My friends,

This weekend, as we begin the final week of Advent, the great mysteries and personalities we have traveled with over the past weeks suddenly converge in new ways. The prophetic promises made to Israel become stories of a child to be born, the son of a Virgin, conceived by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist – the voice in the desert we have heard these last weeks – is now vocally silent, but communicates by leaping for joy in his mother’s womb as he hears the voice of Mary who is pregnant with the Christ child.

One can only imagine how wonderful this encounter in the Gospel must have been – two generations locked in the embrace of divine joy and hope. Elizabeth, a woman in the autumn of her years, her deepest hope now answered, greeting the maiden from Nazareth, in the springtime of the world’s salvation.

Both are women of extraordinary faith: one believing the message of an angel despite all the questions that must have swirled around her head, the other trusting that even in her advanced age she, too, might be fruitful.

Through overwhelming grace and faith, these two ordinary women, without title or prestige, stand center stage in the great drama of salvation: stitching together the old and new covenants and witnessing to God’s fidelity and eternal mercy.

God, it would seem, has a special love for the most ordinary: the simple virgin from Nazareth, the elderly couple from the hill country, the town of Bethlehem. As Micah prophesied, You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel. The long-awaited ruler of Israel will come – he who would fulfill the dreams of the Davidic dynasty.

Friends, in these last days of Advent, we are called to travel more deeply into the mystery of the Incarnation and allow our lives to leap for joy in the presence of the Christ child. We are called to find the glory in the most ordinary, and the greatest blessing in the smallest of things.

The circle of light on our Advent wreath is complete. To embrace its warmth and joy we must, like Elizabeth and Mary, open our lives to God and to others. We must live in the hope of God’s fidelity, and allow that hope to transform and empower our lives not just for a day but for every day.

May each of you know His love, today and always!

Deacon Don

P.S. WE DESPERATELY NEED PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO FILL ALL THE MINISTRIES AT OUR CHRISTMAS AND MARY, MOTHER OF GOD MASSES! Please visit MinistryPro TODAY.

The snowstorm might have cut his visit short but we had a great evening with Fr. Richard Heilman! A beautiful Mass and inspiring talk on prayer followed by a social and book signing. To pray like a champion you need to be HOT - Humble, Obedient and Trusting!

Give a Christmas "Star" to your loved ones for Christmas and honor them the cherished gift of perpetual prayer. We can even provide you with a beautiful gift certificate that is suitable for framing that they can open. You can come into the Parish Office to buy the star and we will take care of the certificate. Or you can purchase your star online through We Share. Give the gift of perpetual prayer this Christmas!

If you are currently assigned a ministry in Ministry Pro - visit our Ministry Pro Web Terminal at https://secure.rotundasoftware.com/30/web-terminal/login/StMary_StJohn_Menasha to sign up!

There will not be a 7:30am Mass on December 24, Christmas Eve Day or December 31, New Years Eve Day. The parish office is closed on December 24, 25, 31, 2024 and January 1, 2025.

Soup and Vespers for December - Thursday January 2.

Please use Sign up Genius to help with the soup supper!

Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A084CABAB2EA46-52418498-soup

John Fr. Colin Easton and Deacon Don Schultz on this spring pilgrimage to Medjugorje March 25 - April 4, 2025! This will be a smaller pilgrimage and will be capped at 55, act fast! Click the link below to learn more!

If you have not been to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, here is your chance to join a beautiful pilgrimage!

Where does the time Go?!

The current Ministry Schedule goes through January 12, 2025. The next ministry schedule will go from January 18 - April 27, 2025. Please sign into Ministry Pro Scheduler and enter your "Can't Serve" dates for that time period. The cut-off for dates to be entered is Friday, December 27. If you don't have a computer you can call the parish office. It is very important these dates are entered into the system before the schedule is created.

Thank you all for your service to our parishes!

Every Blessing!

Deacon Don

Use the QR code to enter the Store, Great Selection and Great Prices! Thanks Nick Siegel!

Click the QR Code or visit: https://www.theprinthouse-llc.com/st-marys-st-johns-store

As our church become renowned for it's beautiful restoration, our tours have been extremely possible. As people make pilgrimages from Holy Hill to Champion, we want them to be able to take time to visit St. Mary! We would like to have regular tour times each week. In order to do this, we need many more people who love the church to volunteer to be docents. If we have enough signed up the commitment would be 2-4 hours per month. Please call the Parish Office if you are interested!

Thank you for your continued donations to our

“WINDOWS WHERE WE WORSHIP” fund.

We have raised more than half the $20,000 needed ($400 per window). Your donations are helping to restore the frames around the beautiful stain-glassed windows at St. John’s.
Work on the windows will continue into the Spring of 2025.
You can drop a donation in the collection baskets at masses or in the Parish Office.

Please clearly mark your envelope or check..

We are so thankful for your help!

In our Atrium, the children’s work is their prayer. During most Atrium sessions we try to give the students at least 3/4 of the time they are there to work. This means they can bring out any material they have been shown (setting the model altar like Father does for Mass, reading through and using peg dolls to act out the Annunciation or the Parable of the Good Shepherd, etc.). They could also look up any scripture in the bible that has a citation in the Atrium, or create a scripture booklet of a parable or narrative.

In the Atrium we learn about the History of the Kingdom of God and the 3 moments that are part of this history: Creation (when God created EVERYTHING, and so many different kinds of things), Redemption (When Jesus came into the world, lived, died and rose again), and Parousia (when God will be all in all, it will never end and there will only be joy!)

Here are a few of the works that the children have done so far this year—I have pictures of so many more, but their work—their PRAYER, is truly beautiful to witness.

In our parishes AND this year, in our St. Mary Elementary School, children in grades 3K-2 are listening for God’s voice through CGS. If you would like to observe a session, please contact Bethany.

January 11, 2025 for Gr. 9-12

5:00pm-8:30pm

St. Margaret Mary Parish, Neenah

Option to join us for Mass at 5pm

Dinner and Basket Making to follow!

Please look at the attachments and link for more information. Thank you!!

Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4BA8AD28A7FDC16-54109920-burr

Who - Middle and High School Students

When - Saturday, January 18 from 8:45am - 2pm

You must sign up PRIOR to January 11th to secure a spot! (This requirement also applies to adult chaperones)

When you click the link, you will be taken to a page that asks for a group code. Our code is:

YouthGroupTubing25

Here is the link: https://shop.nordicmountain.com/groups

Merry Christmas to all of you and than you for your support of St. Mary Elementary!

12/21-1/5 - Christmas Break

1/26-2/1 - Catholic Schools Week

1/26 - Open House on following the 11:00 am Mass (for all current families, prospective families, friends and alumni)

On Christmas morning after attending Mass, please consider delivering a meal. We expect deliveries to be heavy and want to make sure everyone receives their meal. Deliveries start at 10:30am and go until about noon. There is no volunteer sign up to deliver, just show up at 10:30. Thank you!

One way to know is if you receive regular communications from us, such as offertory envelopes, newsletters or emails. If you do not receive at least one of these, then perhaps you are not registered here, you may want to check with the parish office staff.
Registering in the parish is a statement of faith and confidence in the life and work of our parish.
As parish members, we are all here to help each other on our spiritual journey; we don’t want to do this alone.

As much as you need us, we need you, too! Stop by the welcome table at either parish for a New Member Form. Please call Deacon Don in the Parish Office if you have any questions. (920) 725-7714 x416.

Start this week and commit to buying one gas card and one grocery scrip card per week. If EVERYONE did just this one small thing, the benefits to our parishes would be EXPONENTIAL!! Stop by the Scrip Table after Mass or at the Parish Office, want to make it even easier - ask how you can buy SCRIP ONLINE!

Supercharge your savings!! Join our RaiseRight program today! Do you realize you could easily earn over $1,000 for our parishes JUST by paying for everyday expenses with scrip gift cards and egift cards? It's simple! Questions? Contact the parish office and get started today!

Scrip is fundraising using gift cards. They are the same gift cards you would normally purchase from a retailer at your local retail stores, and they work the same way. You'll find cards you can use at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, home improvement stores and at almost any business that accepts gift cards. You can also purchase Scrip and use it for payment on your phone with RaiseRight.

HOW DOES SCRIP WORK?

You buy a gift card for face value. St. Mary & St. John earn a rebate. It really is that simple!

Your support of the Scrip program helps our church continue to fulfill Christ’s mission locally and around the world!

You bless your parish with income by simply purchasing your groceries, gas, completing home improvement projects, taking a trip, enjoying a dinner out, giving Christmas gifts, and much more!

SCRIP BENEFITS EVERYBODY! A VIBRANT SCRIP PROGRAM:

· Provides income for our parishes without additional offertory

· Helps with church operating costs

· Supports local businesses and jobs

· Makes your household budgeting easier

BE A PART OF THIS GREAT PARISH SUPPORT OPPORTUNITY THAT PROVIDES EXCELLENT BENEFITS FOR SM & SJB AT NO COST TO YOU!

There is an order form below of cards that we inventory that you can purchase after Mass or at the Parish Office during the week.

Jesus is waiting for you!

Adoring Christ in the

We are blessed to have 8 hours of Adoration followed by Benediction available to us each week!

Find a time that meets your schedule. Spending time with Jesus will change your life!

Eucharistic Adoration is available at

St. Mary

Tuesdays: 6:30am – 7:30am and 12pm – 1pm

Wednesdays: 12pm – 1pm and 6pm – 7pm

St. John the Baptist

Thursdays: 6:30am – 7:30am and 12pm – 1pm

Fridays: 12pm – 1pm and 6pm – 7pm

Perpetual Adoration is available at the Twin Cities Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Margaret Mary.

Pray for one another. One of the greatest things we can do for our friends and family is to pray for them before the Blessed Sacrament. When we pray for others, it also allows us to experience the joy that comes from seeing someone else receive God’s blessings. It is a wonderful feeling to know that we have played a part in someone else’s healing or salvation.

To let you let your loved ones know you have prayed for them, we have made some beautiful prayer cards for you to fill out and give them.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” ( Galatians 6:2)