Fax Number: Fr. Jeremy Kucera Cell#: Monday-Thurs.: 8 am noon; 1-3:30 pm Cyndi Stifter: Fridays: 8 am - noon

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1 8 th Sunday in Ordinary Time February 26, 2017 St. Isidore the Farmer Area Faith Community St. Francis, St. Bridget, St. Malachy, Sacred Heart, Visitation Oratory, St. John Fr. Jeremy Kucera, Pastor Cyndi Stifter, Faith Formation Director AFC Office: th Street North, Benson, MN Murdock Office: ; kitchen Website: Mondays 8:30 am Noon Appleton Office: ; AFC Office Number: Monday-Friday 10:30 am 1:30 pm Fax Number: Fr. Jeremy Kucera Cell#: AFC Office Hours: Monday-Thurs.: 8 am noon; 1-3:30 pm Cyndi Stifter: Fridays: 8 am - noon cstifter@embarqmail.com LITURGY SCHEDULE Tuesday, February 28 8:30 am BENSON w/ Holy Hour & Confessions + Audrey Arneson 4:00 pm DANVERS ++ Jim & Peter Polingo Ash Wednesday, March 1 8:30 am MURDOCK + Katie Diederich 5:00 pm APPLETON + Marie (Mickey) Zinda 7:00 pm BENSON + Jim Ascheman Thursday, March 2 8:30 am MURDOCK + Odelia Gengler Friday, March 3 10:00 am APPLETON NURSING HOME + Mary Bartolo Weekend Masses Saturday, March 4 4:00 pm MURDOCK + Penny Bass Pangrac 6:00 pm BENSON + Ray Scheffler Sunday, March 5 8:30 am BENSON + Daniel Buerskin 10:30 am APPLETON For the People Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays 3:00 pm Murdock * Marriage Preparation: Please contact AFC Office at least six months ahead of time to plan and prepare for your wedding. If one party has been previously married, the wedding cannot move forward unless an annulment has been granted by the Catholic Church. * Baptism Preparation: Please call Fr. Jeremy Kucera at * RCIA: Anyone interested in joining the Catholic Church please call the Area at Office for fall registration. * Registration/Moving: To register in a parish or if moving, call the AFC Office at or Murdock office at or St. John s at Catholic Charities - offering personal, marriage, family and pregnancy counseling *PASTORAL CARE* If any parishioner or family member is in need of a pastoral care visit and Holy Communion, please call the parish office. Today s privacy laws do not permit hospitals to contact churches when a patient is in need of a pastoral visit. We are made aware of it only when the individual or their friends and family contact us. We are also not always aware of parishioners that are homebound and would desire a pastoral visit.

2 DAILY SCHEDULE The Vocation View The Lord cannot forget us. The Lord does not forsake us. Pray for the men and women in our parish who are being called to priesthood or religious life. (Isaiah 49:14-15) Sunday, February 26 Tuesday, February 28 Wednesday, March 1 Friday, March 3 Saturday, March 4 Sunday, March 5 The Holy Rosary will be prayed ½ hour before Masses in Benson & Murdock 9:30 am Sunday School in Benson for 3-5 year olds 11 th Grade Confirmation Retreat following Mass in Appleton 9-10 am Holy Hour and Confessions in Benson 7:30 pm Knights of Columbus meeting at St. Francis Gathering Space 2:30 pm Rosary in Benson that our hearts may be open to the Holy Spirit who lives in us Soup Supper to follow 5 pm Ash Wednesday Mass in Appleton Faith Formation no class this evening, attend Mass 8:00 pm Teen Talk in Benson First Friday Visits 6 pm Stations of the Cross in Benson and Appleton The Holy Rosary will be prayed ½ hour before Masses in Murdock & Benson 3 pm Sacred Heart Choir practice in the church basement. Sing at 4 pm Mass The Holy Rosary will be prayed ½ hour before Masses in Benson & Appleton 9:30 am Sunday School in Benson for 3-5 year olds APPLETON ~ Benefit Brunch, Sunday, February 26 th from 8:00 am 1:00 pm at Appleton VFW. Serving Omelets, Hash browns, Toast & Beverage. Benefit for Holloway First Responders. Swedish Meatball Supper at St. Joseph s Catholic Church in Montevideo on Tuesday, February 28 th from 4:30 7 pm. Take-outs, deliveries available by calling by 4 pm that day. Proceeds benefit The Faith Formation Program & Youth Mission Trips. Sponsored by: Catholic United Financial. Catholic United Financial is introducing a new program at St. Francis. Look for the MinisTREE in the Gathering space on Ash Wednesday, March 1st. MinisTREE is designed to help identify and meet some of the volunteer needs at St. Francis. Volunteer service opportunities will be recorded on MinisTREE activity cards. By participating in this program, you are helping our parish meet critical unmet needs and St. Francis can earn up to $400 per year. Just volunteer and we make money!! Once you complete the volunteer activity, sign the card and drop in the collection basket at Mass or take it to the parish office. Please contact Rosie Hoffman at or Rose Anne Bowe at , if you have further questions. ENCOUNTER LENT Join our faith community and nearly 14,000 Catholic communities across the United States in a lifechanging Lenten journey of encounter with CRS (Catholic Relief Services) Rice Bowl. Pick up your family s Rice Bowl and don t forget to download the CRS Rice Bowl app! May these 40 days better prepare us to encounter ourselves, our neighbors and our God. ST. JOHN S ~ Ash Wednesday Mass with Blessed Ashes, March 1 st at 5:00 pm. Please join us for Soup & Sandwiches following Mass on Ash Wednesday. Free Will Offering. The profit will be donated to the Foundation for Saving Sight San Lucas Mission. Menu: broccoli cheese soup, vegetable soup, apple sauce and egg salad sandwiches. Sponsored by Catholic United Financial St. Paul Council #377. Stations of the Cross St. John will have Stations of the Cross every Friday evening at 6 pm during Lent St. Francis will have Stations of the Cross Friday evenings, except March 24 Fish Fry at the DeGraff Liquor Store on Friday, March 3 rd from 4:30-8 pm. Adults $9/Kids 12 & under $5. There will also be meat raffles and take-outs will be available. Sponsored by the DeGraff Fire Department.

3 Lenten Regulations Fasting Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting means to eat only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one s needs, but they should not equal another full meal. Abstinence Catholics over the age of 14 are to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent. Abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, milk products or condiments made of animal fat. SACRED HEART CHOIR: We will have choir at Sacred Heart on Saturday, March 4. Practice in the church basement at 3:00 and Mass time is 4:00. Anyone can come join us! Please put it on your calendar! Next week, we will take up the 134 th annual National Black and Indian Mission Collection. Our support of this collection helps build the Church in African American, Native American, and Alaska Native communities from coast to coast. Schools, parish religious education programs and diocesan ministries depend on your generosity to help them spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Ladies Luncheon Retreat An Attitude of Gratitude Sister Mary Weidner, OSB, Spiritual Center Director of St. Benedict s Monastery in St. Joseph, MN will conduct the retreat on Saturday, March 4 th at St. Mary s in Willmar. The day begins with Rosary at 8;40 am, followed by Mass, coffee, rolls and fellowship. Retreat begins at 10 am. We will be finished by 2 pm. Cost for speaker & lunch is $17. Please RSVO early to Anne Lankey at or Mary Mootz at or marylmoo52@yahoo.com. All women are invited. Sponsored by the Daughters of Isabella. In the Heart of Mary Lenten Retreat March 4 from 9 am 3 pm at Our Lady of Good Counsel, 170 Good Counsel Drive, Mankato, MN. This is a retreat day for single women ages with Sister Janet Mallak, SSND. For more information or to download a flyer, please visit RSVP by February 27, to S. Stephanie Spandl at sspandl@ssnd.org or The men of East Zion Lutheran Church, rural Starbuck, MN will hold their annual Klub Supper and Silent Auction on Saturday, March 4, 2017, serving from 4:00-7:00 p.m. The menu includes: Light and Dark Klub, Side Pork or Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Bread, Applesauce, and Beverage. The cost is $10.00 for adults; $5.00 ages 5-12; and under age 5 free. Take outs are available. There will be lots of wonderful items on the silent auction. You will want to check it out! Our church is handicap accessible. We hope to see you there! Minnesota Food Share March Campaign End Hunger The March Food Drive Campaign is just around the corner. Often people assume that families want to continually use the food shelf. Contrary to the perception, a vast majority of the usage comes from families that have a person in the household working. A total of 1,247 individuals used the food shelf this past year with some of those individuals using it monthly. The food shelf distributed 90,635 pounds of food in Every person that we serve lives in Swift County. Items needed: canned vegetables, fruit and chicken, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, mashed potatoes, pancake mix, chili, soup, syrup, cereal, beans, oatmeal, mustard, ketchup, tuna, juice, pasta, jelly, mac & cheese, toilet paper, deodorant, toothpaste, paper towels, shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes. Cash donations are accepted and can be sent to PO Box 321, Benson, MN Various opportunities will be available for almsgiving during Lent through contributions to the second collections on the six weekends of this preparation time. The proceeds from each weekend s second collection in each St. Isidore the Farmer AFC church will be designated for the following causes: March 4/5 Sisters of Mary Morningstar March 11/12 Mercy Fund (respond to individual smaller, one-time, financial needs not covered by public programs; administered by AFC pastor and office staff) March 18/19 Swift County Food Shelf March 25/26 Teen Talk Retreat (defray costs of Teen Talk weekend retreat at the Broom Tree Retreat Center) April 1/2 Mercy Fund April 8/9 Seminarians (help cover some of their education expenses)

4 APPLETON ~ MISSION OF LOVE VALENTINES provides corn, rice, beans and school supplies for the families in need in our San Lucas Mission in Guatemala. Valentines are available on the table in the Gathering Space. Please sign a valentine, add a contribution of $2.00 or more and drop it in the Valentine Box. The valentines and small bags of food are distributed to children, widowed, and handicapped in the San Lucas Toliman parish. St. John s Mission of Love Project is sponsored by Catholic United Financial St. Paul Council #377. Donations will be accepted through Sunday, March 5 th Sacred Heart CCW will meet at 7:00 pm. on Monday, March 6. We will be discussing possible restructuring of groups as well as plans for officers. Please try to attend if you have opinions/suggestions about these topics. Catholics at the Capitol - Protect Life & Human Dignity, Thursday, March 9, 2017, Saint Paul, Minnesota Our state faces real challenges. Assisted suicide threatens the vulnerable. Underprivileged kids are stuck in failing schools. And too many families are trapped in poverty. Christ asks us to boldly step into the public square to protect life and human dignity. Will you answer the call? Join Minnesota s bishops, dynamic Church leaders, and 1,000+ Catholics from across the state for Catholics at the Capitol, a day of inspiration and advocacy at our State Capitol. Be INSPIRED by dynamic Church leaders and the power of prayer Be INFORMED about the critical issues impacting life and human dignity in Minnesota Be EQUIPPED to effectively engage your elected officials Legislators pay attention to their constituents. We WILL influence what they do. This is our moment. Let s go! Learn more and register at CatholicsAtTheCapitol.org or call Upcoming Catholic Voice Counts awareness meetings in the Diocese of New Ulm: February 19, 2017 Cathedral, New Ulm following 10 am Mass February 26, 2017 St. Anastasia, Hutchinson following 10:30 am Mass These meetings will be brief informational meetings after Mass to hand out materials, answer questions, and encourage Catholics to participate in the Catholics at the Capitol event. Coffee and donuts will be served. Religious Jewelry Sales at each Mass March 4/5 & March 11/12 It is our privilege to offer you an opportunity to purchase beautiful imported hand-made Italian, Mexican, and Bethlehem olive wood rosaries, as well as a large variety of Catholic medals, crucifix necklaces, bracelets and other faith inspired necklaces. An assortment of First Holy Communion, Confirmation and RCIA gift items will be included. Your purchase of these quality items supports our parish youth activities and programs. Our fundraiser offers a way for you to show your support of our youth and share your faith! Thank you for your support! The Swift County Chapter of MCCL (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life) will be meeting on Monday, March 13th at 6 pm. Location will be at St. Mark's fellowship area. We encourage new members and all interested in the sanctity of human life. We look forward to seeing you there. Life is Good! End of Life Issues from a Catholic Perspective Sponsored by Catholic United Financial You have three opportunities to attend a compassionate and timely Adult Education seminar about End of Life Planning from a Catholic Perspective. Typical questions about end of life issues: Must medical treatment always be continued? Are Catholics allowed to have Living Wills? What is Church teaching about Death with Dignity? How do I make my Catholic health care directive? Fr. Jeremy Kucera will address these questions and others during seminars on March 16 and April 4, and will provide steps for putting together a valid Catholic Health Care Directive. Speaker John Tetzloff, Advanced Case Specialist for Catholic United Financial, will also be on hand to speak about the financial aspects of end of life decisions, including final expenses, estate plans, charitable giving, power of attorney and more. Nothing will be sold at this seminar. Speakers and topics are presented for educational purposes only. Dates and Times are: March 16, 12 pm at St. John s in Appleton; March 16, 6 pm at St. Francis in Benson; April 4, 6 pm at Sacred Heart in Murdock. Contact local Representative Brian Zitzmann for more details: bzitzmann@catholicunited.org or call

5 POTLUCK SUPPER AND BUNCO PARTY MARCH 18 FOR EVERYONE What: Potluck Supper followed by Bunco Party and Refreshments When: After 4 p.m. Mass, Saturday, March 18 Where: Sacred Heart Church Parlors Who: Everyone including teens and tweens in St. Isidore Area Faith Community Why: To enjoy food (encouraged to bring a dish to share) and fun, laugh with others, meet new people, socialize If you have never played Bunco, please come it is very easy to learn and fun for all. Those who would rather come and sit around and visit, please do! Children are welcome to play Bunco or play in the Youth Room, whichever works for them. ~ Sponsored by Sacred Heart Council Catholic United Financial St. Francis will host a Mulligan Stew and Bunco on Sunday, March 19 th from 11 am 1 pm at the St. Malachy Hall in Clontarf. Everyone is invited for food, fun and fellowship! Bishop Lucker Lecture Thursday, March 23, 2017, 7 pm at the Church of St. Catherine in Redwood Falls. Featured speaker will be Helen Alvare, Professor of Law at George Mason University of Law and former director of the USCCB s Pro-Life Activities, and current consultant to the USCCB. The theme will be Rise of Sexual Expressionism in the Law and the Decline of the Vulnerable. In the past 50 years especially, the federal government in all its branches has valorized adult sexual expression divorced from children and indifferent to marriage. While this undermines the wellbeing of all Americans, it strikes women, children, and the poor most dramatically because of their different opportunities, preferences, and constraints. How did this happen and what can we do about it? Following the Bishop Lucker Lecture will be the presentation of the Diocesan Distinguished Service Awards for A social will conclude the evening. This event is free and open to the public. Internationally acclaimed choral group, The Rose Ensemble, is pleased to present Musique et Masqueray on Friday, March 24 at 7:30 pm in the beautiful Saint Francis Catholic Church, Benson. Honoring of the life and legacy of Emmanuel Masqueray ( ), the famed French architect who designed Saint Francis church as well as the Cathedral of Saint Paul and Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, this concert of 17 th - and 18 th -century Lenten choral music from France features twelve singers and three guest musicians performing on Baroque instruments such as the theorbo and viola da gamba. In addition to the concert performance, there will be a pre-concert talk on the history and architecture of the church at 6:25 pm by Professor Alan Lathrop of the University of Minnesota. All parishioners of St. Isidore the Farmer AFC will receive a $5 discount on tickets to the concert by using the code BENSON2017 online at RoseEnsemble.org or over the phone at Please visit our website for more information. ST. JOHN S ~ EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS AND LECTORS... More volunteers are needed for Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors. PLEASE VOLUNTEER... You can sign up for both ministries. There are sign - up sheets on the table in the Gathering Space. Show your spouse how much you appreciate them with some quality time together. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend makes a great gift for any special occasion. The next available Weekends are Apr 21-23, 2017 in Hutchinson, MN and Nov 17-19, 2017 in Windom, MN. Early registration is highly recommended. For more information visit our website at: southmnwwme.org or contact Miki at applications@southmnwwme.org or Our Area Faith Community has purchased a great new on-line resource for all our members. There will be more information in the weeks and months to come. We hope you find this resource helpful in your faith journey and in sharing your faith with others. The website is Formed.org and the parish code is: N6W22K. Please go to the website to set up your own personal account and please share this with your family and friends.

6 APPLETON NEW CHURCH TABLES... DONATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED to help pay for twenty (20) new tables for our church basement. The new tables will be a high quality, light weight, 60 inch round table that will seat eight (8) people. The new tables will replace the old heavy tables. Please write check to St. John s Church. Put the DONATION IN AN ENVELOPE MARKED TABLES and drop the envelope in the collection or bring to the church office. The old tables can be purchased at a later date. Last week, Ann Cofell, the director for Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid in Willmar (and serving immigrants in Catholic Charities outreach offices in Marshall and Montevideo) presented information to clergy, diocesan and parish staff and people from the community immediately affected by directives of the President, Homeland Security and related regional and local law enforcement agencies. She also shared very timely information related to the January 26 Executive order on what to do or what to expect if a legal summons, a home visit, or other legal concerns are immediately at hand. The most current and comprehensive materials are found at the following Web site: immigrationproject.org/tools.html. Specifically click on Know Your Rights. Mid Minnesota Legal Aid has provided immigration legal services in partnership with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of New Ulm since Their contact information ( ) is also referenced in the brochure with anyone inquiring about immigration assistance. They can be encouraged to immediately contact Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid or call Tom Keaveny at Catholic Charities ( , ext. 339). If you wish to make a donation to help defray the costs of these legal services, access the diocesan Web page information on how to make a donation to Catholic Charities. Winning Number: 9101 Reminder: MyEoffering is available for St. Francis Parishioners. This allows you to give electronically, much the same way you already pay bills and make other purchases on-line. Just go to and click on the myeoffering logo. You can create your account and set up your donation schedule to match your pay periods. This service allows you to set your own donation interval weekly, monthly or whatever you choose. Even one-time donations. Check it out. SYMPATHY We offer our sympathy to the family and friends of Winnie O Leary who passed away on February 18 th. Winnie s funeral Mass was held on Tuesday, February 21 st at Visitation Church in Danvers. We offer our sympathy to the family and friends of Anna Mae Hawley who passed away on February 18 th. Anna Mae s funeral Mass was held on Friday, February 24 th at St. Francis in Benson We offer our sympathy to the family and friends of Roger Schlueter who passed away on February 20 th. Roger s funeral Mass was held on Saturday, February 25 th at St. Bridget in DeGraff. May Winnie, Anna Mae and Roger rest in peace and may their memory be a strength and consolation to all of their loved ones.

7 Reflections for the weekly readings are part of this bulletin. This publication is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council #2129. OUR WEEKLY OFFERING St. Francis - Benson Sacred Heart - Murdock Adult $1, Adult $ Student $37.00 Student $96.80 Loose Plate $ Loose Plate $ Dioc. United Fund $30.00 Votive Lights $30.03 Danvers Oratory $50.00 Parish Cemetery $35.00 Total $ Gathering Space Flooring $ St. John - Appleton Total $2, Adult $4, Loose Plate $ Votive $37.00 St. Bridget & St. Malachy collection Stole Fees - Memorial Gift $ figures will appear in next Altar Society - Scholarships $ week's bulletin. Roof Fund $ Designated Gifts - Tables $ Total $5, Please take note of and support the sponsors of our Area Faith Community bulletin. We will be giving away gift cards that have been donated by these sponsors. Within the content of the bulletin will be hidden one Adult contribution Envelope number. If that is your number, please call the Area Office at to claim your prize for that week. You will have until 9 am Thursday morning following that Sunday s bulletin to claim your prize. If you are out of town any given weekend, you can look at our bulletin on-line at stisidorethefarmerafc.org.

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