Third Sunday in Ordinary Time January 21, 2017 Pastor: Fr. David Timmerman Email: frdave.timmerman1@gmail.com 837 Parkview Dr. Milton, WI 53563 590 S. Saint Joseph Circle Edgerton, WI 53534 Phone: 608-868-3338 After Hours Emergencies: 608-868-2338 Fax: 608-868-3345 Website: www.saintmarymilton.org Parish Email: stmarymilton@gmail.com Business Administrator: Vicki Kersten 608-868-3337 victoria.kersten1@gmail.com Faith Formation Administrator: Sabrina Elsen 608-868-3334 sabrina.elsen1@gmail.com Faith Formation Admin Assistant: Paul Schultz 608-868-3336 paul.schultz.sm@gmail.com Music Coordinator: Doreen Houge 608-868-3335 doreen.houge1@gmail.com Phone: 608-884-3038 Fax: 608-884-3298 Website: www.stjoeedgerton.org Parish Office Administrator: Mary Ann Ivey 608-884-3038 maryann@stjoeedgerton.org Coordinator of Religious Education: Paul Jozwiak 608-884-6231 cre@stjoeedgerton.org Director of Facilities & Maintenance: Jon Peterson 608-921-9015
Sat. Jan. 20 Sun. Jan. 21 4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. (St. Mary) Mary Margaret Carroll (St. Joseph) St. Joseph & St. Mary Parishes (St. Mary) Irvin Snow, Lloyd & Dolorous Klosterman (St. Joseph) Edward Siemienkowicz Mon. Jan. 22 No Mass Tues. Jan. 23 8:30 a.m. (St. Mary) Deceased Members of Cain & Koster Family Wed. Jan. 24 8:30 a.m. (St. Mary) Will Witek Family Thurs. Jan. 25 8:00 a.m. (St. Joseph) Roger Fox Fri. Jan. 26 8:00 a.m. (St. Joseph) Jerry & Delores Richardson Sat. Jan. 27 Sun. Jan. 28 4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. (St. Mary) Deceased Members of Lieder & Palzkill Family (St. Joseph) Marvin Thurman (St. Mary) St. Mary & St. Joseph Parishioners (St. Joseph) Ted Syverson Confessions (all are welcome to attend at either parish): St. Mary on Tuesday from 5:00-6:00 p.m. St. Joseph every Saturday following mass Also by appointment with Fr. Dave Monday, January 22 Thursday, January 25 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10 Acts 22:3-16 Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 25-26 Psalm 117:1bc, 2 Mark 3:22-30 Mark 16:15-18 Tuesday, January 23 Friday, January 26 2 Samuel 6:12b-15, 17-19 2 Timothy 1:1-8 Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10 Psalm 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10 Mark 3:31-35 Mark 4:26-34 Wednesday, January 24 Sunday, January 28 2 Samuel 7:4-17 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7a, 7b-9 Mark 4:1-20 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 Mark 1:21-28
Please keep these parishioners and family members in your prayers: Dorothy Bomkamp Dakota Frank Daniels Bob Dibble Marilyn Erspamer Nicki Furlano Tracy Guenther Mary Hagen Jim Holterman Bill Hupp Don Hying Jim Jenkins Marion Kaiser Matt Keller Theresa Kingsbury Kathleen Knight Loren Krueger Scot Nelson Alden Peterson Kathy Rand Barb Rogan Rob Rosa Harry Saalfeld William & Gertrude Slein Sheila Sorge Kathy Trimberger Letitia Tyrrell Bob Urban Brett Urban Stewardship: A Way of Life 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Mark 1:17 Jesus call to Follow me is a call to all Christians! The call is in the here and now, in our present circumstances, not when we think we are ready or have everything in order. Good stewardship of our Godgiven gifts means that things aren t always going to go according to our schedule and that God has a much better plan in store for each of us. WORD OF LIFE: When a woman is facing a difficult pregnancy, the reaction of the first person she tells tends to set the tone for her decisionmaking. How do we respond in a loving way that is life-affirming for both her and her baby? Find out in What To Do When a Friend is Considering Abortion USCCB Secretariat Of Pro-Life Activities
Wed. Jan. 24: 3:30 p.m. RE Classes 1-5 6:30 p.m. RE Classes 6-10 Thurs. Jan. 25: 8:00 a.m. Mass Fri. Jan. 26: 8:00 a.m. Mass Sat. Jan. 27: 8:00 a.m. Rosary All are welcome to attend. 5:30 p.m. Mass Sun. Jan. 28: 10:30 a.m. Mass PreK Class 11:30 a.m. Coffee & Donuts Special thanks to this week s social hosts of St. Joseph Donut Sunday Social: Jared & Kristen Hammer and Family Heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Raymond Thomas Ogle who died on January 13. Please keep these parishioners and family members in your prayers. Liz Carlyn Erin Olver Kathy Heider Joey Hamann Gene Tom Cindy Roy Edward Seamon Rollonna Pat S. Norma Edward Siemienkowicz Jann Jill S. Severson Gen Peplinski Sue D. George Hatzinger Donna Nelson Cindy Mary Olsen Donna Campbell David Reilly Kyle C. Bruce Tully Joan C Denny B. Bob Robert Koch Jim Rod Anderson Jake Kathie Bill Schultz Lucille Firnstahl Cheryl B. Marion Linda Q. Jane M Natalie Beatrice L. Gracie Arthur John Winner Daryl L. www.stjoeedgerton.org
Jan. 27th & Jan. 28th Extraordinary Ministers 5:30 p.m. Laureen & Gerald Ruplinger 10:30 a.m. Mary Kruckenberg, Chris Severson Lectors 5:30 p.m. Roland Breunig 10:30 a.m. Susan Newcomb Mass Servers 5:30 p.m. Katie & Matt McCue, Sophia Osborn 10:30 a.m. Emma, Peyton & Jack Fox Greeters 5:30 p.m. 1. Marge Hollenberger 2. John Shell 3. Mary Ann & Jim Rademacher 10:30 a.m. 1. Crandall Family 2. Kotecki Family 3. Sue Tronnes Collection from Two Weeks Ago Jan. 6/7 Envelopes $3,346.00 Offertory $99.50 Total $3,445.50 Collection from Last Week Jan. 13 / 14 Envelopes $3,055.00 Offertory $232.00 Total $3,287.00 Collection from Last Year Jan. 16 /17, 2017 Envelopes $2,698.00 Offertory $410.00 Total $3,108.00
January 27/28 Reader One 4:00 p.m. Helen Dickinson 9:00 a.m. Don Roberts Reader Two 4:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. Ron Kaiser Commentator 4:00 p.m. Frank Bua 9:00 a.m. Lou Pins Musician 4:00 p.m. Lisa Meyers 9:00 a.m. Kelly Schauf Cantor 4:00 p.m. Lisa Meyers 9:00 a.m. Michele Scherdin Servers 4:00 p.m. Gavin Bartels, Grace Crofts 9:00 a.m. Jaime Scherdin, Justin Scherdin, Ryan Scherdin Extraordinary Ministers 4:00 p.m. Robert Dugenske, Dave Matthusen, Peggy Mayfield 9:00 a.m. Linda Sheppard*, Tom Scherdin, Lou Pins Ushers 4:00 p.m. Ron Yoss, Donald Reif, Ed Butler, Brian Cross, Ross Veitenheimer, Dennis Witek 9:00 a.m. Larry Kapheim, Roger Schrader, Barry Brandt, Harold Hanauska *Denotes Check-In Person Sun. Jan. 21: 9:00 a.m. Seeds Ministry Tues. Jan. 23: 4:00 p.m. K-6 FF classes. 5:00 p.m. Confessions 6:30 p.m. Education Commission in the Ark. Wed. Jan. 24: 4:00 p.m. K-6 FF classes. Thurs. Jan. 25: 7:00 p.m. RCIA in Ark Sun. Jan. 28: 9:00 a.m. Seeds Ministry. www.saintmarymilton.org
Collection From Last Week (January 14, 2018) Weekly Income Needs 8,019.00 Envelopes 4,976.00 Offertory 342.60 ACH Auto-Debit 490.00 Deficit -2,210.40 Fiscal Year-To-Date Contributions YTD Income Needs 232,551.00 YTD Envelopes & ACH 225,789.19 YTD Offertory 18,612.64 Surplus 11,850.83 Collection from last year (January 15, 2017) Envelopes 5,356.00 Offertory 500.60 ACH Auto-Debit 450.00 NOTE: Weekly and YTD income listed above does not include non-offertory income (tuition, fundraising, memorials, etc.) Week 3: Carl Wagner ST. MARY: Do you have a pyx for taking communion to the sick that you are no longer using? If so, please return to the office at St. Mary. FUNERAL DISHES: Thank you to all volunteers who brought a dish for any of the recent funerals. The families are very appreciative of your kindness! If you haven t retrieved your dish, it is patiently waiting in the parish kitchen. Stop by anytime to pick-up and bring it home! This week the Traveling Chalice will be in the home of Joe & Cheryl Sesek Please pray for Vocations
St. Mary Milton KC Free-Throw Competition Sunday, January 28 Milton High School main gym. Registration at 5:00 p.m. and shooting begins at 5:30 p.m. Open to boys and girls ages 9-14. DEEPEN YOUR FAITH WITH THE CATHOLIC HERALD Issue of January 25:: This week the Catholic Herald features a special section with a calendar of events and artic les on Catholic schools in the Diocese of Madison as they observe Catholic Schools Week, January 28-February 3. Plus, this week s issue features a County Connection section focused on West Dane county. Learn more about your Catholic faith by reading the Catholic Herald. If you do not subscribe but wish to receive the Catholic Herald print or new e-edition in your home, contact your parish office. St. Mary=868-3337; St. Joseph=884-3038. OLA FISH FRY: Our Lady of the Assumption, Beloit, will have a Fish Fry on Friday, February 2. Serving takes place from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in Assumption Hall. All you can eat bakes and fried Cod, baked potatoes, fries, Cole slaw, applesauce, bread and beverage. Adults: $11; children 6-12: $5; 5 and under FREE. Carry outs available. Desserts & soda offered at an additional charge.
LITURGY COORDINATOR POSITION AVAILABLE St. Mary, Milton, a vibrant and active parish of almost 1,000 families, is seeking a part-time Liturgy Coordinator. The applicant must be a practicing Catholic with a good knowledge of Catholic Liturgical practices. Responsibilities include: The recruitment, training and ongoing instruction and scheduling of altar servers, readers, commentators, ushers, extraordinary ministers, sacristans and others as needed Maintaining all liturgical supplies and equipment Be present at parish Liturgical celebrations as agreed upon with the pastor Plus other related tasks as necessary. Interested candidates should send their application, cover letter and resume via email to: stmarymilton@gmail.com, or mail to Rev. David Timmerman at above address. Qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview. OFFICE MANAGER WANTED AT ST. JOSEPH: During the last days of advent, Mary Ann Ivey, our parish office administrator and bookkeeper experienced some medical issues that required a hospital stay. It turns out that while Mary Ann is recovering she will have to leave her job at St. Joseph. We want to thank her for her 5 years of service to our parish and hope that she recovers and goes on to do good things for others. This means that we are searching for a new office manager for St. Joseph. The meat of the job includes manning the front office of the parish: answering phones, opening the mail, scheduling masses, recording sacraments, working with Father Dave and the religious education program and the various committees of the parish. The person would need to be in the office Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. If you know of anyone who might be interested in applying for this position, please have them contact the office and submit a resume of their past work experience. Father Dave
HOME REPAIR GRANTS AVAILABLE: Does your home need repairs? Would you like to purchase a home? USDA Rural Development has funding available to purchase and repair homes in eligible rural communities. Interest rates range between 1-3.25%. Grants for repairs are also available to income eligible households over the age of 62. For more information, contact USDA Rural Development at 715-345-7611. Additional information is also available at www.rd.usda.gov/wi USDA Rural Development is an equal opportunity provider, lender and employer. Special THANK YOU to parishioners Gail & John Nordlof for the donation of altar wine at St. Mary Parish. Northleaf Winery, LLC 232 S Janesville Street Milton Wisconsin 53563 608-580-0575 fax 608-580-0576 www.northleafwinery.com info@northleafwinery.com
Milton Avenue billboard facing Culver s through February 25. WISCONSIN RIGHT TO LIFE again has a billboard facing Culver s on Milton Avenue that went live on January 1 and ends on February 25. Above is a picture of the coming billboard. Please pray that mothers will call the phone number 800-712- HELP on the billboard, which connects to local pregnancy center. If you would like to contribute to this project, please send your donation to Wisconsin Right to Life, PO Box 1386, Janesville, WI 53547-1386. On Saturday, January 20 & Sunday, January 21 members of St. Mary Outreach Commission will be available at each Church entrance to accept donations to support this project for the dignity & preciousness of unborn babies and their mothers. 10 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. We are excited to have Juliana Rudnick, author and creator of Sacred Intercession Prayer Journal and founder of Interceding Life Ministries. Julie s topic is I am the Vine, you are the branches An Invitation to Intimacy & Intercession. You are invited to spend the day with us as we refresh our pray lives, deepen our connection to God, and learn to pray more effectively for loved ones. Julie will have her prayer journal available to purchase. The event is held at St. John Vianney Marian Hall, 1250 E. Racine St, Janesville. Door open at 9:15 a.m. Mail your $25 registration (which includes morning snack and lunch) to Jan Bier, 9248 E. Cty Rd A, Janesville, WI 53546 by Tuesday, February 6. Questions? Call Jan at 752-4387. WOMEN S RETREAT: The annual Women s Retreat Day, cosponsored by the Janesville Cluster Spirituality Group and the Janesville Catholic Women s Club, is Saturday, February
All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast Knight of Columbus - Madison Council 531 & Fellowship Commission of Good Shepherd Parish-St. James Church invite you to join us on Sunday, January 21 8:30 a.m. noon Cost: Adults $7 Children age 4-12 $3 Under 4 FREE Sausage, Bacon, Juice, Coffee, Scrambled Eggs, Pancakes...AND MORE PANCAKES Proceeds to benefit Good Shepherd Parish programs and those in need in the local community Good Shepherd Parish St. James Catholic Church Hall 1228 St. James Court Madison Do you hear a call to increase your life of prayer and deepen your spirituality? We are Secular Carmelites. We are men, women, single, and married. We respond to God s call. Our charism is to pray for the church. We study the Carmelite saints. We meet monthly at St. John Vianney Parish, in Janesville, Wisconsin. For additional information please send an email to OurLadyStarSea@gmail.com
Mercyhealth Hospice is starting a Life Story Volunteer Group. These volunteers will be available to serve Hospice Patients by helping to record their life story, military history, faith journey and life lessons, as a gift to their families. A list of questions will be provided. Perhaps you prefer simply recording the patient s life stories without further visits or, this can be a part of a regular assigned patient visitation. Whatever you choose, this is a wonderful gift for the families of Hospice patients. To serve as a Hospice Volunteer, please contact Erika Shields at 608-7568203 or eshields@ mhemail.org Your Catholic Faith On-Demand www.formed.org CODE: 7AH4V4 Register today! * Free subscription *
Saint Mary Souper Saturday Lenten Adventure Saturday, February 17 from 9:00 11:30 a.m. Cost: Bring a can of soup for the Milton Food Pantry Children ages 3+ are invited to join us for a morning of gardening, building, creating, baking, storytelling, and more! Big kids needed, too! Baptism: Baptisms are held on the first Saturday of each month. Elementary: Parents, Teens and other Grownups are needed for Tuesday or Wednesday classes during Lent from 4-5:15 p.m. one or more of the following days: February 27/28 March 6/7 March 13/14 March 20/21 Kdg/1st prayers; 2nd Sacrament prep; 3rd matchstick crosses; 4th Stations of the Cross; 5th ACRE testing prep; 6th CRS Rice Bowl (cooking involved). The Mass. Elementary children have been studying the Mass and practicing the prayers, gestures, readings and what everything around us in church is called (tabernacle, altar, baptismal font, Easter candle ). During Mass, please remind your child to follow along with the congregation. Family Faith: Looking for an alternative to Tuesday/Wednesday faith formation classes? Stop in on a 2nd Sunday after Mass to see families sharing the faith together once per month! Youth Ministry: Arise Milwaukee is sponsoring the Wisconsin Catholic Youth Rally at Carroll University in Waukesha on March 17 (high school) and March 18 (middle school). Keynote speakers, breakout sessions, Josh Blakesley band, Mass, and youth from all over southern Wisconsin. Missionary Leaders are needed for Love Begins Here mission trips. Middle school is July 1-4 and high school is July 8-13 at St. John Vianney, Janesville. Contact Sabrina at 868-3334 or sabrina.elsen1@gmail.com for more info... God s Gofer - Eight-year old Carmella is sent to gofer Father Solanus, then gofer holy water when a sick mother needs help. She decides to be God s gofer when she grows up. Watch this week s episode on the Faith Formation blog. Blessed be God in all His designs!
We are now just over a year into offering the weekly Donut Sunday program and I want to thank all the parish members, parish groups and business sponsors that have hosted and sponsored our events. Changing this program from a monthly event to a weekly program began as the work of the Parish Pastoral Council as a way for us to begin fulfilling our mission of Building a Welcoming Home of Worship, Stewardship & Fellowship. I hope that everyone who has participated has felt welcomed and has enjoyed the fellowship of our many interesting parish members. To keep this program going, of course we will need the continuing help of volunteers. A new sign-up board is posted in the vestibule for our next quarter of Donut Sunday. Please take a look at the schedule and sign up for this worthwhile project - individuals, families and groups are all welcome! If you have any questions about hosting, please let me know. Truly it only takes a few minutes before and after Mass on Sunday mornings and you will find that in serving the Lord and our parish, the return back to you in the form of God s blessings of friendship and fellowship will be more than worthwhile! Thank you to all following individuals, families and groups that hosted weekly Donut Sundays: Patti Behrens, Doug & Katie Kotecki family, Jared & Kristin Hammer family, Kelly & Andy Aleson family, Marge Hollenberger, Council of Catholic Women, Knights of Columbus, Fellowship Committee, Wendy Oren family, David Esau, Thomas- Cunningham family, Jason & Missy Oswald family, Jenson family, John & Jean Hammer family, Barrett/Hatlen families, John & Gina Petry family, Jon Peterson, Confirmation class Mrs. Rita Fox, RE students grade 6-8 Laura Kisting/Becky Eastman, Daryl & Holly Fox family, Mary Barrett, Tara Debilzen family, Ryan Tronnes, Meredith Vitaioli family, Amanda Wilson, Ed & Rose Maty, and Ron & Nancy Cournaya Thank you to all the parish groups and businesses that paid for the weekly donuts & beverages: Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, Fellowship Committee, Oren s Auto Body, i90 Enterprises, Petry Chiropractic, Patti Behrens, Jason & Missy Oswald family, Steponkus Tax Service, Joe Daniels Construction, Edgerton Pharmacy, Albrecht Funeral Home, Becker Construction, Archie Monuments, Terry Dickinson, Apfel-Ehlert Funeral Home, St. Joseph Religious Education, Harbor Recreation, Bonnie Homuth, and Terry & Carol Kent. SPECIAL THANKS go to Mary Ann Ivey for ordering the donuts with Piggly Wiggly each week and to Jon Peterson for always having the hall prepped and ready for the event. If I have missed thanking anyone that was involved, I apologize in advance. We are truly blessed to have so many people in our parish willing to step up and help out! For more information, please contact Sue Tronnes at 608-295-2779 or stronnes@gmail.com
At the beginning of a new year, it can be beneficial to review the basics for being a Catholic in good standing. God has given the Church the authority to make laws to direct our efforts toward achieving eternal salvation, and in addition to the biblical call to practice works of mercy, the Ten Commandments, the two great commandments, and the Beatitudes has given the following obligatory laws as the basis of living a moral life as a Christian: What are the precepts of the Church? 1 They are: 1) to attend Mass on Sundays and other holy days of obligation and to refrain from work and activities which could impede the sanctification of those days; 2) to confess one's sins, receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation at least once each year; 3) to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season; 4) to abstain from eating meat and to observe the days of fasting established by the Church; and 5) to help to provide for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability. The fourth precept exists to help us acquire mastery over our instincts 2 and builds on the benefits of fasting, the limiting of the intake of food and drink for a religious purpose. Fasting is referenced often in Bible, with the most obvious example being when Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness during which he was greatly tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-2). While fasting in the New Testament was used as a spiritual tool, in the Old Testament it was often a form of expressing grief. Church law prescribes that the penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent. 3 Just as every Sunday is celebrated as a weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, so, too, every Friday is treated as a preparation for that liturgical feast, mindful that this was the day our Lord suffered and died for our sins. Abstaining (forgoing certain kinds of food) from meat in connection with fasting is a tradition with a long history for Catholics. The rules for fasting and abstinence in the United States are: Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and every Friday of Lent. Every person between the age of 18 and 59 (your 18th birthday completes your 18th year, and your 59th birthday begins your 60th year) must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Fasting consists of one full meal per day, with two smaller meals that do not add up to a full meal, and no snacks. Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat on all other Fridays of the year unless he or she substitutes some other form of penance for abstinence.
Chances are you ve never heard Friday abstinence mentioned in any way, except in connection with Lent. No meat on Friday was a thing for a long time, but in 1966, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence in which they terminated the traditional law of abstinence as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday. We do so in the hope that the Catholic community will ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by free choice as formerly we did in obedience to Church law. Although we are now allowed to exchange some other form of penance, the USCCB notes we give first place to abstinence from flesh meat and Church law gives us a compelling reason to continue to do so: The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence 4 in other words, this shared practice binds us together as part of our Catholic cultural identity. Our deliberate, personal abstinence from meat, continues the USCCB in their statement, more especially because no longer required by law, will be an outward sign of inward spiritual values that we cherish. Penance can take many forms in the Christian life. The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works). 5 All these acts build up the virtue of repentance, and dispose us to avoid sin and turn our hearts toward God. The many motivations for fasting all proceed from a basic assumption about the human's need for and dependency on God, says Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Encyclopedia, the hunger pains acting like constant reminders to listen for the voice of God in personal and liturgical prayer, through conversations and events of the day and in reading Sacred Scripture. Paul Schultz 1 Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, question 432 2Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), #2043 3Code of Canon Law (CIC), #1250 4CIC #1249 5CCC #1438
Follow-up to the third precept The Catechism of the Catholic Church repeatedly says that confession and forgiveness of serious sins (like skipping Mass for no good reason) must occur before presenting yourself for Holy Communion. Why is this so important? To receive Communion when you know you are in a state of mortal sin is to commit sacrilege (the deliberate violation of sacred things). Sacrilege is a grave sin especially when committed against the Eucharist, for in this sacrament the true Body of Christ is made substantially present for us (#2120). In other words, by receiving Holy Communion while in this state, you are now adding sacrilege to your pile of mortal sins. Even if you can t receive Holy Communion (because of cohabitation, for example), you are still required to go to weekly Mass. You can still join the congregation in the procession at the time of Communion. Instead of receiving the Sacred Host, however, you may cross your arms over your chest and reverence the Blessed Sacrament with a bow, then return to your seat and make an act of spiritual communion. A priest or deacon (though never an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion) may impart a blessing when they see you come forward in this manner, though it is not mandatory. Every January 22nd in the United States is designated as a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Yearly thousands converge on the nation s capital (and more recently in other large cities like Chicago) for the March for Life on the anniversary of the devastating Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand in this country. A book you can check out from the parish library at St. Mary s titled Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader s Eye -Opening Journey across the Life Line gets inside the realities of the abortion industry. Author Abby Johnson joined Planned Parenthood as a college student because she had been led to believe the organization was dedicated to helping women in crisis. After eight years she became the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic and participated in her first abortion. Facing the truth of the procedure led her to quit. Read about her journey from death to life.
837 Parkview Dr. Milton, WI 53563 608-868-3338 590 S. Saint Joseph Circle Edgerton, WI 53534 608-884-3038