrenberns & Lauren Redfern; October 20 Gabriel Hulliung & Noah Wienstroer; October 27 Samuel Moll & Bridget Beck. 

Knights of Columbus Breakfast on Sunday, November 14th from 8 AM to 12 NOON in the parish center.  Pancakes, sausage, biscuits, gravy, fruit, juice,  and coffee.   Benefits the cemetery.

Catholic Youth Organization is looking for a fundraiser opportunity.  With leaf raking season fast approaching, CYO is volunteering to rake church members' yards for a donation to CYO.  If you are interested contact Julie Holdener at (618) 806-9056 to set a date and time.  We ask that you provide your own trash bags to remove the leaves.  Thank you for your support.