Holy Childhood of Jesus Catholic Church

August 7, 2011

FATHER'S TWO CENTS WORTH

            This weekend we enjoy the Mascoutah Homecoming.  We hope that the weather is a blessing to the event.  We have had times when it was blistering hot, and people stayed home.  And we have had our share of rainy days that made the grounds a muddy mess.  We pray this year that all is going to be well, even though the weather predictors are not totally in our favor.  So, we ask God to bless our Homecoming with success.  We also thank all those who helped publicize Holy Childhood Church and its activities in the parades;  We thank Harold Knoth and his committee for all of the work they have given to this event to make it successful;  we thank Jimmy Amann for chairing the Hamburger Stand and all of those parishioners who gave of their time and efforts to make it a success.  There is much work involved in frying, packaging, and cleaning up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings at the Hamburger Stand.

             As I mentioned last week, I am leaving today, Sunday, after the 8:00 A.M. mass to go to see my brother in Iowa, and will come back Friday P.M.  If I am needed, the ladies in the office will know where to contact me.  (I hope that I am not needed.)

             We have talked about this many times in the Parish Council of old, and in the Pastoral Council—to keep in contact with our members who are away at college.  Again, we approach the parents of college students, as well as the students themselves, to send us your names and new addresses, as well as the school that you are attending.  We would like to keep you informed of what is happening at Holy Childhood, as well as not letting you get lost in the crowd.  We would like for you to get involved in The Newman program, or another Catholic campus group.  Your faith is one common denominator that can help you meet new friends and share activities.  Please help us achieve this goal.  We are doing this in coordination with the Serra Club, the Newman Organization, and with our own parish concerns.  Send information to the rectory!

             Another reminder to support and promote your Parish Picnic!  We have the Fish Fry and live band music on Friday evening, the 26^th of August, and the main picnic, with the Chicken Dinner and Quilt Bingo, along with all of the other concessions and amusements on Saturday, August 27^th.  Our Mass will be at 4:00 P.M. that day.  We cannot let it be up to someone else to make the picnic a success.  If you have not done some promoting, or putting out posters or flyers or telling others, you are not helping to make it a success.  And the same goes when you are asked to help out physically in preparations and on the evenings of our picnic—we need your involvement!  Pray and pray often.

             REMINDER:  Our Red Cross Blood Drive will be on Thursday, August 18^th, from 2 to 7 P.M. in the Holy Childhood School Cafeteria.  Pizza Hut is donating pizza for the lunch or “canteen.”  We will have cookies, refreshments, and baby-sitting at the site.  Please come and give blood, since there is a shortage again this summer.  You are saving a life when you give blood.  In fact, you can be saving up to three lives when you give blood.  It is also giving someone a new start on life, and it could be someone who is in your family or a friend, or a friend of your friend.  It is the Christ-like use of your God-given gifts, when you are able to give blood and do so.  Bring another donor!

Please return your filled baskets for the picnic and place them in the  breezeway by August 21st.  There are still empty baskets at each entrance of church.  These baskets are used in our picnic stands.  Please take one and fill it up.  Your generosity is much appreciated!

CONFIRMATION SHIELDS can be picked up in the back of church.  

Gift Cards  Holy Childhood School sells gift cards at face value to a variety of local retail stores, restaurants and gas stations.  The cards can be given as gifts or used for your own purchases.  Stop by the Gathering Space after mass to purchase gift cards or just to see the cards that we have in stock.  The HCS students, faculty and staff thank you for your support.

BAPTISM CLASS Our next baptism class is scheduled for August 28th, in the parish center from 2-3:30 PM.  (We changed this date.  It was originally scheduled for August 21st.)

CHILD PROTECTION CLASS:  Initial Child Protection Class  -  Wednesday, August 10, 2011. Holy Childhood Church-Parish Center  -  7:00pm-9:00pm.  To register, call Holy Childhood School at 566-2922, or Email: hcs@holychildhoodschool.com.

CHURCH CHATTER:  Seeking articles and information for the Church Chatter parish newsletter. Please share what you've been doing with the rest of the parish family.  We are a congregation with many ministries, services, and organizations -- each operating within their own circle.  Much is happening and the rest of the parish would like to be aware of the activities and opportunities available.  The Church Chatter was established 12 years ago to answer this need. Our mission is to spread parish news to all registered parishioners, Linda Zacharski: kzacharski@charter.net   or call 566-8022.

Fish Fry and Jam Fest  -  August 26th - 5 to 11 pm

Holy Childhood Parish Church Picnic

 August 27th - 4 to 11 pm

Mass is at 4 pm

All You Can Eat Chicken Dinner from 4-8 PM

Adult & Children’s Games starting at 5 PM

Lightning Raffle at 5:45  -   Quilt Bingo starts at 6:30 PM

    Everything seems to be moving faster & faster. 

We wanted to share the status of our church picnic with everyone

 and point out areas where help is still greatly needed.

****FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FRY****

        Was such a success last year, we are doing it again!

 Featuring local bands, playing Jazz, Pop Rock, Country, 80's & Oldies

**WHAT'S NEW FOR SATURDAY**

Chicken Dinner:  An all-you-can-eat Chicken Dinner.  Dine in only!

The line will go as usual, and when you go up for seconds there will be a buffet line, you can get a clean plate & get more.

Carry-Out:  Will still offer carry-outs by the 2-, 3-, & 4-piece meals.

Candy Land:  This stand will offer cotton candy as well as pop corn.

Soda Toss Game:   Throw rings, win a 2-liter soda.

Margarita Ville:  This stand will offer original Margaritas & Hurricane Punch,

                           refreshing cool beverages for a hot summer evening.

With these new stands, this means we need people to work!

DONATIONS NEEDED

Baskets:   Our basket stands are a huge pull tab success and to continue to be a success we will need 138 baskets for "This & That" as well as "Toy Land" totaling 276 baskets.  Please pick up baskets at each entrance of church and fill them with $15.00 & up of goods.

    Last day to turn in filled baskets is August 20 - 21

Cakes:    Another one of our popular stands, this stand requires 138 cakes to be give away as prizes.  Cakes can be dropped off the day of the picnic in the school cafeteria.  Also needed are desserts for the chicken dinner.  Please, no cakes that need to be refrigerated, custard or cream pies!  (They melt!) 

Country Store:  Home-Canned fruits & vegetables, fresh-baked goodies, fresh garden vegetables.

****CALLING ALL PARISHIONERS****

Our picnic needs your volunteerism & donations.

 Consider donating to our Quilt Bingo, purchasing/selling raffle tickets,

filling prize baskets, baking, and getting the word out.

Setting-up, working a stand, cleaning up are always volunteer intensive.