How good it is to have the protection and patronage of St Joseph as our namesake. He is always at our side as community and individually. Thank God He gave us such a wonderful friend in Christ Jesus. If that were not enough, at his side is his wife Mary. So between Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we have the entire Holy family in our parish family, this building, and in our homes. Imagine that, God Himself in Jesus, and then Joseph and Mary as our family. We truly do belong. This is Home. Continue reading “Symbolism in the Church # 13”
Divine Mercy Sunday – April 28, 2019
Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday
What does Easter mean to you? For Christians, it means attending Mass and gathering with family for a special meal.
As we contemplate the Passion of Christ and all the pain and sufferings He experienced, He shows us His Resurrection, a New Life with the Father. His Resurrection was a witness to all who might not have believed He was the Son of God, as He proclaimed. Easter is a reminder, that through all of our pain and sufferings, there is new life in Christ. After every experience we encounter in life, there is always Resurrection.
And in Christ’s Resurrection, He showers us with His Love and Mercy. How loving is our Lord. He, who was abandoned by those closest to Him, humiliated, stripped down to nothing as He was beaten and bruised beyond our comprehension, and ultimately crucified. And yet, He returns to us in all His glory, offering mercy and forgiveness for the sins we have committed. That is Divine Mercy!
It is on this day, the Feast of Divine Mercy, that the Lord pours upon us His Unfathomable Mercy by washing away all of our sins completely, giving us a new beginning. Through this act of mercy, He also asks us to be merciful and forgiving to others, just as He has been to us. As He has loved us, we are to love our neighbors.
Divine Mercy Sunday is a continuation of Easter Sunday. It is putting those Baptismal vows into action by deepening our love for God and our neighbor through mercy and forgiveness.
The Heart of Jesus is always awaiting you with open arms. Join us on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 28, at the 3:00pm Mass, as we truly experience mercy and forgiveness in ways only possible through God.
The doors will open at 1:00 for Adoration and Reconciliation and the choir will sing the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 2:25pm.
Please be sure to go to Reconciliation before Divine Mercy Sunday.
Peace Be With You!
Ash Wednesday Mass Times
8:00am School Mass at St Joseph Fr. Barr
8:00am English Mass at St Mary Fr. Diego
Sacristan – Ev Bouray
Servers – Needed
Lectors – Mark Rapp
Eucharistic Minister – Mark Rapp, Linda Nott,
Nancy Brooks
Ushers – Bob Bouray, Dave Warneke,
Needed
9:30am Mass at Presence Fr. Barr
5:30pm Mass at St Joseph Fr. Barr
Sacristan – Jean Mertz
Servers – Needed
Lectors – Pat Weigel, Scott Helms
Eucharistic Minister – Lana Schuck, Dee Roser,
Lisa Herrling
Ushers – John Berg, Mary Connors,
Dee Roser, Mike Schuck,
Mike Szula
7:00pm Spanish Mass at St Mary Fr. Diego
The Symbolism in St Joseph Church #4
God sheds his grace upon us in many colors, symbolized in the colors we see when the sun shines through the windows. Real stained glass is getting more and more rare. Real stained glass is actually what it says it is, glass that is stained, or has the color in the glass. The more modern “stained glass” may have a backdrop color in the glass, but then they spray paint on top of it to give it its shading effect. This allows for more detail in making images in a time where the true art of making the windows is almost all lost. Look closely at the stained glass in any old church. It is nearly impossible to have the same glass replaced.
In the old days the glass was stained by hand, making it very difficult to match. Even the same piece of glass may have different parts of it with different intensities of that color. Stained glass can vary in thickness, giving it a different look as well. Consistency was very hard to keep in stained glass. When we look at this stained glass, we see the uniformity and consistency of all the glass. In fact, we can see it in the very building. Continue reading “The Symbolism in St Joseph Church #4”
The Symbolism in St Joseph Church #3
Jesus leads us through the storms of this life: all our uncertainties, sufferings and joys, both individually and communally. Sometimes we “see how strong the wind {is, we} become frightened” (Mt 14:30) and start wondering why He is leading us to such turbulent territory. We question if He is even leading us or if He cares. But He has the helm. He has His boat under control. He is leading His Church to the safety of the dock. The winds and the waves may be pushing this old barc and our very lives around, but we still have nothing to fear as Jesus is the one who leads us. He is the one who saves us (Mt 14:30-31). Continue reading “The Symbolism in St Joseph Church #3”
Christmas & New Year Mass Schedule
Christmas Eve – Monday, December 24
- 3:30pm – Choir Concert with Community Singing
- 4:00pm – St Joseph Church – Fr. Barr
Christmas Day – Tuesday, December 25
- 8:00am – St Mary Church – Fr. Barr
- 10:30am – St Joseph Church – Fr. Barr
- 1:00pm – St Mary Church (en Español) – Fr. Ricardo
St. Vincent de Paul – Aryl Dailey Free Community Lunch April 21
The next Aryl Dailey Free Community Lunch will be Saturday, April 21 from 11:30am to 1:00pm in Berg Hall. This will be the final lunch of the season; we will resume the monthly meals in October. Items needed are: apples, oranges and cookies/brownies. If you can donate any of these items, please contact Mary Koppi at 815-232-4687. We will also be collecting household cleaning items and these may be brought to Berg Hall after 9:00 on the 21st. One hundred twenty-two meals were provided at the March lunch. We consistently provide over one hundred meals each month and we could not continue this service without your continued support. Thank you to all who give of their time each month to prepare and serve the meals, to deliver meals to the homebound, and to donate fruit and cookies and other supplies. You have touched the lives of many in our community through your generosity.
Marian Society Meeting
The Marian Society will meet at 7:00pm on Thursday, April 12 in Berg Hall. Members are reminded that yearly dues of $10.00 are now payable.
The program will be presented by Peggy Badgett, who writes a weekly column for the Journal Standard. Peggy spent twelve years in pharmaceutical research before becoming a pharmacist. Peggy now lives on a small farm near Orangeville with a menagerie of assorted animals. She is an avid nature lover and adventurer.
Hostesses for the evening are: Carolyn Bowers, Roberta Schradermeier, Shirley Schuck and Pat Weigel. All ladies of St Joseph and St Mary are invited to attend.
Vianney Production
Vianney Performance Thank You The Vianney performance was without a doubt an exceptional event. The audience consisted of visitors, children, and many parishioners. It was a top quality performance and a true life story about a parish priest who became the patron saint of all parish priests. It was performed here, in Freeport, on Vianney’s 200th anniversary of becoming a parish priest for Ars, France. It was very inspiring, soul wrenching, enlightening and totally on mark with current events.
Leonardo Defilippis did a Q&A after the event and he was very welcoming to this parish. He gave all he had for the performance. He and his stage manager were a true joy to work with.
There were many people and organizations that came forward after the sponsorship list had been printed for the program, and who aided in making this event possible. At this time, I wish to express my appreciation for their generous support in helping set-up and tear down, as well as, their sponsorship. There isn’t enough room to mention all of them, but I would like to take this moment to thank some of the sponsors: Attorneys Ed & John Mitchell, Randall J. Manus, Esquire, Mr. & Mrs. James Scholtz, in memory of Margret Scholtz, Professor Joseph Vu, Luke Beggin of BTL Capital Management, and the Marian Society. You helped God touch many souls that night.
Through your act of kindness and financial support, others have benefited by your good heart and giving nature. The graces that flow into the community will mostly be unseen. But God always rewards those who serve Him. May the angels of God always assist you!
We thank you for your loving support. You are in my prayers. ~ Cynthia Saar, Event Coordinator
St
MARIAN SOCIETY
The Marian Society will meet on Thursday, March 8, at 7:00pm, in Berg Hall. Members are reminded that yearly dues of $10.00 are payable at this time. The program will be presented by Kerrylynn Whalen Rodriguez. Kerrylynn has been a pharmacist for nearly forty years and has gone on twenty-six humanitarian/medical trips to Peru and the Amazon. She recruits, trains and escorts volunteers through her organization Casa de Salud Peru (House of Health Peru). She will be leaving on another mission to South America in July. She is in need of the following items: colored pencils, girls’ hair accessories, toothbrushes, dish towels, handmade baby hats and blankets and pot holders. We will be collecting these items at the meeting — please be generous. All ladies of St Joseph and St Mary are invited to attend.