A WORD FROM FATHER
SÅ‚owo od Pastora
JANUARY 21,2024
JANUARY 07,2024
"Prayer is the first expression of our inner truth, the first condition of authentic spiritual truth. Prayer gives meaning to the whole of life, at every moment, and in every circumstance."
—St. John Paul II
"The Answer” Eucharistic Rally will take place on June 7, 2024, at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse. This event kicks off the six days that the Marian Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will be in the Diocese of La Crosse. The Rally will begin with a Eucharistic Procession across the Cameron Street Bridge in La Crosse and will end at the La Crosse Center where the rest of the rally will take place. The day will include Mass, Adoration, Confession, powerful speakers such as Chris Stefanick, Immaculee Ilibagize, and Josh Rosa, music from Luke Spehar, and plenty of vendors. The cost is $15 per person. This rally is for youth, young adults, adults, families, etc. You can findmore information about the event and the other days the Marian Route will be in our diocese by visiting: https://diolc.org/the-answer/
Fr. Mark Miller
Pastor
"The human being, who conforms to the model of the Son, gives glory to God because of having been made by the Father by means of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the whole person, soul, and body, receives the Spirit of the Father. This is the perfect human being. When the Spirit is united with the soul and with the body, then we have the spiritual person, the perfect person, the human being in the image and likeness of God. If on the contrary, the soul does not have the Spirit, we would have a carnal and imperfect being. Such a person, in having been created would be in the image of God, but would have no likeness to him. Likeness to God comes only from the Spirit."
— St. Irenaeus of Lyon
Dear Parishioners:
Monday, January 8 is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. With that feast, the Season of Christmastide comes to an end. I hope this past Christmas Season was one of resting in and allowing the newborn Christ to permeate your lives. As we begin this new civil year, I ask that we all pray for each other, that whatever this year brings, we may be conformed to the will of the Father. Take courage
DECEMBER 24, 2023
Almighty and Eternal God, whose light has shone in our mortal darkness; reveal Your presence in our souls, and direct us in our thoughts, words and deeds; awaken us from the sleep of sin, and make us know that now is the accepted time and now the day of salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(A Traditional Advent Prayer)
Dear Parishioners:
As of today, Dec. 24, we are still in Advent. There are a handful of hours remaining until the Lord's coming, but still, those hours are there. In these remaining hours, I hope we all can take time and sit in quiet. All of us should take one hour and be quiet and be still, and hear the voice of the Father. What is he saying to you and to me?
Tomorrow is the Nativity of the Lord. I hope that this Season of Christmastide is one in which we can rest in the mystery of the birth of the Lord. Whatever the world says that Christmas is, we know that it is about God's goodness taking on our nature. Hopefully, we can all be with the newborn Christ and allow this mystery to make a difference in our lives. Happy Christmas!
Finally, I want to say that Phase 1 of our restoration project is completed. It's been quite the process from the campaign to planning and finally the actual work. There has been a lot of time and effort put into this, but the result is remarkable.
I want to thank all of you who contributed to the campaign - thank you for your generosity! Also, I want to thank the committee members who assisted me in this project - Mike Bigalke, Theresea Glavin, Mark Strojny, and Wendy Tritz.
Also, thanks to all of the various workers who all contributed to this. We can now enjoy the fruits of everyone's labor.
NOVEMBER 12, 2023
Conscience and reputation are two different things. Your conscience depends on you, whereas your reputation depends on your neighbor's estimation of you."
—St. Augustine
Dear parishioners:
This past Sunday at Bl. Bronislava, the Sacrament of Confirmation was administered to candidates from the various parishes in our vicariate, including Sacred Heart and Immaculate Conception.
want to extend my good thoughts and prayers to all who received that great sacrament. For those who received the Sacrament of Confirmation, remember what you were told when the chrism was placed on you. "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit." You were sealed with God! Don't forget that. Also, the word "confirmation" means "to be strengthened with." Your baptismal character was not only strengthened, but your soul was forever changed! The Sacrament of Confirmation, like that of Holy Orders or Holy Matrimony is NOT just for a day, and it's done. You are now called to USE that gift in your daily life.
Of course that's true for ALL Confirmed C.atholics, regardless of when it was administered, whether it was last Sunday, a year ago, five years ago or fifty years ago. We who are confirmed have to USE THE GIFT. It's not automatic, but the strength is there for us when we need it to fight the good fight, to be faithful, and to defend the Lord. Don't let it be wasted.
NOVEMBER 5, 2023
"The virtue of chastity does not mean that we are insensible to the urge of concupiscence. It means that we subordinate it to reason and the law of grace, by striving wholeheartedly after what is noblest in human and Christian life."
- Ven. Pius XII
Dear Parishioners:
Just a reminder about the missionary appeal for this year. Envelopes are available for your use. Please prayerfully consider making a donation. We will accept donations until the end of November.
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SEPTEMBER 3, 2023
"When we suffer much, we have a great chance to show God that we love him."
— St. Faustina Kowalaska
Dear Parishioners:
Be aware that beginning the week of September 3, for approximately two weeks, the asbestos will be removed from the church. Please use the handicapped entrance only. The other doors may not be used.
AUGUST 13, 2023
"On this earth we must attach ourselves to nothing, not even the most innocent things, for they fail you at the moment when you are least expecting it. It is only what is eternal that can content us."
—St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
Dear Parishioners:
As I mentioned last week, we are ready to begin "Phase 1" of the renovation project. The parish has waited a long time for something to happen, and now it is. It was a long preparation process, but it was necessary, and I want to thank all those on the committee who assisted me. This will begin the week of August 20, although some of the statuary, votive candles, and items in the various storage areas will also be cleaned out. If you're available to help with this, there is a sign-up sheet. (Aug. 15) During the next few months (hopefully ending by Dec. 17), the following will take place:
1. Removal of pews and disassembly of the kneelers. The pews will be removed by the restoration company, but we are responsible for storing the kneelers. Wood Renovators will remove the kneelers, and we are to store them. If you can help with removing the kneelers from the church, it would be greatly appreciated. There is a sign-up sheet in the lobby.
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2. Asbestos abatement
3. Removal of carpeting in the lobby area, the nave of the church, confessional, and storage rooms adjacent to the lobby.
4. Installation of carpet and tiling
5. Cleaning, preparing, and repairing the plaster.
6. Painting of the sanctuary, side altars, and areas under the windows in the nave.
While this process is going on, there will not be Mass in the church, Mass will be in the basement. The chairs that are in the basement as well as any of the pews along the walls will be used for seating. I'm going to add a 6:00pm Mass on Saturday, but as time goes on I will evaluate that. If there is no reason to have it, it will be removed, we'll just have to see where we're at as far as attendance. I will be using the music room as the "confessional".
As far as parish activities, the basement should still be free to use. However, there will not be funeral Masses offered as the church is unusable, and there will not be funeral luncheons provided at this time. Funerals may be held at Immaculate Conception Church. Once the restoration is completed funeral Masses and luncheons may resume
JULY 2, 2023
"Jesus was obedient to his parents.' [Luke 2:51] Master of virtue that he was, he still obeyed the duties of family love. Why do you marvel that, in addition to showing obedience to the Father, he also obeyed his mother? In this submission is revealed not weakness, but love. Take some useful teaching from his example. Learn how much you owe to your parents. You cost your mother the perils of pregnancy, a long period of weariness and pain. Your birth, the fruit that she longed for so much, freed her from the pains of childbirth but not from anxieties on your account. And what shall we say about the worries of fathers? They work hard to provide the necessities of life for their children. They are like a farmer who sows seed for future generations to reap. This in itself is enough to command at least respect in return."
- St. Ambrose
Dear Parishioners:
Our parish picnic will soon be upon us. This takes a lot of work and effort. I want to thank Arleen Gross, and the committee chairmen/women for all of your time. I also want to thank those who helped with the picnic in past years. Please consider assisting again this year. There are plenty of opportunities to help, and a variety of tasks. Please take this to prayer. Thank you in advance!
JUNE 25, 2023
"It is surely most necessary to beware, as our Lord solemnly bids us, of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. We may be infected with it, even though we are not conscious of our insincerity. I would maintain that no one is to be reckoned a Pharisee or hypocrite in his prayers who tries not to be one - who aims at knowing and correcting himself - and who is accustomed to pray, though not perfectly, yet not indolently or in a self-satisfied way."
—St. John Newman
Dear Parishioners of Sacred Heart:
On July 15 and 16, Fr. Joseph Birungi of the Diocese of Hoima will be at our parish for this year's Mission Appeal. In his diocese, he administers a school of nursing. He mentioned that in Uganda there is a shortage of nurses. The ratio of nurses to patients is 1:11,000. Due to the lack of medical care, many people die. The School of Nursing currently has 480 students studying. The specific purpose of this appeal is to raise funds to provide a borehole for water as well as a solar power system for electricity. The total cost of the project is $79,500. I encourage all of us to take this to prayer and contribute to his needs.
MAY 28, 2023
"In her magnanimity and generosity in suffering, Mary is, as compared with the Apostles, fitly imaged as a tower. But towers are huge, rough graceless structures with nothing of the beautifulness, refinement, and finish which are conspicuous in Mary. Therefore, she is called the "Tower of Ivory", to suggest to us, by the purity and exquisiteness of that material, how transcendent is the loveliness of the Mother of God."
- St. John Newman
Dear Parishioners
The third Commandment - "You shall keep holy the Sabbath Day", is a serious one for us as Catholics. We are bound under pain of mortal sin to attend Mass on Sundays and other days as the Church dictates to us. While there are legitimate circumstances such that the obligation would be lifted (e.g. confined to home or hospital), too often other activities take its place. It's important that we give the worship that is due to him. It's important that we be faithful to the Lord even while on vacation. As summer quickly approaches, remember to attend Mass even while away. A good website to look at is: masstimes.org. Simply type in the zip code of where you will be going, and it will give you all of the parishes along with addresses and Mass times. Vacations are good and necessary, but we also have to remember the Lord. Whatever your vacation plans are, I hope you find rest, and to remember to spend time with the Lord on Sundays!
MAY 21, 2023
"The value of our life does not depend upon the place we occupy. It depends on the way we occupy the place."
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Dear Parishioners:
I'm sure most, if not all of you, are familiar with Bl. Solanus Casey and Bl. James Miller. Recently the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments has given permission to the Diocese of La Crosse to publicly venerate Bl. Casey and Bl. Miller within the context of Mass. Their feast days are July 30 and February 13, respectively. Please note however, this applies only to the Diocese of La Crosse. Other dioceses may not publicly venerate them until they are canonized and are on the Universal Calendar. Also, like other blesseds or saints, if another liturgical feast that happens to fall on those dates is of a higher rank (e.g. Sunday), their feast is omitted that year. We continue to ask for their intercession!
APRIL 23, 2023
"Love is the bond of life, the mother of the poor, and the teacher of the rich. It is the nurse of orphans, the attendant of the elderly, the treasure of the intelligent, and the common port of all the afflicted."
— St. Gregory of Nyssa
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Dear parishioners:
We are entering the third week of the Easter Season. Yes! It is STILL Easter. Remember, Easter is NOT just Easter Sunday. For a number of weeks we will be celebrating liturgically the mystery of the Resurrection. This is a special time. We need to be living it!
APRIL 9, 2023
"Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. For He
whom you did merit to bear, alleluia, has
risen, as he said, alleluia. Pray for us to God,
alleluia. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary,
alleluia, for the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
O God, who gave joy to the world through the
resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession
of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of
everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen."
(Regina caeli)
APRIL 2, 2023
"Devout souls cling wholeheartedly to the cross with Christ. They thus acquire the most abundant fruits of the redemption for themselves and for others."
- Pius XI
Dear Parishioners:
We are now in the holiest time of the year. In the upcoming days, remember what is happening. Remember all that Christ will undergo. We should all make good efforts this week to pray, and to allow the fruits of this week to be effective in our live