From The Pastor’s Desk

Protests in some of our major cities, politicians fighting across the aisle in Congress, doctors and scientists being told they do not know what they are talking about, foreign nations closing their doors to American citizens, the world is a mess. After 6 years you should know that I am a person of history. It does not matter, ancient, medieval, western or eastern, church or pagan. I enjoy reading and seeking to understand the past. How people lived and died. How civilizations rose and fell. In the last 4 months I have had some extra time to spend in prayer and study due to the COVID 19.
Through this time I have been surprised and saddened to the reaction of many people who do not take the virus serious, even to the point that they believe it is all a “government” hoax, with each party pointing fingers at the other. When people say the flu killed more than the virus this year, they need to look at the statistics. The flu season for 2019-2020 which ended in April, 2020 killed some 62,000 people that is truly sad since many of them were older adults or children. As I sit and write this Monday morning the virus which is thought to be a hoax has killed 142,601 Americans with another 1,000 estimated to die today, tomorrow, etc.
During the two years that the Spanish Flu raged across the world, 50 million people died. Here in the US, in October of 1918, 200,000 people died and life expectancy was reduced by 12 years. In those years 675,000 Americans died. We almost lost WWI due to the Spanish Flue, our economy went into a tail spin. The writer and philosopher George Santayana, a Harvard professor wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
In the 1950s, a social psychologist, Leo Festinger described the discomfort people feel when two cognitions (thoughts), or a cognition and a behavior contradict each other. For example: I smoke is dissonant with the knowledge that smoking can kill me. To reduce that dissonance, the smoker must either quit or justify smoking. “It keeps me thin, and being overweight is a health risk also. His theory is about how people strive to make sense out of contradictory ideas and live their lives that are in their own minds consistent and meaningful.
Today we see Festinger’s theory of “cognitive dissonance” as many people during this pandemic refuse to wear masks or practice social distancing. Human beings are deeply unwilling to change their minds. When facts clash with their preexisting convictions, some people would sooner jeopardize their health and everyone else’s than accept new information or admit to being wrong.
So where does all of this fit into Christianity? We find the answer in St. Paul’s writing to the Romans 12:4-5, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” God of all creation created us to be in relationship, with Him and with others.
I am not a political person, however I do vote in our elections. I am a historical, accepting of science and medical person. If you are not concerned about catching the virus, wear a mask to protect others, because each of us could be carrying the virus and are just not affected by it.

Bingo Volunteers Needed!

Please consider becoming a St. Agnes Bingo Volunteer! You will meet dedicated fellow parishioners and become part of a rewarding experience that provides continuing and significant financial support to our parish community. 100% of the earnings are used for St. Agnes Cathedral and School related needs. St. Agnes Bingo has been an ongoing fundraiser for more than 11 years and operates solely through volunteers. St. Agnes Bingo operates at the Knights of Columbus Bingo Emporium every Wednesday evening.
Bingo Volunteers are St. Agnes parishioners who agree to work at least one Wednesday evening each month
throughout the year. New volunteers are quickly and easily trained to fill needs for various roles. For more information or to express your interest, please contact the St. Agnes Cathedral office at 417-831-3565 or Jim Nixon at 417-988-9550.

Religious Education News:

As we are getting closer to the start of the school year, we are all wondering how Religious Education will
look. Here at St. Agnes, we are working hard to plan a program that will help our families and children plan for
another year of PSR and preparation for the sacraments of Reconciliation , First Eucharist and Confirmation. The diocese has given us guidance in our planning and we anticipate starting at the end of August. We plan
to offer on site learning and meetings as usual. We also plan to offer families alternative options if they choose to work at home based on individual circumstances. We have adjusted our curriculum to make certain it is accessible for families at home. We will be sharing more specific information as we get closer to the start of the school year. We will be happy to hear any concerns that your families may have about how to best meet the religious education needs of our children here at St. Agnes. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Iris Bounds at ibounds@stacathedral.org or by calling the parish office at 831-3565.

Springfield Youth Conference;

A huge thank you to so many who helped to make our Springfield Youth Conference a success. Springfield area youth were able to come together to celebrate good food, games, adoration and Reconciliation on
Friday, July 17th. We wish to thank our own Fr Lewis Hejna, Fr Joseph Stoverink Fr Colby Elbert, Fr. Andrew
Williams and Fr Tom Kiefer. We would also like to thank Sister Grace Nguyen, Sister Abigail Marie and
Sister Cecilia Ann for their help in the organization of the event. The youth are also grateful to our Knights of
Columbus for their help in grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs. We also thank our musicians: Hayden Vaughn from IC and those who came from CCM, area youth leaders, and volunteers for their assistance and help. A special thank you to the Nwodo family for their donations of Andy’s and take home gifts for our participants and to our Youth Advisory Team who did so much work in planning. What a great evening for our young people as they were able to come together in a safe way, be with each other and share their Catholic
faith.

From The Pastor’s Desk

The new fiscal year began on July 1, 2020. I am happy to state that even with Covid 19 and the shutdown of
our open masses, St. Agnes Cathedral was still able to close the financial year 2019-2020 in the black with all bill paid. I want to thank everyone who has been contributing to our parish, in the mail, on line, coming by the office or in the collection basket at the door of the Cathedral. Even though we did not have open masses, our bills still came into the office. We still have insurance, utilities, salaries, maintenance, and school subsidy bills to pay.
As you read in the Mirror, Fr. Allen will take Fr. Joseph’s position at South Cox as Chaplain, assisted by Sr.
Elizabeth. He will also be a new Chaplain at Springfield Catholic High School. I will continue working with the theater if that is allowed due to the restrictions of Covid 19 as well as being a resource priest for the young chaplains. These part time positions in ministry all provide revenue to the parish. We do not receive more salary because we are working outside the parish, but the parish is being compensated for the loss of our time here at St. Agnes. All priests of the Diocese receive the same salary. The combined salaries/stipends from our added ministries are about $31,000 which comes straight to the parish.
I ask that each of you consider your giving in the offertory, as Fr. Joseph now Fr. Allen and I are both doing all we can to help balance the budget. If we want to keep our parish moving forward in ministries, and in paying all of the bills, we need your help. If you already contribute to the parish, can you increase your gift? If you do not contribute, please consider contributing in the collection to help pay our utilities, our insurance, our salaries, and school support. The Finance Council and I will continue to review our finances every month. We have not used any bingo money to pay our bills and that is important to state since those funds should be used for ordinary expenses of the parish, but for additional expenses not found in the normal operating budget.

IMPORTANT MESSAGES FROM IRIS

Parishioners who would like to schedule a class or learn more about the process of baptizing their infant or an
older child, please contact Iris Bounds ibounds@stacathedral.org or by calling the parish office at 831- 3565. We understand that some families have special circumstances and we are here to work with you in any
way that we can.
Youth say thank you and good-bye to Father Joseph. The youth will hold a goodbye bonfire on Sunday, July 26th beginning at 7:00 PM. Come join us for prayer, good food and spend some time with Father Joseph before he moves on to his new assignment! College students: As many of you head back to college in the next few weeks stay connected to your Catholic faith through the Newman Center. The Newman Center works with colleges across the country to connect Catholic students with resources on college campuses. College students can sign up directly with a Newman Center at their college or university by going to signupnc.newmanministry.com

HELP FOR OUR NEIGHBORS

St. Vincent DePaul Society of St Agnes parish has helped many people in the past with their utility bills to keep them from being shut off. City Utilities is now sending out many shut-off notices that have been delayed because of the virus epidemic. We are concerned because of the extreme heat that many of the elderly or otherwise compromised will be severely impacted. Thank you for your past support but with additional support we would be able to expand our help in this situation. Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

DDF

To date our parish has received $51,735.00 from 148 families towards our goal of $77,227 (216 families). We realize some of you would like to contribute but do not have the ability to do so. If you have the ability to help, please add your gift, whatever is affordable, in unity with those who have already given by returning a pledge card. If you are able to give a little more this year, it could be used to make up for those parishioners who are unable to contribute. Please return your card even if you cannot make a pledge this year. Thank you! Across the Diocese, $1,502,377 has been pledged towards the $2,650,000 goal. The Diocese and Church in southern Missouri sincerely appreciates your participation.

From the Pastor’s Desk,

This past weekend we celebrated the great birthday of our country.  A “three-four-day” weekend filled with fireworks, good food and summer fun.  Even in our troubled pandemic times, we have much to be thankful for as Americans.  We still live in the greatest nation on earth.  Yes, we can complain about high taxes, governmental waste, and all the goofy politics.  We can complain about the cost of utilities, the rising food costs and items that used to be on the store shelves where the shelves are now empty.  While we have the freedom to complain, we must count our blessings, and remember that in so many other nations, as we have seen across the Middle East or the far east, to complain could mean arrest or even death.

I have traveled to many “unique” places of the world–places not usually on the tourist map–I have experienced the lack of the freedoms that we in the United States take for granted.  Even China, with all of its growth and moving toward capitalism, is not free as I discovered when I was there years ago.  Christians are not free to worship openly outside the government-sponsored churches and I was told to make sure that I did not wear any clerics.

Regardless of how bad we believe our problems to be, look around and you can always find those whose problems are greater.  During World War II, between the Nazis and the Communist government, Christianity was to be destroyed in much of Eastern Europe.  From Poland to the Baltic nations, priests, bishops, brothers, and nuns were put in camps from which most never returned.  Only through the power of God did the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches survive.  Slowly those churches are rebuilding their congregations, their schools and their hospitals.  Two of the greatest evangelization tools the Catholic Church has are our schools and hospitals.  These institutions are open to anyone of any faith.  Back then, these places were the first that were attacked and closed when the Nazis and Communists took control of Eastern Europe.

So, as we had fun this past weekend, I hope you thanked God for all the freedoms we enjoy.  Thank God that we live in a land that can feed itself and provide jobs for her people.  The food may not always be what we like, but it’s better than what two thirds of the people of the world could even dream about.  There are jobs here, even if they aren’t what we would like to do, or for the salary we want.  On average, we spend more money on entertainment (movies, vacations, cable, internet, and sports) during the year than the great majority of people in the world even make.  So if we complain about the cost of internet or rising food costs, remember the majority of the world population is walking or riding public transportation this weekend if it is even available.  Give thanks to God and ask Him for His guidance, for His love, for His protection as we continue to deal with Covid 19.

~Rev. Lewis Hejna

Fr. Joseph Stoverink’s going away celebration will be on July 19th 6:30-8:30pm outside on the shady grassy area between the Cathedral and the Catholic Center. Stop by, enjoy some Andy’s frozen custard and thank him for his 3 years of ministry here at St. Agnes.

Fr. Joseph Stoverink’s going away

Fr. Joseph Stoverink’s going away celebration will be on July 19th 6:30-8:30pm outside on the shady grassy area between the Cathedral and the Catholic Center. Stop by, enjoy some Andy’s frozen custard and thank him for his 3 years of ministry here at St. Agnes.

Change is coming. Bishop Rice has asked me to take a new assignment. On Aug. 4, I will go to Doniphan and serve there as parochial vicar, (read: “associate pastor”) with pastor Fr. Daniel Robles. He lives in Poplar Bluff and we’ll serve both parishes together. I’ll miss St. Agnes. Thank you for the happy memories and thank you for your well wishes and prayers. If at times I haven’t acted well as Christ, please forgive me. Fr (Allen) Kirchner of Jackson, ordained June 12, will replace me as your new parochial vicar.

From The Desk of the Associate Pastor

May God bless you richly,  Father Joseph

July Work Day at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri/LifeHouse

Our wonderful garden friends from area parishes will continue to maintain the grounds and harvest crops in the raised vegetable beds at Catholic Charities/LifeHouse located at 424 E. Monastery Street in Springfield on Thursday, July 23 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. We always have plenty of work to go around, and we would love for you to join us! Bring your favorite gardening tools and gloves. Wearing masks and social distancing are encouraged. Please call Jana Hukriede@ 417-840-4109 or email janahukriede@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer. Our August work day will be Thursday, August 27, from 8:30-10:30.

From the Pastor’s Desk,

From the great Cathedrals of Europe, to the private chapels in some of the most beautiful
castles, one of the most prayerful is that of Assisi and the story of Francis. The
small town of Assis on the hill top has a different feel about it, to me there is a presence,
not found in some of those other places. Francis having left behind his way of
life that his father had planned for him when he was somewhere around 24 years of
age had a mystical summons while praying. He had not quite figured out what God
wanted him to do.
He was in prayer in the church of San Damiano which was on the verge of collapsing
from age. The mysterious voice from the Byzantine crucifix gave him a sense of direction,
“Francis, go and repair my house. You see it is all falling down.” Over the next
two years Francis struggled to rebuild the broken down church, begging stones and
mortar from the amused townspeople of Assisi. This was the beginning of his public ministry and it seemed ludicrous to nearly everyone.
We understand as did Francis later on in life that God was really telling St. Francis to rebuild the corruption-riddled Church, not the poor little collapsing San Damiano chapel. Lugging stones and propping up the walls of an old, collapsing chapel was only practice for strengthening the spiritual foundations of the Catholic Church. So often we focus only on the standard interpretation on an important message, God’s will for us always surpasses our power of comprehension. “Repair my house,” was more than a little brick and mortar. What God really intends comes only with time, prayer and discernment.
Years later, Francis stood before Pope Innocent III and challenged him to step down from the Papal Throne and take off his elaborate robes and serve the people. He did not have the strength to walk away from the power, but sent Francis out into the world to change the Church from within. He commissioned Francis and his followers as the Franciscans to serve the poor, to teach and to preach. Eight hundred years later they are still at work.
Many people have asked me, “Why doesn’t God just tell me, it would be so much easier?” When God whispers in our heart, in our ear we are hearing only the topmost layer of what God wishes to impress upon us. Take the time to mull the message over, to explore its depths and to make sure that you/we really hear what God has to say, not what you/we think God ought to say, or what we want God to tell us. As we go through these strange times listen to God and be open to what He is whispering to you in your heart and soul.
~Rev. Lewis Hejna
Fr. Joseph Stoverink’s going away celebration will be on July 19th at 6:30 pm. Stop by and thank him for his 3 years of ministry here at St. Agnes.

From The Desk of the Associate Pastor

Change is coming. Bishop Rice has asked me to take a new assignment. On
Aug. 4, I will go to Doniphan and serve there as parochial vicar, (read:
“associate pastor”) with pastor Fr. Daniel Robles. He lives in Poplar Bluff
and we’ll serve both parishes together. I’ll miss St. Agnes. Thank you for
the happy memories and thank you for your well wishes and prayers. If at
times I haven’t acted well as Christ, please forgive me. Fr (Allen) Kirchner
of Jackson, ordained June 12, will replace me as your new parochial vicar.
May God bless you richly, Father Joseph

BAPTISM CLASSES

Parishioners who would like to schedule a Baptism class to prepare for the Baptism of an infant or for an older child who has not yet been Baptized, please contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org or by calling the parish office at 831-3565. We realize some may have special circumstances and we are here to work with you and your family.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Parishioners who may have special sewing skills and may like to make face masks for use here at St. Agnes, we would love to have your donations. Those masks can be brought to the parish office. Please call ahead when bringing in those face masks 831-3565.

From the Pastor’s Desk,

I am not sure that we as Catholic Christians really understand how blessed
we truly are with all of our liturgies. We belong to God’s “church” which
can trace itself back to the founding apostles. We celebrate God’s love in
a ritual enactment of the Eucharist, in fact in all the sacraments. At Sunday
Mass we can experience God’s outpouring of grace and He in turn calls
us to overflow with life in response. Through regular participation in the
Sunday Eucharist, celebrated well, we set our hearts to worship and place
our lives in God’s hands. To do this, we need to celebrate the liturgy with
the attention and intensity that the liturgy deserves. We cannot hide from
the mystery of God’s love when ritual is celebrated well.
When people tell me that Mass is “boring”, it is the same old thing, they
are showing how programmed they are by our culture. Our culture fosters
a, “be entertained” attitude. It seems as if every waking minute, we must
be stimulated. There are headphones, cell phones, stereos, televisions,
computers, ipads, and text messaging; we cannot simply be still and silent.
Liturgy within the context of Mass, involves us in worship, which means us
actually praying, singing, listening, and being open to God speaking in the
silence of our hearts. It does not mean that we come to Mass to be entertained.
As baptized believers, we are each called to draw others to holiness, to a life filled with God’s grace. As members of
God’s family, we are to celebrate God’s love in community, receiving God in the Eucharist. This is the supreme act of
worship on our part as God’s children, and the supreme act of God’s love to us.
Catholic Liturgy celebrated well, moves us back in time to the Last Supper. Yes liturgy takes on a little personality of
the parish in which it is celebrated, but the content, the structure is always to be the same. As we travel, whether in
this country or abroad, we are able to worship at Mass even though we may not know the language because the liturgy
is the same. If you come to Mass to be entertained you will be disappointed. Come to worship in God’s house
and be a part of God’s family in prayer, a prayer that can be traced back to the apostles.
Yes our liturgies are different. We are social distancing in the pews, face masks for everyone, less music and shorter
homilies so our liturgies are not as long. This may be the new norm for months to come. Fr. Joseph and I remember
all of St. Agnes parishioners daily in our prayers.
~Rev. Lewis Hejna

From The Associate Pastor’s Desk,

As you may have heard from my announcement at mass, Bishop Rice has asked me to take a new assignment. He is sending me to live in Doniphan and serve there as “parochial vicar,” which is another name for “associate pastor,” to work alongside pastor Fr. Daniel Robles who lives in Poplar Bluff. Together we will serve the needs of both places. I will miss St. Agnes. Thank you for all the happy memories here and thank you to all those who have already told me how much I will be missed. But if you’re reading this and remember a
time when I didn’t represent Christ well to you, please forgive me. Let’s pray for one another during this time of change. I need to continue growing as a priest so I can be a pastor one day. My new assignment starts Tuesday, August 4(not Aug 1, as I said at mass). As I leave, a new “parochial vicar” will
begin here: Fr Allen Kirchner of Jackson, MO who was just ordained on June 12.
May God bless you richly,
Father Joseph

DDF

To date our parish has received $43,560.00 from 133 families towards our goal of $77,227 (216 families). We realize some of you would like to contribute but do not have the ability to do so. If you have the ability to help, please add your gift, whatever is affordable, in unity with those who have already given by returning a pledge card. If you are able to give a little more this year, it could be used to make up for those parishioners who are unable to contribute. Please return your card even if you cannot make a pledge this year. Thank you!
Across the Diocese, $1,223,722 has been pledged towards the $2,650,000 goal. The Diocese and Church in southern Missouri sincerely appreciates your participation.

BUZZ BOOK UPDATE

It is time for us to update our database with any changes, additions or deletions that may have occurred
in your family over the past year, i.e. new phone number, address or changes in your children. Are all
your children listed in the current Buzz Book and still at home or away at college? Do you want your record
published?
If you have not already informed the Church Office about changes to your record, please let us know by
July 15 by e-mailing eschatz@sta-cathedral.org or calling 831-3565.

From the Pastor’s Desk,

This weekend we celebrate Father’s Day. It is important to remember the origin of things, especially holidays. Father’s day is a day set aside to honor and show respect to our dads or to any man who has guided and cared for us as a father, whether they are here or no longer with us. Father’s Day was first proposed in 1909 by a Mrs. Dodd who wanted a special day to honor her father, a Civil War veteran. He was a widower who raised his newborn and five other children on a rural farm in the state of Washington.
The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. The special day grew across our country so much that, by 1924, President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national day dedicated to dads. It was, however, President Lyndon Johnson who signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day. However, like so many other special days, it has become a day for retailers to entice you to purchase something to show your love and gratitude.
Being a father means facing many struggles and difficulties. It means going to work, even when you prefer to stay in bed, because you know that your family depends on you. It means disciplining your children so that they might grow up to be mature men and women. It means constantly looking out for your family, making every effort to ensure that they are protected. Take some time this weekend to remember your father, whether living or deceased. Thank God we have a Heavenly Father who does all this and helps the fathers here on earth to do the same. Not a single sparrow falls to the earth without the Heavenly Father’s consent, says the Gospel; thus, our earthly fathers are under our Heavenly Father’s care and support. God our Father protects and nurtures His children, and makes His family a house of love.
Also as Fr. Joseph announced last weekend that he was going to be moved to a new assignment, I ask you to remember in prayer all the different priests and parishes which will be effected because of the priest changes at the end of July. I have been asked, “Why does the Bishop transfer priests around?” There are several reasons, but one of strongest is that it is healthy for parishes and priests as we each have our gifts and talents and they may not be the best in one parish, whereas they would be good in another parish.
~Rev. Lewis Hejna