Parish Happenings

Daily Reflections

Click on link below for Fr. Kopacek Daily Reflections

Weekday Reflection ~ March 24
Weekday Reflection ~ March 23
Weekday Reflection ~ March 22
Weekday Reflection ~ March 21
Weekday Reflection ~ March 20
Weekday Reflection ~ March 17
Weekday Reflection ~ March 16
Weekday Reflection ~ March 15
Weekday Reflection ~ March 14

Fifth Sunday Of Lent Mass ~ March 26, 2023

Live Streamed Mass Available March 26, 2023 at 9:00 AM

Click on this link to join Fifth Sunday Of Lent Mass

From Father Kopacek Desk:  March 14, 2023

1. A friendly reminder:  as noted on the bulletin cover, the cluster office in Elma is closed on Mondays.  The staff is not present; and as that is my day off (unless a Monday funeral is scheduled), I am often out of town.   You are of course welcome to call and leave a message.
2. Lenten confession opportunities–in addition to the regularly-scheduled confession times (see the bulletin cover), note the following extra times this week:

• , March 19–penance service at 1:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception in Charles City
• , March 24–I’ll be available for confessions during the 5:30 p.m. Lenten Holy Hour in Alta Vista following the Stations of the Cross.

3. Fr. Andrew Marr, pastor of the Archangels Catholic Cluster of parishes in Hancock and Winnebago Counties, will be the celebrant at the 6 p.m. Mass at Alta Vista on Sat., March 25. The reason for that is that I’ll be the celebrant for the 4 p.m. Mass at my home parish of St. Wenceslaus (Duncan) that afternoon; in essence, Fr. Marr and I will simply be ‘switching pulpits’ that evening.  I’ll be back here to Holy Rosary Cluster for the regular Mass schedule on Sunday, Mar. 26.
4. As I mentioned last weekend, the schedule of meetings of the pastoral and finance councils of each of our five cluster parishes has been set;  all these meetings will be held at 6 p.m.:

• , March 21–Lourdes
• , March 28–Elma
• , April 11–New Haven
• , April 18–Alta Vista (meeting held in Elma church hall)
• , April 25–Riceville

We will review the usual financial statements, but the main task will be to begin the goal-setting process for each parish in accord with the archdiocesan pastoral planning process.

5. Lenten thought: Last week I introduced you to Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, a Vietnamese bishop who died in 2002 after spending many years imprisoned by the communist government there.  Here are more of his thoughts about our tendency to judge others:

“To remember a person’s defects is to hold onto the past and to concentrate on that person’s worst side, as if no other existed!  No one’s life is frozen; everyone is constantly evolving, changing, growing.  You must concentrate your entire attention on the present and the future rather than the past.”

How very true that is!  Every single one of us is a sinner, and we all have a history that is not exactly the ‘perfection’ to which Jesus calls us.  I doubt if any of us would like it if someone kept judging us as bad or evil based on things we did back in our ‘younger, foolish days”.  Why, then, do we allow ourselves to think judgmentally of someone else only in terms of some wrong or sin they committed in the past?  Every single one of us, without exception, is a ‘work in progress’–we have learned from our past mistakes and made progress (at least we hope so!), but each of us also has a way to go as well.  Yes, we need to acknowledge the reality of the sin and wrong that is done–but judging the state of another person’s soul is not our task.  “Stop judging, that you may not be judged“–from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:1).  They are Jesus’ words…not mine.

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)