My friends,

Happy New Year!

These winter days, light is in short supply. The days are at their shortest, and the weather its coldest. But in these long, dark nights when it is clear, we can see the stars. However bright they might be, they are a beautiful sight – a vibrant, twinkling, stark contrast to the night sky. Throughout human history the stars and the heavens have offered a tapestry of shapes and forms for stories and myths, and have provided maps for navigation and guidance. One star in particular takes center stage in this weekend's Gospel.

Matthew tells us that the Magi are overjoyed at seeing this star. They believe it will bring them to the newborn king of the Jews. We are not told in the Gospel how they came to determine that this star was the light that would lead them to him, nor the extent to which they understood him to bring salvation to the world, but we see how steadfast their faith is in its purpose. They journeyed far and brought gifts with them in order to pay homage to this child.

Saint Augustine calls the Magi “the firstfruits of the Gentiles. The shepherds were Israelites, the Magi Gentiles; the first were near, the latter far off; yet both converged on the cornerstone”. Even as people from far away, and not of the covenant, the Magi knew this star was about much more than the light it provided in the night sky. This was the star that illuminated the one who would finally cast out the darkness that seeped into the world; the one who would bring hope, justice, and mercy to those in great suffering; the one who entered into humanity to reveal God the Father so that we might find his kingdom. It is no wonder that the Magi are overjoyed at seeing this star!

This intuitive grasp of reality, the recognition of the essential truth of the birth of the newborn king, was an epiphany unlike any other in human history. The Church honors this with today’s celebration. This Epiphany, with a capital “E,” was the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. It announced God’s salvation for all people. The Magi have been awakened to a new reality, and in encountering the Christ Child they are moved to pay him honor and homage.

As we near the end of this Christmas season, we can follow the example of the Magi and take great joy in what has been revealed to us. We have celebrated again the beauty of Christmas – that God the Father sent his Son to be with us and bring light to cast out the darkness of the world. Our salvation calls us to go out and share the Good News. The joy of the Christmas season cannot be contained in this season, but sends us out to share that light with others.

At Holy Mass we give thanks for God’s revelation and saving love through the breaking of the bread. May our Eucharistic thanksgiving strengthen our joy, and allow it to be a light for others.

SEE YOU AT MASS!

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

Deacon Don

We consistently rely on a small group of parishioners and staff to do "everything". We all need to share the gifts God has given us, particularly our time and talent with our Parish Community. Please prayerfully consider where YOU and your family might be able to help! Have questions? Call the Parish Office!

You can celebrate Epiphany at home with a blessing using the initials of the magi’s traditional names (Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar), four crosses, and the new year’s numerals. Gather a piece of chalk, a small container of Holy Water and your family at the front door. Sprinkle your door with Holy Water and mark the area just above your front door on the exterior of your house as follows:

20 + C + M + B + 25

Praying Together

As you chalk this inscription above the door to your home, pray these words:

God our Father, the three Wise Men, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar followed Your Son’s star over two thousand years ago. Please open our eyes to see Jesus’ presence, and give us courage to seek Him — just as the three Wise Men recognized, believed, and journeyed toward the light of His birth.

Jesus, we invite you into our home and into our family. Be near to us in our joys and sorrows, in our successes and failures, and in our extraordinary and ordinary moments. Please bless our family and all who pass through this doorway into our home.

Bless all who dwell here with the gift of Your love. Help us to extend Your love to each other, and to all who enter our home. This year, may we experience Your love more fully, and may we share your love more generously—both behind and beyond the doors to our home. Amen

Understanding the Symbols

“Chalking the door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany and God’s blessing of your family and home. The numbers stand for the year; the letters stand for the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. The letters also stand for the abbreviated Latin phrase, “Christus mansionem benedicat,” which means, “May Christ bless the house.”

The inscription is made above the front door so that all who enter your home will pass beneath God’s blessing. The blessing also serves as an outward sign (literally!) of your faith. Of course, with time the chalk will fade. As it does, let the meaning of the inscription sink into the depths of your heart and be shown through your words and actions.

First Friday at St. John the Baptist:

Adoration and Rosary at 6pm with confession

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 7pm

Adoration and praise and worship music following Mass.

First Saturday at St. Mary:

Adoration and Rosary at 9am with confession

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 10am

Fellowship/Potluck follows Mass.

JOIN US!

The Five First Saturdays Devotion is one of the principal points of the Fatima message. It centers on the urgent need for mankind to offer reparation and expiate for the many injuries that the Immaculate Heart of Mary suffers from the hands of both impious and indifferent men.

On the First Saturday during 5 Consecutive Months, the Devotion consists of: 1. Going to Confession, 2. Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, 3. Saying five decades of the Rosary, 4. Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.

When you make you 5 First Saturdays in a row you receive an F-SAT patch!
All of this is offered in REPARATION for the sins of blasphemy and ingratitude committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Join 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!

Give a "Star" to your loved ones and honor them with 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!

Orders placed by January 3 will be ready for pick up by January 17! Great products at great prices! 5% of all orders will be returned to the parishes!

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!

Informational meetings THIS WEEK!

January 8 at 7:45pm at St. Mary, Menasha

January 12 at 7:45pm at St. Margaret Mary, Neenah

Let us know you are coming here - or just show up!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0445A5AA2FA4F58-53842586-summer

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

As a parish community, we pray, we celebrate, we serve. Therefore we are called to care for each other, attending particularly to those who may be separated from us physically and spiritually. We serve through
in-person visits, phone calls, and greeting cards.
Please help us do this by letting us know if you or a loved one is currently home bound, residing in a health care facility, or would appreciate contact with a familiar face. We will provide a listening, supportive presence.

Even if a Care Minister already visits you, we are updating our records for names and addresses to assure their continuity to our parish community of St. Mary & St. John.

Please call the Parish Office at (920) 725-7714

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)