Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity May 20, 2018

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1 Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity May 20, 2018 From The Pastor s Desk Dear friends in Christ, Happy Feast of the Most Blessed Trinity! You might recall that at the beginning of the Lenten season I shared with you that I felt that the Lord wanted this past Lent to be a time of healing. And in many ways we saw this happen. I personally saw this through my pastoral ministry in counseling, praying and meeting with people, as well as sitting for many hours in the confessional. People experienced a lot of healing. In a special way we also saw a lot of healing during our Lenten Healing Service. But not only has the Lord healed many people, but during this Easter there have been a number of signs that God wants to continue His powerful work of healing in us. Just recently during our day with the Treasures of the Church ministry of Fr. Carlos, one of our parishioners was healed of serious back problems. And then after the Mass of the Ascension, a woman from another parish came up to me and said she was healed from serious heart problems when she came to the veneration of the relics Monday evening. It s interesting too, that she shared with me that she had no intention of coming, but her husband insisted that they go as a family. She came expecting nothing, but came away with a powerful gift. Isn t that the way that God often works in our lives? We have other plans but God asks us to move out of our comfort zones and trust Him. It s much like I spoke of at the Feast of the Ascension. God is asking us to surrender our lives over and over. The origins of the celebration of Trinity Sunday go all the way back to the 4 th century. During the 3 rd and 4 th centuries there was a terrible heresy that divided the church called Arianism. Arius, a Catholic priest, preached that Jesus Christ was a created being rather than God. In denying the divinity of Christ, Arius denied that there are three Persons in God. Arius' chief opponent, St. Athanasius, upheld the orthodox doctrine that there are three Persons in one God, and the orthodox view prevailed at the Council of Nicaea, from which we get the Nicene Creed, which we recite every Sunday. There is one kind of funny incident that comes down to us from the events of the Council. The debates and discussions got so heated that the bishop Nicholas of Myra (whom we know today as St. Nicholas, the origin of our Santa Claus) marched across the council floor and slapped Arius across the face. I wouldn t recommend this approach, but it shows you how these early church fathers were so passionate about the faith we often forget Nicholas was imprisoned by the Romans for his Christian faith. He had paid a great price for his faith in Christ. No wonder he was so impassioned by the heretic Arius. I mention this story because it shows us how deeply passionate these early fathers and believers were about the faith. So often today we see so called Catholic politicians outright denying the faith, blaze Catholics who have no more passion than an occasional visit to church on Christmas or Easter; signs all around us that the faith is under attack and under pressure. It s time for us to recapture this passion. It s time for each of us to be counted and to rededicate ourselves to Christ s mission. O Father who sought me O Son who bought me O Holy Spirit who taught me The first reading from the Liturgy of the Holy Trinity is from the Old Testament book of Proverbs. It describes God as Wisdom. Can you see in your own life that our wise God and Father has sought you, Jesus the Son bought you through the cross and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit who has taught you? Can you see events in your own life that show the Father seeking you? Our Wise and Merciful God is continually seeking us out. The Holy Trinity is not a concept or a theological proposition, the Holy Trinity is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the I AM who revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush, the God who revealed Himself to the prophets. He is the Eternal One who in the days of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came in the flesh and revealed the love of God to us. And now the Holy Spirit, the life-giver and source of love desires to fill us and empower us to live the Gospel. The Holy Trinity is 3 Divine Persons who have revealed Themselves to you and are seeking a deeper relationship with you now. Speaking of empowering, I am grateful for all the parishioners of Most Holy Trinity who have chosen to surrender their lives to Christ and seek that deeper relationship with our God, those who have expressed this choice through the service of their neighbor and our Church. I am grateful for all those who live their faith out daily and faithfully. Maybe we think that nobody knows, but God knows. That s all that matters. All Praise the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Amen. God bless, Fr Dennis

2 Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Page 2 May 27, 2018 Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord Please prayerfully consider how you or your family will respond to this call to carry on Christ s work in our community. June 19-21, 9 am. till noon For grades K - 4. To register, please call the parish office or register on our website. mhtparish.com/religious-education We are asking for a $5 donation per child to offset our costs. If you would like to volunteer: We need helpers and leaders, high school and older, to help with the many activities that week. You can help one day or all three. You can help with the kids or behind the scenes. There's something for anyone who wants to help! Contact Paul Fahey (mhtdre@gmail.com, x1) if interested. MHT Pictorial Directory Photography sessions are upon us! Keep checking the parish website for open time slots because we do have last minute cancellations. Also, we are in need of people to work 3 hour shifts at the welcome table. Sign up by contacting Lynn Vincent at or walkingvincent@gmail.com. Scrip Gift Giving MHT Scrip offers a wide variety of gift cards for all of your gift giving and vacation needs; gas, shopping, dining, entertainment and hotels. Visit shopwithscrip.com for a complete list. A wide range of gift cards is available in the MHT School office during school hours. Holy Family in Booneville, KY We received a letter from Sisters Marge and Angie updating us about events in the mission. One of the things they mentioned was our Christmas Advent Tree collection. Because of your generosity the sisters were able to assist 1,000 families with food, new clothing, and needed household items. One family was especially grateful after receiving a new bicycle for a grandchild. The sisters finished their letter by saying: We hold each of you in special prayer each day as we travel in the car to do our ordinary errands in town We could not do our ministry without the tremendous love that you send us across the miles by your prayers and donations. We are at 51.1% of our goal! Our Parish Goal 2018 $65, Christian Mother News The Christian Mother (CM) Officers would like to invite current members, as well as those who would like to become Christian Mothers, to share their gifts and time to support current CM activities. Also, we would like to know other ways you feel the Christian Mothers could help you grow in faith, service, and fellowship. To help us gather this information we would appreciate your time in filling out a two-part survey so that we can identify how the Christian Mother organization can best support you and the parish. The online survey can be found at forms/9j9h54xjrqshjjqa3. Hard copies are located in the back of the church and can be returned to the parish office or weekly collection basket. Thank you for your time and input. If you would like to join the Christian mother organization please contact nickiethelen@yahoo.com or There will be a small initiation ceremony on Monday June 25th following the 7:00 pm mass for all those who are interested in becoming a Christian Mother. VFW Chicken Barbecue VFW Post 3733 Annual Raffle and BBQ Chicken dinners will be Monday, May 28, Serving will begin at 11:00 am and go until all dinners are sold. Sponsor of the Week Our thanks to the many businesses that make it possible for the bulletin to be cost-free to our parish. Clover Carpet Cleaning May 31st

3 Office Phone: Page 3 Website: mhtparish.com Principal of Most Holy Trinity School Anne Hufnagel AnneH@mhtparish.com Proceeds Benefit MHT Youth Ministry Fullness of Grace Young Women's Group What is Fullness of Grace? The group is open to young women (married/single/engaged) who are from the surrounding communities. The group s main focus is to create a place for young women to get together, to get to know each other, and build a community of women thriving in their faith. We will be meeting on June 2nd starting with First Saturday Mass at 8:30am at St. Joseph Church, St. Johns. After Mass we will hear Dawn Hausmann speak. Dawn is the Director of Consecrated Religious for the Diocese of Lansing. She will be speaking on discernment, and ways to discern no matter what stage in life you are in. After the talk we will go to Big Boy in St Johns and have breakfast, discussions about our faith, and fellowship. If you aren't able to make it to Mass or the talk, you're welcome to join us at the restaurant! Please RSVP by May 30th by contacting the St. Joseph Church parish office at or stjosephchurchstjohns@gmail.com or RSVP on the Facebook event so we can make arrangements with the restaurant. Invite your friends! St. Joseph Pewamo Parish Picnic - June 10th Parade: Sunday, June 10th. Theme is Board Games, with cash prizes awarded for the top 3 floats or entries using the theme. You do not need to register your entry prior to the parade. Line-up begins at 10:30 am at the Pewamo Elementary School. Parade starts at 11:30. Questions, please contact Jarrod & Kerri Hafner at or Andy & Erin Kowatch at (517) Volleyball: Saturday, June 9th. This is a 4-on-4 co-ed grass tournament with a competitive and a recreational division. The cost is $80 per team with the first game starting at 9 am. The entry deadline is Thursday, June 7th. To enter your team, please call or text Brett Thelen at (989) I will respond confirming your registration. 5K Run/Walk: The 5K Run/2 Mile Walk committee would like to invite everyone to join us for the annual event on Saturday June 9th, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Parish Center in Pewamo as part as the Parish Festival. There are many age groups and awards/prizes. For details and to register, visit PewamoStJosephRun or call Matt/Kelli Smith , Bill/Dawn Martin , or Jennyl Simon MHT School Connecting Faith to Life By connecting our Catholic faith to life, we at Most Holy Trinity School seek to fulfill Christ's mandate to proclaim the Gospel, restore all things in Him, strive to lead our students to the Truth for the betterment of this world and prepare them for the age to come. Important Upcoming Dates: Monday, May 28 No School/Memorial Day Tuesday, May 29 8 th Grade class trip Friday, June 1 1 st 4 th Grade field trip Friday, June 1 8:15 a.m. Monday, June 4 8 th Grade Graduation Tuesday, June 5 8:15 a.m. Thursday, June 7 Last Day of School at MHT 2018/19 Registration: Most Holy Trinity School is now registering for the 2018/19 school year. Any children eligible for grades 1 through 8 can be registered. You do not have to be Catholic or members of Most Holy Trinity Parish to enroll. If you would like more information about the school please visit our website or call the office to set up a visit ( ). You can use the following QR code or the website ( zh0s0eka8wf0umd42) to register. A link can also be found on our parish website. Homework sessions: There will be no more scheduled after-school homework sessions for this school year. Family Barbeque: MHT School s annual end of the school year Family Barbeque will be held on Thursday, June 7. Lunch will be served at 11:25. Families and alumni are welcome to join us. Middle School Awards: Awards for students in grades 5 7 will be presented on Thursday, June 7, at 10:30 a.m. in the Church. Parents and other family members are welcome to attend. Thankfulness: Thankfulness allows us to walk through a world inundated by opportunities and possessions, being slaves to neither. Craig Lounsbrough Director of Music Ministry Kayla Feldpausch - kayla.mhtmusic@gmail.com ************************************************* The children's choir pizza party will be Wednesday, May 30 at 3:00. All students who were involved in choir at some point this year are welcome! The Rosary is prayed before the 8:15 a.m. weekday Mass. The intention for this week is to pray for the safety of all those traveling this holiday weekend. Youth Soccer Registration for the Fowler Youth Soccer League is now open. All children four years of age through 3rd grade from the surrounding Fowler area are welcome. The cost is $5 per child and includes 6 Saturday mornings of soccer. This year's registration form is all online:

4 Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Page 4 May 27, 2018 Please join the Knights of Columbus as we celebrate vocations family night at Cooley Law Stadium! Mark your calendars for Friday, August 10 at 7:00 pm. Prayers for Soldiers In the back of church this weekend will be a box with toy soldiers in it. Please read the note on the box, then take one of these soldiers home. This will help serve as a reminder to pray for those in active duty and all veterans. Thank you from VFW Auxiliary Post Made for Happiness Diocesan Assembly Our third Diocesan Assembly, "Made for Happiness" is going to be at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, September 22. The day will feature a Eucharistic Procession from the Cathedral to the Breslin Center, and conclude with Mass. Many other activities are also planned for the day including talks by Fr. Mike Schmitz and Jennifer Fulwiller. 15,000 people are expected to attend! To register or find out more information go to madeforhappiness.org/. Contact Adam at the parish office if you are interested in being on the planning committee to help promote this event in our parish. Blackjack Dealers If you would like to sign up to be a dealer for the Vegas Tent (Blackjack, Let It Ride, Money Wheel) please contact Lyle Simon or Adam Halfman at the parish office. The state now requires background checks for all dealers so we have paperwork for you to fill out. Festival Volunteers Needed We are currently in need of volunteers to chair the following events at the parish festival: ***Three or four people to join the established co-chairs of food court (bulk of the work on Saturday and Sunday of the festival). ***One or two people to chair the parade (bulk of the work on Sunday morning of the festival). ***One person to join with two established co-chairs to assist with electrical set-up or take down (Thursday before the festival, or Sunday/Monday after the festival). ***One or two people to chair the volleyball tournament or we will no longer be able to have it. (Saturday of the festival). Support the Faith Raffle The Knights of Columbus are excited to announce our annual 50/50 Support the Faith Club fundraiser. This is a cash raffle with various cash prizes and the proceeds will provide scholarships for families that are sending their children to MHT School. Tickets for the raffle are $20 and can be purchased at MHT School, the rectory, and any officer. Each KC member was mailed two tickets and is encouraged to purchase or sell the tickets. We are requesting all tickets (sold/unsold) be returned by July 6 th as the first of 20 cash raffle drawings will be July 9th. ALL entries will be eligible for ALL 20 drawings. The scholarships will be provided for the school year. Faith Fest 2018 Saturday, June 23, 2018 St Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt Featuring Matt Maher and Unspoken Plus Sanctus Real, Jason Grey and JJ Heller VIP tickets ($50.00 value) and parking passes are included for all families who attend Visit to see what we have planned for this year's event Catholic Bible School This fall, the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan (CBSM) is offering programs to study Scripture. From Genesis to Revelations, classes over a four-year period draw from contemporary Biblical scholarship and Catholic tradition, while focusing on the needs and interests of all Catholics. One of several locations will be St. Mary s in Westphalia. Information nights June 5 th July 10 th and August 7 th To find out more, go on their website: info@cbsmich.org Or call More information is available at the parish office. Registration deadline is Sunday, September 2 nd Fr. Bill s 50 th anniversary of Ordination Mark your calendars! On Sunday, June 24 th Fr. Bill will celebrate with his family and our parish his 50 th anniversary of ordination. The Mass will be at 2:00pm. Reception following at the Activity Center All are welcome!

5 Office Phone: Page 5 Website: mhtparish.com Caleb Simon, son of Matt Simon. We welcome Caleb to our parish family. Please pray for our friends and relatives who are sick or recovering especially: Regina Martin, Sean Dush, Charlene Thelen, Davison Curtin, Jeffrey Lee Thelen, Luke Martin, Sara Sanchez, Melissa Schulte, Marie Hengesbach, Edward Wohlscheid, Linda Rogala, Sarah Weber, Julie Wieber Schafer, Bill Barns, Bob Marshall, Dennis Smith, Sandy Herta, Dick Rehmann, Janet Simmon, Scott Kus, Steve Thelen, Tracy Schmitt, Gregg Platte, Frank Hufnagel, Lynda Esch, Janet Armbrustmacher (Allan), Marie Weber, Jenine Kloeckner, Jennifer Ledger, Josiah Ledger, Adam Pohl, Jordy Wohlscheid, Sharon Becker, Jennifer Grace Schrauben, Janet Simon, Dale Young, Brent Baese, Shane Grinnell, Richard Bushamp, Janet (Ray) Armbrustmacher, Alan & Therese Kramer, Christopher Martin, and a special intention. Please contact the parish office to inform us when we can add or remove a person s name from the list. Thank you. Let us also keep in our prayers all those from the Parish Community who are in the Armed Services. Join the Knights of Columbus! The remaining Fowler K of C admission degree date is and June 3rd. Contact Dean Schrauben if you are interested in joining the Knights. Schedule change for Holy Hour to End Abortion During the summer months we will be meeting in church at 8:30 am instead of 10 am on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you are homebound or unable to attend, please join us in spirit in praying for women who are considering having an abortion. Our Parish Stewardship God s Treasure at Most Holy Trinity May 19 & 20 Collection... $9, Special Collections MHT School Newspapers Cemetery Readings for the Week of May 20, 2018 Monday 1 Peter 1:3-9; Psalms 111:1-2, 5-6, 9 & 10c; Mark 10:17-27 Tuesday 1 Peter 1:10-16; Psalms 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4; Mark 10:28-31 Wednesday 1 Peter 1:18-25; Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20; Mark 10:32-45 Thursday Zephaniah 3:14-18a or Romans 12:9-16; Is 12: 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6; Luke 1:39-56 Friday 1 Peter 4:7-13; Psalms 96:10, 11-12, 13; Mark 11:11-26 Saturday Jude 17, 20b-25; Psalms 63:2, 3-4, 5-6; Mark 11:27-33 MASSES FOR THE WEEK Monday - May Memorial Day 10:30 a.m.+ Mass at the Cemetery - Genevieve Simon Tuesday - May 29 8:15 a.m. + Grant Heckman, Including George & Living & Wednesday - May 30 6:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration 7:00 p.m. + Ken Weber, Including Urban & Living & Thursday - May 31 8:15 a.m. + Sylvester & Odelia Feldpausch & Living & 6:30 p.m. Confessions with Adoration Friday - June 1 -- First Friday 8:15 a.m. + Jerome & Genevieve Thelen & Living & Saturday - June 2 -- First Saturday 4:30 p.m. People of the Parish Sunday - June 3 8:30 a.m. + Joseph Simon & Living & Deceased Members of the Family 10:30 a.m. + Reynold & Rita Goerge & Living & Ushers for Saturday & Sunday, June 2 & 3 4:30 p.m. - Larry Jandernoa, Gerry Arens, Craig Arens, Luke Thelen 8:30 a.m. -Randy Wirth, Glenn Esch, Neil Hufnagel, Ronn Thelen 10:30 a.m.- Joe Theis, Terry Theis, Tyler Theis, Jarud Koenigsknecht Mass Servers for Saturday & Sunday, June 2 & 3 4:30 p.m. - Chloe Hyland, Jonathan Koenigsknecht, Kalani Koenigsknecht, Volunteer 8:30 a.m. - Jena, Nick, Grace & Rachel Epkey 10:30 a.m. - Preston & Camden Braun, Josie & Cooper Koenigsknecht Mass Servers During This Week Tues., 8:15 a.m.- Adult Volunteer Wed., 7:00 p.m.- Aaron & Josie Simon, Maria Wieber Thurs., 8:15 a.m.- John & Andrew Irrer Fri., 8:15 a.m. - MHT School Volunteer Altar Server Schedule June s schedule has been posted to the website. Please remember to check mhtparish.com to see when your child is signed up to serve. Thank you! May 27, 2018 Pastor - Fr. Dennis Howard Parish Office Hours -- 8am-noon, 1pm-3pm To Contact Us: Parish Office: office@mhtparish.com Website: mhtparish.com MHT School