ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH

Transcription

1 Welcome to ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH 115 Plymouth St., Plymouth, Wisconsin FATHER PHILIP D. REIFENBERG - Pastor Saturday Mass 4:00 p.m. Sunday Mass 9:30 a.m. with Children's Liturgy of the Word 6:00 p.m. 2nd and 4th Sunday Weekday Mass 8:00 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday Eucharistic Adoration 3:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays in Church Confession 9:30 a.m. 2nd and 4th Saturday Mission: We, the faith community of St. John the Baptist Parish, believe that we are called daily to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ: to learn, to share, and to live the message of Jesus. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we recognize that we are unique with diverse gifts from God and that we are to develop these gifts to nurture and strengthen our faith community Advent and Christmas Schedule Advent Penance Service December 17 / 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Vigil Masses December 24 / 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Christmas Day Mass December 25 / 9:30 a.m.

2 St. John the Baptist Parish Second Sunday in Advent December 9, 2018 Dear Parishioners: About two months ago, I mentioned Jack, our foyer fish, and how lethargic he d become during one of our autumnal cold snaps. When I came into the office at SJB last Monday, Lisa Schoneman said Jack wasn t moving; he was wedged under a castle in his fish bowl, and she thought he was dead. Upon closer inspection, not only wasn t Jack moving; he no longer sported his jet -black persona but had turned somewhat mauve-ish in pallor. So, I rolled up my sleeve, moved the castle, scooped up his lifeless remains, and transported him to the bathroom, from which I consigned him (fittingly, I believe) to a watery grave. Having grown accustomed to greeting him in the foyer each morning, I actually missed the little bugger, so I thought I d look into the possibility of springing for a successor. I googled pet fish and came up with several entries, including one entitled 9 reasons why fish are really sad pets. Curiosity compelled me to check that one out, and, once there, I found no kidding! a photo of Jack! Or his spitting image. Quite a story, too. Jack is a Siamese fighting fish, a.k.a. Betta fish [latin: Betta splendens], native to Asia (hence the Siamese appellation), where they live in shallow water in rice paddies, ponds or slow-moving streams. Because the water is shallow, it s warm (no wonder Jack went catatonic on us during that cold spell!). And in captivity, a single fish should have a minimum of 2.5 gallons of water. Gee! It s amazing Jack survived as long as he did in his little bowl under our regime! I d originally introduced you to Jack in connection with Karene Boos and her trip to Tanzania later this month. Even though no parishioners from either STA or SJB are able to go with her this time, our joint committee has met with Karene twice over the past few weeks to see how our two parishes can best support her, Eric and ZeruZeru, Inc. on behalf of the albino children being cared for by Sr. Helena at the Mary Mother of God Center in Lamadi, Tanzania. The more we talk, the more possibilities pop up: (1) Sr. Helena is building a chapel in one of the new facilities she s been able to erect because of the financial help we ve already provided; (2) a Benedictine brother (native Tanzanian) is interested in coming to work for Sr. Helena as a health care provider; (3) a Lamadi police officer may be joining the staff to provide greater security for the children; (4) Fr. Dastan, a Tanzanian diocesan priest and pastor at St. Peter s Catholic Church (two miles away from Lamadi), Chapel Construction is building a parish school and has offered Sr. Helena a place for her kids when the school is completed; and (5) St. Peter s also has a very active Christian Women s group that may put their heads together with STA and SJB Christian Women s organizations to explore the potential for working collaboratively on behalf of the albino children. Meanwhile, various other building projects at the Mary Mother of God Center which we have been instrumental in funding through ZeruZeru, Inc. are continuing apace. Karene has promised to keep her iphone handy throughout her up-coming trip and get us some real time photographs of what s happening on the ground. Meanwhile, we re eagerly looking forward to having Karene and Eric back for a Solidarity Meal with our two parishes at STA sometime next Lent to get a comprehensive up-date on ZeruZeru, Inc. and explore what other possibilities might lie ahead for us in this blossoming twinning relationship. Father Phil Welcome to the Newest Members of our Catholic Faith Family Baptized Sunday, December 9, 2018 Alice Annabell Smith Daughter of Benjiman and Abbie Smith and Ethan William Fromm Son of Brandon and Karissa Froom May they and their families enjoy the Blessings of the sacrament and continue in God s Love throughout their lives. Advent Reconciliation Services St. Thomas Aquinas Tuesday, December 11th at 6:30 p.m. St. John the Baptist December 17th at 6:30 p.m. Advent Prayer Tree As we joyfully await the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, please place your Advent prayers on our Advent Prayer Tree. Strengthen the bond of prayer that ties us as a family of faith. St. John the Baptist extends warm and sincere appreciation for an Angel Fund memorial gift received In Memory of Jim Faller Together, we pray that Jim enjoys the loving embrace of Christ and peace to his family and loved ones.

3 Congratulations to Eric and Karene Boos of Zeru,Zeru Inc Vatican II Award recipients for Service to the Missions Eric and Karene Boos founded ZeruZeru, Inc for the purpose of securing the human rights of the poor and vulnerable in Tanzania--especially persons suffering with albinism. Together St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas have developed a "twinning relationship with ZeruZeru, Inc. in support of the Mary Mother of God of Perpetual Help Center in Tanzania, East Africa. Karene will be traveling to Tanzania to visit the center December 29 January 16. Please keep them in your prayers and watch for an upcoming video message from her during her travels. Church Security During Masses * Reminder* Beginning the first week in January the main church entrance doors will be unlocked for the duration of Mass, while all other entrance doors will be locked ten minutes after the beginning of Mass. Late-comers will be directed by signs posted at those doors to use the main entrance if they are late. While we want to and need to be a welcoming and physically accessible place, we must do what we can, to whatever extent possible to lessen our vulnerably to acts of violence. Thank you for your understanding. We are truly blessed with a faith-filled parish family! Together, we share, learn, grow and find joy in the love of our Savior, Jesus. Time and again YOU, answer the call to be disciples in word and deed. Whether, the need is near, such as support for our parish and school or the neighbors we help through St. Vincent de Paul Outreach, or far, as we support our brothers and sisters at Mary Mother of God Center through Zeru,Zeru Inc. YOU are there! God Bless St. John the Baptist Parish. We are Grateful for YOU!

4 St. John the Baptist parishioners are learning more about God s Word while developing connections with others in their faith community. Thank you to Paige Katzfey and the volunteers who worked hard to bring these programs to our parish: Gloria Miller, Nikki Schneider, Bob Steger and Tony Glenboski. More than 50 women are participating in our first ever Walking with Purpose Bible Study! May God Bless them as they grow in their faith, and enjoy heartfelt conversations and connections with other faith-filled women! We pray for the 47 men who accepted the 30- day RISE challenge to live the beauty and power of the Gospel in their day-to-day lives. May they rise to the challenge of being the fathers, sons, brothers, and husbands they were meant to be. If you are interested in these programs but were unable to participate, they will be offered again in the future. SJB Women Celebrate Gathering Saturday Mornings with Coffee Celebrate with gratitude God s grace and presence in your life each day. What better way to do that than with a circle of friends and a special treat to yourself! Share how God is present in your life. How can we pray for you and be part of your faith journey? Is God whispering to you to accept his next plan for stewardship in your life? Come join us! Share in the power of getting to know each other. 3rd Saturday of Every Month Our next gathering is Saturday December 15th 9:00-10:30 am (or however long you want stay) The Hub Studio Cafe, Plymouth Time to share our faith stories, prayer requests, devotionals and short prayer. Invite others. Questions: Sue Feick or mfeick@wi.rr.com Proposed Chapel Re-Purposing Project Informational Question and Answer Session Facilitated by Bill Marklein and Anne Smith Monday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, December 13 at 8:45 a.m. There are numerous options for this space to help us better welcome and include all who visit our beautiful church. We encourage you to attend these respectful, facilitated sessions, so that all voices are heard and considered in this important project. The SJB Advent Giving Tree "The Wish" Program This program provides "household" Christmas presents to families in our area. The tree in the Gathering Space has tags with a families "wish". Please take a tag, purchase the gift item and place the unwrapped gift with the tag beneath the Giving Tree by Dec. 16. Hat, Mitten and Scarf Collection SJB Christian Women's Society Place unwrapped items around the Giving Tree by Dec. 16. St. Vincent de Paul will distribute them to needy children. Holiday Cheer (Toy ) Program St. Vincent de Paul, Plymouth & Salvation Army This program offers parents the opportunity to "shop" for Christmas gifts for their children. We are collecting new, unwrapped toys, games and crafts items. Items for year olds are especially needed. Please place donations under the Giving Tree by Dec. 14. The last date in 2018 that SJB is providing a meal at the Welcome Table will be on Tue., Dec. 11, We need volunteers to bring salads and desserts for our meal that evening and to assist with serving and clean-up. Please contact either Kathy Halloran at (halloranka@gmail.com) or Monica Kleinhans at (mrkleinhans12@gmail.com) if you can help. The Welcome Table provides food and fellowship every Tuesday evening at Redeemer Lutheran Church. This location is wheelchair accessible. This is a great opportunity to visit with others and let someone else do the cooking! Please consider inviting a friend, neighbor or family member to this weekly event. The fellowship hall opens at 5:00 pm and a free dinner is served at 5:30 pm. Thank you to all who volunteered their time and talents at the Welcome Table in SJB will again participate in the Welcome Table in 2019 and those dates should be available soon.

5 School News St. John the Baptist Catholic School - 3K-Grade 8 A Message from the School Principal: Every day, I feel privileged to be able to witness the many WOWs that St. John the Baptist School has to offer. Did you know that we received an Exemplary Award in Mission and Catholic Identity? We come together weekly to attend Mass, have a special all-school prayer time on Thursdays, gather as a whole school for Advent and Lent Prayer times, and participate in Reconciliation and in the Stations of the Cross and serve God and others through a variety of service projects. Did you know that besides the core subject areas, we offer Spanish, Physical Education, Art and Music? Plus, we offer the electives of Culinary Arts, Drama and Technology Innovations to our middle school students. Putting this altogether makes our academic program a very strong one. We have a fantastic variety of extra-curricular offerings which includes: Chess, Forensics, Drama, Children s Choir, Student Council, and Athletics. We are a Project Lead the Way School (affiliated with MSOE-Milwaukee School of Engineering) which adds to our focus of teaching the 21 st Century skills of: critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration. Lastly, another important WOW is the tremendous support that the school receives from parents, from Father Phil, from parish members and from the greater community. It is because of this support that the school can and will continue in the journey of making disciples of our students. What a privilege indeed to be the Principal at St. John the Baptist School! Yours in Christ, Mrs. Amy Nelson Faith Formation News Adults, Young and Youth Faith Formation Faith Formation is Awaiting His Presence The high school students spent time creating an anticipation for Advent by preparing Care Packages for our college students. They also decorated Christmas cards and made a gift for the residents at Rocky Knoll. Our 10 th graders will be handing out the gifts on Wednesday when they go caroling at Rocky Knoll. Many of our students will be sharing their time this Advent season doing service in our Community. Look for them: Ringing bells at Walmart Helping at the Welcome Table Working at the Food Pantry Making gifts for children in need at Project Angel Hugs Helping at the Salvatorian Mission in New Holstein Serving others at Fr. Carr s in Oshkosh ADVENT RETREAT THE GIFT Presented by Paige Katzfey St. John the Baptist Wednesday, December 19 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the Church Hall Give yourself a small gift, the time and space to connect with God in a meaningful way. All ages welcome. No registration required. Food and fellowship following. Pastoral Council Connection The Pastoral Council (PC) last met on November 13, 2018 and listed below are a few of the topics discussed at the meeting. If interested, the minutes from the meeting are available on the parish website in their entirety. Please welcome Michael Hartke - the newest member of the Pastoral Council. Discussion ensued regarding STA and SJB Pastoral Councils collaborating with the Boos family pertaining to ZeruZeru and how we as a group can continue to bring it forward and keep it going to the next levels. Men s program called Rise officially kicked off on November 26 th. Looking at social activities for college kids when they are home from school during Christmas break. Listening sessions will be held the week of December 10th regarding the chapel re-purposing. Please check the bulletin for dates and times. The next PC meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 11th at 7:00 p.m. in the School Library. Please join us if you can we look forward to seeing you! Cheryl Nicholson Pastoral Council Secretary

6 Mass Schedule and Intentions SJB - St. John the Baptist STA - St. Thomas Aquinas, Elkhart Lake Saturday, December 8 8:00am STA Steven Busch 4:00pm SJB Living and Deceased Members of the Harold R. Meyer Family 4:00pm SJB Living and Deceased Members of the Wirtz and Schneider Families 5:30pm STA Chuck Leon 5:30pm STA Gene Schweitzer Sunday, December 9 8:00am STA Joan Mueller 8:00am STA Audrey Barrette 9:30am SJB For the People of St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas 6:00pm SJB For the Youth of St. John the Baptist Monday, December 10 8:00am SJB Ken Rhines Tuesday, December 11 8:00am SJB John Anderson 8:00am SJB Mary Jean Lyght Wednesday, December 12 8:00am STA Connie Stevens Thursday, December 13 8:00am SJB John Buchanan 8:00am SJB Deceased Members of the Francis and Catherine Piper Family Friday, December 14 8:00am STA For a Happy Death Saturday, December 15 4:00pm SJB Cecelia Lagacy and Hilda O Malley 4:00pm SJB Delphine Meuer 5:30pm STA Madelyn Mlada Sunday, December 16 8:00am STA For the People of St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas 9:30am SJB Althelia Erdmier 9:30am SJB Delores Sippel Scriptures Second Sunday of Advent - December 9, st: Baruch 5:1-9 (6C) 2nd: Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11 Gospel: Luke 3:1-6 Third Sunday of Advent - December 16, st: Zephaniah 3:14-18a (9C) 2nd: Philippians 4:4-7 Gospel: Luke 3:10-18 The Week at St. John the Baptist December 9-15, 2018 Sunday... December 9 6:00pm... FF Gr 9-10/Church 6:00pm... Confirmation Class/Church Monday... December 10 3:30pm... Eucharistic Adoration/Church 6:30pm... Chapel Re-Purposing Q & A/Chapel 7:00pm... RISE Group Mtg./Church Mtg Rm Tuesday... December 11 9:00am... Walking W/Purpose Bible Study/Parish Office 6:00pm... SVdP Conference Mtg./Parish Office 7:00pm... Pastoral Council Mtg./Library 7:00pm... LTAA Boys Basketball/Gym Wednesday... December 12 6:00pm... Walking W/Purpose Bible Study/Parish Office 6:00pm... FF Gr 1-8/School 6:15pm... FF Gr 9-10/School 6:30pm...RCIA Mtg./Church Mtg Rm 7:00pm... Adult Volleyball/Gym Thursday... December 13 8:30am...Mission Quilters/Parish Office 8:30am... Chapel Re-Purposing Q & A/Chapel 6:00pm... Classic Choir Rehearsal/Church 6:00pm... Prayer Shawl Mtg./Parish Office Fr. Phil s Coffee Klatch An informal, open discussion with Father Phil Wednesday, December 12 St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel 10:00-11:00am All are welcome! St. John the Baptist School Proudly Presents Elf Jr. December 13 and 14 6:30pm December 15 1:00p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the school and parish offices Another way to connect with what is happening at St. John the Baptist Parish Find us and LIKE us at

7 St. John the Baptist Parish Information Sacramental Celebrations Eucharistic Liturgies: See the front cover of Bulletin. Baptism: Contact the Parish Office Reconciliation: 2nd and 4th Saturday from 9:30-10:00am in the Reconciliation Room. Marriage: Contact the pastor no later than six months prior to day of the wedding. Very Reverend Philip D. Reifenberg Shared Pastor Parishes of St. John the Baptist and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Trustees Bill Barbieur Treasurer Tom Paul..Secretary Pastoral Council Chair : Adam Schneider Members: Michael Hartke, Bill Marklein, Tony Mischo, Cheryl Nicholson, Keith Ott, Joel Pierce, Tony Glenboski, Isabel Roy Finance Council Chair : Jim Birenbaum Members: Bill Barbieur, Mark Gumm, Tom Paul, Joel Pierce St. John the Baptist School Amy Nelson..Principal Ann Penkwitz...School Secretary Joel Pierce. School Board Chair St. John the Baptist Faith Formation Amy Albers Director of Faith Formation Nancy Kultgen.Faith Formation Assistant Contacts Cemetery..Parish Office Prayer Needs.Kate St. Vincent de Paul sjbplymouth.org Parish Membership We welcome you to the St. John the Baptist Parish Family. To receive a registration form or to notify us of an address change, please complete the form below. Place the completed form in the collection basket, or return it to the Parish Office (115 Plymouth Street, Plymouth 53073). Name Address: Phone: New Parishioner Address Change Bulletin Deadline Please submit announcements to the parish office by noon on Monday. bulletin@sjbplymouth.org Parish Office Contact Information Hours: 8:30am-Noon and 1:00-4:00pm Phone Website sjbparish@sjbplymouth.org Lisa Schoneman.....Director of Administrative Services Paige Katzfey...Pastoral Associate Katie Kleiber.....Communications Coordinator Julie Krueger.Parish Secretary Scott Dedlow...Building Maint./Dir. Of Music &Liturgy Hearing Assistance: The induction loop system for hearing device users is installed in church. To take advantage of this hearing assistance, please turn your hearing device to the T coil setting and sit in either of the middle two sections of church. St. John the Baptist Bulletin Advertiser of the Week Joseph and Joseph Dental, LLC The support of our advertisers helps offset the cost of publishing our bulletin. Please thank them when you can and support them with your business.