THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES OF

ST BERNARD 201 Main St. Blencoe, IA

ST JOHN 1009 13th St., Onawa, IA

ST JOSEPH 510 Tipton St., Salix, IA

THE TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME SEPTEMBER 2, 2018

FROM FATHER MICHAEL: QUESTIONS: (FROM THE CATECHISM) 1 Which of the following is true?

Choose any combination of the following: . a. Humility is the foundation of prayer. b. Prayer is the living relationship of God's children with the

Father. c. Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God. d. Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and

man in Christ. e. Prayer is the requesting of good things from God. f. All of the above 2. True or false. Prayer is the man-initiated way of seeking

communion with the living God.

ANSWERS:

1. All of the above. Para. 2559: "Prayer is the raising of one's

mind and heart to God or requesting of good things from God" (St.

John Damascene, De fide orth. 3, 24: PG 94, 1089C). But when we

pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of

the depths" of a humble and contrite heart (Ps 130:1)? He who

humbles himself will be exalted (Cf. Lk 18:9-14); humility is the

foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we

do not know how to pray as we ought" (Rom 8:26), are we ready to

receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God" (St.

Augustine, Sermo 56, 6, 9: PL 38, 381). Para. 2563: The heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I

live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is

the place "to which I withdraw." The heart is our hidden center,

beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of

God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the

place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of

truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter,

because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of cove-

nant. Para. 2564: Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between

God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of man, spring-

ing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed

to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made

man.

Para. 2565: In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship

of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond meas-

ure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace

of the Kingdom is "the union of the entire holy and royal Trinity . .

. with the whole human spirit" (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio,

16, 9: PG 35, 945). Thus, the life of prayer is the habit of being

in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with

him. This communion of life is always possible because,

through Baptism, we have already been united with Christ (Cf.

Rom 6:5). Prayer is Christian insofar as it is communion with

Christ and extends throughout the Church, which is his Body.

Its dimensions are those of Christ's love (Cf. Eph 3:18-21).

2.False. Para. 2567: God calls man first. Man may forget his

Creator or hide far from his face; he may run after idols or ac-

cuse the deity of having abandoned him; yet the living and true

God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter

known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God's initiative of love

always comes first; our own first step is always a response. As

God gradually reveals himself and reveals man to himself,

prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through

words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds

throughout the whole history of salvation

ST. JOHN / ST. BERNARD Pastor Father Michael Erpelding 712-423-2656

stjohnparishhall@msn.com www.stjohnonawa.com

Secretary / DRE Colleen Maule 712-423-1004 stjohnparishhall@msn.com

MASS SCHEDULE : Mon No Mass…………………………………….. 0:00am

Tue Paulette Rice……….…………...…. 9:00am

Wed Ray Kirby…..……….…(St. Bernard) ………………. 7:30am

Thurs No Mass………………………….…………… 0:00am

Fri Jim Phillips ……Elmwood………….… 9:30 am

Sat No Mass……………………………...….…… 0:00 pm

Sun John & Marjorie Zink…………... ……...…… 9:00am

CONFESSION: SUNDAY 8:30 AM—8:45 AM

CALENDAR OF EVENTS WEDNESDAY– September 12

Religious Ed Teacher / Aide meeting @ Salix @ 6:30 PM

Sunday—September 16

Catechetical Sunday– Commissioning of Teachers 9am Mass

Sunday—September 16

Knights of Columbus Annual Chicken Dinner

Wednesday—September 19

First night of Religious Education 6:45-8:00 pm

STEWARDSHIP 9/2/18 ST. JOHN ST. BERNARD Envelopes/Loose $1067.00 $240.00

Grain $992.21

Retired Religious $20.00

Hall Rental $200.00

E-offering $466.83

Total: $2986.04

St. John Registered Families……………………….185

ST. JOSEPH Pastor Father Michael Erpelding 712-946-5635

stjoseph@longlines.com WWW.STJOESALIX.COM

Secretary Mary Lynn Nelson 712-946-5635 stjoseph@longlines.com Cell 712-281-0107

DRE Kathy Jo Mitchell 712-212-3867

MASS SCHEDULE: Mon No Mass…………………………………….…….…...0:00am

Tue No Mass…...……………………………………….....0:00am

Wed No Mass………………………………………………..0:00am

Thurs Richard & MaDonna Harrington……………...9:00am

Fri Elmwood NH.……………….………… ……….…. .9:30 am

Sat Parishioners of St. Joseph, St. John & St. Bernard…...4:00pm

Sun Ilene Mareau…………………………...…………..11:00am

CONFESSION: SAT. 3:30PM—3:45PM / SUN. 10:30 AM– 10:45 AM

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Wednesday– September 12

Religious Ed Teacher / Aide meeting @ Salix @ 6:30 PM

Saturday/ Sunday - September 8—9

PID Collection/ Tootsie Roll Drive after Masses

Sunday– September 23

Chicken Dinner & Bazaar/Craft Fair 10 am-2pm

STEWARDSHIP 9/1—9/2 ST. JOSEPH Envelopes: $3586.00 Loose: $173.00

Debt reduction $200.00 Candles: $37.00

Retirement Fund $ $100.00 e-offer: $120.00

Food Pantry $100.00 mowing/snow: $515.00

TOTAL: $4831.00

St. Joseph Registered Families ……………………...209

St. Joseph Debt July 2018 ……………………$229,664.36

St. Joseph Debt April 2017…………………….$324, 880.66

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

ST. JOHN SEPTEMBER 16

LECTORS SERVERS EMS GIFT BEARERS USHERS

Janet Ryan Alex Menke Annette Linden– Elmwood Mike & Bridget Beck Jerry Menke

ROSARY Ava Stangel Anita Madsen– Homebound Greeters Gabe Madsen, Terry

Grace Fouts Kacy Miller Beth Kirby Grace Fouts, Kathy Skelton Madsen, Mike Beck

ST. JOSEPH SEPTEMBER 15-16

LECTORS SERVERS EMS GIFT BEARERS USHERS

15-Michelle Mareau 15- Lydia 15-Paula Olson 15- Pete & Marge Rinaldi 15-Bert Ullrich

16– Kathy Spohr Zach & Bryce

Harpeneau

Bonnie Brouillette

Kathy Baker

16-Ryan Willis Family Mike & Sharon Clayton

Lawson Schuetz

15-Rosary

Kathy Baker

16-Braden Hensley 16-Mary Kay Miller 15-Greeters

Mike & Sharon Clayton

16-Myron & Jenny

Miller

16–Mary Hozerland Charlie Clayton

Jack Clayton

Brenda Hinrickson

Mary Lazarowicz

16– Greeters

Laura Lewis Family

Ryan Willis Family

Stewards

Steve & Kathy Spohr Homebound

Deanna Smith

Pam Eliason

ST. JOHN/ ST. BERNARD SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 ST. JOSEPH

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK OF OUR PARISHES: Father Patrick O’Kane, Shirley Turner, Dora Miller,

Esther Mac Clure, Darlene Ellis, Cheri Gibler, Loretta

Simoff, Verla Benjamin, Doe & Mabel Walker, Mar-

yann Muller, Ken Wingert, Pete Mortensen, John

Heisterkamp, Charlotte Zortman, Rosemary Kirby,

Gina Mortensen, Chris Metzger, Judson Bramow ,

Sherry Wince, & Pat (Kelley) Baker. If you know of

someone who is ill and needs our prayers, and would

like to be listed, or if you no longer need to be listed,

please contact Colleen at the office @ 423-1004

The 2018/2019 Diocesan Annual Appeal has

begun! Please prayerfully consider your pledge to

DAA. Our goal this year is $13815.00 Your

generous gift gives us the opportunity to act together

as a family of faith and support the programs and ser-

vices no single individual or parish can offer by

themselves. Your gift is important! To learn more, visit

https://scdiocese.org/daa/. Religious Education Classes will start on Sep-tember 19th at 6:45 PM. Please register your children before this date to avoid confusion on the start of Religious Ed. Forms are in the Parish Center or the office, Iowa 99 County Bible Reading Marathon on Tuesday Sept 11 & Wednesday Sept 12 on the grounds of the Monona County Courthouse. Call Dorothy at 433-2328 if you are willing to get on the schedule. Thank you to the hardworking members of our Finance Council . They are : Father Erpelding, Jim Bosanek, Larry Christensen, Doug Zima, Mahlon Pekarek, Rick Stanislav, Terry Framke & Theresa Niewohner. If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact any one of them.

___________ Just for Laughs _____________ : “My friend got a personal trainer a year be-fore his wedding. I thought: ‘How long’s the aisle going to be’.” -Paul McCaffrey

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THE SICK OF OUR

PARISHES: Father O’Kane, Fran Mitchell, Nainna Gnat,

Pat Mustain, Jeri Greiner, Mike Franken, Loretta Prince,

David Bogenrief, Linda Donnelly, Sue LaCroix, Pam Dalley,

Bev Thorpe, Bryson Harder, Justin Lamoureux, Sophie

Helvey, Kim Peterson, Doreen Becker, Kathy Spohr,

Glenda Ullrich, Roger Huot, Stanley Johnson, Tristan Parks,

Colleen Ebner ,Bailey Cleveland, Christian Case, Brady

Worrell, Cal Worrell, Connie Wagner, Kathy Clayton, Helen

Martin. For all who travel, grieve, those in the military, vet-

erans their families and our nations leaders. The candles

burning on the Blessed Mother’s altar are for the military

serving in foreign lands . DAA is fast approaching, letters will come out in a

couple of weeks. Our goal this year is $17,581 It’s a

Goal we can reach we did a great job last year and

know we will again, so when your letter arrives take

care of it right away and we’ll get this done. THANK YOU

Remember When? Bazaar meant Kids games, Bingo,

Great food and fellowship? Well its Back! Yes, there will

be Kids games on the lawn and Bingo in the Bus Barn

along with a CRAFT FAIR, featuring some awesome craft-

ers and direct sales people. Come early & shop, go to

Mass have dinner and go play so Bingo What a great way

to spend your Sunday and support your parish..

BAZAAR is fast approaching when your solicitor arrives try

to buy your raffle tickets and give the $7 for the Chicken

this is very important and helps to pay the caterer. Make

your dessert or salad for 15 people so we have enough

food as we are celebrating with the town this year in their

125th Anniversary. This is your Parish let’s make it the

best Bazaar ever!

Religious Education starts Wednesday, September

26th, 6:45-7:45 PM

Commissioning of Religious Ed teachers on

September 16@ 11 am Mass

RCIA Now is the time to let us know if you know anyone

interested in joining the Catholic Church, please contact the

office or Bev Weikel @ 712-223-1659 or Greg Heisterkamp

@712-251-0563. We have 3 candidates so far. Will start at

the end of September @ Bev’s home, 907 S. Shannon Dr,

Questions of the Week:

Adults: When has the Word of God penetrated my

heart and given me the courage to preach the Good

News?

Children: What does my belief in Jesus mean to

me?

This year’s Rekindle Conference will be

held on October 7th at Carroll Kuemper High School in Carroll, IA. This event is

for middle school (7-8) and high school (9-12) students. Rekindle will begin with check-ins at 10:45am-11:15am.

The event will end at 8:00pm. Sean Forrest and Noelle Garcia are our key-

note speakers. There will be numerous local breakout presenters, various games, a worship band, prizes, adora-

tion and confession, and mass with the Bishop. Lunch and dinner are provided.

If any student is interested in going, please contact Colleen or Kathy Jo.

Ventures Arts & Crafts Show Sunday, Sept. 9

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Monona County Fairgrounds - Onawa

You are invited to attend Ventures Arts & Crafts

Show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, September

9 at the Monona County Fairgrounds in Onawa. Stop

out after church. Area artists, gardeners, and crafts

persons will offer a variety of beautiful handmade

items. There is something for everyone. Don’t miss

this great opportunity to get some of your holiday

shopping done!

Admission price for adults is $2 in advance or $3 at

the gate, $1 for children ages 6-10, and children

ages 5 and younger get in free. All proceeds from

this event are given back to the to the service area

of Burgess Health Center through the purchase of

health care equipment and by providing scholarships

for area students studying in the medical field.

ATTENTION

ALL TEACHERS, AIDES, PARISHIONERS

There will be a presentation on Wednes-

day, September 12 @ 6:30 PM at St. Jo-

seph, Salix for ALL religious education

teachers and aides from the parishes of St.

John, St. Joseph and St. Bernard. Father

Michael will give the presentation on

Prayer 6:30-7:30. This presentation is open

to all parishioners and everyone is wel-

come. At approximately 7:30, we will break

into our respective parish teacher group

and have our meeting. There will be a pot-

luck meal available. Please bring a dish!

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross,

celebrated every year on September 14, recalls three

historical events: the finding of the True Cross by

Saint Helena, the mother of the emperor Constantine;

the dedication of churches built by Constantine on

the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; and

the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by the

emperor Heraclius II. But in a deeper sense, the feast

also celebrates the Holy Cross as the instrument of

our salvation.