Parish Happenings

Daily Reflections

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Weekday ~ July 10
Weekday ~ July 9
Weekday ~ July 8
Weekday ~ July 7
Saint Goretti ~ July 6

 

Fr. Kopacek Mass For 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time ~ July 5, 2020

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Click on this link to celebrate Mass for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

 

From Fr. Kopacek Desk:  July 7, 2020

1.  First of all, a warm Holy Rosary Cluster “welcome” to Fr. Andrew Marr who is here this weekend for the 4 p.m. Mass at Lourdes.  As I mentioned in last weekend’s bulletin, he is in this part of the archdiocese preparing to become pastor of the Archangels Cluster (the parishes in Hancock and Winnebago Counties) this Tuesday, July 14.  Please pray for him and for all the other priests going to new assignments this week.

2.  Very good news for the Kopacek clan:  I’m a great-uncle again!  My brother Tom’s older daughter Annie gave birth to her third child Dominic Joseph on July 4–I sure hope they had a red, white and blue diaper for the little guy…  I officiated at Annie and her husband Adam’s wedding in 2015, and it will be my joy to baptize Dominic this coming Saturday morning, July 18, at their parish in the Twin Cities.  I’ll be back in plenty of time for the 5 p.m. confessions and 6 p.m. Mass in Alta Vista (no 4 p.m. Mass at Lourdes that day) and of course for the Sunday morning schedule.
3.  Speaking of weekend Mass schedules:  the schedule for the  weekend of July 25/26 is going to be very different from usual.  That is the weekend for Steeple Days at Lourdes.  As noted elsewhere in this bulletin, Steeple Days will be held on Saturday, July 25 this year and, because of ongoing pandemic concerns, the activities will be limited to the tractor pull at 10 a.m. and Mass at 6 p.m.
The Mass schedule that weekend will be as follows:
  • Saturday, July 25 — 4 p.m. at St. Peter, New Haven
  • Saturday, July 25 — 6 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Sunday, July 26 — 9 a.m. at I. C., Riceville
  • Sunday, July 26 — 10:45 a.m. at St. Bernard, Alta Vista
4.  Also note:  the 4 p.m. Mass on Saturday, July 25 at New Haven will include the wedding celebration for Katie Klaes and Drew Romsberg as well.  It will be the regular weekend Mass with the addition of the exchange of marriage promises, blessing and exchange of rings, and the nuptial blessing.  While it is not a common practice to include a marriage celebration in a weekend Mass, it is very much allowed by the Church and indeed works best in this particular situation.
So:  while that 4 p.m. Mass will be a public Mass (you need not have received a wedding invitation to attend that Mass), be aware that there will be a number of people who will be there specifically for the wedding (family, relatives, etc.) and seating may be at a bit of a premium–especially with every other pew taped off.  Therefore, I would recommend that those who normally go to New Haven attend Mass elsewhere that weekend unless you have received a wedding invitation.
5.  From the “Don’t Forget to Laugh!” dept.:  yes, there can be ‘good humor’, even in pandemic days.  Consider these thoughts:
  • “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d go to a bank teller with a mask on asking for money.”
  • “Returned from the grocery store with the hubby.  Took masks off.  Turned out it was the wrong hubby–be attentive!”
  • “The world has turned upside down.  Old folks are sneaking out of the house, and their kids are yelling at them to stay indoors!”
  • Sign put up under stay-at-home orders:  “Thoughts and prayers gong out to all the married men who have spent months telling their wives, ‘I’ll do that when I have time.'”
Hoping you are all able to beat the heat!
Fr. Kopacek

 

Meetings

All meetings are postponed until further notice.

 

Ministry to the Sick and Hospitalized

If you would like to receive the sacrament Anointing of the Sick or would like Fr. Kopacek to visit you while sick or hospitalized, please call the cluster office and let him know. He will be more than happy to see you.

Music Ministers Needed

A strong music ministry is necessary for a vibrant parish.  All our parishes are in need of music ministers to help lead us in prayer.  If God has given you a gift of singing or playing an instrument, or even if you still need to develop that gift, contact the Cluster Office at
641-393-2520.

 

Online Giving

We appreciate your contributions  to the church community and would especially like to recognize those who are now using our ConnectNow Giving link.  Our online giving site is safe, secure and most of all convenient.  You will always control the amount and can change or stop it at any time.  If you would like to donate using our online giving system and have not yet had a chance to do so, click on the Online Giving tab on this website and then your parish name.  If you have any questions please contact Nancy Theis at the cluster office (641-393-2520).

 

Befriender Ministry

Volunteers are needed from each parish to:

  • Drive people to medical appointments
  • Drive people to Mass
  • Make daily calls to people who live along (make sure they are okay)
  • Actively participate in a prayer chain

Please call the cluster office (641-393-2520) or Teresa Klobassa (641-393-2598) if you are interested in volunteering or would like more information.

* The Holy Rosary Cluster has assembled a group of 15 parishioners representing each of our parishes who are prepared to visit people in difficult and transitional situations such as illness, loneliness or loss of a loved one.  If you, or someone you know, would like a visit from one of our outreach ministers, please call: Alta Vista – Philomena Boehmer (641-364-6962) Lourdes – Marge Ludwig ((641-393-2568) Elma – Teresa Klobassa (641-393-2598) Riceville – Jeanne Watts (641-985-2031) New Haven – Nancy Theis (641-985-4145)