St. Mary-Big River Catholic Church C h r i s t t h e K i n g N o v e m b e r 2 5 t h, 2 0 1 8 Oh Sacrament most holy! Oh Sacrament Divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine. Praised and adored be Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, now and forever. Amen T h e N a t i v i t y o f t h e B l e s s e d V i r g i n M a r y W 1 0 1 3 7 5 7 0 t h A v e. R i v e r F a l l s, W I 5 4 0 2 2 Welcome to St. Mary s www.stmarysbigriver.com Mass Schedule Weekend. Saturday 6:00 pm Sunday 9:30 am Weekday. Mon. to Fri. 8:30 am First Friday & First Sat. 8:30 am Holy Days.See bulletin Confessions -One hour before each Weekend Mass -Thurs. before First Fri. 9:00 am -First Friday 9:00 am -First Sat. 9:00 am -Any time by appointment Devotional Times Eucharistic Adoration - Every Tuesday 7:00 am - 7:00 pm - 9:00 to 10:00 am every First Friday Militia Immaculata (MI) Prayer Group - Meets Wednesday - 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the church http://missionimmaculata.com/
P a g e 2 News & Events Welcome to St. Mary s! Welcome Visitors! If you would like to become a member of our parish call the Administrative Assistant and we will help you register. S t. M a r y - B i g R i v e r Parish Calendar Monday - Nov. 26 Tuesday - Nov. 27 Adoration 7:00am - 7:00pm Wednesday - Nov. 28 CCD 6:30 pm MI Prayer Group Thursday - Nov. 29 Friday - Nov. 30 St. Andrew the Apostle Made For More Event in Stillwater 7:00-9:30 pm Saturday - Dec. 1 5:00 pm Confessions 6:00 pm Holy Mass Sunday - Dec. 2 1st Sun. of Advent 8:30 am Confessions 9:30 am Holy Mass Christmas Potluck Fellowship Children s Christmas Shop Made for More Event SOLD OUT! Over 600 tickets sold!! Thank you to Jennifer Medley for helping to make this possible. It was a privilege for St. Mary s to co-sponsor this event. Christmas Gift Basket Our Christmas Gift Basket will begin soon. We are sponsoring three or four families this Christmas. Soon you will be able to pick up a gift tag, purchase and wrap the item listed on the tag and return it to the school entryway. Please leave the tag on the gift so we know which family it goes to and what the gift is. We ll place a new name tag on the gift before it goes to the family. All gifts will need to be turned in NO LATER than Sunday, December 9th. No Exceptions. If you take a gift tag PLEASE return it by that date or someone will be without a gift. Volunteers will be needed to sort and label the gifts at school and then drop them off at Pierce Pepin Co-op. Contact person: Pat Bjork 715-273-3577 bjork.p@outlook.com Food Shelf Sunday, December 1st & 2nd: St. Mary s Parish will now collect food for the hungry one Sunday a month. The first Sunday of each month is the drop off day (including the Sat. evening before). Please do not drop off food at another time. The Stewardship Committee member, Jennifer O Malley, has volunteered to take food collections to the food shelf once a month. Collections will begin the first Sunday in December. Please check your food donation to make sure the item is not expired. Please donate nutritious, wholesome food. No perishable food please. There will be a drop box in the entry of church. Thank you for helping those who go hungry! FORMED is Coming to St. Mary s! FORMED On Demand is a parish subscription service offering access to thousands of studies, films, audios, and ebooks. Discover great digital media from over 40 of the best Catholic content producers including the Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, the USCCB, Catholic Answers, EWTN, St. Paul Center, Marian Press, Sophia Press, Knights of Columbus, FOCUS, and many more. Through its online platform and free mobile apps for ios and Android, FORMED has helped individuals and communities know, love, and share their Catholic faith. "Now more than ever, in a world that is often without light and without the courage of noble ideals, people need the fresh, vital spirituality of the Gospel." -Saint Pope Saint John Paul II Look for more details in the December bulletins on how to login and enjoy this amazing content!
C h r i s t t h e K i n g P a g e 3 News & Events Bishop Callahan s Advent Prayer Request Automated Phone Message - Dec. 6 Bishop Callahan will be sending out his Advent Prayer Request via an automated call originating from 608-352-9565 on December 6, 2018. To submit your intention, just leave it as a message when you receive the call. Alternatively, you can call 608-352-9565, or you can go to diolc.org/pray to submit your request. All intentions will be presented and prayed for at his Christmas Masses. Br. James Miller to be Beatified On Thursday, November 8, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis authorized the beatification of Stevens Point native Br. James Miller. He was shot to death on February 13, 1982 in Guatemala outside the school where he taught. We give thanks to the Holy Father and congratulate the Christian Brothers for Br. James Miller s heroic witness to his Faith. CCD - Religious Studies ~ Wednesday, Nov. 28th ~ Afternoon Session: Class 3:45 to 5:00 pm Evening Session: Class 7:00 to 8:15 pm The St. Andrew Christmas Novena is a wonderful way to enter into the Advent season that is marked by a time of anticipation, penance, and prayer. While the origins of this prayer are unknown, it is over 100 years old and may have come from Ireland. If the St. Andrew novena was prayed as a regular nine-day novena, it would end on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th. However, this novena prayer is actually traditionally prayed much longer than nine days, it is prayed through all four weeks of Advent. Reciting this special novena prayer each day is a simple yet beautiful way to celebrate the spiritual significance of the Advent season and to experience a deeper conversion to the heart of Jesus. It is piously believed that whoever recites the St. Andrew Christmas novena prayer FIFTEEN times each day from the feast of St. Andrew (November 30th) until Christmas Eve will obtain the favor requested. St. Andrew Christmas Novena Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen. Youth Events - Christmas Caroling WHERE: The Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home in St. Paul WHEN: Friday, December 7th, 4:00-8:00pm WHAT: Caroling with the residents and afterwards we will go over to Cosettas for an Italian meal and treat! Please sign up on youth board in church! *Meet at St. Mary's. *Please bring money for Cosettas Parents you and your family may join us! We may need parent drivers please contact me if you would be willing to help drive. The March for Life in Washington, D.C. is January 16-20th this year. The cost is $330/person ($300/chaperone). This covers 5- day trip by motor coach, 2 nights at hotel, and 3 meals. They have a youth rally to start off this pilgrimage and they visit a few interesting sites as well. If you think that your youth or young adult is interested in going on this excellent pilgrimage please contact me as soon as you can. For more info: http://diolc.org/yya/youth-opportunities/pilgrimage-for-life/ Income for Nov. 10th & 11th 2018 Plate. $222.00 Youth Envelopes. 5.49 Adult Envelopes... 3,355.00 All Saints Holy Day.. 25.00 Mission Sunday. 50.00 Total.. $3,657.49 Income for Nov. 17th & 18th 2018 Plate... $613.44 Youth Envelopes.. 18.22 Adult Envelopes.. 2,005.00 Improvement Fund... 750.00 Total... $3,386.66
Date: Saturday, December 1, 2018 Time: 1pm-4pm in the school hall Charity Blanket Making & Winter Gear Collection Come one, come all to help assemble six Tie Blankets for the Crookston Juvenile Detention Center St Mary s Altar Rosary is providing 16 twin-size fleece blankets to the children who are incarcerated over the Christmas Holiday. Many come from the Red Lake Indian Reservation, low income families in the area, families where the children need to provide for themselves. They will not be given passes to go home for the holiday with their families. The blanket is a symbol of a warm hug, a reminder that they are loved and matter, are prayed for to make better choices for their future and the family as a whole. Also, if you are interested, we are also collecting cold weather gear. New hats, mittens, scarfs, jackets/snow pants and boots. I was told that if gently used must be clean with no missing buttons, zippers or repairs needed. Sizes: youth 14-16 to men s XL. Walmart gift cards are good to so size can be purchased to fit. A member of Altar Rosary will be at the back of the church Dec.1 and 2 nd for the collections and blank Christmas cards available to sign. Have a Blessed Christmas Season! *This is also a COMMUNITY service opportunity for confirmation students. Bring your sheets to be signed. Children s Christmas shop at the December 2nd Fellowship Your child is invited to participate in our upcoming Kids Christmas Shop taking place at the school during our Fellowship on December 2. This shop makes it possible for children, pre-k through 8th grade, to experience the joy of choosing their own special Christmas gifts for family or friends! The Shop will be set up in one of the school rooms and be supervised by parents and older teen volunteers. Then they will help the children check out and wrap their gifts. A take home form and budget envelope will be provided for you to help your child decide ahead of time who they should buy gifts for and how much they should spend. Forms are available at the back of the church, in the school, and will be sent home with children in the Religious Ed program on November 28. Your child will need to have this form filled out before shopping to make this experience fun and enjoyable for all! There will be a variety of gifts priced somewhere in the range of.25 cents to $2. We are collecting donations for the gifts (gently used or new items you don t need anymore!), gift wrapping paper or bags, and seeking volunteers (teens and adults) to help the shoppers. These items should be dropped off in the church or school by Sat. Dec. 1st. The money collected from the shop will go to the Parish Friendship Fund for those in need. For more information about volunteering, donating gift items or wrapping materials, contact Jennifer Medley at 715.688.4010 or Traci Campion at 715.425.7830 (reginahope1917@gmail.com). *This is also a COMMUNITY service opportunity for confirmation students. Bring your sheets to be signed.
2018 Parish Christmas Fellowship Potluck December 2nd A - F: Two Dozen Bars or cookies G - L: Two Dozen Sandwiches M - O: Large Hot dish (9x13 or 6 qt. Crockpot size) P - Z: Salads Please plan to take home your pans, crockpots, bowls, silverware, etc. when you leave or please use disposable containers. Thank you. Altar Rosary Society Groups: Serving groups are: St. Mary s, St. John s and St. Patrick s. Clean-up groups are: St. Paul s, St. Rose s and St. Theresa/St. Joseph s Calling all Crafters! Christmas Craft Sale/This is what I do show St. Mary s is inviting crafters to sell/show their crafts during the Christmas Potluck and Children s Christmas Store on December 2nd. So start thinking about those cool crafts and things you make that others might enjoy buying for Christmas gifts or ordering from you in the future!!! Even if you don t have a LOT of things, bring something to show and tell so that we all can see what you like to do. There are so many of us with fun talents and gifts and we don t always know about each other! Team up with someone and share a table. We just ask that you donate 10% of your profits to the Parish Friendship Fund. Set up is on Saturday, Dec. 1st from 1-4 pm in the school (or other time if let us know ahead.) Contact Traci Campion at 715-307-8844 or reginahope1917@gmail.com if you would like to participate and she will share the details with you. (image from clipartxtras.com) Retirement Fund for Religious Collection Dec. 8 & 9 Elderly Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests need your help. All of us, in some way or another, have benefitted from their many years of service in Catholic schools, hospitals, and parishes. Your gift to the national Retirement Fund for Religious provides funding for medication, nursing care, and more. The collection for this campaign will be at Holy Mass the weekend of December 8-9. Thank you for your support! Roughly 94 percent of donations to the fund directly aid senior religious and their communities. Mass Schedule for the Immaculate Conception Holy Day, December 8 The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception this year is Saturday, December 8, and it remains a holy day of obligation. Mass on Friday evening, December 7 at 7:00 pm, and at 8:30 am the morning of Saturday, December 8, will observe the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Masses beginning the evening of Saturday, December 8 will only observe the Second Sunday of Advent. Catholics are to attend Mass twice that weekend, once to fulfill the holy day of obligation (Immaculate Conception) and once to satisfy the Sunday obligation.
A Message From Our Pastor In the Church s universal liturgical calendar promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI in 1969, today the Last Sunday in Ordinary Time is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Just what does it mean for us to worship Christ as King of the Universe? The Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer for the Mass of Christ the King speaks of Jesus being anointed, an ancient gesture mentioned in II Samuel 5:13 there referring to David as king of Israel a gesture whereby someone is consecrated before God and the community as priest, prophet or king. The Preface tells us that the Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God anointed (His) Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the oil of gladness as eternal Priest... offering Himself on the altar of the Cross as a spotless sacrifice to bring us peace... (and) accomplish(ing) the mysteries of human redemption. The Book of Revelation speaks of this priestly sacrifice of Christ He who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, who has made us into a kingdom, priests for His God and Father (1:5-6). The Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer also tells us that the Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God anointed (His) Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with the oil of gladness as King of all creation. Indeed, the prophet Daniel speaks of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven... (the one who) received dominion, glory and kingship... (the one whom) nations and peoples of every language serve (7:13-14). The Collect (Opening Prayer) of today s Mass speaks of Christ s Kingship being manifested by His setting the whole creation... free from slavery and restoring all things. Jesus exercises this kingly power in our lives by the forgiveness of sins and re-creation that is ours through the Sacrament of Baptism. The Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer further specifies that Jesus has dominion over all creation making all created things subject to His rule so that upon His return He might present to the immensity of (His) majesty the Father an eternal and universal kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace. Therefore, we acknowledge Christ as King and cooperate with Him in bringing about the Kingdom when we live by the Gospel (cf. Prayer after Communion) when we practice the truth (cf. John 18:37) and respect life, when we cultivate a life of prayer and good works, when we work for justice and peace informed by the virtue of charity. In this way, then, we on earth are united with those in heaven in acclaiming God s glory (cf. Collect). With our celebration of Christ the King we pray that our praise and worship of God may never cease until His Kingdom is fully made manifest upon the glorious return of the Son, Christ our King. United with our fellow Catholics in the Diocese of La Crosse we have begun the 2018-2019 Diocesan Annual Appeal. The Appeal is the major source of funding for the ministries, programs, and services of our Diocese. Thanks to the generosity of people in our own parish and parishes throughout the La Crosse Diocese, the Appeal has proven successful in meeting the financial needs of the Diocese, in raising additional funds for parishes, and in fulfilling our Christian responsibility to assist those in need. Why should we at Big River take part in this Appeal? Our participation in this Appeal affords us the opportunity to give assistance to our needy brothers and sisters in our area, our Diocese, and around the globe. Our donations, for example, support our diocesan mission and orphanage in Peru. In other words, our involvement is a matter of charity. In addition, our contribution to the Appeal is a privileged way in which we at Big River take responsibility for our portion of the expenses involved in the activities of our Diocese of La Crosse. So our monetary support for the Appeal, for example, helps pay for the education of our future priests. In other words, our participation is a matter of justice. Some people grumble about the Diocesan Appeal and refuse to take part: The Diocese is not getting any of my money! Why should I give my hard-earned money to the Diocese anyway?! Why indeed! Think about it this way. Do you want priests to take care of your spiritual needs? How do you think Father Billy Dodge paid for years of study for the priesthood? Wishful thinking? IOUs? Not hardly. It costs cold hard cash to educate a priest. And lots of it. Guess who is helping our 28 seminarians pay for their seminary training? That s right, those who give money to the Diocesan Annual Appeal. Funding of the education of the young men studying to be priests for our Diocese comes chiefly from monies raised through the Diocesan Annual Appeal. Have you assisted at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass this week? Has a priest absolved you of your sins recently? Have you received the Anointing of the Sick at the hands of a priest? Do you wish to continue to have access to these and all the Sacraments in the future, access that only comes through the ministry of the priest? Well, then, justice demands that you do your part to pay for the training of the priests who so generously serve you now and will serve you in the future! In the mail you have already received the brochure detailing the programs, ministries, and services supported by the Diocesan Annual Appeal. Extra brochures and pledge cards are available at the entrance to church. I invite you to pray for Bishop Callahan and for the success of this year s Appeal. Everyone can participate in the Appeal in that manner! Moreover, I encourage you to give prayerful consideration to your own financial gift. Please return your pledge card via mail or the offertory plate at Mass. Please note that you do have the option of giving by means of your credit card or electronic transfer of funds (ETF) from your bank account. Instructions are found on the reverse side of the pledge card. You can also bypass all this paperwork and donate directly online. Just go to the Diocese of La Crosse website (diolc.org) and click the Diocesan Annual Appeal button at the bottom right of the screen. As always, one hundred percent of any funds beyond our goal are returned to us at Big River. May the Lord bless you for your generous sharing of your time, talents, and treasure in our parish and our Diocese. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Blessed Solanus Casey, pray for us! Father Kevin C. Louis, STL P a g e 6
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Pastor - Fr. Kevin Louis, STL 10137 570th Ave. River Falls, WI 54022 Rectory Phone: 715-425-5806 Fr. Louis Cell: 715-505-3870 email: crossensis89@gmail.com Deacon - Deacon Dan Gannon 651-210-9651 gannon.dan@gmail.com Administrative Assistant - Traci Campion 715-307-8844 reginahope1917@gmail.com Bookkeeper - Lori McNamara 715-821-3373 llmbigriver@outlook.com Director of Religious Education (DRE) - Traci Campion 715-307-8844 reginahope1917@gmail.com Youth Ministry - Corrie Loe 715-262-3663 corrieloe@gmail.com Cemetery - John Matzek 715-792-2582 Rod Janovec 651-341-9203 Prayer Chain Requests - Pat Bjork 715-273-3577 bjork.p@outlook.com School Hall Office - 715-425-7830 Altar Rosary Society (ARS) - Angie Dosdall 715-792-2447 Finance Council - Pat Pechacek 715-262-4089 Stewardship Committee - Andy Mishek 651-200-5272 Grounds & Building Maintenance - Danny McNamara 715-821-1197 Mass Intentions Monday, Nov. 26 - Jim Huppert By Glen Buss Tuesday, Nov. 27 - Leola Marek By Rodger & Cathy Oestreich Wednesday, Nov. 28 - Gael Beeler By Beeler Family Thursday, Nov. 29 - Rosella Huppert By Lon & Julie Huppert Friday, Nov. 30 - LeRoy & Dorothy Frandrup By Dallan Frandrup Family Saturday, Dec. 1 6:00 pm - Holy Souls in Purgatory By Anonymous Sunday, Dec. 2 9:30 am 9:30 am - Living & Deceased Members of St. Mary s Big River Parish By Parish Please note: Going forward, all Sunday morning masses and all Holy Day primary masses will be for the intention of: Living & Deceased Members of St. Mary s Big River Parish December 1st Saturday - 6:00 pm Mass Reader... Carol Betzel Ushers... Mark Huppert, Jon Matzek, Randy Maier, Peter Pechacek Servers...Nathaniel & Marcus Merta Music... Joanne Maier Rosary.......Pat Bjork Liturgical Assistants December 2nd Sunday - 9:30 am Mass Reader.. John Matzek Ushers/$ Counters..Craig Zuelke, Rodger Oestreich, Shawn Dosdall, Charles Beeler Cross/Incense...Isaac Loe, Brent Coppler Candles....David & Michael Regnier Rosary.... John & Joyce Matzek Gift Bearer.....Jay Loe Family Music...Choir Has your contact information changed? Do you want us to contact you? Would you like to register? Cut out this little form, fill it out, and place it in the collection basket. Name: Address: Phone: (home) (cell) Email: