Sunday, April 26, 2015 - Fourth Sunday of Easter In the spiritual world, about 80% of the people questioned state that they are religiously inclined; but when probed deeper, they don’t know their purpose in life, what God wants their life to be, how to relate to God, or how to live in union with God in the daily ebb and flow of their earthly life. Sadly one discovers that these same people don’t have spiritual answers, they don’t have eternal answers. They/ we don’t have the really vital truths. In its place resides a sort of vagueness that might be described as fuzzy gray. Not the bright sunshine of a new day. Rather more like the twilight haze after the sun has long since disappeared and only the last twinges of light still define shapes before our eyes. And so our lives are hollow, empty, and often times frustrating. If not openly hopeless, bordering upon it. Then comes EASTER!!! EASTER EXPLAINS EVERYTHING! CHRIST IS RISEN! AND CHRIST HAS THE ANSWERS! (taken from Father Pokorny’s Catholic Quote— April 2015 Issue) —Fr. Michael R. Schneider, Pastor Catholic Home Missions Appeal: Many dioceses right here in the United States do not have enough priests and trained lay ministers to serve their parishes. These dioceses are known as home missions. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal will take place this weekend and supports these dioceses by funding essential ministries, including seminary education and lay ministry training. If you would like to donate to the Catholic Home Missions, there is a specific envelope dated April 19 in your offering envelope packet or you can find special giving envelopes on the small table outside the Secretary’s Office. Just drop your donation in the regular weekend collection. Nicole Fuhrer, Development Director Hang on to your hats!!! Not only is the wind blowing, but boy is time flying! *Remember our Flower Fundraiser Order Forms are DUE this Thursday, April 30th. Feel free to mail or drop off your order forms at either parish or school office. Did you receive a letter from me this week regarding our 13 th Annual Golf Scramble and Development Dinner? Planning is underway and I am so excited! I am so grateful to our Major Sponsors who make this event possible year after year. Please prayerfully consider how YOU can support these IMPORTANT events. What a great way to gather with our community and parish families to support our rich history and bright future of Catholic Education here in Mitchell! I want to give a huge THANK YOU to my scholarship judging committees. The two scholarship winners will be announced on May 13th at Senior Awards Night. I will let you know as soon as I can. Continued Easter Blessings! The Mitchell Area Right to Life will be meeting on Sunday, April 26th, at 7pm at the Mitchell Pizza Ranch. Please join us as we plan for hosting the SD Right to Life Convention in Mitchell this coming September. Choose Life! Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat, May 15-17. Strictly Confidential. A safe, loving, non-judgmental environment. Open to men, women, mothers, fathers, grandparents who have been affected by abortion. Non-denominational. Sponsored by Catholic Family Services. For registration materials & more information, call Margi at 605-988-3775 or 1-800-700-7867 or e-mail mculhane@sfcatholic.org. Holy Spirit Parish Calendar of Events: Sun, Apr 26: 10am Last Coffee & Rolls for the season! Tues, Apr 28: 10:15am Rosary & Scripture Study, HF Conf Room Fri, May 1: 9am May Crowning of Mary JPII Mass, HS Church Sat/Sun, May 2/3: SCRIP sold after all Masses Sun, May 3: 1:30 Pre-Marriage #1, JPII Art & Science Room BACCALAUREATE MASS The Baccalaureate Mass for the seniors of Holy Family & Holy Spirit Churches will be Sunday, May 10th, 11:30 AM at Holy Family Church. All graduates should wear their cap & gown and meet in the Nazareth Room by 11:15 AM. Food Pantry Needs: CEREAL (completely out), Pasta, Spaghetti Sauce, Snacks, Mac & Cheese, Tuna, Hamburger & Tuna Helper, and Chili Beans. When you take your food donation to the Food Pantry, they request you do so between the hours of 8:30am—Noon, M-F (since they fill food orders in the afternoon); mark out the UPC codes, weigh your food donation, and record it on the sheet by the door. April is Holy Spirit’s designated month to collect items for the Food Pantry. You can place your food donations in the area under the John Green print at the entrance of the Church. There are also Food Pantry giving envelopes located on the little table outside of the Parish Secretary’s Office if you wish to make a monetary donation to the Food Pantry and put it with the Sunday offering. Thank you for your generosity!! Are you taking a summer vacation or weekend away? Kids in summer sports? Graduate heading to college in August? The June-July-August Ministry Schedule will be created around May 11. Please notify Merrillee of any weekends you or your family will not be available to assist with the Ministry for which you have volunteered by calling the Parish Office at 996-7424 or e-mail: holyspirit@mitchelltelcom.net. Letting me know before the schedule is run means you don’t have to find a substitute later! Faith Formation News Christine Lemmer, Faith Formation Director Pre-Marriage #1 The next PM#1 Session will be Sunday, May 3, at 1:30 PM in JPII School Art & Science Room. *Note: PM#2 will be Sunday, June 7. No Mitchell Area PM Sessions are planned after June. Gr. K-12 Faith Formation News We will begin FF registration for the 2015-2016 school year this week. The FF registration form (one per family for all sessions) is posted to the FF website (www.ffmitchell.com) under the FORMS tab and is also available in the literature rack outside the FF Office. Parents, if you plan to enroll your Gr. K-12 children in FF for this next school year, please complete the registration on or before May 21st. Please contact Christine in the FF Office with your contact information if you are new to the parishes or if you have a Gr. K or Gr. 1 child next year. Thank you. Totus Tuus The parishes will be hosting the Totus Tuus (VBS) program on June 28-July 2. A 4-member team of college-age men & women come to the parish to lead Totus Tuus for our young people. New 4-day format! Day Session-Gr. 1-6; Evening Session-Gr. 7-12. The fee is $15 per child, non-refundable. Totus Tuus is for the youth of the parishes entering Gr. 1-12 this next school year. Registration forms (one per family) are posted to the FORMS tab of the FF website (www.ffmitchell.com) or available at the FF Office. John Paul II School News Robin Cahoy, Principal — 996-2365 As we close out the month of April, I would ask that you note the many activities coming up in the month of May. The May calendar is full, and we would invite you to attend as many of these activities as possible with your children. One very special event I would like to share with you that will take place on Friday, May 1, will be the school Mass in which we celebrate the May Crowning of Mary. Our second grade students will once again wear their First Communion finery, while our sixth grade students will process in with flowers and crown Mary. This special Mass will begin our celebration of her life during the month of May. We held the District Modern Woodmen Speech Contest last week. We congratulate Olivia Huber – 1st place, Elias Grimsley – 2nd place, and Luke Haiar – 3rd place. All three of these students will now compete in the State Contest on May 6 in Oacoma. Good luck to all of you. Congratulations to our John Paul II show choir Joyful Noise which consists of volunteer 5th and 6th grade students. They were awarded a “1 Plus” rating at the Wessington Springs Music Contest. We are so proud of all of you! We are all excited about Game Day on May 7 – pray for beautiful weather! Become part of the Living Rosary! To participate, an individual or family is asked to pray one decade of the Holy Rosary daily. This can be done anytime, anywhere. The same decade is prayed for one month, then the following decade for the next month and so on until all 20 decades are prayed. Please call Mary Jo Wittstruck at the Parish Office, 996-7424, for more info. We welcome Robert (Gene) and Patricia Speelman to our Holy Spirit Parish family. We are glad you are here! Happy Birthday Wishes go out to Mary Ann Wethor who celebrates her 80th birthday on April 27th. May God bless you with more happy times! VOCATIONS PRAYER Lord give me the gift of a generous heart to follow Your will as I journey the path of life. You set before me the vocations of priesthood, diaconate, religious life, generous single life, and marriage. Grant me the grace and generosity I need to answer Your call. Amen. By offering this prayer from your heart, wherever your path leads, whatever vocation you choose, you will help build a great Church for tomorrow. Weekday Liturgies: Mon, April 27 R - Acts 11:1-18 G - John 10:1-10 Tues, April 28, Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr; Saint Louis Grignion de Montfort, Priest R - Acts 11:19-26 G - John 10:22-30 Wed, April 29, St Catherine of Siena, Virgin/Doctor of the Church R - Acts 12:24—13:5a G - John 12:44-50 Thurs, April 30, Saint Pius V, Pope R - Acts 13:13-25 G - John 13:16-20 Fri, May 1, Saint Joseph the Worker - May Friendship Day R - Acts 13:26-33 G - John 14:1-6 Sat, May 2, Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church R - Acts 13:44-52 G - John 14:7-14 Sun, May 3, Fifth Sunday of Easter R - Acts 9:26-31 R - 1 John 3:18-24 G - John 15:1-8 Fr. Charles Duman has daily Mass at 10:30 AM in the Avera Brady Home Chapel except Monday. INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK___________ Mon, Apr 27 - 7:30 AM Celesta Roth + Tues, Apr 28 - 5:15 PM Stephen Koester + Wed, Apr 29 - 7:30 AM Harold & Eunice Bollock + Thurs, Apr 30 - 7:30 AM Herrmann & Kampshoff Families 24 Hr Eucharistic Adoration Thurs 8:00am-Fri 7:30am Confessions heard Thursday from 8:00 to 9:00pm Fri, May 1 - 7:30 AM Sp Int: Mavis Stoltz 9:00 AM JPII School Mass: Sue Griess + Sat, May 2 - 5:30 PM Ron Sommer + Sun, May 3 - 9:00 AM Holy Spirit Parishioners 11:00 AM Fr Leonard Fox + May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace, Amen! . . . . Church Support (105) $3,352.00 Direct Deposit — Loose Offering 389.00 Children 26.95 Rice Bowl 101.00 Food Pantry 260.00 Catholic Home Missions 560.00 God Bless You! Total: $4,688.95 Automatic withdrawals for contributions: If you would like to have your Church contributions automatically deducted from your account, please call the Parish Office at 996-7424 for more information. Thanks. Stewardship Reflection: To be good stewards we must be good shepherds willing to lay down our lives for those committed to our care, not mere hired hands who run off, “leaving the sheep to be snatched and scattered by the wolf.” A Family Perspective by Bud Ozar: Today’s Gospel is a job description for Christian parents. For most people the most influential shepherds in their lives are their PARENTS. Every parent is called to be a “good Shepherd” to “freely lay down their life” for their children, to “love” and “know” their children, and to “lead” them so “they know your voice”. LITURGICAL ASSISTANTS May 2-3 LECTORS: 5:30 PM: Rhonda Broski, Bernie VanWassenhove 9:00 AM: Amy Honomichl, Hit Mayer 11:00 AM: Joanne Geraets, Linda McEntee EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS: 5:30 PM: M/M Chuck Thuringer, M/M Bernie VanWassenhove, Shanna Weiss 9:00 AM: M/M Duane Haiar, Marlou Mogck, M/M Dick Muth 11:00 AM: Mary Liz Crockett, Julie Mellan, M/M Clay Mick, Randy Rezac ALTAR SERVERS: 5:30 PM: Mara Miskimins, Dillon and Katelyn Robinson 9:00 AM: Jonah and Felicity Honomichl, Tanner Wenz 11:00 AM: Racquel Driedger, Allyson Feterl, Elizabeth Mick GIFT BEARERS: 5:30 PM: Deacon Nick & Laura Baus Family 9:00 AM: Laurie and Ty Hamar 11:00 AM: Joseph & Heidi Geppert Family HOSPITALITY/GREETERS: 5:30 PM: Pat & Clara Lawless, Peg Wermers 9:00 AM: Arlette Hettinger, Bob & Julie Sebert Family 11:00 AM: Tom & Marie Bechen Family, Elaine Goldammer USHERS: 5:30 PM: Jim Ernster, Jerry Gebel, Roger Gebel, Rod Heida 9:00 AM: Ryan, Noah, and Carter Thompson, Mark Zens 11:00 AM: Roger Bartscher, Chad Cahoy, Lee Elward, Craig Haiar CANTOR: 5:30 PM-Jane Schoenfelder, 9:00 AM-Jill Zens, 11:00 AM-Tanner Fuhrer ROLLS & COFFEE: Done for the season (starts again in September) SCRIP SALES: 5:30 PM-Marilyn Schneider and Mary Jo Wittstruck 9:00 AM – Merrillee Osterloo, 11:00 AM - Jill Mick 24 Hour Eucharistic Adoration Thursday 8:00AM to Friday 7:30AM 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm --- opportunity for Confession during Adoration