Happy Solemnity!
As our church's holy days wind down on Corpus Christi, we look toward a relaxing, fun-filled summer in the 175th year of St. Joseph Parish! Time to catch up on the latest in May and what's coming in June!
St. Joseph Parish Life
Ann Gibney, Chair
Many Hands, Light Work!
Thanks to everyone who donated food and helped prepare for Fr. John's ordination anniversary meal!
Summer Potluck & Pool Party
- Saturday, July 20, 2024
- Mass at 5:00pm
- Potluck after Mass in the Parish Hall
- Bring a dish to share
- Pool Party 7:00pm-9:00pm at Elkader Swimming Pool
Ecumenical May Breakfast held this year at St. Joseph
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 - 176 canned meats collected!
- May - 168 canned vegetables
- 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."
Election Results
Election for the Pastoral Council was held on May 11 for two open positions, each with 3-year terms. Luke Orr was elected for the first time, and Bill Erickson was reelected to another term. Congratulations to Luke & Bill, and thank you to everyone who agreed to be nominated! Officers of the council will be elected at the June meeting with terms commencing July 1, 2024.
The Council has begun working on parish goals for 2024. This process will help the council and committees focus their work toward goals that will keep St. Joseph Parish vibrant and strong. Meetings of the Pastoral Council are held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 5:30 pm at the Parish Center, and they're open to everyone. Minutes from those meetings are posted to the Pastorate website and are available at the Parish Center. As members of St. Joseph, we encourage you to review the minutes, attend meetings, or talk with members of the Council with any questions or concerns.
Faith Formation
Danielle Becwar
St. Joseph Coordinator of Faith Formation
It's Not Too Late for Totus Tuus!
There's still time to signup 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. Transportation and financial assistance are available! Please call Dani Becwar at the Parish Center at 563-245-2548 for more information.
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. Transportation and financial assistance are available! Please call Dani Becwar at the Parish Center at 563-245-2548 for more information.
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
Congratulations, Grads!
Congratulations to Maddie Schmidt and Beth Wilwert on their graduation from Central High School in May! We wish you every blessing as you start your next chapters!!
Congratulations to Our Confirmandi!
Adult Faith Formation
Fran Zichal, Emmaus Pastorate
Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
Summer Programming Coming Soon!
The Adult Faith Formation Committee will be meeting soon to develop summer offerings, including a viewing of The Chosen, Eucharistic Revival activities, and a book study on The Search by Chris Stefanick. Send your suggestions to Fran Zichal soon at 563-880-0873.
Beautiful Eucharist Discussion
There are two more opportunities to take part in a book study Beautiful Eucharist!
- St. Mary will meet after Mass on Thursdays at 8:30am on May 30, June 6, June 13, June 20, June 27, and July 4 in the St. Mary apartment. Call or text Tara Ketoff at 563-920-8163 to reserve your spot so she can get you a book in advance.
- Sacred Heart will meet on Tuesdays at 8:45am in Heart Hall. The first session was on May 14. Contact Jennifer Ciesielski at dbq204sec@dbqarch.org for more information.
Baptism Class
The first two baptism classes of 2024-2025 will be on Wednesday, August 7 at 6:00pm at St. Joseph Parish Center in Elkader and Sunday, November 24 following the 10:00am Mass at St. Mark Parish in Edgewood. All parents requesting baptism for their child are asked to first attend a class. Please call John Uhal at the St. Joseph Parish Center (563-245-2548) or email him at j.uhal@dbqarch.org to register. Preregistration is recommended but not required.
Liturgy & Worship
John Uhal, Emmaus Pastorate
Director of Liturgy & Worship and Webmaster
Breaking Bread
If you would like your own copy of the Breaking Bread missalette (for the next church year, starting December 1, 2024), contact John Uhal at 563-245-2548 or email dbq072s3@dbqarch.org by June 15. Books are $10 each and will arrive in October.
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.
Happy Birthday, Church!
Pentecost was a wonderful celebration this year!
KMCH Sponsors
No Masses in the month of June have been sponsored. To help us broadcast online and on the radio every Sunday, please call the Emmaus Pastorate office at 563-928-7200.
June Mass Intentions
- June 1: Joseph Voss
- June 7: Doug Dittmer
- June 8: Katie White
- June 14: Fr. Richard Kuhn
- June 15: for the people of St. Joseph Parish
- June 21: Jim Hosch
- June 22: John Nikolai
- June 28: Keith & Valene Lau
- June 29: Paul Francis Wiedner & Family
Social Justice Committee
Colleen Moore, Chair
Clayton County Food Shelf
On May 4, St. Joseph collected 176lbs of food! Thank you!! Our next collection will be Saturday night, June 1. The food shelf needs canned fruit in pop top cans or cups, peanut butter and jelly, cheese sticks, and shelf stable protein snacks.
Also included in May's collection was the 3rd grade Birthday in a Box project. After a Mass back in April, over $400 was collected and with that ingredients were purchased to make 48 kits! Each kit included a cake mix, can of clear pop, frosting, candles, balloons, birthday plates, and a birthday card. Each kit was assembled in a disposable cake pan and brought to the Clayton County Food Shelf. Thank you for your generosity, and great work 3rd graders!!
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!
Read up on the BeDaditudes: 8 Ways to Be an Awesome Dad!
Happy 40th Anniversary, Fr. John!
Upcoming Events
- June 5, 12 - Beautiful Eucharist book study; 1:00pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- June 8 - St. Joseph outdoor work day
- June 15 - Wedding of Rebecca Fettkether & Levi Lauer; 1:30pm
- June 16-21 - Totus Tuus @ St. Mary Parish
- June 22 - Wedding of Megan Matt & Alex Callahan; 1:30pm
- June 24 - Diversity Inclusion Birthday Party 11:00am-1:00pm @ St. Mary Upper Room
- June 29 - Wedding of Dylan Klaes & Meghan Orr; 1:30pm
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.