Saint Agnes 7/10/24 Saint Agnes 7/10/24

From the Pastor’s Desk:

If you have not caught on by now, I will tell you plainly, I am a history person. I continue to study history, watch the history channels and travel to historical places. The human race never seems to learn from the past, but continually repeats the same mistakes over and over again. Jesus came into human history at a time when much of the civilized world was ruled by the Roman Empire. Roman rule was maintained through brutal force, economic exploitation and society was secured by police and military forces.

The pilgrimage, in the Footsteps of St. Paul which I hosted at the end of May was truly a walk through history. The history of the early Christian period following the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. You cannot study the church without studying history. St. Paul used the Roman highway system to walk across Greece from Jerusalem. The cities he preached in beginning with Philippi where St. Paul proclaimed his first sermon in Europe and baptized Lydia the first European convert. It was in Thessaloniki where Paul wrote two of the epistles to the Thessalonians.

We visited the ruins of Delphi which was considered the center of the ancient world with all of its temples to different gods and goddesses. It was in Athens where western civilization as we know it today was born. Great thinkers listened to Paul’s preaching and arguments proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus and politely walked away. In Corinth where I celebrated Mass on a granite block with the ruins of the ancient city all around, Paul lived for two years beginning the church which would cause him many sleepless nights.

In ancient Ephesus the ruins are specular as the pictures are in the history books. There Paul preached in the largest theatre in antiquity holding 24,000 people. On the island of Patmos we visited the Grotto of the Apocalypse where it is believed John wrote the last book of the Bible.

Wherever Paul went he used the Roman or Greek cultures and structures to proclaim the risen Christ. Paul would be followed by the Apostolic Fathers, early Christian writers of the late 1st and 2nd centuries. They represented the generation that had personal contact with the Twelve Apostles and St. Paul. Their writings are the principal source for information about Christianity during the two or three generation following the Apostles. They are an important part of the tradition of the Church.

Saint Agnes 7/10/24 Saint Agnes 7/10/24

ANYONE WANTING TO SERVE ON PARISH COUNCIL

PLEASE CONTACT FR. LEWIS. lhejna@sta-cathedral.org or 417-831-3565 ext 102

Saint Agnes 7/10/24 Saint Agnes 7/10/24

BUZZ BOOK ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY

We are in the process of updating our Buzz Book, which contains information about our ministries, organizations, contacts for activities, etc. and a complete directory of all our members.

This book is being provided and direct-mailed to each household at no cost to our church. It is being subsidized by local business advertisements. If you own or manage a business and would like to find out about advertising in our book, please call the Church Office at 417-831-3565.

Saint Agnes 7/10/24 Saint Agnes 7/10/24

Sacraments

Plans are being made for our Confirmation class for 2025. If you are in 7th grade and above and need information on the process for receiving the sacrament of Confirmation please contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org or call the parish office 831-3565 ext 107.

Are you interested in the Catholic Faith and the process for becoming a Catholic? Are you an adult and want to be confirmed? Are you a Catholic who wishes to learn more about the rich history of our Catholic faith? You may be interested in attending our RCIA classes which begin in late August. Please call the parish office to get signed up for these classes.

Saint Agnes 6/12/24 Saint Agnes 6/12/24

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Faith and freedom go arm in arm. When Europeans first came to the shores of the new world they were looking for a place to worship God freely, to find land to build their lives upon and unfortunately for some, wealth regardless of how they “got” it. Our nation was established with the freedom to worship God. It did take time for the founders of our nation to work that freedom out. All you need to do is read/study the early 100 years of our history. Depending upon what area immigrants found themselves settling, depended upon how free they were to worship God as they chose. Catholic as well as Jewish faiths were in many places persecuted with Catholic Churches, Convents and Schools and Jewish Synagogues burned. Much of that was due to ignorance. Ignorance we continue to see and experience today.

When people do not have the knowledge or understanding of a faith or way of life, many times the result is some form of persecution. As I just returned from my pilgrimage titled, “walking in the footsteps of St. Paul”. I have a greater understanding of the greatness of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. I had studied Paul, studied the growth of the early church, studied the Roman and Greek gods, but there were parts I either slept through, forgot or never learned.

At the time of St. Paul, the Roman Empire was the master of the Mediterranean world and beyond. Paul as a Roman citizen due to his family in the past selling goods (tents) to the Roman soldiers, was able to more freely about during his missionary journeys.

Paul was so often misunderstood because the Roman and Jewish worlds were so different psychologically and culturally. The Roman thought could not believe in only one god who created all things, or from the Greek thought there is no such thing as resurrection.

Even in Paul’s teaching to the Jewish people, most did not accept resurrection or his teaching on the Body and Blood of Jesus. I will continue next week with freedom/religion/and their cost.

Saint Agnes 6/12/24 Saint Agnes 6/12/24

Volunteers Needed

Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri

424 E. Monastery St. Join our garden team on Thursday, June 28, from 8:30 to 10:30 to help tend the garden that feeds the mothers and babies at LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home. This is an excellent opportunity for service and fellowship!

Please call or email Jill Guise at 417-720-4213, jguise@ccsomo.org

Saint Agnes 6/12/24 Saint Agnes 6/12/24

TIME FOR BRUNCH, ANYONE?

Women of Faith group is inviting all ladies of the parish to a brunch at Bev Steelman’s home (625 S. Avenue) on Wednesday, June 19, at 9:15am. Join us for Mass first if you are able. Brunch will follow immediately after. FYI: Bev lives within walking distance of church although you may drive if you choose. Hope to see many of you there. It’s a great way to meet new people!

If you plan to attend please call the office (417-831-3565) so we know how much food to prepare.

Saint Agnes 6/12/24 Saint Agnes 6/12/24

DDF UPDATE

To date our parish has given $108,558.30 toward our 143,645 goal. Thank you! If you have not yet made your pledge, please add your gift, as you’re a able by returning a pledge card. Your participation is a show of support for the diocese.

Across the diocese, $1,590,048 has been pledged toward the $2,950,000 goal. That is 54% of our goal. The diocese thanks you for considering a gift to support diocesan ministries which support your parish, as well.

Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

From the Pastor’s Desk:

Next weekend we will celebrate Father’s Day. It is a day set aside to honor and show respect to our dads or to any man who has guided and cared for us as a father, whether they are here or no longer with us. Father’s Day was first proposed in 1909 by a Mrs. Dodd who wanted a special day to honor her father, a Civil War veteran. He was a widower who raised his newborn and five other children on a rural farm in the state of Washington.

The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. The special day grew across our country so much that, by 1924, President Calvin Coolidge

supported the idea of a national day dedicated to dads. It was, however, President Lyndon Johnson who signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as

Father’s Day.

Being a father means facing many struggles and difficulties. A number of years ago the Catholic Church honored and celebrated St. Joseph the foster father of Jesus. As a father his life was not easy as he found his wife to be with child, a child he knew was not his. Following the birth of Jesus he fled the country with Mary and Jesus for fear of death. He had accepted a hard life as a father.

It is not easy for dads today, going to work, even when you prefer to stay in bed, because you know that your family depends on you. It means disciplining your children so that they might grow up to be mature men and women. It means constantly looking out for your family, making every effort to ensure that they are protected.

Thank God we have a Heavenly Father who does all this and helps the fathers here on earth to do the same. Not a single sparrow falls to the earth without the Heavenly

Father’s consent, says the Gospel; thus, our earthly fathers are under our Heavenly Father’s care and support. God our Father protects and nurtures His children, and makes His family a house of love.

Take some time this weekend to remember your dad, thanking him for all that he has done for you–for all the time he spent on your projects, being with you in many of your school activities, and for providing the examples of faith and love.

Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

TIME FOR BRUNCH, ANYONE?

If you plan to attend please call the office (417-831-3565) so we know how much food to prepare.

Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

LADIES…JOIN US IN A CELEBRATION!

PCCW is inviting all women of the parish to a dinner in honor of Sr. Elizabeth Ann Weiler. She has served our parish for 13 years and is going on now to another adventure in her life story. We want to celebrate and thank her for all she has done for the parish. Join us in the school cafeteria on June 13 at 6:30 (if you can make it to Mass prior to dinner that would be great). Please call the office (417-831-3565) to let us know if you are attending so that we have enough food. It’s going to be a very nice evening.

Saint Agnes 6/7/24 Saint Agnes 6/7/24

DDF UPDATE

To date our parish has given $97,773.30 toward our 143,645 goal. Thank you! If you have not yet made your pledge, please add your gift, as you’re a able by returning a pledge card. Your participation is a show of support for the diocese.

Across the diocese, $1,414,926 has been pledged toward the $2,950,000 goal. That is 48% of our goal. The diocese thanks you for considering a gift to support diocesan ministries which support your parish, as well.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

From the Pastor’s Desk:

This weekend we are celebrating Trinity Sunday. The origins of the celebration of Trinity Sunday go all the way back to the fourth century. Arius, a Catholic priest, believed that Jesus Christ was a created being rather than God, resulting in one of the first heresies of the early church, Arianism.

In denying the divinity of Christ, Arius denied that there are three Persons in God. Athanasius one of early church theologians was Arius' chief opponent. He upheld the orthodox doctrine that there are three Persons in one God, and the orthodox view prevailed at the Council of Nicaea. Every Sunday we pray the Nicene Creed which contains our belief in the Holy Trinity.

Also to stress the doctrine of the Trinity, other Fathers of the Church, such as St. Ephrem composed prayers and hymns that were recited in the Church's liturgies and on Sundays as part of the Divine Office, the official prayer of the Church. Eventually, a special version of this office began to be celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost, and the Church in England, at the request of St. Thomas à Becket in 1160s, was granted permission to celebrate Trinity Sunday. The celebration of Trinity Sunday was extended to the entire Church during the pontificate of Pope John XXII 1316-34.

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit reveals himself to the human race.

June will become a stressful time for many of the parishes and priests of the diocese as they prepare for priest transfers. People many times have asked me, “Why does the bishop move priests around?” There are a variety of reasons. Our newly ordained priests need at least two assignments working with two different pastors as they prepare to become pastors on their own. Also it is healthy for both pastors and parishes, because priests do not meet the needs of everyone in the parish. This year is also difficult in our Diocese due to the Claretians Fathers are leaving the Diocese, along with several of the priests from India and those parishes need to be staffed with priests. These are some of the reasons St. Agnes Cathedral will not have an Associate Pastor in the near future. Please keep all those priests and parishes who are being affected by the changes in your/our prayers.

The Parish picnic will be Sunday June 23rd after the 5 pm Mass, join us for food, games and plenty of fun.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

TIME FOR BRUNCH, ANYONE?

If you plan to attend please call the office (417-831-3565) so we know how much food to prepare.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

LADIES…JOIN US IN A CELEBRATION!

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

GARAGE SALE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We will begin pricing, organizing, and sorting for the garage sale. We begin on Tues, May 28th- Wed, June 5th. We will offer two shifts 8:00 AM-10:00 AM and 6:00 PM-8:00 PM in the evening. We will not work on Sundays. We appreciate any amount of time that you can donate at the sale. For high school youth, this is a great opportunity to earn service hours for the upcoming school year. If you have questions or would like to sign up, please call the parish office at 417-831-3565 You can also email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org to sign up or gain additional information.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

ANNUAL PARISH GARAGE SALE

Drop off dates will begin after the 5:00 PM on Sat, May 25th, after the 8:00 AM & 11:30 AM Masses on Sun, May 26th. Please bring your items to the St. Agnes gym. We will also have drop offs after the Masses on Sat, June 1st and Sunday June 2nd. We appreciate all of the items, but we do ask that you do not donate old tires, tv's, computers, clothing and non working appliances. We will accept purses and shoes. We also request that you double check items so that they are clean. We thank you for your generosity of donations and of your time. Proceeds from this event will go to the building of our parish center. Please check our Facebook page and the bulletin for additional information. You can also email Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org to sign up or gain additional information.

Saint Agnes 5/20/24 Saint Agnes 5/20/24

ANNUAL PARISH GARAGE SALE

Plans are being made for the annual parish garage sale! The dates are set for June 6th, 7th and 8th and it will be held in the St. Agnes gym. The garage sale could not happen without the cooperation of so many in our parish. Volunteers are needed at all stages of the event, set up, marking and organization of the donated items. If you feel that you can help, please call the parish office to sign up. Whether you donate 2 hours of your time or more, you are appreciated. Please leave your phone number or email address when you call.

Saint Agnes 5/8/24 Saint Agnes 5/8/24

From the Pastor’s Desk

The month of May is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. May from the earliest days of the Church has held Mary with a special devotion. Beginning at the end of the 13th century the Catholic Church has emphasized the month of May as a time of honor and devotion. The month of May is part of the Easter Season, between Easter and Pentecost. In 1945, Pope Pius XII established the feast of the Queenship of Mary on May 31, solidifying May as a Marian month.

Our Vietnamese Community here at St. Agnes holds Mary in the highest regard due to her protection through her son, Jesus Christ during the persecution in Vietnam in 1798 in which over 100,000 was killed.

The association of Mary with flowers has been a part of the liturgy for many centuries. Mary is often shown with flower imagery which comes from books of the Bible, in the form of Canticles found in Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach. This symbolism emphasizes her purity, beauty and spiritual blossoming. Hopefully this will help us to understand our Vietnamese Community use of flowers during the Month of May in honoring Mary.

This weekend as we remember our mothers, whether living or deceased, remember them in prayer. The flowers are nice, taking them out to lunch or dinner is great, but remember them in prayer. Our mothers spent countless hours in prayer for each of us. The nights they stayed awake until we walked in the back door. All the chauffeuring to music events, sporting events, to the pool, to the movies, you name it, our mothers did it out of love. So spend some time in prayer for them, because God knows how much prayer our mothers have sent heavenward for us, their sons and daughters.

This coming Tuesday evening we will celebrate the 2024 Graduation Mass for St. Agnes Cathedral Grade School. My prayers are with each of the graduates as they end one part of their lives to begin another. I thank their parents who entrusted their children for us to teach, coach, but especially to help guide them in their spiritual growth

Saint Agnes 5/8/24 Saint Agnes 5/8/24

AFTER 13 ½ YEARS

I have decided to complete my ministry here at St Agnes Cathedral at the end of June so that I can move back to IL where most of the Sisters of my community live. Though in my 64 years as a vowed Adorer of the Blood of Christ, I have worked at 8 schools, 4 hospitals, a hospice, a home for mentally challenged men and 3 parishes this will be the most difficult change of my life for several reasons. I am grateful for the opportunity that I have had to get to know many of you and hope to keep in touch. Thank you for your goodness to me. Pray for me as I will for you. Sister Elizabeth Ann Weiler, ASC