COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED NOVEMBER 2, 2014

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1 COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED NOVEMBER 2, Beaver Avenue Des Moines, IA Parish School

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3 SPIRITUALITY OF THE READINGS Reading I: Wisdom 3:1-9 Responsorial Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 Reading II: Romans 5:5-11 Gospel: John 6:37-40 A Fresh Surprise of Love Death is one of the toughest areas for spirituality, yet also the most wonderful. How can our beloved ones, so filled with the spark of life, so suddenly be gone from us? Afterlife? Let us face it, the culture of the Western world is filled with unbelief about afterlife. Some people say there is no such thing. As a popular song once put it, If that's is all there is, then let s keep dancing. And as the 19th century philosopher Nietzsche wrote, God is dead and we have killed him. In response, I quote a pungent cartoon from years ago that showed two pieces of paper, one of which said, God is dead, signed Nietzsche. The other said Nietzsche is dead, signed God. Here is a poem about life and death. The poet is Rabindranath Tagore, former poet laureate of India. This poem is #71 in his Crossing.** He was not a Catholic or a Christian. Yet what he wrote can awaken those of us who are. I remember my childhood when the sunrise, like my play-fellow, would burst in to my bedside with its daily surprise of morning; when the faith in the marvelous bloomed like fresh flowers in my heart every day, looking into the face of the world in simple gladness; when insects, birds and beasts, the common weeds, grass and the clouds had their fullest value of wonder; when the patter of rain at night brought dreams from the fairyland, and mother s voice in the evening gave meaning to the stars. And then I think of death, and the rise of the curtain and the new morning and my life awakened in its fresh surprise of love. I am always thrilled when I come to the last four lines. I expect the word death to mean cancellation of the beautiful, the marvelous, the meaning, the mothering that most of us reach for. This poet knew better. Love undergirds everything, even death. Listen to the priest s opening prayer this Sunday of All Souls. As our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened so may our hope for resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength. To put it another way, please tie life after death, our hope, tightly and irrevocably to the resurrection of Jesus. Every fresh surprise of love in our lives is Christgiven. Every one consists of fondness-enfleshed, like the patter of rain at night. If Christ was love enough to last through death, then let us adhere to that love, even as we suffer or die. It is within us, no matter how many losses we have. No matter how harsh the world may act, still, in the depth of each and every person, there dwells the source of life, the place of home where God resides. So, how can a friend or family member be filled with the spark of life and then have it suddenly go out? By being welcomed directly into the arms of God even as Jesus himself was when he died. God helps us to full, complete readiness for his arms, something we have traditionally called purgatory. It can be compared to loving parents helping their child to grow. To say it simply, life after death is nothing less and nothing more than love. And God is love. Fr. John Foley, S. J. of the Center for Liturgy Painting: Gustave Dore, Illustration of Divine Comedy, Canto XXXI, 1851 FAITH QUESTIONS? Question for Children: We show our love for Jesus by loving our friends and family. Share one way that you show your love. Question for Youth: Jesus tells us that we are to love others as we love ourselves. Do you love yourself? Can you see the good that God has put within you? Do you find it easier to love others or yourself? Question for Adults: Repeat the two commandments which Jesus teaches today in your own words? For each of them, share how it has become part of your life.

4 PARISH & DIOCESAN NOTES New Members Coffee & Donuts There will be a New Members Coffee & Donuts on Sunday, November 9th after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. If you are new to our Parish in the last year, join Father Michael & our Welcome Committee for fellowship, useful information, and refreshments. Bring any questions you may have about our Parish programs and activities. Look forward to seeing you there! Thank You HT for the Food Pantry Donations Thank you to Holy Trinity Parish for the October gift of $354 and 168 food items. The money and items were distributed to the Emergency Food Pantry, a network of 13 partner food pantry sites for which DMARC provides free and nutritious food. The next Food Pantry weekend is November Become a Stephen Minister Jesus told the Pharisees in Mathew 22:34-40 the second greatest commandment was: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. A way to follow this commandment is becoming a Stephen Minister. Stephen Ministers provide Christian care giving for people who are going through a life crisis. After complete training, you will be assigned a person and will begin a relationship that offers your care receiver a listening ear and prayer partner. You will find this to be a rewarding ministry both for the care receiver and for you. What better way can we offer a little gift of love to another person? A new class is forming soon. Contact Helen Roberts for additional information at , ext Understanding and Living Pope Francis Vision of Church: Building the Church of Mercy Tuesday, November 18, 6:30 8:00 pm St. Boniface Parish (Mary & Joseph Room), Waukee Come listen as SJEC Director Dr. Matthew Halbach answers the question: What does it mean to be church in my diocese, in my parish today? How we understand the reality of church guides and informs how we envision church to be and, ultimately, how we live as church. Details at sjeciowa.org or for more information Steve Dressel at sdressel@stbonifacechurch.org or call (515) Donations & Volunteers Needed The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's Des Moines Council is in need of furniture, clothing, household items and other donations to sell in its two thrift stores. Items donated to the Society generate funds that provide $10,000 in rent, utility and other financial assistance each month to those in need in greater Des Moines. Items may be dropped off at either 1426 Sixth Ave., or 109 SW 63rd St., Des Moines, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. St. Vincent de Paul is also in need of volunteers at both stores, its social services department and education center. There are many areas in which your talents can be put to great use, including the Society's upcoming Thanksgiving food basket preparation and distribution and its Operation Santa Claus campaign. To schedule a donation pick-up or to volunteer, please call Faithful Citizenship Visit to explore how you can love your neighbors by advocating as a faithful citizen on behalf of those who are poor and vulnerable. Make sure that you vote on Nov. 4th! Christ the King Craft Show Saturday, November 8th 9 am-5 pm Sunday, November 9th 8:30 am 1 pm Christ the King Catholic Church, 5711 SW 9th Street No Cover Charge, Handicap Accessible We have a variety of Crafters and Vendors! We will have a fabulous Bake Sale including Wanda s (Quanti s) Italian Cookies for sale. Free Raffle- just for visiting our vendors/crafters and completing your visitor punch card!!!! Quilt Raffle Handmade Queen Size Quilt, Tickets are 6 for $5.00 or $1.00 each. Basket Raffle Themed baskets include Iowa Hawkeyes, ISU, Gardening, Movies and More!! Food available both Saturday and Sunday!! For Crafter and Vendor information contact: Rita Holtz at

5 OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY Trunk or Treat fun! Thank you to everyone who attended Trunk or Treat last Sunday. Congratulations to the Kindergarten & First Grade teachers for winning the trunk decorating contest! Their Dr. Seuss-themed trunk was complete with music, costumes and truffala seeds. Pictured above are Lois Woodward (1st grade), Amelia Steffensmeier (Kindergarten) and Katelyn Boser (1st grade). Thank you to all who decorated trunks and passed out candy to help make this fun, community event such a success! Crossing Guard Needed Holy Trinity Catholic School has an opening for a crossing guard. The individual will provide for the safe movement of students to and from school grounds when crossing public roadways and/or intersections by leading the children across the roadway and/or intersection. Work hours are approximately one hour per day, from 7:45am to 8:15am; and from 3:10pm to 3:40pm, Monday through Friday. Specific hours to be worked will be set by the School Administration and may vary due to early out days, late start days and no school days. Compensation is $15 per hour. If interested please contact Andy Negrete at Wreath Sales The PTO has decided not to promote wreath sales as one of their major fundraisers this school year. However, we are still offering an opportunity to order greenery for the holiday season. Packets were sent home with information on how you can get orders sent directly to your home or the address of your choice. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to bring some Christmas cheer into your home while supporting Holy Trinity's fundraising efforts. Parishioners: If you would like to order a wreath to be sent to your home, please contact your favorite HT student or Beth Palmer at or beth.palmer@hotmail.com. Dowling Catholic's Annual Open House for Prospective Students - November 9th Dowling Catholic High School is hosting it's annual Open House for Prospective Students on Sunday, November 9th from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Families can take a tour of the renovated school, meet the teachers, moderators, and coaches and learn about financial aid opportunities. There are prizes to win and games to play! It s a fun day for the whole family! Upcoming Events: Monday, November 3rd Picture Retake Day; Class pictures for PS3 MWF Wednesday, November 5th 8:30 am All Saints Day School Mass hosted by 3rd grade. Friday, November 7th $1 Jeans Day hosted by 2nd grade Sunday, November 9th Dowling Catholic s Open House for Prospective Students 11 am - 2 pm

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7 SAINT OF THE WEEK Rose Philippine Duchesne, Religious, reading and study. Philippine, as she was called by her family, was born into an aristocratic family in Grenoble, France. The marriage of her mother, Rose Périer, to her father, Pierre-François Duchesne, had united the two most prosperous textile manufacturing families of the town. The family traits of strong will and determination were passed on to Philippine, along with a passion for When Philippine was not yet ten years old, a Jesuit missionary visited her family. Telling tales of working with Indians in the Louisiana territories of the New World, he enkindled a desire in Philippine to be a missionary to those Indians, a wish that would take over sixty years to fulfill. Philippine was schooled in her early years in the Visitandine Convent of Ste-Marie-d en-haut, and was greatly influenced by the nuns. At the age of seventeen, Philippine entered the convent there, although her parents, who had been urging her to marry, were reluctant to grant consent for this move. Then, in 1791, the French Revolution reached its peak. All churches and religious houses were closed and confiscated by the government, and all priests and religious were secularized. Philippine was sent back home to her family, where she maintained, as much as possible, her religious practices. In 1801, a pact was signed by the pope and the leader of France which allowed the churches and religious houses to reopen. While her order had been scattered, Philippine was resolute in her efforts to regain and reopen Ste. Marie. She offered the convent to Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat, who had founded the Society of the Sacred Heart four years previously. Philippine resumed her novitiate with Mother Barat s order and took her vows in 1805, eighteen years after she first entered the convent. In 1817, the bishop of New Orleans visited the convent at Ste. Marie and requested that several nuns of the order be sent to his diocese as missionaries. Five nuns were selected for this mission, with Mother Duchesne appointed as their superior. After an arduous fifty-six day voyage which included several storms and an encounter with a pirate ship, Mother Duchesne and her sisters arrived in New Orleans on the feast of the Sacred Heart, May 29, The sisters moved up the Mississippi River to Missouri shortly after their arrival. Over the next several years, Mother Duchesne founded several convents and schools, including the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi. By 1830, the society had six convents in the Mississippi valley and sixty-four nuns, and more than 350 children in their schools. In 1841, Mother Duchesne, now seventy-two and relieved of her duties as superior, finally realized her childhood dream of working among the Indians. She and three other sisters established a school at a Potawatomi Indian mission in what is now Kansas. When the Indians were leaving in the morning to begin their labors, Mother Duchesne would be on her knees in the chapel praying. When the Indians returned in the evening, they found her in the same position. This gained for her the Indian name, Quah-kah-ka-num-ad, Woman-who-prays-always. This saint is the patron of the diocese of Springfield- Cape Girardeau, Missouri. An optional memorial honors her on November 18. Philippine's message today: Philippine contributed much energy to regaining her convent in France and to organizing schools and convents in the diocese of New Orleans. But perhaps her greatest contributions came from her lifelong dedication to prayer. Much has been accomplished through prayer, and God certainly answered the prayers of this saint. If you are having difficulty in praying, perhaps you may want to look into a different way of prayer. Ask your pastor or a pastoral minister for some suggestions on resources that can help you in your search too. Respect Life Corner "The women are NEVER allowed to look at the ultrasound because we knew that if they so much as heard a heartbeat, they wouldn't want to have an abortion." Dr. Randall, former abortionist

8 PARISH AND SCHOOL CALENDAR SUNDAY 11/02 MONDAY 11/03 TUESDAY 11/04 WEDNESDAY 11/05 THURSDAY 11/06 FRIDAY 11/07 SATURDAY 11/08 HT School Picture Retake Day / PS3 MWF class pictures All School Mass 8:30 am hosted by 3rd grade $1 Jeans Day hosted by 2nd grade Faith Formation RE Faith Formation/Edge Women s Sunday Reading Group 7:30 am DC Adult Faith Formation RCIA 6:30-8 pm Men s Sunday Readings Group 7:30 am Misc. Adoration 2:00-10:00 pm Mass and Liturgy Schedule and Intentions Sunday, November 2nd 8:30 am Mass Peggy Rooney 10:30 am Mass All Souls Mass Monday, November 3rd 8:00 am Mass Communion Service Tuesday, November 4th 8:00 am Mass For the Parish Wednesday, November 5th 8:30 am Mass Mary Scott Thursday, November 6th 8:00 am Mass Bill Hicks Friday, November 7th 8:00 am Mass Mary Kate Cooney Saturday, November 8th 4:30 pm Mass Alice Bailey Give the spiritual gift of a Mass. Offer it for the soul of a loved one or someone special in your life. Contact the Parish Office at to schedule a mass intention Financial Blessings Ending Week of October 19, 2014 Yearly goal (July 14-June 15) $1,010,000 Weekly offertory collected $6,334 Year to date offering $283,130 Liturgical Ministers and Altar Servers November 8th at 4:30 pm Altar Server St. Patrick Team Lectors Chris Lang Richard Brecht EMHC Team 2 Cantors Jim McWeeny Organist/Pianist Janice Weast November 9th at 8:30 am Altar Server St. Rose Team Lectors Scott Flood Bob Scheetz EMHC Team 2 Children s Liturgy Team B Cantor Jacob Fross Organist/Pianist Janice Weast November 9th at 10:30 am Altar Server St. Agnes Team Lectors Tom Grouling Jeff Clubb EMHC Team 3 Children s Liturgy Team 3 Musical Coordinator Jim Shutt CH - Church 6N, 6H, 7R, 7P, 8W, 8G Classrooms DC - Day Chapel Gym - Gymnasium K - Kitchen MC - Media Center PO - Parish Office Conference Room SR - Social Room SL - Staff Lounge

9 PARISH CONTACTS HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC CHURCH Rev. Michael A. Amadeo, Pastor 2926 Beaver Ave Des Moines, Iowa PARISH OFFICE Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (515) ext SCHOOL OFFICE Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (515) ext Fax: (515) RELIGIOUS FAITH FORMATION OFFICE (515) ext For a Staff Directory, Calendar, or a List of Ministries and Groups, please go to PARISH REGISTRATION Registration forms are available in the pews, at the Parish Office or call ext SCHOOL REGISTRATION Contact Melissa Heller at ext or mheller@htschool.org MASS TIMES Weekend Saturday: 4:30 pm Sunday: 8:30 am & 10:30 am Weekdays Monday: 8:00 am Communion Service Tuesday/Thursday/Friday: 8:00 am Wednesday: 8:30 am All School Mass Adoration Thursday: 2:00 pm 10:00 pm Reconciliation Saturday: 3:00 pm SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION Baptism: Class is held once a month on a Monday at 7:00 pm. Contact the Parish Office to register. Matrimony: Contact the Parish Office at least 6 months prior to the wedding date. RCIA: The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process adults go through to come into full communion with the Catholic Church., contact Jim Wilwerding at or jimw@holytrinitydm.org PASTORAL CARE Anointing of the Sick: Contact the Parish Office at Communion to the Sick: If you are aware of someone who is homebound or in the hospital or nursing home and would like to receive communion, contact Helen at ext Prayer Chain: In the event of a crisis or serious illness of a family member or friend, your party will be included (with their permission) through a phone tree of parishioners who offer prayers daily. BULLETIN ARTICLES Submit no later than noon, Friday (10 days before date of Sunday bulletin). bulletin@holytrinitydm.org Articles will be subject to edit and available space. Advertiser of the Week: To advertise your business, please contact Andy Negrete in the Parish Office ext or andyn@holytrinitydm.org FACILITIES SCHEDULING & RENTAL Parishioners may call Andy Negrete at ext for more information.

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