rev. rayappa konka pastor susan flohr pastoral minister
TRANSCRIPT
Rev. Rayappa Konka
Pastor
Susan Flohr
Pastoral Minister
Mass Schedule:
(October - May)
Saturday: 4:00 pm
Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 am
(June - September)
Saturday 6:00 pm
Sunday: 8:00 & 10:00 am
Mon, Tues, Wed, Friday 7 am
Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays one hour prior to evening
Mass or by appointment (632-2541)
Sacrament of Baptism Please call the Parish Office
Parish Office Hours:
Tuesday-Friday, 9am - Noon
& 1pm - 4pm
2314 Third Avenue, Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69361
(308)632-2541 Fax: (308)632-2146
Mailing address: PO Box 349, Scottsbluff, NE 69363-0349
Website: www.st-agnes-church.com
Blessing For All The story of the deaf man related in today’s Gospel is one of several descriptions of extraordinary healings in this part of Mark’s Gospel. Mark leads readers to understand that in Jesus, God is fulfilling the divine promises prophesied by Isaiah: “ “the ears of the deaf (will) be cleared...the tongue of the mute will sing.” When the deaf can hear and the mute can sing, this sign of the coming of God means that the gifts of sight and hearing are now available, not only for the individuals involved, but for their families and the whole community around them. There is a “ripple effect” of blessing extending well beyond individual healing. Those isolated by deafness and speech impediments could now fully participate in common life. With their inclusion, the community itself receives healing. In the Gospels, salvation is always inclusive and wholistic. God brings blessing to one small part of creation, so to extend blessing to all of creation. For those who first heard today’s passage from the letter of James, it probably struck a nerve. James challenged the local church’s treatment of the poor as compared to the rich. It might strike a nerve for us too, because we live in a society where the wealthy are very much privileged, and the honoring of wealth is deeply ingrained in our cultural value system. James warns the church not to imitate the class distinctions made in the broader society. The Gospel proclaims that we are all equally God’s children. The church typically lives in a particular place and within a dominant culture. The church is always called upon to reflect upon its faithfulness to the Gospel, discerning whether it absorbs cultural values and attitudes that conflict with the Gospel. The church is called to love and nourish the culture, and at the same time to speak in critique of its idolatries. These challenges continue in our own parish communities, here and now.
Page 2 Year b September 5, 2021
S a i n t A g n e s C a t h o l i c C h u r c h
Today’s Readings
Isaiah 35:4-7a
Psalm 146 James 2:1-5
Mark 7:31-37
Parish Administration (308) 632-2541 / (308) 632-2146 (Fax)
[email protected] www.st-agnes-church.com
Pastor
Rev. Rayappa Konka (ext. 2)
Church Office Manager
Theresa Trevino (ext. 3)
Pastoral Minister
Susan Flohr
Director of Religious Education
Mrs. Terri Calvert (ext.5)
School Head Teacher
Mrs. Julie Brown (632-6918)
School Office Manager
Teresa Johnson (632-6918)
Prayer Chain Coordinator
Jean Ahrens - (308-672-4632)
The Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday, September 6, 2021 Daily Mass (7:00am)
Intention: †Larry Sanchez by Margie Rood
Communal Rosary (4:45pm)
Liturgy of the Hours (5:15pm)
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 Daily Mass (7:00am)
Intention: All Priests & Religious Life by
Eileen Young
Liturgy of the Hours (5:15pm)
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 Daily Mass (8:15am)
Intention: Sr. Vera Meis by St. Agnes Staff
& Students
Liturgy of the Hours (5:15pm)
Contemplative Prayer Group (6:00 pm)
Thursday, September 9, 2021 **Online Mass Only **
Liturgy of the Hours (5:15pm)
Friday, September 10, 2021 Daily Mass (7:00am)
Intention: Linda Young by Eileen Young
Liturgy of the Hours (5:15pm)
Saturday, September 11, 2021 Weekend Mass (6:00pm)
Intention: For the Parish
Sunday, September 12, 2021 Weekend Mass (8:00am)
Intention: †Peggy Mohr by the Windhorst
Family
Weekend Mass (10:00am)
Intention: †Mary Cook by Eileen Young
This Week’s Schedule
Page 3 September 5, 2021
Finance Corner
Sunday Collections & ATW Giving
August 29, 2021
Actual $2556.00 Online Giving $3068.50 Budget $9000.00 Surplus (Deficit) $3375.50
August 2021 Totals
Actual $19430.00 ATW $8370.00 Online Giving $8065.50 Budget $45000.00 Surplus (Deficit) $9134.50 Next Sunday’s 2nd collection is for
West Nebraska Register
Thank you for your continued giving!
This Week’s Readings
Monday: Col 1:24 — 2:3; Ps 62:6-7, 9; Lk 6:6-11, or, for Labor Day, any readings from the Mass “For the Blessing of Human Labor,” nos. 907-911 Tuesday: Col 2:6-15; Ps 145:1b-2, 8-11; Lk 6:12-19 Wednesday: Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28 -30; Ps 13:6 Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 [18-23] Thursday: Col 3:12-17; Ps 150:1b- 6; Lk 6:27-38 Friday: 1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14; Ps 16:1b-2a, 5, 7-8, 11; Lk 6:39-42 Saturday: 1 Tm 1:15-17; Ps 113:1b- 7; Lk 6:43-49 Sunday: Is 50:5-9a; Ps 116:1-6, 8-9; Jas 2:14-18; Mk 8:27-35
The Knights of Columbus are hosting a picnic for the parish and
the kids from St. Josephs Chil-dren's home in Torrington. We
have done this event for 80 + years (with the exception of last year due to Covid) and are doing it
again this year. The Parishioner's are asked to bring a covered dish,
as the Knights will be providing the Hamburgers, Hot dogs, buns,
drinks plasticware, plates and cups. This will be on September
12th at the octagon shelter at Frank Park from 12-3.
We hope to see you there!
An Invitation to Journey
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process by which people become members of the Roman Catholic Church. The process is concerned with the total formation of the person into:
• Believing with the Church community (doctrinal formation)
• Living with the Church community (practical formation)
• Praying with the Church community (liturgical formation)
• Serving with the Church community (apostolic formation)
The RCIA is intended to serve:
• The unbaptized who would like to learn more about the Catholic religion
• Those baptized in another religion who think they might like to become Catholic
• Those baptized Catholic who have not completed the Initiation Sacraments or
who have not been raised in the Faith.
Sessions will begin in late September, early October. Keep watching the bulletin for exact dates and times. The registration form can be found on the parish website. If you or someone you know may be interested in joining the RCIA, please call the Religious Education Office at 308-635-1362 or email at [email protected]
All Priest Retreat
Fr. Konka will be out of the office & out of town the entire week of September 13th thru the 17th. He, along with other
diocesan priests are attending a week long priest retreat in
Schuyler, NE. During this week, we will not have daily mass.
Please pray during this week for all of the priests in our diocese
and around the world.
L i v i n g O u r C at h o l i c Fa i t h
Page 4 The Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 2021 100 CLUB WINNERS
$200: Rod/Ellen Ramig; $100: Jeff/Bridget Peck, Annie
Urdiales, Pete Brown; $55: Ryan/Jody Windhorst; $50: Mark/
Marsha Neiferdt, Diana Rohrick, Mary Ostry, Adam/Nicole
Hoesing, Cliff Verbeck, Kenny/Jill Wineman, Eric/Cathy Vath,
Jim Kozal
CONGRATULATIONS!
Ladies of St. Agnes:
Please join us for a social & fellowship Thursday,
September 23rd at 7pm in the Garden Room.
Brownie Sundaes will be served. This event is hosted by the St. Agnes Altar
Society. (Masks are highly encouraged) We hope to see you
all there!
Please save "Best Choice" bar codes!
The DCCW is still collecting bar codes from "Best Choice" products. The bar codes are turned in for cash. The cash is given to the Mission Haiti group, to help with their ongoing project for clean drinking water in Haiti. Please save bar codes, put in an envelope marked "Best Choice" and drop in the donation boxes. Thank you.
Thanks from DCCW!
Mark Your Calendar! The St. Agnes Fall dinner will
be on October 17th. Please continue to watch
the bulletin for more information as it gets
closer.
THE MESSIAH FORETOLD
Today’s story of the cure of a deaf man with a speech impediment is a good example of how much is contained in a simple miracle story. The Greek word mogilalos appears only here in all of the New Testament. It is a technical term referring to someone with a stammer. It is also used only once in the entire Jewish scriptures, in the passage that we read today as our first reading from Isaiah. Clearly, by his choice of this precise word Mark wants us to recognize that what Jesus is doing is the fulfillment of what Isaiah had predicted centuries earlier. In fact, Mark wants us to recognize that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by Isaiah and the other Jewish prophets of old. The word ephphatha, “be opened,” used to describe the restoration of the man’s speech, is another example of a subtle allusion to an earlier prophecy. This time the prophecy in question is from Ezekiel, when he foretells that in the messianic age, “your mouth shall be opened to speak” (24:26). The sophistication of Mark’s narrative is further revealed when we realize that there are multiple levels within a single reference. Mark not only draws our attention back to Israel’s prophetic past, he also points to the initiatory practice of his contemporaries by his mention of such things as spittle, touching of ears, and the use of the word ephphatha, all of which were practices incorporated into the early Church’s baptismal ritual. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
FEAST OF FAITH
Remembering
When Jesus broke the bread on the night before he died, he told his disciples, “do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). Christians have been faithful to that solemn command. Our eucharistic remembering is not nostalgia, nor is it merely historical, recalling events and facts of long ago. In the liturgy, remembering is action. “Do this,” Jesus said. In the Eucharist, we remember by doing. And as we remember, the sacrifice of Jesus is renewed, truly made present, no longer then, but now. After the consecration, each of the Eucharistic Prayers includes a section called the anamnesis, a Greek word that means “remembering.” In this part of the prayer, “the Church, fulfilling the command that she received from Christ the Lord through the Apostles, keeps the memorial of Christ, recalling especially his blessed Passion, glorious Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 79e). We pause and call to mind the whole paschal mystery, Christ’s dying and rising. “We celebrate the memory of his death and resurrec-tion” (Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation II). Obeying Christ’s command, we remember. —Corinna Laughlin, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.
Page 5 September 5, 2021
Spirit Catholic Radio is bringing to St. Agnes
Church in Scottsbluff an up-close experience of
the most studied artifact of all time –
The Shroud of Turin, what many believe to be the
authentic burial cloth of Christ. On Sept 8th at 6
p.m., Shroud expert, Jim Bertrand, M.Ed. of the
American Confraternity of the Holy Shroud, will give a special
presentation in the Church and a rare viewing
of a Shroud replica, as well as
replicas of the Crown of Thorns, whips, nails and Holy Sponge used in the
Passion of Our Lord.
Spirit Catholic Radio’s newest traveling exhibit, The Man of the Shroud, will include 42 beautifully-designed panels on display in the St. Agnes Garden
Room from Sept 1 – 8 from 8am-5pm. This exhibit will raise the questions, “Could the Shroud be the most im-portant archaeological artifact ever found? Does it pro-vide clues to what happened during the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus?” For more information on this
exhibit, visit spiritcatholicradio.com/shroud.
Celebrating Sunday for Catholic Families
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Mark 7:31-37
On the Way to Mass: How might we open ourselves up to everything that surrounds us—in the neighborhood, in the community of faith, in our own families? What might God be telling us? On the Way Home From Mass: What do you think the man’s first words were when he began to speak? Living the Word: Do we pay attention to what God might be telling us? How do we make time to listen to him? Setting aside time for prayer as a family will help us be more open to listening to God and to proclaim the Gospel by the way we live.
Celebrating Sunday for Catholic Families 2020-2021
Find Us On
Facebook Twitter: st_agnes_church
Instagram: st.agnescatholicchurch Parish Website
www.st-agnes-church.com myParish App
In the App Store on your phone or tablet
Page 6 Twenty-third Sunday in ordinary Time
R_ligious E^u][tion Progr[m Email—[email protected] Religious Education Office—308-635-1362
myParish App will be used as a platform for communication for all RE programs this year. You can download the app for your iPhone and Android smart phones. This will allow us to better communicate with you throughout the week and keep you updated with relevant parish news or updates. The app is very well designed and very intuitive. It will be a great resource for parishioners by providing daily Mass readings, Catholic news and prayers, convenient prayer and Confession reminders, our bulletins and more. FORMED, a revolutionary online platform, provides access to the best Catholic audio talks, movies, ebooks, and video-based studies from trusted providers like Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, Catholic Answers, Sophia Institute Press, St. Paul Center, and more! FORMED presents a tremendous opportunity to help the overwhelming majority of Catholics change the way they consume media and develop a daily habit of faith formation and prayer. This is a free service to all parishioners of St. Agnes. If you haven’t signed up today go to: www.formed.org and sign up today!
Confirmation candidate and parent’s meeting will be on Wednesday, September 15th at 7 p.m. in the Garden Level of the Church. Candidates please bring a copy of your baptismal certificate with you to the meeting. Please wear a mask. Catechist Formation (Wednesday) will be on Wednesday, September 8th at 7 p.m. in the learning center of the school. The annual Safe Environment training will take place during this session. Please wear a mask. Catechist formation (Sunday) will be on Sunday, September 26th at 9:00 a.m. in the learning center of the school. The annual Safe Environment training will take place during this session. Please wear a mask. Ignite Leadership Team meeting on Wednesday, September 8th at 6pm in the RE Center of the school. Please wear a mask. Stewardship Opportunity There are children and young people, kindergarten through 12th grade signing up this fall to learn more about Jesus and the Catholic faith. You can help them learn and grow by becoming a catechist. We are currently looking for grade school catechists on Sunday mornings, for more information, contact Terri Calvert in the RE Office.
Page 7 September 5, 2021
It is registration time! This year we are requesting registration for the St. Agnes Religious Education (K-8th) and LT Ignite (High School) programs as soon as possible so we can prepare for the upcoming year. The registration can be mailed or put into the collection basket. If registration is completed after August 31st the fee will be $40.00 per child. The Sunday Elementary (K-5th) Religious Education formation sessions will be held from 9:15 a.m.-10:15 a.m. in the school building. The Sunday formation sessions will begin on October 3, 2021 The Wednesday Middle School (6th-8th) Religious Education formation sessions will be held from 7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. in the school building. The Wednesday formation sessions will begin on September 22, 2021. Life Teen Ignite Groups (9-12 grades) will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. youth will meet in the Garden Room. The LT Ignite program will begin on September 22, 2021. The parent/youth Confirmation Meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 15th at 7:00 p.m. in the Garden Room.
Registration can also be done online at www.st-agnes-church.com. _________ ___ ___ ___ ________Please return the bottom portion of this form___ ___ ___ ___ ____________ Parent(s)
Name___________________________________________EmailAddress____________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________Cell Number _________________
Child Name _______________________________________ Grade _____________
Child Name _______________________________________ Grade _____________
Child Name ________________________________________ Grade _____________
Parent Volunteer during the formation sessions of RE and/or CYM
This year parents are asked to volunteer during the formation sessions (minimum of once during the year.) If you do not have a preference a date will be assigned for you.
I can help on _________________________________________________ Date(s) and Grade.
Media Permission Slip
I give St. Agnes Catholic Church permission to use my child’s picture and name in conjunction with the following:
{ }weekly parish bulletin { }parish website { }television coverage { }newspaper articles
Signature of Parent ______________________________________________________ Date ________________
Page 8 September 5, 2021
Connecting Students and Families through Faith September 5, 2021
School Newsletter
St. Agnes Catholic School 205 E 23rd, Scottsbluff, NE
Ph: 308-632-6918
Monday, Sept 6th Labor Day—No School
Wednesday Sept 8th Mass @ 8:15
Thursday, Sept 9th 4th Grade Field Trip: Tools & Technology
Growing In Faith One of the school improvement goals for the 2021-2022 school year
is to expand and grow in our faith opportunities. Students will continue to attend Mass weekly and receive formal instruction
from our religion series, Faith & Life, but other opportunities will stretch their learning further. A prayer corner has been added on
the landing where students can place special intentions in the prayer intention box as well as learn more about a piece of their Catholic faith. In September, we are focusing on saints including
how a person becomes a saint, the saint of the day and what they are the patron of. The feature topic will change each month.
Another wonderful faith opportunity in September will be to take part in the Shroud of Turin traveling exhibit, sponsored by Spirit Catholic Radio. The students have been amazed by this powerful
display.
Monday, Sept 6
LABOR DAY NO SCHOOL
Helpers: 10:55 11:35
Tuesday, Sept 7 Chicken Nuggets Scalloped Potatoes Peas Roll & Margarine Grapes Helpers: 10:55 Holly Suhr
11:35 John Songco
Wednesday, Sept 8 Corn Dog French Fries Mixed Green Salad w/ DL Pears
Helpers: 10:30 Kristine Sole
11:30 John Songco
Thursday, Sept 9 Chicken Fried Chicken Mashed Potatoes w/gravy Corn Roll & Margarine Apples Helpers: 10:30 Zach Suhr 11:30 John Songco
Friday, Sept 10 Super Nachos Chips, black beans, corn Taco meat, Cheese sauce Salsa Steamed Carrots Apricots Helpers: 10:30 Maina Kader 11:30 John Songco
Hot Lunch Menu for September 6th, 2021 - September 10th, 2021
Classroom News………... Off to a Great Start
St. Agnes students are off to a great start! They are eager for a year filled with wonderful learning experiences, faith-building opportunities, fun with friends, service
learning activities and more. We ask for your continued prayers for us during this school year that we will grow in knowledge, faith and character.
Diocesan Superintendent Visits
Diocesan superintendent, Jordan Engel, made the first of multiple planned visits to St. Agnes on Thursday, August 26th. Mr. Engel, who is in his 2nd year as the
superintendent, enjoyed visiting individual classrooms where he checked in on students learning then posed a sock challenge to the students. He loves crazy
socks and has 110 pairs. He will choose the student with the craziest socks when he returns on his next visit during CSW.
Mr. Engel desires to promote the value of Catholic Education and was excited to learn that the population of every diocesan school either remained steady or increased this school year. In promoting Catholic education, the Diocese has established a separate scholarship fund for families who are new to Catholic
education. Each school has been awarded an amount to distribute to these new families. We have given 2 of our 3 available scholarships. If you know of a family who would desire the opportunity to attend Catholic school, please have them
contact Mrs. Brown about this scholarship opportunity.
August 2021 100 CLUB WINNERS
$200: Rod/Ellen Ramig; $100: Jeff/Bridget Peck,
Annie Urdiales, Pete Brown; $55: Ryan/Jody Windhorst; $50: Mark/Marsha Neiferdt, Diana Rohrick, Mary Ostry,
Adam/Nicole Hoesing, Cliff Verbeck, Kenny/Jill
Wineman, Eric/Cathy Vath, Jim Kozal
CONGRATULATIONS!
What’s Happening at St. Agnes School………...
Pre-K Class
By Nicole Boness
Welcome Back!
Pre-K is off to great start! I have 18 little cuties joining me this year. I am so proud at how well everyone has adjusted. They have done a great job at learning a new routine and learning the classroom rules. Their favorite part of the day is recess and center time. We had our first fire drill of the year. The kids did amazing and adjusted very well. This coming week we will be practicing all of our safety drills. This last week the kids got to have library time and P.E with Mrs. Brown, as well as, go to music with Ms. Taedter. For art, the students got to paint a picture using watercolors and draw another picture of what their favorite thing to do outside is. For literacy, I introduced our wood pieces. The kids enjoyed learning what each piece was called and doing the action song that goes with it. Our wood pieces help us build letters and create Mat Man who helps us draw people. In the future weeks, we will be learning how to draw people, use scissors, and learning about our five senses. We will also
be starting to work on the letter A. It feels great to be back in school. I have missed them, and I hope everyone had a great
summer!
Third Grade Class
By Amanda Brill
Welcome to Third Grade!
The past couple of weeks has been fun-filled, but busy! We have been actively getting to know the routines and procedures of being upstairs with the big kids here at St. Agnes! We had so much fun on our first day of school. It can be scary heading upstairs, but we are doing just fine now! Academically we are learning about communities in social studies, and how we can contribute back to the community we live in. In math, we are reviewing how to read charts, calendars, and how we solve problems using lists, and logic. We are getting started with learning the much-loved cursive handwriting. The kids are excited to really take off and learn how to fully read and write in cursive this year! We are just about fully adapted to the big changes this school year has brought on. We have come to
realize that wearing masks really is not all that bad, but we do love our mask breaks at
recess and lunch! It never ceases to amazing me how resilient
children are! I am so excited for this school year. This is a great
group of kids, and I can’t wait to see them change and mature
as third graders!