Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Next weekend we will celebrate Father’s Day. It is a day set aside to honor and show respect to our dads or to any man who has guided and cared for us as a father, whether they are here or no longer with us. Father’s Day was first proposed in 1909 by a Mrs. Dodd who wanted a special day to honor her father, a Civil War veteran. He was a widower who raised his newborn and five other children on a rural farm in the state of Washington.

The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. The special day grew across our country so much that, by 1924, President Calvin Coolidge

supported the idea of a national day dedicated to dads. It was, however, President Lyndon Johnson who signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as

Father’s Day.

Being a father means facing many struggles and difficulties. A number of years ago the Catholic Church honored and celebrated St. Joseph the foster father of Jesus. As a father his life was not easy as he found his wife to be with child, a child he knew was not his. Following the birth of Jesus he fled the country with Mary and Jesus for fear of death. He had accepted a hard life as a father.

It is not easy for dads today, going to work, even when you prefer to stay in bed, because you know that your family depends on you. It means disciplining your children so that they might grow up to be mature men and women. It means constantly looking out for your family, making every effort to ensure that they are protected.

Thank God we have a Heavenly Father who does all this and helps the fathers here on earth to do the same. Not a single sparrow falls to the earth without the Heavenly

Father’s consent, says the Gospel; thus, our earthly fathers are under our Heavenly Father’s care and support. God our Father protects and nurtures His children, and makes His family a house of love.

Take some time this weekend to remember your dad, thanking him for all that he has done for you–for all the time he spent on your projects, being with you in many of your school activities, and for providing the examples of faith and love.

Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

TIME FOR BRUNCH, ANYONE?

Women of Faith group is inviting all ladies of the parish to a brunch at Bev Steelman’s home (625 S. Avenue) on Wednesday, June 19, at 9:15am. Join us for Mass first if you are able. Brunch will follow immediately after. FYI: Bev lives within walking distance of church although you may drive if you choose. Hope to see many of you there. It’s a great way to meet new people!

If you plan to attend please call the office (417-831-3565) so we know how much food to prepare.

Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

LADIES…JOIN US IN A CELEBRATION!

PCCW is inviting all women of the parish to a dinner in honor of Sr. Elizabeth Ann Weiler. She has served our parish for 13 years and is going on now to another adventure in her life story. We want to celebrate and thank her for all she has done for the parish. Join us in the school cafeteria on June 13 at 6:30 (if you can make it to Mass prior to dinner that would be great). Please call the office (417-831-3565) to let us know if you are attending so that we have enough food. It’s going to be a very nice evening.

Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

DDF UPDATE

To date our parish has given $97,773.30 toward our 143,645 goal. Thank you! If you have not yet made your pledge, please add your gift, as you’re a able by returning a pledge card. Your participation is a show of support for the diocese.

Across the diocese, $1,414,926 has been pledged toward the $2,950,000 goal. That is 48% of our goal. The diocese thanks you for considering a gift to support diocesan ministries which support your parish, as well.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

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 pontificate of Pope John XXII 1316-34.

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit reveals himself to the human race.

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. This year is also difficult in our Diocese due to the Claretians Fathers are leaving the Diocese, along with several of the priests from India and those parishes need to be staffed with priests. These are some of the reasons St. Agnes Cathedral will not have an Associate Pastor in the near future. Please keep all those priests and parishes who are being affected by the changes in your/our prayers.

The Parish picnic will be Sunday June 23rd after the 5 pm Mass, join us for food, games and plenty of fun.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

TIME FOR BRUNCH, ANYONE?

If you plan to attend please call the office (417-831-3565) so we know how much food to prepare.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

LADIES…JOIN US IN A CELEBRATION!

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

GARAGE SALE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We will begin pricing, organizing, and sorting for the garage sale. We begin on Tues, May 28th- Wed, June 5th. We will offer two shifts 8:00 AM-10:00 AM and 6:00 PM-8:00 PM in the evening. We will not work on Sundays. We appreciate any amount of time that you can donate at the sale. For high school youth, this is a great opportunity to earn service hours for the upcoming school year. If you have questions or would like to sign up, please call the parish office at 417-831-3565 You can also email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org to sign up or gain additional information.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

ANNUAL PARISH GARAGE SALE

Drop off dates will begin after the 5:00 PM on Sat, May 25th, after the 8:00 AM & 11:30 AM Masses on Sun, May 26th. Please bring your items to the St. Agnes gym. We will also have drop offs after the Masses on Sat, June 1st and Sunday June 2nd. We appreciate all of the items, but we do ask that you do not donate old tires, tv's, computers, clothing and non working appliances. We will accept purses and shoes. We also request that you double check items so that they are clean. We thank you for your generosity of donations and of your time. Proceeds from this event will go to the building of our parish center. Please check our Facebook page and the bulletin for additional information. You can also email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org to sign up or gain additional information.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

ANNUAL PARISH GARAGE SALE

Plans are being made for the annual parish garage sale! The dates are set for June 6th, 7th and 8th and it will be held in the St. Agnes gym. The garage sale could not happen without the cooperation of so many in our parish. Volunteers are needed at all stages of the event, set up, marking and organization of the donated items. If you feel that you can help, please call the parish office to sign up. Whether you donate 2 hours of your time or more, you are appreciated. Please leave your phone number or email address when you call.

Saint Agnes 5/8/24 Saint Agnes 5/8/24

From the Pastor’s Desk

The month of May is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. May from the earliest days of the Church has held Mary with a special devotion. Beginning at the end of the 13th century the Catholic Church has emphasized the month of May as a time of honor and devotion. The month of May is part of the Easter Season, between Easter and Pentecost. In 1945, Pope Pius XII established the feast of the Queenship of Mary on May 31, solidifying May as a Marian month.

Our Vietnamese Community here at St. Agnes holds Mary in the highest regard due to her protection through her son, Jesus Christ during the persecution in Vietnam in 1798 in which over 100,000 was killed.

The association of Mary with flowers has been a part of the liturgy for many centuries. Mary is often shown with flower imagery which comes from books of the Bible, in the form of Canticles found in Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach. This symbolism emphasizes her purity, beauty and spiritual blossoming. Hopefully this will help us to understand our Vietnamese Community use of flowers during the Month of May in honoring Mary.

This weekend as we remember our mothers, whether living or deceased, remember them in prayer. The flowers are nice, taking them out to lunch or dinner is great, but remember them in prayer. Our mothers spent countless hours in prayer for each of us. The nights they stayed awake until we walked in the back door. All the chauffeuring to music events, sporting events, to the pool, to the movies, you name it, our mothers did it out of love. So spend some time in prayer for them, because God knows how much prayer our mothers have sent heavenward for us, their sons and daughters.

This coming Tuesday evening we will celebrate the 2024 Graduation Mass for St. Agnes Cathedral Grade School. My prayers are with each of the graduates as they end one part of their lives to begin another. I thank their parents who entrusted their children for us to teach, coach, but especially to help guide them in their spiritual growth

Saint Agnes 5/8/24 Saint Agnes 5/8/24

AFTER 13 ½ YEARS

I have decided to complete my ministry here at St Agnes Cathedral at the end of June so that I can move back to IL where most of the Sisters of my community live. Though in my 64 years as a vowed Adorer of the Blood of Christ, I have worked at 8 schools, 4 hospitals, a hospice, a home for mentally challenged men and 3 parishes this will be the most difficult change of my life for several reasons. I am grateful for the opportunity that I have had to get to know many of you and hope to keep in touch. Thank you for your goodness to me. Pray for me as I will for you. Sister Elizabeth Ann Weiler, ASC

Saint Agnes 5/8/24 Saint Agnes 5/8/24

ANNUAL PARISH GARAGE SALE

Drop off dates will begin after the 5:00 PM on Sat, May 25th, after the 8:00 AM & 11:30 AM Masses on Sun, May 26th. Please bring your items to the St. Agnes gym. We will also have drop offs after the Masses on Sat, June 1st and Sunday June 2nd. We appreciate all of the items, but we do ask that you do not donate old tires, tv's, computers, clothing and non working appliances. We will accept purses and shoes. We also request that you double check items so that they are clean.We thank you for your generosity of donations and of your time. Proceeds from this event will go to the building of our parish center. Please check our Facebook page and the bulletin for additional information. You can also email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org to sign up or gain additional information.

Saint Agnes 5/8/24 Saint Agnes 5/8/24

Congratulations

to our 19 young people who received their First Eucharist on Sunday, May 5th during a special Liturgy held at 2:30. A special thank you to our families who supported their children in preparing for the sacrament. We also thank Father Lewis and the teachers who shared their faith with these children. A special thank you to those who helped to make the Mass a special occasion. Thank you to our musicians, servers and the office staff who prepared the program and certificates. We also thank our wonderful volunteers who helped with set up, serving and cleanup for the reception. As a parish, keep these young people in your prayers so they will continue to grow in the love of the Eucharist. Congratulations to Emilie Bosserman, Kyle Haring, Aubrey Harris, Ella Marie Herman, Ava Hicks, Gwenyth Johnson, Millie McBride, Ethan McGeeney, Thomas Graham Morris, Henry "Hank" Mount, Avery Parnell, Carver Parnell, Autumn Saylor, Rhyker Schmidt, Reese Smithson, Elinora Thomas, Alison Wand, Rowen Wilke & Anna Wright.

Saint Agnes 5/1/24 Saint Agnes 5/1/24

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Yes it is spring time and with the month of May we celebrate graduations both in the high schools as well as grade schools. We celebrate Mother’s Day, First Holy Communion and in some parishes Confirmation. Throughout the Diocese it is the month each year that our Bishop comes to us in our Diocesan Development Appeal, commonly known as DDF. Each parish and each mission is a part of the larger church, or Diocese of Springfield Cape Girardeau.

The funds which are collected enables our Diocese to offer our parishes and parishioners many different areas of ministry that parishes would not be able to provide on their own.

The DDF provides for: 1) Family Life Ministries, helping those preparing for marriage, 2) Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, those coming into the Church, 3) Social Ministry, all different aspects of reaching out to those who have no voice, or need a stronger voice in our society, 4) Campus Ministry, helping to staff priests on 2 of our public college campuses 5) Tribunal, those who are seeking annulments for their broken marriages, 6) Vocations/Seminarians, continuing to reach out to young men and women searching a religious vocation, 7) Youth Ministry, which includes Camp Re-New-All, Catholic Scouting, College Campus Ministry, 8) Office Of Worship, providing for all the Diocesan Liturgies, 9) The Mirror, our Diocesan Newspaper keeping us informed with all that is happening in our Diocese, 10) Catholic Schools, guided by our superintendent, 11) Finance Office, overseeing the monies of the Diocese as well as guiding parishes.

I ask that everyone study the above paragraph to see how many different areas of ministry affect your life, or the life of your family. There are more areas, but for the most part these are the major areas of ministry that are supported by our gift to the Diocesan Development Fund. Please be as generous as you have in the past years, or make a first time gift this year if you have not given in previous years.

Saint Agnes 5/1/24 Saint Agnes 5/1/24

DDF SUNDAY

The 2024 Diocesan Development Fund appeal will be held the weekend of May 4-5, at all Masses. Please be generous. Our parish goal this year is $143,645. To date, we have had 37 people pledge $13,844.00 towards our goal. Remember to turn in your cards regardless of whether you can or cannot give this year and please pray for a successful campaign.

Saint Agnes 5/1/24 Saint Agnes 5/1/24

ANNUAL PARISH GARAGE SALE

Plans are being made for our annual parish Garage Sale! The dates for the sale will be June 6th, 7th and 8th! This garage sale could not happen without the help of so many in our parish! Volunteers are needed to help sort, mark and organize all the goodies we receive for the sale. Drop off dates of goodies will be held beginning May 25th and May 26th. You can drop off items at the St. Agnes gym after the 5:00 PM Mass on the 25rh and after the 8:00 AM Mass and 11:30 AM Mass on the 26th. Start cleaning out those closets, cabinets, attics and basements! This year, we will not take clothing, computer monitors, tv's or tires. We will take purses and shoes! If you have specific questions or would like to volunteer, please call the parish office to sign up. We will be sharing more information about work hours for the sale in upcoming bulletins and announcements. All proceeds from the sale will benefit our building fund for our new parish center. You can also email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org with specific questions.

Saint Agnes 5/1/24 Saint Agnes 5/1/24

Ladies Appreciation Morning: Sunday, May 12th from 9:00 AM-11:00 AM in the St. Agnes Cafeteria!

Ladies of the parish, you are invited to join us in the cafeteria on Sunday! All are invited whether you are a Mom, a grandma, an aunt, a sister, or a friend, we want to celebrate your many contributions to our St. Agnes Parish. There will be coffee, juice, pastries, fruits and much more. Please join us! Stay and get to know others in our parish. We want to thank you for all that you do to help in our parish. Hope to see you there!

Saint Agnes 4/22/24 Saint Agnes 4/22/24

From the Pastor’s Desk:

The Second Vatican Council called the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life.” The Eucharist strengthens the Church to be Christ’s Body in the world. Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” As Jesus gave thanks at the Last Supper, we give thanks in the liturgy of the Eucharist, the central sacrament of the Catholic Church.

Jesus is present in the Mass in three ways: first, in the assembled “Body of Christ,” gathered to pray in his name; second, in the Word of Scripture; and third, in the bread and wine that, by the power of the Holy Spirit and the words of Christ, truly become His Body and Blood. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the sacrament’s purpose is our “intimate union” with Christ. After receiving communion, we spend a few quiet moments giving thanks to Jesus for the gift of himself.

We give thanks for all creation, symbolized by the gifts of bread and wine. We give thanks for Jesus’ Paschal sacrifice which redeemed us. We give thanks for the continuing sanctification of the Church, nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ. Most of all, we give thanks for the REAL PRESENCE of Christ.

Next weekend here at St. Agnes Cathedral nineteen of our young people will receive Holy Communion for the first time. From this time until the Lord calls them home, the Eucharist will be available to them, as well as to all practicing Catholics. The Eucharist is that special gift from God in which He can come into each of us individually to give us the grace and the guidance we need; Christ coming into us in that most special and intimate way. We become one with Christ, as Christ becomes one with us. May the Lord bless our young people.

As I stressed to the parents in our parent meeting at the beginning of the First Communion preparation, it is so important that we, as adults, provide a living example of worship to our young people. It is not enough to simply explain it to them. It is not enough to just go through the actions. We need to live our faith. Living our faith means attending Sunday Mass and worshiping God on His day, the day of the Resurrection. Each Sunday is a miniature Easter. When we choose not to go to Sunday Mass, we are saying that the vacation time, or the floating on the river, or the ball game, is more important than our eternity with God. We are approaching summer, which means vacations and weekends at the lake–please take the time to go to church. Out of all the hours He has given you during the week, take the time to give back to the Lord this one hour.

The 2024 Diocesan Development Fund appeal will be held the weekend of May 4-5, at all Masses. Please be generous. Our parish goal this year is $143,645. To date, we have had 16 people pledge $7,595.00 towards our goal. Remember to turn in your cards regardless of whether you can or cannot give this year and please pray for a successful campaign.

Saint Agnes 4/22/24 Saint Agnes 4/22/24