St. Agnes Catholic Church

Transcription

1 St. Agnes Catholic Church November 8, 2015 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time 2314 Third Avenue, Scottsbluff, Nebraska (308) Mailing address: PO Box 349, Scottsbluff, NE Fax: Website: agnes church.com Parish Office Hours: Tuesday Friday, 9am Noon & 1pm 4pm Rev. Vincent L. Parsons Pastor Rev. Michael E. Wetovick Associate Pastor Rev. Mr. Daniel Gilbert Deacon Sr. Vera Meis, C.S.J. Pastoral Minister Mass Schedule: Saturday: 4:00 pm Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 am (October May) Sat. 6pm; 8:00 & 10:00 am (June September) Mon, Tues, Wed, Friday 7 am Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays one hour prior to evening Mass or by appointment ( ) Sacrament of Baptism Please call the Parish Office Pre Baptism Class is held quarterly: Nov 1, Feb 14, May 1 Sacrament of Matrimony: Please call the Parish Office for appointment. (4 months marriage preparation required.) Sacrament of the Sick: Call ext. 2 anytime to reach a priest Seraphina, Gregory & Saphiah Montanez Baptized Upcoming Events Mon^[y, Nov_m\_r 9, 2015 Daily Mass (7:00am) Mass Intention: Dan & Jackie Schmitz by Betty Schmitz Communal Rosary (4:45pm) Liturgy of the Hours (5:05pm) Tu_s^[y, Nov_m\_r 10, 2015 Daily Mass (7:00am) Mass Intention: Mary Cook by Jerry & Eileen Young Tues Morning Discussion Group (8 9:30am) Garden Room Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) RCIA (7pm) Garden Room W_^n_s^[y, Nov_m\_r 11, 2015 Daily Mass (8:15am) Mass Intention: Bert Noffke by Fran, Jan & Mary Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Thurs^[y, Nov_m\_r 12, 2015 Mass at Vets Home (9:30am) Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Fri^[y, Nov_m\_r 13, 2015 Daily Mass (7:00am) Fr. Ted Nekoliczak Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) S[tur^[y, Nov_m\_r 14, 2015 Weekend Mass (4:00 pm) Mass Intention: Patricia Franks by Ahrens Family Sun^[y, Nov_m\_r 15, 2015 Weekend Mass (8:00 am) Mass Intention: Sr. Vera & Family by Francis & Mary Heumesser Weekend Mass (10:30 am) Mass Intention: For the Parish

2 Saint Agnes Catholic Church Today s Readings 1 Kings 17:10-16 Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 Parish Administration (308) / (308) (fax) Pastor Rev. Vincent L. Parsons (ext. 2) pastor@st-agnes-church.com Associate Pastor Fr. Mike Wetovick Pastoral Minister Sr. Vera Meis (ext. 4) srvera@st-agnes-church.com Director of Religious Education Mrs. Terri Calvert (ext.5) dre@st-agnes-church.com Church Office Manager Mrs. Danni Koeteman (ext. 3) office@st-agnes-church.com Head Teacher Mrs. Julie Brown ( ) office@stagnesonline.org School Office Manager Mrs. Margie Dishong ( ) office@stagnesonline.org St Agnes School Foundation Alyssa Harvey, director ( x2) aharvey@stagnesonline.org P[g_ 2 Y_[r \ Nov_m\_r 8, 2015 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time L ong before the Electric Slide, the Macarena and the ChaCha slide, the original line dance at weddings was the Hokey Pokey. It goes like this: You put your right foot in, You put your right foot out. You put your right foot in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. That s what it s all about. Now you may think that s just silly but the Hokey Pokey actually has an interesting, and somewhat controversial, history. Some say it was written to satirize the Catholic Mass, especially the consecration, which when spoken in Latin, had the phrase Hoc est enim corpus meum, (this is My Body) from which we get the derisive term Hocus Pocus or, twisting the knife even more, Hokey Pokey. Others claim it was a fun song written from a Shaker tradition. Still others say it was about ice cream vendors, sometimes called hokey pokey men before the invention of cones. A few people even claim that it is written about cocaine use. Perhaps we will never really know. But I think there is a bit of wisdom for us in the last verse of the song that today s Scriptures actually tap into. The last verse, you may recall, goes like this: You put your whole self in. You put your whole self out. You put your whole self in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. That s what it s all about. So the question remains. Where might God be asking you or me to commit more of our whole lives and selves? To put our whole selves in? Call it the Hokey Pokey moment of faith. Call it the gospel imperative. You and I are indeed called after the example of Christ himself to put our whole selves in. And if we are not doing that, then it s time to turn ourselves around Trusting widows play a significant role in this weekend s readings. At the point of poverty, when giving even the smallest amount of what they had could imperil their health and well-being, they trusted God and gave anyway. What is important about their giving is not what or how much they gave, but how they gave it. Without selfishness, they gave to help others. Their giving was from the heart, with little hope or intention of receiving any sort of reward or recognition for their generosity. The monetary values of the widows gifts were small, but their value measured in the Kingdom was priceless. There is a significant similarity between their gift and the gift Jesus gave each of us. The widows offered their lives for God. Jesus offered his life for us. Copyright, J. S. Paluch Co.

3 P[g_ 3 Thirty-s_]on^ Sun^[y In Or^in[ry Tim_ P[rish N_ws During the month of Novem ber, the Catholic Church honors those who have passed on to eternal life. Here at St. Agnes, you are invited to add the names of your loved ones who have died to The Book of Remem brance located at the front of the church. Your loved ones are being prayed for in a special way this month. Book of Remembrance 100 Clu\ O]to\_r 2015 Winn_rs $ Francisco/Lynda Ramirez; $ Jeff Pickering, Bruce/Linda Gaarder, Jan Shetler; $50-Buford/ Bennie Williams, Anonymous, Kevin/Jenny Stansbury, Jason/Cathy Swink, Liz/Joe Salazar, Mark/Dyana Moran, Lon/Mary Hascall, Darla Heggem, Annie Urdiales. Love to sing? Choir is forming for the Christmas/Advent season Sunday, Nov. 15th at 5pm. Call Chris In Remembrance of this year's deceased parishioners Robert Canseco Jr. Lloyd Raymond Dunn Kevin Richard Ruzicka Wayne Schumacher Theresa Hermes Zachary Tompkins David Hittner Richard DeForge Helen Ann Simianer Edward Sokol Ellen Gion Alice Hulinsky Marilyn Lynch November 1, 2015 Actual Budget Surplus (Deficit) $ $ $ Your Sunday donation helps Lost and Found! If you recently lost one of these items, check for it in the sacristy before or after mass or call the office The students of St. Agnes Catholic School will be delivering Auction Catalogs to Premiere ticket holders TODAY! Sunday, November 8th, between 1:30 and 2:30. Please plan on being home! This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to be involved! We hope you enjoy receiving your catalog as much as they enjoy delivering them. Thank you for your support! Sunday Collections & ATW Giving sustain the many ministries of our church and school, as well as our priest s and employees salaries, parish utilities, church and office supplies, ongoing maintenance, upgrades, etc. to our parish plant. Your continued participation is needed for the good of St. Agnes Parish and the spread of the Gospel. Thank you for your generous support! LECTORS Nov 7 4pm Nellene Mailander Nov 14 4pm Jeff West Nov 7 8am Nichole Hoesing Nov 14 8am Sr. Vera Meis Nov 8 10:30am Steve Viessman Nov 15 10:30 Jordan Colwell SERVERS Nov 7, 4pm Ethan & Allyson Gion Nov 8, 8am Lucas Moravec, Joseph Pieper 10:30am Lily & Leah Polk Nov 14, 4pm Austin Svitak, Harrison Wells Nov 1, 8am Katherine & Emily Esselstein 10:30am Jazmine Golden, Julian Palmer St_w[r^ship Sun^[y N_xt w k_n^, Nov Every registered parish family received a letter in last week s mail concerning stewardship within our parish. In the letter, you were asked to prayerfully consider what you can do to help St. Agnes be a loving, vibrant community by sharing your time, talent & treasure. Please take time to fill out the enclosed brochure & return it to the collection basket next weekend. Please note, even if you are currently serving as a minister and wish to continue, you still need to fill out the brochure. Readings for the Week Monday: Ez 47:1 2, 8 9, 12; Ps 46:2 3, 5 6, 8 9; 1 Cor 3:9c 11, 16 17; Jn 2:13 22 Tuesday: Wis 2:23 3:9; Ps 34:2 3, 16 19; Lk 17:7 10 Wednesday: Wis 6:1 11; Ps 82:3 4, 6 7; Lk 17:11 19 Thursday: Wis 7:22b 8:1; Ps 119:89 91, 130, 135, 175; Lk 17:20 25 Friday: Wis 13:1 9; Ps 19:2 5ab; Lk 17:26 37 Saturday: Wis 18:14 16; 19:6 9; Ps 105:2 3, 36 37, 42 43; Lk 18:1 8 Sunday: Dn 12:1 3; Ps 16:5, 8 11; Heb 10:11 14, 18; Mk 13:24 32

4 P[g_ 4 Nov_m\_r 8, 2015 Magnificat is coming to Alliance! Featured speaker Dr. Clare Ten Eyck of Keystone Sat., Nov. 14, :00 AM Noon Holy Rosary Lyceum 9th & Big Horn, Alliance, NE Cost $10 pre paid Contact Candis Jones Teresa Nelson A weekend discernment retreat The seminarians of Conception Seminary College invite you to a weekend opportunity with men your own age, who, like you, are seeking God s will in their lives. The retreat is November 14-16, Conception Seminary College is a Roman Catholic Seminary centered on daily Eucharist, prayer, study, and service, with the goal of helping each seminarian discover the unique vocation God has given him. There is no charge for the weekend. For more information, contact Diocesan Vocation Director, Fr. Neal Hock at vocations@gidiocese.org, or Fr. Vince here at St. Agnes. Registrations can be made online at Up]oming Ev_nts St. Agnes Parish 100 Years! During the year 2017, we will be celebrating St. Agnes 100 year anniversary! As part of the celebration, we will be having a pictorial directory made, and are planning on each and every parish family to having their picture snapped. Registered members of the parish will be receiving a letter in regards to the directory in November. In the meantime, you can go to the parish website to register now for your photo session. Premiere 2015 Aurora Borealis St. Agnes Catholic School Foundation is pleased to invite you to Premiere Join us on November 20th at the Gering Civic Center for a wonderful evening benefitting the Foundation and students of St. Agnes Catholic School. There are a limited number of tickets still available. If you have not purchased yours, please do so soon in order to reserve your seats; we will sell out!! Purchase online at or call Alyssa at #2 for more information. We can still use your help! If you are interested in decorating or assisting with clean up after the event, please let us know. Thank you!

5 P[g_ 5 Thirty-s_]on^ Sun^[y In Or^in[ry Tim_ Living Our Catholic Faith TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION In 1974, a revised ritual of penance was given to the Church, and at forty years distance, we still are discovering its treasures and tentative about some of its provisions. The rite reaches deep into our tradition for an early insight: when we turn to God, we are restored to life in the Church. There are three different forms of penance. The familiar individual confession is preserved, but with tremendous enrichment. It is less rushed, anchored by a reading from scripture, and the confession of sins is seen as an opportunity to proclaim faith in God s power to save. In a sense, what is confessed is the penitent s faith in God s gift of forgiveness. The priest suggests a penance that may be directly connected to the virtue that the person seeks as a means of overcoming the fault. There are formulas for contrition suggested, but the penitent might even express sorrow for sin and desire for mercy in his or her own words. The prayer of absolution grounds the event in the life and ministry of the Church. Harking back to the joyful dance of bishops leading penitents into the church, the rite now ends with a prayer of thanksgiving for God s mercy, and may include the gesture of laying on of hands. After forty years, we struggle to claim this rite forged of memory, tradition, and grace. History tells us to be patient; we do not always recognize a treasure at first. Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Reflecting on God s Word My earliest memory of a widow was Aunt Lizzie: white-haired, seemingly very old, but kindly. (I was four, so she was probably in her sixties then how one s perspective on age changes with time!) She lived with my godmother and uncle, having contributed some of her savings to help them buy a house. My second memory was of Lana Turner playing The Merry Widow in the 1952 movie of the same name. Both were light years away, historically and culturally, from the widows in today s readings. The widows in biblical times were imperiled. If they did not have sons who would care for them, their very lives could be endangered. The widow in the first reading has a young son; she is collecting sticks to build a fire to prepare the last of her flour so they can eat and die. When Elijah asks her to prepare a cake for him, she generously does so which proves to be her salvation. Later he even restores her son to life. Jesus watches a widow put in her last literally two cents in the temple s coffers. He has previously warned about the scribes who devour the houses of widows while reciting lengthy prayers (Mark 12:40). Some say Jesus is lamenting the foolishness of this widow, like the prophets of the past who railed against the neglect of widows and orphans. But most think he is praising her generosity in giving all she had, her whole livelihood (12:44). Like her, Jesus will soon put all his trust in the Father. James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R. Copyright 2014, World Library Publications. All rights reserved. The Right Amount The account in today s Gospel should prompt us to take another look at the role of money in our lives as people of faith. Jesus and his disciples are in the temple. Jesus comments on the people putting cash offerings into the temple treasury, noting the well -dressed religious leaders who are offering large sums. These are the ones who parade around saying prayers out loud and accepting places of honor at banquets and in synagogues. They devour the houses of widows, says Jesus to his disciples, and will receive a very severe condemnation. At this point they see a poor widow approach, whose offering is equal to about two cents. Jesus praises her because she is giving all she has to live on, while the wealthy are giving only what they feel like sparing. But consider this story in another light. What if everyone could see exactly what you put in the parish offertory basket each and every week. How would you feel? Anxious, embarrassed, or even angry? Would you look at other people differently if you saw their contributions? Would you change your contribution? Would you give something every time instead of skipping some weeks? Or would your heart be at peace, knowing that your gift is a responsible decision reflecting your gratitude for all God s blessings? Jesus does not ask us to give so much that we cannot support ourselves: he condemns the temple scribes for letting the widow do that. Here is where the word proportion comes in. If, as followers of Jesus Christ, you see clearly that God is the giver of all, how do you offer thanks? What portion of these blessings do you give back to honor God and to build up the Church? Truly, everyone can give something; but the amount is between you and God. Copyright 2011, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

6 P[g_ 6 Nov_m\_r 8, 2015 R_ligious E^u][tion Progr[m dre@st-agnes-church.com Religious Education Office Celebrating Sunday for Catholic Families Thirty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Gospel: Mark 12:39-44 On the Way to Mass: Why do you think God gave us the bible? What does he want us to do with the words we hear? On the Way Home From Mass: How do you think the temple treasury was used? Does our church need support form its members? Living the Word: Find information on some charities (for example, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities). Talk about how giving money to charity can help people who are suffering. As a family, choose a charity you would like to support. Think of ways the children can earn money, such as pet sitting, raking leaves, or doing extra work around the house. Promise to match the amount they raise in the next month and send a donation in time for Christmas. Celebrating Sunday for Catholic Families Facebook Find Us On st_agnes_church Parish Website Grade School (pre-school 5th grades) Formation Sessions will begin on Sunday, October 4th from 9:15-10:15 a.m. in the school building. November Sunday Schedule: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, & 29th - no formation sessions - Thanksgiving Middle School Formation Sessions (grades 6th-8th) meet from 7-8:15 p.m. in the school building. November Wednesday Schedule 4th, 11th, 18th, & 25th - no formation sessions - Thanksgiving High School (CYM) Formation Sessions will begin Wednesday, October 1st in catechist s homes from 7-8:30 p.m. November Wednesday Schedule 4th, 11th, 18th, & 25th - no formation sessions - Thanksgiving 11th Grade CYM Schedule: 4th & 18th Confirmation 11th - CYM (Note: all sessions will be in the Garden Level at 7 p.m.) No formation session on the 25th - Thanksgiving First Communion Parent s Meetings November 8th - 9:30 a.m. in the school basement (Learning Center) Congratulations to the Peter and Becky Jo Wylie family for the birth of Amelya Hope born on October 25th at 11:02 a.m. weighing in at 9 lbs 13 oz and measuring 21 long. She joins siblings: Abby, Liam, Skylear, Lillionya, Zayne, and Sarayne Faith. Becky Jo is the Pre-school Catechist on Sunday mornings and a 9th Grade CYM catechist on Wednesday evenings. Thoughtful Moments: Always say Thank you! Are you stressed and anxious about something? Take a moment and thank God for the blessings in your life big and small. Making a list of these blessings is a powerful, visual way to remind ourselves of God s love. Whatever you face, you won t do it alone! Peace is not just the absence of war. Like a cathedral, peace must be constructed patiently and with unshakable faith. Pope John Paul II Partners in Faith - November 2015

7 P[g_ 7 Thirty-s_]on^ Sun^[y in Or^in[ry Tim_ Raising the Bar with the Faith and Life series! We are in our fourth week of using the new curriculum for grades Pre-K - 8th. The feedback from catechists and families has been very positive! Meet the Confirmation Candidates Each week a grade will be featured in the bulletin outlining the curriculum. This week Third Grade is featured. Our Life with Jesus is the title of the third grade curriculum. This year through studying the development of salvation history, students will become immersed in the life of Jesus ad develop a deeper understanding of God s loving plan and of how they are a part of his plan. Creed/Scripture: Students develop an understanding of the mystery of Christ through age appropriate teachings on Church doctrine and scriptural references. Sacraments: All of the sacraments are presented in the third grade curriculum. The sacraments emphasized in the third grade are the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance. Students learn that through their full participation in the sacramental life of the Church they participate in the paschal Mystery and receive grace that will help them in their pursuit to become holy and good Christians Christian Living: Throughout the third grade, students develop an understanding of the dignity of the human person. Students learn to live out their faith and respond to what they learn by forming a moral conscience and living out their call to justice and service by imitating the life of Jesus. Prayer: Throughout the third grade curriculum students develop a prayer life that includes participation in the Mass as the greatest prayer, learning traditional Catholic prayers, and praying spontaneous prayer. Abby Tygart My name is Abby Tygart. I am a junior at Scottsbluff High School. I am involved in Soccer, Cross Country, Math Club, NHS, Nike Club, and DECA at SHS. I have 6 siblings; Liam, Skylear, Lillionya, Zayne, Sarayne Faith and Amelya Hope. My parents are Peter and Becky Jo Wylie. I have 6 siblings. I work at a daycare. I have been helping with the religious formation sessions on Sunday mornings. Parent Talk: I wanted to make prayer a priority at home, but it seemed like there was always some event or errand that would get in the way. One afternoon, Kara went over to a friend s house for a play date. At seven o clock, everyone stopped what they were doing to spend an hour in prayer: thirty minutes for spiritual reading and thirty minutes for the family Rosary. Everyone took turns praying a decade of the Rosary, which Kara liked, because then she didn t have to pray all those beads by herself. When Kara came home, she told me about the Holy Hour and asked if we could do that too. I told her we were too busy to make a whole Holy Hour, but it gave me the idea to put a Rosary reminder in my phone, for three o clock. Thanks to Kara s friends, daily prayer has become a family tradition. Partners in Faith - November 2015 Save your Coins! This year on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings we will be collecting coins for Tiny Hands International. This organization is based out of Lincoln, Nebraska and has a voice for the oppressed. This organization works in two ways: Human Trafficking and Children s Ministries. For more information on this organization go to tinyhands.org. Let s work together to make a difference in a child s life today!

8 P[g_ 8 Nov_m\_r 8, 2015

9 November 8, 2015 UPCOMING EVENTS Wednesday, November 11th All School 8:15 AM 1st Grade leads Wednesday, November 18th All School 8:15 AM * Annual Hot Dog Lunch St. Agnes Foundation presents BORE@LIS November 20, 2015 St. Agnes 2 nd graders celebrated All Saints Day by choosing their favorite saint to research. After learning about their saint, students dressed as the Saint and presented a report to their classmates and parents.

10 What s Happening at St. Agnes School... Super Heroes, princesses, athletes, a spooks of every kind filled the gym and school on Thursday, October 29, as the students enjoyed celebrating Halloween. Thanks to all the room parents for providing the wonderful parties for our students. Halloween Parties Book Fair Results The annual book fair was held during the week of October th at St. Agnes Catholic School. $ was raised which will be used to purchase new books for the library. Thanks to all the families who supported this wonderful event and to Mrs. Goerke for all her work in preparing the fair. Thanks to Mr. Wlaschin for his assistance with the sales. October 100 Club Winners $200 Franciso/Lynda Ramirez $100 Jeff Pickering, Bruce/Linda Gaarder, Jan Shetler $50 Buford/Bennie Williams, Anonymous, Kevin/ Jenny Stansbury, Jason/Cathy Swink, Liz/Joe Salazar, Mark/Dyana Moran, Lon/Mary Hascall, Darla Heggem, Annie Urdiales Congratulations and a BIG thank you for supporting St. Agnes School! Monday 9th Grilled Cheese, French Fries, Mix. Vegetables w/ baby lima beans, Peaches, Milk Helpers: Jon & Melissa Dudley Hot Lunch Menu for November 9th 13th Tuesday 10th Chicken Pattie on a Bun Lettuce & tomato, Carrot stick w/ranch, Corn Chips Pears, Milk Helpers: Adriana Packard & Mary Anne Saucedo Wednesday 11th Breakfast Burrito Salsa, Potato Circles Orange Wedges, Milk Helpers: Megan Schwartz & Holly Suhr Thursday 12th Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes/Gravy, Salad w/ spinach & ranch, Man. Oranges, Roll & Milk Helpers: Jeana Ryschon & Tom Tylee Friday 13th Soft Shell Taco Lettuce Cheese Tomatoes, Apple Slices, Refried Beans, Milk Helpers: Mary Ann & Chris Saucedo

11 Classroom News... Kindergarten Class by Terri Ramirez October has come and gone in a flash, and the kindergartners have learned so much! I have been very pleased with all of my students' progress thus far. In Math, they are working with numeral writing, rote counting 0 50, counting objects accurately 0 20, and working with patterns. In reading, the students are learning new sight words every week, and are learning to blend letters together to make words. After all the learning that has been going on we have also had a few celebrations. The students invited their moms and grandmothers for muffins with mom, and dads and grandfathers for donuts with dad. They were all so excited to perform some of their songs that they learned. November will bring another busy month with Thanksgiving on its way. We will compare living in early times with how we live today. This will help to build a conceptual understanding of past and present and help us to compare similarities and differences about people, places, and ways of life. We will then come together as friends with the Prek class and have a friendship feast. 4th Grade Class by Paige Wayman October was a busy month, and we had a lot to finish up before report cards. The students took their first science test on the engineering process. They also conducted an egg drop experiment, which they enjoyed. We have finished learning the history of Scottsbluff county and took a test. We will continue to learn about Nebraska history, including the government, its branches, and the state symbols. Students will learn to recite the Preamble which is the beginning of the constitution. In math, we have been working hard on reviewing multiplication facts. Everyone is getting quicker which makes me proud. We had a great Red Ribbon week, the kids learned a lot about making the right choices. Fourth and fifth grade attended a peer pressure session with retired state trooper, Chuck Elley. He taught the students about the effects that drugs and alcohol can have on people and those around them. Many of the students were surprised at how drastically people changed when they were on drugs, not only mentally but also physically. It was a great learning experience for the students. I think they will remember it for the rest of their lives. During Red Ribbon week, we not only put an emphasis on not doing drugs but also on not bullying. I think everyone should agree this is equally as important. I hope everyone had a happy Halloween! Thank you to all the parents who helped with our Halloween party!