MASS AND ROSARY WITH BISHOP RICE

I am asking that the rosary be offered on September 14, Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross in all parishes of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau for an end to the pandemic, for those who are suffering from Covid-19, those who have died, and for our medical personnel car-ing for them. I will offer the 5:30 pm Mass on that day in St. Agnes Cathedral followed by the rosary.

CONFIRMATION

Students in grades 8 and above who have not been confirmed, there will be a Confirmation informational session for parents or guardians. We also ask that young people attend this session. Come meet our instructors, check out the schedule and discover the faith process for Confirmation. The meeting will be held on Sunday, Sept. 12th at 10:00 A.M We will meet in the school library. Please bring Baptismal records if the candidate has not been baptized at St. Agnes. If you are not registered as a St. Agnes parishioner, please know you are welcome, but you will need to inform your current pastor that you plan to go through the Confirmation process at St. Agnes Cathedral. Please contact Iris at the parish office at 831-3565 or ibounds@sta-cathedral.org

CLOW RETURNS!

Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) will begin on Sunday, Sept 12th during the 11:30 AM Mass. Children in preschool through 2nd grade are invited to come together to learn about the word of God together at a level that is easy to understand and comprehend. Children will be called out by our priests, discuss the Sunday readings in the chapel and return after the homily. All children are welcome and there is no registration requirement.

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Since November of 2020 I have been reading, studying and trying to understand what has been the driving force of anger in our country. At first I thought it must be the pandemic. We had given up so much with our shut down of our economy. It did not change when we began to open up, it seemed to intensify. I began to look at the loss of practicing our faith in community, not only within the Catholic Church, but mainstream non Catholic churches as well. I also wondered about all the demonstrations in many cities against police etc. We seem to be on a powder keg ready to blow.

Much of the anger seems to be coming from misinformation on the internet, fueled by white power groups. Most but not all, the anger or the fighting in the streets, on the planes, in our Capital is driven by “white people” and many times against “black people” or people of color.

I decided to look into our US census. In the last 13 years Asian immigrants are second only to Latinos, China is first followed by India. In the latest census, 66% of Asians were born in another country compared to only 37% of Latinos being born outside the 50 states. Asian peoples have become a larger share of the US population and they are playing an important role in helping the US economy to grow. Across the country they own 1.5 million small businesses. Due to the birth rate of Asians and Hispanics who are having families of more than one or two children the races of color in the US continues to grow, whereas the white population has a falling birth rate and is now only 57.8% of the population.

The population of the US is rapidly changing and in a number of states the white population is moving to a minority. Is this the cause of anger? Is this helping to fuel the white power movements? All of this I pose only as thought for further study. Across the world populations are on the move, more than at any other time since WWII.

Here in the US, with the white majority shrinking in number, these young minorities are important for our future growth economically. They are the country’s future labor force. Within the Catholic Church may be find the hope of the Church as many Asians; Indian, Vietnamese and Pilipino are Catholic. They can become an important part of the Church here in the US, but in order for this to happen, our Church must be a melting pot around the Eucharistic Table.

PCCW

UPCOMING PCCW events:

Mark Your Calendar! All women of the parish are invited!!

Tues, Sept 14th: 6:30 PM Bunko Night 6:30 PM in the Cafeteria: Join us for a fun night of Bunko, prizes and snacks

Sat; Oct 23; 8:30-10:30 Morning of Reflection to include Mass, Rosary, Speaker and Brunch.

Sat, Nov 6th and Sunday, Nov. 7th: Parish Bazaar: Come shop and sign up to be a volunteer

More details to follow.

Youth Activities

Registration for Parish School of Religion will be held on Sun-day, Aug 22nd at 10:30 in the dining room of the cafete-ria. Parish School of Religion is open to students in K-8th grade. We will offer in person classes on Sunday mornings from 10:00 -11:00 AM in St. Agnes School. The classes are open to all students whether they attend Catholic, public or are home schooled. We also offer a special needs class for students taught by a certified special needs instructor. We take special precautions to offset the spread of Covid 19 and will work with families who choose to keep their children home during this unu-sual time. We have specialized curriculum for students who may be behind in the reception of the sacraments. If you have specific questions or circumstances, please call the parish office or email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org. All are wel-come! Registration forms are also available on the parish web-site.

Children's Liturgy of the Word will return and will be held dur-ing the Sunday 11:30 AM liturgy. The first day of CLOW will be Sunday, Sept 12th. Children preschool age through 2nd grade are welcome to join us as children experience the Sunday readings in words they can understand. No need to preregis-ter. All children are welcome whether they are parishioners or visitors.

St. Agnes would like to expand our youth program to include 6th & 7th grade. We would like to know if families would be interested in expanding our program. We would like your in-put! We also need your help in securing snacks and serving as chaperones for events. Please contact the parish office at 831-3565 or email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org

HELP WANTED

NEEDED:I am looking for three people to clean the church one weekend a month. It involves vacuuming the carpets, cleaning the restrooms and the vestibules of the Church and Chapel. This can be done at your convenience-as long as nothing else is occurring in church. Please call me for more information 831-3565, ext 103. Thank you for considering this as a way to serve the needs of the parish.

~Sr. Elizabeth Ann

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Holy Scripture tells us nothing of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. However, in 1950, Pope Pius XII, after having consulted all bishops, proclaimed the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma of the faith. This took place on November 1, 1950, the feast of All Saints. Faithful to the Pope and to his teaching, we thus firmly believe this truth to be a dogma of our faith: Mary was taken up into Heaven, both body and soul. But Mary was not the first; Elijah was taken up into the heavens in a fiery chariot. (2 Kings: 2:1-12)

Catholic Christians from the earliest days of the Church have thought and believed that Mary was taken up into Heaven, not only her soul, but her body as well. So, wouldn't the unanimous belief of the Christian people be a testimony of Scripture itself, insofar as this testimony, like Scripture, goes all the way back to the Apostles themselves? Let us be sure of this: it is the Holy Spirit who guides both the Church and her Head, the Pope, who is truly the guarantor of this truth which, from now on, is proposed for our belief and teaches us that Mary was taken up into Heaven, both her body and her soul.

Through her body, Mary said "Yes!" to God; Mary showed faith in the Angel who spoke in the name of God: "Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord!" Through her body, Mary was elevated to a place so high that no creature would ever be able to displace her: she thus became the Mother of God and the Mother of Christ, the incarnate Word. Mary became united to God through the Holy Spirit, becoming one with him in Christ. Lastly, Mary became the favored daughter of the Father, who had seen her in himself, in his Son, and in his Spirit for all eternity. Long before time began, the Father had loved Mary and had given her the Glory which she now possesses forever, in her body and her soul.

Mary is in Heaven. However, she is also still among us, singing the praises of God with us and praying with us and for us. Mary is the Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus, but she is also the Mother of us all! Let us remember that Jesus gave her to us: "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!" (John 19:26) Mary is still with us, because we are the Body of Christ, a Mystical Body, and a Body of Glory. In this communion of the Saints, all of us, with Mary, make up the one Body of Christ. Let us look to Mary for the complete expression of total faith in God. As we celebrate her feast of the Assumption this weekend, we look forward to that day when we can be in the eternal Kingdom in our glorified bodies.

Youth Activities

Registration for Parish School of Religion will be held on Sun-day, Aug 22nd at 10:30 in the dining room of the cafeteria. Parish School of Religion is open to students in K-8th grade. We will offer in person classes on Sunday mornings from 10:00 -11:00 AM in St. Agnes School. The classes are open to all students whether they attend Catholic, public or are home schooled. We also offer a special needs class for students taught by a certified special needs instructor. We take special precautions to offset the spread of Covid 19 and will work with families who choose to keep their children home during this unusual time. We have specialized curriculum for students who may be behind in the reception of the sacraments. If you have specific questions or circumstances, please call the parish office or email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org. All are welcome! Registration forms are also available on the parish web-site.

Children's Liturgy of the Word will return and will be held during the Sunday 11:30 AM liturgy. The first day of CLOW will be Sunday, Sept 12th. Children preschool age through 2nd grade are welcome to join us as children experience the Sunday readings in words they can understand. No need to preregister. All children are welcome whether they are parishioners or visitors.

St. Agnes would like to expand our youth program to include 6th & 7th grade. We would like to know if families would be interested in expanding our program. We would like your in-put! We also need your help in securing snacks and serving as chaperones for events. Please contact the parish office at 831-3565 or email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org

ANNUAL WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS & MASSES

The Office of Family Life is excited to announce the annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Celebrations! In the words of Pope Francis, "Marriage is the most beautiful thing that God has created." The event includes a Mass with Bishop Edward M. Rice, followed by a reception. All married couples are cordially invited to attend with their family and friends. These occasions enable all of us to celebrate and affirm the great gift of married love within our families and communities. Please make plans to attend!

*Sun., Oct. 3, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., in St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau

*Sun., Oct. 17, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., in St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield

All married couples celebrating a wedding anniversary, please pre-register for one of these two events and receive a Marriage Certificate from Bishop Rice. Those celebrating their 25th or 50th, will also receive an Episcopal Blessing and a special gift.

For us to properly prepare, we ask that couples RSVP by Sept. 24, 2021. You may register here or fill out the attached form and mail it to Kim Brayman, in the Office of Family Life, 601 S. Jefferson, Springfield MO 65806-3143, or Email the information to kbrayman@dioscg.org. The registration form can also be found on the Family Life page of the diocesan Website at dioscg.org.

Knights Of Columbus Meeting:

St. Agnes Knights of Columbus will hold their monthly meeting this Tuesday, August 17th. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM in the school cafeteria in order to social distance as necessary. There will be news from the District Deputy meeting and other plans to make. Please join us.

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Driving to Springfield Catholic High School last week for auditions I came to a stop at the junction of Sunshine and National. There on the corner were protesters with all types of signs and flags, protesting Mercy Hospitals requiring all workers to receive the vaccine for COVID-19. In the next few days were articles in the newspaper interviewing and quoting various protesters. It is their right to protest, but many of their reasons to be against the vaccine were totally false, for example, “thousands have died from the vaccine”. Another sign read, “We would rather have nuns than tyrants”.

I would not waste my column on this topic except I want to build my answer around Christianity. Yes I understand that there is terrible political divide in our country and it started years ago and that tremendously plays into the vaccine decisions for many. But I am not a political person, I don’t care for the politics of either party, but I am a follower of Jesus Christ and His teachings.

In the New Testament when Jesus is asked, “What is the greatest Commandment?” His response was, “Love the Lord your God and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself, upon these rest the other commandments and the law.” St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians continues Jesus’s command or answer, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” To me here lies the problem of our nation and it is not a new problem, but the pandemic has only brought it to the top of the list, “Me, Myself and I”, I will do what I want and I do not care about others.

As soon as the COVID-19 vaccine was available for priests, Fr. Alan and myself went that afternoon for three reasons: 1) to protect ourselves, 2) so that we hopefully would not get sick and need to close the Cathedral for weeks and 3) to not catch the virus and perhaps be asymptomatic and unknowingly pass it on to others and perhaps be the reason for someone to die. I would have a hard time living with that knowledge.

Today wearing a mask at this time is a choice, but if we bring it back into the Catholic Schools as has been announced for the Springfield Public Schools, it is for 2 reasons, protect yourself protect young people and protect your friends. You may not care about yourself, but do you also not care about your friends?

Being a follower of Christ, we should not lie, steal, commit adultery or kill, unfortunately sin is rampant in our society, are we/myself a part of the tidal wave of not caring about others.

RCIA

Are you curious about the Catholic Faith? Do you have questions you would like to have answered as you consider joining our RCIA classes and becoming Catholic? Join us for Introductory Sessions to help you make your decision about beginning classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Classes begin late August. Any questions email akirchner@sta-cathedral,org

WELL OF LIFE

The Well of Life food pantry will be open on Tuesdays and Fridays (not Mon and Wed as before) from 10-2 pm. They will be in need of volunteers to staff , as several who had volunteered have discontinued due to COVID. . Please consider volunteering. You may choose to work only in the morning or the afternoon. If you are interested let me know: 831-3565, ext 103.

Sr. Elizabeth Ann

SENIOR LUNCHEON

There will be a luncheon for St. Agnes Seniors on Thursday August 12th at 11:30 am in the dining room. It will be a meal of lasagna and salad. A $5 donation will be accepted to use for the parish center we so desperately need. Please sign up at the front office so that enough food can be ordered from the caterer. Because of the increase in Covid cases, I am still requesting that you only come if vaccinated for Covid. Looking forward to seeing you. ~Sr, Elizabeth Ann

From the Pastor’s Desk:

In last Sunday’s Gospel from John, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle story told in all 4 of the Gospels. It is an important story for all those who follow Christ. Perhaps it is of the importance that God wants us to know so that its lessons can be repeated in our own generation in our parish and in our world. God is still here with His love, smile and His ability to provide abundance out of what seems only to be scarcity.

The Convoy of Hope was begun by one family in 1994. It is a faith-based nonprofit organization who mission is to feed the hungry of the world through children’s feeding plans, community outreach and disaster response. Since it began 677,000 volunteers have served 163.7 million people. (1.3 billion worth of food and supplies have been given away) It came from one family’s vision following the death of their father. Of all the peoples of the world, the American people are the most generous, giving $309.666 billion in donations in 2019.

In the Gospel accounts it is Christ Himself who sees the need to provide the people with food to eat. The Apostle Andrew brings a boy to Jesus with 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. What good are they for 5,000 people? As Jesus gave thanks to His heavenly Father, He gave to the people to eat and they all had their fill. God has given our great nation the ability to feed not only the American people but hundreds of millions. Today an American farmer feeds approximately 155 people.

I want to thank everyone who gives to support our parish. Your donations in 2019 here at St. Agnes and the DDF are counted in that $309 Billion in 2019. Together we have done much meeting the needs of our parish, helping meet the needs of our Diocese, through our St. Vincent DePaul, Grace Methodist meals and the Well of Life helping meet the needs of the poor. I want to thank each of you.

As we begin to look to the needs of our parish and school now and in the future, the biggest need is for space. Space to meet, space to socialize, space to teach. We are more than maxed out. We need a Parish Center. In the weeks and months ahead I will be reaching out to many of you to serve on committees as we look to those needs.

It will take all of us to make a Parish Center a reality. We are standing on the shoulders of our grandparents who built the churches that are great houses of worship we worship in today across this nation. Together we can move forward as a parish meeting the needs of our parish today.

Youth Activities

Registration for Parish School of Religion will be held on Sunday, Aug 22nd at 10:30 in the dining room of the cafeteria. Parish School of Religion is open to students in K-8th grade. We will offer in person classes on Sunday mornings from 10:00 -11:00 AM in St. Agnes School. The classes are open to all students whether they attend Catholic, public or are home schooled. We also offer a special needs class for students taught by a certified special needs instructor. We take special precautions to offset the spread of Covid 19 and will work with families who choose to keep their children home during this unusual time. We have specialized curriculum for students who may be behind in the reception of the sacraments. If you have specific questions or circumstances, please call the parish office or email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org. All are welcome! Registration forms are also available on the parish website.

THANK YOU!!

This year, along with the help of our volunteers we were able to make over $5500 profit on our garage sale,. As a thank you, we would like to invite our volunteers that worked on the garage sale to a luncheon on Friday, Aug 6th at 11:30 AM in the dining room. Please join us if you helped for an hour, for two hours or for 20 hours. This is a parish project we could not do without your help. Please call the parish office to let us know that you are coming. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!!

St. Agnes is considering expanding activities for a junior high youth program. We would like to know if families may be interested in the development of this program. This would be open to 6th & 7th graders. Please call the parish office if you are interested or contact Iris at Ibounds@sta-cathedral.org.

THANK YOU!!

This year, along with the help of our volunteers we were able to make over $5500 profit on our garage sale,. As a thank you, we would like to invite our volunteers that worked on the garage sale to a luncheon on Friday, Aug 6th at 11:30 AM in the dining room. Please join us if you helped for an hour, for two hours or for 20 hours. This is a parish project we could not do without your help. Please call the parish office to let us know that you are coming. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!!

SENIOR LUNCHEON

There will be a luncheon for St. Agnes Seniors on Thursday August 12th at 11:30 am in the dining room. It will be a meal of lasagna and salad. A $5 donation will be accepted to use for the parish center we so desperately need. Please sign up at the front office so that enough food can be ordered from the caterer. Because of the increase in Covid cases, I am still requesting that you only come if vaccinated for Covid. Looking forward to seeing you. ~Sr, Elizabeth Ann

From the Pastor’s Desk:

The richness of our Catholic Liturgies especially the Mass comes from the ancient church. The Mass didn’t start with the Latin Mass of the Council of Trent. It did not start in the Middle Ages, nor did it start at the collapse of the Roman Empire during the fifth century. It began at the Last Supper with Christ and the twelve apostles.

I want to go back to the ancient Church as far back as possible and to writings describing the Mass and other Sacraments. St. Ignatius of Antioch was bishop of Antioch in Syria. He was condemned to die in Rome in 110 AD. His importance I believe comes from his seven letters he wrote as he traveled from Antioch to Rome where he was martyred. The Eucharist is the heart and soul of his teachings. Much of the language he used seemed to come from or be in accordance with the Didache. He wrote of the Church as the place of sacrifice. He also wrote of the bishop who presided over the sacrifice, and that it is at the altar that the Church received its unity in Christ. He wrote and I quote, “For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to show for the unity of his blood; one altar, as there is one bishop.” As the Didache states, so do Ignatius’ letters point to the bishop as the ordinary minister of the Eucharist. Ignatius is the first to use the order of presbyter (priest). The term Priest was not used until later in the Church, so as not to confuse the order with the Jewish priests who offered animal sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem.

The pagan governor of part of Turkey in the early part of the 2nd century was Pliny the Younger. He wrote a detailed account of Christian worship to Emperor Trajan. “Christians meet on a certain fixed day before it is light. They sing in alternate verses a hymn to Christ and bind themselves by a solemn oath.” Scholars do debate about Pliny’s use of the term, oath. Pliny’s reporting could reflect the Church’s very early use of the term “sacrament” to describe the mysteries of faith. Also, according to Pliny, the Church’s Sunday worship consisted of two meetings. The first meeting was with a hymn and readings and the second was to partake of food. With the Second Vatican Council, the Church once more went back to the “Liturgy of the Word” and the “Liturgy of the Eucharist”.

St. Justin Martyr is the next person I want to explore. Justin gives the most complete description of the early Church’s Mass as it was celebrated in the Western part of the Roman Empire. He wrote about it for Emperor Antoninus Pius around the year 155. Justin began his life as a pagan and studied in several philosophical schools. Once he discovered Christianity, he used his philosophical knowledge to write a rational defense of Christian faith and life. Justin’s Apologies are divided into the First and Second Apology. His detailed descriptions of two Roman liturgies are a Mass that includes a baptism, and a regular Sunday Mass. The parts of the Mass have remained essentially the same through the centuries. Our Mass today is much like what Justin described as the Mass since the Church Fathers used Justin’s written account to reform the Roman Rite at the Second Vatican Council. What the Second Vatican Council did in reforming the Liturgy of the Mass, was go back to the earliest accounts and remove much of the repetitiveness of the Tridentine Mass of the 1500s. (to be continued)