The Church considers the Mass the greatest possible form of prayer because it is the perfect offering of Christ to the Father, by making present the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Masses may be offered for someone who has died, as well as for other intentions such as vocations; for someone who is ill; for a godson or goddaughter, etc. To request a Mass, fill out a Mass Intention envelope and place it in the collection basket OR email or phone the Parish Office and consider offering a donation of $10 stipend per Mass.
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24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
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22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
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21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
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20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)
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Note from our soon-to-be Pastor - Fr. Thomas Szydlik - from St. John / Sacred Heart 6/2/24 Bulletin
Some Thoughts on What's Being Asked of Us
I know that I've mentioned it a few times already, but it's worth stating again: the next few months will likely see some discomfort. Putting three parishes together into one institution is not an easy task, and we all have opinions and presumptions about how it should go. Unfortunately, other people have different opinions and presumptions! This could lead to conflict (not all of which is bad), but we don't want radical divisions and separations to arise among our members.
Keeping in mind this desire for a healthy unity, I would like to offer encouragement in a couple of areas.
First - Be kind. I don't think I can emphasize this enough. Patience and tolerance offered to others goes a long way in helping to bring people together. On a related note, accusation and a lack of forgiveness can destroy a community. (I've seen it happen.) Remember - if you're putting up with others, they're likely putting up with you in some way!
Second - pray for your parishes. Include each of the three churches in Dewitt County in your daily prayers. We need to hold back the evil one, and we need to invite the Lord's Grace into our midst. That is especially brought about by the prayers you offer. I believe we can have a vibrant Catholic parish in this local area. (Sorry to use that overused word!) Let's begin well our time together and give the Lord a good space in which to do His work!
Some Thoughts on What's Being Asked of Us
I know that I've mentioned it a few times already, but it's worth stating again: the next few months will likely see some discomfort. Putting three parishes together into one institution is not an easy task, and we all have opinions and presumptions about how it should go. Unfortunately, other people have different opinions and presumptions! This could lead to conflict (not all of which is bad), but we don't want radical divisions and separations to arise among our members.
Keeping in mind this desire for a healthy unity, I would like to offer encouragement in a couple of areas.
First - Be kind. I don't think I can emphasize this enough. Patience and tolerance offered to others goes a long way in helping to bring people together. On a related note, accusation and a lack of forgiveness can destroy a community. (I've seen it happen.) Remember - if you're putting up with others, they're likely putting up with you in some way!
Second - pray for your parishes. Include each of the three churches in Dewitt County in your daily prayers. We need to hold back the evil one, and we need to invite the Lord's Grace into our midst. That is especially brought about by the prayers you offer. I believe we can have a vibrant Catholic parish in this local area. (Sorry to use that overused word!) Let's begin well our time together and give the Lord a good space in which to do His work!
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The Most Holy Trinity
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Pentecost Sunday
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A letter to the parents who keep bringing
their disruptive kids to Mass, week after week
by Anna O'Neil | Jul 21, 2018
Christ had something pretty important to say about people like us.
Dear exhausted, discouraged parents,
So your kids are just terrible in Mass. Chaotic, disobedient, and disruptive, week after week. It’s like a big old spotlight is shining on you the whole time, you and your apparently sub-par parenting.
I’m right there with you. I’ve started to dread Sundays. I mean, we’ve tried everything. Going to the early Mass, going to the evening Mass, Mass books, whispered explanations, whispered threats, sitting in the front, sitting in the back, marching straight to the cry room … and maybe a few of the tricks have helped, but the bottom line is that we’re not getting out of that building without somebody screaming, making a mad dash for the altar, or God knows what.
But in spite of it all, every week, I and my loud, chaotic family are going to be there (in the back!) wiggling around and distracting everyone, and subjecting ourselves to the judgment of a large number of people who might not understand how hard it actually is to teach a toddler to sit quietly for 45 minutes. It looks insane. Still, we button up our wrinkled Sunday clothes anyway, and get our bodies under that roof, just like Mother Church asks us to.
I want you to know that if this is you too, that’s okay. It’s better than okay. Christ had something pretty important to say about people like us: When [Jesus] looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” (Luke 21:
1-4)
Isn’t this exactly what we are doing? We are giving it literally all we’ve got, in obeying the Church’s request to make it to Sunday Mass. (Sheer embarrassment, unfortunately, isn’t a good enough reason to stay home.) To the outside world, it looks like we’ve done the bare minimum. We’ve gotten into the building, sure, but are we concentrating? Are we having a spiritual experience? Did we even hear a word of the Gospel, for heaven’s sake? It doesn’t look like much. We are the only ones who know how much we are really giving. But Christ knows, too.
Just like the woman’s two small coins into the collection box look like nothing in comparison with the rich man’s gigantic bag of gold, our contribution looks so small a person might wonder why we even bother. Why even come to Mass, if you’re just going to spend the whole time doing toddler damage control? But Christ is there to remind us that he doesn’t see what the rest of the world sees.
Pretty often, I leave Mass feeling like the whole thing was a bust. I didn’t even manage to follow along, and I left so fast I forgot to genuflect. What kind of a Catholic am I? If that’s how you feel too, don’t forget - having little kids, or kids with special needs, or whatever situation you’re in that makes it impossible to kneel quietly and listen carefully, this is a unique kind of poverty. And we, in our poverty, really do give all we have, just by doing our best. Even if our best is just showing up.
So don’t stop. And please don’t worry too much about how your family looks. Even if it never gets easier, keep doing what you are doing, and know that even when the world doesn’t, God sees how valuable your sacrifice is.
... article at aleteia.org
their disruptive kids to Mass, week after week
by Anna O'Neil | Jul 21, 2018
Christ had something pretty important to say about people like us.
Dear exhausted, discouraged parents,
So your kids are just terrible in Mass. Chaotic, disobedient, and disruptive, week after week. It’s like a big old spotlight is shining on you the whole time, you and your apparently sub-par parenting.
I’m right there with you. I’ve started to dread Sundays. I mean, we’ve tried everything. Going to the early Mass, going to the evening Mass, Mass books, whispered explanations, whispered threats, sitting in the front, sitting in the back, marching straight to the cry room … and maybe a few of the tricks have helped, but the bottom line is that we’re not getting out of that building without somebody screaming, making a mad dash for the altar, or God knows what.
But in spite of it all, every week, I and my loud, chaotic family are going to be there (in the back!) wiggling around and distracting everyone, and subjecting ourselves to the judgment of a large number of people who might not understand how hard it actually is to teach a toddler to sit quietly for 45 minutes. It looks insane. Still, we button up our wrinkled Sunday clothes anyway, and get our bodies under that roof, just like Mother Church asks us to.
I want you to know that if this is you too, that’s okay. It’s better than okay. Christ had something pretty important to say about people like us: When [Jesus] looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” (Luke 21:
1-4)
Isn’t this exactly what we are doing? We are giving it literally all we’ve got, in obeying the Church’s request to make it to Sunday Mass. (Sheer embarrassment, unfortunately, isn’t a good enough reason to stay home.) To the outside world, it looks like we’ve done the bare minimum. We’ve gotten into the building, sure, but are we concentrating? Are we having a spiritual experience? Did we even hear a word of the Gospel, for heaven’s sake? It doesn’t look like much. We are the only ones who know how much we are really giving. But Christ knows, too.
Just like the woman’s two small coins into the collection box look like nothing in comparison with the rich man’s gigantic bag of gold, our contribution looks so small a person might wonder why we even bother. Why even come to Mass, if you’re just going to spend the whole time doing toddler damage control? But Christ is there to remind us that he doesn’t see what the rest of the world sees.
Pretty often, I leave Mass feeling like the whole thing was a bust. I didn’t even manage to follow along, and I left so fast I forgot to genuflect. What kind of a Catholic am I? If that’s how you feel too, don’t forget - having little kids, or kids with special needs, or whatever situation you’re in that makes it impossible to kneel quietly and listen carefully, this is a unique kind of poverty. And we, in our poverty, really do give all we have, just by doing our best. Even if our best is just showing up.
So don’t stop. And please don’t worry too much about how your family looks. Even if it never gets easier, keep doing what you are doing, and know that even when the world doesn’t, God sees how valuable your sacrifice is.
... article at aleteia.org