The Church of Saint John Neumann

One of the world’s greatest art treasures is Michelangelo’s Pieta, created from a single piece of marble in 1498, when Michelangelo was only twenty-three. It shows Mary, the Mother of Jesus, holding the broken body of her son on her lap. One does not have to be Christian to be moved by the image. The combination of love and sorrow on Mary’s face, the sense of longing to take onto herself some of her son’s pain that she might lessen it, speaks to anyone who has ever loved and cared for another. There is only one problem: The scene probably never happened. Only in John’s Gospel (which we will hear on Good Friday) is Mary even present at the Crucifixion. Others, not Mary, are involved in Jesus’ being taken down from the cross and buried.

Yet, in moving us so deeply, the Pieta strikes us as so right and true. Why? Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, in his recent The Lord is My Shepherd, offers this insight into Michelangelo’s creation: He sees in Mary the love and tenderness of “God in his feminine aspect . . . the God who created life in all of its fragile vulnerability, the way a mother creates life, a God who grieves for His children when they suffer, who suffers with them when they are cruel to one another, when they hurt and kill one another. Every mother, every parent who suffers the loss of a child is reenacting God’s grief at the death of one of His own children . . . God’s was the first heart to break.”

In the passion and death of his beloved, God is rejected and humiliated, God suffers and dies—just as every human being experiences. But God allows himself to be broken in order that we might understand the fragile, impermanent nature of this life. As we will see as the Gospel unfolds this Holy Week, the brokenness we both suffer and inflict can be healed in God’s love: love that is humble, love that is sincere, love that centered in gratitude and selflessness. In the broken body of Jesus, we are reconciled with God; in the broken body of Jesus, we are reconciled with God; in the broken body of Jesus our lives are transformed in the perfect love of Christ; in the broken body of Jesus, God’s Spirit of humility and compassion becomes a force of hope and re-creation in our hurting and despairing world.

Please be assured of my prayers for you and your family and please keep me and our staff in your.

Heifer International – Lenten Almsgiving Project
Every Heifer partner family experiences the dignity of helping a neighbor get a new start. They pass on one or more of their gift animal’s offspring, or the equivalent, to other families in need. In a world where so many families are in desperate need of help, your prayers and your gifts bless more people in an ever-widening circle of love. Our hope for our parish is that we collect enough funds to provide Heifer International with an Ark to benefit as many families as possible. Please return your Almsgiving during Holy Week. Thank you for sharing your gifts and prayers with those in need.

Communion Minister Training
The next Communion Minister formation is on Saturday, May 2, at 10:00 a.m. in the church nave. We continue to need more ministers to serve at the 11:00 a.m. mass. If you are a baptized parishioner, who has received First Holy Communion and want to serve the parish as a Communion Minister, please join us for the training on May 2nd. We encourage our recently confirmed youth to consider this opportunity to serve our parish. For further information, please contact Diane Sova 634-1696 (W) or 825-0039 (H).

A week like no other
Holy Thursday, Good Friday,
Holy Saturday night and Easter Sunday morn.
It is a holy week!

If there is someone you’d like to invite to come with you,
assure them that our doors ad our
hearts will be open Wide!

Good Friday
April 10, 2009
Morning Prayer – 8:30 a.m.
Way of the Cross – 12:00 noon

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion,
Veneration of the Cross
and Holy Communion – 7:30 p.m.

Holy Saturday
April 11, 2009
11:00 a.m. Morning Prayer – Our Lady’s Chapel
Easter Vigil
Saturday, April 11, 2009
8:45 p.m.
no 5:00 p.m. Mass)

OUR WELCOMING PARISH
We will be excited to see many familiar and new faces at the Easter Liturgies. Please help our parish in its welcoming spirit. If there is someone you know who is Catholic yet who has been away from Mass for awhile, take the bulletin and give it to them. Let our brothers and sisters know we would love to see them at Church again and that they are missed! Also, tell them what Mass you will be attending, watch for them, and welcome all those new and friendly faces that are here with us to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection.

HOLY THURSDAY COLLECTION
On HOLY Thursday, there will be a collection at Mass for the Mary Magdalene House, a facility for the homeless in downtown Cincinnati, that provides a shower, clean clothing, and networking with agencies. Any donation is appreciated

LITURGICAL LIFE
Tuesday, April 7
8:30 a.m. + Paul Bui
Wednesday, April 8
8:30 a.m. + Ann Fabri
Thursday, April 9
7:30 p.m. For the Hungry
Friday, April 10
8:30 a.m. No Mass
Saturday, April 11
8:45 p.m. For the Parish
Sunday, April 12
9:00 a.m. + Mrs. Werner
11:00 a.m. + Norbert Meyer

HOLY LAND GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION
(Preserve the past, Aid the present, Foster the future)
The Good Friday, collection provides for the upkeep of the sacred shrines of Our Lord in the Holy Land, and assists the local Catholic churches in their pastoral, charitable and social ministries. A basket will be placed in the center aisle at our Good Friday liturgies. Any donation will be appreciated.

Decorating Help Needed for Holy Thursday and Easter!!
     On Wednesday, April 8, 2009, we will be decorating Daniel Hall and transforming it into our Adoration Chapel for Holy Thursday. We will meet from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to create this sacred space. We need lots of help to get this accomplished. Please offer a few hours of your Holy Week to help us create this prayerful atmosphere for Holy Thursday.
     On Holy Saturday morning, April 11, 2009 we will be decorating the church for Easter. We will begin at 9:30 a.m. If you can spend a few hours on Holy Saturday decorating, it would be most appreciated.
     If you need additional information , please call Mike Montgomery at 742-0953, Pat Bergen at 829-7694 or Trisha Sarvak at 858-2792.

School Registration for new families to the school program for grades
K-8 at St. John the Baptist School for the 2009-2010 school year for
families who are presently registered members of SJN Parish continues.

Private School Aid Services financial aid forms will be available soon at the
Parish Office for those school families who wish to apply for tuition aid
through the Parish Education Fund. Please call Janet Joerger at the
parish office, 742-0953 ext. 20 and leave your name and phone number
if you will be seeking tuition aid for our elementary schools.
Tatiana Concert at St. John Neumann, May 7, 2009...Save the Date!!
The St. John Neumann, Corpus Christi, and St. John the Baptist Pastoral Area invites you to celebrate the month of May by attending a concert with international singing sensation Tatiana Cameron. She will perform “Let it Be-Mary’s Story,” on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at St. John Neumann Church. This deeply spiritual performance is a portrayal of Mary, the mother of Jesus, from the perspective of a busy mom in today’s world. This is an event the entire family will enjoy!! Plan to celebrate and enjoy this special concert with your pastoral area community.

St Vincent DePaul Bundle Sunday
Please mark your calendars for April 18 and 19. On that weekend we will have a truck from St. Vincent DePaul to collect household items and gently used clothing at all the Masses. This is one way that we can use the gifts and fruits of the Spirit to build up the kingdom of God here on earth and help make a difference in our community. Thank you for your generosity.

A THOUGHT FOR ALL TEENS:
Jesus had only God to "cover for him."
Stripped. Humiliated and ashamed. Divested of every protection from the crowd. Jesus had to rely on God.

Haven't there been times when actions you weren't proud of were exposed for all to see? Humiliation and shame darken our lives at such times. Jesus had God's love to which to turn. So do we!

THANKS TO ALL BAKERS AND HELPERS
FOR FISH FRY BAKE SALE!!
Thank you for all who donated bake goods for the Fish Fry Bake Sales!!
They were delicious!
We will use the money received at each bake sale for our
youth activities such as retreat and mission trips.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND:
SPRING BASH at THE UNDERGROUND
For ALL 6th – 8th Graders
Friday, May 1, 2009
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Cost is $20. Look for flyer and permission slip in the back of church or online at www.sjnews.org.

ATTENTION ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS !
We have created a SJN Youth Ministry group on Facebook.
This group is for posting information, events, and any updates for High School Youth Ministry. We thought it would be another good way of getting information out to the youth of our church. We have the group set up in such a way that it only allows Elizabeth access to add new people to the SJN group. If you would like to become a member, go to SJN YOUTH MINISTRY in the group section on Facebook and request to be added, or email Elizabeth at emontgomery@isoc.net.

Grateful to God for many blessings.
Eager to care for our parish
Aware of our responsibilities to needy neighbors everywhere.

A STEWARDSHIP MOMENT for Palm Sunday
Good stewards strive to conform their lives to that of Christ – emptying themselves of all pride and putting themselves at the service of others.

DID YOU NOTICE…the link to set up a Sunday collection
e-donation from your personal computer is now available on
the parish web page SJNews.org. Those who would like to
preauthorize a Sunday collection e-donation can pick up a yellow
form in the gathering space.
.
Would you like a statement of your contributions for 2008?
Please call the parish office and leave your name and address.
We will mail the statements as soon as possible.

We are grateful to those who bring or send their Sunday offering envelopes to our parish when they have been away visiting or on Easter break. Thank You!

FOCUS ON THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN UPDATE
As of 03/30/2009
GIFTS & PLEDGE PAYMENTS: $1,012,257

OUR PAYMENTS HAVE REACHED AND SURPASSED OUR MILLION GOAL!
THANK GOD AND THANK YOU!

Our parish has loans totaling $249,341. Our Focus on the Future payments will be used to pay on these loans and the current interest accrued until we have paid the principal in full. The blue Focus on the Future payment envelopes will continue to be mailed to our homes in the envelope packets.

WEEKLY CALENDAR
Monday, April 6
7:00 p.m. RCIA Gathering
Tuesday, April 7
1:00 p.m. Staff Mtg - YR
3:30 p.m. RCIC – YR
Thursday, April 9
Holy Thursday
Office Closes at Noon
Friday, April 10
Good Friday
Office Closed
Saturday, April 11
Holy Saturday
Sunday, April 12
Happy Easter

From the desk of Deacon Ron:
This article first appeared in the Bulletin, March 16, 2008.
It’s worth repeating – the question has been asked again.
? Because you asked….. What is the Triduum?

Answer: The Triduum (pronounced: ˊtrĭ du um) is the heart of our liturgical year. It begins at sundown on Holy Thursday and ends at sundown on Easter Sunday. It’s a Latin word meaning: 3 days. There’s a lot of 3’s associated with the title. The 3 days of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection. 3 days of Christ in the tomb. 3 days of Passover, from death into life, from darkness into light. It’s a 3 day retreat to pray, fast and keep vigil for the Resurrection. 3 days of prayer preceding a feast. 3 days to fix our eyes on the Cross and our ears on the Gospel. And it’s 1 continuous liturgy over the 3 day period. On Holy Saturday night, the Easter Vigil Mass is celebrated. It is the heart of the Triduum. Because the Resurrection is the most important event in salvation history, I urge you to attend the Vigil Mass and experience the joy of what our faith is all about.
Submit your questions to “Because you asked” at the parish office or to ronbrenda@cinci.rr.com.

Recycle – Save valuable resources – Earn money for our schools
   We are part of the Recycle Challenge, collecting aluminum cans for St. John the Baptist School. We have had another pick up! Let’s see how fast we can fill the container again. The Rumpke recycling container is conveniently located by the garage near the John Gray Road driveway. Save your cans, drop them in the recycling container, help save the environment and earn money for St. John the Baptist School.
    We are part of the Abitibi Paper Recycling Program for John Paul II School (SBCS).
   WE ACCEPT: newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, envelopes, folders, office paper, notebooks, fax & copy paper and shredded paper (shredded paper must be in a plastic bag to prevent it from blowing away!) WE DO NOT ACCEPT: Phone Books, Cardboard, Waxed Paper, Metal, Trash, Glass or Plastic (except for bags that hold shredded paper). The Abitibi Paper Recycling container is also conveniently located behind the garage near the John Gray Road driveway. Bring your paper, help save the environment and earn money for JPII.
   Bring your aluminum cans and newspapers next time you will be passing by church.
      Drive in and drive out, easy access, 24/7, and help keep tuition costs down!

EASTERTIDE VESPERS
Sunday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.
The Athenaeum of Ohio
Mount St. Mary’s Seminary
6616 Beechmont Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio

Rev. Anthony Brausch, presider
Festival Easter Music sung by the
Athenaeum Chorale with the
Cincinnati Brassworks Quintet & Timpani
Anthony DiCello, music director

Summer Plans Leaving Little Time free for You and Your Spouse
Schedule a weekend away – just for the two of you and your relationship! The next Marriage Encounter weekends in this area are May 15-17 at the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood and July 17-19 at the Comfort Inn in Erlanger, Ky. Weekends fill up quickly, so a prompt response is encouraged to avoid the waiting list. For more details or reservations call: Keith &Lori Maurmeier at -800-547-1251 Code 00 – or on the web at www.esharing.org.

The Tenth Annual Su Casa Silent Auction & Awards Dinner is being held on Thursday, April 23 at 6:00 p.m. at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University. NFL Hall of Famer and former Cincinnati Bengal Anthony Munoz is the keynote speaker for the event. This event is the major fundraiser for Su Casa Hispanic Center, which is celebrating its eleventh year of serving the Hispanic/Latino population of this region. Four awards will be presented, including the Cesar Chavez Award to Sr. Margarita Brewer. Duke Energy will also be honored for their support of the Hispanic community. The event is open to the general public. Tickets are $60 per person or $550 for a table of 10. For more information, contact Chris Gramke at 241-7745. All proceeds benefit the education programs at Su Casa. Su Casa is a program of Catholic Charities South Western Ohio.

Thank You. Your Kindness is appreciated!
The Corpus Christi Food Pantry is so very thankful for the food donated so that we can serve more people in our community. God bless you, the Corpus Christi Food Pantry Staff.

LIVE IN WEEKEND FOR HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE OPTION OF COLLDEG SEMINARY WILL BE HELD AT THE Pontifical College Josephinum from April 16-18, 2009. The Live In begins on Thursday afternoon, runs through Saturday dinner, and provides the opportunity for young men interested in the priesthood to meet current seminarians, sit in on classes, and experience the prayer life of a college seminary. For more information, please see cincinantivocations.org/frm 041609.php or call the Vocation Office at 4213131 Ex2890.

Neumann News-Weekly Bulletin

April 5, 2009 --

The broken heart of God