may 24, 2020 · 2020-05-24 · right now because until we catch this disease (and apparently can...

525 GRANT AVE., NORTH MANKATO, MN 56003 | 507.387.6501 | F: 507.387.7365

Parish Office

507-387-6501 | Fax: 507-387-7365 Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Emergency Number

320-522-2180

Religious Education Office

507-345-6765

Accounting Office

507-345-6828

Email [email protected]

Website

holyrosarynorthmankato.com

Holy Rosary Parish Staff

Father Paul van de Crommert, Pastor Cindy Gawrych, Office Administrator Jim Theuninck, Accounting/Administration

Ministry for Sick & Homebound/

Support Staff

Lorraine Klaseus | 507-388-4932

Calvary Cemetery

Board Representative

Tom Kiffe

Loyola Catholic School

Adam Bemmels, Pre-K—12 Principal

Loyola School Office

507-388-0600 | Fax: 507-388-3081

Bulletin Article Deadline: Tuesdays at 12:00 pm Noon

HOLYROSARYNORTHMANKATO

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HOLYROSARYNORTHMANKATO.COM/WORSHIP-SACRAMENTS

May 24, 2020 The Ascension of the Lord

Rev. Paul van de Crommert Pastor

THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD MAY 24, 2020

HolyRosaryNorthMankato.com | LoyolaCatholicSchool.org

I was recently reflecting, while doing some painting upstairs in my home, that there are many similar comparisons which can be made between our present times and the time of the early Christians following the death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For the early Christians were being hunted down and

killed both by the Jews and Gentiles alike. Today, we all live in fear of the possibility of death through the coronavirus and that anyone may be a carrier, Jew or Gentile alike as well. Death is a real possibility for all of us right now because until we catch this disease (and apparently can catch it quite easily even a second time as for some there is limited immunity), so too the early Christians lived in the continuous and constant fear of death for themselves and/or their family members. The early Christians tried to protect themselves, particularly when it came to practicing their faith by doing it privately and in secret, sometimes in the catacombs where the dead are buried. We too, are trying to protect ourselves, by as much as possible through “social distancing”, remaining in our homes and staying secluded, only to come out when we absolutely have to do so because of some urgent business. Like the early Christians, we too are gathering in small numbers for prayer and to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, although much more technologically advanced theologically speaking, through a screen, from our laptop or the like. The early Christians were small in numbers but were extremely committed to this young faith that believed that Jesus the Nazorean had rose and ascended to heaven after His crucifixion. Likewise, over these past

weeks, I have not heard from all 800 or so households that belong to Holy Rosary. It is probably closer to 80 families from Holy Rosary, who have written or called or I have spoken to and have told me through their time, their talent and yes, even their treasure, how important their Catholic faith has been to them and continues to be for them during this time of crisis. What music to a pastor’s ears to hear a select number of souls (I wish it were many more) write or say how much they miss coming to Mass and celebrating the Holy Eucharist. Those simple words are such spiritually strong words of a deep love for the Lord and His bride the Church. Even more amazing in terms of faith is to hear faithful say that when the Governor of Minnesota gives the order, regardless of their age or their health, they are going to attend Mass. Although some people might think this is “fool-hearty” (and perhaps it is); it is also “faith-hearty.” The early Christians believed that even more important than their earthly life was the eternal life they hoped to receive through the sacraments and through a potential martyrdom. This weekend, in the midst of the Easter season, we take a breather (sort of) from not only celebrating with spiritual intensity the resurrection of Christ from the grave; but we are also celebrating the Ascension of Christ, body and soul from this world to the world to come. While this is all very miraculous and more than most of our minds can possibly comprehend; what we can comprehend quite easily is how the early Christian community reacted and behaved after Christ’s visible, physical presence left the earth. After Christ ascended, the faithful followers of the Divine Son of the Father, did not find themselves at a loss and just wait for life to resume to some normalcy, as dangerous as life had become for them physically and mentally. These early Christians went on with their life. They continued to work, pray, and put both their spiritual and their physical houses in order to the best of their ability. Even more so, they continued to learn and to teach anyone who would listen about the Good News of Jesus Christ. I am disheartened when I hear both younger and older faithful say that these past weeks of pandemic have been a loss of life and living for them. Yes, it is true that these weeks have been a great disruption from life as we have known it to be in normal times. But it has also been a golden opportunity, in the spirit of the early Christians to go on with life, catch up or pursue some of those things in life that we have put on hold and that we were going to tackle in the future when we have more time. Well, that

Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power

in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go,

therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of

the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have

commanded you. And behold, I am with you always,

until the end of the age.” -St. Matthew



Stewardship of Gratitude Thank you for your gifts of stewardship again this week. We continue to have adequate weekly contributions even though we are living in very unusual circumstances. Thank you again to all of you who are taking the extra effort to mail in your contributions as well as to write your little notes of kindness and comfort. We are presently sending out regular acknowledgments to all of our stewardship givers that are mailing in their contributions via the U.S. Mail. It is only during this coronavirus time that we will do this when the normal way of giving through the weekend liturgies through the collection basket has either been suspended or not under obligation. If you are like me, you like to know that your letter and your contribution has reached its destination. As always, thank you for your gifts.

“Stewardship of Gratitude” continued...

“The Quill and the Cloth” continued...

Our Gifts to God & Holy Rosary

Adult Contributions $6,338.00 Electronic Giving $2,540.61 Easter Flowers $15.00 Faith Formation $75.00 Easter Collection $10.00 Misc Item Sales $275.00 Weekly Offering Total $9,253.61 Weekly offering goal is set at $10,300.00

Bridging the Gap $0.00 Additional Weekly Income $73.34 Grand Total $9,326.95 Total weekly stewardship goal is set at $13,200.00

Thanks for your gifts of gratitude to God!!!

Stewardship of Gratitude

Please Note - Parish

Office Hours Beginning at the close of last week, we are making some slight changes again to the parish hours. I have asked our administrator Jim to be in the office from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. as needed, Tuesday through Friday. I have asked our parish secretary Cindy to be in the parish office from Tuesday - Friday from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. As always, if no one is in the parish office, you are always welcome to leave a message and one of the staff will get back to you as soon as possible. In the last few days, we are seeing a few more folks venture out and stopping by briefly at the office. Stay well!

time is now! Like the early Christians, what a wonderful time to grow in the knowledge and the love of the Lord through prayer and paging through the Sacred Scriptures. There are many family Bibles that have gathered a lot of dust over the last decades, as we were so devoted to our sports, studies, our social life or simply working. Now, after all these weeks of quarantine, you who claim to be a believer in the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus the Nazarene and if you have not opened the scriptures from that family Bible even once, shouldn’t that Bible just go in the recycle bin or re-gift it for graduation? I mean, when are you going to pick that Bible up and read the Good News if not now in May of 2020? The time is now! Put down this bulletin and pickup that Bible right now and read a bit. You might be amazed at what good can come to you from the “Good Book” and the good feeling that goes all the way down to your soul. Have a blessed week. Stay HOME! Stay HEALTHY! STAY HOLY! Oh yea, look for that Bible and read it daily! Rev. Paul van de Crommert Pastor

SINCERE SYMPATHY

To the family Valeria Bersaw†. - May she rest in peace.



Weekend Ministry Schedules

Because of the limited nature of our

upcoming Masses, at this time, we will not need lectors,

altar servers, and song leaders. We will be in contact with

the ushers and Extra-Ordinary Ministers of the Holy

Eucharist directly as we navigate these uncharted waters

of what our liturgies are going to look like in the coming

weeks and months ahead. Please stay posted!

May Mailing

In the next week, our parish staff

will be sending out a major mailing to

every registered member of Holy

Rosary parish. The letter will address the potential of re-

opening our parish around June 1st, and to offer once

again public Masses, with numerous restrictions set by

the state as well as our local bishops of Minnesota.

PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO READ THIS LETTER

THOROUGHLY. How we celebrate the Eucharist will

change dramatically and you will need to comply with

these directives in order to attend Mass. Please

understand that virtually all of the directives are coming

directly from the Diocese or the State of Minnesota. As a

parish family we wish to be in full compliance so that our

parish does not become a “hot spot” where the virus can

spread, grow, and infect others on a large scale.

The Week Ahead

Monday, May 25: [Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and

Doctor of the Church; Saint Gregory VII, Pope; Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin]

Private Mass - Jerry Nelson†

Tuesday, May 26: Saint Philip Neri, Priest

Private Mass - Wally & Ester Zellmer†

Wednesday, May 27: [Saint Augustine of Canterbury,

Bishop] Private Mass - John Nechanicky

Thursday, May 28: Easter Weekday

Private Mass - Brogan Schaefer†

Friday, May 29: [Saint Paul VI, Pope]

Private Mass - Barsness Family

Saturday, May 30: Easter Weekday

Private Mass - Katrina Doyle

Sunday, May 31: PENTECOST SUNDAY

Private Mass - People of Holy Rosary Parish

Sacrament of the Sick and

Confessions Available by

Appointment

I will make myself available as pastor

at this time for individual anointing and

also confessions by APPOINTMENT ONLY. I do ask that

you give a phone number where you can easily be

reached, preferably your cell phone if you own one. I

have asked to be excused from going to the hospital or

assisted living centers at this time for personal health

reasons. Thank you!

A Prayer for a Spiritual Communion

Lord Jesus, come into my heart right now. I believe that You are present in the most Holy Sacrament at the altar. I love You above everything on this earth; even more than myself. I desire in my heart to receive You right now into my soul. Even though I cannot receive You sacramentally at this time, I ask of You in prayer to come spiritually now into my heart. Lord, You know that I love You as if You were here with me and I join my heart to Yours. Even though we are separated through Your divine body, and my human body, may I never be separated from You within my soul. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

United States 5/20/20 Coronavirus Cases - 1,582,373

Deaths - 94,327 Recovered - 365,747

Stay Home! Stay Healthy! Stay Holy!



If We Cannot Go to Mass,

Can We Go to Mary?

As I have been working in the house catching up on so much administrative shuffling as well as actual structural repairs that have been on the back burner for months and years because of the business of parish life; I did manage as I always do yearly, to dedicate a little prominent corner of the house to the Blessed Mother.

There was a time when every Catholic home took their most prized statue of the Blessed Mother and in the month of May built either a little shrine to her or even sometimes a little May altar to remind them daily of the many sacrifices of The Queen of Heaven as well as to remind us to give her the honor and devotion that she deserves daily through the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary ….the very name (by the way) of our parish church and family.

I am including in this article the little shrine I erected along with a few lights I had laying around and from some garage sale finds from some years back. Creativity is key.

How about some of our young people making a shrine to Mary in their home with whatever you have laying around and sending us a photo via technology. (Call Cindy if you have questions.) We would like to post them in our Faith Formation column during the midst of May. Make sure to include your name and pray to be inspired. We will be offering a prize for our top three finishers. Have FUN! Have FAITH! Happy month of May!

This Week’s Sanctuary Light Intention:

Rod Wersal

Pandemic Times - New Rules!

When we can resume public Masses, I am ENCOURAGING, but NOT REQUIRING people between the ages of

7 to age 64 to attend Mass. (*Remember, you are not even under obligation to attend Mass ever if you are under the age of 7. The obligation to attend Mass is still not in effect in those Dioceses that have again started to offer public Masses across the country.) Because of social distancing, there is a limit to how many people will be able to attend. We know that at least every two pews will be closed off. We also know that people over the age of 65 can come at their own risk. There can be no missalettes used or papers handed out at this time. (There are a good number of other rules besides these that we must follow.) You will also be encouraged to attend the daily Masses that will possibly be held at 6:00 P.M. We have never done this before, so we will access things as we go along.

Governor Walz’s

Latest Info. This past week we began to see more of our businesses open up and people are beginning to be out and about. This past Tuesday, I went out myself to take care of a couple of essential errands. I was shocked when I stopped for a minute at Walmart to see the parking lot was packed and the majority of patrons inside of the store were not wearing masks or observing social distancing. Of course, what I was looking for could not be found, as inventory in several areas has been picked over and not replenished. I walked past the meat counter and was so surprised to see that nearly all the meat out of one section of the counter was pretty well cleaned out. (I guess not everyone is a vegetarian!) We are anticipating that area churches will begin to open in the beginning of the month of June. Bishop LeVoir recently wrote to us as priests that some of the church leadership from various denominations were anticipating having a meeting with the Governor this past week. However, the restrictions will be severe when Mass is allowed to resume. P.S. As we go to press the Governor and Church leadership are in opposition. Pastorally, we are caught in the middle. Stay tuned!



Prayers and support for all of our sick and injured of Holy Rosary Parish

Our prayers go out to all of the sick and injured in our parish who are at home, in the hospital, nursing homes or assisted-living residences. May God bless them and keep them under His guidance and protection!

For Our Families Monday George & Debra Brunick Tuesday Bill & Carol Merritt Wednesday Ronald Blommel Thursday Rick & Julie Gruber Friday James Marquardt Saturday David & Cathy Neve Sunday Benjamin & Amy Williams

Home Visitation: If you wish to have yourself or a loved one receive the sacraments, Holy Communion or a personal pastoral visit, please call our coordinator, Lorraine Klaseus at 507-388-4932

Lord, Hear Our Prayers

For Those Who Are Ill & Special Needs Arnie & Eileen Wadekamper, Mary Kelly, Molly Viehweg, Mary McVicker, Steve Drummer, Ruth Fitterer, Steve Fitterer, Dan Telshaw, Charles Wesely, Craig Van Loy, Delores Haubrich, Dave Neubert, Joe Galli, Betty Goettlicher, Agnes Morgan, Tim Brown, Anne Doyle, Mary Coleman, Taylor Grill, Mary Forsyth, Dave Grams, Kathy Fredrickson, Will Shumacher, Harv Suedbeck

For Those in the Military Nick Blace Matt McGraw William Backes Jared Hiniker Christopher Schmidt Ben Barsness Dana Schiller Anna Drummer Timothy Eick Mark Hansen

This Week’s Readings Mon: Acts 19:1-8/Jn 16:29-33 (297)

Tues: Acts 20:17-27/Jn 17:1-11a (298) Weds: Acts 20:28-38/Jn 17:11b-19 (299) Thurs: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11/Jn 17:20-26 (300) Fri: Acts 25:13b-21/Jn 21:15-19 (301) Sat: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31/Jn 21:20-25 (302) Sun: Acts 2:1-11/1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13/Jn 20:19-23 (63) Pss Prop

Prayer Chain

If you have a short term prayer request or prayer of thanksgiving for our prayer chain to pray for, please call Teresa Kolstad at 327-9810.

Loyola Catholic School is closed amid the COVID-19 concern until further notice. Throughout the coming weeks, Loyola Theology teacher Alex Nuy will be continuing his Friday prayer service online. You can find it on Fridays on Loyola’s Facebook page, or on Alex’s YouTube channel. We welcome you to join us! LUCKY 20 RAFFLE - UPDATE New drawing date: June 30, 2020. As we continue to navigate these uncertain times, please consider asking those you are connecting with to support Loyola. Loyola depends on the income from this fundraiser, more now than ever Only 1,000 tickets will be sold. Need not be present to win. Tickets $100 each, can be purchased by asking your favorite Loyola student or by calling 507-382-8089.You may mail your stubs/checks to: Loyola Catholic School 145 Good Counsel Drive, Mankato, MN 56001

Your parish support makes all we do,

learn, and celebrate at Loyola possible.

Leading through Faith, Academic Excellence, and Service.

Virtual Baby Bottle Campaign The Social Concerns Committee is offering a Virtual Mother’s Day Baby Bottle Campaign. Baby bottle donations will support Options for Women | Mankato, the local pregnancy resource center. Options Mankato is a grassroots, 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to empowering individuals to make life-affirming decisions regarding pregnancy, relationships and health. As a non-profit organization, Options Mankato does not charge for any services offered, therefore the organization has no financial investment in the decisions the clients make. The staff and volunteers at Options Mankato are prepared to journey alongside women through their own unique situation. If you are able to help support this mission financially, please scan the QR Code below (or go to supportoptionsmankato.com) to give securely. Your tax-deductible gift will assist in offering valuable services to women in our community who are facing an unplanned pregnancy or difficult parenting situation. Thank you for your support!

Scan this QR code to

donate today!


Let Us Not Be Filled With

Pity, But Praise! I know that there are many people out there that are feeling pity for themselves and others that this is such a pathetic time where we cannot pick up our things and go about with total freedom. In my own pastoral life, I have had to cancel and conclude numerous things that I had looked forward to attending and even participating in the community or with friends. That all being said, I still look backward with such a tremendous sense of gratitude over all the events of my own life that I was able to celebrate and participate in when the world was healthy. I think of my own ordination and First Mass. Those days were beastly hot but were wonderful days where world sickness was so far from anyone’s mind. (My heart does go out to the two young men of our Diocese that will be ordained in June. It has already been decided that those who will be invited will be quite limited. I also spoke with one of my brides who will be married in a former parish I served in this August. They too have already decided to curtail the guest list to have only the immediate families and the closest of friends.) The next time you start looking ahead and thinking what events you will not be participating in this summer or beyond; make sure you also look back and recall the many events of your life that you celebrated with family and friends when the word “pandemic” was not part of your everyday vocabulary. May we pray for those young people in our midst that have those major milestone events from ordinations, to weddings, to graduations that they will be of good cheer even though they must celebrate them in the midst of the dark looming cloud of a pandemic.


Stepping Up in Faith Collected this week: $0.00 Received to date: $109,442.22 Goal: $175,000.00

If If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run— Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

may 24, 2020 · 2020-05-24 · right now because until we catch this disease (and apparently can...

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