Happy Easter!
The Lord is risen, the grass is green, and seeds are ready! Spring is here along with a new edition of our monthly newsletter, The Journey!
A Message from Archbishop Zinkula
on the death of Pope Prancis
"With deep sorrow, we mourn the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. He was a shepherd after Christ’s own heart—humble, compassionate, and deeply committed to walking with the people of God, especially those on the margins.
"Pope Francis reminded us constantly of God’s mercy, calling the Church to be a field hospital for the wounded and a home for all. His pastoral heart, gentle leadership, and unwavering call to serve the poor and to care for creation will be remembered with deep gratitude.
"We entrust his soul to the loving mercy of the God he served so faithfully, and we pray for the Church he leaves behind, that we may continue to embody the Gospel values he so dearly cherished." ~Archbishop Thomas Zinkula, April 21, 2025
Please join us in prayer.
Prayer for Pope Francis
O God, from whom the just receive an unfailing reward, grant that your servant Francis, our Pope, whom you made vicar of Peter and shepherd of your Church,
may rejoice forever in the vision of your glory, for he was a faithful steward here on earth of the mysteries of your forgiveness and grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (from the Order of Christian Funerals)
A Prayer for the Election of a New Pope
O God, who in your wondrous love watches over your Church, fill the cardinal-electors with your Holy Spirit to strengthen and inspire them as they choose a new Holy Father to lead us. May they choose a shepherd for your Church who will please you in his holiness and guide his flock with love and watchful care, especially for the sick, the poor, and the vulnerable. We pray that your Holy Spirit will hover over the one who is chosen to strengthen him to be a messenger of love, peace, and unity in our world. We offer our prayer through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
O God, from whom the just receive an unfailing reward, grant that your servant Francis, our Pope, whom you made vicar of Peter and shepherd of your Church,
may rejoice forever in the vision of your glory, for he was a faithful steward here on earth of the mysteries of your forgiveness and grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (from the Order of Christian Funerals)
A Prayer for the Election of a New Pope
O God, who in your wondrous love watches over your Church, fill the cardinal-electors with your Holy Spirit to strengthen and inspire them as they choose a new Holy Father to lead us. May they choose a shepherd for your Church who will please you in his holiness and guide his flock with love and watchful care, especially for the sick, the poor, and the vulnerable. We pray that your Holy Spirit will hover over the one who is chosen to strengthen him to be a messenger of love, peace, and unity in our world. We offer our prayer through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
St. Joseph Parish Life
Chair TBD
A Letter from Our Favorite Seminarian
I'll be done at St. Ludmila on May 11 and then will be going on my first vacation in six years. I'm doing a train trip. I'll leave La Crosse, WI on May 13 and stay overnight in Milwaukee. The next day, I'll go from Milwaukee to Chicago's Union Station where I'll board the Southwest Chief headed to Los Angeles. I'll arrive in LA on the 16th and board the Coast Starlight from LA to Portland, where I'll stay overnight. I'll then take a train up to Seattle then head back to La Crosse on the Empire Builder. 6 trains over 8 days!
Then we have the ordination of Hung Le on Memorial Day weekend, and I'll start Clinical Pastoral Education at Mercy in Cedar Rapids and stay at St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton for the summer. I will be at Fr. John's last Mass on July 6 though!
~Steven Kessler
St. Joseph Pastoral Council
Bill Erickson, Chair
Results from the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) Survey we completed in December are still being unpacked. St. Joseph Parish alone had 139 surveys completed, which is 82% of our average Saturday night Mass attendance! More data is still arriving, but here are three quick takeaways:
- 89% said that being able to recommend their pastor shows that they can recommend their parish to someone else and that their parish is helping them grow spiritually.
- 89% said they believe that the Eucharist is really the Body and Blood of Christ.
- 54% said they have confidence in their knowledge of Church teachings when talking about them with others.
Fr. John Is Retiring!!
Fr. John is officially retiring in July. His last Mass at St. Joseph is scheduled for Saturday, June 28 at 5:00pm. Mark your calendars to celebrate Mass with him one last time and attend a party in his honor! More details are coming.
Faith Formation
Danielle Becwar
St. Joseph Coordinator of Faith Formation
Family Matters
The monthly Family Matters newsletter is published by the Archdiocese of Dubuque and provides great resources to help Catholic families live their faith. The May edition has tons of ways you can celebrate all the holidays and holy days throughout the month along with some Mental Health Awareness tips. Families can find past issues and subscribe to Family Matters on the Archdiocese of Dubuque's website at https://dbqarch.org/family-matters-newsletter.
Little Flower Girls Club
This month, the Little Flowers explored the theological virtue of hope, which enables us to desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our ultimate happiness. Hope is the virtue bestowed upon us by God to navigate life's challenges. Along with faith and love, hope facilitates spiritual growth, enabling us to live a life that honors God.
Did you know that the Easter season lasts for 50 days? It begins with the celebration of the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night and continues for seven weeks, ending with the celebration of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. Click HERE to find fifty ways to celebrate the fifty days of Easter with your family!
Faith Formation Classes Come to an End
Thank you to all the families who participated in our 1st-12th grade program this year! We met almost every Wednesday night from September thru April and had great prayer experiences, service opportunities, and a little fun too! Hopefully everyone learned at least a little bit from our awesome catechists who gave so much of their time and energy! Thanks to all of them! On the last night of classes, there was a little review before some snacking and outdoor fun!
Totus Tuus Is Coming!
Mark your calendars for June 15-20 for another week of Totus Tuus! This was a huge success last year, our first time, and this year will be even better! The Emmaus Pastorate will offer programming for preschool and kindergarteners this year, and the Archdiocese will send a team to offer programming for current 1st-12th graders. PK-K will meet for half the day, grades 1-6 will meet for 3/4 of the day, and grades 7-12 will meet in the evenings. Stay tuned for more details and registration!
Adult Faith Formation
Fran Zichal, Emmaus Pastorate
Adult Faith Formation Coordinator
Forming the Future
Fran Zichal and Danielle Becwar, Faith Formation leaders at St. Joseph, are working to create a Faith Formation Commission for St. Joseph Parish. This commission will help direct the ways our faith is passed on to everyone - kids, young adults, empty nesters, and even seniors! If you are interested in helping, please contact either Fran or Dani. Their contact info is below. Meetings will be held in conjunction with other Emmaus Pastorate parishes who also have commissions.
Congratulations to Our Newest Catholics!
At the Easter Vigil on April 19, we witnessed one adult baptism and 2 other adults join the church! Congratulations to Zoey Hyde of Sacred Heart on her baptism and to Morgan McGreal of Sacred Heart and Jennifer Richmond of St. Mary on their receptions and confirmations! They will continue to meet and learn about their new Catholic faith, and you can expect to see them around our parishes more too!
Thanks also to everyone who helped make this process a success, especially Brenda Schaefers of St. Mark, Justin Dillon of Sacred Heart, Jamie Ventiecher, of St. Mark, Deacon Paul of the Pastorate, and Danielle Becwar of St. Jospeh. It was a village effort!
Women's Book Study
Join us for a book study for women on Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist. Kim Warpinski will lead the discussion on Wednesdays from May 7 thru June 25 from 6:00pm-7:00pm at the St. Joseph Parish Center. Call Kim at the Parish Center to register and make sure enough books are ordered. Her contact info is below.
WHAT is IMPACT? IMPACT is a two-year formation program for Catholic adults, coordinated by the Archdiocese of Dubuque. It provides the opportunity to grow in your faith by hearing from dynamic presenters, reading spiritual books, engaging in discussions, and receiving guidance from a spiritual mentor. Through study, prayer, reflection, and conversation, participants are challenged to respond more fully to Jesus’ call to mission—to IMPACT our world!
WHO is IMPACT for? IMPACT is open to any Catholic adult who desires a deeper relationship with Jesus and a greater understanding of the Catholic faith in order to better serve others.
WHY participate in IMPACT?
Join IMPACT to:
- Enrich and deepen your faith
- Learn more about Catholic teachings
- Respond further to the call of discipleship
- Enhance involvement in parish life
- Share more deeply in the mission of Jesus
WHEN does IMPACT take place? The next IMPACT cohort will begin meeting in September of 2025, and the program will end in May of 2027. Each year begins with a two-day retreat followed by monthly sessions on one Saturday each month from October through May (no sessions during the summer months).
WHERE will the 2025-2027 IMPACT cohort take place? Monthly IMPACT sessions will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church in Vinton, IA. The opening retreats for each year will be held at Shalom Spirituality Center in Dubuque, IA.
HOW to participate?
The application for the 2025-2027 IMPACT cohort is available HERE and is due August 15, 2025. For a full list of participant expectations, click here.
Cost: The total cost for participating in the two-year program is $1,000 ($500 for each year) plus the cost of books (estimated to be approximately $100 per year). Many parishes partially sponsor their parishioners, and an archdiocesan grant may be available too.
Jubilee Year of Hope Continues
“There is probably no greater representative population for 'Pilgrims of Hope' than today’s young people,” Kevin Feyen, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, says. “Young people are on a journey of self-discovery, asking a lot of meaningful questions, trying to figure out who they are, and who God is. In that regard, they are very much pilgrims. We also know that the faith of young people is not a sure thing. A lot of our teens will struggle in the faith and may drift away from their Catholic identity. That is why we need to be a people of hope.” As the Archdiocese celebrates the Jubilee Year, we highlighted youth in the month of April. Read the full article here.
Our parish has renewed our subscription to Formed.org. If you're unsure of what Formed is, just think of it like a Catholic Netflix. It's full of great Catholic content from movies, to kids shows, to audiobooks, to Bible studies and everything in between. It's free and easy to use for everyone at St. Joseph Parish!
Baptism Class
The final baptism class of 2024-2025 will be on May 7, 2025 at 6:00pm at St. Joseph Parish Center in Elkader. 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. Classes for 2025-2026 will be announced sometime in the summer, with the first class likely in August 2025.
Liturgy & Worship
John Uhal, Emmaus Pastorate
Director of Liturgy & Worship and Webmaster
Holy Week Celebrations!!
A very happy Easter indeed! Our Holy week celebrations (Palm Sunday, Monday Evening Prayer, Stations of the Cross, Holy Thursday Evening Mass, Good Friday service, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday Masses) were so wonderful! Thank you to everyone who helped make them such beautiful, prayerful experiences! Lots of behind the scenes time and energy was spent by liturgy coordinators, staff, and environment teams, and we are so grateful! We also appreciate all of our liturgical ministers who helped; over 70 of them were needed on Holy Thursday night alone! Each night of the Triduum also featured an average or 25 musicians from around the Pastorate who led us with beautiful music! Thank you for all your extra rehearsal time! Thanks also to John Uhal who coordinated many of the details and all the music! If you missed part or all of these holy days, be sure to partake next year!!
New to The Journey
The monthly ministry schedule is now included! Click the button to view and download it. Remember, if you can't fill your date, please find a substitute. Thanks!
Eucharistic Pilgrimage Details Are Available!
The Eucharistic Revival is returning, and you are invited to participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage visiting our Archdiocese May 23-27. If you could not attend last year’s Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, now is a time to experience firsthand the joy of the Eucharistic Revival and the beauty of our Church and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Details on every scheduled event are now available at dbqarch.org/eucharistic-pilgrimage.
Lots to Celebrate during Eastertide!
As May arrives and June follows, there is so much to celebrate! Many second graders will make their First Communions on May 3 at St. Joseph. Graduating seniors will be recognized on May 10. And our confirmation candidates will receive the Holy Spirit with Archbishop Zinkula on June 7. Please continue to pray for these youth and young adults, that God may continue to guide them in their spiritual journeys toward Christ!
KMCH Sponsors
- May 4: Diana Helle
- May 11: Phyllis Lentz
- May 18: Dr. Judy & Mary Ellen Beckman
- May 25: YOU!
Mass Intentions
- May 1: Mary Jo Moore
- May 2: Robert White
- May 9: Fr. Paul Peters
- May 10: Marge Hamann
- May 16: Jack Dittmer
- May 17: Therin & Merlin Rentschler
- May 23: Alan Wagner
- May 24: for the people of St. Joseph Parish
- May 30: Swede Halverson
- Ma 31: Carroll & Rita Hurley-Geraghty Family
Social Justice Committee
Colleen Moore, Chair
176 Years Collections
Since we were so successful in collecting +1827 items for the Clayton County Food Shelf and Shepherd of the Hills last year, we've decided to keep it going in our 176th year!!
- January - 264 boxes of cereal collected!
- February - 212 soups & crackers collected!
- March - 129 pancake mixes and syrups collected!
- April - 185 cans of vegetables collected!
- May - peanut butter and jelly
- June - canned and boxed dinners
- July - school supplies, socks, and underwear
- August - canned fruit and shelf-stable fruit juice
- September - hats, mittens, and coats
- October - sugar (white, brown, and powdered), flour, baking soda, and vanilla
- November - Giving Tree presents
- December - toiletries, soap, paper products (toothpaste, shampoo, body soap, laundry soap, dish soap, toilet paper, tissues, paper towels, etc.)
Do You Care for the Earth?
Care for God's Creation is one of the key themes of Catholic Social Teaching, and in his letter, Laudato Si', Pope Francis called on Catholics to help care for our common home. Although we can't save blue whales or clean up beaches around here, we can help protect pollinators right in our own neighborhoods. Pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites we eat and the wildflowers in our landscape. Here are two ways you can help:
- One of the best-loved pollinators is the monarch butterfly, whose population has fallen by 80-90%. You can help by planting the nectar plants listed at this website: https://xerces.org/publications/plant-lists/monarch-nectar-plants-midwest.
- Also, the Clayton County Master Gardeners are hosting a plant sale on May 15 at 4:30pm at Founder's Park in Elkader. All perennials are $3 each and (new this year) pots and yard art are $3-$10.
St. Francis of Assisi reminded us that it is “through the greatness and the beauty of creatures that one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wisdom 13:5). Won't you help us protect our common home this Earth Day?!
Clayton County Food Shelf
In March, our parish collected $145.10 for the Clayton County Food Shelf, and in April, we collected $378. In April, 474lbs of food were also delivered. Thank you for your ongoing generosity and service to the hungry! Our next collection for the Clayton County Food Shelf will be on May 3. The Food Shelf especially needs canned dinners, macaroni and cheese, and canned fruit.
Shepherd of the Hills
Many know about the good work Shepherd of the Hills does for our local community. From clothing, books, housewares, and even back-to-school supplies, many rely on its inexpensive services throughout the year. Their building now needs a new furnace and air conditioner though! The St. Joseph Social Justice Committee made a donation to offset the costs in April, and you are welcome donate as well!
Knights of Columbus
John Uhal, Grand Knight
Men of Character
The St. Joseph Knights are pleased to honor Knights who have been serving for more than 25 or 50 years! Please join us at Mass on May 31 for this special occasion. We will also induct new members into the Order at 3:00pm that day, and all are welcome to attend this short ceremony before Mass!
Got Signage?
Thanks to the Knights who cleaned up around the prolife billboard outside of Elkader along IA13 making it more visible to motorists. If you're heading southbound on the highway, be sure to look to your right near Fast Trak and pray for the unborn!
See Yourself as a Knight?
There's no shining armor (on the outside anyway), but the Knights of Columbus is always looking for new members to carry on our virtues of unity, charity, fraternity, and patriotism. If you might be interested in joining our council, contact any member or Grand Knight John Uhal. His info is below.
Congratulations, Kris!
St. Joseph's very own Kris Kessler was inducted into the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus at the State Convention on April 5. Congratulations, Kris, and thank you for you excellent example of faith and service to your fellow Knights, parish, and community!
More Things to Know
It Takes a Village!
Thanks to everyone who donated food and/or ate at our Lenten Reconciliation meal on April 9 at St. Mark. About 150 people were served, and much of the work was done by NCYC participants who collected $633 in free-will donations. It's a lot of work to feed that many people, so thank you to all who helped!
Disability Inclusion's Monthly Gathering Is a Hit!
All parishes contribute to Emmaus Pastorate's Disability Inclusion Ministry's monthly birthday party, which served 70 people on April 28 at the St. Joseph Parish Hall! Music was provided by John Uhal and Dan Murray of the St. Joseph Choir, and lunch was delicious! If you haven't been yet, be sure to visit! More help serving people with physical and mental disabilities and seniors is always welcome, especially from children. Live music, good company, lunch, and birthday cake are always available. The next party is May 19 from 11:00am-1:00pm at St. Mark Parish Hall.
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!
Got Music?
If you missed parts of Holy Week, be sure to check out our podcast on our website or wherever you find them. Each homily is available along with musical selections from each day. Listen to one of our 300+ episodes! Click here and start listening today!
Upcoming Events
- May 3: First Communion & May Crowning @ St. Joseph Parish's 4:00pm Mass
- May 6, 13, 20: Grief Share @ 5:30pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- May 7: Baptism Class @ 6:00pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- May 7, 14, 21: Book Study @ 6:00pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- May 10: Senior Recognition @ St. Joseph Parish' 4:00pm Mass
- May 19: Disability Inclusion monthly gathering @ 11:00am @ St. Mark Parish Center
- May 22: St. Joseph Finance Committee meeting @ 4:00pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- May 22: St. Joseph Pastoral Council meeting @ 5:30pm @ St. Joseph Parish Center
- May 27: Pastorate Finance Meeting @ 6:00pm @ Sacred Heart 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.