Parish School of Religion Registration

Registration for Parish School of Religion will be held Sunday, Aug. 21st beginning at 10:30 AM in the dining room. Classes will be offered for children in grades K through 8th grade. Parents will register their children, receive a schedule of activities for the year and be able to meet the teachers for the program. Classes are open to children who attend public or Catholic schools or who may be homeschooled. There is also a special needs class available which is taught by a certified instructor. This special needs class will also help to prepare children for the reception of the sacraments. Classes will be held on Sunday mornings in the school from 10-11:00 AM. If your family has any special circumstances, we ask that you contact the parish office at 831-3565 or email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org. Registration forms are also available on our parish website.

From the Associate Pastor’s Desk:

In place of the weekly letter from your Pastor Fr. Lewis, I, Fr. Jesse Hiett, was asked to introduce myself in the bulletin for this week. As many of you may know, I was ordained to the priesthood on May 27, 2022. My journey to the priesthood is a unique one. In 2001, I entered the seminary only to leave shortly before the next school year began in 2002. I figured I would succeed better as a math teacher (I had just earned my BSEd in Mathematics the previous year). Consequently, I left to begin my teaching career, during which time I also earned my MSEd in Mathematics. For the next fifteen years, I taught mathematics at the high school and college level, including two years as Mathematics Curriculum Coordinator for the Springfield R-XII. However, throughout my entire time in education, I felt God pulling me back, insisting I continue with my seminary formation. Over the years, that call only grew stronger. Eventually, in 2017, I decided to sell my house and leave my teaching career (at least for the time being) to discern God's plan for me more carefully. The moment I entered seminary, I thought that I had made a horrible decision, but I offered that all up to Jesus. I'm glad I did because my life has never been the same since the moment I walked through the doors of the seminary. From my summer chaplaincy at Research Medical Center in Kansas City to a study abroad program in Morelia, Mexico, to receiving my liquor license for the state of Indiana (ask me about that one), to being stuck in the 2020 Covid Lockdown during my pastoral internship, to walking 500 miles across Spain on the Camino Frances, to spending three weeks in the Holy Land as a Deacon and preaching at the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish God’s grace was with me always encouraging and challenging me to go deeper into a relationship with him. Being assigned here at St. Agnes as the associate pastor was surprising - newly ordained priests typically don’t get assigned back to their home parish. I am truly blessed to spend the next couple of months with you. I will return to Mundelein Seminary near the end of August to complete an additional degree. This additional degree, a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL), will take another year to complete. An STL degree prepares one to teach theology in a college, seminary, or university, function as a chaplain for professional groups, and act as a theological resource to the diocese. After completing the degree, I will return to the diocese to begin full-time ministry within the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. This year of study is funded through the Catholic Extension Society as part of the Seminarian Scholarship I received when I first entered theology. The scholarship is offered to any seminarian attending Mundelein. It covers the cost of tuition, room, and board for the entire duration of their formation at the seminary - including the additional year of study at no expense to the diocese. Many of our recently ordained priests received this scholarship – including Fr. Andrew Williams and Fr. Brian Strauss. Again, I look forward to spending these next several weeks with you at St. Agnes. Feel free to reach out to me anytime – even if it is to grab a cup of coffee and visit. Please be assured of my prayers for each of you - please continue to keep me in yours. Yours In Christ, Fr. Hiett

YOUTH ACTIVITIES

A Youth Planning session will be held Wed, July 20th at 7:00 PM here at St. Agnes. We will either meet in the dining room or in the outdoor classroom depending upon the weather. Our goal is to plan activities for the upcoming year for our St. Agnes Youth. All are welcome whether you are a youth, parent or adult volunteer. Please come with your ideas for service, prayer and activities for our youth. All are welcome. If you cannot make the planning session and have questions or would like to share ideas, please contact Iris at ibounds@stacathedral.org. You may also call the parish office at 831-3565.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES LIFEHOUSE

Volunteers Needed at Catholic Charities Gardeners from area parishes will continue to maintain the grounds and harvest vegetables from the many raised beds for the women and children who reside at LifeHouse. Our 5th group work day will be Thursday, July 28, from 8:30 - 10:30. We always have plenty of work to do and would love for you to join us! We also need volunteers to help on Monday and Thursday mornings to help harvest and water. To volunteer or for more information, contact Jana Hukriede at 417-840-4109 or janahukriede@gmail.com. Our next group work day will be Thursday, August 25, from 8:30 - 10:30.

PARISH HEALTH MINISTRY

Gift of Humor (continued): “ A joyful heart is the health of the body....” Proverbs 17:22 Thank god for the gift of humor; all good things come from Him. Sometimes a lack of ‘good humor’ may be related to not being able to relax and appreciate our own gifts as well as our limitations. Count your blessings. Make time every day to enjoy humor and laughter. When we look for situations in life that are humorous, we acquire a more balanced perspective. “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust

From the Pastor's Desk:

The question of immigration continues to be a growing concern here in the United States. We have for centuries been considered a nation of immigrants. Through these centuries, attitudes toward new immigrants by those who came before, have bounced between welcoming and keep out. As the world becomes even more unstable, immigration and refugees are becoming a major issue for many governments. In the early years of our country immigrants simply got off the ships and began a new life in the new world. The laws concerning immigration began as early at the Naturalization Act of 1790. At that time citizenship was passed through the father to his children, if the father was a citizen. Since that time there have been more than 12 laws and revisions. Many times, those changes reflected whether the country needed workers, for example the Irish at the time of the Civil War were sent right into the Union Army, or the need for Chinese to work on the building of the Continental Railroad. When the need was no longer there, close the gates. The Roman Empire would be a prime example to study concerning immigration. From the time of Christ until the fall of the Roman Empire, one of the major problems confronting the Empire, was illegal migration of the uncivilized peoples crossing the frontiers. The major question is why did the barbarians want inside the boundaries of the Empire? That is the same question we should be asking today of the illegal immigrates, why are you coming into the United States? The answer is the same. They entered the Empire, and they are entering the United States for food, security and a better way of life. The policy of immigration depended upon which emperor sat on the throne in Rome and who was in the Roman Senate. This led to disastrous consequences. The politics of one emperor and senate let immigrates cross the border and settle. They would begin to fit into the Roman way of life and then another emperor would take the throne and the policy would change. They would be heavily taxed, food subsidies would be cut, perhaps even enslaved. The Romans found they could not police thousands of miles of boundaries to keep the illegal immigrates out. More and more continued to flood into the Empire driven for a better way of life. They were starving in their homelands. There was war and violence outside the Empire and those first illegal immigrates would have made great citizens, building up the Empire. The policies of the Emperors and Roman Senate turned those first waves of illegal immigrates from productive, to roving bands that joined with later violent groups of barbarians. The barbarians became a tremendous destructive force inside the Empire. They were seeking a better way of life at first, but because of the way they were treated, they helped to destroy one of the greatest civilizations the world has known. Does all of this sound familiar? Are we doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past? What does all of this have to do with “church” and the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”? I do not have the answers for the government, but I do know how we are to treat people according to the teachings of Christ. Let us not lose sight of those teachings, may they be our guide in all things.

DDF Campaign 2022

The 2022 DDF Campaign is in progress! Our goal this year is $101,608 (224 parishioners). To date, 188 parishioners have pledged $112,946.84 towards our parish goal. We need 26 more parishioners!!! Any amount, no matter how small will be greatly appreciated to show our support to the Diocese. Across the Diocese, $2,154,506 has been pledged toward the $2,800,000 goal. That is 77% of our goal. The Diocese and church in southern Missouri needs your participation so that we can reach our goal.

St Vincent de Paul

ANOTHER WAY TO HELP OTHERS As most of you know, St. Vincent de Paul Society of our parish is committed to helping those in need locally in and around Springfield. We have been blessed with an abundance of donations over the last several months and have been able to assist many with utilities, not to mention Crosslines, Well of Life, gas vouchers, and bus passes. We would like to thank everyone who has helped us with all of this. We would like to emphasize that, unlike some other nonprofits, all the money donated to SVDP goes directly to the people in need. Recently our funds have dwindled so our help is being limited. Please consider SVDP as you contemplate which organizations to give to. Any amount helps. There is an envelope available each month for SVDP with those sent to you from the church. Thank you so much for your consideration of this necessary cause!

C.C.M. "Wish List!"

Thank you in advance for your annual donations for our Students. Here is our wish list! Please drop off at CCM Monday-Thursdays 8am-noon Coffee pods for our free coffee bar, Individual snack bags of chips, cookies, breakfast bars and etc, bottled water, copy paper, toilet paper, paper towels, Lysol spray, cold drink cups, hot drink cups, stir sticks for coffee, white tea candles for candle lit Mass. If you have questions, please contact Bev Franklin at bfranklin@ccm847.org or 417-865-0802. God Bless you for your gifts.

From the Pastor’s Desk::

This weekend we are celebrating Trinity Sunday.   The origins of the celebration of Trinity Sunday go all the way back to the fourth century. Arius, a Catholic priest, believed that Jesus Christ was a created being rather than God, resulting in one of the first heresies of the early church, Arianism.

In denying the divinity of Christ, Arius denied that there are three Persons in God. Athanasius one of early church theologians was Arius' chief opponent.  He upheld the orthodox doctrine that there are three Persons in one God, and the orthodox view prevailed at the Council of Nicaea.  Every Sunday we pray the Nicene Creed which contains our belief in the Holy Trinity.

Also, to stress the doctrine of the Trinity, other Fathers of the Church, such as St. Ephrem composed prayers and hymns that were recited in the Church's liturgies and on Sundays as part of the Divine Office, the official prayer of the Church. Eventually, a special version of this office began to be celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost, and the Church in England, at the request of St. Thomas à Becket in 1160s, was granted permission to celebrate Trinity Sunday. The celebration of Trinity Sunday was extended to the entire Church during the pontific of Pope John XXII 1316-34.

June will become a stressful time for many of the parishes and priests of the diocese as they prepare for priest transfers.  People many times have asked me, “Why does the bishop move priests around?”  There are a variety of reasons.  Our newly ordained priests need at least two assignments working with two different pastors as they prepare to become pastors on their own. Also, it is healthy for both pastors and parishes, because priests do not meet the needs of everyone in the parish.  I know that is true for myself, as my style of ministry may not appeal to everyone.  Change is hard, but in the long run, it is good.  Please keep all those priests and parishes who being affected by the changes in your/our prayers including our own Cathedral Parish as we will be saying good bye to Fr. Allen.  Hopefully you will be able to attend his farewell in July.

St. Agnes is looking for a maintenance employee for a full time position M-F. Please contact Fr. Lewis 831-3565 ext 102

ANOTHER WAY TO HELP OTHERS

As most of you know, St. Vincent de Paul Society of our parish is committed to helping those in need locally in and around Springfield.  We have been blessed with an abundance of donations over the last several months and have been able to assist many with utilities, not to mention Crosslines, Well of Life, gas vouchers, and bus passes.  We would like to thank everyone who has helped us with all of this.

We would like to emphasize that, unlike some other non-profits, all the money donated to SVDP goes directly to the people in need.  Recently our funds have dwindled so our help is being limited.  Please consider SVDP as you contemplate which organizations to give to.  Any amount helps. There is an envelope available each month for SVDP with those sent to you from the church.

Thank you so much for your consideration of this necessary cause!

Garage Sale Information:

Our annual St. Agnes Garage Sale will be June 16th-18th in our St. Agnes Gym.  This is an excellent opportunity for you to donate all those items from your garage, basement and attic.  We do ask that you do not donate the following:  tires, computers, monitors, baby beds or car seats. We will accept hanging clothes only for the sale.  We are in need of clothing racks and if anyone may have a hanging rack to donate or to let us borrow, we would appreciate it.  Beginning June 1st, we will need volunteers to help sort, price and set up the sale. We will have a morning shift from 8-10 AM and an evening shift from 7:00-8:30 PM. This is an excellent opportunity for youth to get service hours.  If you would like to volunteer or need more information, please call the parish office at 831-3565 or contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org. The drop off dates are listed below.

Garage Sale Drop Off Dates:

SAT June 11th after 5 pm Mass

SUN June 12th after 8 am & 11:30 am Masses

BUZZ BOOK LOOKING FOR ADVERTISERS

We are in the process of updating our annual Buzz Book. This book will contain everything pertinent to our church: various ministries, organizations, activities, plus a complete directory of all registered members. This book is being provided and direct-mailed to each household at no cost to our church, and it is again being subsidized by local businesses that advertise. If you own or manage a business and would like to find out about advertising in our book, please call the Church Office at 417-831-3565 by June 20, 2022

From the Pastor’s Desk::

This weekend, but especially Monday we celebrate Memorial Day. To many it means a 3 day weekend at the lake or the beginning of the summer season. Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead of both the North and the South. It was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan. In his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle. Today we hold in special memory all who have died in all our wars; in the Civil war, the two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Let us also hold in memory all who have met death through senseless violence both on streets and in their homes. We hold in memory the millions whose lives have been snuffed out through willful abortions. We hold in memory all whose lives have been offered up on the altars of prejudice, hunger, neglect and hatred. We hold in memory all who have been slaughtered on the highways and streets of our country. We hold in memory all whose lives have been terminated through the lethal effects of drugs, of all types and descriptions. We hold in memory the martyrs’ blood of the past and now the martyrs today whose blood has been shed so that others might know the love and mercy of God the Father and our Redemption through his Son, Jesus. We hold in memory the more than one million people who have died from Covid 19 and the pandemic. We hold in memory all our dear loved ones, who now share the eternal vision of glory with the Father and the joy and peace of Christ’s resurrection. May each of you have a blessed and safe Memorial Day Weekend. There will not be any masses on Monday 30th here at the Cathedral. Join our Bishop in the Memorial Day Mass at 9:00 am at Resurrection Cemetery. I will celebrate Mass at St. Wenceslaus Cemetery in Bolivar where my parents are buried. Have a safe and blessed weekend. St. Agnes is looking for a maintenance employee for a full time position M-F. Please contact Fr. Lewis 831-3565 ext 102

Garage Sale

Our annual St. Agnes Garage Sale will be June 16th-18th in our St. Agnes Gym. This is an excellent opportunity for you to donate all those items from your garage, basement and attic. We do ask that you do not donate the following: tires, computers, monitors, baby beds or car seats. We will accept hanging clothes only for the sale. We are in need of clothing racks and if anyone may have a hanging rack to donate or to let us borrow, we would appreciate it. Beginning June 1st, we will need volunteers to help sort, price and set up the sale. We will have a morning shift from 8-10 AM and an evening shift from 7:00-8:30 PM. This is an excellent opportunity for youth to get service hours. If you would like to volunteer or need more information, please call the parish office at 831-3565 or contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org. The drop off dates are listed below. Garage Sale Drop Off Dates: SAT May 28th after 5:00 pm Mass SUN May 29th after 8 am & 11:30 am Masses SAT June 4 after 5 pm Mass SUN June 5th after 8 am & 11:30 am Masses SAT June 11th after 5 pm Mass SUN June 12th after 8 am & 11:30 am Masses

MEMORIAL DAY MASS AT SPRINGFIELD’S RESURRECTION CEMETERY

Bishop Edward M. Rice will celebrate a Mass at 9:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, May 30, on the grounds at Resurrection Cemetery, 4528 W. Division St. Seating will be available under a large tent, and refreshments will be served afterward. Please prayerfully consider a donation to the upkeep of the Catholic Cemeteries May 28-29. This is when most of the money to keep everything running and beautiful is collected for the year!

WOMEN OF FAITH

This group offers an opportunity for women of the parish to pray and socialize together on a monthly basis. If you are looking for this type of opportunity, come join us at the 8:30 am Mass in the chapel on Friday, June 3. Please bring a breakfast or brunch food to share in the pavilion

Ordination

Dear St. Agnes Parishioners - Thank you for your prayers and support over these past several years in my preparation for the priesthood. In gratitude, I would like to invite all of you to attend the following upcoming events:

Ordination Mass 

Celebrated by Bishop Edward M. Rice

Friday, May 27, 2022, 5:30 PM

At St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish

2200 West Republic Road Springfield, MO

Mass of Thanksgiving

Saturday, May 28, 2022, 4:00 PM

Immaculate Conception 

3555 South Fremont Springfield, MO 

Reception to Follow - Please RSVP to jhiett@usml.edu. 

Thank you and please know you remain in my prayers. 

-Rev. Mr. Jesse Hiett

From the Pastor’s Desk:

On Friday morning we celebrated the Graduation Mass at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish for all of our graduating seniors from Springfield Catholic High School.  As those young people walked into the Church for the last time as a class, they will never be the same.  A few will enter the military, the great majority will continue their education attending colleges and universities all over the country, from California to New York. Wherever they go, they will be beginning a new life.  They will be making new friends, having new teachers, studying new subjects, or subjects much more in depth, all the while struggling to figure out who they are and what they are really all about.  It is an exciting time and a scary time.   Regardless of where they end up for the next years of their lives, their lives will never be the same.  My prayers are with them as they begin this new life.

On Tuesday evening here at St. Agnes Cathedral, our eighth grade class will walk through the doors of the Cathedral, for their last trip down the isle as a class.  In the fall they will begin a new life, as high school students.  Most will continue their education at Springfield Catholic High School.  They will meet new friends, while continuing old friendships, new teachers, new freedoms which come with new responsibilities.

It is interesting that the graduation ceremony is referred to as a commencement ceremony.   Graduation is both the end of something and the beginning of something.  Being in education as a teacher for 17 years, director of the theater for 12 years and once again as chaplain for years; young people are not really completing something as much as setting the table for themselves to accomplish something great in their lives.  I believe it can be summed up in 3 words:  unselfishness, servanthood and love.  All three are found in the life of Jesus Christ who is our brother, friend, example and God.

UNSELFISHNESS – is the key to real success.  So often people think only of themselves and at the cost of hurting others or neglecting others. In the long-term they will find themselves empty and always wanting more because they were selfish.  Christ is our example in giving and sharing.

SERVANTHOOD – is the 2nd key to real success.  Serving others is what enables a person to experience gratitude, appreciation and a sense of community.  Christ is our example.

LOVE – is the 3rd key to real success.   You don’t have to like everybody.  For that matter you can like just a few people.  But we’re commanded to love everyone.  Regardless of color, ethnicity, language, etc.  Each of us is made in the image and likeness of our God, each of us have been given the opportunity to be loved and it begins by us loving ourselves, others and Christ.

These are why we have Catholic Schools, to put Jesus Christ as the reason for all we do, the example to follow.  My prayer for all these young people is they will live these three words in their lives.

St. Agnes is looking for a full time (M-F) maintenance employee. Please call Fr. Lewis 831-3565 ext 102.

MEMORIAL DAY MASS AT SPRINGFIELD’S RESURRECTION CEMETERY

Bishop Edward M. Rice will celebrate a Mass at 9:00 a.m. on Memorial Day, May 30, on the grounds at Resurrection Cemetery, 4528 W. Division St.  Seating will be available under a large tent, and refreshments will be served afterward.

Please prayerfully consider a donation to the upkeep of the Catholic Cemeteries May 28-29. This is when most of the money to keep everything running and beautiful is collected for the year!