Happy Easter!
We are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song! Let the church bells ring, let us all shout for joy, and let music and celebration begin! As the Triduum fades and Eastertide gets underway, let's take a look at what's happening around St. Joseph Parish!
St. Joseph Parish Life
Ann Gibney, Chair
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Did you see this group and our new banner in Elkader's parade?!
Share Your Ideas!
- Who: YOU! And every parishioner you know!
- What: Parish Life Meeting
- Where: St. Joseph Parish Hall
- When: Thursday, April 4 @ 6:00pm
- Why: Plan activities for the 175th Anniversary!
175 Years Collections
To celebrate 175 years, let's collect 175+ items/month to donate to the Clayton County Food Shelf! Here's what we'll collect and when!
- January - 110 peanut butters & jellies collected!
- February - 235 soups & crackers collected!
- March - cereal counts will be in the next bulletin and The Journey
- April - canned meats
- May - canned vegetables (especially peas)
- June - socks and underwear
- July - school supplies
- August - canned fruit and 100% fruit juice
- September - jackets and coats
- October - hats & mittens
- November - Giving Tree presents
- December - toilet paper, tissues, tooth paste, shampoo, and laundry detergent, dish soap, and hand soap
St. Joseph Pastoral Council
Claudia McCalley, Chair
A Joyful and Promising
Year Ahead!
"Built on History. Growing by Faith."
Interested?
New members will be elected to St. Joseph's Pastoral Council in May. If you or someone you know is interested in running, please contact the Parish Center, Deacon Paul, or a current Council member.
St. Joseph Day
& Town Hall
Thanks to everyone who celebrated Mass, enjoyed chili, and contributed to the town hall on March 19! About 75 people were present for the supper, and 60 participated in the town hall discussion. Lots of demographic and financial statistics were shared in our annual stewardship report, we heard the status of achieving this year's goals, and then we discussed the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOTs) of our parish. These will be used to create goals for 2024-2025. If you missed out and have a thought, please contact Claudia McCalley at cmccolley@alpinecom.net or 563-245-1570 or a member of the Pastoral Council.
Faith Formation
Danielle Becwar
St. Joseph Coordinator of Faith Formation
Do you know who is known for this famous quote? Find out that and much more here on the Archdiocese's April Saints and Feast Days webpage!
Why is Eastertide so long? Let's do some math! Start with the number 7, which represents perfection or completeness in the bible. 7 days/week x 7 weeks = 49 days. That's double perfection! But wait, God's even more perfect than that! Let's add another day, a Sunday! 49 days (over 7 full weeks) + 1 more Sunday (for Pentecost) = 50 days!
World Day of Prayer for Vocations - April 21
Every Fourth Sunday of Easter, we mark Good Shepherd Sunday, a time to remember and show gratitude to the priests and clergy in our lives and pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, deaconate, and religious life. Will you take some time to pray for Father John, Deacon Paul, and our seminarian, Steven Kessler?
Adult Faith Formation
Fran Zichal, Emmaus Pastorate
Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
The Chosen
This groundbreaking streaming television series about the life of Jesus continues at St. Mary Parish from 6:15pm-7:30pm on April 7, April 28, May 12, May 19, and May 26. Please register by calling the St. Joseph Parish Center at 563-245-2548. Handouts will be available on the date. If you can't come one night, come another!
Beautiful Eucharist Discussion
Coming soon is a book study on Beautiful Eucharist by Matthew Kelly! It'll be a six-week discussion on the Eucharist. The class and book are free, and it's a great read! Child care may be available, too. Please contact Fran Zichal at 563-880-0873 to inquire and for a book.
Come to the Feast & RCIA
Four individuals are currently going through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, and two others will start soon. If you or someone you know wants to learn more about the Catholic Church or desires to join, please contact Fran Zichal at 563-880-0873.
The four individuals recently watched a two-part teaching on the Mass hosted by Fr. John. Both videos and their handouts are available on our website for viewing any time. Have a question about the books Father uses? Why do the ministers wear funny dresses? Why are there so many candles? All that and more is explained by Fr. John!
Baptism Class
The fourth and final Baptism class of this academic year in the Emmaus Pastorate is scheduled for May 22 at 6:00pm at the St. Joseph Parish Center in Elkader. It is our practice that parents of the Emmaus Pastorate participate in a Baptism class prior to each child's baptism. If you wish to have your child baptized, please contact John Uhal at the St. Joseph Parish Center at 563-245-2548 or j.uhal@dbqarch.org. Classes are open to all parents of the Emmaus Pastorate.
Covenant of Love Marriage Mentors
Do you desire a deeper understanding of God’s plan for your marriage? Are you experiencing a time of difficulty in your relationship? Are you seeking a more intimate relationship with God and each other?
Trained Covenant of Love marriage mentor couples are available throughout the Archdiocese of Dubuque to help equip married couples with practical tools for everyday life. If you are looking for help to strengthen your marriage, you can sign up to meet with a marriage mentor couple to receive support and guidance for you as a couple. To learn more, visit: www.dbqarch.org/marriage-mentors.
Liturgy & Worship
John Uhal, Emmaus Pastorate
Director of Liturgy & Worship and Webmaster
Welcome to the Christian faith, Etta Dawn Johnson! Etta was baptized on March 9. Congratulations to Scott and Megan on their daughter's birth and baptism!
Thanks to Fr. Eric Berns for joining us for Mass on March 9! It was a pleasure to have you!
Patronal Feast Day
We had a wonderful Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19! Thanks to everyone who came to pray and celebrate, and thanks to our Art & Environment Committee for their excellent work!
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
Red was everywhere and so were palms on March 23! Thanks to all the altar servers and kids who led a festive procession to start the Mass!
Oils and Spoils!
Look who we spotted at the Archdiocesan Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Raphael in Dubuque on March 26!
Have a very happy, blessed Easter!
The message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God’s Mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion of The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.
The Divine Mercy Novena starts on Good Friday and is prayed daily for 9 days. Jesus said to Saint Faustina, "By this Novena, I will grant every possible grace to souls." Please fill out this form if you would like a daily email of the novena prayers and chaplet.
KMCH Sponsors
- April 7: Jeff Vorwald of Edgewood, IA
- April 14: Mary Sue Quinlan of Lewisville, TX
- April 21: YOU!
- April 28: YOU!
To help us broadcast online and on the radio every Sunday, please call the Emmaus Pastorate office at 563-928-7200.
April Mass Intentions
- April 5: N/A (Word & Communion)
- April 6: Corby Gundacker
- April 12: Mike Hayford
- April 13: for the people of St. Joseph Parish
- April 19: Jim Hosch
- April 20: Kenny Bries
- April 26: Joseph Voss
- April 27: Mary Jo Moore
Social Justice Committee
Colleen Moore, Chair
Clayton County Food Shelf
In March, St. Joseph collected 131lbs of food and $601.70! Thank you!! Our next collection will be Saturday night, April 6.
More Things to Know
On our way to the Treasure Sale!
It's March, but there's plenty of treasures already piling up for our annual sale in August! If you're cleaning out your house and have items to donate, send them to us! Arrangements can be made for furniture pickup. For more information, contact Mike Rentschler at 563-245-2219. Large exercise equipment, clothing, and electronics (anything with a chord) will not be accepted this year.
Clean up! Clean up! Everybody do your share!
Everyone did do their share this time! From the choir loft to the carpet, from the tabernacle to the outside rugs, the church was cleaned in time for Palm Sunday! Thanks to the entire crew who came to help!
Never miss an issue of our Sunday bulletin! Catch it on our website as early as Thursday or in one of our five churches on Sundays!
Do You Listen?
Did you know the Emmaus Pastorate has a podcast where you can listen to over 200 Sunday homilies and special musical episodes? Click here and start listening today!
Upcoming Events
- April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Euchar Party; 1:00pm-5:00pm @ St. Mark Parish Center
- April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Bereavement Class; 5:30pm-7:00pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- April 6, 13, 20, 27: That Man Is You; 7:00am-8:30am @ St. Mary Apartment
- April 7, 28: watch The Chosen; 6:15pm @ St. Mary Parish
- April 7: Divine Mercy special confession; 3:00pm @ St. Mary Parish
- April 13: First Communion; 4:00pm Mass @ St. Joseph Parish
- April 23: Pastorate Pastoral Council Meeting; 6:30pm @ St. Joseph Parish Hall
- April 26: Theology on Tap; 6:00pm-8:00pm @ Volga City Opera House
- April 27: Diversity Inclusion Birthday Party; 11:00am-1:00pm; St. Joseph Parish Hall
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.