April 7-8, 2018 SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER

April 7-8, 2018 SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER ST. MARY S MISSION STATEMENT Our vision is to see Christ in others and to treat others as Christ, because this is what we believe. As a Catholic community, we gather and celebrate the presence of Christ in sacrifice and sacrament. Our mission is to support our community by mee ng the spiritual, faith forma on and other needs of our parishioners. Welcome! It is our hope that you feel at home and among friends here. If you are a visitor for the day, we pray God s blessings on your journey. If you are looking for a parish community, we would be delighted to welcome you into our parish family. Please join us at the beginning of each mass before the opening song to pray three Hail Mary s and a Glory Be to end abortion in our country. PARISH STAFF Fr. Lazarus Kirigia, Pastor of Red Oak & Imogene Parish Office: 712-623-2744 Rectory: 712-357-1159 Cell: 515-770-9064 Email: kirigia32@hotmail.com Jean Anderson, Secretary, stmarysrosecretary@gmail.com Cindy Joneson, Bookkeeper stmarysrobookkeeper@gmail.com Kassie Houdek, DRE,stmarysrodre@gmail.com Parish Office: 712-623-2744 St. Mary s Parish Website: www.stmarysredoak.com OFFICE HOURS Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Closed Tuesday and Thursday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.. Please call the office or Fr. Lazarus prior to visiting the staff so we may assist you best. PARISH LEADERSHIP PARISH TRUSTEES Tom Stamets 623-9797 Connie Sampers 623-2369 AT LARGE MEMBERS Charla Schmid (Secretary) 623-4675 Joe Nealon 623-9642 AT LARGE MEMBERS Jeff Grebin, Chair (Social Justice) 621-6954 Nancy Nealon (Arts & Environment) 623-9642 Charla Schmid (Music & Liturgy) 623-4675 Hank Latus (Property & Grounds) 712-829-2404 Ken Podliska (Property & Grounds) 623-3622 Kerry & Elaine Carlson (Stewardship) 623-4122 Connie Dentlinger (Pastoral Ministry) 623-8813 Pat Jensen (Health & Wellness) 712-370-2511 Nancy Nealon: Coordinator, Saturday Mass Tim Schmid: Coordinator, Sunday AM Mass David Bueno: Coordinator, Spanish Mass Kim Roberts: Coordinator, RCIA Vocations: www.vocationsonline.com Des Moines Diocese Info: www.dmdiocese.org Catholic Charities: www.catholiccharitiesdm.org 515-244-3761

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was archbishop of Chicago. He was told in Aug. 1996 that a cancer which had been in remission had returned and that he had only a short time to live. He died the following November. During those two months he wrote a book covering the previous three years of his life, entitled, The Gift of Peace. One of the most difficult experiences of those last three years of his life was a much publicized accusation of misconduct which was made against him by a young man called Stephen. He subsequently withdrew the accusation and acknowledged that it was false. In his book Cardinal Bernardin describes the reconciliation which he initiated with his accuser. Stephen was dying of AIDS at the time, and at their meeting he offered the cardinal an apology which was gently accepted. Cardinal Bernardin offered Stephen a gift, a Bible in which he had inscribed words of loving forgiveness. Then he showed him a one hundred year old chalice, a gift to the cardinal from a man who asked him to celebrate Mass sometime for Stephen. Cardinal Bernardin celebrated Mass there and then. He described his meeting with Stephen as the most profound and unforgettable experience of reconciliation in his whole priestly life. In this morning s gospel we find the first disciples dispirited and terrified after the death of Jesus. They have to confront their failure to be faithful to Jesus in the hour of his passion and death. They are in a huddle, having locked themselves away in a room. Suddenly Jesus stands among them and says to them, Peace be with you and breathes the Holy Spirit upon them. The risen Lord was reconciling his failed disciples to himself; they came to recognize themselves as forgiven, and, so their hearts were filled with joy. Having experienced the gift of the Lord s forgiveness, they are sent out in the power of the Spirit to offer to others the gift of forgiveness they have received. Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven. That gift and mission is given to all of us who have been baptized into the risen Jesus. Having been reconciled to the Lord we are all sent out as ministers of reconciliation. The sacrament of reconciliation is, of course, a privileged moment of reconciliation, when we receive anew the Lord s forgiveness and extend that forgiveness to those who have hurt us. However, there are other, more frequent, moments of reconciliation: the daily forgiveness of our brothers and sisters; the speaking of the hard words, I am sorry and the gracious acceptance of another s offer of apology. In these moments, Jesus is standing in our midst, helping us to break out of situations that can be draining of life for everyone involved. Thomas had not been in the room when the risen Lord appeared to the other disciples. He had missed out on the Lord s bestowal of the gifts of peace and forgiveness. Thomas seems to have cut himself off from the community of the disciples. He had gone off on his own to nurse his wounds, and so he missed out on the Lord s presence in the midst of the fearful and failed disciples. He is not unlike so many today who, for a variety of reasons, have cut themselves off from the church. When we cut ourselves off from the community of believers, we lose out greatly. For all its flaws and failings, the church is the place where we encounter the risen Lord. The Lord continues to stand among the community of disciples, especially when we gather in worship and pray, when we gather to serve others in the Lord s name. It is there that we hear the Lord say, Peace be with you, that we experience his forgiveness for our past failures, that we hear the call to go out in his name as his witnesses, that we receive the Holy Spirit to empower us to be faithful to that mission. The community of disciples reached out to Thomas; they shared their newfound faith with him, their Easter faith, We have seen the Lord. Those first disciples remind us of our calling to keep reaching out in faith to all those who, for whatever reason, have drifted away from the community of believers and no longer gather with us. If we do so, we may encounter the same negative response that the first disciples experienced from Thomas, I refuse to believe. Yet, even though our efforts may fail, as the efforts of the disciples failed, we know that the Lord will keep reaching out to us when we cut themselves off from the community of faith, just as the Lord reached out to Thomas. Doubt no longer, he said to him, but believe. Then, out of the mouth of the sceptic came one of the greatest acts of faith in all of the gospels, My Lord and my God. Thomas Merton wrote in his book Asian Journal, Faith is not the suppression of doubt. It is the overcoming of doubt, and you overcome doubt by going through it. The man of faith who has never experienced doubt is not a person of faith. There was a great honesty about Thomas; he didn t pretend to believe when he didn t. The gospel suggests that such honesty is never very far from authentic faith. Fr. Lazarus Kirigia AROUND THE DIOCESE CLOTHING NEEDED Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, serving hospitals in nine counties in southwest Iowa, needs casual clothes and personal items to give to survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault as they leave the hospital. Sweatpants, sweat shirts or t-shirts, underwear, all from sizes small to extra-large are needed. If you d like to help, contact Martha at 712-256-2059 ext. 103. COUNSELING SERVICES Struggling with how to handle personal challenges? Contact Catholic Charities receptionist, Cheryl Thorp at 515-237-5045 for more information or to set up a professional counseling appointment. Most major insurance is accepted, and a sliding fee scale is available for those without insurance. CATHOLIC DIVORCE SURVIVAL GUIDE A new session of the Catholic s Divorce Survival Guide 12- week program begins May 8 at St. Pius X Parish in Urbandale. Gatherings begin at 6 p.m. Cost is $30 per person. This is an incredible healing ministry that answers many questions while staying true to Catholic Church teaching. Contact Adam Storey at 515-237-5098 or email him at astorey@dmdiocese.org for details. Page 2 St. Mary Catholic Church

PARISH NEWS FAITH FORMATION Pre-K: April 8th & 22nd. Grades 1-8: April 11th & 18th. Grades 9-12: April 8th & 22nd. We are working on verifying the dates for Adventureland for a fun day for our servers, as well as a FUN NIGHT FOR FAITH FORMATION. Dates and times will be released SOON! Keep watching! CATHOLIC YOUTH CAMP Registration opened for Catholic Youth Camp for this coming summer!! These camps are for students entering 3rd-12th grade for the 2018-2019 school year. I have cards with dates for each age group and the cost that I have sent home with the kids. You may also visit www.stmcenter.com for details. The Knights of Columbus have been very generous in the past and have paid a hefty amount of the fees in the past. There are also sponsorships available through St. Thomas Moore Center themselves. We want every child to be able to attend that wants to so please don't let the cost turn you away! If you have youth that are interested, please contact me so that we can get them registered! **Notice change of First Communion retreat from April 28th to Wednesday, April 18th from 6pm-8pm** Please plan on attending for all First Communion candidates and their parents. We will be serving pizza! Please feel free to contact me with any questions! Kassie Houdek, St. Mary's Catholic Church Director of Religious Education, stmarysrodre@gmail.com Please remember to return all Rice Bowl Boxes to the office. Thank you to all who participated! PICTURES FROM LIFETOUCH DIRECTORY Everyone should have received their pictures by now if you purchased some when they were taken. If you did not order pictures but had them taken for the directory, they are in the office. Please pick them up on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Thank you. We will let you know when the directories are in. Readings for the Week of April 8, 2018 Sunday: Acts 4:32-35/Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 [1]/1 Jn 5:1-6/ Jn 20:19-31 ; Divine Mercy Sunday; St. Julie Billart Monday: Is 7:10-14; 8:10/Ps 40:7-8, 8-9, 10, 11 [8a, 9a]/Heb 10:4-10/Lk 1:26-38 ; St. Casilda Tuesday: Acts 4:32-37/Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5 [1a]/Jn 3:7b-15 ; St. Magdalen of Canossa Wednesday: Acts 5:17-26/Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 [7a]/Jn 3:16-21 ; St. Stanislaus Thursday: Acts 5:27-33/Ps 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20 [7a]/Jn 3:31-36 ; St. Teresa of Los Andes Friday: Acts 5:34-42/Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14 [cf. 4abc]/Jn 6:1-15 ; St. Martin I Saturday: Acts 6:1-7/Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 [22]/Jn 6:16-21 ; Blessed Peter Gonzalez Next Sunday: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19/Ps 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9 [7a]/1 Jn 2:1-5a/Lk 24:35-48 ; Blessed Caesar de Bus UPCOMING PARISH EVENTS April 10-Birthday Lunch Bunch-Buck Snort April 18th-6-8 pm-1st Communion Retreat May 6-First Communion Never let anyone come to you without coming away better and happier. St. Teresa of Calcutta ANNUAL DIOCESAN APPEAL The Annual Diocesan Appeal is now going on. This year our parish has an increase of only 2%, making our goal of $26,834.00. This year s theme is We Are One Body. As one body, we seek to respond to an emerging change of age so that our church may be vibrant and live with gratitude, generosity, and selfsacrifice. We ask you to prayerfully consider how you can financially support our campaign, helping our parish meet our goal of $26,834.00. You may make a commitment payable over 10 months with monthly installments-that can be made secure online, by sending a check, or you can make a one-time payment. Pledge cards were mailed out to each household, and if you did not get one you may get one from Fr. Lazarus. Thank you in advance for your generous contribution in helping provide for the many ministries in our diocese that our Annual Diocesan Appeal helps support. Fr. Lazarus ST.MARY S CHURCH BULLETIN SPONSORS We continue to thank all of our sponsors for their ad space, and we want to thank the new sponsors for signing on. If you are interested in sponsoring an ad, please call our office at 712-623-2744. As a reminder, we ask that all of our parishioners utilize these advertisers whenever possible. Thank you!! St. Mary Catholic Church Page 3

LITURGICAL MINISTRIES Saturday-April 14 No Mass Sunday-April 15 Lector: Bruce Swanson Altar Servers: Logan Roberts / Cloie Bruce / Jonah Wemhoff Min. of Communion: Joan Smith / Mark Johnson / John Willms Greeter/Usher: Kaylin, Kerry & Elaine Carlson / Pat Jensen Musician/Singers: Tracy Joneson / St. Mary s Youth Sacristan: Joan Smith Money Counter: Kevin Britten / Matt Ross Please find a substitute if you are unable to fulfill your assignment. Thank you! YOU ARE INVITED You are invited to a Ladies Tea God s Patterns for Living April 21, 2018 (Saturday) at 9:30 a.m., at Nishna Church of Christ, Red Oak, IA. Guest Speaker is Teresa Minard. RSVP by April 15 to Sharon Webb @ 623-4701 or Kathy Davis @ 623-2312. LOST KEYS There was a set of keys found at the retreat March 3rd. Please call the office if you are missing your keys. Tithes: $6641.03 Plate: $560.00 Building Fund Income: $675.00 Fish Fry Income: $5303.55 Fish Fry Expenses: $2108.87 Fish Fry Total: $3194.68 Brownie Income: $597.61 Brownie Expenses: $50.06 Brownie Total: $547.55 MARCH 2018 PARISH INCOME PLEASE PRAY FOR: Dan Bruning Josh Watson Homebound Parishioners Patricia Menendez Carol Nickles Roberta Snow If you or someone you know would like to be on the prayer list, please call the office so that we may put it in the bulletin. BAPTISM: Please call the office to schedule the Baptism. A class is required for first-time parents. RCIA: Each Fall the parish forms a group of adults who are interested in becoming Catholic, or in leaning about the faith. Contact the Parish Office or Fr. Lazarus. CARE OF THE SICK: Please contact the Parish Office or Fr. Lazarus to receive the Sacrament of the Sick, or if you would like a visit while in the hospital or Communion brought to your home. MARRIAGE: Couples planning a wedding at St. Mary s should contact Fr. Lazarus at least 6 months prior to the wedding to begin the preparation process.

WEEKLY CALENDAR Saturday, April 7 7:30 a.m. Holy Grounds (Hall) 4:45-5:10 p.m. Individual Confessions 5:30 p.m. Mass in Red Oak-Bobbie Joneson+ Sunday, April 8 8:30 a.m. Mass in Imogene 10:30 a.m. Mass in Red Oak-Peggy Mandeville+ 1:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish-Members of the Parish Monday, April 9-Office Closed Tuesday, April 10 8:30 a.m. Mass in Imogene Birthday Lunch Bunch-Buck Snort Wednesday, April 11 8:30 a.m. Mass in Red Oak Thursday, April 12 6:00 a.m. Adoration Begins 5:15 p.m. Rosary 7:00 p.m. Mass in Imogene 8:15 p.m. Spanish Rosary Friday, April 13 6:00 a.m. Adoration Ends 9:00 a.m. Mass at Good Samaritan 6:00 p.m. ESL (Hall) Saturday, April 14 7:30 a.m. Holy Grounds (Hall) 5:00 p.m. Mass in Imogene Sunday, April 15 8:30 a.m. Mass in Imogene 10:30 a.m. Mass in Red Oak-Living & Deceased Members of Robert & Bobbie Joneson 1:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish