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 continue! As summer nears, let's take a look at what's happening around St. Joseph Parish!
St. Joseph Parish Life
Ann Gibney, Chair
To build wells in Tanzania and Honduras, we collected a total of $6,668.33! How awesome!!
BINGO!
Join us at the Elkader Care Center every month for bingo with the residents! Come one, come all for a lot of fun!
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 - 175+ boxes of cereal collected!
- April - 160+ canned meats collected!
- 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."
Thank you for your generosity in our 175 items/month collections!! The turnout has been great!! As we move closer to our September 15 celebration, we want to keep building excitement and pride in our parish, and the following are some ideas have surfaced:
- Gathering oral histories
- Scavenger hunt around the church
- Walking in local parades with our new banner
- Planning our celebration Mass on September 15
- Arranging speakers and more
But to do all that (and more) we need you! We need your ideas, leadership and participation! Nothing can be done without you, so please consider sharing your time, talents, and ideas to celebrate our parish! Contact a Council member, Claudia McCalley at cmccalley@alpinecom.net or 563-245-1570, or the Parish Center at 563-245-2548.
Elections Are Coming!
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 soon.
Faith Formation
Danielle Becwar
St. Joseph Coordinator of Faith Formation
Congratulations to our First Communion class!
On April 13, Connor Becwar, Jackson Gray, Vivian Heavens, and Seraphina Permann received Eucharist for the first time! Congratulations also to their parents, and thanks to their catechists, Pete & Kristi McGreal, for their hard work!
Exciting news from the Emmaus Pastorate! Join us for Totus Tuus, our 2024 Summer Faith Formation program, from June 16-21 at St. Mary Parish in Strawberry Point. Totus Tuus is a vibrant Catholic youth program dedicated to spreading the Gospel and nurturing the Catholic Faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship.
Led by teams of four - two men and two women from the Archdiocese of Dubuque - this five-day catechetical adventure for grades 1-12 offers an experience akin to "Vacation Bible School," brimming with faith, fun, and friendship. Get ready for messy games, lively skits, and profound encounters with our college-age teachers, who embody an authentic witness to the faith. This year, our program will delve into the Apostle's Creed and the Glorious Mysteries, offering a deeper understanding of our Catholic beliefs and traditions.
As part of our summer formation, we will also offer an option for children ages 4-6 rooted in our Catholic Faith.
Class schedules:
Led by teams of four - two men and two women from the Archdiocese of Dubuque - this five-day catechetical adventure for grades 1-12 offers an experience akin to "Vacation Bible School," brimming with faith, fun, and friendship. Get ready for messy games, lively skits, and profound encounters with our college-age teachers, who embody an authentic witness to the faith. This year, our program will delve into the Apostle's Creed and the Glorious Mysteries, offering a deeper understanding of our Catholic beliefs and traditions.
As part of our summer formation, we will also offer an option for children ages 4-6 rooted in our Catholic Faith.
Class schedules:
- Kindergarten (ages 4-6) Monday – Friday from 9:00am-11:30am
- Grades 1-6 Monday – Friday from 9:00am-2:30pm
- Grades 7-12 Monday – Thursday from 6:30pm-8:45pm
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 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
Did you miss the discussions on the book Beautiful Eucharist at St. Mark? If you weren’t able to attend those discussions, you have two more chances to discuss this great book!
- Tuesdays at 8:45am starting April 30 at St. Patrick Parish Center
- Wednesdays at 1:00pm May 1-June 12 at St. Joseph Parish Center (Exception: Friday, May 17 instead of Wednesday, May 15)
Contact Kim Warpinski at the St. Joseph Parish Center at 563-245-2548 or email dbq074sec@dbqarch.org to register for either study so enough books can be made available.
Watch for more chances to learn about the Eucharistic Revival this summer!
Two Join Roman Catholic Church
On April 20, two women took a huge step in their journey into the Roman Catholic Church! Kayleigh White received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. Eliza Steckel, already baptized in a different faith tradition, formally professed her faith in the Catholic Church and then received the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist. These sacramental rites came after many months of study, prayer, and discernment with their catechists and Fr. John. But they're not actually done yet! The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has four stages, and the Sacraments are just the third. Over the next several weeks, they'll participate in mystagogy, a time of study and prayer over the sacramental mysteries, and come to a better understanding of how to participate in the Catholic Church.
Eliza is now registered at St. Mary Parish, and Kayleigh is registered at St. Joseph Parish. If you see either of them, introduce yourself, congratulate them, and let them know they're still in your prayers!
Baptism Class
The fourth and final Baptism class of this academic year in the Emmaus Pastorate is scheduled for May 19 at 4:00pm 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.
Liturgy & Worship
John Uhal, Emmaus Pastorate
Director of Liturgy & Worship and Webmaster
Prom Mass 2024
Fr. John’s 40th Anniversary of Ordination
YOU are invited to celebrate Fr. John Haugen’s 40th Anniversary of Ordination with a special Mass on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity!
Sunday, May 26 at 1:00pm at St. Mark Parish in Edgewood
A reception will follow in the St. Mark Parish Center.
Save the date and plan to celebrate this joyous occasion with Fr. John!
**Because of this special event, there will only be TWO Masses on May 25-26: 4:00pm @ St. Joseph Parish and 1:00pm @ St. Mark Parish.**
Summer Mass Time Change
Starting June 1, 2024, weekend Mass at St. Joseph will be at 5:00pm on Saturdays. On Saturdays in June, July, and August, Mass will remain at 5:00pm. In September, Mass will return to 4:00pm.
KMCH Sponsors
No Masses in the month of May have been sponsored. To help us broadcast online and on the radio every Sunday, please call the Emmaus Pastorate office at 563-928-7200.
April Mass Intentions
- May 3: Greg & Mary Eischeid
- May 4: Glynn Noonan
- May 10: Fr. Mark McGovern
- May 11: Patrick Fitzgerald
- May 17: Therin & Merlin Rentschler
- May 18: Alan Wagner
- May 24: Michael & Zach Collins
- May 25: for the people of St. Joseph Parish
- May 31: Jim Lester
- June 1: Joseph Voss
Social Justice Committee
Colleen Moore, Chair
Clayton County Food Shelf
On April 6, St. Joseph collected 107lbs of food! Thank you!! Our next collection will be Saturday night, May 4.
More Things to Know
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
- May 1, 8, 17, 22, 29: Book discussion on Beautiful Eucharist; 6:45pm @ St. Joseph Church
- May 4: Elkader Ecumenical May Breakfast; 9:00am @ St. Joseph Parish Hall
- May 4: Wedding of Lane McGreal & Morgan Jacobson; 1:30pm @ St. Joseph Church
- May 6, 13, 20, 27: Book discussion on Beautiful Eucharist; 8:45am @ St. Patrick Parish Center
- May 7, 14, 21, 28 (final class): Bereavement Class; 5:30pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- May 11: Emmaus Pastorate Sacrament of Confirmation; 4:30pm Mass @ St. Mark Parish
- May 12, 19, 26: Watch the Chosen; 6:15pm @ St. Mary Church Basement
- May 19: Baptism Class; 4:00pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- May 26: Fr. John's 40th Anniversary of Ordination; 1:00pm Mass @ St. Mark Parish; reception and lunch to follow (usual 4:00pm Mass will be celebrated on May 25)
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.