EASTER EGG HUNT

Easter Egg Time: St Agnes will again sponsor the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday March 31st at 11:00 AM. We could not make this event happen without the donations of plastic eggs & wrapped candy! Please feel free to recycle all those Easter eggs you may have in your home! We also appreciate it when you fill those eggs before you bring them in. We also will need volunteers to help “hide” the eggs on Easter morning. Bring all donations to the parish office or contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org if you would like to volunteer. Thanks so much!!

From the Pastor’s Desk:

We already find ourselves beginning the second week of Lent. Are we walking with Jesus on the road to Calvary? What are we doing to make a difference in our spiritual lives? Lent is that time to look deep within ourselves to become a better person knowing that he suffered and died for us because of our sinfulness.

Pope Francis has given some suggestions if you have not already decided on what to give up or fast from during the Lenten Season.

Fast from hurting words and say kind words.

Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.

Fast from anger and be filled with patience.

Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.

Fast from worries and trust in God.

Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.

Fast from pressures and be prayerful.

Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy.

Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.

Fast from grudges and be reconciled.

Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to be a better person. Use one or two of the above suggestions from the Holy Father this Lenten Season.

I want to thank everyone who gave on Ash Wednesday to help us minister to the Poor. Our Lenten Alms Boxes will be at the doors of the Cathedral throughout Lent. PRAYER, FASTING & ALMSGIVING. Celebrate Lent by living your faith.

THE MIRROR SUBSCRIPTION

It’s that time of the year again! The Diocese will send us a bill in the coming weeks for each St. Agnes parishioner to receive the weekly newspaper. Each subscription is $14.00. Last year’s bill was $8,498.00 . Parishioner contributions this year so far are 1,793.25 Please be sure to use your Mirror envelope and if possible include gift subscriptions for parishioners who may not be able to afford theirs.

Camp Renewal

Camp Renewal Registration for 2024 has begun; Camp

Renewal will be celebrating 50 years here in the

diocese. Children who will be entering the 5th grade-9th

grade are eligible to attend. Youth in 10 grade or

above are needed to serve as camp

counselors. Registration forms are available in the parish

office, the school or in the cathedral. You can also

register online by going to https://

dioscg.formstack.com/form/camp re new all. Some

sessions fill up quickly so do not wait too long.

Easter Egg Time:

Easter Egg Time: St Agnes will again sponsor the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday March 31st at 11:00 AM. We could not make this event happen without the donations of plastic eggs & wrapped candy! Please feel free to recycle all those Easter eggs you may have in your home! We also appreciate it when you fill those eggs before you bring them in. We also will need volunteers to help “hide” the eggs on Easter morning. Bring all donations to the parish office or contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org if you would like to volunteer. Thanks so much!!

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Many Christian denominations observe the Season of Lent, but do they, do we truly understand the season.  In the first three centuries of Christianity, most Christians prepared for Easter by fasting and praying for three days.  It did vary from city to city.  In Rome the length of preparation was three weeks.  The word Lent comes from the Middle English word LENTEN, meaning springtime, the time of lengthening days.  In both the Old and New Testaments there can be found “doing penance”.  In its early three week time, Lent was the period of intense spiritual and liturgical preparation for catechumens before they were baptized at the Easter Vigil and many of the members of the Christian community walked with the catechumens.  Over the centuries Lent developed like all liturgical seasons to the season we recognize today.

The forty days developed because it is the length of the fast and temptation of Jesus in the desert.  Also in part of our early Christian past many practiced the forty day time frame of fasting beginning right after Epiphany, a time which stressed prayer and penance. 

Once Christianity became widespread and most people were baptized as infants, Lent lost the connection to the preparation of catechumens.  However, the themes of repentance and fasting became the dominant them of Lent.  The II Vatican Council restored the order of catechumens and most adult converts to Catholicism are baptized at the Easter Vigil, thus the early Church’s baptismal meaning of Lent has once again become important.

The celebration of Ash Wednesday comes from the late third to the early fourth centuries and traditionally begins the Season of Lent.  Scholars and theologians continue to “discuss” when Lent actually begins and ends.  Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday are not a part of Lent, they are the special days called the Triduum.  That would mean Lent ends at sunset on Holy Thursday evening.

In celebrating the Season of Lent, we are to fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays.  Fasting means to limit food to one full meal on those days with the other two meals being much smaller.  Abstinence means not eating meat, although fish is allowed.

Walk with the Lord this Lenten Season in Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving for the Poor.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Knight Meeting:  Our monthly meeting will be this Tuesday, Feb. 20th, 7:00 PM, in the Dining Room portion of the cafeteria.  We will talk about the weekend's fish fry, membership, dues, etc.  Please join us.

Ladies of the Parish:

Mark your calendars for the "Morning of Reflection" to be held on Sat, March 23 beginning at 9:00 AM.  Our featured speaker will be Bishop Emeritus John Leibrecht.  More details to follow;  Hope to see all of you there.

Steubenville 2024

Calling all high schoolers! In our ever-changing world, Jesus is the answer to the longing of our hearts for meaning, fulfillment, security, and love. Join hundreds of Catholic teens at Steubenville Mid-America on July 12-14, 2024 to be illuminated in the light of Christ. All rising freshmen in high school through rising freshmen in college are invited to attend this retreat with our group.

Sign up with the QR link below by February 5th to save your spot!

Contact Ronnie Bohrer at rbohrer@sta-cathedral.org for more information.

From the Pastor’s Desk:

This Wednesday we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. We will be marked with ashes, and the words of the blessing, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” Turning away from sin and seeking repentance is the theme of the Lenten Season. Turning away from sin many times means a change of mind, a change of heart and a change of behavior. This is true conversion and conversion cannot be limited to a dramatic, once-in-a lifetime, so called “born again” experience. Lent gives us 40 days of working on that conversion, so we can walk faithfully in the footsteps of Christ through His Passion, Death and the celebration of His Resurrection.

One of the important aspects of conversion is the acknowledgement of one’s sins and seeking absolution of those sins from God and the community in which we live. Sin is, before all else, an offense against God and at the same time it damages our relationship with others and the community. For this reason we need to confess our sinfulness seeking absolution from God and reconciliation with the Church (people of God). Within the tradition of the Catholic Church for the past 2000 years, this reconciliation has been expressed and accomplished liturgically by the Sacrament of Penance.

Christ instituted the Sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of His Church. The Sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to conversion and to recover the grace which began in our lives at Baptism. Many changes in the sacrament have occurred over the centuries, but there are two equally essential elements that have always been present: Contrition, confession and satisfaction on the part of the penitent; and God’s action through the intervention of the Church through the sacramental life of the Church.

The confession of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission the individual looks at the sins one is guilty of and takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens themselves again to God and to the communion of the Church. Confession of sins of even a lesser nature helps us to form our conscience and fight against evil tendencies and let’s ourselves be healed by Christ.

Our Lenten Penance Service here at St. Agnes Cathedral is on February 26th. Celebrate the sacrament and experience reconciliation with God and through the Church and receive God’s grace, peace and serenity of conscience.

Ladies of the Parish:

Mark your calendars for the "Morning of Reflection" to

be held on Sat, March 23 beginning at 9:00 AM. Our

featured speaker will be Bishop Emeritus John

Leibrecht. More details to follow; Hope to see all of

you there.

ANNUAL LENTEN FISH FRY

Please join the Knights for their

annual Lenten Fish Fry this Friday,

February 16th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM

in the school cafeteria. Prices will be

the same as in previous years at

$10/adult, $5/child, or $25/family. There will be

many choices including fried and baked fish,

hushpuppies, cole slaw, mac-n-cheese, desserts, and

much more. See you Friday!

CONFIRMATION UPDATES

Volunteers Please!

We need several volunteers to help serve at our Confirmation

reception on Sat, March 2nd. The Reception will be held after the

5:00 PM Mass. Volunteers will need to help with the serving of

cookies, fruit and drink. This will only be a 2-3 hour time

commitment. Please call Iris at 831-3565 or ibounds@stacathedral.

org if you would like to help.

Confirmation Candidates: we will have our Service

project for Confirmation on Sunday, Feb 18th at 10:00

AM. Please meet at Catholic Charities of Southern

Missouri on Portland St. Please make certain that you

have completed your permission form. Questions please

contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org or call the

parish office 417-831-3565 ext 107

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Normally as we begin National Catholic Schools Week my letter is at the beginning of the week of celebrations, but this

year I am placing it at the end of our week long celebration. The theme this year was Catholic Schools: United in Faith

and Community. Catholic education provides a well-rounded education for the whole person, engaging students

intellectually and spiritually.

The Catholic education provides a well-rounded education for the whole student engaging students in all aspects:

academic, spiritual, physical, the arts and social.

Academic Excellence: Catholic schools provide a quality education that prepares students well for college and careers.

Catholic school students tend to perform with higher reading and math scores, higher GPAs in college and higher

graduation rates from college.

Catholic schools provide a strong foundation of faith, helping students to develop a personal relationship with God and to

understand the importance of serving others as Christ.

Catholic schools work to instill values like teamwork, personal responsibility, and compassion. They are usually small

schools in numbers of students which help to provide a sense of community and belonging where students can grow and

thrive as a whole person. With smaller numbers of students, means more individualized attention for students.

Within our Catholic schools are found many different sports for both girls as well as boys. The arts, music, band, theater

and art are all provided with large numbers of students participating.

I want to thank all the parishioners here at St. Agnes Cathedral for their Sunday offering because each of you are

helping make our Catholic schools possible.

LENTEN FAIR

Our annual parish Lenten Fair sponsored by St. Anne's Group

and our Faith Formation Program will be held Sunday, Feb.

11th in the school cafeteria from 9:00 AM-11:00

AM. Resources, activities will be available for all ages. Come

prepare yourself and your family for this Holy Season by

attending. We will be making Valentines and Easter Cards for

the homebound of the parish. We will be celebrating Mardi

Gras by making masks and enjoying King Cake. Resources for

Stations of the Cross, Holy Week & much more. Invite family

and friends. Hope to see many of you there. We are also

looking for volunteers who may be able to help that

morning. Please contact the parish office for more

information or if you would like to volunteer to help.

Ladies of the Parish:

Mark your calendars for the "Morning of Reflection" to

be held on Sat, March 23 beginning at 9:00 AM. Our

featured speaker will be Bishop Emeritus John

Leibrecht. More details to follow; Hope to see all of

you there.

St Vincent de Paul Society

Thank you to all who have supported St Vincent

de Paul Society during this past year. We have

assisted the Well of Life and Crosslines each

month. Also, we have provided 224 gas

vouchers, 1, 920 bus passes, and have given

utility assistance to 135 families, many of whom were in

crisis. Your generosity is making it possible for us to serve so

many people in need. Thank you.

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Sometimes we get bent out of shape for reasons that are not worth arguing about. For example when people

ask, “What do you mean that the Church just set the date for Jesus’ birth? Was He or was He not born on

December 25th?” There was no one around taking notes as to the exact date that Jesus was born. In fact one

of the earliest references to the birth of Jesus being celebrated on December 25th appeared in Antioch in the

middle of the 2nd century. The Christians were still being persecuted by the Roman Empire and it was not until

the Council of Tours in 567, that the Season of Advent as a time of special preparation and grace for the birth

of Jesus was established. It was also at this time that the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany was set as a

sacred, festive season.

Year after year, we have a choice of how to celebrate Christmas. We can just choose to have the kind of

Christmas we want. We can have a Christmas of tinsel, wrapping paper and gifts wrapped with pretty bows.

We can have a Christmas of special cookies and food. We can have a Christmas filled with special

decorations. All of those things and more are fine in and of themselves, but they do not express the very heart

of Christmas.

As Christians hopefully we are celebrating the second person of the Trinity, the Word made flesh, that chose to

step foot into our human world. The belief that the creator of all creation, took on the limitations of human

flesh. Within all the religions of the ancient as well as today’s world, the belief of God made man is unique to

Christianity alone. That’s what makes it so incredible, almost unbelievable.

Because it is a mystery that is so hard to understand and comprehend, that God would do such a thing

motivated by pure love, many settle for Christmas as something less, tinsel and pretty wrapping paper, cookies

and a beautiful tree with lights. These things do not require a response, because on December 26th we can

throw the tree out and get on with our lives.

But if we acknowledge a Christmas as the celebration of Jesus as the Son of God, then the Son of God will

eventually require a commitment from us. When he says in the Gospels, turn the other cheek, or forgive, or love

your enemies, or give food to the hungry and the refugees, we can’t walk away.

Whether you come to Christmas Eve Mass or on Christmas Day itself, celebrate the birth of the Son of God and

continue to celebrate throughout the year. May you all have a blessed and joyful Christmas with family and

friends.

Thank you for all the cards and gifts! And a special thank you to all who helped us decorate!

PARISH HEALTH NURSING

Coping Strategies for the holidays

Practice mindfulness and meditation, prevent burnout –

it’s ok to say NO, take a break, get some fresh air and

sunlight, if you’re in therapy, stay in therapy, and try to

avoid overspending and focus on celebrating together

and showing affection by being present, engaging, and

supporting each other.

Www.psychiatry.org

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

Michael Thomas Enos

Laurie “Enos” Martin

Deceased members of Bounds & Prenger Families

Dorsey Roe, Jr.

Ramon Enrique Tiong, Sr.

Joe Lloyd Roe

Fe Samson

Lourdes Nibres

Nicole Paeana

Shelly Denise Martin

Darline Rapp

Steven Refuerzo

‘Don & Judy Rippee