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From the Church:
In 2018's last Pope Video, pontiff asks us to pray for all those involved in communicating and serving the faith. To communicate the faith, we need the most appropriate words and methods, says Pope Francis, but as with all communication, we can’t underestimate the fundamental importance of listening. Pope Francis exhorts all people to become effective communicators of the faith in the last episode of 2018 of The Pope Video. Read More... TRIVIA NIGHT will be held in the Columbia Room of St. John the Baptist Primary School 7-9PM on Friday, January 11th. This is a fundraiser for Youth Ministry events and to support our brothers and sisters in Venezuela. Mark your calendars and spread the word! This will be general trivia, and is open to all ages. There is space for 14 teams of 8. There is an early bird discount for registering by December 28th, The discounted price would be $60 for a team of up to 6 members, and $80 for a team of up to 8 members. Registrations after December 28th will be $96 for a team of up to 8, and $72 for a team of up to 6. Please visit http://www.stjohnsmarshfield.org/trivia-night-fundraiser.html for more information. Praised be Jesus Christ! Now that the Mother Frances Streitel Center is nearly complete, a brief history of how this all came about seems fitting. In a way, it all began in 1844 when Mother Frances Streitel was born in Germany . . . . she came to Marshfield in 1890 and founded Saint Joseph’s Hospital. For the next 127 years it was lovingly staffed by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother. Sadly, all good things run their course in our world, so as the era of Catholic healthcare in Marshfield was waning, the Sisters hoped some of the beautiful artifacts of faith could remain here. At that same time parishioners had astutely been working to finish the basement of the church. While the main floor had already been poured, another parishioner noticed that the northernmost section of the basement had a lot of untapped potential. It seems that the Holy Spirit took over at that point, as the Sisters’ generous gifts of stained glass windows and statuary suddenly had a home in what will assure future generations that such a proud past will not be forgotten. It seems only right and just to name the chapel in honor of Mother Frances Streitel, as the following words will now explain: Mother Frances Streitel was born in Germany on November 24th in the year of Our Lord 1844. The spiritual journey that ultimately led her to Marshfield is one characterized by trial, suffering, and a deep faith. As you enter this space named in her honor, you are invited to ask for her prayers – she was made “Venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 and God willing, someday will be recognized as a saint. Marshfield’s history will forever be connected to this courageous and holy woman because she founded Saint Joseph Hospital here in 1890. One could reasonably argue that no other human being has left a greater legacy for the people of this area than Mother Frances Streitel. As you enter this space, you will experience the spirit of sacrifice and love that characterized her life and the many Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother that served at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in its 127 years of ministry. Here in this entrance stands Saint Gerard Majella – his statue stood for years in the neonatal section of Saint Joseph’s, welcoming babies and comforting mother’s in their sorrow when a little one returned to God all too quickly. Next, in the Saint John Paul II Adoration chapel you’ll see the first of three stained glass windows that once beautified the original chap- el of the Sisters (the other two are in the classroom space, just past the Adoration chapel). Also in the chapel, you’ll see restored Communion rails that were once a part of the chapel of the School Sisters of Notre Dame – their convent stood just a stone’s throw to the west of where you are now standing. Those Sisters taught at Saint John’s for many generations and did much to build up the faith in this city. And so, as the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother rightly observed in 2015 during their celebration of 125 years of ministry at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, here we stand on the shoulders of giants. Please take a moment as you visit today to thank God for the many holy women who served God and His people with courage and charity –their service and countless sacrifices continue to animate our faith. And as you thank God for all that He has done through Mother Frances Streitel and her Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, don’t forget to beg that He send us more workers for His vineyard . . . . for the harvest continues to be great! (These words will appear on a plaque next to the picture of Mother Frances Streitel at the entrance to the basement of Saint John’s church). The basement will be open to the public soon (in a week or two – we’ll let you know). You are welcome to stop by and visit anytime between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. On February 1st we will formally begin 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration in the new Saint John Paul II Adoration Chapel. If you don’t already have an hour, please consider signing up.
May God be praised who has inspired and guided this project from start to finish! And may He abundantly bless all who contributed in any way! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin Decorating for Christmas will take place after the 10 am Mass on Sunday-December 23, 2018. There is a saying” many hands help complete the task, to be completed in a timely manner”. Last year we were done by 1 pm, with the fantastic volunteers, who gave their time and talent to make the church look great for our Christmas masses. It would be nice again to have help from the youth of the parish in the way of carrying items where needed. A sign-up sheet has been placed on back table, your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
From the Church:
A woman with a life-threatening pregnancy in the Archdiocese of Chicago has been inexplicably healed, and the miracle is being credited to the intercession of Cardinal John Henry Newman, meaning his canonization could happen as early as this year. Pope Benedict XVI beatified Newman in Birmingham in 2010. The miraculous healing that led to his beatification was also of an American. Deacon Jack Sullivan, a permanent deacon serving near Boston, inexplicably recovered from a crippling spinal condition after praying for Newman’s intercession. “It looks now as if Newman might be canonized, all being well, later next year,” Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth has said. Read More... TRIVIA NIGHT will be held in the Columbia Room at Saint John's 7-9PM on Friday, January
11th. This is a fundraiser for Youth Ministry and to support our brothers and sisters in Venezuela. Mark your calendars and spread the word! This will be general trivia, and is open to all ages. The cost is $12 per person. There is space for 14 teams of 8. Please join us for the Pilgrimage for Life on January 16th-20th, 2019. The cost is $330 per per- son/$300 for chaperones, the official red hoodie is extra. The $175 deposit is due December 12th. For the latest information on fundraising and sightseeing options, visit http:// www.ctkspencer.net/pilgrimage-for-life.html Please contact me if you are interested in attending. Religious Education and Youth Ministry are both now primarily using Flocknote for communication (email and text)Please sign up for text or 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/ I attended the Diocesan meeting about Adventure Camp, and currently a family is intending to purchase CrossWoods Camp and tentatively plans to continue hosting Adventure Camp this summer. There are still a number of details to iron out, I will keep you posted on future developments. Praised be Jesus Christ! Once in a while I come across a quote that strikes a chord and so I save it for either a homily or an article. Given that it’s winter and people are more inclined to curl up with a good book, the following quote issues a timely reminder: “The art of not reading is a very important one. It consists in not taking an interest in whatever may be engaging the attention of the general public at any particular time. When some political or ecclesiastical pamphlet, or novel, or poem is making a great commotion, you should remember that he who writes for fools always finds a large public. A precondition for reading good books is not reading bad ones: for life is short,” (Arthur Schopenhauer). This insight rings true in that we need the gift of discernment if we’re to ultimately grow in wisdom and love. In the case of his quote, the main point is that for every good book there are many that are not and read- ing them would be at best a waste of time. Let me provide one recent example in my life: A friend passed on to me the book All the Light that We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. After thoroughly enjoying that book sometime later I found myself in a Barnes and Noble bookstore and there in the middle of the store was an attractive display featuring Doerr’s book. Next to it was a new release titled The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. The display said that if you enjoyed Doerr’s book you were sure to find the Hawkins book downright delightful. I fell for it hook, line and sinker. The Girl on the Train was a trashy book that I should have stopped reading many times (I did confess it later on). But sometimes we get sucked in and then the unhealthy curiosity in us takes over, wanting to know how it ends and who does what to whom. Read- ing trash is like eating junk food – it’s fun for a while but later on one feels dirty and unhealthy. And as Schopenhauer points out, our life on earth is finite, so why spend a moment of our limited time on garbage when there is so much greatness to consume? The ancient Greek pedagogy for education was to put a child’s mind in contact with the transcendentals of goodness, beauty, and truth, believing these realities to be formative of a person’s mind, heart, and soul. If you are not a reader, there are other sources of these things: great films, beautiful music and time spent in the great outdoors. If you are a reader, developing the skill of discern- ment leads us to material that ennobles us while simultaneously protecting us from the kind of bad ideas that damage us in ways that sometimes only later on become apparent. My parents were protective of what we watched on TV because they rightly under- stood that the innocence God gives children can easily be dam- aged. Living in a world that grants access to terrible images and ideas just by clicking a mouse button means that we must be all the more vigilant. This is never easy, especially when there are parents who abdicate their moral authority and allow their children to watch whatever they want. Our children are influenced by this and it will cost us if we’re going to establish a higher standard. Some years ago an article took issue with the mantra, “It’s not that bad” that we hear so often as a justification for the garbage we watch, listen to, or read. The response was an intriguing one: what if your Mom ran out of chocolate chips while baking cookies and decided instead to just mingle in a little of the canine fecal matter that she resourcefully found in the yard? It would only be a small amount and the rationalization of “It’s not that bad” she hoped would still be convincing . . . would you eat those cookies?! But without the gift of a moral compass (i.e. a well-formed con- science) we essentially eat these cookies when we indulge ideas and images that lead us away from God. Schopenhauer was right about life being short – let’s help our children use their limited time on earth in a way that best prepares them for eternity with God.
May God lead us to sources of goodness, beauty, and truth, and may He protect us from their many counterfeits! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin |
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Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 AM Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM RECONCILIATION
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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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