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 1 st Sunday of Lent March 5, 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, March 7 8:30 am BENSON w/ Holy Hour & Confessions + Betty Homan Thursday, March 9 8:30 am MURDOCK + Raymond Gengler Friday, March 10 8:30 am APPLETON + Jim Loher Weekend Masses Saturday, March 11 4:00 pm MURDOCK For the People 6:00 pm BENSON + Helen Hughes Sunday, March 12 8:30 am BENSON ++ Celia & Clarence Carruth 10:30 am APPLETON + Marsana Adonif 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. The Vocation View We do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Who will proclaim that word to us? Pray for an increase of vocations to priesthood and religious life. (Matthew 4:1-11)

2 DAILY SCHEDULE Sunday, March 5 Monday, March 6 Tuesday, March 7 Wednesday, March 8 Thursday, March 9 Friday, March 10 Saturday, March 11 Sunday, March 12 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 7:00 pm Sacred Heart CCW meeting 9-10 am Holy Hour and Confessions in Benson 10:00 am Adult Faith Enrichment St. Francis Gathering Space please see bulletin announcement 6 pm St. John Administrative Council meeting 7:00 pm St. Francis Family Groups meeting in the Gathering Space 2:30 pm Rosary in Benson that our Lenten journey be greatly enriched through our prayers, fasting and almsgiving. Faith Formation 6:45 pm Grade 1-6 Parent-Child Night 6:45 pm Class grades :00 pm Teen Talk in Benson 9 am 6 pm Eucharistic Adoration in Murdock 6 pm Stations of the Cross in Benson (Fr. Jeremy) and Appleton 5-7 pm Sacred Heart Fish Fry in Murdock The Holy Rosary will be prayed ½ hour before Masses in Murdock & Benson The Holy Rosary will be prayed ½ hour before Masses in Benson & Appleton Coffee & rolls after 8:30 am Mass in Benson 9:30 am Sunday School in Benson for 3-5 year olds 3:00 pm Confessions in Benson (3 priests available) 6:00 pm Confessions in Murdock (3 priests available) 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. ST. JOHN S Administrative Council meeting... Tuesday, March 7 th at 6:00 pm in the Education Center. 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 Today, we 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! You can help meet unmet needs with a generous contribution today. Thank you for your support. Adult Faith Enrichment opportunity this Lent: Starting Tuesday March 7th beginning at 10 am at St. Francis Gathering Space, we will embark on an 8-part pilgrimage with Mary. In Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother, we will experience an extraordinary pilgrimage through Mary's life and see why she is an essential part of our Faith. Guided by Dr. Edward Sri, we will journey through the biblical narrative of Mary's life and visit the places where key events in salvation history occurred. There, Dr. Sri will introduce us to the Blessed Mother on a personal level, showing how Scripture, history, and Jewish culture reveal the sorrows, anxieties, and joys Mary would have held in her heart. Anyone looking to grow in their faith and/or understanding of Mary this Lent please join us as we explore this key figure, Our Blessed Mother.

3 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 Bishop LeVoir Tweets every day and records an audio message for each week of Lent and Easter. These can be found on the diocesan Web site at dnu.org. 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. Sacred Heart Youth Group Fish Fry will be held on Friday, March 10 th from 5-7 pm in Murdock. $9 per person; children 10 & under $5. Take-outs will be available. Proceeds support the youth activities at Sacred Heart. Matching funds by Catholic United Financial. 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! Reconciliation Opportunities Sunday, March 12 at 3 pm in Benson we will have 3 priests available to hear confessions Sunday, March 12 at 6 pm in Murdock we will have 3 priests available to hear confessions The KMS FFA Pancake Breakfast will be held Sunday, March 12 th from 8 am 12:30 pm at the KMS High School in Kerkhoven. Free Will Donation. Proceeds will be used for the Community Easter Egg Hunt, service projects and other activities.

4 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 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) The Swift County Chapter of MCCL (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life) will be meeting on Monday, March 13 th 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 Open House Baby Shower for Nate and Laura (Rosemeier) Bowman on Saturday, March 18 th at 10:30 am at Sacred Heart in Murdock. 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! St. Francis MinisTree is now in the Gathering Space. On the tree are cards with a volunteer task or opportunity. Just do the task and return the card in the collection basket. Be sure to fill in the date, your name and phone number. If you have any questions, please call Rosie Hoffman at or Rose Anne Bowe at All monies raised by this project will go to our Religious Education program. 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. Winning Number: SB17

5 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. An open house bridal shower for Emily Wentzel, bride-elect of Scott Alm, will be held Saturday, March 25, at 10 am at Sacred Heart Church in Murdock. Emily is the daughter of Shari and Todd Wentzel. She is registered at Herberger s, Target, Menard s and Pottery Barn. 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. 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. National Catholic Youth Choir Seeking high school singers to apply for our 17 th season choral camp and tour. The camp will be held June at St. John s Abbey & University in Collegeville, MN. Cost is $750, but scholarships are available. This includes lodging, meals and travel during camp and tour. Please call or NCYC@CSBSJU.EDU for more information. Applications & Audition Forms: found on CatholicYouthChoir.org. We Welcome into the Faith Community: Sawyer Michael Hanson who was baptized on February 25 th at St. Francis Church in Benson. May we always be a good example to him.

6 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 $2, Adult $1, Student $57.00 Student $24.50 Loose Plate $94.00 Loose Plate $34.00 Dioc. United Fund $20.00 Fuel $40.00 Total $1, Danvers Oratory $80.00 Parish Cemetery $20.00 St. Bridget - DeGraff Ash Wednesday $10.00 Gathering Space Flooring $50.00 Adult $ Student $3.00 Total $2, Total $ St. John - Appleton St. Malachy - Clontarf Adult $1, Student $20.25 Adult $2, Loose Plate $88.00 Student $2.00 Designated Gifts - Tables $75.00 Designated Gifts - Special $ Total $2, Total $1, Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 12 th. Set your clocks ahead one hour! 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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