ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH 632 S. Broad St. Mankato, MN

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1 ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH 632 S. Broad St. Mankato, MN Pastor - Fr. John Kunz Mass Schedule - Saturday Vigil: 5:15 pm Sunday: 8:00 am & 10:00 am Reconciliation - Saturday: 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm December 10, Second Sunday of Advent - Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

2 The Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2017 PARISH CONTACTS PARISH STAFF Pastor Fr. John Kunz Pastoral Care Associate Monica Priebe Director of Liturgy/Music Jaci James Director of Children/Adult Formation Kelly Huber Director of Youth Formation Johnna Harmer Faith Formation Assistant Mary Hudson Administrative Assistant Joan Kellen Accountant/Administrative Assistant Daniel Pietsch Administrative Assistant Susan Durbala Building & Grounds Maintenance Jon Fitterer CATHOLIC SCHOOL Loyola Catholic School Website - LOYOLA AMBASSADORS ST. JOHN S PARISH: Beth Johnson ST. JOHN S ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS Pastoral Leadership Team: Monica Priebe Jaci James John Fell Joan Kellen Jennifer Hatkin Christopher Meehan Dan Hansen Finance Council: Kelsie Davis Beth Baker James Loaney Lucas Schaefer Mike Burkhardt Pat Kruger Gerald Hicks Mike Spellacy Faith Formation Advisory and Development Board: Mick Hickok, adult rep Kim Hermer, family rep Alex Oldenburg, youth rep Dan Hansen, young family rep Amy Kloss, family rep Kelly Meehling, family rep Clarissa Meissner, young family rep Parish Trustees: Jim Swanson Najwa Massad From the Pastor s Desk John the Baptist, our patronal saint, is central to the Second Sunday of Advent. All four gospels use John as a precursor. John stood against the falsities of his time and lost his life because of that. Many people in today s world stand up for truth and suffer because of it. We all will run into rotten values and situations that want to rob us of hope. We must not be afraid to stand against injustice or untruths. We ask John s intercession in living as followers of Jesus who are proud of standing for what is right. Peace, Father John MASS INTENTIONS Monday, December 11- Is 35:1-10; Lk 5: :15 am Communion Service Tuesday, December 12 - Zec 2:14-17 Lk 1: :15 am Parishioners of St. John s Wednesday, December 13 - Is 40:25-31; Mt 11: :15 am Special Intention Thursday, December 14 - Is 41:13-20; Mt 11: :15 am Communion Service Friday, December 15- Is 48:17-19; Mt 11: :15 am Jim Murray Saturday, December 16 - Sir 48:1-4, 9-11; Mt 17:9a, :15 pm In reparation for sin, David Graham, Jeanne Ross Sunday, December 17 - Is 61:1-2a, 10-11; 1 Thes 5:16-24; Jn 1:6-8, :00 am Katherine Thro Frost, Tony and Alice Rotchadl, Parishioners of St. John s 10:00 am Tom Frassel, Fay Fallenstein, Trung Ho CHRISTMAS HOLY DAY MASSES Sunday, December 24-3:30 PM Pageant Sunday, December 24-4:00 PM Mass Sunday, December 24-7:00 PM Youth Mass Monday, December 25-8:00 AM Mass Monday, December 25-10:00 AM Mass St. John the Baptist Church 2

3 THE WEEK AHEAD Monday, December 11 Discernment Group 6:30 PM - Library Tuesday, December 12 Sunrise AA Meeting 6:30 AM Matthews Hall Hope-Grief Ministry 5:15 PM John Paul II room Choir for Christ 5:15 PM - Church Spirit Singers 5:30 PM St. Elizabeth room Individual Reconciliation 7:00 PM - Church Wednesday, December 13 Legion of Mary 9:00 AM Marian room Journey through Grief 9:30 AM John Paul II room Sunday Experience Team - 5:15 PM - John Paul II room Roots, Edge 6:30 PM PLC Cafeteria, Matthew s Hall Life Teen 8:00 PM PLC Gym Thursday, December 14 Simon Ministry 10:30 AM Matthews Hall Laurels Peak - 3:00PM - Laurels Peak Untold Blessings Bible Study 6:30 PM John Paul II Rm Friday, December 15 Al-Anon 6:30 AM Parish Library Early Risers AA 6:30 AM - Matthews Hall Individual Reconciliation 8:45 AM - Church Saturday, December 16 Sunday, December 17 Faith Formation Grades 1 to 4-9:00 AM Parish Life Center Children s Liturgy During 10 AM Mass Matthew s Hall Communal Reconciliation - 1:00 PM St Joseph the Worker Those who have entered eternal life... Richard Styer, passed away December 2, Our deepest sympathy to his family. Christmas Gifts Due The Christmas gifts for the residents of Laurels Peak are due this weekend. If you have not brought them today, please bring them directly to Laurels Peak by Monday afternoon. Thank you! ST. JOHN S NEWS THANKSGIVING THANK YOU! St. John s has much to be thankful! As a parish, we were able to fill the needs of 11 parish families through the giving of Thanksgiving Baskets. This past week, we were able to donate $ to the ECHO food shelf to help expand their space to service those who hunger. And thank you to the parish committee working with the ecumenical Connections Ministry to serve the homeless amongst us with shelter. It takes the whole parish to support all of the social justice ministries at St. John s, Thank You! THANK YOU! Thank you for supporting the unborn and newborn! As a parish, we were able to donate the following: Birthright; one box of baby goods and $ Catholic Charities; one box of baby goods and $ Options for Women; one box of baby goods and $ ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM With heating season upon us, Greater Minnesota Gas, Inc. (GMG) would like to remind residential homeowners or renters of the Energy Assistance Program (EAP). This federally funded program helps pay for home heating costs and furnace repairs for income-qualified households. Please contact your location EAP Service Provider to apply. For help finding your local EAP provider, call Applications must be received or postmarked by May 31, 2018 to be processed for benefits for the program year. You can find more information on-line at the Minnesota Department of Commerce website at: mn.gov/commerce/consumers/consumer-assistance/energyassistance/. CALVARY CEMETERY WREATHS Calvary Cemetery is now taking orders for Christmas Wreaths for your loved one s grave. The wreaths are $ To order, please call Terry Miller at St. John s Prayer Network - To submit a prayer request, please call: Sandy Roberts or Alice DiMeglio or Monica Priebe, Pastoral Care Associate at: monicap@stjohnsmankato.net Parish Office Hours: Weekdays 8:30 am-5:00 pm Office Phone: (507) Emergency (after office hours): (507) Web: Check out St. John s on Facebook and Twitter! SJB Catholic Church@SJBCCMN 3

4 4 SACRAMENTS SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH Baptism - To prepare your child for Baptism, it is essential that parents participate in Pre-Jordan preparation. Marriage - Contact the parish office 1 year in advance of wedding date. Marriage prep is required. Becoming Catholic - If you or someone you know are interested in becoming Catholic or have questions about the process (Christian Initiation), please contact the parish office. Sacrament of the Sick - Anointing If you have a serious illness, are facing hospitalization and/ or surgery, please contact the parish office to arrange to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION Many people think that Saint Francis originated the Christmas crèche, but its origins go far back. The Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome has housed what is said to be relics of the cradle of Jesus since the seventh century. In time, every year during the Christmas season the reliquary (container for relics) was surrounded by an increasingly grand threedimensional scene of the place of Jesus birth. Rocks and trees, houses, streams, figurines of villagers going about their daily tasks were all included. It was a very dramatic presentation. If you ve ever seen an elaborate model train installation, you get the idea. The proper term for this depiction is presepio, from the Latin word for surround or hedge. Over the centuries, the custom spread first to churches, and then to aristocratic homes. In Italy, whole chapels are often set aside for the presepio, and it is not unusual to have hundreds of figures. It can sometimes be a challenge to locate the Holy Family amid the crowd, almost like a Where s Waldo? children s book. The oldest surviving presepio is in St. Mary Major and dates from the thirteenth century, although many pieces have been broken or lost. Saint Francis of Assisi took a decidedly creative step in 1233 in the village of Greccio, when he directed his followers to fill a manger with hay and tether an ox and ass nearby. He then invited the villagers to attend Mass outdoors near the crib, the worshipers themselves becoming a living presepio. By the seventeenth century, the tradition was well-established, particularly in Naples, and had a firm hold in Portugal, Spain, and in the Provence region of France. Today, it is not unusual to find presepios with five hundred figures, a vivid reminder of Emmanuel, God-with-us! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. LOYOLA NEWS Learn about Loyola Catholic School...visit www. loyolacatholicschool.org K-12 has current openings, PS/PK enrollment is coming soon! Schedule family tours and shadow days at your convenience. Call Angela Casteel at or acasteel@loyolacatholicschool.org Save the Date! Christmas Concerts and Programs: December 14 Gr 5-12 band, 6pm LCS gym; High School Choir, 7:45 SSND Chapel December 19 K-4, 9am LCS gym; PS/PK,10:30 LCS gym; Gr 5-8,1:30 LCS Chapel Thanks to all who supported Loyola at our annual Barnes&Noble bookfair on Saturday. Students are participating in weekly Advent prayer services throughout the season. Outreach projects include preparing Christmas Gift Baskets for area families and collecting baby items for Birthright. Father Olsem celebrated all school Mass with us on Friday, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Did you know? Each morning our school-wide prayer includes a Scripture quote, a short story about the Saint or Servant of God honored that day, and invocations to Our Lady of Good Counsel, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger SSND. Christmas shopping? Ms Karst s Economics class, partnering with Junior Achievement, has created their own business making/marketing Sader Gaiters, custom-made fleece neck warmers in a variety of colors, patterns and sizes. Contact sadergaiters@gmail.com to learn more and to order. Your parish support makes all we do, learn, and celebrate at Loyola possible, as we guide students to their full potential, walk with them in faith, and equip them to lead and serve. St. John the Baptist students who were honored with the Serra Club Great Promise Award - Ella Blace, Macallan Meehling, Lydia Meehling, Alia Meehling.

5 FAITH FORMATION ST. JOHN S MEN S CLUB SCHOLARSHIP FOR LOYOLA MIDDLE SCHOOL Thank you for your interest in the St. John s Men s Club Scholarship for Loyola Middle School. A scholarship of $125 will be awarded to 4 students attending Loyola Middle School for the academic year The scholarship will be disbursed in 1 payment of $125 each by December 31, The student must be enrolled at Loyola Middle School upon receipt of the scholarship disbursement. Please read your application materials thoroughly and submit all requested items by the deadline date of December 15, Incomplete or late applications will be disqualified. Applicants must be registered as a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in order to be eligible for the scholarship award. If you have questions regarding the application process for the St. John s Men s Club Loyola Middle School Scholarship, please call St. John s APPLICATION PROCEDURE Eligibility: a. Applicant must be already attending Loyola Middle School. b. Applicant must be a registered member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mankato, MN. c. The scholarship will be awarded to 4 students attending Loyola Middle School for the academic year All 4th through 8th grade level students are eligible for the scholarship. Award: a. Four awards of $125 each will be given. The scholarship will be disbursed in 1 payment of $125 by December 31, The student must be enrolled in Loyola Middle School upon receipt of the scholarship disbursement. WORLD WIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter; we are all the work of your hands. As we begin the waiting of advent, let us strive to become the work of his hands by attending a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend. The next Weekends are Feb 16-18, 2018 in Windom, MN and Apr 13-15, 2018 in HUTCHINSON, MN. For more information, call Miki Schultz at or visit them at southmnwwme.org. STEWARDSHIP PREPARE OUR WAY TO THE LORD Our readings from Holy Scripture on this Second Sunday of Advent remind us of what we are supposed to be doing during Advent, in fact throughout our lives. The reading from Isaiah anticipates the coming of Christ and John the Baptist as it proclaims prepare the way of the Lord. This is a time of preparation for us. That message is repeated in our Gospel from St. Mark. Today s Gospel is the absolute beginning of Mark s Gospel and it immediately gives us that same signal by declaring, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Of course, we all realize that the path to the Lord may not always be straight for us, but now is a time to correct that. God is waiting for us. St. Peter in his Second Letter, from which our Second Reading is drawn, indicates that God, however, is patient with you. You might say on this Second Sunday of Advent that the Lord is giving us a second chance to respond to His call. One of the basics of St. John the Baptist s messages was that we need to get ourselves right with the Lord, perhaps turn our lives in a different direction. We can change; now is the time to do that. Pope St. John XXIII once stated during a homily in Advent, We are all part of an immense family. This is proven by what is in our hearts during Advent and Christmas. Now is the time to put love in our hearts and to truly prepare the way of the Lord. NEWS OF COMFORT In a time of preparation, much of it having to do with material things, it is good to hear the words of Isaiah, Comfort, give comfort to my people, / says your God (Isaiah 40:1). In a time of such stress and rush, when our usual burdens are augmented by piles of Christmas preparations, we can choose to slow down, take some time to heal, and appreciate the enormous gift we are about to receive. Christ, the Son of God, has become one of us, and knows our human limitations. Yet God, even now, is freeing us from the burdens that our inattentiveness to our God and to our deepest inner longings have heaped upon us. The Lord comes, not as a king with mighty armies, but as a shepherd leading the flocks with care and tenderness. Isaiah prophesies good news: our oppression is over, our sins forgiven. The savior we have awaited is coming, not the first time, but in the end times, as our salvation. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. 5

6 LITURGICAL CORNER FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP December 3, 2017 Budget Adult Envelopes/Electronic Giving $ 16, $16, Offertory $ $ $1 Youth Envelopes $ Money Counters: Dec 11 Team 2; Dec 18 Team 3; Dec 26 Teams 4&1 ST. JOHN S PARISH DEBT Balance Balance July 1, 2017 to Date Catholic Ministries Appeal-2016* ($ 43,278) ($ 7,529) Catholic Ministries Appeal-2017 ($ 30,925) ($ 22,895) Total ( $74,203) ($ 30,424) Budget Status: October 2017 Current Fiscal YTD Prior Fiscal YTD Income $309, $338, Expenses ($322,488.24) ($325,875.66) Operating Net Profit ($12,691.37) ($ 12,976.67) Thank you for your continued financial support!! * Catholic Ministries Appeal shortfall from the 2016 Parish obligation paid to the Catholic Foundation of Southern MN which is a separate entity from the Diocese of Winona. ST. JOHN S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT PRACTICE, COSTUMING & CASTING All children, ages 3 through 6th grade, who would like to participate in this year s Christmas Pageant on Christmas Eve are encouraged to attend costuming, casting, and practice on Wednesday, December 20th, with their parents, at 6:30 p.m. in the church. We will distribute speaking parts that evening, assign costumes, and hold our first rehearsal. The 2nd rehearsal is Saturday, December 23rd at 9:00 a.m. The pageant will be Sunday, December 24th at 3:30 p.m., just before 4:00 Mass. Sign-up for speaking parts AND for parent volunteers in the narthex. YOUTH CHRISTMAS EVE CHOIR We are particularly in search of youth ages 7-12th grade to help lead our children/youth choir for 4:00PM Christmas Eve Mass. Any children, 2nd grade on are able to participate in choir. Would love to fill the choir area with youth and young adult singers for this Mass!!! Call Jaci in the parish office to participate! St. John s Young Stewards Time & Treasure Children s Envelopes $76.58 (Talents from Children s Envelopes) Helping My shop. Cleaned my room. Folded laundry. SPRINGTIME IN POLAND & EASTERN EUROPE 12 days, April 30- May 11, 2018 Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz, Budapest, Prague, Vienna hosted by veteran tour leader Fr. John Vakulskas. $3749 from Omaha; $3699 from Chicago. Price includes r/t air, First Class Hotels, most meals, daily Mass, tours, porterage and admission fees, transfers as well as all government taxes and fuel surcharges. First come first served. For more information: johnvakulskas@gmail.com NATIONAL CHILDREN S MEMORIAL DAY Sunday, December 10, 2017 Around the world, candles will be lit by families and friends in memory of children who have died. In recognition of this special day, Mayo Clinic Health System Hospice is sponsoring a memorial service to remember all children who have died, be it during pregnancy, childhood or adulthood. This service will be held Sunday, December 10, 6:30-8 p.m. at Hilltop United Methodist Church, 108 S. Manitou Drive in Mankato. As part of the service, families are invited to light a candle in memory of their child. They may also bring a keepsake or framed photo of their child for display. A time for reflection and sharing memories is also part of the evening. 6

7 LITURGICAL MINISTERS December 16/17 Musicians 5:15 pm Jeanne Makela, Mariya Bergquist 8:00 am Mary Pribyl, Spirit Singers 10:00 am Jaci James, Choir for Christ Eucharistic Ministers 5:15 pm Lisa Adams, Dale Barrie, Barbara Haag, Jane Kohler, Phyllis Maloney, Kelly Meehling, Monica Orth, Kathy Wortel 8:00 am Massaad Chahine, Mike & Janet Denn, Dan Kapsner, Donna Kapsner, Clarissa Meissner, Bill Simonett, Pat Sullivan 10:00 am Miriam Braunhausen, Deb & Scott Fogal, Jerry & Lucy Goblirsch, MaLinda Henderson, Blake Johnson, Jeanne Kelly Lector 5:15 pm Barbara Haag, Rita Oliver 8:00 am Chad & Martha Witte 10:00 am Mike Coughlan, Brian Jones Sacristan 5:15 pm Don Lingen 8:00 am Randy Meyer 10:00 am Mike Burkhardt Server 5:15 pm Olivia Altomari, Monica Orth, Pat Rogness 8:00 am Nicolas Goebel, Robert Mejias, Taiton Moore 10:00 am Lizzy Boerboom, Josie Haman, Ella Potocnik Ministers of Hospitality 5:15 pm Team 1 8:00 am Team 5 10:00 am - Team 9 Weekly EM (December 11-15) Ann Benson Laurel s Peak - (December 14) Carol Stott, Laurett Van Deusen MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD Want to make your Catholic voice heard at the Capitol? Register today to join Catholics from across Minnesota for Capitol 101. On February 26th, March 16th, and April 17th, Minnesota Catholics will be gathering at the State Capitol to learn about the issues impacting our faith and daily life. You ll have the chance to hear from and meet with legislators, pray with fellow Catholics, and get a window into the legislative process. These are opportunities for you to share your story and make your voice count. For more information or to register, head to and click on the Capitol 101 banner. Pre-registration is required for this free event and space is limited. A free-will offering will be accepted. AREA NEWS CHRISTMAS TREES North Mankato Knights of Columbus Council 5551 will again be selling beautiful Christmas Trees from their lot in lower North Mankato. The lot is located at 525 Grant Avenue next to Holy Rosary Catholic Church. The lot is open from 9:00am-7:00pm on weekends and 4:00-7:00pm weekdays. Proceeds support the Knight s vast charitable efforts. This season, buy a Catholic Christmas Tree! HELP RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES Your generous contribution helps us to care for our retired sisters and enables our younger sisters to continue in active ministry, writes a religious sister. Your gift to today s collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious helps provide medications, nursing care, and more for thousands of senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests. It also helps ensure younger members can continue the good works of their elders! PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND: Come along April 16-25, 2018, to visit and walk many of the sacred grounds where Jesus walked! We ll visit Tiberias, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and so much more! Mass each day in great Churches and Cathedrals along the way, and we ll renew wedding vows in Cana and baptismal vows along the Jordan River! Cost is $3,799 with departure from Omaha. For a brochure and more information, contact Fr. Dan Guenther, Immaculate Conception Parish, P.O. Box 658, Cherokee, Iowa or call or frdanguenther@gmail.com PRAYER SERVICE FOR LIFE It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. - St. Theresa of Calcutta Please join Bishop John M. Quinn at the Annual Prayer Service for Life on Sunday, January 28, at 3:00 pm at Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Blue Earth (214 Holland St). Prayers of reparation and healing will be offered as we mourn the loss of millions of lives because of forty-five years of legalized abortion in America. 7