Greetings St. Joseph Parish!
Welcome to the March edition of The Journey! February was busy, and Lenten activities are in motion! Let's get to it!
Parish Life
Ann Gibney, St. Joseph Parish Life Coordinator
St. Valentine Project
Wow!!! Thank you to everyone from our parish, pastorate, community, and neighboring communities for your generosity towards the St. Valentine Project. The pile of goodies that were dropped off was ginormous! The residents at Scenic Acres, Elkader Care Center, and Kingston Court could feel Jesus' love through your giving to make the month of February and Valentine's Day special. And a special thanks for the 6th and 9th-12th graders for writing each resident (almost 60!) a card!!
Be sure to keep praying for our seminarian, Steven Kessler, who's in his final year of formation at Loras College and St. Pius X Seminary in Dubuque. God willing, he'll continue formation next year in Illinois!
Faith Formation
Hazel Martin, St. Joseph Parish
Director of Faith Formation
Suicide Prevention
Suicide is on the rise, especially in youth and young adults. All 6th-12th graders, adults, and parents are highly encouraged to attend the free viewing of My Ascension on March 17 at Castle Theater in Manchester from 6:30pm-9:00pm. The film's inspiration, Emma Benoit, will be present for questions and discussion afterward.
Religious Sisters Week - March 8-14
Catholic Sisters Week shines a light on the spirituality, mission, and community building of women religious.
Fifty-two weeks a year women religious stand with the poor and immigrants, teach children, fight injustice, heal the sick, share spirituality, empower women, defend the planet, promote peace, create community, offer hope, and more.
But for one week, March 8-14, a light is shone shine on women religious and the wide range of campaigns and events that invite all who follow Jesus to
- expand and support their gospel witness,
- grow the service networks they have seeded,
- share their spirituality, charisms, and community,
- encourage young women to consider a vocation to religious life,
- support their pastoral, teaching, and prophetic works, and
- focus on the new world they call into being.
Head to the Catholic Sisters Week website for resources, information, and updates.
Lent: Practicing Corporal & Spiritual Works of Mercy
The Lenten season can be the perfect reminder for us to practice works of mercy, especially in ministry to the poor, the elderly, and the disabled. As we think about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, Lent can be for us a journey of mercy.
- Check out this video and reflection from the USCCB.
- Learn about doing Lenten penance through works of mercy here.
- Find ways to live the works of mercy as a family.
Adult Faith Formation
Fran Zichal, Emmaus Pastorate
Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
Beauty in Christ Women's Conference
Although rescheduled, the women's conference was a big success! Thanks to the 35 women who participated, the Knights of Columbus from around the Emmaus Pastorate who provided and served food, and Shelley & Paul Dolan who organized!
Mark your calendars for the 2023 Archdiocesan Men's Conference featuring Archbishop Michael Jackels and keynote speaker Dr. Edward Sri. Call the Emmaus Pastorate office at 563-928-7200 or email Deacon Paul Dolan for more information.
Beauty in Christ: Walking with Mary to the Cross
The Archdiocese of Dubuque is offering an evening for women on Friday, March 24 from 6:30pm-8:30pm on the eve of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord. The event will be held at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, and the speaker is Dr. Edward Sri, international theologian, author, and professor. His presentation will help us grow closer to Jesus and His Blessed Mother! A social will follow, and the cost is $25. Space is limited, so register now by clicking the button below. For more information and the possibility of carpooling, please contact Fran Zichal at 563-880-0873.
Disability Inclusion
We're exploring the possibility of offering faith formation classes once/month this spring and summer. An initial survey indicated interest, and more details will be available soon.
Adult Faith Formation Committee
At a meeting on February 27, details around Lenten activities were discussed. Watch more more details.
How to start using FORMED:
- Visit formed.org/signup.
- Enter "Emmaus Pastorate" in the search bar.
- Select the option with an Edgewood, IA address.
- Enter your name and email address.
- Start using FORMED!
New Streaming Service for Everyone!
Looking for a new movie? Want to binge a new series? Searching for a new podcast? FORMED is a Catholic media streaming service full of both entertainment and learning opportunities for you and your family! Perfect for individuals or groups, there something on every subject imaginable! If you like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and other services, try FORMED today! It's free for everyone, even your extended family and friends! All you need is an email address.
Baptism Class
The next Baptism class in the Emmaus Pastorate is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 at 6:00pm at St. Mary Parish Apartment in Strawberry Point. It is our practice that parents of the Emmaus Pastorate participate in a Baptism class. If you have an upcoming Baptism and have not taken a class or had a child baptized in the last 18 months, contact the Pastorate Office at 563-928-7200. Classes are open to all parents of the Emmaus Pastorate. The final class of the 2022-2023 academic year will be Wednesday, May 31 at 6:00pm in the St. Joseph Parish Center in Elkader.
Liturgy & Worship
John Uhal, Pastoral Associate
Welcome greetings to
Cole Oberbroeckling, who was baptized on February 4! May he grow in age, wisdom, and grace before God!
March Mass Intentions
- March 3: Anna Mae Powers
- March 4: Robert White
- March 10: Marilyn Ryan
- March 11: for the people of St. Joseph Parish
- March 17: Francis Wagner
- March 18: Alberta Wagner
- March 20: Mike Stowe
- March 24: unclaimed!
- March 25: John Nikolai
- March 31: unclaimed!
- April 1: unclaimed!
KMCH Sponsors
- March 5 - Samuel Schurman of Carlsbad, CA
- March 12 - Brenda & Michael Landwehr of Guttenberg, IA
- March 19 - Rob & Anette Myers of Dunkerton, IA
- March 26 - Ruth Knapp of Waterloo, IA
Lenten Devotions in the Emmaus Pastorate
Mondays: Adoration & Stations of the Cross at St. Patrick Parish from 5:00pm-6:00pm
Tuesdays: Daily Mass or Word & Communion at 8:00am at both Sacred Heart and St. Patrick Parishes then adoration & Stations of the Cross at Sacred Heart Parish from 5:00pm-6:00pm
Wednesdays: Daily Mass at 7:00am then adoration & Stations of the Cross at St. Mark Parish from 6:30pm-7:30pm
Thursdays: Daily Mass at 8:00am followed by confessions and adoration, then adoration & Stations of the Cross at St. Mary Parish from 6:30pm-7:30pm
Fridays: Daily Mass at 8:00am followed by confessions and adoration then adoration & Stations of the Cross at St. Joseph Parish from 5:00pm-6:00pm
Mark Your Calendar!
Confessions and dinner will be held at St. Mark Parish on March 8; dinner will be served from 5:30pm-7:30pm and confessions will be heard from 6:00pm-8:00pm. What a perfect way to prepare for the Paschal Triduum and Easter!!
Congratulations to
Austin Hess & Alison Kelchen who married on February 25! May you be an image of God's divine love for us all!
Let us pray...
Please hold all of those who have died and their loved ones in your prayers, especially Larry Sperfslage, John Nikolai, and their families.
On the go a lot??
Do you wish you could hear Fr. John's or Deacon Paul's homilies in the car or on the go? Well know you can! Visit our website, click on Homilies & Podcast in the top menu or under the Worship tab, and you'll be able to listen to any of their Sunday homilies! Special episodes from holy days, visits from Archbishop Jackels, and the occasional recording of our musicians are also posted. Try it!
If you subscribe to podcasts, search for The Emmaus Pastorate's Podcast wherever you find them! There are over 150 episodes, and new episodes usually release on Mondays.
Solemnity of St. Joseph!
Join us for Mass and dinner on our parish's feast day! On March 20, we'll have Mass at 5:30pm with dinner to follow in the hall. Come and celebrate our patron saint, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
More Things to Know
St. Joseph Parish Town Hall
Thanks to everyone who came to this year's town hall on February 25! Stay tuned for a finely tuned goals and actions to which the Pastoral Council will lead us in the next few years!
Clayton County Food Shelf
St. Joseph Social Justice Committee collected 35lbs of food in addition to $199 cash for the Clayton County Food Shelf in February. Remember, the first Saturday of each month is the collection!
In March, the food shelf needs canned peas, canned fruit, shelf stable fruit justice, hamburger & tuna helper, tuna, and peanut butter. Our next collection will be Saturday night, March 4. Thanks for your generosity!!
Grief Share Program
Grief Share classes will be offered at St. Mark Parish in Edgewood on Tuesday evenings from March 7 to May 30 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Contact Dianne Fette at 563-880-9847, Kandi DeShaw at 608-306-2558, or Fran Zichal at 563-880-0873 to register for the classes.
Upcoming Events
- March 2: Holy hour with adoration and confessions at St. Mary Parish in Strawberry Point
- March 3: Fish Fry at St. Patrick Parish in Colesburg (see above)
- March 8: Confessions and dinner at St. Mark; dinner served from 5:30pm-7:30pm; confessions heard from 6:00pm-8:00pm
- March 9: St. Joseph Pastoral Council meeting at 6:00pm
- March 20: Solemnity of St. Joseph; Mass at 5:30pm with dinner to follow
- March 22: Baptism Class at 6:00pm at St. Mary Apartment
- March 24: Beauty in Christ women's conference (see above)
- March 25: Archdiocesan Men's Conference (see above)
Do you have something to add to this newsletter? Please send any articles and/or pictures to John Uhal at the Parish Center, by calling 563-245-2548, or by email at j.uhal@dbqarch.org.