Halloween

10-30-2016Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The way our culture currently recognizes Halloween is more than scary… it is wrong. Let me attempt to clarify a few things. This week we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints, which is celebrated every November 1. This celebration dates back to the fourth century. It was originally called the Feast of All Martyrs and it was celebrated on May 13. The words “martyr” and “saint” originally meant basically the same thing — someone who is a witness to Christ even unto death.

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SJA Financial Report 2016

10-23-2016Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our Lord has blessed St. Joan of Arc parish with many amazing folks. Specifically, your generosity has enabled our parish debt to be paid down almost $100,000 in one year! Some parishioners have been able to give a bit more so our plate collection and our “Save Our Parish” collections have both increased a bit this year. As a result, we have been able to invest more in our Music, Religious Education and Junior High/High School programs. We have see our parish increase in total numbers of parishioners. There have been some incredible donations from generous individuals of our parish that have enabled us to take care of some much needed maintenance issues.

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"Mercy Changes the World"

10-16-2016Pastor's LetterBishop Thomas J. Olmsted

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"Mercy Changes the World"

OnWorld Mission Sunday, October 23, Pope Francis invites each of us to be part of that change for our world of great need, calls us to announce the mercy of God, "the beating heart of the Gospel" (Misericordiae Vultus,12).

On this 90th World Mission Sunday, our diocesan family joins our brothers and sisters around the world who will gather at the Lord's Table to celebrate, with great joy, our common vocation as missionaries. Our prayers and financial help, through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, support the work of the Mission Church, its witness to Christ and service to the poor.

"Let us not close our hearts within our own particular concerns, but let us open them to all of humanity, "Message for World Mission

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Modesty and the Dignity of Women (part V of V)

10-09-2016Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I found this excerpt from a little pamphlet called: Those Who Serve God Should Not Follow the Fashions. It was first published in 2003 and the revised Fifth Edition came out in June 2015. It was put together by Robert T. Hart. I found this section interesting. Obviously it was written in a different time under very different conditions. I welcome your thoughts on this as well. He begins:

Dear Catholic ladies, you must clearly understand that, while not all men are tempted in the same way or to the same extent, in general, bare thighs, mid-riffs, shoulders, and backs; low cut, sheer or see-through blouses and shirts; and dresses with long slits are all sources of temptation. Therefore, all these must all be absolutely avoided to avoid serious sin.

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Modesty and the Dignity of Women (part IV of V)

10-02-2016Pastor's LetterFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

There is no need to go into all the various types of clothing here. It is enough to say that there are different appropriate modes of dress for different occasions, e.g. in the privacy of our home, with our spouse only or with our children in our home, at work or school, in mixed company, at the lake or swimming pool, grocery shopping, at church, etc.

Dressing appropriately begins by looking at what is going on inside our heart. A pure heart seeks to do things that are pleasing to God. A pure heart leads a person closer to God. A pure heart leads a person to do godly things. Sacred Scripture reminds us that “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication…” (Matthew 15:19) and “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).

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