Easter Egg Time!
Hard to believe it is that time of year again when we are asking for donations of eggs for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Please bring wrapped candy to fill eggs or already filled eggs to the parish office. We will also recycle those previously used plastic eggs.
AREA LENTEN PENANCE SERVICES
March 24, 7 pm St Agnes Cathedral, Springfield
March 30, 3 pm Our Lady of the Cove, Kimberling City
April 1, 7 pm St. Joseph the Worker, Ozark
April 6, 3 pm Our Lady of the Lake, Branson
April 7, 7 pm SEAS, Springfield
April 10, 7 pm St. Joseph, Springfield
Springfield Catholic High School's spring play is "Done to Death." It is a murder mystery/comedy! The shows are April 4 and 5 at 7:00 PM and April 6 at 2:00 PM. Scan the QR Code for ticket information!
From the Pastor’s Desk
Last weekend, 11 young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Rice here at St. Agnes Cathedral. They began their preparation in August and it was one of choice, commitment, witness, and ministry. The candidates were asked over the months to take a good hard look at their practice of their faith life, to participate in the sacramental classes, perform apostolic works and make their own decision to ask for the sacrament. After meeting with each candidate for 15-20 minutes I happily recommended these candidates to our bishop. I celebrate and congratulate all those young people who took the time of preparation prayerfully and seri-ously.
The Sacrament of Confirmation is a special event in the life of an individual Catholic and the entire parish family. It’s call and grace confirm discipleship. The fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit help to form the Christian more fully in the image of Jesus Christ. We may use the term, an adult Catholic, within the Church with all the responsibilities that parents had accepted when they asked to have their son or daughter baptized. Thus Vatican II decreed that the rite of the sacrament be revised, that those receiving the sacrament be fully educated so that it’s connection with the whole church and the Rite of Christian Initiation be understood. Confirmation is the third and final Sacrament of Initiation (Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation).
As early as the 7th Century, the post baptismal anointing with Sacred Chrism by the bishop became the regular practice in the West-ern Roman Catholic Church. Medieval theologians saw Confirmation as a gift of the Holy Spirit for the strengthening of the candi-date’s inner life and social witness.
By the 16th century, the general practice after the Tridentine reforms was to confirm, as an affirmation or public profession, the bap-tismal commitment that had been made by parents and godparents at the time of Baptism.
Following Vatican II, two major understandings and approaches to the sacrament of Confirmation became accepted. The im-portance of Confirmation as a part of the RCIA with the Easter Vigil, and the maturity model as a person becomes more active within the Church, using their gifts and talents for the building up of God’s Kingdom by asking for the fullness of the Holy Spirit in one’s life.
Please Join us for our Lenten Penance Service March 24 at 7 pm
Easter Egg Time!
Hard to believe it is that time of year again when we are asking for donations of eggs for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Please bring wrapped candy to fill eggs or already filled eggs to the parish office. We will also recycle those previously used plastic eggs.
AREA LENTEN PENANCE SERVICES
March 17. 18, 19, 6 pm Holy Trinity, Springfield
March 24, 7 pm St Agnes Cathedral, Springfield
March 30, 3 pm Our Lady of the Cove, Kimberling City
April 1, 7 pm St. Joseph the Worker, Ozark
April 6, 3 pm Our Lady of the Lake, Branson
April 7, 7 pm SEAS, Springfield
April 10, 7 pm St. Joseph, Springfield
Congratulations
to our young people who were confirmed on Saturday, March 8th during the 5:00 PM Mass. The following young people were confirmed by Bishop Rice: Marianela Abril, Nicholas Johnson, Terrence Keohane, Danny Nguyen, Kay Nguyen, Rocco Palazzzolo, Ezekiel Perches, Cindy Truong, Kayla Truong, Fina Wilke & Thomas Wright. A very special thank you to families, sponsors and all those who supported these young people during the journey to Confirmation. We also acknowledge our catechists who helped in this process, Troy Cronkhite, Rosemary Driscoll, Genevieve Otradovec, Barb Horras and Kerri Le. We thank our musicians who helped to make the Mass a beautiful celebration. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they continue on their faith journey.
From the Pastor’s Desk
The whole world seems to be in some sense hurting. The continuing war of aggression against the country of the Ukraine, the ongoing war in Gaza, therein the terrorism on every continent, hunger, human trafficking, all types of disease, weather related disasters. The list can go on and on. Jesus did not sugar coat things or pretend everything would be just fine. He led by example. His life was one of rejection, ridicule, suffering and a horrible death. For hundreds of years Christians have offered up everything that happens in their day: the joys and suffering, offering to God as a prayer.
God’s ways are not our ways and suffering reminds us of that more than anything else. We live in a culture that despises any type of pain and suffering. Thus we have pain relievers that are constantly being given to us in the form of pills, products, experiences. Anything that can help us to avoid suffering is on the market. The secular world cannot make sense of suffering because it views suffering as worthless. Jesus’ suffering had tremendous value and as His disciples our suffering is somehow connected to his suffering in ways we will never fully understand in this lifetime. Suffering is a part of life. In my homily last weekend, I called it “loss”. Like so many things in life that we have little or no control over, how we respond to suffering makes a huge difference.
Once we come to the understanding of the inevitable sufferings of life, offering it to God as a prayer for ourselves and for others. We become filled with a deep and abiding peace. Since the dawn of Christianity the Church Fathers, the heroes, champions and saints of Christianity have been meditating on the passion and death of Jesus Christ. The world changed that Friday afternoon when Jesus gave up His life upon the cross.
Jesus was very clear in the Gospel when He told His disciples, “If you want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” As we begin the Lenten Season let our prayer be, Jesus, teach me to embrace the unavoidable suffering of life, and keep me ever mindful of those who suffer more than I do. May the Church and our country help those who are suffering?
ST. AGNES FAMILY SMALL GROUP
Join us to talk about God and the Mass. We will meet in the preschool room every Sunday of Lent directly after the 11:30 am Mass. Feel free to bring your own snacks and/or lunch for your family. The kids can play and the parents can talk!
We welcome the following families to St. Agnes Parish:
Eric Gibbs and Michelle LaPointe
Ana Lohmiller
John, Mary Ann, Cole and Jacob Dobbs
Taylor, Stephanie, Angelina, and Giovanna Newton
Evelyn Tippie
Noah Harrison
Salvador, Bethany and Santiago Barron
Edward, Cassandra, Derek and Dane Simek
Alexander Clavijo-Bejarano, Linda Fajardo, Linda Clavijo-Fajardo, Prisca Fajardo, and Jeff Clavlio-Fajardo
Michael, Jennifer, George, Liam, Hazel, Alice, Edward, Andrew, and Louis Dwyer
Jacob, Heather, and Isaiah Dorsett
MARCH FOR LIFE
The annual state-wide March for Life in Jefferson City to raise awareness of the sanctity of life and to let our elected officials know we want them to work on upholding the dignity of life in all its stages will be Thu., May 01, 2025. T-shirts are available to purchase for $8, to guarantee a shirt, you must register by April 1, 2025! Registration is now open to order T-shirts and to ride the chartered bus from Springfield, For more information, please contact Sharon Ostendorf, Office of Respect Life, at sostendorf@dioscg.org or (417) 866-0841. Additional information may also be found at https://midwestmarchforlife.com
From the Pastor’s Desk:
Beginning this Sunday January 26, Catholic Schools across the United States are celebrating National Catholic Schools Week. It is a week set aside each year to celebrate Catholic School and the ministry they perform in educating young people in the Catholic Faith, in Christian morality and in providing academic excellence.
The first Catholic school that opened in the United State was called St. Mary’s School in Philadelphia, in 1783. It took years before the curiosity for Catholic education grew. The number of Catholic schools grew as the massive inflow of Catholics from all over the world began in the late 1800s. By the 1920s, more than 6,000 Catholic elementary schools accepted and enrolled almost two million students and employed 42,000 teachers. By the latter half of that century, enrollment grew, even more, reaching double the number of students. Ever since Catholic schools have been widely perceived and established as a viable means of education.
The theme this year 2025, is Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community. Each of our Catholic schools, will host Masses on a daily basis as normal, several different assembles, events and other activities for the students, families, parishioners to join in the celebration. Our Catholic schools are an important part of our parishes.
Sunday January 26 the 11:30 liturgy will be led by St. Agnes students, who will also handout bookmarks they have made. On Tuesday as we celebrate community, donation to Life House needs, and community builder games led by STUCO. Tuesday will feature trips of the movies and special treats provided by Home & School. Wednesday is a Color Guard presentation with First Responders and St. Agnes Open House. A special prayer time for Vocations, along with vocation/job dress up day. On Friday will be a special lunch for Faculty & Staff, along with dress as your teacher day.
National Catholic Schools Week is a celebration for everyone. Come and celebrate with us.
Safe Environment Requirements for all diocesan personnel—clergy, employees, and adult volunteers
The mission and ministry of creating a safe environment for all to flourish and thrive is a responsibility we each share. Before regularly working or volunteering with minors or vulnerable adults, all diocesan personnel (clergy, employees and adult volunteers) are required to first complete:
the Safe Environment Training;
a Background Screening; and,
a current, signed Code of Conduct.
The Safe Environment training is available Online after creating an account in the VIRTUS system, through the VIRTUS Website: https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/.
The Code of Conduct is required annually and is made available at the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1, and expires December 31 the following year.
The Background Screening Application is now accessed through the VIRTUS account. These forms and the Safe Environment Policies are available on the diocesan Website, under the Office of Child and Youth Protection at https://dioscg.org/child-youth-protection/. Questions about these requirements may be directed to the Office of Child and Youth Protection at (417) 866-0841 or by Email: childandyouthprotection@dioscg.org.
7 DAYS of PRAYER for HEALING from ABUSE
The 7 Days of Prayer for Healing from Abuse prayer guide was created by a local priest with the hope and intention of bringing healing and peace. Pamphlets have been created with the prayer model and are available from the Office of Child & Youth Protection and available to download from the diocesan Website at https://dioscg.org/healing-prayers/
CAMP RENEWAL Registration
Registrations are currently being accepted for Camp Renewal Summer 2025! Camp Renewal is open to youth who will be entering 5th through 9th grade. For those entering 10th, 11th and 12th grades and adults, there is a need for volunteers. Please complete the online registration as soon as possible. Parents must sign the online registration. Deadline for Camper application is April 18th, 2025. You can obtain more information by picking up a brochure in the vestibule of St. Agnes Cathedral, in the parish office or in the school. You can also register online by going to https://dioscg.formstack.com/forms/camp re new all
FIRST EUCHARIST
Families with children who are preparing to receive their First Eucharist should plan to attend an informational session on Sunday, Feb 2nd at 10:15 in the Upper Conference Room of the school. Following the session, the young people preparing for Eucharist will attend a Mass of commitment at the 11:30 Mass in the Cathedral. If families have questions or need resources, please contact iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org.
From the Pastor’s Desk
This weekend we celebrate Epiphany, it comes from a Greek word meaning “Manifestation”, “striking appearance” or “Vision of God”. Within the Roman Catholic Church we celebrate it as the revelation of the Son of God as human in Jesus Christ. The normal, traditional date for the feast is January 6th, however it is moved this year to the Sunday January the 5th. The date is not as important as it is celebrated the 2nd Sunday after Christmas.
The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated by both the Eastern and Western Catholic Churches. Within the Roman Catholic Church the feast mostly celebrates the coming of the Magi with only a minor reference to the Baptism of Jesus and the miracle at the Wedding at Cana. The Eastern Church celebrates the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. Regardless both traditions are celebrating within the feast, the manifestation of Christ to the nations.
Again depending on what day of the week that Christmas falls, depends when the Christmas Season within the Roman Catholic Church ends. This year due to Christmas being celebrated on Wednesday, means that the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated immediately after Epiphany on Sunday January the 12th and Ordinary Time begins the following day January 13. As I wrote at the beginning of Advent, it would be a short Advent Season and a short Christmas Season.
On January 13th we begin the first week of Ordinary Time and continue for seven weeks until March 5th when Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. For those who follow the weekly scripture readings, we began at the first of Advent Sunday Readings in Year C, the weekday readings are from Cycle 1. There are for Sundays a three year cycle; A, B and C. The weekday are only a 2 year cycle, but during the three years the Roman Catholic Church reads a great amount of the Bible.
Hopefully this helps to explain some of how the Church liturgy is celebrated. Again I want to thank everyone who had helped in the decorating the church and in all the ministries during the Advent and Christmas Seasons. Our Christmas was truly spiritual liturgies.
VIETNAMESE 1st RECONCILIATION
Please keep our 1st Reconciliation recipients in your prayers as they continue their faith journey. Bronwyn Barge, Gigi Dinh, Lilian Nguyen, Jakob Nguyen, Mikai Nguyen, Kylie Nguyen, Sullivan Tran, Nhi Ai Nguyen, Leah Nguyen, Emily Vo, Chloe Vu, Cedric Tran
Thank You, Thank you, Thank you!
A HUGE thank you to all who participated in our Jesse Tree Project! The generosity of all who participated was overwhelming! So many people came forward with gifts and donations! We took boxes and boxes of items to LifeHouse, Sammy's Window, Sacred Heart Men's Shelter and Grace United Methodist Church Women's Shelter. The parishioners of St. Agnes Cathedral are so very generous. These organizations will benefit not only during the Christmas season, but also into 2025. A huge thank you to several people who helped in the delivery of these items too. Thanks to Irene Francka, Doris Mantei and to Connie McNabb.
CATHOLIC MEN'S CONFERENCE
Join hundreds of men for a day of life-changing inspiration at the 6th annual Catholic Men’s Conference on Sat., Feb. 22, 2025, at Springfield Catholic High School. This year’s event will motivate men to take concrete steps in building authentic friendships and strengthening our parish communities. Keynote speaker John Edwards will share his passionate testimony of transformation, along with the secret to building bonds of brotherhood. This will be the launch of a new grassroots movement in our diocese, so don’t miss out! The day begins at 8:00 a.m. with Holy Mass, celebrated by Bishop Edward Rice. Additional information may be found at https://catholicconference.men/events/2025/
From the Pastor’s Desk:
The earliest record of the observing of the birth of Christ on December 25, is 180 A. D. in Egypt. For the first 200 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, there was little interest about when he was born. There was no one around taking notes as to the exact date that Jesus was born. The references to the birth of Jesus being celebrated on December 25th appeared in Antioch in the middle of the 2nd century. The early church placed the most emphasis on the day people died, not on their birth. The saints were remembered on the anniversaries of their deaths, when the soul entered heaven. But by the early third century the view of birthdays began to change.
The Christians were still being persecuted by the Roman Empire and it was not until the Council of Tours in 567, that the Season of Advent as a time of special preparation and grace for the birth of Jesus was established. It was also at this time that the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany was set as a sacred, festive season.
Most historians agree that the Western Roman Catholic Church chose December 25 as the day to honor the birth of Jesus Christ as it was competing for followers with the popular pagan Roman god, Mithras. Once the December date was set, the church forbade any feasting or merrymaking by pagans on that day in order to disassociate Christmas from the pagan holidays.
As Christmas began to be celebrated, it was exclusively a sacred holiday. However, secular traditions refused to die and over the years Christians began exchanging gifts and celebrating during the Christmas Season. By the Middle Ages the Church gave into people and their local traditions and December 25 became the most popular holiday of the year, with religious meaning and secular traditions.
In the New England colonies the Puritans considered Christmas customs as sacrilegious since they had no basis in scripture. During the late 1600’s and for the next 350 years each wave of immigrants have brought their own unique Christmas customs to the United States. It wasn’t however until the great wave of German immigrants came in the nineteenth century that many of our major Christmas customs began to flourish on a large scale.
Let all the beauty, all the traditions from around the world, lead us to the manger and the new born Christ Child. Have a blessed and safe Christmas Season. Thank you for all your cards and gifts this Christmas Season.