Ascension. February 25, SOUTH 3RD STREET BISMARCK, ND C H U R C H O F T H E

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1 As a people of God, of Ascension Catholic Parish, we are united by Baptism and committed to meeting the needs of our faith community. In union with the whole Church, we will build the Kingdom of God by proclaiming the Good News, worshipping God, creating community, and promoting social justice. Ascension C H U R C H O F T H E 1825 SOUTH 3RD STREET BISMARCK, ND February 25, 2018 Parish Office Phone... (701) Hours (Mon.-Fri.)... 8:30 am-4:00 pm Education Office Fax ascension@midconetwork.com Web... ascensionbismarck.org Pastoral Staff Rev. Msgr. Jim Braaten...Pastor Ray Grabar Deacon Tony Finneman Deacon Doyle Schulz Deacon Beth Kathol... Parish Business Manager Kathy Lewis... Music & Liturgy Jan Sitter...Bookkeeper Julie Luger & Rita Ritter... Secretaries Bob Urlacher. Maintenance Eucharistic Liturgies Saturday... 5:00 pm Sunday... 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am Weekdays (Mon.-Fri.)... 8:00 am Holy Days... 8:00 am & 7:00 pm Sacraments Reconciliation Tuesday-Friday... Before 8:00 am Mass Saturday... 3:30-4:30 pm Baptisms Please call the Parish Office to schedule. If possible, contact the office three months prior to the due date. Marriage Arrangements are to be made with the Pastor at least nine months prior to the wedding. Newcomers Welcome to the Parish! Contact the Parish Office to register.

2 ParishNews LENTEN REGULATIONS Fasting & Abstinence: Catholics aged 14 and older abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays of Lent. In addition, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Catholics from ages fast, limiting themselves to one full meal and two smaller meals each day. Prayer: Catholics are encouraged to pray more during Lent, especially with scripture. Lent is also an ideal time to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for the celebration of Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection. Almsgiving: Moved by the sacrifice of Christ, many Christians combine almsgiving with fasting, giving the poor the money they saved by eating, drinking or buying less as they rely more upon God's abundant grace AFRICAN MISSION APPEAL Our Generous Love Brings Great Hope is the theme for the 29th Annual African Mission Appeal, which begins next weekend in every parish in the Diocese of Bismarck. Your gift will help support the work of our Mission Team as they minister on our behalf to our brothers and sisters in Kisii, Kenya, East Africa. Included in the bulletin are the African Mission Appeal brochure and envelope. Please prayerfully consider a generous gift to the appeal. You may return your envelope to the parish next weekend. You are invited to read the exciting articles in our Kenya Connection newsletter which is found inside the Dakota Catholic Action newspaper. It contains interesting news and pictures of our mission in action. You are also encouraged to follow our missionary in action at If you are interested in serving as a member of the Diocesan Mission Team or would like more information, please write to Chuck Reichert, Diocese of Bismarck, PO Box 1137, Bismarck ND FaithFormationNews Know your Faith Trivia Question of the Week Answer to last week s question: What snack originated during Lent because it contains only flour, water, and salt? Pretzels Look for the answer to the following question in next week s bulletin: Question: How many Stations of the Cross are there? A. 7 B. 14 C. 10 D. 22 ST. ISIDORE S CORNER App of the Week: Whispering Light - Experience an app that can have an eternal impact on your soul. Pray the Rosary, The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, ask for prayers, pray for others, be inspired and learn the teachings of the faith by listening to LIVE Catholic Radio programming. Keep up on what Pope Francis is doing. All of this and more can be in the palm of your hands in the Whispering Light App. BEST LENT EVER Don t give up chocolate for Lent; do something that will bring you closer to Jesus. Sign up for daily Lenten Reflections, and consider participating in our parish Lenten Read Perfectly Yourself, available in the gathering space. FAITH FORMATION GRILL-OUT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28/4:45 TO 6:45 PM IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM All Faith Formation families and parishioners are invited to have supper together here at Ascension before or after their child s Faith Formation class. This meal is generously provided by our Knights of Columbus council and is a free-will offering. Leave the cooking to us and come enjoy a family meal together! They are serving spaghetti! AdultFaithFormationNews This week we will be learning about St. Therese who is known as the greatest saint of modern times. Her simplicity, humility, and compete trust in God will inspire us to grow in holiness as we go through our Lenten journey. This movie will be played twice, once this Wednesday, February 28th from 9:00 to 10:00 am and again Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Please come!

3 STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE Ascension Church offers the following two opportunities to financially support our church: 1) Electronic Fund Transfer Sign an Agreement for Pre-Authorized Payments on which you provide your bank account number and choose an option to have funds withdrawn on either the 5th or 20th of each month or both. (This form is available on our website.) 2) Online Giving Go to click on the Online Giving link and select a one-time payment or recurring payments. Funds will be transferred from your bank account, debit, or credit card. If you still want to place something in the offertory basket, just pick up one of the I Gave Online cards on your way into church and use that at offertory time or write EFT or Online on your weekly envelope. Thank you for your stewardship of treasure! ULTRASOUND INITIATIVE The Ascension Knights of Columbus Council is assisting our local FirstChoice Clinic to raise the funds necessary to purchase new 3D/4D ultrasound equipment that will enable expectant mothers to see and hear their babies in utero and to recognize the miracle of new life. If you would like to help with this initiative, tax-deductible contributions can be made to Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative and sent to Mike Luger (Financial Secretary Council 7602) 1830 S 3rd St, Bismarck ND Thank you! CIRCLE OF FRIENDS We are a group of women from Ascension Parish who have experienced the loss of loved ones. Our next luncheon will be at 11:30 am on Thursday, March 1st at the Bismarck Elks Club. If you are planning to attend, please call Lil at or or Linda at STATIONS OF THE CROSS Fridays During Lent 5:30 pm FIRST FRIDAY FELLOWSHIP First Friday Fellowship will be held on Friday, March 2nd in the Community Room after the 8:00 am Mass. What a wonderful opportunity to visit with your fellow parishioners and enjoy coffee and pastries. Hope to see you there! KC COUNCIL #7602 FISH FRY Fridays During Lent 5-7 pm Ascension Education Building $9.00 Adults, $ and under, Family Meal of $30 This Friday, fried Alaskan cod, baked potato, mac-n-cheese, corn, salad, and dessert Serving the Assembly March 3rd & 4th: Third Sunday of Lent 5:00 PM 8:00 AM 9:30 AM 11:00 AM Count Offering Team #1 Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion Daniel Cahoon Plate Hannah Cahoon Plate Bonnie Sanders Plate** Mary Fornshell Plate** Greg Klein Plate John Bitz Plate Mark Weigel Plate** Pete Baumgartner Plate** Doug Mormann Plate Susan Mormann Plate Deb Schon Plate Sharon Malm Plate** Josh Hager Plate** Catherine Erickson Plate Bobbie Grassel Plate Sue Mock Plate** Shirley Schafer Plate** Hospitality Bernie Ficek Joletta Kern Patti Wangler Al Wangler Jeff Engleson Lori Engleson Brian Schumacher Greg Power Alex Schon Joe Schon Troy Schon VOLUNTEER Lina Gaab Elsie Seeberg Steve Berg Genny Berg Lector Lisa Atkinson Greg Klein Cathy Hruby Bev Charles Altar Server Katrice Kern Jett Warren Milla Weigel Cooper Weidner Tevyn Friedt Trey Haberlock Erica Haberlock Video/Audio Operator Michael Kern Leona Kuntz Mark Malm Nancy Hoselton

4 John W. Bitz, Mildred Schall, Marjorie Bitz, Jerry Feist, Larry Sackman, Don Hopfauf, Tim Heidt, Erna Jacobchick, Michelle Niska, Viola Bitz, Bill Feist, Jolene Klein, Richelle Knudson, Daryl Wanner, Mary Shaffer Prayer Line Call the Parish Office at or Pauline Mueller at The Prayer Line is a group of parishioners who pray for requested intentions. The names of those requests and/or the intentions are not made public. Names of people listed in the bulletin have given permission to use their name. TimeTalent&Treasure The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) posts notes regarding all the Books of the Bible. In its introduction to Paul s Letter to the Romans (our Second Reading), the USCCB says, Of all the letters of Paul, that to the Christians at Rome has long held pride of place. It is the longest and most systematic unfolding of the apostle s thought, expounding the gospel of God s righteousness that saves all who believe; it reflects a universal outlook. Paul s Letter to the Romans is in fact the longest of his letters in the New Testament (Romans is more than 7,000 words; that is much shorter, of course, than the shortest Gospel, Mark, which is still more than 11,000 words.) However, as stated by the Bishops, the Letter to the Romans explained in a more detailed way Paul s theology and spirituality than any other letter. Regardless the length, today s reading contains a statement with which many of us are familiar, but which has great meaning: If God is for us, who can be against us? The significance of that is that if we are on the side of righteousness, which should be a major goal of our Lenten experience, there should be nothing to threaten us. We understand that we will be judged. Paul s point is if we are judged not guilty by God, who can bring an additional charge with any merit? Or, if Jesus is our advocate, promoting our benefit, then who can condemn us? This is the time to place our trust in God, and in His love. FINANCIAL BLESSINGS WEEK COLLECTIONS BUDGET February 18, 2018 Fiscal Year to Date $12, $13, $469, $442, ParishCalendar Monday, February 26 8:00 am Communion Service Tuesday, February 27 8:00 am Reinhold Kellar by Jeanie Kellar Wednesday, February 28 8:00 am Elizabeth Wald by Mike & Julie Luger Thursday, March 1 8:00 am Clarence and Pauline Schmitz by Ben & Jan Sitter Friday, March 2 8:00 am Bishop Kagan s Intentions by Keven & Kristi Wanner Saturday, March 3 5:00 pm Sr. Mary Elsa Bren by Irene Howard Sunday, March 4 8:00 am Leo Keller by Pat Gefre 9:30 am Elizabeth Wald by Leo & Bernie Vetter 11:00 am People of the Parish Weekly Schedule Monday, February 26 8:30 am Eucharistic Adoration Tuesday, February 27 7:00 pm Stewardship Committee Meeting Wednesday February 28 4, 5:30, 7 pm Faith Formation Classes 4:45-6:45 pm Faith Formation Grill-out/Spaghetti Thursday March 1 11:30 am Circle of Friends at the Elks Friday March 2 8:30 am First Friday Fellowship/Community 5:00-7:00 pm KC Fish Fry 5:30 pm Stations of the Cross Readings for the Week of February 25th Sunday: Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18/Ps 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19/Rom 8:31b-34/Mk 9:2-10 Monday: Dn 9:4b-10/Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13/Lk 6:36-38 Tuesday: Is 1:10, 16-20/Ps 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23/ Mt 23:1-12 Wednesday: Jer 18:18-20/Ps 31:5-6, 14, 15-16/Mt 20:17-28 Thursday: Jer 17:5-10/Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6/Lk 16:19-31 Friday: Gn 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a/Ps 105:16-17, 18-19, 20-21/Mt 21:33-43, Saturday: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20/Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12/ Lk 15:1-3, Sunday: Ex 20:1-17, 7-8, 12-17/Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11/ 1 Cor 1:22-25/Jn 2:13-25 Question of the Week Adult: How deeply do you believe that since God is for you, no one can destroy you? Youth: What would you like to ask God to do for you and your family?

5 ST. GIANNA MATERNITY HOME BENEFIT BREAKFAST A benefit breakfast for the St. Gianna Maternity Home will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, in the cafeteria at St. Mary s Central High School. Pancakes, eggs, and sausage will be served from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The breakfast is hosted by the Saints for Life and Leo Lions, and free will donations will be accepted. Checks may be made out to the St. Gianna Home. Please come and help us support the ministry of the St. Gianna Home. For more information, visit CommunityNews&Events SOUP KITCHEN LENTEN LUNCHEONS For the past several years, Spirit of Life Catholic Church in Mandan has offered a series of Lenten Luncheon talks in conjunction with our Thursday Soup Kitchen. Please join us during Lent over your Thursday lunch hour for soup, sandwiches, and an opportunity to deepen your relationship with Christ as we prepare for Easter. The speakers will be March 1st, Shelly Preszler; March 8th, Ray Morel; March 15th, Dominick Goettle; and March 22nd, Fr. Chris Kadrmas. Soup is served at 11:30 am and the speaker begins at 12:00 noon. Everyone is welcome to attend. Any questions, call or marijo@myspiritoflife.com. EASTER BASKETS OF HOPE Monetary donations are being accepted to benefit needy children of the St. Vincent depaul Society. 100% of the money donated will be used to purchase educational items to fill Easter baskets for children in need. Please prayerfully consider a monetary donation to help those less fortunate this Easter season. Donations will be accepted through March 18th. Checks made out to SVdP (with Baskets of Hope in the memo line) can be mailed to SVdP, 519 Raymond St, Bismarck ND If you have any questions or wish for your money to be picked up, please call Cindy Levi at RELICS OF ST. PIO COMING TO DIOCESE MARCH 12 Come and venerate the official relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina on the occasion of the 50th commemoration anniversary of his passing, Monday, March 12 at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The relics will be available for veneration from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. Morning Masses will take place at 6:45 am and 8:00 am, and Bishop Kagan will celebrate a 5:30 pm Mass in honor of Saint Pio. Confessions will be available from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm. Eucharistic Adoration will take place from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm in the Adoration chapel. The day will conclude with Night Prayer at 9:30 pm. The relics tour is sponsored by the Saint Pio Foundation. More information can be found at or Please call the Cathedral parish office at if you have questions. EVER WONDER LIVE-IN RETREAT The Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery invite single women who are interested in learning about religious life to an Ever Wonder? vocation live-in retreat on March 24th at 1:00 pm to 1:00 pm on March 25th. This unique opportunity allows women to participate in the monastic community life of the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery. There is no charge. For more info or to pre-register, call or text Sister Hannah Vanorny at or Sister Hannah at hvanorny@gmail.com. CODE OF PASTORAL CONDUCT The Catholic Church must be exemplary: clergy, staff, whether diocesan or parish, and volunteers are held accountable for their behavior. To enable the highest level of accountability, there must be a clear and unambiguous definition of appropriate behavior. To this end, this Code of Pastoral Conduct is defined for the Diocese of Bismarck and it provides a foundation for implementing effective and enforceable standards for all personnel. View the Code of Pastoral Conduct at PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN The Diocese of Bismarck is firmly committed to the health and protection of our children, young people and vulnerable adults. With the hope of healing the pain and suffering from sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, we encourage anyone who has suffered from this abuse to please come forward. To report allegations of sexual abuse, please contact Dale Eberle, Chancellor, Diocese of Bismarck, PO Box 1575, Bismarck ND Dale s phone number is or The complaint form and policies can be found on the diocesan website at