My friends,

We live in an unforgiving world. Miss a key field goal in a football game? Get booed in the stadium and have hate mail sent to you. Trip over a chair and fall into a fountain because you were looking at your cell phone? Live forever with the embarrassing internet memes that arise from it. Hit reply all instead of reply only to sender? Never live down that you ruined the birthday surprise party for your coworker.

We get criticized, immortalized, and cancelled for being in unfortunate circumstances; it can be much worse when it involves something of great importance, or a celebrity, or money.

Imagine if this weekend's Gospel parable played out in today’s world. The younger son says to his father (who is still alive, clearly), Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me. First, that’s rude and demanding. “Dismissed!” Second, in asking his father to give him his share before the father passes away he is usurping Mosaic Law and his father’s authority. “Blocked!” Finally, in taking what he receives and spending it all on a life of dissipation is a rejection of his upbringing. Even more egregious is that he does it in a distant country, meaning he left his family to spend his fortune on himself only and not for the benefit of the family. “You’re dead to me!”

That’s not what happens, though, partly because this is perhaps the most benevolent father in Scripture, and partly because this parable is not just about our human failings, but God’s divine justice and mercy. Every day we do things that a great novelist would use to build our character arc and eventually deliver our comeuppance, but God our Father simply rejoices when we recognize the error of our ways and return to him.

Or maybe we’re the older brother, angry and grumbling about how selfish and thoughtless our [in our case, metaphorical] worthless younger brother has been to leave the way he did, squandering our good name along with our family fortune. We’re angry, too, at God, for not doing what we want, and not meting out our standard of justice.

Can we just say a “thanks be to God” and an “amen” for that last sentence? Thank God he doesn’t do what we want according to our vision of justice and mercy. Thank God, that he imparts upon us not what we deserve but what he desires to give. Instead of erasing us, he restores us. This is good to know, because we will miss that field goal, we will get distracted and fall into the pool of trouble, and we will fail to communicate properly and carefully.

And should any of those happen because of sin, we can ask for the grace to come to our senses as the younger son did, and with contrition and repentance approach our Father with these words: I have sinned against heaven and against you. We are assured he will welcome us with joy and thanksgiving.

My friends, in these remaining weeks of Lent, let us resolve to be like the younger son, when we need to be, in his repentant return; and like the father in how we forgive one another. We ask for the grace to do so, and give thanks that we are recipients of the Father’s divine, loving mercy and justice.

Peace be with you!

Deacon Don

A great family Lenten Opportunity! Or sign up to make soups or supply other items needed for our simple soup supper! Many hands make light work! Thank you for helping!

The names of those received by Wednesday, April 9 will be noted on the Memorial Plaque.

Please indicate loved one’s name(s) on the envelope.

You can donate towards Easter flowers by:

1. Utilizing the Easter Flowers Envelope you received with your monthly envelopes then drop it in the offering basket or mail to the church office.
2. Use the form below, drop in the offering basket or mail to the church office with your check.

Monday March 31 - 6:30pm at St. Patrick

Tuesday April 1 - 6:30pm at St. Margaret Mary

Wednesday April 2 - 5:30pm at St. Mary

Tuesday April 8 - 6:30pm at St. Gabriel

“33 Days to Eucharistic Glory” by Matthew Kelly was handed out by the parishes as a Christmas gift this past Christmas. Now the Diocese is making the books available free of charge to all parishes in the diocese thanks to a benefactor to the Matthew Kelly Group. The books will be handed out at the Easter Masses. The book leads us to making a consecration to Jesus in the Eucharist! We would like to do this congregation at both of our churches! We are looking for your input on small group discussion times. If you could call the parish office and let them know a day of the week/time that would be willing to meet, that will help us immensely. The small groups would meet for about 8 weeks for 30 minutes or less. The goal is to help create opportunities for parishioners to disciple each other and to provide a space to invite friends, family and acquaintances to form a deeper relationship with Jesus.

This is a fantastic opportunity!

St. Mary and St. John the Baptist Parishes in Menasha are seeking a full time Coordinator of Youth Ministry. This position will be responsible for fostering the current, vibrant youth ministry program within the parishes, which has been established for about 8 years. This may include, but is not limited to planning retreats, having monthly events for both middle school and high school, further developing our high school and adult core teams, planning summer activities and trips, and recruiting and training adult volunteers for events. This position will work to build relationships with youth who attend Faith Formation classes, area public schools, the homeschool community and students who attend area Catholic schools, as well as their parents. This position will work in collaboration with all 5 Catholic Parishes of Neenah and Menasha; sharing ideas and planning events with all parish youth leaders.

Candidates must be practicing Catholics, who have a desire to share their love of the Lord and the Catholic faith with students and parishioners. Candidates must also have a bachelor’s degree in theology or the equivalent. This position requires the ability to work nights and weekends. Interested applicants should submit their resume to ssiegel@smcatholicschools.org

FOCCUS = Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study

We have been blessed with more weddings planned for this year than we have had in quite a few years. As such, we need to add one or two FOCCUS Facilitator couples to assist with the mentoring of engaged couples.

The FOCCUS inventory continues to be an invaluable tool required by the Wisconsin Bishops for preparing couples for a healthy and fruitful life together. Couples entering into Catholic Marriage are required to attend a marriage preparation class and to complete the FOCCUS premarital inventory. FOCCUS Facilitators assist in the Engaged Couple Marriage Preparation Process at St. Mary and St. John the Baptist. They meet privately with engaged couples at least once prior to their marriage to help them celebrate their relationship strengths and communicate positively with each other about topics they may not have thoroughly addressed. As a couple prepares for marriage, the primary goal of facilitation is to help couples talk openly and respectfully to each other about matters that are important to lifelong healthy marriage and encourage them to apply that learning towards their future together.
FOCCUS Facilitators are mentor couples who serve as a supportive loving presence reflecting the love of Jesus to engaged couples through their love for one another. A certified FOCCUS couple attends a facilitator training workshop, is registered on the FOCCUS Inc. USA website, and they are associated with an organization that is approved to administer FOCCUS.

If you feel the Lord calling you to work with engaged couples, contact Deacon Don to get you signed up for FOCCUS Facilitator Training that is offered to married couples seeking to guide engaged couples through this ministry. Facilitator training involves several sessions to learn the theology of the sacrament of Marriage, facilitation skills and how to discuss issues that affect married couples. Facilitators must be Practicing Catholic couples, married at least five years themselves, who wish to help engaged couples form the basis for a long and happy Christian marriage.

If not you, please invite those you think would be a good fit for this.

We are starting our SPRING SCRIP TRIP! Ask for a Passport at the Parish office or Scrip table to see what 8 local vendors you need to purchase to help fill your passport! When you buy the local vendor scrip your passport will be stamped. Once your passport is filled, including the Cash Raffle Ticket ($100 will cover four passports, or 1 $25 section of a Raffle Ticket), you can turn the passport in and you will be entered into a drawing to win one of 3 prizes at our Parish Celebration on June 7. The prizes are a $50 Kwik Trip Card, $25 Kwik Trip Card or a $10 Kwik Trip Card. Just a way for us to have some fun and promote Scrip - Especially our great Local Vendors!

Show us your Scrip Selfie! We want to see our wonderful parishioners using Scrip! Just like Betty using Third Street Diner! Simply take a picture of you using scrip at your favorite place and then find our post on Facebook featuring this picture, like the post and add your picture in the post comments! Let’s have some fun! Everyone that likes the post AND posts a selfie over the next 2 weeks will be put into a drawing for a $50 Kwik Trip Card!

We need your stuff! We are collecting items for our SPRING RUMMAGE SALE. Items can be left off at Door#6 at St. Mary- DURING PARISH OFFICE HOURS.

If you need a receipt, please visit the parish office and they would be happy to give you one. If it is raining, please call the Parish Office, so that your donations can be brought inside.

Please note, while we thank everyone for their donations, we do ask that you do not leave items that are broken, not working or not in a saleable condition. We also no longer accept magazines. We take pride in our rummage sale and want to maintain our reputation. Items needing to be thrown out burden the parish with extra costs. Thank you!

CGS Corner (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd)

During Lent, we present to the children in the Atrium “the Cenacle” or more commonly known as, “The Last Supper”.

We present not only how Jesus gave us His Body and Blood at the Last Supper, but also how the disciples came back to celebrate this again and again, even after Jesus died, rose, and went up to heaven.

We continue this presentation with an image of our own church and the priests and bishops who have been tasked to share this same meal with us over and over again at each Mass. Each Mass is a re-presentation of the Last Supper. How do you think you would feel if you were one of Jesus’ friends at the Last Supper and this happened for the first time?

If you would like to observe a session to see this beautiful work in action, please contact Bethany Robinson at (920)725-7714 ext. 424

Our mission organization, Catholic Mission Trips, gave us more time to register!! We still have spots open for our Oklahoma mission trip AND our Local Mission Trip!

I've personally been on mission trips with students and seen the change one week can make.

It's amazing the way that God works when we allow Him the time to give of ourselves to serve others. This is a week that you won't regret.

Next weekend we will have students speaking at all the Masses to share what they are excited about and why they want to go on Mission. They will be asking for support in your prayers and financial donation if you feel called to give!

If your child/ grandchild is interested in GOING on Local or Out of State Mission, and just want to learn more, click here for information on BOTH missions:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18JBRbUAsOVMlP6CVZGA09ahxky4HNjjx9szpuzytXlY/edit?usp=sharing

Register HERE: https://www.smmneenah.org/summer-mission-registration

Questions? Contact Bethany Robinson at the Parish Office!

brobinson@smcatholicschools.org

We would love to be able to send your college age child a care package from the parishes! We send packages this year before each finals week (we sent one in November and in April) Please click the link or contact Bethany and fill out the form and we will send them a small package to brighten up their day!

https://forms.gle/xWjyzVFrRUCCuXY17

DEADLINE for sign ups and donations is April 6

This summer, we are in need of one or two host families

During the week of

June 21-27:

· to host our 4 Totus Tuus Missionaries

During the week of July 20-24:

· To host our 4-5 Camp Tekakwitha Missionaries

If you are interested, please contact Bethany Robinson for more information at (920)725-7714 ext. 424

Or at brobinson@smcatholicschools.org

Fifth Graders, come and join us to see what you have to look forward to next year, and come see the surprises that await you!

Click here to sign up to join us!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040545AAAA22A7FC1-55637485-mini#/

When: June 22-27

Where: St. Mary Parish

What is Totus Tuus?

Totus Tuus is a weeklong program for children grades K-5 and 6-12 to get together and have fun while learning about the Catholic faith with young adult missionaries. Students will interact with each other and the missionaries on their own grade levels and learn just how exciting our faith can be!

Register Here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSep2ir9piSeumPZEkbVEK7YKr0D5bcLIkNUHb1gSnQhKsLdPw/viewform?usp=sharing

Details:

• Children currently in grades Kindergarten - 12th grade
• Sunday - Thursday evenings 7-9pm for 6-12th grade
• Monday - Friday day program 9am - 2:30pm for K-5 grade

When: July 20-24

Where: St. Mary Parish

What is Day Camp?

Day Camp is great for campers who are seeking a summer camp experience but are not quite ready or interested for the full residential camp in Shawano. Camp Tekakwitha offers teambuilding, fun, and great community-building in a faith-filled environment.

• Children currently in grades 4K - 4
• Sunday night meet the camp counselors 4-6pm
• Monday - Thursday Camp Tekakwitha Summer Camp Activities from 8am-4pm

Click here to Register!

https://www.camptekakwitha.org/summer-camp/day-camp

Youth in Grades 6-8

JOIN US for a Night out at the Movies!!

We are going to watch the MINECRAFT MOVIE!

Meet us at the Theater!

Drop off at 4:30pm

Movie time: 4:50pm

Pick up 7:15 pm

Bring Money for food & drink! Ticket price covered!

Spaces are limited - sign up here!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4BA8AD28A7FDC16-55803622-middle?useFullSite=true

We have many more stars available. These sales will help fund the next phase of our restoration which will refurbish the pews and sanctuary flooring and other things. Buying a "Star" honors your loved ones with the cherished gift of perpetual prayer. You can fill out a Star Card at church or at the Parish Office or purchase your star online through We Share. Give the gift of perpetual prayer!

New Tour availability, by appointment!

We are now offering tours by appointment
for the following tour times:

Monday 10am-3pm

Tuesday 1-4pm and 6:30-8:30pm

Wednesday 1-5pm

Thursday 2-4pm

To come for a tour you need to sign up at least 2 days ahead of time
so that we can make sure we have our docents ready for you!
Click here to visit our beautiful Church today!
https://calendly.com/brobinson-smcatholicschools/60min?back=1&month=2025-01

St. Mary Elementary Principal’s Corner

After Spring Break we will be spending the last two weeks of Lent doing a collection for Pillars so that our students can intentionally practice being the hands and feet of Christ. If you would like to participate in our collection, please bring donations to the school office between March 31st and April 17th. With gratitude and joy, Mrs. Blahnik

Upcoming Dates

4/3-Stations of the Cross 2:25 PM

4/5: STEAM Saturday

4/10: Stations of the Cross 2:25 PM

4/14: Shadow Stations of the Cross in the gym (9-9:45 AM)

Please keep us in your prayers this Lent, and we will continue to keep you in ours.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Crystal Blahnik, School Principal

Greetings. May you be having a blessed Lent, growing closer to our Lord Jesus Christ through prayer, fasting, and alms giving. It’s that time of year again for winter decoration clean up! Please have all winter decorations in all three of our cemeteries removed by April 1st. Any such decorations remaining on graves after April 1st or those not complying with cemetery rules will be removed.

Spring and summer decorations may be displayed April 15th through October 15th. Thank you for helping us to keep the cemeteries a beautiful and welcoming place to visit and pray for the souls of those laid to rest there. May the peace of Christ be with you and your family.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.-Matthew 7:7-8"

Strengthen your Lenten journey April 10 th through 13 th at the Xavier Fine Arts Theatre in

Appleton. See the Bible come to life! Witness Jesus’ life, death and triumphant resurrection in

a family-friendly musical production appropriate for all ages. A video sampling of the show may

be seen on the production website, www.newpassionplay.org.

For more show information and tickets, please visit: www.newpassionplay.org or call the Xavier

box office at (920)-733-8840. Open hours are Monday and Wednesday from noon to 3:00 pm.

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.

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)

As with our family, we care deeply for our church and want to ensure that it will continue to flourish and grow long after we are gone. St. Mary & St. John Parishes are sustained by the generosity of our parishioners through time, talent, and treasure. We are sincerely grateful for kind remembrances in memorials, donations, and wills. Donations may be tax deductible. For all that you do Thank You!!

Bequests & Legacy Giving

Charitable gift planning is stewardship of our assets, just like our weekly offering. Please consider St. Mary and/or St. John the Baptist Parish in your estate planning.

The simplest planned gift to St. Mary and/or St. John the Baptist Parish is a bequest in your last will or testament or in your living trust. This demonstrates the obvious necessity to have a valid will or trust in order to accomplish your goal of leaving a legacy to the Church as your final act of stewardship.

Even if you choose to make an outright bequest to St. Mary and/or St. John the Baptist Parish, you may consider the parish as the beneficiary of a contingent bequest in the event all your other named beneficiaries no longer exist at the time of your death. This is sometimes referred to as a “clean up” provision. It ensures that your property is distributed according to your plan rather than the state law on estate distributions.

A tax planning point for bequests: To the extent possible, your bequest should be from assets referred to in the Internal Revenue Code as “income in respect of a decedent.” Some examples of these assets are U.S. savings bonds and retirement plans such as 401(k) plans and IRAs. Such gifts to St. Matthew are ideal because they are subject to income tax if received by a tax-paying beneficiary, such as a family member. However, since the Church like other charities, is tax-exempt, income tax can be avoided on bequests of these assets. Other assets, such as bank accounts, life insurance and corporate stocks and bonds, and real estate proper-ties which do not involve income tax shortcoming, are better assets to distribute to family members.

Bequests may take several different forms:

A bequest of a specific amount

“I give $$$ to ….”

A bequest of specific property:

“I give 100 shares of XYZ Corporation to….”

A bequest of a portion of the residue of your estate:

“I give 10 percent of the remaining property in my estate to….”

A bequest of the complete residue of your estate:

“I give all of the remaining property in my estate to.…”

If you are seriously considering a bequest or legacy contribution to St. Matthew, contact your family attorney to see how you can best give to St. Matthew’s Parish. Attorneys have information with respect to the documentation you will need.

IRA Giving

Age 70 ½? — Make a Tax-Free Charitable Gift through Your IRA!

Normally, a distribution from your IRA is taxed as ordinary income. However, federal tax legislation enacted in December 2015, allows you, if you are 70½ or older, to make a direct gift from your IRA to the Church through your parish, or other qualified charity without the distribution taxed as income to you. Unlike prior years, this legislation has no expiration date.

The IRA charitable rollover law may provide a very good charitable giving vehicle if you are age 70 ½ and take the standard deduction rather than itemize deductions on your tax return. The law may also allow you to avoid a tax increase on your Social Security benefits. Thus, your IRA could be considered a special fund for distributions to the Church and charities without the normal consequences of reporting additional taxable income.

The distribution must be from your IRA, not a 401(k) or other retirement plan. However, consult with your financial or tax advisor about the possibility of transferring funds from one of these other plans to establish an IRA, with the distribution to charity coming from the newly established IRA.

The IRA distribution must be a direct charitable gift and not a distribution to a donor-advised fund, a charitable remainder trust or for a charitable gift annuity. Distributions to charity cannot exceed $100,000 in a taxable year.

To take advantage of the IRA charitable rollover to support the Church, please review the following helpful tips on how to handle your charitable gift correctly:

• Contact your IRA custodian or representative before making a gift to arrange for the proper transfer of funds from your IRA directly to the Church and other qualified charities. The check or other payment issued from the IRA must be made payable to the charity.
• If you have elected to have income tax withheld from your normal IRA distributions, advise your IRA administrator not to withhold taxes from distributions to charity.
• Consult your tax advisor for the tax reporting of the special election described above.

While this topic is fresh on your mind, ask your attorney and financial advisor how to make the Church a beneficiary of your will or trust or your IRA.

For more information about how you and the Church can benefit from an IRA charitable rollover, contact the parish office at 920-725-7714.

These helpful tips are only for your information and are not to be considered as legal, tax or financial advice. You should consult with your legal, tax and financial advisors to implement the benefits of the IRA charitable rollover law and related matters.