ST. JOSEPH MESSENGER December 2017 It is through the wisdom of St. Bernard of Clairvaux that we find the threefold spirituality of the coming of Christ during the Holy season of Christmas. St. Bernard tells us that Christ comes to us in HISTORY, MYSTERY AND MAJESTY. On December 25 we celebrate the holy reality that Christ came to us in HISTORY two thousand years ago. The second person of the Blessed Trinity became one of us in the flesh. He was like us in all things but never sinned. The ancient Fathers of the Church tell us that what we celebrate on the Feast of Christmas is that God became one of us so that we could become more like Him. Yes, Christ came to us in HISTORY. St. Bernard also tells us that Christ will come again in MAJESTY at the end of time. We do not know when this will happen. But as Scripture tells us, our Lord will come with his angels at the end of time and bring creation to its full beauty and completeness. We pray for this MAJESTIC encounter at every mass and every time we pray our Lord s Prayer, Come Lord Jesus. Our Cistercian saint also reminds us that Christ comes to us in MYSTERY. Every moment of our life Christ comes to us in MYSTERY as he knocks on the door of our heart. Yes, He knocks and hopes that we let Him in. This coming in MYSTERY means that Christ comes to us constantly to fill us up with his love, so we want to be ready to greet him when He comes to us in the Mass, the Sacraments, the Word, the people we meet and the events of life. St. Bernard wants us to be ready to answer and unlock the door of our heart so the loving presence of Christ may reign in our hearts and in our souls. So, during the Holy season of Advent and Christmas, we celebrate the threefold coming of Christ in: HISTORY, MYSTERY AND MAJESTY. I want to remind all of you before the great feast of Christmas we have another great feast that sets the stage for our feast of Christmas. Beginning on the evening of December 7 and throughout the day on the 8 th of December, we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This is a holy day for us and our patron in the United States. We will have three masses for this Holy Day: December 7 at 6 p.m. at St. Pat s and December 8 at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. at St. Joe s. During this feast, we celebrate that Mary was free from sin at the moment of her conception. Since she was full of grace and had enmity with sin, she was that perfect vessel to be the Mother of God. The Holy season of Advent is also a great time to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please consult the times for the Sacrament. I have added some additional times for all of you. May you have a very Holy and Joyful Advent and Christmas season. God is with us. Fr. Dan Important Dates (Information in Newsletter) December 2/3: Food Pantry Weekend December 6: Generations Night December 7: Mass at St. Pat s 6 pm December 8: Mass at St. Joe s 7 am and 6 pm December 16: Bingo Night January 20: Bingo Night February 3: Guys Night Out February 10: Trivia Crime & Punishment June 10: St. Joe s 125 th Anniversary Mass ADVENT RECONCILIATION TIMES DECEMBER 2 4:00 PM TO 4:30 PM AT ST. JOE S DECEMBER 4 5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM AT ST. PAT S DECEMBER 9 4:00 PM TO 4:30 PM AT ST. JOE S DECEMBER 9 10:00 AM FIRST PENANCE AT ST. JOE S DECEMBER 13 7:00 PM COMMUNAL PENANCE AT ST. JOE S DECEMBER 14 7:00 PM TO 8:30 PM AT ST. PAT S DECEMBER 16 7:00 AM TO 9:00 AM AT ST. PAT S DECEMBER 16 4:00 PM TO 4:30 PM AT ST. JOE S DECEMBER 23 7:00 AM TO 9:00 AM AT ST. JOE S DECEMBER 23 4:00 PM TO 4:30 PM AT ST. JOE S Advent/Christmas Parishioner Sharing This season, think of three families/individuals in our parish that you may not know very well. Send them a card and pray for them. You can be anonymous and just sign it as a fellow parishioner. Or you may introduce yourself and wish them well this season! Have fun!
Parish Contacts Office Phone is 515-462-1083 Pastor: Rev. Dan Kirby dkirby@saintjosephchurch.net Deacon: Sam Sullivan stmnsully@gmail.com 515-468-1389 Church Office: Patricia Barker office@saintjosephchurch.net Youth Minister: Sarah Hansen shansen@saintjosephchurch.net Religious Education - catechesis@saintjosephchurch.net Mary Sents - mksents@gmail.com Michael Back - michaelaback@att.net Sami Heithoff - samiheithoff@hotmail.com Altar & Rosary Society: Margaret Schleuter 515-462-1404 Music Ministry: Monica Pugh - monicaspugh9@gmail.com Brady Pugh - bepugh87@gmail.com Knights of Columbus: Andy Couture - ajcouture12@gmail.com 515-493-9633 Prayer Line: Rosemary Stuchel - 515-462-4152 Patricia Corkrean - 515-462-4251 Parish Reservations: 515-462-1083 Bulletin: Dave Sullivan - office@saintjosephchurch.net Newsletter: Mary Kordick - marykate2361@gmail.com Mass Times Saturday 5 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. Monday No mass Tuesday 6 p.m. Wednesday 8 a.m. Thursday 8 a.m. Friday 8 a.m. Reconciliation Saturday 4:00-4:30 or by appointment Mass Remembrance A special way to remember a family member or a friend who has passed away would be to have a Mass offered in their memory. If you wish to have the Mass offered on a birthday, anniversary or any special date, we will do our best to have the Mass offered on that specific date. Please contact the office with your request. The suggested donation for each Mass is $5.00. NEWSLETTER INFORMATION Please have all information for the next month s newsletter turned in BY THE 25 th of each month. Email it to marykate2361@gmail.com or to the church office. THANKS! Flocknote - Have you signed up for any of the email lists yet? Check them out at https://www.flocknote.com/saintjosephchurch Have you liked our Facebook page yet? Be sure to visit us at: https://www.facebook.com/saintjosephwinterset Food Pantry Weekend Please bring your food items on the first weekend of each month. This month it is December 2/3. Or you may leave a cash donation, as they can purchase food and items with this. THANK YOU! Bottle and Can Collection There is a bottle and can collection site behind the church. The Youth Ministry uses the funds from recycling these containers for various activities. Thanks for placing your returnables in the appropriate space. Check out the St. Joseph website at http://www.saintjosephchurch.net/ Guys Night Out Join us for a fun night of food and fellowship. February 3, 2018. Open to ALL men of St. Joseph Catholic Church and Irish Settlement-St. Patrick's Catholic Church (you do not have to be a Knight to attend). Free will dinner will be served at 6:45 with fun and fellowship to follow. Watch the Iowa State vs. Baylor basketball game on the big screen, play cards, etc. Knights of Columbus Toy Drive A box is located in the entry way of the church for new unwrapped toys. All toys will be donated to the MATURA Christmas project. All toys will be given to kids in need in Madison County.
December Anniversaries Rick & Sandy Hoenig 6 th Mike & Rita Drysdale 10 th Pat & Gary Barker 12 th Ardon & LaBella Williams 13 th Greg & Deana Armstrong 20 th Larry Lantz & Maureen Roach 29 th Bob & Peggy Casper 30 th Joe & Ann Hays 30 th Baptismal Anniversaries Gus King December 26 Miriam Ritchie December 26 Birthdays Ken See is turning 90 on December 23!! Ken was born in Des Moines, Iowa on Dec. 23, 1927, and lived there most of his life with short stops in California and Redfield before moving to the Winterset area in 1986 (with still more brief stops in Des Moines and Oregon). Ken has been a member of St. Joseph s Church for over 25 years, and served on the Knights of Columbus for many of those years. Ken s family (4 kids, 3 grandkids and 2 great-grandkids) would like you to help us shower Ken with birthday greetings and send him a birthday card to 709 W Summit, Winterset, IA 50273. Miguel Gutierrez 1 William Dole 1 Elizabeth Nigg 2 Matthias Pugh 3 Joseph Maher 3 Cohen Hansen 3 Michael Corkrean 3 Julie Nelson 3 Peggy Casper 3 Christopher Thompson 4 Jean Pletchette 4 Jo Sitkiewicz 5 Eduardo Garcia 5 Angela Mortoza 5 Brenda Ochiltree 7 Kay Murphy 7 Ron Schaffer 7 Traci Lensing 7 Sarah Kirkland 8 Patrick Corkrean 10 Nicole Williams 10 Maria Gutierrez 11 Ava Lemon 11 Dan Lawson 11 Morgan Wickman 12 Talon Ridout 12 Gary Barker 13 Jenna Linde 14 Glenn Villa 15 Morgan Wagner 16 Haiden Tuttle 16 Randy Vandello 16 Kaeler Beebe 17 Jeff Dolton 17 Madison Honkomp 17 Blake Thompson 17 Clara Snyder 18 Maggie Geoghegan 18 Lisa Reymann 18 William Kelly 20 James Maher 21 Abby Geoghegan 21 Ken See 23 Lindsey Moss 23 Taylor Schlatter 24 Kacie Feldman 25 Caleb Moetsch 26 Dylan Wagner 27 Jenna Wagner 27 Katie Linde 27 Julie Morrison 27 James Nigg 28 Steve Palmer 29 Paul Klimesh 30 Therese Fath 30 Rochelle Lopez 30 James Hansen 30 Riley Williams 30 Grant Williams 30 Bev Maxwell 30 Susan Doran 31 Pamela Miller 31 Bryce Buckalew 31 As the Catholic world moves towards getting ready for Advent, you might notice the 4th Sunday of Advent falls on Christmas Eve this year and Christmas is NOT moved to the Sunday! Yes, you will have to go to mass twice in one weekend. Here are your options!
NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) (More pictures are available on our Facebook Page.) St. Joseph Church and St. Patrick Irish Settlement youth participated in the 2017 National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 16-18. The 21 youth were joined by Father Dan plus four additional chaperones. The pilgrimage to Lucas Oil Stadium began each morning and evening with live music by various Christian artists followed by keynote speakers. There were 70 various sessions each day for the attendees to choose from in the Convention Center. The sessions included speakers and musicians for the youth (and adults) to grow in their faith. Of course, there was also the Thematic Village where team-building games, activities and vendors could be found. The pilgrimage was capped off by mass for all 25,000 attendees in Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday evening by the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Jose Gomez. Thank you to our parish family and the community for all of your support for this bi-annual event. Our fundraising efforts and your donations allow for our students to have the opportunity to attend at minimal expense. Fr. Dan gives a special blessing to the youth before their trip. I think I see Fr. Chris with Fr. Dan!!!! I think they found him. St. Joseph Shelter Meal
St. Joseph Shelter Meal Did you know that our church donates a meal each month to the St. Joseph Shelter? Thanks to Larry Lantz for organizing and coordinating this much appreciated meal! Would you like to help donate? If so, email Larry at larwin62@yahoo.com or Mary Kordick at marykate2361@gmail.com to be added to that email list through Flocknote. Each month, there is a need for three spaghetti casseroles, milk, veggies/fruit, brownies, etc. Would any individual/group/family be willing to sign up to bring the three spaghetti casseroles for one or two month(s) of the year? Easy - make it in three disposable 9x13 pans. No meat involved. It is usually the 3rd week of the month; casseroles would need to be at the church by the Thursday of that week so they can be delivered on Friday. October - Coutures November - Kordicks Volunteers for spaghetti for the month of December, January and next year? Contact Larry or Mary to sign up. THANKS! Religious Education Do you recognize these Saints? These are our religious education youth dressed up as saints for All Saints Day. Dec. 6 Generations Night at 6 p.m. We will start with a potluck followed by some Advent activities and Ellen Miller giving us an update on Mary's Meals. Dec. 9 First Reconciliation for 2nd graders Dec. 13 Classes Dec. 20 Classes Have a great Christmas break! Classes will resume Jan. 10th! THANK YOU to all of our crafters, bakers and shoppers! We had a great Holiday Hop sale this year due to the generosity of all of you! We made about $3,050! This money will be used by the Altar and Rosary to purchase items for the altar and gathering space in addition to their other expenditures. The Holiday Hop Committee
Date of incident: February 10, 2018. Location: St. Joseph Fellowship Hall. Alleged Crime: Trivia. Perpetrators: Those attending. If you think you can handle it, get your teams ready for the February 10 trivia event. Ron and Deb will again be here to provide clues, lead investigations, and dispense justice in our CRIME AND PUNISHMENT trivia. More clues and sign-up forms will be provided in the January newsletter. Donation Boxes in Gathering Space In the gathering space of the church there are several big boxes ready for donations. The Knights of Columbus are conducting a Toy Drive and are asking for donations of unwrapped toys for distribution to kids who may not be receiving any presents. That drive will be active from now until December 23. Thanks! There is another box awaiting donations of winter clothes to be shared with folks in the community who may not be able to dress themselves warmly this winter. There is another box labeled personal items that is there to collect things like toothpaste, soap, shampoo, cleaning supplies, etc. This is one of the projects sponsored by our Religious Education program. Around the Diocese Dinner in December Friday, December 8 The Tea Room, downtown Des Moines Seats are selling fast for this evening of fellowship and thanksgiving that features keynote speaker Dr. David Anders of EWTN Radio's Called to Communion. Preceding the event, Bishop Pates invites all to the 5:30 p.m. Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at St. Ambrose Cathedral. A limited number of seats remain, so register today! Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend has something in it for every married couple. The Weekend has value for couples married one year on up to 50 years or more. Sign up today to attend one of the upcoming Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends on Feb. 9-11 @ Ankeny, March 9-11 @ La Crosse, April 20-22 @ Dubuque. Early registration is highly recommended. For information and to register go to iowa-wwme.org or call 563-608- 3305 or email: JLJwwme08@Gmail.com 2018 Iowa Catholic Men's Conference Saturday, March 10 St. Francis of Assisi Church, West Des Moines This sixth annual "Faith for the Journey" conference returns with world-class speakers to help men build their faith and live out their Baptismal call. Stay tuned for details and registration for this must-attend event! Christmas and New Year s Mass Schedule Watch the bulletin or go online at http://www.saintjosephchurch.net/ to learn of the mass schedule for Christmas and New Year s.
Parishioner Profiles Scott, Valery, Louie and Jimmy Hanson Scott and Valery (Rahe) Hanson and their two children, Louis (Louie, age 4) and James (Jimmy, age 2) live just north of Winterset and joined St. Joseph parish in 2016. Baby Hanson is due to join the family on March 20! Valery grew up in Dyersville (Field of Dreams town) on a dairy farm and was the youngest of five siblings. She graduated from Beckman Catholic High School in 2004. She has a BA (Leisure Youth and Human Services) from UNI and was the former Activity Director at Spurgeon Manor Retirement Community in Dallas Center, Iowa. Scott was born in Omaha but moved to Winterset in the 2 nd grade. He is also the youngest of three siblings. His parents are Shawn and Nancy (Frank) Hanson of Winterset. In high school he was a tour guide at the John Wayne Birthplace before graduating in 2004. Scott went on to get his BA (Biomedical) at UNI; DO at Des Moines University; Family Medicine Residency in Mankato, MN; Geriatrics Fellowship in Omaha. He is now a Physician at Mercy Clinics Geriatrics Services in Des Moines. The couple met at an ugly Christmas sweater party at UNI. Scott is fond of saying that Valery had the ugliest sweater there! They were married in New Vienna, Iowa, on July 10, 2010. About a year after they married, they decided they wanted their eventual family to be under one spiritual roof. At the time, although Scott had attended St. Paul Lutheran next door while he was growing up, they were attending St. Francis in West Des Moines. Scott enlisted in RCIA. The couple attended all the meetings together, and they feel this helped form a strong foundation of faith for their marriage. The family moved to Winterset in June of 2016. They enjoy playing with Stanley, their seven-year-old Boston Terrier, and taking him for family walks. They also enjoy going swimming at the aquatic center, playing at the City Park and Whistlestop Park, and getting together with family and friends. Barbara Reid Where does a nearly half century journey lead when walking by faith and not by sight? According to Barbara Reid, it s to Winterset, Iowa, and the parish families at St. Patrick and St. Joseph. Barbara was born in Miami, Florida, but lived many of her younger years in Ohio with her parents and younger siblings one brother and one sister. She moved back to Florida at age eleven when her parents divorced. Barbara attended and graduated from the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind in St Augustine, Florida. It was in this oldest city of the United States (which also has the oldest Catholic church in the U.S.) that a fellow female student - who was five years older and a devout Catholic - intrigued Barbara s interest in the Catholic faith. Barbara continued in the Protestant faith tradition of her upbringing through her college years and into young adulthood. She met her future husband on Michigan s Upper Peninsula during a college summer Christian group retreat. She later graduated from the University of Akron (Ohio) with a degree in English. Barbara taught for the first year after graduating from college. She got married in December of 1994 and moved to California with her husband, who was pursuing further studies at a Protestant seminary there. After his graduation, but without being ordained, they moved with their newborn daughter, Jacquelyne, to North Carolina, which was close to Barbara s in-laws. While there, Barbara worked at a factory for the blind and at a customer service call center. Later on, Chicago was home. The next move was to Wisconsin due to a separation in the marriage, and with job hunts in the area where her sister resided. The job searches weren t fruitful, but the faith search was. She long believed that the Protestant faith was missing something. So it was in Wisconsin that Barbara converted to the Catholic faith that she sought for so many years. At the age of 38 and at the Easter Vigil Mass in 2015 (one week before Pope St. John Paul II passed to his eternal reward) Barbara cried with joy when she could fully participate in the Mass and receive Christ for the first time. Prior to this, she would cry because of the beauty of the Mass and because she couldn t receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Her journey later led her to Iowa - first to Waterloo, then to Boone, and finally to Winterset. (registering at St. Joseph in September of 2015.) There have been numerous joyful and sorrowful moments during this journey, but Barbara continues to strive to learn more about the Catholic faith and to be a better Catholic. In addition to attending Mass, she enjoys the privilege of being a lector on occasion. Barbara also enjoys the fellowship with her brothers and sisters in Christ especially those in the faith communities of St. Patrick and St. Joseph. (If you need a conversation starter, ask her, How large is your Braille Bible? )
Parishioner Profile Ben and Lu Roth At Sunday mass, one can usually find Ben and Lu sitting in the first pew over by the choir. They have been parishioners since 1997. They are the parents of three adult children who live in the Des Moines area: Benedict John Roth III, Amberlei Silver Roth, and Cassandra Elizabeth Roth. Lu was born in Waterloo and raised in Traer, Iowa, along with her brother and sister. She graduated from North Tama High School in 1976. Her mother was a homemaker, and her dad was Superintendent at North Tama. He enjoyed golfing, including at the age of 92, a year before he passed. Ben was born and raised in Dubuque and graduated from Hempstead in Dubuque in 1974. He has four brothers and two sisters. Phyllis, his mother, was a singer and organist for many years at Holy Ghost Catholic Church and taught piano for over 50 years. When she passed, she had five priests and two deacons at her funeral. Ben s dad worked for Trenkles Meat Market. Ben remembers that when he was an altar server, he learned the Latin over six weekends, but he only served one week of Latin before it got cancelled! Following high school, Ben enlisted in the Marine Corps. He also took classes at East Carolina University, Scott Community College and William Penn. Lu went to AIC in Davenport and also William Penn. Her jobs have included being a dog groomer, Medical Administrative Assistant, and currently a claims examiner. Besides being a Marine, Ben was a police officer for 13 years and currently works for Medicare. The couple met while Ben was playing on the Dubuque Police softball team and Lu was a concession stand manager. They married March 20, 1984, at United Church of Christ, where Lu was raised Presbyterian, and the marriage was blessed at Holy Ghost Catholic Church. After daughter Cassie was born, Lu took RCIA classes at Our Lady of the River in LeClaire, Iowa. As she states, It was time. Around 1996 the family moved to Earlham and raised their kids there. Soon after their move, they started to look for a Catholic church. The Stuart parish at that time was divided by the fire that destroyed the church, where some wanted to build a new one and others wanted to renovate the existing church. They also tried Adel and didn t feel it was the right fit. Finally, they went to St. Joseph s and knew they had found their church home. Many open arms greeted them on day one. They remember that the first people to welcome them were Charlie and Berta Kordick and Randy and Jo Snyder. Because the couple thought it was time to downsize and Ben started working from home, they moved to Des Moines to make Lu s commute easier. In their spare time, Ben has an interest in anything Marvel, and he also collects comic books and the toy figures, while Lu enjoys auctions, crafts and a newly found love of painting. Their doberman pinscher, Hondo (from a John Wayne movie), joined the family about four years ago. Even with the move to Des Moines, St. Joe s has remained their home. Ben helped with 5 th grade CCD classes and is also a lector and Eucharistic minister. Lu was a chaperone to NCYC in Galveston, Texas. She was also involved with Christ Renews His Parish. Some of their most special memories include the mass celebrating the blessing of the new church and also the trip to Italy with Father Dan and several members of St. Joseph s and St. Patrick s. Quilts of Valor Here are pictures of Steve Palmer and Brady Pugh of our parish receiving their quilts of valor from Fr. Dan, Andy Couture & Luella Fairholm. The Knights raised $600 from the BINGO night in November to give to the Quilt of Valor program. Thanks to all who serve or have served our country. And thanks to all who make the Quilts of Valor!
CHRISTMAS BINGO! Saturday, December 16 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. St. Joseph Catholic Church, Winterset, IA Packets are $20 for 20 games Progressive Jackpot! Concessions available hotdogs, popcorn, pop, etc. All Proceeds Benefit the C.R.I.S.P Christmas4KIDS Project Mary s Meals This Christmas we have Double the Love Promotion! [Grab your reader s attention with a great quote from the document or use this space to emphasize a key point. To place this It costs just $19.50 to feed a child in school for a whole year through Mary s Meals. text box anywhere on the page, just drag it.] Double the love and a gift of $19.50 will feed TWO children for a whole school year! Each donation IS BEING MATCHED (up to $1.5 million) between now and December 23. Ellen Miller will be here to share pictures and stories about her recent trip to Malawi and clips of our school we sponsor! We will have these items available for your purchase after Saturday night mass, Sunday mass and Wednesday night for the RE program. Ellen will be giving a presentation for all after the pot luck as well. Share the love x 2 this Christmas!!! Traditional MM-T-shirts: $21 MM Bowl Shirts $21 Charcoal t-shirts $23 Long Sleeved Pricing -Mug with hearts -Kids fed w/bowl shirt -Feed Kids -MM long sleeve colored $24 -Little acts of Love -MM Bowl -Shed that fed -BB shirt $28 -Love Reaches Everywhere -Long sleeve MM hoodie $36 -Mary s Meals -Long sleeve Stick boy hoodie $41 -Kid W/Mug KIDS colorful Hand print shirt $25 -Crew neck sweatshirt $38 -Zip up hoodie $47 Generations Potluck December 6 Generations Night at 6 p.m. We will start with a potluck followed by some Advent activities, and Ellen Miller giving us an update on Mary's Meals.
Saint Joseph Catholic Church 1026 North 8 th Avenue Winterset, IA 50273 STANDARD A U.S. Postage PAID Winterset, IA 50273 Permit No. 187 Return Service Requested