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 Pastor’s Desk:

During the first two weeks of August almost every day is a memorial to a saint. What does that mean and what role do saints play within the Catholic Church. In the Catholic and several other Christian faith traditions, a saint is seen as a holy person who was/is known for his or her sanctity and who is believed to be in heaven. Pope John XV in the 10th century formalized a process establishing the identification of saints. During the first 900 years of the Church from the time of the apostles, saints were largely declared because of martyrdom or by public acclaim. There are more than 10,000 saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, although the names and histories of many of these holy men and women and youth have been lost to history. The saints include martyrs, kings and queens, missionaries, theologians, men and women, parents, nuns and priests, young people, everyday people who dedicated their lives to the loving pursuit of God. Many people have found inspiration from their lives, especially saints who devoted themselves in service to the poor, sick and outcasts of society. Examples of these saints include St. Vincent de Paul and St. Mother Teresa. Within the ranks of those who died for their faith would begin with the first martyr, St. Stephen and St. Joan of Arc, both who showed forgiveness through their trials and tortures. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Therese of Lisieux are revered for their simplicity and humility. Among the great thinkers, theologians of the church are St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas who shaped the Church, but also Western civilization and thought for centuries. With all of that said, Catholics venerate the saints and look to them as examples of lives lived in the faith. They were men and women who have shared our same struggles, sins, doubts, hardship and through prayer and intercession persevered in their struggle to follow Christ. Some saints are upheld by the Church as patrons of certain occupations or causes and are many times invoked to aid people in those professions or situations. The saints listed on the Church calendar are many times observed by the Church on a special day in their lives, perhaps the day of martyrdom or the day they were born. The different types of liturgical celebrations within the Catholic Church are solemnities, feast days and memorial days. Solemnity is a celebration of the greatest importance and it begins on the evening before the actual day with evening prayer. A feast day is celebrated only on that day and the Gloria is prayed but not the Creed. Memorials are a lower -ranked feast day and are either obligatory or optional. Only the memorials of those saints who are of universal significance are observed by the whole Church. A priest may choose to celebrate the memorial mass in the honor of that saint or not.

Youth Event

Youth End of Summer Event: Youth in grades 7-12 are invited to join us in a youth event on Sunday, Aug 14th from 6:00-8:00 PM. The event will feature food, Build your own ice cream sundaes and lots of outdoor games! Come join us to celebrate the end of summer.  All are welcome

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.

SCS Fundraiser

Support Springfield Catholic Schools at the SCS Soiree! Our first ever in-person Soiree is on Saturday, August 27th at the Oasis. There are many ways to participate – raffles, point donations, sponsorships, and individual tickets. Go to bidpal.net/soireetwo for more information! All St. Agnes and Springfield Catholic High School alumni are invited to attend the All School Reunion on Saturday, September 17th, at SCHS. Cost is $35 per person. Register at SpringfieldCatholicSchools.org

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Many changes came with the Second Vatican Council. One of those was the instruction of how people would be instructed in order to come into the Catholic Church. Before the Council pastors simply gave “some” instructions in the faith to those wanting to enter the Church and then brought them into the Church either by Baptism or a Profession of Faith. For many people, depending upon the pastor of the parish, little or very little instruction was given. Vatican Council II recommended that the Church renew its way of receiving adult candidates. In fact the council looked at the early Church for examples as it did in many of the reforms. A revised rite called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) was approved by Pope Paul VI in 1972. The RCIA stresses formation in doctrine, liturgy, Church life, and service. It involves the larger church community in welcoming, instructing, helping and praying for the candidates. This whole change came about for many reasons: 1) sometimes adult converts would stop going to church when the priest that instructed them was transferred, their faith had been built around one person rather than the church itself, 2) large numbers of adult converts were/are knocking on our doors and one on one instruction is no longer feasible, 3) it is important that people experience “church” not only from priests/religious, but also from lay people themselves, 4) the faith journey that a person walks is important and many times needs someone to walk with them. The RCIA can also serve as a focus for ongoing conversion for all members of the Catholic Church. As Catholics see new candidates learning doctrine, they are encouraged to study their faith. The whole parish community is invited to participate in the liturgical ceremonies welcoming new members. Those rites include RCIA Dismissal from the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Rite of Acceptance, and The Rite of Sending & Election, The Holy Saturday service, and Mystagogia. As “old” parishioners see the newly baptized begin ministries of service, they are encouraged to serve more generously. Those who act as sponsors, teachers, and “prayer-partners” for the candidates have abundant opportunities for personal growth. I want to thank all those who in the past years have said yes to becoming sponsors for our candidates. I also want to invite “you” to consider becoming a sponsor this year as we begin RCIA next month. If you would like more information, or to become a sponsor please call or email the parish office.

Sacramental Preparation:

St. Agnes Cathedral Faith Formation follows all guidelines established by the Diocese of Springfield Cape Girardeau to prepare our students to receive First Reconciliation, First Eucharist or Confirmation. First Reconciliation/First Eucharist Children usually receive both of these sacraments while in second grade. Guidelines require that the child be enrolled in a Catholic School or PSR program the year prior to receiving the sacrament. Children in Catholic schools, the PSR program & those who are homeschooled will use a special curriculum and have special activities throughout the year to assist in the preparation process. We do ask that families complete a registration for the sacraments. If a child is older than in second grade, we have a special program available to get the children caught up and prepared for the reception of the sacraments. A special parent meeting will be held. Sunday, Sept 18th to share more details. You may also contact the parish office for more details. Proof of Baptism is required. Confirmation Confirmation is held each year at St. Agnes either in Feb or March. Candidates will be those who are entering 8th grade or above. Diocesan guidelines state that candidates should have attended either a year of Catholic School or PSR a year prior to the reception of the sacrament. During the year of Confirmation, candidates will attend special Confirmation sessions, attend a retreat, complete service and choose a sponsor. If you have special questions about the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation, please contact the parish office at 831- 3565. An informational session on the sacrament will be held Sunday, Sept 11th.

CLOW

Children's Liturgy of the Word Children's Liturgy of the Word (CLOW) will be held on Sunday mornings during the 11:30 AM Mass. This special program is available to children in preschool through 2nd grade. Children will hear the Liturgy of the Word on a level that makes it more understandable based upon their age. Leaders for this program are all Virtus certified. There is no need to register for this program held during the school year. All children are welcome!

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