The Church of St. Mary 420 Irving Street Alexandria, MN 56308 Parish Office: 320-763-5781 School Office: 320-763-5861 Rel Ed. Office: 320-763-9202 Website: www.stmaryalexandria.org Email: stmary@stmaryalexandria.org Diocese website: www.stclouddiocese.org Office Hours: 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM Monday Thursday 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM Friday October 1, 2017 TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Todd Wentworth Our Mission is to know, love, and serve God by living the Eucharist. Promulgated on Pentecost Sunday 2013 My name is Todd Wentworth and I am your relatively new Parish Business Administrator. Before I get too far into introductions, I first want to thank Jim Boyle for his 17 years of service and the lasting legacy of a strong and vibrant parish he has left behind. I am the youngest of 4 boys and was born and raised in Fergus Falls. I graduated from St. John s University with an Accounting major, but only after a diversion into Natural Sciences for a year. After earning my CPA license, and working in both public and private industry in the Twin Cities, Amy, my wife of 22 years, and our two girls, Meagan and Erika, moved up to Alex in December 2005. I worked with a great bunch of people at ITW Heartland for the past 12 years. It was hard to leave, but sometimes we are called elsewhere. I was pretty familiar with St. Mary s before stepping into this role as I have served on many committees including, the Pastoral Council, Board of Education, Legacy, Stewardship, & St. Mary s of Alexandria Catholic Foundation. Both Meagan, now 11 th grade, and Erika, 8 th grade, attended St. Mary s through 6th grade and thoroughly enjoyed their St. Mary s School experience. They would love to come back even if only to take on the teachers in the annual volleyball match. New tradition anyone; Alumni vs. teachers? Our family, including Bailey our lap Golden Retriever, lives NW of town near Lake Ida and enjoys camping in the BWCAW, everything up at the North Shore, cross country skiing, & attending the girls volleyball matches and DOB dance competitions & recitals. As your Administrator, I will strive for continuous improvement and to be a good steward in living out our mission to know, love, and serve God, by living the Eucharist. Remember, this is our parish and growth, experience, and enjoyment are often tied to the efforts we put forth. Since football season is upon us, why not quote a little Vince Lombardi, The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual. Please feel free to stop on in, give me a call, or send me an email if you ever have any questions. Readings for the Week of October 2 nd Monday: Zec 8:1-8; Mt 18:1-5, 10 Tuesday: Zec 8:20-23; Lk 9:51-56 Wednesday: Neh 2:1-8; Lk 9:57-62 Thursday: Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12; Lk 10:1-12 Friday: Bar 1:15-22; Lk 10:13-16 Saturday: Bar 4:5-12, 27-29; Lk 10:17-24 Sunday: Is 5:1-7; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43 WEEKLY MASS SCHEDULE Daily Mass Server: Tues., Wed., Thur., - Phil Bromen Monday No daily mass Tuesday 5:00 PM +Michael Strasser Wednesday 8:30 AM +Dan Silver Thursday 7:00 AM +Steven Ignowski 3:30 PM @ Knute Nelson +Jeanne Jepsen Friday 8:30 AM Intentions of the KC s Saturday 5:00 PM ++Evelyn & Al Hartung Sunday 8:00 AM For the Parish 10:00 AM +Melvin Boesen Sacraments Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday at 4 PM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (room behind presider s chair; also has a separate entry) Celebration of Baptism: All parents must take the Baptism Preparation Course before their child s baptism. Sign up by calling the Parish Office. The next course will be offered on Nov. 14 th at 7 PM. Baptism Dates: Oct 1 st, 7 th, 15 th, Nov. 5 th, 11 th, 19 th. To schedule a baptism on one of these dates, please call the Parish Office. Preparation for Marriage: Members of the parish (or children of members) must arrange for marriage at least 6 months in advance. Information can be received from the Parish Office. Anointing of the Sick: Is held on the first Sunday of the month, immediately following the 8 AM Mass. Those who wish to be anointed are asked to come to the front of the church. New members - to register please stop by our hospitality desk located in the Commons Area of the church or visit our website to complete the registration online.
WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY 1 LITURGICAL MINISTERS October 7 th & 8 th SATURDAY 5 PM MASS Greeters Team 1 Cheryl Wille, Grace Lambert, Reenie Elkington, Brenda Struck, Pat Polesak Ushers Team 1-Brad Olson, Joseph Struck, Gail Feriancek, Vicki Lorentz, Joyce Essler, Ed Dummer Extraordinary Ministers Team 1 Lector 1 Nancy Beltz Lector 2 Lauren Russell Servers Jairo Lopez, Christian Lopez SUNDAY 8 AM MASS Greeters Team 5A Kathleen & Laurel Bruder, Pat & Bob Dahlheimer, Dave & Jane Michaels Ushers Team 5 Bernie Wambeke, Jim Walz, Brad Brejcha, Dan Zimny, Kevin Tvrdik, Ken Tvrdik, Vinnie Hennen Extraordinary Ministers Team 5 Lector 1 Kathleen Baudrau Lector 2 Parker Olson Servers Daniel Savageau, Lauren Savageau SUNDAY 10 AM MASS Greeters Team 9 Greg & Linda Thompson, Paulette Engels, Rod & Sue Borden Ushers Team 9 Brad Dumm, Bruce Strandskov, Jacob Schiltgen, Mark Meuwissen, Hank Janz, Dennis Mack, Lyle Holscher, T. Michael Thompson Extraordinary Ministers Team 9 Lector 1 Joshua Waltzing Lector 2 Michele Neale Servers Thomas Klecker, Henry Klecker Drivers October 8 th Bethel Manor Mike Savageau Windmill Ponds Blair Hovel Arabella Manor Laurel Linder Grand Arbor John Hovel & Ron Boyden.Hospital/Nursing Home October 8 th Hospital Melanie Boesen Knute Nelson/Nelson Gables Steve & Diane Henry Bethany Jan Breun SNOWBIRDS You can help us reduce our mailing costs while you are temporarily away. If you plan to be away for longer than one week please fill out the form available at our hospitality desk, or on our website www.stmaryalexandria.org BAPTISMS Tenley Mae child of Keith Akenson & Kristi Winter Conrad William child of Chris & Carla Wheeler ADULT FAITH FORMATION ADULT BIBLE STUDY - Tuesday evenings in the Great Hall immediately following the 5 PM mass. Call Mike at 759-1911 for more info. MEN S BIBLE STUDY - Thursday mornings in the Commons Area of the church at 6:00 AM. Call Mike at 759-1911 for more info. WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY - Peter: Cornerstone of Catholicism Meets on Saturday s from 8-10 a.m or Sunday 6:30-8:30 p.m. WOMEN OF GRACE BIBLE STUDY The 9- part study begins Monday, October 9 th, 6:30-8:30pm in the Great Hall and will continue to meeting the 2 nd and 4 th Mondays of Oct, Nov, Jan, Feb and end March 5 th. For further information and to enroll, please call or text Kim Rauk 320-808-3669 Lori Mayer 701-659-0763 Sonya Skinner 320-219-1984 ST. MARY S PRAYER LINK: If you have a prayer request, please send to Wosepkak@aol.com or phone Kelly Wosepka at 320-815-4655. You may also call Julie Desautels at 846-1842. All prayer requests will be kept confidential. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION, A STEWARDSHIP OF PRAYER. For more information you can contact Sue McCulloch at 320-491-7006 (call or text); tscamcculloch@charter.net. The 50/50 Club What is the 50/50 Club? The 50/50 Club is a place for adults to gather and talk about issues facing our teens and pre-teens. Each session will focus on a different topic that is relevant to modern families and will include thought-provoking presentations and discussions by various presenters. Where? When? Meet at the KC Hall, 722 6 th Ave E. on Wednesday beginning Oct. 4 th Social Gathering Time 6:30 PM Session Begins 6:50 PM Session Ends 7:50 PM Why Attend? If you have teenagers in your life and are concerned about how to engage with them on sensitive topics, The 50/50 Club is the place to be. We wish to offer our sympathy and a promise of our prayers to: Family and friends on the death of: Sunny Sizer & Grace Huss PRAYER CORNER If you or someone you know in our parish community is sick or ill or has a family member who could use our prayers, please call our Parish Nurse, Kathy Fischer, at 762-2320. Please remember the following people in your prayers: Lori Thorson, Ruth Partington, Ron Hoffman, Chris Ficenec, Emily Stark, Ken Judson, Betty Schlosser, Butch (Bruce) Schmidt, Jim Rutten, Nancy Westhoff, Scott Addy, Gretchen Rivers, Carol Furth, Marvin Anderley, Ben Vanderheiden, Ronald Decker, Kathryn Vieaux, Irene Bundy, Dick Wagner, Pat Pahl and Irma Moriarty.
FROM FATHER STEVE: The Inquiry Phase of our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process began on Sept 21. If someone would like to find out more about becoming a Catholic, please call me at 320-763-5781. The youth group that is going to the National Catholic Youth Convention is asking for our support by attending their Bingo and Beans fundraiser after the Sat, Oct. 14 th 5pm Mass. Play bingo, win prizes, and eat all the chili you want for $25. Tickets are on sale after Mass Sept 30 weekend and until the event. Please keep the priests of our diocese in your prayers. We are having our annual clergy conference at Arrowwood from today until noon on Wednesday. The topic is Evangelization. COMMUNITY NEWS THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BINGO Sunday, October 1 st at 7:00 PM & Wednesday, October 4 th at 2:00 PM at the KC Hall on 6 th Ave E. & Nokomis. Team 5 Don Thoennes, Al Hansen, Roger Johnson, Dustin Thoennes and Bill Flaig will be in charge. PLEASE NOTE: A family of our parish is in need of help with occasional meals brought to their home. We are looking for volunteers for November 14 th, 16 th, 28 th & 30 th. Please call Kathy at 762-2320 if you are able to help or for more information. AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE will be held at St. Mary s Church on Monday, Oct. 2 from 1:00-7:00 PM and on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 10:30 AM 4:30 PM. For an appointment or more info please call Janet at 763-3381. LOVE INC FUNDRAISER - Give of your time, talent and treasure! Support our local mission field and reserve your seat/table at the sixth annual Love INC Fundraiser on Thursday, October 12th from 6-9 PM at the Holiday Inn. To reserve your seat or donate an item to the silent auction, contact Julie at 491-7089 or 2plus6@gmail.com. Thanks also for your prayers in support of this event! GRIEF SEMINAR Anderson Funeral Home is sponsoring a grief seminar on Monday evenings at 6 PM from Oct. 2 nd through Nov. 6 th. They will also offer a morning grief seminar on Tuesdays at 10 AM from Oct. 3 rd through Nov. 7 th. They will be held at Anderson s on Broadway in Alexandria. There is no charge and the seminar is open to anyone who would like help in the grief healing process. Please call 320-219-6278 for more information and to register. PARISH LIFE COMMITTEE NEWS Save the date, Oktoberfest Party time is coming! This event is on Saturday, October 28 th from 6:00 to 9:00 PM in 2 the St. Mary s School Gym. Oktoberfest is a free family event open to all! Enjoy a meal, refreshments, fellowship and dance to the music by Nathan s Old Time Band. Contact Carol at 762-0139 for more information or if you would like to help with this event. LIVING HEALTHY WITH DIABETES is a workshop that will help you take control of your diabetes rather than letting it control you! If you have diabetes and you want to learn more about managing your disease, Living Healthy with Diabetes is for you. By attending this workshop one time per week for 6 weeks, you will learn how to: Manage symptoms Communicate effectively with your doctor and other health care professionals Lessen your frustration Fight fatigue & pain Eat healthier & read nutrition labels Keep your blood sugar in check Make daily tasks easier AND Get more out of life! The class will be held in the large conference room at St. Mary s Parish Office from 9-11:30 AM on Thursdays, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2, 9. To register please call Mary Krueger at 320-762-3047 or Deb Rapp at 218-685-8220. Life and Dignity Sunday, October 14-15: The bishops of Minnesota established the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) Catholic Advocacy Network to develop a faithful, compassionate, moral voice for life, dignity, and justice in our state. Next weekend, during Life and Dignity Sunday, we will have an opportunity to register for the network. Next weekend a one page description of the network will be inserted into the bulletin. Please read it, pray about it (and for it), and then register using the cards that will be provided or on-line. Consider being a part of this important effort to build a diocesan and statewide community of Catholics who stand together as a positive force for good in Minnesota. LOCAL SOLIDARITY FAIR with GLOBAL IMPACT Sunday, October 8 th, 2017 After 8:00 and 10:00 AM masses in the Great Hall Your opportunity to volunteer with local organizations Connect with organizations that provide assistance to those in need in the Alexandria area You can do mission work without traveling to far away countries Consider becoming involved in one of these worthwhile organizations Purchases will be available at the Fair Trade Booth for your consideration WE LL SEE YOU AT THE FAIR!!!
WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY 3 FAIR TRADE What is Fair Trade? Fair Trade is a principle that people should earn a fair profit for the items they produce. It guarantees fair wages to disadvantaged farmers, workers and artisans. It is a social movement to help producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions and to promote sustainable farming. Fair Trade focuses primarily on products (handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, wine, sugar, and chocolate) which are typically exported from developing countries to developed countries. How can we as consumers access Fair Trade products? The JPIC Committee at St. Mary s has chosen to make Fair Trade coffee, tea and hot chocolate available on an ongoing basis. A self-serve cart is available in the gathering space during weekend Masses and at the parish office during the week. If you haven t already taken advantage of this convenient way to purchase these products, please check it out. Many fair trade items are also available in local stores. During the Local Solidarity Fair on Sunday, October 8, additional fair trade products will be available including chocolate bars and many beautiful hand-made items. Those of you who have visited the Fair Trade booth at our previous Solidarity Fairs can attest to the quality and appeal of these items. No matter how we choose to support Fair Trade, it is important to remember that it is one way that we can help make a difference in the lives of people from developing countries. JPIC Table Talk - Are you interested in additional information about Catholic Social Teaching or specifically in how it relates to the mission of the Committee for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation? Please check out our new brochure that is available at the hospitality desk. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION email: stmreled@stmaryalexandria.org Phone: 763-9202 Class Schedule Sunday School: October 8, 9:50 11:00 AM Grades 1-5: October 4, 3:45 4:30 PM Grades 6-12: October 4, 6:30 8:00 PM Sunday School Voices Welcome to Sunday school! Today we ate a caterpillar! Don t worry, it wasn t a real caterpillar. We frosted and decorated cakes to look like a giant caterpillar. Caterpillars are part of God s beautiful creation, and that s what we talked about today. We are a very important part of God s creation! Jr./Sr. High Faith Formation Grades 6-8 will be starting a semester on the Creed. Our first night is to help the youth understand the twofold meaning of faith as personally responding and believing in God and what He revealed, as well as believing and following the teachings of the Catholic Church. Grades 9-11 will be starting a series on vocations and our first night will focus on the vocation of Marriage. The goal of the night is help teens understand that the vocation to the Sacrament of Matrimony requires a complete gift of self-giving love that is able to sacrifice for others. Senior High Youth Rally This wil be held on Sunday, October 29! This day is for 9-12 th graders to come together and enjoy fun, faith and food with friends. The cost is $30 and it is held on the St. John s campus in Collegeville from 11:45 7:30 PM. Youth can sign up at the Religious Education office. Thank you Knights of Columbus! The Religious Education Department would like to thank the Knights of Columbus for supporting our faith formation program by purchasing bibles for all of our new students. In the past years the KC s have generously bought a bible for each of our incoming 6th and 7th grade students. The students then use that bible throughout their junior and senior high school years while attending Faith Formation. Thank you Knights! Sacramental Parent Meeting There will be a meeting for parents of second graders who wish for their child to receive First Reconciliation and First Communion this year. Wednesday, October 11, 4:00 PM in the Great Hall OR Tuesday, October 17, 6:30 PM in the Great Hall Bingo and Beans Event Youth attending NCYC will be hosting an all-you-can-eat chili and Bingo event on Saturday, October 14th at 6pm. Tickets are $25 and will be on sale after Masses this weekend and next, at the Religious Education Office, or at the door. Please plan on attending and supporting the youth who will be going to the National Catholic Youth Conference in November.
4 ST. MARY'S SCHOOL St. Mary's School educates the whole child within a nurturing Catholic Christian environment. Email: stmaryss@stmaryalexandria.org Phone: 320-763-5861 Fax: 320-763-7992 ST. MARY S SCHOOL MARATHON OF SERVICE 2017 October is Marathon month at St. Mary s School. The Minnesota Marathon for Non-Public Education designates this month as a statewide public relations activity for all Christian Schools. By participating, we celebrate our Catholic identity and our commitment to serve the community. To kick off this event, Josh Sanden and Ron Boyden, members from our parish Stewardship Committee, will speak to each classroom about what it means to be a good steward of time, talent and treasure. We appreciate the involvement of our parish and their dedication to serve our school. To participate in a marathon of service each student (or family) is asked to complete a service project or act of kindness during the month of October. Students are encouraged to document their project with a drawing, photo and/or written description of the service they performed. As projects are submitted, they will be displayed in the school lunchroom. We are anticipating 100% student participation and look forward to sharing our time and talents with others. SEPTEMBER 2017 CALENDAR RAFFLE WINNERS September 24 Jon Vacek, Alexandria $35 September 25 Julia Nelson, Carlos $20 September 26 Ashley Petersen, Willow Lake, SD $20 September 27 Angela Nordlund, Evansville $20 September 28 Diane Gay, Alexandria $20 September 29 Reenie Elkington, Alexandria $20 September 30 Gert Solum, Moorhead $20 SCHOOL HAPPENINGS No School - Thursday - Friday, October 19-20 - MEA No School - Monday, October 23 - Teacher Training Day "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:35 GOD S WAYS In the stream of readings during this portion of Ordinary Time, one week s texts can often appear to pick up exactly where the previous week s concluded. The sentiments expressed in today s first reading seem to be a direct reaction to the Gospel passage we heard last week. In that Gospel, the landowner pays the same wages to his workers whether they worked for a full day or for only a few minutes. Today Ezekiel gives us the lament, The LORD s way is not fair! (Ezekiel 18:25). These Sundays in Ordinary Time offer us a glimpse into the ways of the Lord. We see how God s way has the tendency to turn the accepted conventions of the day upside down. Those who always expected that their way to heaven was guaranteed are disappointed. Those who thought they never had a chance are given that chance. Today offers us another opportunity to discover the abundance of God s mercy and love. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.
5 PARISH STAFF Pastor Steve Binsfeld 763-5781 Parish Business Administrator Todd Wentworth 763-5781 Director of Music and Liturgy Laurie Youngers 763-5781 Parish Nurse Kathy Fischer 762-2320 School Principal & Elem. Religious Ed Troy Sladek 763-5861 Logistics Coordinator Laurie Bienias 763-9202 Coordinator of Youth Ministries & Confirmation Gina Pohlen 763-9202 COMMITTEE CHAIRS Parish Trustees Elmer Kobbermann 834-3103 Francie Peterson 320-360-0325 Pastoral Council President Steve Russell 218-943-5191 Finance Committee Mike Dolan 763-4705 Board of Education Francie Peterson 320-360-0325 Liturgy Committee Laurie Youngers 763-5781 Committee for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Tammy Boushek 760-5405 Parish Life Committee Verna Winter 507-329-0135 Cemetery Committee Phil Bromen 320-763-5781 CARING & SHARING ROOM FINANCIAL GIFTS Collections for the Weekend of 09/24/2017 Actual Budgeted Sunday Envelope $32,122.50 $29,941.88 Loose $ 2,539.71 $ 2,115.38 Sunday Children $ 2.50 $ 115.38 A more detailed report may be viewed at the Parish Office. 320-760-8084 PASTORAL COUNCIL President: Steve Russell Vice President: Mike Sponsler Secretary: Sonya Skinner Megan Bristow, Tammy Huss, Dan Hillback, Dawn Houska, Mary Jane Reif, Tabatha Odens.