PCCW PAINT PARTY RETURNS!

Last year PCCW sponsored a Mardi Gras Paint Party & it was a huge success! This year we will add a new twist to the party. Last year, we painted on canvas, but this year participants will choose a wood painting; a 16 " board, 2 12x12' boards or painting a wooden box. RSVP Paint will again provide experts and supplies for the party. Come join us on Tues, Feb 26th at 6:30 pm in the dining room of the St. Agnes Cafeteria. PCCW will supply snacks and drinks for all to enjoy. Donations to help cover the cost of supplies will be graciously accepted, but ALL are welcome. Bring a friend, a daughter, a mom, but just come and get to know other ladies of the parish. We do ask all to call the parish office by Feb 20th at 831-3565 to sign up!

WOMEN OF FAITH

Accept Father Joseph’s challenge and meet new parishioners! Women of Faith will gather this Wednesday, February 6 for noon Mass at Life House followed by lunch. Women of Faith cordially invites women to participate in monthly gatherings of prayer and socializing and an opportunity to occasionally assist in service to the parish. Please call Katie Williams for more information. We look forward to meeting you!

From The Pastor’s Desk

This week we celebrate National Catholic Schools Week. I would like to take a look, at not so much our Catholic Schools, but why, who, how our Catholic Schools were started here in the United States. The American Catholic Church created its own style of Catholic school system as a response to the felt need to protect itself and its people from the cultural animosity they felt in the America of the 1800-1900’s.

The bishops of the 19th century were aware of the great pressure that new immigrants coming from Catholic countries felt, striving to practice and teach the Catholic faith to their children. Therefore, they sought to insulate them from the pressures of American society. The great architect of the Catholic school system was Bishop John Hughes, the first archbishop of New York, 1842-1864. Archbishop Hughes took on the Public School Society of New York and demanded that they deal more sensitively with the immigrants and not force/coerce Catholic children to adopt the mainstream non- Catholic religions of the American society. He got nowhere by the authorities and thus decided to start a parallel school system in which the faith would be preserved. That system survives to this day.

As bishops meet together in councils throughout each country, the council of Baltimore in 1884 decreed that every parish had to have a school and that the school should be the first building built in any parish. At the same time the bishops were involved in the construction of what has been called the “empire of charity”: a network of social and educational institutions that were thought to be necessary to maintain the faith in a hostile cultural environment. The staffing for the schools, hospitals and orphanages came from huge numbers of vocations to religious congregations of sisters and from European missionaries. Thus the schools as well as all “church” institutions became very diverse. They reflected linguistically and culturally the neighborhoods in which they were located and which religious order staffed that institution.

The bishops sought to keep the Catholic Church together by catering to the different needs of their people. German immigrants differed in their needs from the Irish immigrants, etc. Money was always a major concern, since the immigrants brought very little with them to America other than their families and their faith.

In every immigrant neighborhood: family, parish, school and hospital all believed the same things. The lessons that were

taught around the dinner table were reinforced on Sunday from the pulpit, in the classroom during the week and on the streets of the neighborhood. The product was an extraordinary achievement, a school system that was owned by the people who paid for it voluntarily and who believed that its central proposition was the passing on of the faith. Faith and character were stressed in all that was/is done in the Catholic schools. (to be continued)

PCCW PAINT PARTY RETURNS!

Last year PCCW sponsored a Mardi Gras Paint Party & it was a huge success! This year we will add a new twist to the party. Last year, we painted on canvas, but this year participants will choose a wood painting; a 16 " board, 2 12x12' boards or painting a wooden box. RSVP Paint will again provide experts and supplies for the party. Come join us on Tues, Feb 26th at 6:30 pm in the dining room of the St. Agnes Cafeteria. PCCW will supply snacks and drinks for all to enjoy. Donations to help cover the cost of supplies will be graciously accepted, but ALL are welcome. Bring a friend, a daughter, a mom, but just come and get to know other ladies of the parish. We do ask all to call the parish office by Feb 20th at 831-3565 to sign up!

THANK YOU!

Dear Parishioners,

I would like to sincerely thank you for your prayers and generosity in making our Diocesan Development Fund a success. We have now reached our goal of $2.6 million. I know we simply could not have experienced this accomplishment without the leadership of our Priests and our DDF Parish Chairs, but I am even more humbled and impressed by the generosity of our parishioners from east to west. We can do so much by working together. I will keep all of you in my prayers in this New Year. I am

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Edward M. Rice

Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

ST AGNES STEUBENVILLE 2019

St. Agnes Cathedral will again be forming a group to go to Steubenville in July 2019. St. Agnes has the tradition of assisting our young parishioners financially if they wish to attend. If you need to learn more information about this Conference held on the MSU campus, please visit: www.steubystl.com or the blog www.steubystl365.com. Please let us know if you plan to attend by emailing Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org no later than Feb. 3rd.

From The Pastor’s Desk

The human race never seems to learn from the past, but continually repeats the same mistakes over and over again. Our great nation is no different. Our government has moved into another week of two political parties at odds with each other like two children. We have national policies or the lack of policies with leaders who do not want to work together to solve the problems of our nation. Jesus came into human history at a time when much of the civilized world was ruled by the Roman Empire. Roman rule was maintained through brutal force, economic exploitation and society was secured by police and military forces.

There were very few freedoms and information was controlled by a select, powerful, colonizing group, which used local secular and religious leaders to push the Roman Imperial agenda. Dissent was not tolerated and those who protested and who dared to resist the dominant government system faced harsh punishment, torture and even death, as Jesus did. Roman rule, like other colonial dominations throughout human history, was at the time of Jesus beginning to collapse and disintegrate. Roman rule was frayed and weakening because of its arrogance, political individualism and overall corruption.

Jesus began his mission in a political, social and economic time that had many of the characteristics of the present. The promised wave of Roman prosperity did not reach the bottom of society. Jesus challenged the political, financial and religious elite that created burdens for the people, rather than meeting the needs of the people. Global prosperity did not work for the Roman Empire, neither did it work for the British Empire. There were hundreds of thousands seeking entrance into the different empires who tried to keep them out.

People during the time of Christ were searching for answers, good news and hope. Is that not the same today? The modern poor are confused, disappointed, uncertain and angry. The middle class is wanting answers and less taxation, while the rich upper class is looking for a way to move their wealth overseas. Jesus talked about taxes, the plight of women, disability, social and economic exclusion and the arrogance of power. The mission of Jesus is not about offering the poor mirages, miracles or quick fixes. The mission of Jesus is about accompanying vulnerable people in a struggle to make the structures of life resonant with the values and dignity of the individual in the light of the Gospel’s good news. We are in a time of change, and we must be certain that God is at the heart of the changes in our country and that the state does not become god and religion. We must look to the past and learn and pray for our government.

ST AGNES STEUBENVILLE 2019

St. Agnes Cathedral will again be forming a group to go to Steubenville in July 2019. We will need to confirm our space at this conference in early February. St. Agnes has the tradition of assisting our young parishioners financially if they wish to attend. If you need to learn more information about this Conference held on the MSU campus, please visit: www.steubystl.com or the blog www.steubystl365.com. Please let us know if you plan to attend by emailing Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org.

BUDAPEST, PRAGUE, VIENNA, POLAND TRIP

Travel with Fr. Lewis Hejna, Rector of St Agnes Cathedral, on our Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Poland trip. Where: Budapest, Prague, Wroclaw, Warsaw, Vienna, Czestochowa. Trip Dates: June 29 - July 12, 2019. Cost: $4,600.00 Airfare and ALL-Included. To register, please call (855) 842-8001 or (508) 340- 9370 or online at www.proximotravel.com..

WOMEN OF THE PARISH

St. Martha’s PCCW group is again sponsoring a Lenten week-end retreat - an opportunity to relax, spend time in quiet prayer, hear inspirational talks, and reflect on your relationship with God. The retreat is at King’s House in Belleville, Il, March 22-24. We will carpool, leaving from St. Agnes at noon on Friday. The retreat ends on Sunday following 11:00 Mass and lunch at noon. The theme is “Christ Be Our Light: Out of Darkness into God’s Marvelous Light”. Suggested cost is $175, their actual cost to provide the retreat. It is given as a freewill, anonymous offering by envelope at Mass. If you’re able to give more, they appreciate it, but they accept any offering you are able to give. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis. If interested in attending, or for more information, call Mary Seibert at 865-5732.

From The Pastor’s Desk

As we celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we conclude the Christmas     Season.  We continue to dwell upon the great mystery of a God who is made visible through human flesh and who promises to return.  As Christ celebrates His baptism by going into the desert to prepare for His ministry, each of us needs to take a good look at our own vocation.  “What has God asked me to do, and am I living what He has asked of me?”

When John the Baptist baptized, he was calling people to repentance.  He gave it to all and asked that they make a commitment to reform their lives for the coming Messiah.  His baptizing was bringing in the new age.  He was the last prophet to “look for another” and to prepare the way for another.  Jesus was baptized by John, not because He needed to repent, but as a sign that He was the NEW AGE.  Jesus’ baptism was Israel’s Red Sea crossing, and Jesus’ wandering for 40 days in the wilderness was Israel’s 40 years of wandering and looking toward the Promised Land.  Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.  He brought forth the new era in Water and Spirit.  From Jesus’ baptism, God took His Son into His service equipping Him and authorizing Him to be His messenger and the beginning of the time of salvation.

Water is a double edge sword so to speak.   It can mean death/life, too much water and we drown, not enough and we die.  As we go down into the waters of baptism, we are going into a watery grave. In baptism we are going to our death.  As we come out of the water, we come back from the grave and we immediately are filled with the Holy Spirit.  By this dying to self in surrender to the Father’s will, a whole new Spirit, the Spirit of the living God is upon the human race.

The Baptism of Jesus is a ritual enactment of His passion, death, and resurrection.  The Church sees Baptism as dying to the evil of sin, and rising with Jesus and being anointed with His Spirit. St. Paul (Romans 6:3) summarizes the experience of Baptism “Are you…new life.”

1. Baptism is a change of allegiance.  We are no longer slaves to sin, but children of a loving God.

2. Baptism is a putting off of the old and putting on the new. (baptismal garments)

3. Baptism is a new birth. (baptismal fonts)

4. Baptism enlightens. (the candle lit from the Easter Candle and given to the person)

5. Baptism makes a person a share in Christ; therefore, like Christ, we are anointed priest, prophet, and king. (the anointing following the water rite at baptism)

We are called from baptism onward to walk as a child of God.  We are called to live out our vocation guided by the Holy Spirit, whether that be in marriage, single life, religious life or ordained ministry.  As we begin the year 2019 please keep our seminarians in your prayers.

P

CONFIRMATION UPDATES

Final sessions for Confirmation will be Sunday, Jan 20th and Sunday, Feb 3rd. The session on Feb 3rd will be a session for all candidates and their sponsors. Confirmation will take place Saturday, Feb 16th at the 5:00pm Mass.

CONTRIBUTION ENVELOPES BY MAIL

Contribution envelopes will now be mailed to your house on a bi-monthly basis. January & February 2019 should have been delivered by Christmas. If you did not get your envelopes, please contact the parish office.

Knights Striking Out for The Kitchen

Sunday, January 20th, Noon  Registration 1:00pm Bowling Begins  The 24th annual Knights of Columbus Bowl-A-Thon takes place at Century Lanes in Nixa. Entry fee is $10 for three games, shoes and bowling ball (if needed). You can register your team and pay online at www.thekitcheninc.org/events, or on the event Facebook page, Knights Striking Out for The Kitchen. The Kitchen provides assistance to homeless and disadvantaged families in our community by helping them find affordable housing and services. Funds are desperately needed to help those in our community! If you can help with a gift certificate, door prize, or raffle item (value at $25 or more), contact Linda Howard, 417-818-6220,.

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From The Pastor’s Desk

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Epiphany. It is celebrated differently in other countries. Here in the United States it is simply another Sunday Liturgy following the Holy Family Sunday within the Octave of Christmas with no real fanfare, except we place the three Magi statues at the nativity scene. In some of the Western European countries it is on this day that gifts are exchanged, not on Christmas itself.

Epiphany commemorates the revelation of Jesus to the world. The three Magi, after searching for years are able to find the Christ child. Since Christmas, our manger scene in Church has shown over the past days that the Magi were not present at Bethlehem, but after talking to King Herod and then going to Bethlehem and with the help of the star were guided to Nazareth. Here they according to the Gospels presented their precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The Magi represent the peoples of the world other than the Jewish people. Christ was to be the savior of all peoples, not just the Jews. Traditional nativity scenes portray the skin color of the Magi as white, black and red. It was the theologian Tertullian writing in the third century who first called them “almost “ kings. The names of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthasar were first mentioned in the sixth century. By the Middles Ages devotion to the Magi was popular all over Europe. They were venerated as saints and their images appeared in different forms of art.

As we begin this New Year, may each of us make every effort to live the Christmas message of love, peace and joy every day of 2019. Let these be our New Year’s resolutions. If we lose a few pounds or give up some of our bad habits, so much the better. But if we truly lived the Christmas message, we could affect not only our lives, but the lives of many of those around us. Smiles and forgiveness are contagious and as the Christ Child holds out His arms in the manger, He invites each of us to follow His example

Knights Striking Out for The Kitchen

Sunday, January 20th, Noon Registration 1:00pm Bowling Begins The 24th annual Knights of Columbus Bowl-AThon takes place at Century Lanes in Nixa. Entry fee is $10 for three games, shoes and bowling ball (if needed). You can register your team and pay online at www.thekitcheninc.org/events, or on the event Facebook page, Knights Striking Out for The Kitchen. The Kitchen provides assistance to homeless and disadvantaged families in our community by helping them find affordable housing and services. Funds are desperately needed to help those in our community! If you can help with a gift certificate, door prize, or raffle item (value at $25 or more), contact Linda Howard, 417-818-6220,.

CONFIRMATION UPDATES

Confirmation Sessions will take place on Sunday, Jan 6th at 3:00pm in the St. Agnes Cafeteria. This is a very important meeting as we will be composing candidates' letters to Bishop Rice and Father Lewis. These are a requirement for all candidates. Candidates should check their email for information on the form of the letters. We will also be setting up individual meetings with Father Lewis and these are also a requirement for Confirmation. Contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org with more questions.

Final session for Confirmation will be Sunday, Jan 20th and Sunday, Feb 3rd. The session on Feb 3rd will be a session for all candidates and their sponsors. Confirmation will take place Saturday, Feb 16th at the 5:00pm Mass.

WOMEN OF THE PARISH… JOIN US FOR THIS SPIRITUAL OPPORTUNITY

You are invited to a Morning of Reflection on January 12, 2019. Sr. Richard Mary from Mercy Hospital will be our presenter. Come and experience a New Year renewal. Saturday, January 12, 2019, meet for Mass at 8:30am in the Chapel (unless numbers exceed comfort in which case the main church) Presentation will begin between 9:15 and 9:30 (depending on length of Mass) Lunch will be served in the cafeteria about 11:30. We are so excited to bring this opportunity to you. Please feel free to invite friends and family. Also, please call the office, 831-3565, for lunch purposes, by January 7 if you plan to attend. You are most welcome, though, if you are unexpectedly able to come at the last minute. Hope to see you that morning!

From The Pastor’s Desk

As Catholic Feasts are celebrated, the Feast of the Holy Family which we celebrate this weekend is a relatively new feast. It began to be celebrated in the universal Church in 1920. Devotion to the Holy Family became popular during the 17th century. The theme of family and this feast dedicated to it, is of special importance today in the face of challenges to the contemporary family. Mary and Joseph along with the Christ Child gives us a perfection example of working together as a family. Love, compassion, sharing, caring for one another, are all examples that the three members of the Holy Family provide for us. As couples today have problems and concerns with one another, I invite them to take a good look at Mary and Joseph. Mary, a young girl finds herself expecting a child, and the child was not that of her betrothed. Joseph finds his betrothed carrying a child which he knows is not his. That had to put a strain on the relationship! It took a lot of faith on the part of Joseph to accept the story of the Angel Gabriel and the Holy Spirit. Finally it took the Angel Gabriel face to face with Joseph before the situation becomes calm.

If all of that was not enough to break Mary and Joseph apart, then there was that trip to Bethlehem; a birth in a stable, and the sudden flight to Egypt, leaving behind home and job. All of this was with the fear of King Herod seeking to kill the new born child. Couples today who are having problems need to set down together and really look to what the Holy Family teaches through their own life of family. In fact all of us can learn many virtues from Joseph, Mary and Jesus if we would study their lives.

Joseph and Mary work together to provide for the Christ Child and in turn the Scriptures tell us that as Christ grows, He is obedient to Mary and His foster father, Joseph. All three members of the Holy Family have much to teach each of us, single, married, young or old. As we celebrate this feast, let it be a feast that we keep year around.

END OF YEAR DONATIONS

For those who want to be sure and donate to the church before the end of the year for tax purposes, we will be accepting through Jan. 1st. Deposits credited to 2018 will not be made until the 2nd.