Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry 165 N. Waterville Ave., Le Center, MN 56057

Phone: 507-357-6633 Phone/Fax: 507-357-4838

www.stmarysthenry.org

Parish Staff

Pastor: Fr. Christopher Shofner, fr.chris@hotmail.com

After Hours Emergencies: 612-227-7985

Associate Pastor: Fr. James Adams, padrejfa@frontier.com

Trustees St. Mary: Clarence Mager 357-4338 Pete Plut 357-6222

Trustees St. Henry: Dan Germscheid 357-4923 Jim Selly 357-4898

Coordinator of Faith Formation: Jean Boothby

jeanrb@frontier.com

Secretary/Receptionist: Gloria Wolf

gloriagw@frontier.com

Accounting/Bookkeeping: Tara Robinson

tarar@frontier.com

Maintenance: Joe Holicky

jholicky1@frontier.com

Music Ministry: Terri McMillen

mcmillen752@gmail.com

Office Hours - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Thursday

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Friday

Bulletin Deadline - articles need to be submitted to Gloria by noon

on Wednesday.

For use of meeting rooms or Social Hall - contact Gloria

Mass Schedule

Saturday 4:30 PM (St. Mary)

Sunday 8:00 AM (St. Henry)

10:00 AM (St. Mary)

12:00 PM (St. Mary, in Spanish)

Monday No Mass

Tuesday 5:00 PM

Wednesday to Friday 9:00 AM

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday 3:45-4:20 PM (St. Mary)

Sunday 7:30-7:50 AM (St. Henry)

Or by appointment (contact Fr. Shofner)

Our Eucharistic Adoration chapel is open for individuals to come

for 5 minutes or an hour and be with Our Lord in the Blessed

Sacrament. Our chapel hours are: Tuesday 9:00 AM to Thursday

9:00 AM (closes during daily Mass and Funeral Masses).

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

August 27, 2017

St. John the Baptist in the Desert Raphael - circa 1518 - 1520

Memorial - August 29

By celebrating

the precursor’s

birth and

martyrdom, the

Church unites

herself to his

desire: He must

increase, but I

must decrease.

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 524

From the Pastor’s Desk

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It’s one of the most common complaints about the Mass, especially among the young: “It’s boring!” Whether it’s the music, the preaching, or the prayers that they don’t understand, many young people (and many older people as well) see the Church as losing ground because it’s not “interesting enough”. Some see this boredom as a byproduct of the “entertainment culture” we live in – everything in our culture is set up to entertain us, so we have come to believe that the Church must follow suit. But the Church plays a specific role in our lives, that is, to proclaim the Gospel message. Entertainment is not the goal. (Can you imagine if we made the same argument about our government or our schools, that their role was simply to entertain?) There’s a certain enjoyment that comes when we strive to understand and participate fully in the Mass. It’s not unlike when we understand the rules of a sport and are able to engage fully in playing it, rather than worrying about the logistics and the rules. What makes the Mass different, however, is that understanding and participation in the Mass open up for us the freedom to receive God’s grace – it will come easier than if we were to resist the Mass because it’s not what we want it to be.

Aleteia.org is a Catholic website filled with interesting articles and inspiring stories from a Catholic point of view. Recently, they ran an article on what to do when you’re tempted to think the Mass is boring. They suggested seven things to do to change that:

Get to church on time: Just 10 minutes of quiet preparation at church before Mass makes all the difference. Use that time to quiet yourself and to speak to God as you prepare to receive His Word and His Eucharist.

Get involved in the Mass: Step forward in some role at Mass, as a member of the choir, lector, usher, altar server, or Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. Being involved in this way focuses your attention on what’s happening and makes you more attentive and personally invested in the Mass.

Sit closer to the front: Avoid looking for empty spots in pews at the back of church. Come forward. This will help in avoiding distractions and keeps your mind focused on things other than trying to make a quick getaway once Mass has ended.

Sing: St. Augustine is often attr ibuted with saying that “Singing is praying twice”. Whether or not he actually said it, singing allows us to be more mindful of our prayer, once we know what we’re singing. Regardless of how good you think you are, lift your voice, because it’s the choir of voices that God hears, not the individual voices.

Be attentive to the homily: Sure, every homily may not str ike every person in the same way, but if you listen close enough, you may find an idea, an image, a word, or a thought that will stick with you or get you to think more deeply about your faith. Use the “Twitter exercise” suggested by the article – listen to the homily and try to capture its essence in 140 characters or less.

Give God one hour each week: Remember that there are 168 hours in a week, and God asks for only one of those hours to focus on Him in this very specific way at Mass. For all the many good things that God gives to us each day, isn’t it worth our time to offer Him thanks for this one hour each week?

Turn to Mary and the saints: Ask their intercession and help dur ing Mass. Their primary desire is to point us to Jesus, and they want nothing more than for us to love Jesus the way that they love Him. The saints understand our struggles in prayer and our temptation to distraction.

Use these few tips to become more engaged in the Mass, and you will find how much more the Mass will mean to you. God’s presence will become more evident, and your love for the Eucharist will grow.

God bless, Fr. Chris Shofner Fr.Chris@hotmail.com

Mass Schedule & Intentions

Monday, August 28

Tuesday, August 29 9:00 AM Opening of Adoration 5:00 PM Mass Living & Deceased of Muggli & Warnemunde familes

Wednesday, August 30 9:00 AM Mass Tom Casey†

Thursday, August 31 8:55 AM Closing of Adoration 9:00 AM Mass Grant Anderson†

FIRST FRIDAY, September 1 8:30 AM Confessions 9:00 AM Mass Bonnie Callisto†

Saturday, September 2 3:45 PM Confessions 4:30 PM Mass Mary Wood†

Sunday, September 3 7:30 AM Confessions (St. Henry) 8:00 AM Mass (St. Henry) Living & Deceased of Monica & Tony Traxler family† 10:00 AM Mass John, Florence, Francis, & Harry McCabe†††† 12:00 PM Mass (in Spanish) For the Parish

This Week in the Parish

Monday, August 28

Tuesday, August 29 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM RCIC 5:45 PM CCW Board Meeting

Wednesday, August 30 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM RCIC

Thursday, August 31 5-6:00 PM Hispanic Choir Practice 7:00 PM Hispanic Bible Study

FIRST FRIDAY, September 1 AM Communion Calls

Saturday, September 2 11:00 AM First Communion Practice for RCIC

Sunday, September 3 12:00 PM First Communion for RCIC

Monday, September 4 - Labor Day Parish office is closed for Labor Day

Readings for next Sunday, September 3, 2017 Jeremiah 20:7-9

Romans 12:1-2 Matthew 16:21-27

Please note the Parish Office will be closed on Monday, September 4 for Labor Day. Have a restful Labor Day Weekend!

“Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

Mayo Clinic Health System Hospice sponsors: Hope A grief support group for women who have experienced the death of a

loved one. The group is led by widows and offers an opportunity to learn about grief, share experiences and find healing and hope from

loss. Drop-ins are welcome.

Tuesdays, 5:15 – 6:15 pm, St John the Baptist Catholic Church John Paul II Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, 632 S. Broad St., Mankato

For more information, please call 507-385-2989 or 1-800-327-3721, ext. 2989 (toll free).

Area Separated or Divorced Educational/Support Group

St. Wenceslaus Church Rectory, New Prague Meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month from 7– 8:30 PM.

Experience good support as you and your loved ones move through this time in your life. All faiths are welcome. For more information call

Deacon Bob Wagner, 952-758-3225 or Mary 952-873-6781.

Tuesday, September 5 & 19 - “Reclaim Your Personal Power”

“HEALING TAKES TIME”

FALL RETREAT – SEPT. 15 – 17, 2017 Interdenominational Retreat – The Franciscan Retreat

& Spirituality Center in Prior Lake, MN. Retreat will focus on five different types of grief: Loss of Child,

Loss of Spouse, Loss through Suicide, Pregnancy & Infant Loss, and Loss of Sibling/Parent. Breakout sessions with facilitators that have experienced similar losses. Retreat runs

Friday evening 7:00 p.m. through Sunday 11:00 a.m.

Keynote Speaker: Lou Cooney Erickson, Chaplain BCC – St. Louis Park, MN.

“Grief as Companion: Can we be friends?” In her 19 years of Chaplaincy, Lou has walked with

many patients, families, and staff who have experienced loss in a variety of ways. Lou’s journey of loss includes her husband’s death at the age of 27 and also her son, a respected Deputy Sheriff and devoted father of two children, who committed suicide in 2009. For more information or to register for retreat contact Marlene

Hunt – 507-381-1177 or email: marlenehunt53@gmail.com. Facebook: Hope United Grief Group

PASTORAL CARE EVENTS St. Mary-St. Henry Pro-Life Team

Directories are available in the church office, if you have not yet received one and would like one, regardless if you have a picture in the directory or not, feel free

to stop in the parish office and pick one up today.

Larry & Mary Roche: Champions for Life

It was with much sadness but much gratitude that our Pro-Life Team bid farewell to Larry and Mary Roche who recently died within 6 weeks of one another. Their funerals were held at St. Hubert’s in Chanhassen where they are buried. A few years ago they had moved to an assisted living facility near St. Hubert’s to be closer to their adult children.

Born and raised in Iowa, Mary & Larry Roche moved their family to Le Center in the 1970s. Immediately they signed up to become CCD teachers. They opened up their home for students who wished to learn about their faith in a comfortable, informal setting. As part of their duties, they would chaperone busloads of students to pro-life events in the South West Region. Larry joined the Knights of Columbus, reporting pro-life news at monthly meetings and writing articles in their newsletter. Mary was the Legislative Chair of the local Council of Catholic Women, often reporting the current news pertaining to life issues. In the political arena, the Roches always campaigned for pro-life candidates, marched alongside them in parades, wrote Letters to the Editor in their behalf and walked neighborhoods to distribute their literature. Both were actively involved with Birthright of Mankato. In late 2010 Mary & Larry were among the founding members of the newly formed St. Henry/St.Mary Pro-Life Team begun by Tom Matejcek under Fr. Chris Shofner’s guidance. Their many years of fighting the anti-life battle head-on were invaluable to our group as we strove to determine a mission statement and avenues of action. Mary and Larry Roche were true pro-life warriors. May they rest in peace.

What is the Dead Theologians Society (DTS)? A Catholic apostolate for 8th grade through high school age teens. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow. Its motto is, “Dead to the World, alive in Christ!” This is inspired by Romans 6:11 where St. Paul tells us to be dead to sin but alive in Christ Jesus. Come and have fun, learn about a rock star in the faith, eat well and spend time with Jesus.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us the second Sunday of each month from 6-9PM. We will be alternating the location between the Church of St. Mary, Le Center and the Church of the Nativity, Cleveland: October 8 (Cleveland), November 12 (Le Center), December 10 (Cleveland), January 14 (Le Center), February 11 (Cleveland), March 11 (Le Center), April 8 (Cleveland), May 13 (Le Center), June 10 (Cleveland).

Become an official member by attending 3 times in a row or 5 times total! As a member you receive an official sweatshirt, rosary, and scapular! (All pictured here). But even better, by being a member you will experience your love for God grow by leaps and bounds and form a foundation that will enable you to go out into the world knowing that God and the friendships you made in DTS will carry you through. Please contact Fr. Adams if you would like to attend or have questions.

All parishioners of all ages, come to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during the DTS gatherings. We especially need adorers to commit to be before our Lord for an hour during the 6-9PM gathering time. Also, we need cooks willing to help make and serve a meal to the kids. If you are able to help in either capacity, contact Fr. Adams or the parish office and let us know.

Save these dates for:

Marriage Banns Colleen Marie Holicky & Peter John Stasney

Baptism Classes If you are interested in having your child baptized, please contact Father Chris at the Parish Office to reserve your spot and to schedule a Baptism class. This 1 1/2 hour-long class is required for the parents and godparents of the child to be baptized.

Please note the next scheduled date for baptism will take place on September 10, 2017.

Please Note: A requirement for Baptism is a copy of the child’s birth certificate.

Sacramental Life

If you brought a dish in re-cently for an event, please pick it up!

Please Pray For

Part of our Christian duty is to pray for each other. The following have asked for your prayers:

Amy Neisen Joe Connolly

All residents at Central Health Care, Mala Strana, Benedictine, Traditions, Villages, Three Links, Horizon Place, Beacon. Some people have requested to not have their name included on this list. We respect their wishes and ask that you pray for all who are ill.

Make your reservations now! 2nd Annual Fundraising Gala

Sunday, October 1, 2017 Kato Entertainment Center, Mankato, MN

$50 per seat or Sponsor a table of 8 for $400 Social Hour from 5-6PM - Elegant Dinner served at 6PM

Featured Speaker: Gianna Jessen Gianna was supposed to die before she was born. The failed abortion has provided her the “gift” of cerebral palsy, as she calls it: “It allows

me to really depend on Jesus for everything.” Doctors predicted Gianna would never even lift her head. God had other plans! As Gianna speaks

her life unfolds and it becomes apparent that her constant joy has overcome unspeakable challenges.

To register online, email us at OptionsGala@gmail.com or call 507-325-2229. All guest must be pre-registered.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land November 6-17, 2017

~ Visit the holy sites and walk where Jesus walked ~

With Roy Schoeman, popular speaker, writer, and guest on EWTN Fr. Patrick Barnes (St. Nicholas, Elko Market)

Fr. Chris Shofner (St. Mary & St. Henry, Nativity & Immaculate Conception)

$3620.00 per person/double occupancy + taxes/surcharges, meals and personal expenses

For more information, contact Tekton Ministries, 9924 Cedar Ridge Drive, Carmel, IN 46032

Phone: 317-574-4191 or Toll-free: 866-905-3787 Email: pilgrimage@tektonministries.org

Register online at: www.tektonministries.org

Our Lady of Fatima 100th Anniversary Mass, Breakfast, & Progam

Where: Church of St. Wenceslaus, New Prague, MN When: Saturday, September 9, 2017 beginning with

8AM Mass in the Church of St. Wenceslaus Breakfast and speaker to follow in the foyer of the

Parish Activity Center. Speaker Information: Barb Ernster, Communications/Editor of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA - Our

Lady’s Blue Army Following the speaker there will be a rosary at the Shrine of Our Lady of

Fatima at St. Scholastica in Heidelberg (rural New Prague) Free will offering taken for the World Apostolate of Fatima.

Fatima’s Rosary Rally – Wednesday, September 13th at the gazebo in the

Le Center pool area park at the LeSueur County Fairgrounds

We had an overwhelming response to the 100th anniversary of Fatima's Rosary Rally held in Le Center on May 13, with over 50 people in attendance. We would like to honor Our Lady further by continuing to gather on the 13th of each month through October 2017 (in commemoration of the apparitions of Our Lady on the 13th of each month from May to October in 1917) to say a public rosary and other Marian prayers, for our nation and the world. In case of rain, it will be

held at the Le Center Sportsman's Club in that park. Please spread the word for any who are able to come to share this special time of

prayer. For more information, contact Joyce Traxler (507-357-4410) or Sheila McCabe Swan (507-357-6941).

Spiritual Enrichment and Education Opportunities

St. Henry News

Church Cleaning - Nancy Stauff and Barb Weinandt are scheduled to clean the church by September 3, 2017.

St. Mary’s CCW Events CCW Upcoming Events: Tues., Aug. 29 5:45 pm Board Meeting—Meetings are open to all members

Tues., Sept. 5 5:00 pm Fall General Meeting: Mass, potluck, meeting, activities

Tues., Sept. 26 5:45 pm Board Meeting: Meetings are open to all members

Thurs., Sept. 28 6:00 pm Fall Institute - St. Dominic, Northfield

Thurs., Oct. 5 11:30 am Fall Hot Dish and Salad Luncheon

Tues., Oct. 24 5:45 pm Board Meeting—Meetings are open to all members

Thurs., Oct. 26 5:30 pm Mission Event - St. Anne, Le Sueur

Like us on Facebook: Search “St Mary & St Henry Faith Formation” or www.facebook.com/lecentercatholic.

We post updates about our Faith Formation program (e.g. class cancellations, special events, needs, etc.). But it’s not just for youth Faith Formation. We also post information about other things of interest going on in the parish, as well as offering resources for adults to grow and be inspired in the Catholic Faith.

Energy Assistance Program - Minnesota Valley Action Council

The Energy Assistance Program (EAP) helps low income households pay a portion of their heating and electric bills. The program is available to both individuals and families who are income eligible. Energy Assistance applications are available by phone at 507-345-6822 or toll-free at 1-800-767-7139 or by visiting www.mnvac.org. More information can be found on the bulletin boards in the church entrances.

Parish Stewardship

August 19-20, 2017 St. Mary St. Henry

Weekly Budget $ 3950.00 $ 825.00

Weekly Offering $ 3202.87 $ 400.00 Plate $ 121.00 $ 174.00

TOTAL $ 3323.87 $ 574.00

Diff. from budget -$ 626.13 -$ 251.00

Building Maintenance and Improvement Fund

Goal to replace roofs and air conditioning units: $180,000

Raised to Date: $ 33,473.72

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Saturday, September 2, 4:30 PM Altar Server Carter Sladek

Eucharistic Minister Deb O’Connell Barb Tiede

Lector Kathy Schloesser

Usher Dick Bradshaw Don Hayden Gene Holicky Jack Von Bank

Sunday, September 3, 8:00 AM Altar Server Brendan Germscheid

Eucharistic Minister Patti Germscheid

Lector Madonna Russo

Sunday, September 3, 10:00 AM Altar Server Alex Block Owen Block Kellen O’Keefe

Eucharistic Minister Norm Schmidt Dale Traxler Joyce Traxler Jennifer Weiers

Lector Sharon Miller

Usher Robert Closser Brad O’Keefe Brendan O’Keefe Jeremy Weiers

Faith Formation

Teens & Young Adults – We need volunteers to help with Children’s Liturgy! You and a team member will be responsible for

presenting an already prepared lesson on Sunday’s gospel to children ages 3-5 at the 10 am Sunday Mass. Come join the fun

and earn service hours! Contact Jean if you are interested.

Faith Formation Registration – Registration forms can now be found at

the entrances of the church and the office as well as online on our webpage

www.stmarysthenry.org

Registration deadline is September 6, 2017

All past due account balances need to be paid to register for the fall.

Volunteer/Teacher Training - Please consider volunteering to help out on Wednesday evenings. We will have training for all volunteers on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 from 6:30-7:45pm.

Family Opening Night - September 20th from 6:30 – 7:45pm.

All families should attend this prayer service, student activity, and parent meeting to get important information for the Faith Formation year.

Regular Classes begin – September 27th. Early Session will

be from 5:30-6:30pm * New start time. Late Session will be from 6:45-8:00pm.

Volunteers get a discount on their Faith Formation Registration fees! We need classroom teachers & co-teachers, classroom assistants, hall monitors, and traffic monitors. We would love volunteers of all ages, from teens to grandparents, to come learn with us on Wednesday nights. When the children see the support of the parish community in our program, they become more active in their learning. Contact Jean for more information.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” Matt 19:14

Jean R. Boothby Faith Formation Coordinator jeanrb@frontier.com 941-962-5168