Buildi ng upon a Firm Foundat io n 29 30 31 32 33 THIS WEEK SUNDAY 26 NOV 7 PM - Youth Ministry, Kostka Hall MONDAY 27 NOV / Dn 1:1-6, 8-20/Dn 3:52-56/Lk 21:1-4 8 AM - Mass, St. Joseph Parish 7:30 PM - College Women s Bible Study, Newman Center TUESDAY 28 NOV / Dn 2:31-45/Dn 3:57-61/Lk 21:5-11 8:15 AM - Mass, (+Henry & Catherine Hoppa) 4 PM - Salvation Army Meal Ministry 6:30 PM - Christian Initiation 6:30 PM - Celebration Choir, Church WEDNESDAY 29 NOV / Dn 5:1-28/Dn 3:62-67/Lk 21:12-19 8:15 AM - Mass (+Harry Napiwocki) 6:30 PM - REP Grs. 1-7, School; REP Gr. 8, Kostka Hall 9 PM - Late Night Mass, Newman Center THURSDAY 30 NOV / Rom 10:9-18/Ps 19:8-11/Mt 4:18-22 8:15 AM - Mass (+Helen Jersey) 9 AM-3:30 PM - Eucharistic Adoration - 3 PM - Divine Mercy Chaplet CAMPAIGN UPDATE: Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, our most recent report is from Nov. 16. As of that date, volunteers had visited 607 parish households and received pledges/contributions totaling $3,248,550. This represents 60 percent of our campaign target of $5.4 million. Watch for more updated information in next week s bulletin. PLEASE REMAIN ATTENTIVE IN PRAYING FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR CAMPAIGN. PLEASE BE GRACIOUS IN WELCOMING OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS. THERE S ONE MORE WEEK IN THE LITTLE RED BOOK. PLEASE BE PRAYERFUL IN CONSIDERING A GENEROUS AND SACRIFICIAL GIFT TO OUR SHARED EFFORT OF BUILDING UPON A FIRM FOUNDATION! 6:30 PM - Building Upon a Firm Foundation Team, Newman Ctr. 7:30 PM - College Men s Bible Study, Newman Center FRIDAY 1 DEC / Dn 7:2-14/Dn 3:75-81/Lk 21:29-33 8:15 AM - Mass (+Evelyn Ciesielski) 12 PM - Rosary, Newman Center SATURDAY 2 DEC / Dn 7:15-27/Dn 3:82-87/Lk 21:34-36 9 AM - Reconciliation LORD S DAY WORSHIP 1st Sunday of Advent 2/3 DEC Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7/Ps 80:2-3, 15-19/1 Cor 1:3-9/Mk 13:33-37 5 PM Saturday (+Erv Redding) 8 AM Sunday (+John R. Brzezinski & Clifford Gollon) - 7:30 - Rosary 10 AM Sunday (+Regina & Leonard Konkol) 6 PM Sunday (for the parish) >> Little Blue Books >> REVERSE Advent Giving Calendar >> Mondays with Pope Francis >> Opportunities for Reconciliation >> Getting kids ready for Christmas >> and much more! Find details about Advent and the Christmas Mass schedule in the parish newsletter, THE ADVOCATE, coming in the mail early this week.
First-world problems W hen I returned from my sabbatical in early June, all of the blacktop had been ripped up on the street where I live, orange gates blocked traffic and bulldozers and other pieces of heavy equipment had replaced cars and bikes. Still, I was able to maneuver my way to the driveway and unload my boxes and suitcases. As the months passed, the access, or lack of it, grew worse. Some nights I d return to find the street completely impassible. Persistent drenching rains only exacerbated challenges for those of us living on this street under construction, and of course that excessive moisture was even more problematic for the road crew. One night I had no problem sneaking through the barriers and sandy path, only to awake the next morning to find a big hole dug right at the end of my driveway. My car was trapped in the garage. Even riding my bike to church that day was a challenge; it was like a slalom course of hoses, dirt piles, orange cones, loose sand and backhoes. By the third day, I really needed my car! Where to park was always a mystery and sometimes an adventure. I had the sense that some neighbors were getting secretly coded messages from the city street department as to what was happening, when and where, but I wasn t one of them. One night a neighbor let me park in his driveway, a block and a half from my house. I dodged puddles and mud walking home. The next morning there was an unusual flurry of activity outside, and I soon realized that much of it was near my neighbor s house, where my car was parked! I had to drive across three front lawns to escape. The unpredictability was frustrating. I had invited the bishop to dinner when he was with us for Pentecost, only to realize how ridiculous a notion that was: He wouldn t have been able Are We There Yet? Father Tom Lindner to get to the house! Similar invitations or plans were changed or simply canceled. As the seemingly endless process of street rebuilding slogged on, neighbors tried to convince one another that it would all be worth it, we d have a great street. But as holes were dug, filled, re-dug, re-filled and dug again; as sidewalks were paved, ripped up and paved again; and as the incessant beeping of heavy equipment in reverse remained the soundtrack of our summer, we wondered if our optimism had any basis in reality. Of course we knew it would all end, and now we have that beautiful new street we had begun to wonder about. It does have a curiously large and/or ill-defined bike path, but we ll live with that. There are no more holes, no more piles of sand, no more beeping. It was a surreal chaotic season, but there was something fascinating about the unpredictability, about having to cleverly anticipate and adapt, and in recognizing the hard to accept reality that some things are just the way they are for no discernable reason. It reminded me of the far more See PROBLEMS on Page 4 838 Fremont St., 344.9117 2108 Fourth Ave., 345.6500, Pastor frtom@holyspiritstevenspoint.org deaconrick@holyspiritstevenspoint.org, Administrative-Parish Life Coordinator lee@holyspiritstevenspoint.org, Pastoral Care Director julie@holyspiritstevenspoint.org, Campus Ministry Director wendy@holyspiritstevenspoint.org, Faith Formation & Evangelization Director, colleen@holyspiritstevenspoint.org, Finance Coordinator srbarb@holyspiritstevenspoint.org Music Director mary@holyspiritstevenspoint.org Assistant Music Director andrea@holyspiritstevenspoint.org Student Liturgy Coordinator liturgy@holyspiritstevenspoint.org www.pacellicatholicschools.com 341.2445 Joining Our Parish: Fr. Tom would be glad to talk with you about parish membership. Send him an email at frtom@holyspiritstevenspoint.org or call him at 345-6500 to make an appointment. Celebrating Baptism: Baptism is celebrated at Lord s Day Mass at various times of the liturgical year. If you want to raise your child in the Catholic faith and celebrate your child s baptism, please call Fr. Tom for more information. Parents celebrating the baptism of heir first child are asked to complete a baptism orientation seminar. Caring for the Sick: If you or a loved one are seriously ill, homebound or anticipating surgery, please call Fr. Tom to schedule a visit and/or the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Campus Ministry Point Catholic is the name of Holy Spirit s outreach to college students attending UW-Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College. You can learn more about campus ministry at our web site. Facebook: Like us at Holy Spirit Parish and Point Catholic. Joining Facebook is easy. Go to www.face-book.com.
Accepting New Believers for Initiation It is with great joy that we celebrate a special and ancient rite this weekend for 3 young people seeking baptism into our Catholic faith. We are blessed by the courage and determination of these young women who have been gathering together with us and many others for the last 2 months to share a meal, ask questions, learn about scripture, attend Mass and begin getting to know our Holy Spirit community and who the person of Jesus is to some of us. From the early church models, we refer to this first part as the period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate. This period can be long or very brief. When the inquiring person and the Church community believe that the person is starting to show some signs of a Christian faith and is ready to commit to becoming Catholic, the person is invited to celebrate a ritual called a Rite of Acceptance into the Order of the Catechumenate. By celebrating this rite, the person is officially and publicly declaring his or her intention to enter into a formal relationship with the Church, learning its ways and participating in its lifestyle. The Church, in turn (that s US!), accepts that commitment and pledges its support throughout the person s journey of faith. You ll notice the rite resembles the beginning of a baptism for an infant or child. This is where our rite for infant baptism originates! This rite makes the person an official member of the Church as one who is preparing to be baptized. Therefore, the person is given an official title and role to play in the Church, that of catechumen which means one in whom the Word of God echoes. What a great word! Of time, talent and treasure RECOGNIZING THE NEED In today s Gospel, Saint Matthew offers a compelling vision of the end-time, when the people of all nations are brought before the Lord to give an account of their lives and actions. Interestingly, the sheep, the righteous ones, are rewarded for having acted with love and compassion without having recognized the face of Christ in others. Good stewards recognize those in need of their care as gifts from God. They know that they are instruments of Christ s active, loving presence in the world. How will we treat others this week: our family members, neighbors, customers, strangers? What accounting will we make to the Lord for their care? International Catholic Stewardship Council PARTICIPATION AT MASS Nov. 18/19 5 p.m. 261 8 a.m. 233 10 a.m. 343 6 p.m. 243 HOLY SPIRIT PARISH GIVING Nov. 18/19..$14,570.21 YTD Actual.$357,335.99 YTD Budgeted $393,478.99 Difference..-$36,143.00 Please be attentive to your regular parish giving, which is essential for the ongoing ministry and work of our parish. Carolyn Mennigan Paige Golla Kassandra Morzewski SO Holy Spirit Parish our catechumens as of this weekend are Carolyn, Paige, and Kassie get excited! AND we are also joined this weekend in an adapted rite by 2 men who already share our Christian baptism and seek to be received as full members of the Church at Easter. They have also been gathering with us over the last 2 months to deepen their unity with Jesus and our parish. You will certainly recognize Gus and Jeff as they become candidates for Full Communion this weekend. AND that s not all! We have 3 more Catholic adult candidates for Confirmation who you ll meet after the new year! Start praying for all these folks! Look for them at Mass! Introduce yourself and your Gus Lindow Jeff Wendt family! These are the people who make us Catholic! Homebound Communion Ministers The 2018 edition of Living Liturgy for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion is available to be picked up in the Sacristy. If you would be interested in learning more about this important ministry, please call Lee at 344-9117. Elsewhere Franciscans Downtown: The movie The Long Ships will be shown on Wednesday at 1 p.m. All are welcome. Cookie Walk: This 28th annual event will be held at St. Joseph Parish on Saturday, Dec 2 beginning at 9 a.m. and until sold-out. Cookies are sold by the pound or in prepackaged containers. Craft Fair: St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish holds this event Saturday, Dec 2 between 5 and 9 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 3 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Along with craft items, food will be available for sale.
PRAYER RESOURCES ON SALE DAILY PRAYER 2018 offers scripture, psalms and intercessions for every day of the upcoming Church year beginning Nov. 27. The cost is $10. AT HOME WITH THE WORD is an excellent means of preparing to hear the readings at Lord s Day Mass. It features all reading texts, as well as helpful reflections to consider in prayer before or after Sunday. The book costs $8. There is also a largeprint edition. Both books are on sale at church entrances or the rectory-office. FEEDING HUNGRY KIDS It s estimated that 100 children in Stevens Point s public schools are homeless, an increase of nearly 20 percent over last year. Furthermore a preliminary estimate is that 25 percent of children qualify for free or reduced lunch at school. Responding to this harsh reality, Holy Spirit Parish coordinates Feeding Hungry Kids, a program at Ben Franklin Junior High and SPASH providing cheese, fruit and Nutri-Grain Bars to help students stay focused in class, remain in school and improve their chances of success. At the high school approximately 30 students receive something each day. tis the season for GIFT CARDS! Whether it s ingredients for holiday baking, shopping for Christmas presents, or maybe giving as presents themselves GIFT CARDS are a winning proposition. Using Gift Cards benefits our parish, our Catholic schools and YOU! Stop by the Gift Card table before/after weekend Mass to see how easy they are to purchase and use, or at the Pacelli Catholic Schools office. HOW CAN YOU HELP? During Advent and Christmastime parishioners are asked for contributions to fund this program throughout the year. Checks and cash contributions can be placed in the collection or brought to the office. Write checks to Holy Spirit Parish. Identify cash or check donations as benefitting Hungry Kids. PROBLEMS / from Page 2 stressful realities our friends in Haiti and other Third Word countries confront all the time, not to mention many Americans living in poverty. Many endure each day with a far more problematic and possibly dangerous uncertainty, resigned to the reality that it won t be better tomorrow, and that in the end there won t be a nice new street. TL
Here are some questions that have been asked of campaign volunteers by parishioners visited as part of Building Upon a Firm Foundation. hat statement is true, but it doesn t mean all the visits will have been completed, nor that all the pledges will have been turned in, nor that we should stop praying for the final push of this major collective effort of garnering support and financial resources. However, this Thursday will be the final time our dedicated, hardworking volunteers will be meeting to share wonderful experiences of their encounters with parishioners. There have been a few reports that weren t all that encouraging, but the vast majority of our volunteers have spoken with remarkable enthusiasm about their work. And work is what it s been. This was an extraordinary undertaking. More than 100 of our your fellow parishioners accepted an invitation from another parishioner or Fr. Tom to join this campaign. They have called and visited approximately 95 percent of our parish s 1,000 individuals, couples and families. These volunteers have no particular attributes that qualified them for this important task, other than a commitment to our parish, a generous spirit, and an enthusiasm for our Building Upon a Firm Foundation. As the active phase of the campaign concludes, you might want to send a note to the parishioner who visited you, thanking them for their dedication to this project. has been designated Commitment Sunday. It s a day in which everyone who is gathered to celebrate the First Sunday of Advent a day of great significance in itself will indicate our commitment to Building Upon a Firm Foundation. Parishioners, college students, friends who worship regularly with us and even visitors will be asked to complete a Commitment Sunday pledge card indicating that we ve already pledged; that we would like to pledge; that we can t contribute but want to pray for the campaign s success. Give special attention to the second reading and its encouragement in reminding us of God s faithfulness, which unites us in Christ. What is the anticipated cost of maintaining this new building? Such a dollar amount has not been determined, but the overall expense of facility maintenance will decline. Instead of cleaning, for example, a rectory-office and the Newman Center, there will be one facility to clean. There will also be efficiencies and cost savings in having all parish offices, people and equipment, in one location. Instead of two copy machines, there will only need to be one. It s also easier, and probably a little less expensive, to clean and maintain a new facility. Obviously that changes over time, but there are definite advantages for several early years. In addition, the improvements made to the church in terms of electrical, heating, airconditioning and lighting will provide cost efficiencies as well. Won t it be detrimental to campus ministry not having a building as prominent as the Newman Center on campus? It s hard to find a building quite as prominent as St. Stanislaus Church, and the new parish center will provide an attractive and engaging accompaniment to the church. While the Newman Center is located prominently, the new science building will increase foot-traffic in the immediate area of the parish s buildings as well. College students have found the church easily, and it seems reasonable to think the same will be true of the parish center. Is this going to be one of those deals where we sell the Newman Center to someone for a dollar? Definitely not! The building will be appraised and there will be a competitive effort to identify potential buyers and negotiate the best price we can get for the property. The Newman Center is owned by the parish and all proceeds will remain with the parish.