From the Pope:
Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of De La Salle Christian Brother James Miller, who was born in [Stevens Point], Wisconsin and was shot to death in Guatemala in 1982. The recognition of the martyrdom of Miller, or Brother Santiago as he also was known, clears the way for his beatification; the date and location of the ceremony were not immediately announced. Read More...
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Pilgrimage for Life Information Meeting:
Monday, November 19th, 7pm at St. Johns in the Columbia Room The Tuesday Bible Studies at Spencer High School have begun. Please join us in Ms. Lohrentz's room during lunch to engage with God's word, and grow in discipleship. Please join us anytime! Please sign up for text and email youth ministry updates through Flocknote. Simply text the word “pope” to 84576, or visit this link to sign up. https://app.flocknote.com/religiousedyouthministry/ God Bless! David Alcott Praised be Jesus Christ! Do you know who Don Shula is? Don’t feel bad if you don’t, but not that long ago he was one of the most recognizable and successful coaches in the NFL. A friend told me a story Shula shares about his life that happened when he was still coaching. He and his wife went on a vacation and because the goal was to get completely out of the spotlight, they went to a small town in northern Wisconsin (I’ve also heard that it took place in Maine). One evening they decided to go to a movie and no sooner than they entered the whole place erupted in applause. Don turned to his wife and groaned, “Oh no, they know me here too!” As the applause died down a man sitting just in front of them turned around and explained, “We’re cheering because the manager said he would only run the movie if two more people showed up.” The way Shula tells the story, everyone laughs as they realize how quick we can be to make false assumptions. But I share the story to segue into the fact that we sometimes give too much attention to some people and far too little to others. For example, a friend of mine is a priest in California and for a while he was the pastor at one of the Catholic parishes in Chico. Now for those of you not sure of Chico’s significance, it is the home town of one Aaron Rodgers (and if you don’t know who he is, please don’t tell anyone). Maybe it was in the summer of 2011, I cannot remember, but my friend told me that Aaron and his brother showed up one day and asked to be let into the gym so as to shoot some hoops. They were having a great time until a kid peeked in, saw who it was, and then took a picture and posted it on social media. In 10 minutes the place was mobbed with fans seeking autographs. Aaron and his brother snuck out the side door and thus ended their fraternal fun. It might be fun to be famous for a day or two, but imagine how burdensome it would be if you were always recognized and thus always in the limelight of what tends to be a rather critical world. Too much attention is certainly given to some people living on our planet (professional athletes, famous musicians and Hollywood stars would rank high on this list). On the flipside of the coin, some people are sadly ignored or denied their proper respect. As we celebrate Veterans’ Day, we might reach out to some of the men and women who served our country with valor and generosity and simply thank them. Some of them know they are loved and respected for doing their duty to defend freedom and root out evil. Others have been haunted by the suspicion that for all that it cost them to serve in the military, they have been made to feel that their sacrifices were not all that valuable, or worse, that they were a part of the problem and only made things worse. A parishioner recently shared some of his wounds by writing a poem that he shared with me. Given that it’s a perspective I don’t often consider, it has given this day a greater significance as it reminds me to pray for those who have carried not only the memories of the terrible nature of war, but also the loneliness of never having received the love and respect their service deserved. Because the aforementioned poem gives a unique insight and the author has kindly consented to let me share it: Titled “The Ones that Came Back,” without further ado here it is: “Why can’t we forget about that Vietnam war. Why do these memories keep knocking at our door. For many a year we kept our lips sealed. Hoping for the day our hearts would be healed. For many of us the pain will not mend. Until we’re all back together again. We’re the ones that came back from that Vietnam War. Only to see people that spit on us and swore. So we built great memorials for our comrades in arms. To honor the Warriors from ghettos and farms. People look at memorials staring at names. Some understand, some are insane. We love our Brothers who died over there. Why couldn’t it been us – then some would care. Why keep building Memorials to honor our dead. When it’s us that’s dying from letting this spin in our heads.”
May Christ, the Prince of Peace, give His immortal gift to all who have served Him in word and in deed! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin In celebration of “Feast of Christ the King” an invitation is extended for you to attend Saturday-
Nov. 24th after the 4 p.m. Mass serving of Pizza and beverage. Sunday-Nov. 25 after the 8 am and 10 am Mass serving of doughnuts and beverage in the dining hall of church. We look forward to seeing you after Mass.
Hello! I am happy to announce that the Bible Studies will resume at Spencer High School on Tuesday November 6th. They will be in Mrs. Lorentz's room during the lunch period, 12:30pm to 1:00pm. Thank you to Shane Bauer for making this possible! I am planning to continue the Pilgrimage for Life Trips, this is coming up on January 16-20th, 2019. Please think and pray about joining us, as this is one of our most popular trips. I will also continue the Jars for Life fundraiser, so please be generous in supporting the pilgrims when they are available. The first night of "jar-filling" will be November 27th, 7-9pm in the Columbia kitchen at St. Johns. The best way to contact me is by email, and please sign up for text and email youth ministry updates through Flocknote. Simply text the word “pope” to 84576, or visit this link to sign up. https://app.flocknote.com/religiousedyouthministry/ God Bless! David Alcott Praised be Jesus Christ! “A couple of nuns who were nursing Sisters had gone out to the country to minister to an outpatient. On the way back they were a few miles from home when they ran out of gas. They were standing beside the car on the shoulder when a truck approached. Seeing ladies of the cloth in distress, the driver stopped to offer his help. The nuns explained they needed some gas. The driver of the truck said he would gladly drain some from his tank, but he didn’t have a bucket or can. One of the nuns dug out a clean bedpan and asked the driver if he could use it. He said yes and proceeded to drain a couple of quarts of gas into the pan. He waved good- bye to the nuns and left. The nuns were carefully pouring the precious fluid into their gas tank when a highway patrol came by. The trooper stopped and watched for a minute, then he said, “Sisters, I don’t think it will work, but I sure do admire your faith!” I suspect just about everyone reading this has heard this joke in one form or another. What it introduces for us today is the idea of faith – a conviction about things that appear to be somewhat improbable but are compelling nevertheless. Abraham had faith that God would keep His word, even though this future “Father of nations” was old and he and his wife had never conceived. Mary had faith as she stood at the foot of the Cross while her only Son spent His last moments forgiving what was seemingly unforgivable. We’re living in a time that requires deep faith. So many things in this world can dampen our faith: whether it’s a sinful addiction or an old wound from that past, it’s not a sure thing that any of us will have faith as we come to the end of our life. It’s no wonder Jesus once asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). I’ve become aware that many in our community are hurting because of the terrible scandals that happened in the Church over the years. Some have even left the parish and that makes me very sad. It’s time to pray and fast more so that the faith that is such a precious gift in our world will not go quietly into the night. Yes, it’s a challenging time for a person to believe in a supremely good God when His ministers have done such despicable things. But the good news is that God can heal even the deepest wound. Whether it be the abuse by a trusted priest or the abandonment we experienced as our parents went through a terrible divorce, God is an expert in healing broken hearts. As we’ve done in the past, we are once again hosting a healing Mass at Our Lady of Peace on Friday, November 9th at 5:30 p.m. This is an incredible opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to do what He alone can do, namely console us in our sorrows and embolden us for the battles ahead. And while I was once rather skeptical of spiritual healing, that is no longer the case: the fruit I’ve seen in the lives of some very discouraged and hurting people has convinced me that this is a way out of the darkness. What happens is after the Mass many prayers are recited for deliverance from evil spirits. Sacramentals such as Holy Water and Blessed Salt are used, and then people are welcome to come forward and be prayed over. After the service there is additional time with the prayer team for the healing to go deeper for those interested. Faith is damaged by sin – ours and others’ – but it can be restored to health by the Holy Spirit. Please consider coming and inviting people you know who are hurting. For those who have participated in the past, please share the peace and joy you received in opening your hearts to God. May God heal the brokenhearted and restore to health the wounded faith of our families and friends! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin *** 2018 “Giving Tree” !!! The tree will be placed in the Gathering Room, in mid-November. Each year the Family Life & Social Justice Committee members and the families who receive the gifts are overwhelmed by your generosity. As a reminder: If you take a tag, please write your name and phone number on the sign-out sheet located near the tree. Also very important , please place the gift tag number on the top of the gift so that it goers to the right person / family. Please return your gifts, as soon as possible, so we can get begin to sort them. This really helps to get a head start with the sorting according to the family / person receiving them. The deadline to return is Sunday-December 16, 2018, this helps to get the gifts to the families in a timely manner.
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MASS SCHEDULE
Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 AM Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM RECONCILIATION
Saturday: 3:15 - 3:45 PM OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Stay Connected with Our ParishWelcome from Our PastorWelcome to Christ the King Catholic Church! Ever since 1938 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Our mission statement is essentially found in the stained glass window above the main altar: “For Christ our King.” Insofar as God made us and we belong to Him, we have come to... Read More
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