The Church of St. Mary
420 Irving Street (PO Box 669)
Alexandria, MN 56308
Parish Office: 320-763-5781
Website: www.stmaryalexandria.org
School Office: 320-763-5861
Email:[email protected]
Rel Ed. Office: 320-763-9202
Diocese website: www.stclouddiocese.org
Office Hours: 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM Monday – Thursday
7:30 AM - 1:00 PM Friday
November 9, 2014
Fr. Steve
Binsfeld
“Our Mission
is to know, love,
and serve God
by living the
Eucharist.”
Promulgated on
Pentecost Sunday 2013
THE DEDICATION OF LATERAN BASILICA
Dear People of St. Mary’s.....
Our parish will again host the Thanksgiving Community Meal on Thanksgiving Day, serving from 11
AM to 1 PM. Many dinners are taken out to the homebound.
Next weekend our St. Mary’s Committee for Peace, Justice and the Integrity of Creation is sponsoring a
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY FAIR next weekend in the Great Hall. There will be a good number of tables set
up at which you can learn of various ways to help our sisters and brothers around the globe. (e.g. “The Heifer
Project”, “Fair Trade Products”, Mission Trips”) that build relationships. When you come into the Great
Hall you will be given a “Passport” that you can take to each stand around the outside of the Great Hall. As
you learn about what is being displayed, you can have your passport ‘stamped’….Bring your family. It is a
good learning situation. I think this is a GREAT idea!
This Tuesday---Veterans’ Day, at the 5 PM Mass we will have a blessing of Veterans. As with every
Mass, all are welcome.
We had such a positive response from our first “Breaking the Silence” day---a time to talk about planning
for health care and final preparations that we have scheduled a second time so that our Snow Birds can also
have a crack at it as well. That date is June 13, 2015. So put it in your calendar. As we get closer, there will
be an opportunity to sign up so that we can know how many to prepare for.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHAPELS, CHURCHES, CATHEDRALS, AND
BASILICAS?
Your basic church usually takes its cue from the Greek origins of the word assembly and also the phrase
“belonging to the Lord.” If a building is consecrated to assemble the faithful for worship, and if the building
is therefore a “house of God,” then it’s a church.
A cathedral is the particular church in which the bishop presides over worship and over the diocese at
large. Historically, cathedrals were grand works of art that took centuries to build. The cathedrals of Europe
were vibrant centers of urban life and learning.
Continued on Page 2…
Readings for the Week of Nov. 10th
Monday: Ti 1:1-9/Lk 17:1-6
Tuesday: Ti 2:1-8, 11-14/Lk 17:7-10
Wednesday: Ti 3:1-7/Lk 17:11-19
Thursday: Phlm 7-20/Lk 17:20-25
Friday: 2 Jn 4-9/Lk 17:26-37
Saturday: 3 Jn 5-8/Lk 18:1-8
Sunday: Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31/1 Thes
5:1-6/Mt 25:14-30
Weekly Mass Schedule
Daily Mass
Skrove
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Server: Tues., Wed., Thurs.. Don
No Daily Mass
5:00 PM ++Dale & Ernest Prchal
8:30 AM +Shirley Raths
7:00 AM +Marlene Herzing
1:30 PM @ Bethany +John Kern
8:30 AM +Fred Polesak
5:00 PM +Leo Krippner
8:00 AM +++Frank, Rodney & Curtis
Tvrdik
10:00 AM +Alan Schmitz
Sacraments
Sacrament of Reconciliation: Saturday at 4 PM in the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel (room behind presider’s chair; also has a separate entry)
Celebration of Baptism: All parents must take the Baptism Preparation
Course before their child’s baptism. Sign up by calling the Parish Office.
The next course will be offered on November 12th at 7 PM.
Baptism Dates: Nov. 23rd, Dec. 14th & 28th, Jan. 11th. To schedule a
baptism on one of these dates, please call the Parish Office.
Preparation for Marriage: Members of the parish (or children of
members) must arrange for marriage at least 6 months in advance.
Information can be received from the Parish Office.
Anointing of the Sick: is held on the first Sunday of the month,
immediately following the 8 AM Mass. Those who wish to be anointed are
asked to come to the front of the church.
New members - to register please stop by our hospitality
desk located in the Commons Area of the church or call
the Parish Office.
WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY
1
LITURGICAL MINISTERS
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
November 15th & 16th
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY - meets on Thursday mornings at 6:00 AM. in
the Commons Area of the church. Call Russ at 320-491-1853 or Jerry
at 320-491-9169 for more information.
5 PM MASS
Greeters Joan Collins, Evelyn Skrove, Barb Sparr,
Bernice Wagner
Lector 1 Lawrence Keenan
Lector 2 Greg Thompson
Servers Jairo Lopez, Nick Olson
Extraordinary Ministers Team 3
Ushers Team 3– Jim Lingor, Kathleen Lingor,
Randy Meyer, Loren Lukes, Diane Lukes, Wayne
Siffing, Curt Mateer, Shaun Mateer, Alec Wosepka
8 AM MASS
Greeters Judi Korkowski, Evelyn G. Roers, Ed &
Nancy Silver
Lector 1 Jim Korkowski
Lector 2 Jenny Floding
Servers Angelina Caron, Mitchel Floding, Alisah
Floding
Extraordinary Ministers Team 7
Ushers Team 7 Jeff Perrault, Bill Verschaetse,
Shane Schmidt, Steve Schmidt, Dave Schmidt,
Tony Strasser, Dan Ridler
10 AM MASS
Greeters Paulette Engels, Julie Haar, Kimberly
Hilback, Pat Polesak
Lector 1 Michele Neale
Lector 2 Bob Roering
Servers Ben Borden, Alexander Neale
Extraordinary Ministers Team 11
Ushers Team 11 Ron Hoffman, Bill O’Brien, Pat
Bruggeman, Wayne DeCock, Brad Klinkner, Jim
Kokett, Randy Kinney, Andy Bristow
Drivers – November 16th
1816 Fillmore –Herb Steffl
Bethel Manor –Pete Olmscheid
Windmill Ponds –Randy Meyer
Arabella Manor –Ken Wersinger & Laurel Linder
Grand Arbor – John Hovel & Ron Boyden
.
Hospital/Nursing Home – November 16th
Hospital –Melanie Boesen
Knute Nelson/Nelson Gables –Kevin & Mary
Gorghuber
Bethany –Chad & Tabatha Streich
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – meets on Saturday mornings in the
Great Hall from 8-10 AM. For more information contact Lori at 320808-1145 or email [email protected].
PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel
Rosary: Sundays (before Mass) 7:35 AM & 9:35 AM
Holy Spirit Prayer Group: Thursdays 5:30-7:00 PM. (contact Joan
Collins 304-5232)
Divine Mercy Hour: Mondays from 3:00-4:00 PM. (contact Barb Nei
at 846-0022)
ST. MARY’S PRAYER LINK: If you have a prayer request, please
send to [email protected] or phone Kelly Wosepka at 320-8154655. You may also call Julie Desautels at 846-1842. All prayer
requests will be kept confidential.
THE MINISTRY OF SPIRITUAL DIRECTION: Spiritual direction
is offered by Craig Hamilton, an experienced, certified spiritual
director and parishioner. Meeting locations are available at the St.
Mary’s Church Office or Spirit Cove in Garfield. This is a fee-based
ministry handled by Craig. For an appointment or for more
information call 612-237-3463 or email [email protected] or
visit www.careofsouls.org.
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION, A STEWARDSHIP OF PRAYER
Have you been wondering how you can be a good steward at St.
Mary’s, but are just not sure where to begin? Consider an Adoration
time with our Lord in the quiet of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and
let Him be your guide to stewardship. For more information you can
pick up a brochure in the chapel or contact Sue McCulloch at 7622053 (h); 491-7006 (cell); [email protected]. The following
times we would like another person to be with someone who already
has volunteered.
Mon: 4-5 am, 9-10 am, 11-noon
Tues: 4-5 am
Wed: 4-5 am, 8-9 pm
Thur: 12-1 am, 1-2 am, 2-3 am, 3-4 am, 6-7 am, 4-5 pm
Fri:
12-1 am, 1-2 am, 2-3 am, 3-4 am, 5-6 pm
LECTORS, GREETERS & SERVERS
We will be working on the mass schedule for
Dec., Jan., and Feb. If you have any dates you
will not be available please call 763-5781 or
email
[email protected]
by
November 17th with that information.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
www.stmaryalexandria.org You’ll find the
weekly bulletin, committee information and
minutes, parish staff, ministry opportunities and
much more.
PRAYER CORNER
If you or someone you know in our parish community is sick or ill or
has a family member who could use our prayers, please call our Parish
Nurse, Kathy Fischer at 762-2320. Please remember the following
people in your prayers: Lori Thorson, Kevin Eddy, Mark Mrnak, Kurt
Strand, Delores Schmidt, Jim Cavers, Michael Baudrau, Joseph Roers,
Maureen Boesen, Jim Adam, William S., Jon Andresen Family,
Bonnie Miller, Brooklyn Niemi and Ann Loose.
2
Fr. Steve’s article continued…
Basilicas were originally official buildings of the Roman
Empire; the Greek word means “king’s hall.” When
Christians acquired these buildings they were appropriated
for Christ the King. These historical structures include four
major basilicas of Rome: St. John Lateran (which we
celebrate today), St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s Outside the Walls,
and St. Mary Major. Minor basilicas continue to be named;
at present more than 1,500 basilicas exist.
Chapels (sometimes called oratories) serve specific
populations. Folks stuck in airports appreciate the terminal
chapel; prisons, hospitals, schools, convents, and religious
houses also have chapels. Each bishop has the right to an
oratory in his residence, and some churches have a smaller
chapel attached for daily use.
Fr. Steve
COMMUNITY NEWS
THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BINGO will be held on
Sunday, Nov. 9th at 7 PM and on Wednesday, Nov. 12th at
2 PM at the KC Hall on 6th Ave E. & Nokomis. Team 14
Randy Meyer, Jeffrey Crosby, Ed Silver, Justin Dummer
and Tom Ernst will be in charge.
ANNUAL ECUMINCAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE
ON WEDNESDAY, NOV. 26 with First Lutheran and
Calvary Lutheran is at Calvary Lutheran this year at
6:30 PM. Please try to come and give thanks to God for
the many blessings this year. Thanksgiving Day Mass is
not at 7 AM but at 8:30 AM.
ANNUAL COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER
St. Mary’s Church in Alexandria will host a free
community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 27th
from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The dinner will be held at St.
Mary’s School in the school gym located at 421 Hawthorne
St. This dinner is a community event and everyone is
welcome.
Rainbow Rider is also available for
transportation to and from the school at no charge. There is
also a free meal delivery program for the homebound. For
reservations, transportation, or delivery please call 320219-3915.
Families and individuals interested in
volunteering please call Richard at 320-766-8307. We
welcome donations of Pumpkin and Fruit Pies! They can
be brought to St. Mary’s school cafeteria, Wednesday, Nov.
26th from 3-5 PM or Thursday, Nov. 27 before 10 AM.
PLEASE NOTE: A family of our parish is in need of help
with an occasional meal brought to their home. Please call
Kathy at 762-2320 to volunteer and for more information.
PARISH LIFE COMMITTEE NEWS
Save the date for the Christmas Cookie
Decorating Event to be held on St. Nicholas
Day,
Saturday,
Dec.
6th.
This
multigenerational free event will be held
from 9:00 – 11:00 AM in the St. Mary’s School cafeteria.
St. Nicholas will be stopping by and some lucky child will
have a chance to take home a decorated Gingerbread house.
Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 11th at
5:30 PM in the Great Hall.
ST. MARY’S ANGEL TREE
If you know a family with high school age children &
younger or a senior citizen in need, please call the Parish
Office at 763-5781 and leave their name, age, address and
gift suggestions. This program is confidential. Names will
be accepted until November 21st. The Christmas Angel
Trees will be set up at all masses the weekend of Nov. 29 30.
FROM THE CEMETERY BOARD
Maintenance costs have increased the last number of
years—mowing, plowing, repair of graves etc. The
Cemetery Board voted to increase the amount for the right
to be buried or placed in a mausoleum or niche in St.
Mary’s Cemetery at the last meeting. The increase in cost
for lots and niches is effective January 1, 2015. New price
sheets are available at the hospitality desk. A good portion
of the money from the sale of lots/mausoleums/niches goes
to the care of the cemetery.
DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA
The Daughters of Isabella is an organization founded in
1879 as an auxiliary to the Knights of Columbus. Our
motto is Unity, Charity and Friendship. Members pray
together, visit at nursing homes, raise funds for charitable
donations through a yearly salad luncheon, hold a
membership Christmas party and summer picnic.
The local circle, Our Lady of the Lakes #1016, meet
once a month at 7 PM for rosary and a business meeting,
followed by lunch and socialization. Some meetings
include a program or guest speaker. In the winter months
our meetings are held at 1 PM. Catholic women ages
sixteen and over are eligible to become a member. If you
are interested, please call Judy at 320-763-7198 for more
information.
We will be having a Mass for all deceased members on
Tuesday, Nov. 18th at 5 PM. A regular meeting and
lunch will follow. Thank you for your attendance.
MEMORY SCREENINGS
As part of National Memory Screening Day – Ecumen
Bethany Community in Alexandria, will offer free,
confidential memory screenings on Tuesday, Nov. 18th.
Screenings will be held from 1:00-4:00 PM at 1020 Lark
St. Please call Randee Hall at 320-763-2192 to make a
screening appointment.
Qualified healthcare professionals will administer the
memory screenings and provide educational materials
about memory concerns, brain health and caregiving. The
face-to-face screening consists of a series of questions and
tasks, and take 5 to 10 minutes to administer. The
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America suggests memory
screenings for anyone concerned about memory loss or
experiencing warning signs of dementia; whose family and
friends have noticed changes in them; who believe they are
WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY
at risk due to a family history of dementia; or who want to
see how their memory is now and for future comparisons.
Screeners emphasize that results are not a diagnosis, and
encourage individuals who score poorly as well as those
who still have concerns to pursue a full medical
examination.
JPIC TABLE TALK
“How can it be that even today there are still
people dying of hunger? Condemned to
illiteracy? Lacking the most basic medical
care? Without a roof over their heads? Christians must
learn to make their act of faith in Christ by discerning His
voice in the cry for help that rises from this work of
poverty”. Pope John Paul II
The Committee for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of
Creation invites you to join us at your parishes:
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY FAIR
November 15th: 4-5 PM
November 16th: after 8 & 10 AM mass
In the Great Hall
Below are three of the twelve mission connections that will
be featured at the fair:
1) Franciscan Missions in Mexico and Ecuador: The
Franciscan Sisters dedicate themselves to rebuilding
the Church addressing the sources of Mother Earth’s
wounds and embracing those who are marginalized
in our world. Training lay people to be religious
leaders who serve the pastoral and spiritual needs of
their communities continues to be their major focus
along with the advancement of women.
2) “Seeds of Wisdom—South Sudan” is a Minnesotabased non-profit that is in the process of building a
Catholic school near Yei, the capital. This Central
African nation gained its independence in 2011 after
a 22 year civil war that killed 2 million people. It is
the newest republic in the world with a population of
about 8 million and a literacy rate of 12-24%. The
first phase of the school for K-8 is expected to open
February 1, 2015.
3) Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation:
Global Solidarity Group. The mission of the JPIC
Committee is to serve as a catalyst to empower our
parish as people of God to fulfill Jesus’ teachings of
love, justice, freedom and peace by communally
responding in an organized way to societal and
individual human needs at both the local and global
level.
John and Barb Nei will have a display of the mission work
they are doing at La Finca del Nino Orphanage in Trujillo,
Honduras. It will be an opportunity for you to see the
mission work being done by one of our own parishioners.
3
PARISH HEALTH MINISTRY
Lifting Spirits, Touching Lives
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death
in the U.S. It it’s not controlled, diabetes can cause
blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, and other health
problems. One in 12 Americans has diabetes – that’s more
than 25 million people. And another 79 million adults in
the U.S. are a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
People who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower
their risk by more than half if they make healthy changes.
These changes include: eating healthy, increasing physical
activity, and losing weight.
You may be at risk for type 2 diabetes if you:
 Are age 45 or older
 Are overweight
 Have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes
 Are African American, Hispanic or Latino
American, American Indian, Asian American, or
Pacific Islander
 Have had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational
diabetes) or have had a baby with a birth weight of
more than 9 pounds
 Have high blood pressure or cholesterol
 Exercise less than 3 times a week
 Have pre-diabetes
What are the signs of diabetes?
Many people with diabetes don’t know they have the
disease. Some signs of diabetes include:
 Being very thirsty or very hungry
 Feeling tired for no reason
 Urinating (going to the bathroom) more than usual
 Losing weight for no reason
 Having cuts or bruises that are slow to heal
 Having trouble seeing (blurry vision)
 Losing feeling or having tingling in your hands or
feet
Not everyone who has diabetes has these signs. If you have
any of these signs or think you may be at risk, talk with
your doctor about getting tested for diabetes.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
email: [email protected]
Phone: 763-9202
Class Schedule
Sunday School: November 16, 9:50-11:00 AM
Grades 1-5: November 12, 3:45-4:30 PM
Grades 6-11: November 12, 6:30-8:00 PM
4
Jr/Sr High
Grades 6-8:
This week we will talk about grace and how it is a free gift
of God that is given to us to help us throughout our lives
and to bring us into a deeper union with Him. We also will
discuss how graces are given to us through the Sacraments
and how each Sacrament has graces to help us in each stage
of our lives, with the Eucharist being the summit.
Grades 9 - 11:
This week the Senior High will be having a night on
Stewardship. This is a great topic to have right before our
upcoming Service Night on November 19th. The students
will be asked to put money and possessions in their proper
context in comparison to people, and especially God. Our
night should help them understand the freeing power of
stewardship.
ST. MARY'S SCHOOL
St. Mary's School educates the whole child within a
nurturing Catholic Christian environment.
email: [email protected]
Phone: 320-763-5861
Fax: 320-763-7992
Stewardship Teaching
During the month of October, every student in the St.
Mary’s School and Religious Education programs
participated in discussions and activities related to the
God First in Living and Giving theme. As a visual
reminder of those activities, the students had an
opportunity to add their own leaf to a tree that was
located in the Education Center entryway. Each leaf
represents what the students learned about stewardship
and how they live out the message that everything we
have comes from God and everything we have has been
entrusted to our care. At the beginning, the tree was
barren and provided little to look at; but, after 611
students had a chance to make it grow, the tree created a
beautiful representation of what they had learned.
Student Participation
Sunday School – 23
Day School – 202
Afterschool Elementary – 97
Wednesday Night Junior and Senior High – 289
Total 611 students
SCHOOL HAPPENINGS
No school on Monday, November 10. It is a Staff
Professional Development Day.
CALENDAR RAFFLE WINNERS
NOVEMBER 2014
November 2 Jeremy Wagner, Alexandria $35
November 3 Gail Curtis, Lakeville, MN $20
November 4 Tricia Buysse, Alexandria $20
November 5 Diane Maday, Alexandria $20
November 6 Leslie Cavers, Alexandria $20
November 7 Marian Rauk, Spring Grove MN $20
November 8 Mary Lou Maack, Alexandria $20
GOD’S WORD TODAY
On one of Rome’s seven hills stands the
cathedral church of the Diocese of
Rome, the Basilica of Saint John
Lateran. Since this church is the pope’s
diocesan cathedral, it is significant in
the history of Catholicism. Attached to the basilica is a
large baptistry, whose inscription reminds us of our
universal call to holiness: “Think not your sins too many or
too great: birth in this stream is birth to holiness.” As we
celebrate the commemoration of the dedication of this great
church, let us be one with all who have been born to new
life in the waters of Holy Baptism.
From Saint Margaret Sunday Missal, copyright © J. S. Paluch Company
5
LITURGICAL & MUSICAL NOTES
FAITH-QUAKE: When grief collides with faith –
continued from previous three weeks
Victor Parachin
Pray for loss to deepen, not destroy, your faith
After the unbelievable happened — her husband, Roy, and their 21-month-old
daughter, Sarah, killed by an intoxicated driver — Paula D’Arcy says her faith
became deeper and more authentic. She explains: “In the aftermath of my loss, I
prayed what I think was the first honest prayer of my life, which was, ‘God, if you
are really out there and if you are real, then help me; let me find you; show me who
you are.’ That’s when there was a major shift from a God out there to a God
within” (When People Grieve: The Power of Love in the Midst of Pain [Crossroad,
2005], 45). From that prayer on, D’Arcy began to put the focus on growing
through the pain. “I looked at what strengthened me and what weakened. I realized
every choice has a ripple. If I wanted to get to a deeper place within, I had to
support that with the decisions I made.”
Adopt a proper spiritual perspective
Look at your loss and everything that comes with it — sorrow, sadness, anger,
frustration, despair — as an experience that, rather than testing your faith, is
tempering it. The word “temper” comes from the manufacturing world: steel or
glass is heated at high temperatures in order to make it hard and strong. Spiritual
powers remain dormant in a personality until they are tempered by life’s fires.
Adopt the spiritual perspective that the turmoil you currently experience can
transform your life and faith into something stronger and more vibrant than ever.
This may be what Rev. Phillips Brooks, noted 19th-century Episcopal bishop of
Boston, had in mind when he preached: “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be
stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to
your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the
miracle.”
Whenever you find your grip on faith weakening, remind yourself of this wisdom
from Rev. Peter Gomes: “God is to be found where God is most needed — in
trouble, sorrow, sickness, adversity and even death itself” (“When Bad Things
Happen,” 20). ML
Victor Parachin is a minister, the author of a dozen books, and a bereavement
educator with the National Funeral Directors Association.
©All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission under license #2893, Resource Publications.
PARISH STAFF
Pastor
Steve Binsfeld 763-5781
Parish Business Administrator
Jim Boyle 763-5781
Director of Music and Liturgy
Laurie Youngers 763-5781
Parish Nurse
Kathy Fischer 762-2320
School Principal & Elem. Religious Ed
Troy Sladek 763-5861
Logistics Coordinator
Laurie Bienias 763-9202
Coordinator of Youth Ministries &
Confirmation
Gina Pohlen 763-9202
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Parish Trustees
Elmer Kobbermann 834-3103
Rose Shorma 763-5535
Pastoral Council President
Don Skrove 763-2454
Finance Committee
Mike Dolan 763-4705
Board of Education
Todd Wentworth 834-3923
Liturgy Committee
Laurie Youngers 763-5781
Committee for Justice, Peace and
Integrity of Creation
Tammy Boushek 760-5405
Parish Life Committee
Carol Rajdl 762-0139
Cemetery Committee
Ron Hoffman 763-7335
FINANCIAL GIFTS
Collections for the Weekend of 11/2/14
Actual
Budgeted
Sunday Envelope
$26,089.50
$29,941.88
Loose
$ 1,783.01
$ 2,115.38
Sunday Children
$ 199.53
$ 115.38
A more detailed monthly report may be viewed at the Parish Office.
PASTORAL COUNCIL
President: Don Skrove
Vice President: Francie Peterson
Secretary: Glen Reiner
Tammy Boushek, Bill Flaig, Josh
Sanden, Sr. Patrice Kiefer, Randy
Meyer and Michaela Niblett