From the Pastor’s Desk:
Dear Parishioners,
Change and believe the good news. The New Testament Greek word for conversion is Metanoia, which means “a change of heart,” or “an act of repentance.” You might be surprised at how infrequently conversion is used in the Gospels. John’s Gospel never mentions it. Mark uses the word only three times, and Matthew, seven times. Only Luke uses the word with frequency, some fourteen times. Yet the concept of conversion certainly lies at the heart of Jesus’ message in all the Gospels. “This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the good news!”
This is the theme of the Lenten season. At the root of any act of conversion is change. Heeding the message of Jesus
involves a change of mind, a change of heart, and a change of behavior. Christian conversion always moves a person beyond their present state and into a new and vital relationship with God. Conversion cannot be limited to a dramatic, once-in-a-lifetime, “born again” experience. Christian conversion is more often the gradual process of God’s grace transforming our lives. It
entails being born again and again and again… Here are some of the basic features of Christian conversion:
*Conversion is an act of God’s grace. God initiates the process and we are invited to respond.
*Conversion is a movement from sin, darkness, and blindness toward God, light, and sight.
*Conversion is a personal encounter with Jesus Christ which radically transforms the way we think, speak, and live.
*Conversion is an ongoing process which begins with Baptism but which requires constant surrender to God’s will.
*Conversion changes the whole person, with an internal (attitudinal) and external (behavioral) change in life.
*Conversion results in tremendous joy and a desire to share the good news with others.
Lent is a perfect time for each of us to move closer to God. It is a time for us to move away from sin, toward God. The
best way to begin our conversion is to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to live a better life based upon Jesus’
teachings found in the Gospels.
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St. Agnes Penance Service
Tuesday, March 17, 7 p.m.
PLEASE DONATE CANDY & EGGS
PLEASE DONATE CANDY & EGGS
Our annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place at St. Agnes on Easter morning.
We are asking for donations of wrapped candy so our youth can fill the plastic Easter Eggs. If you would like to donate wrapped candy or Easter Eggs, please bring them to the parish office before March 22, when our youth will fill the Easter Eggs.
Please join us Sunday, March 22, after the 11:30 a.m. Mass
in the cafeteria to help fill the eggs for the Easter egg hunt. Becky Wieberg
will provide pizza, snacks, and drinks for those who help. This is a great way for our youth to earn a couple of service hours. Thank you so much for helping with this fun project for our families and little ones of the parish!
ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT CONTINUES!
This annual event will be held Easter Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m.
on the school soccer field. Come bring the entire family and meet the
Easter Bunny. Don’t be late!
Special Collection for The Mirror
Our invoice for The Mirror has arrived! The total invoice this year is $7,264.00. So far, parishioners have contributed $1,868.00 toward the bill. Every registered family at St. Agnes receives a subscription, which is $14.
Please use the contribution envelope or via electronic donation and, if possible, perhaps consider contributing an additional subscription to cover for a parishioner who is unable to contribute.
Bishop’s Mass for Catholic Charities
You are invited to celebrate a special Mass for Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, lead by Bishop Rice at 9 AM March 28 at Holy Trinity Church, Springfield.
This Lenten Season, please keep Catholic Charities’ clients, volunteers, and staff in your prayers.
Please prayerfully consider Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri in your Lenten Almsgiving.
Thank you for Reaching Out, Providing Hope, and Changing Lives!
From the Pastor’s Desk:
Dear Parishioners,
“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” With the words spoken on Ash Wednesday, the Church invites us all to begin a three-month spiritual renewal program. It is a program to remove the dust and rubble by the remembrance that we came from dust and rubble and will once again become dust, regardless of who we are. These are the weeks of Lent themselves. The next part of the program is the celebration of the event that took place in the darkness of the night, three days after the death of the Son of God.
So there are a total of 90 days—three full months that the Church has set aside for this program. That is
one fourth of the year for all of us to be renewed in Christ. Let us remember that it was through His suffering and cross that Jesus entered His glory. We are invited to die to ourselves and our sinful habits to be renewed
in the Lord.
Lent provides us with a time of self-evaluation. Have I/we been faithful to my/our baptismal promises
of rejecting evil and living in Jesus’ friendship? In the Ash Wednesday Gospel reading from the sixth chapter of Matthew, we have the means of living and walking in the footsteps of Jesus’s friendship through PRAYER,
FASTING, and ALMSGIVING (in other words, helping those less fortunate than ourselves).
Lent is our chance to let God restore what time, sin, and neglect have covered. It’s quiet work that takes place in our hearts, in chambers of prayer, and through humble acts of love.
Our Lenten Alms boxes are at the doors of our church. Drop something in a box each week—by giving up something—that candy bar, ice cream, glass of wine, expensive coffee, etc.
Congratulations!
Newly Confirmed:
Ruth Brandel
Vy Bui
Forest Coletrain
Quyen Doan
Logan David Dusenberry
Cinecio Duarte
Aethan Shaun Guirey
Kathyrn Ann Hartman
Zion Hauschildt
Oskar Hawkins
Jonathan Kuria
Avery Lassen
Sophia Le
Van Le
Vy Le
Evelyn Moellering
Gibson Morris
Thien Nguyen
Brian Nwodo
Jaden Phan
Reagan Soetaert
Kendall Stuhlsatz
Greyson Tetlow
Annie Thieman
Brooks Thieman
Calvin Tran
Nicky Truong
Georgia Verbarg
Vincent Wellever
Kylia Wise
Adults:
Heather Dorsett
Matthew King
Michael Klem
Stephanie Newton
Oanh Pham
Jorge D. Torres
Special Collection for The Mirror
Our invoice for The Mirror has arrived! The total invoice this year is $7,264.00. So far, parishioners have contributed $1,784.00 toward the bill. Every registered family at St. Agnes receives a subscription, which is $14.
Please use the contribution envelope or via electronic donation and, if possible, perhaps consider contributing an additional subscription to cover for a parishioner who is unable to contribute.
Reconciliation Services
Our Lady of the Lake, Branson
Sun, March 8 - 3 PM
St. Francis of Assisi, Nixa
Mon, March 9 - 7 PM
St. Joseph the Worker, Ozark
Tues, March 10 - 7 PM
Our Lady of the Cove
Kimberling City
Sun, March 15 - 3 PM
Immaculate Conception
Sun, March 15 - 4 PM
St. Agnes Cathedral
Tues, March 17 - 7 PM
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Mon., March 23 - 7 PM
Holy Trinity Church
Tues, March 24 - 7 PM
St. Joseph Church, Springfield
Thurs, March 26 - 7 PM
From the Pastor’s desk
Dear Parishioners,
This Wednesday begins the 40-day Season of Lent. It is to be a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the evening Mass on Holy Thursday. It is a period of preparation to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. There are many ways we can prepare, including read Sacred Scripture, use our Lenten Book which the parish provides, come to the Stations of the Cross, come to a weekday Mass, and give alms to a particular need beyond the Sunday gift to the parish. Perhaps fasting is the hardest—practicing self-control in eating,
drinking alcohol.
For centuries, the Church has asked us to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. For me, that is not much of a sacrifice since I like all types of fish. Abstaining from meat is more of a discipline. We do not like to be told not to do something.
The giving of alms is one way to share the gifts God has given to us. Alms can mean more than sharing our money. We can also share our talents and the gift of time. In our fast-paced world, time is the most precious gift we can give to another.
Penance is something that we Americans do not like to hear about. We look at it as a punishment. That is a
misconception. Penance is an action that is to be used to help us look deep within ourselves and change ourselves to
become more like Christ. In our penance, we are to pay more attention to God and the things of God. During the Lenten Season, celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In the past, people thought of Lent as a personal retreat: forty days to get in spiritual shape by Easter. The opening prayer of the liturgy on Ash Wednesday clearly spells out the proper meaning of the Season of Lent: “O Lord, as we begin with holy fasting, may we take up battle against spiritual evils, armed with weapons of self-restraint.” If we make the Lenten journey with open hearts and minds, we will arrive at the tomb and see that it is surrounded by the light of the resurrected Christ.
From the Pastor’s Desk
Dear Parishioners,
The Season of Advent has a two-fold character. It is a time of preparation for Christmas, a time for us to remember and celebrate the birth of the Son of God almost 2,000 years ago. It is also a season when our minds are directed by the scripture readings that Christ’s second coming is in our future. It is a season of joyful and spiritual expectation. For some, it might even be a season of fear as we read and study the scriptures.
With the scriptures, there is an added push that we look toward the second coming of Christ. From December 17th through the 24th, the prayers at Mass prepare us more directly for the celebration of Christmas. Advent’s general atmosphere could be described, as I said in my homily last weekend, as preparation, expectation, and anticipation.
On December 17, we begin our Christmas Novena. A novena is a special prayer form. It originally comes from the word novem which means 9, and, in this context, 9 days of prayer. A novena is a religious celebration which falls into 1 of 4 types. There is a novena of mourning, a novena of preparation, a novena of preparation, or a novena of seeking mercy. The novena we begin on Wednesday is of preparation.
Our Novena was written by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood located in O’Fallon, Missouri in 1980. Instead of 9 days, it is a novena of 7 days of preparation titled, MARANATHA, Preparation for Christmas. As a Christmas Novena, the sisters wrote it as a nighttime candlelight service, to which I have added the white lights of our Christmas decorations.
The novena is comprised of music, petitions, psalms from the Old Testament, prophecies concerning the Messiah, Canticles, and Scripture Reading, all in the prayer of Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction. The Novena each evening is between 25 and 30 minutes in length and is a beautiful spiritual way to prepare for the Birth of Christ.
I am inviting all of our Eucharistic Ministers and those who would like to be Eucharistic Ministers to the Novena
on December 18, followed by a special gathering and updating coming from the Liturgical Office of the Diocese in the Dining Room.
On December 22, I am inviting Lectors, Ushers, and Greeters to the Novena on December 22, followed by a special gathering and updating in the Dining Room.
A Season of Gratitude & Giving
As we reflet on the blessings of this year, we are reminded of the incredible work God has done through our St. Agnes Parish. Your generosity has helped us serve our parish and community, support our capital campaign for our new Parish Hall, and grow together in faith. Thank you for being a vital part of this journey!
As the year comes to a close, we invite you to prayerfully consider making an end-of-year gift to support the continued work of our ministry. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a meaningful impact and helps us prepare for the opportunities God has in store for the coming year.
You can give in person, online, or by mail.
For more details, please scan the QR code, visit
www.sta-cathedral.org, or contact Connie McNabb,
cmcnabb@sta-cathedral.org or 417-831-3565 x720.
Together, let’s finish the year strong and
step into the new year with faith and purpose.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BREAKFAST
SUNDAY, DEC. 21
After 8:00 a.m. Mass
in the Cafeteria
Hot fluffy pancakes & syrup,
eggs, sausage, fruit, juice
Bring the whole family!
Area penance services
Our Lady of the Lake
Sun., Dec. 14 - 3 pm
St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton
Mon., Dec. 15 - 7 pm
St. Joseph the Worker, Ozark
Tues., Dec. 16 - 7 pm
Holy Trinity
Thurs., Dec. 18 - 7 pm
Dear Parishioners,
Our Christian morality comes from several sources—the New Testament, especially St. Paul, Church teachings and traditions,
and the Old Testament. Within the Old Testament are found the Ten Commandments and God doesn’t mince words. When I hear the confessions of children, I can almost always tell them what they are going to say, especially if they are young people. “Bless me,
Father, for I have sinned. I talked back to my parents, hit my brother/sister, and I lied.” These are the basic sins that small children
commit. Our Christian morality is to teach and guide them that they are offending God and others.
I can no longer be silent as lies are told by government leaders. How can we teach that it is a sin to lie if lies are openly told
on the news by government leaders? On Mon., Oct. 6, it was said that Portland, Oregon, was burning! My niece and family live in
Portland, and she didn’t know that her home city was burning—because it wasn’t. A small example, but lies are constant. Lies and
exaggeration hurt people, and reputations are ruined, as we have seen here in Springfield in recent weeks. There is a reason God gave us the eighth Commandment. When you break it once and then again, it becomes easier, until it becomes such a habit that you can no longer know the difference. I stress that over and over with our young people.
Since I have studied so much of history, there is a quote that I often use from George Santayana, a Spanish-American
philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist: “People who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.” He suggests that by studying
the past (history), individuals and societies can avoid repeating the same errors, make more informed decisions in the present
age, and avoid repetition of past mistakes.
Over the past weeks, the Holy Father has been calling for the humane treatment of immigrants. In speaking with journalists on Sept. 30, Pope Leo XIV said, “Someone who says I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhumane treatment of
immigrants, I don’t know if that’s prolife.”
Maybe I am too old fashioned or too much of a student of history, but nighttime raids into homes of people by masked men
carrying guns, breaking down doors, and taking people away while leaving children crying for their parents seems inhumane to me.
I close with a quote from St. Mother Teresa: “The greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion, which is war against the child. The mother doesn’t learn to love, but kills to solve her own problems. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want.”
Her prophecy has come true. In the last ten years, there have been 431 school shootings, most did not result in death, but the intent was present when you aim a gun. Students, teachers, and administrators have been shot and killed.
Mark Your Calendar!
Saturday, Nov. 1 - 9 am - 4 pm
Sunday, Nov. 2 - 8:30 am - 1pm
Catholic Center Gym
• Wide Variety of Vendors
• Fr. Lewis and parishioners will also have
some beautiful items for sale!
• Raffle Baskets
• Senior Bake Sale
• Sunday Morning Coffee & Donuts
• St. Agnes students who attend will receive
an Out-of-Uniform pass!
______________________________________________
¨ Seeking Donations of Baked Goods
The Senior Bake Sale will offer lots of
sweet-tooth satisfying treats!
We do hope that many of you will bake something
to donate and then come buy someone else’s goodies!
OCIA for Children!
Our Faith formation program will be offering an OCIA program for young people in grades 4-7. We will help our young people who may need the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, and Eucharist. This will be an
age-appropriate class using a special curriculum and resources geared to help these students as they learn about the Catholic faith and study to prepare for receiving the sacraments.
The class will meet every other Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in St. Agnes School.
For more information, please contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org.
Springfield Catholic Cemetery Board
has announced a capital campaign to address drainage issues, road repair and regular maintenance with a goal of $165,000. Anyone who has a loved one at the cemetery or those planning to use Resurrection or St. Mary's in the future are encouraged to support the Capital Campaign with a donation, which can be made at https://dioscg.org/springfield-catholic-cemetery/ or by calling Russ Koeneman at 417-866-6720 or
catholiccemeteriesofspringfield@outlook.com.
Dear Parishioners,
Our faith teaches that when God chose to be born of the Virgin Mary, the physical Incarnation event changed and uplifted our human nature forever. Jesus from the beginning of his life took to himself everything we experience about being
human. This means that Jesus experienced and felt all the emotions and desires, except sin, that you and I experience. The other side is that we are able to love and experience on a higher human level than those who lived before the Incarnation.
Sadly, society is choosing to no longer follow the teachings of Christ. We have seen before in history what happens when modern, educated societies begin to turn inwardly, thinking only of themselves, excluding all those who do not think the same, or those who look different, or pray differently. Within just two decades Germany, which was an enlightened,
technological country of the time, turned to an individual who became their messiah and promised the people the world.
Our country has been given so much by God, which also means we have a God-given duty to look out for others. If we want our country to go back into isolation of the early 1900s, the world will be a much more dangerous and evil place.
Our own country will no longer be a beacon of God’s love to the world.
Today in our country, on the streets of our own city, we see people speeding and driving recklessly with little regard for others. Almost weekly there is some type of shooting in our country because someone does not agree with the religious
practices or with the politics of a particular individual.
Prayer, whether in schools, government meetings, even in churches, means nothing if we do not practice the love and
mercy that Jesus teaches. St. Paul, in his letters to the Christian communities he founded, constantly wrote about caring
for others. In Luke’s Gospel on this past Thursday, Jesus presented the principles of Godly conduct: mercy and
forgiveness, unconditional giving, and to avoid judgment and condemnation.
CONFIRMATION UPDATE
Families: If you have a student who will be entering 8th grade and above and who is planning to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in February 2026, and if you missed the informational session on Sunday, Sept. 14, please contact the parish office to make certain your young person will be signed up. The session included information on curriculum, class schedule, choosing a sponsor, retreat information, and much more. The current Confirmation session will be held Sunday, Sept. 21, at 12:30 p.m. in the school library. If you have questions about Confirmation, please contact Iris at ibounds@sta-cathedral.org
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
ST. AGNES ANNUAL HOLIDAY MARKET
St. Agnes Annual Holiday Market will be held Nov. 1-2 at the Catholic Center Gym. Wide variety of vendors. Hope to see you there!