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Volume Twenty-Five Issue Two March/April, 2006 |  |
SJN NEUMANN NEWSLENT: A Time of Prayer, Fasting, and AlmsgivingDuring Lent the whole church goes on retreat for six weeks about a month and a half after the Christmas season. This annual spiritual renewal prepares for the celebration of Christianity’s most fundamental belief: Jesus was raised from the dead and is Christ, the Lord. Lent prepares for Easter and new life. This has given rise to a great variety of religious traditions from the earliest centuries of Christianity. Three themes hold the six weeks together. These themes are the mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the implications of this mystery for those preparing for baptism, and a spiritual renewal of faith and conversion on the part of those already baptized.Lent is closely associated with the transition from winter to spring. The word “lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for springtime, lencten. It describes the gradual lengthening of daylight after the winter solstice. During the 2nd century, Christians prepared for Easter by fasting for two days. In the 3rd century, this fast was extended to all of Holy Week. A distinct and lengthy season of preparation did not exist until the early 4th century. Fasting is a part of our preparation during the Lenten season. It is a natural thing to do in preparation for the holiest of times when, during the first generations, the Lord’s final return was expected. Fasting has to do with the quantity of food eaten on particular days. Abstinence refers to the kind of food denied oneself, for example, meat. Fasting has always been a popular religious practice. Denying oneself a basic human need such as food for a period of time may be done for different reasons. It prepares for a feast, promotes self-discipline and supports one’s prayers. Almsgiving is another motive that has always been part of Lenten fasting and abstinence. The money that we save through the discipline of fasting and abstinence and from our surplus we give to those in need. Prayer is an important part of our discipline during Lent. Traditionally, Lenten devotions in parish churches have drawn attention to the suffering and death of Jesus. The most popular one is known as the Stations of the Cross. As we pray the stations we are on pilgrimage with Jesus during his journey to Calvary. The stations represented critical events from Scripture or tradition remembering Jesus’ crucifixion. In the 18th century Pope Clement XII fixed the number of stations at 14 and during the mid-18th century Stations were allowed inside churches. In the 1960s, it became popular to add a fifteenth Station representing the end of the journey: the resurrection. Pretzels, a popular snack, had their origin in early Christian Lenten practices. Because fat, eggs, and milk were forbidden during Lent, a special bread was made with dough consisting of only flour, salt, and water. These little breads were shaped in the form of arms crossed in prayer. Among the Germans the Latin word became “bretzel.” (Excerpts of this article are taken from Catholic Customs and Traditions by Greg Dues.)
READING THE WHOLE BOOK… But, many of us have fallen into a similar pattern in how we celebrate Easter and the Paschal Triduum. Do we only celebrate by coming to Mass on Easter Sunday, or do we take part in the whole celebration of Christ’s Death and Resurrection? The Triduum - the 3 days’ time from the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday until the evening of Easter Sunday - comprises a unique season of the holiest days of the year. These three days comprise one liturgy, with 4 principal parts. The highlight of these 3 days, and indeed the entire Church year is the Easter Vigil.
We renew our own baptismal promises, and bless ourselves from the waters of rebirth. Finally, we gather around the table to celebrate the risen Christ in our midst. Remember that the Easter Vigil is a celebration for the entire parish community, not just those being initiated. Make plans to be part of this celebration. EASTER SUNDAY
Guess what’s new! May April 1 ALSO: Do you know any parishioners who have been in the news or on the go? Any newsmakers? Anyone from 0 to 100 receiving special honors? Keep us informed so we can keep you informed!
Liturgy @ St. John Neumann – March & April 2006
IN MEMORY We will acknowledge each of these memorial gifts in a card or note to the family and in our NEUMANN NEWS. Perhaps you will find this kind of memorial to be a fitting way to remember the people you love: the person who has died and the parish with which you worship. FOCUS ON THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN UPDATE OUR CAMPAIGN GOAL: $1,000,000 THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY! New Parishioners Baptisms: We welcome with joy the newest members of our Christian family: Youth Ministry at Saint John Neumann For Senior High students, the following regional and Archdiocesan opportunities are coming in the near future. Lenten Retreat for Youth – Mark your calendars now for the weekend of March 18-19. High School students from our Pastoral Region – Saint John Neumann and Corpus Christi will come together for a fun, enriching and life giving weekend retreat. Give yourself a great gift this spring and make a retreat with your peers. Teens Advocating Change through Knowledge and Leadership Experience – T.A.C.K.L.E. is a weeklong urban plunge retreat for high school teens which gets them fired up about the gospel message of peace and justice and gives them the skills to make a difference in the world. This annual Archdiocesan project really makes a difference in the lives of all who participate please consider allowing it to change yours. The dates for 2006 are June 25-30. Watch the bulletin for more details. Training Christian Leaders – T.C.L - this four-day, three-night leadership training institute, trains teens in ministry skills like: small group facilitation, witness talks, planning and leading prayer, how to talk to adults, building community, leading a meeting, how to be an effective Core Team member, how to delegate. Young people leave with an exciting vision of youth ministry, equipped with the spirit, tools and skills to start making that vision a reality. Through daily prayer, community living, small support groups and sharing, young people learn about the servant leadership that Jesus taught by example. The dates are August 13-16, 2006. Please call Pam in the parish office for more details about these or any upcoming events.
SJNWO Council Corner Notes from Pastoral Council Meeting January 31, 2006: SBCS Board: John Rees reported that the enrollment is 576. The school has had a good return rate for registration for next year. The PTO is purchasing cubbies for the 6th and 8th grades. Mount St. Joe’s has three students that will be student/teaching during the spring semester with 5 SB teachers. There are 70 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students that are working on ideas for projects (i.e., Easter favors, Head Start, reading with Kemper Heights) for Social Justice. Budget & Stewardship: We continue to be a little ahead of last year! The Finance Council met on January 17 and reviewed the November & December monthly and 2nd quarter financial reports. In comparison to the budget, we are experiencing the greatest expense decrease on the salary and benefits lines because we have a shared youth ministry pastoral associate with Corpus Christi Parish. The Finance Council audited the parish checking and school accounts for the last fiscal year (July 2004 through June 2005) on December 3. The report and recommendations have now been received and will be discussed at the next finance meeting scheduled on February 21. We were pleased to welcome Anita G and Carol G as new finance council members at the January meeting. There was good discussion in review of parish finances and processes. SBCS: We currently have 132 students from 87 families enrolled for the 2005-2006 year in grades 1-8. Registration for the 2006-2007 year of current students took place earlier in January. Registration for next year of new students grades 1-8 and kindergarten is taking place now as Catholic Schools Week is celebrated. Welcoming: Information on four newly registered parish households was distributed at the meeting for a “Welcome to the parish” phone call or note. Outreach: Since the November Pastoral council meeting, our parish has been able to help nine parish families with $3,350. We also helped 13 neighbors over the last two months with $2,076 to avoid eviction or utility shutoff. Facilities: The notes from the last Facilities Committee meeting on January 26 were distributed during this council meeting. It is hoped that the new Daniel hall kitchen doors will be installed, the atrium skylight will be replaced, and Daniel hall will be decoratively painted – all before the end of February. The roof was leaking during Mass the weekend of January 28-29th and a roofer has been contacted to give us an estimate of what is needed, repair or replacement. Liturgy & Music: The following report was provided by Jeremy Helmes. The parish celebrations of Advent and Christmas went well, and were celebrated fully and with life. The slowed pace, increased singing, and other changes for Advent seemed to help us celebrate the season. The liturgies for the Nativity of the Lord were a bit under-attended versus last year, but all seemed to go well (read: NO FIRE ALARMS!) In the midst of it all, the Worship Commission continues to work on “Sunday Mass 5 years from Now” and is studying elements of our liturgy in preparation for our first year, focusing on the Communion Rite. Fr. Steve, Jeremy, and Pat were each out of town a bit in January, and John Gobbi has already begun his annual “beach ministry” for the winter. Thankfully, not much is happening, liturgically speaking, during this stretch of Winter Ordinary Time. Jeremy will be traveling to Washington D.C. in early February to participate in the annual Colloquium of the Directors of Music Ministries Division of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. This is an opportunity for him to meet with and discuss issues of importance in the field of liturgical music with colleagues from around the country. He also serves on the board of directors for the organization and will participate in the annual winter meeting. The Worship Commission will meet again on February 21st at 7:00 p.m. in the Youth Room.
Children’s Formation: Aimee reported that our candidates were preparing for Confirmation, First Communion and Reconciliation preparation. Preparations are also taking place for summer RES. Youth Ministry: Pam provided the following report. State of Parish Visioning Planning: Fr. Steve and Aimee Baer reported that the vision plan was started over a year ago and passed out a rough copy. The consultant that was helping us can no longer be available. The plan is almost completed and a new consultant will not be needed. The staff will meet on February 1st to adjust the timeline and wording and will bring back for final approval. This visioning plan will be used in conjunction with regional planning. Region Update: There was a meeting last week of the St. John Neumann and Corpus Christi Pastoral Region Planning Committee. Jim Brown will be the consultant for these meetings. The minutes of the regional planning meetings will be e-mailed to pastoral councils and parish staffs. There is a list of 8 planning tools that are being discussed and reviewed. The regional plan needs to be finalized and sent to the Dean by April 15th. The Deanery plan will be sent to the Archdiocese in June. Reports on the regional planning process will be printed in the weekly bulletins. School Update: Fr. Steve reported that SBCS is in transition. Fr. Steve will be submitting his recommendation for school in February. There are many issues to be considered. Pastoral Council recommended that students involved should have the opportunity to be heard, when change takes place. Voice of the Parish: The following questions were relayed to council from parishioners: The Neumann News is published by
Friday Lenten Fish Fry The experience begins, Friday, March 3!
St. John Neumann Men’s Society The year 2005 ended with our monthly meeting on December 15. President Mike Wicktora and his fellow officers completed a very productive year. We began the evening by delivering the parish’s Christmas gifts for 50 needy families to St. Raphael’s in Hamilton. Once again, the Women’s Organization did an excellent job of organizing the gift collection and grouping gifts for each family. It is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. We then returned to Daniel Hall for a short meeting followed by our annual Christmas dinner, carol singing and fellowship. Upcoming events are the co-sponsored (with Northwest Athletic Boosters) Monte Carlo Night on February 18, 2006 and the Friday Lenten Fish Fries beginning on March 3. Our biggest project was completed in November. We financed the installation of new ceiling tiles in Daniel Hall (kitchen, entry, and bathrooms), and the Church atrium. In addition, electrical wiring and lighting improvements were made. A group of 24 men (and six Boy Scouts) removed the old tiles on November 19 (saving $750). One of our members also obtained free use of a dumpster to dispose of the old tiles. The old 48” tiles were replaced with 24”tiles. The smaller tiles will reduce sagging. Gary Lemming cleaned and color match painted the old hangers prior to installing spacers to accommodate the smaller tiles. Tony Hollstegge and his father, assisted by Gary Lemming and Neal and Adam Gellenbeck installed some needed electrical upgrades prior to installing the new tiles. A total of seventeen (17) dimmer controlled floodlights were added -Daniel Hall (13), Kitchen (2), and Foyer (2). They will provide better controlled lighting during special events. It should be noted that Daniel Hall will now become “Non-Smoking” to prevent staining of the new tiles and increase their life. Thanks to all who participated in this ambitious endeavor. The results will benefit the entire parish community. All men of the parish are cordially invited to join us at our next meeting which will be held on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in Daniel Hall. Meetings are short and you will have the opportunity to make new friends and enjoy snacks afterward. THANK YOU NOTES ************* ************* “ Dear Outreach Committee, We of Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart, as well as the folks we serve, wish to thank you for your support of our mission to provide professional hair care services to the poor. . . . Through your contribution, the human spirit of so many of the impoverished persons we serve will be rejuvenated. . . . May you be blessed many times for your generosity. We thank you, Outreach Committee. God Bless! With sincere appreciation, Sister Bonnie Steinlage, SFP” ************* “Dear Father Kolde, I have been informed by the Archdiocesan Financial Services that St. John Neumann Parish has contributed $6,490.50 to the Retirement Fund for Religious. Thank you for contributing to this cause. . . . Monies from this year’s appeal are being directed to those Congregations that have been most affected by Hurricane Katrina. As you are aware, some of the Congregations in assessing the damage done have opted not to repair or rebuild their facilities. They have relocated the elderly and ill members to other places; in some cases, in another Congregation’s health care center or to another state. The loss is experienced differently by each person and just now some of the post trauma symptoms are being felt. . . . The people of St. John Neumann have consistently given generously to this appeal. . . . Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Sister Mary Garke, CPPS, Archdiocesan Coordinator, Retirement Fund for Religious” ************* “Dear Friends, Thank you for your gift of $350.00. Your gift will help many in need. The hurricanes have brought out the best in us; 88 semis with over 2 million pounds of relief shipped out from our warehouse over the past 9 weeks! We couldn’t do this without your support. Thank you! This gift from your parish outreach fund is truly a “love offering – faith at work”! God’s blessings, Rev. Wendell E. Mettey, President/Founder, Matthew 25 Ministries” ************* ************* ************* ************* ************** ************** “Dear Fr. Kolde and parishioners of St. John Neumann, On behalf of the HolyLand Christian Ecumenical Foundation and the Christian artisans in the Bethlehem region, we send you a heartfelt thank you for hosting a Holy Land Gifts sale at St. John Neumann Church during the 2005 Advent Season. Our sale was a tremendous success. We are very grateful for the support of the pastors, staff and volunteers who gave their time and energy to ensure the success of this project. In Christ, Kristin Woodard“ Neumann Newsmakers ************ ************* ************** ************** |
MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S PASSION
THE EASTER VIGIL
