ST. JOSEPH

PARISH

Celebrating 177 Years 1841-2018

Vanderburgh County

www.stjoeco.org

A community of joyful, active, faith-filled people who give thanks to God by generously sharing their

individual gifts and talents to serve the needs of all.

WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE

Saturday—5 PM Sunday—8 & 10:30 AM

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILATION

SATURDAY 4-4:30 PM

PARISH OFFICE

6202 W. Saint Joseph Road

Evansville, IN 47720

SCHOOL

6130 W. Saint Joseph Road

Evansville IN 47720

Parish Office: (812) 963-3273

School: (812) 963-3335 School Fax: (812) 963-3335

Prayer Requests: (812) 963-3149

Parish Staff Fr. Gene Schroeder—Pastor E-mail gschroeder@evdio.org

Julie Kempf—Secretary E-mail jkempf@evdio.org

Kristan Gilles Director of Liturgy

E-mail kgilles@evdio.org

Melba Wilderman—Principal E-mail mwilderman@evdio.org

Mrs. Becky Dosher School Secretary

E-mail bdosher@evdio.org

Mrs. Jessica Reckelhoff Coordinator of

Religious Education E-mail jreckelhoff@evdio.org

February 4, 2018 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Dear friends, The Catholic Church is filled with endless traditions and practices. This past week, for example, we witnessed three of them. February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the temple. This day, which is forty days after the birth of Jesus, was the day that Jewish parents brought their child to the temple to be dedicated. According to Jewish custom, the parents made an offering. For

Mary and Joseph, who were poor and landless, the offering they gave was two turtledoves. Sometimes this Feast was also know as Candlemus Day because on this day, there was a tradition of blessing the candles used at Mass during the year. The tradition of lighting can-dles at Mass is a reminder of Jesus who is named as the Light of the World. Beyond this, the tradition of lighting candles on this day probably had its origins in the popular culture of the time when people lit candles to ward off the darkness. As it happens, February 2 is about half way between the beginning of winter (December 21) and the beginning of spring (March 21). And from now on there is more daylight culminating with June 21 when, at least in the northern hemisphere, we have the most light. Popular traditions, like Groundhogs Day, also are rooted in this same tradition. Also this past week we celebrated the Feast of St. Blaise and with it the traditional blessing of throats. We know very little about St. Blaise. He was the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia during the fourth century. Very little is known about his life. According to various accounts he was a physician before becoming a bishop. His cult spread throughout the entire Church in the Middle Ages because he was reputed to have miraculously cured a little boy who nearly died because of a fishbone in his throat. From the eighth century he has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with illnesses of the throat. Many of the traditions around Candlemus Day and the Feast of St. Blaise came to be at a time when people knew very little about the science of medicine or even knowledge about the seasons of the year and how the rotation of the earth and sun affected things like light and darkness. What they did want to remember is that God protects and cares for those who are faithful to him. So such things as lighting candles and having throats blessed was a way of reminding people that God stands with us. Now we know so much more about science and the nature of the solar system. While knowledge can be a good thing, it can also make it difficult for us to deal with things that we cannot explain. It becomes difficult for us to live with limitations in life. How do we deal with all the suffering in the world that seems bigger than all of us? We think God should be able to make everything better and when we find that this is not the case, we can easily give up on God. What kind of God is it, after all, that allows so much suffering and pain? But Jesus calls us to stand in the midst of things that happen in the world and be people of hope. We can’t let ourselves be sucked into the mire and muck of vio-lence, hatred, and indifference that is around us everyday. I came across this poem this week that speaks to this point. It is a point worth taking. Leaning into the journey of life ,

Fr. Gene Schroeder

Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!

If there were love of neighbor

there would be no terrorism,

no repression,

no selfishness,

none of such cruel inequalities in society,

no abductions,

no crimes.

Love sums up the law.

Not only that, it gives Christian meaning

to all human relations. . . .

Love gives plenitude to all human duties,

and without love, justice is only the sword.

With love, justice becomes a brother’s embrace.

Without love, laws are arduous, repressive, cruel,

mere policemen.

But when there is love—

security forces would be superfluous;

there would be no jails or tortures,

no will to beat anyone.

—Blessed Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love

Francis, Lu, and Ray King, Rich-ard and Lena King Louis and Georgiana Audrey, Edgar, Tom, Tim and Donald Mitchell, Cecile Martin, Edna Carmouche , Ethel McLoed; Warren and George Andry and George F. Andry; Nick Mitchell. Daniel Buechlein, Carl and Rose Buechlein, Violet and Barney Roe, Conrad and Darwin Roe Fred and Cath-erine Drone Adam and Cecelia (Titzer)Weber Paul Weber Kay Etienne

A BRIEF FOR THE DEFENSE Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies are not starving someplace, they are starving somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils. But we enjoy our lives because that’s what God wants. Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not be fashioned so miraculously well. The poor women at the fountain are laughing together between the suffering they have known and the awfulness in their future, smiling and laughing while somebody in the village is very sick. There is laughter every day in the terrible streets of Calcutta, and the women laugh in the cages of Bombay. If we deny our happiness, resist our satisfaction, we lessen the importance of their deprivation. We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure, but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world. To make injustice the only measure of our attention is to praise the Devil. If the locomotive of the Lord runs us down, we should give thanks that the end had magnitude. We must admit there will be music despite everything. We stand at the prow again of a small ship anchored late at night in the tiny port looking over to the sleeping island: the waterfront is three shuttered cafés and one naked light burning. To hear the faint sound of oars in the silence as a rowboat comes slowly out and then goes back is truly worth all the years of sorrow that are to come. —Jack Gilbert

TICKETS $30/person Call Jennifer Miller (812-205-4522)

or the parish

office (812-963-3273)

for tickets.

CELEBRATION OF THE

EUCHARIST SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

5:00 PM MASS Edward, Helen & Jim Loehr, Marty Kiss-inger, Kathleen Melton, Drexel, Sr. & Jerry Brothers, Kay-sie McGehee, Mossberger Infants, Paul Hillenbrand (1922), Walter Schneider (1965), Albert Schey (1977), Mary Preske (1984), Elnora Wolter (1986), Kaysie McGehee (1991), Esther(2003) and Ray Will

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4 FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

8:00 AM MASS Alfred Glaser, Anna Mayer, Mary Ann Reckelhoff, Linus and Hilda Glaser, Cyril Ubelhor, Larry and Stella Ubelhor 10:30 AM MASS Bud & Mary Dile, Anna & Joseph Straub, Ray & Esther Will, Charlie Bergwitz, John Bergwitz, James B. Straub, Joseph Sohmer (1861), Eva Weiss (1883), Edwin Bender (1949)

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5 Saint Agatha

6:30 PM MASS Hieronymus Fischer (1883), Christina An-germeyer (1884), Magdalene Baumgart (1968)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Saint Paul Miki and Companions

7:30 AM MASS Jerry Drone, Raymond Fischer, Regina Spitzer (1892), Valentine Effinger (1913), Charles Bergwitz (1992)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Weekday in Ordinary Time

11:00 AM MASS AT PARKVIEW Magdalen Lambers (1905), Gertrude Schenk (1913), Evelyn (2003) and Henry Raben (2003), Raymond Fischer (2007), Thomas Duncan (2014)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Weekday in Ordinary Time

NO MASS Francis Seiler (1886), Crescentia Hassing (1900), Donat Baumgart (1917), Sylvester Niemeier (1951), An-thony Seib (1965), Theodore Conner (1991), Wilfred Baehl (1999)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Weekday in Ordinary Time

7:30 AM MASS Andreas Witt (1863, Elisabeth Hoffmann (1876), Infant Happe (1910), Catharina Sunkenheimer (1918), Martin Ritter (1922), Louisa Hoefling (1923), Boo-bie (2003) & Betty Francis Maurer, Irene Kissel (2008)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10 SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

5:00 PM MASS Leo & Bernard Gumbel, Walter & Evelyn Weis, Joe & Elizabeth Weis, Helen & Ray Smith, Florence & John Payne, Alvin & Sarah Weis, Albert & Louise Weis, Harold & Ann Weis, Bill Weis, Dennis Weis, Fr. Jerry Ziliak

Rosa Kissel (1903), Helen Buehner (1984), Patricia Koch (2011)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 SIXTH SUNDAY

IN ORDINARY TIME 8:00 AM MASS Living & Deceased members of St. Anne’s Altar Soci-ety, St. Joe Men’s Club & Knight’s of St. John, Ellen Keneipp, Robert Harpenau, Cheryl Lynn Gries 10:30 AM MASS Marion Whitting, Kay Etienne, Vanessa Smith, Mary Martin, Paul Weber, Agatha Anger-meier (1890)

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL AND NURSING HOMES

PINE HAVEN: Jean Johnson HERITAGE CENTER: Brenda Koester PARK TERRACE VILLAGE: Mark Fleeger OASIS CARE CENTER: Gus Bender RIVER POINTE: Barbara Shurtleff SOLARBRON TERRACE:

Mildred Rexing, Margaret Kafel CYPRUS REHABILITATION CENTER (NEWBURGH): Larry Hoefling, Steve Hasselbrinck, David Whalen

FEBRUARY 4: Carol Gries, Randy Tenbarge, Julie Keller, Allen Rexing, Edna Spaetti FEBRUARY 5: Hannah Kares, Pat Kempf, Bryan Roemke, Mark Schulze FEBRUARY 7: Jess Quinlin, Fr. Gene, Bill Steiner, Alex Will FEBRUARY 8: Jim Butler, Piper Fehrenbacher, Thomas Feller FEBRUARY 9: Trevor Atherton, Blake Baumgart, Emma Douglas FEBRUARY 10: Susie Traylor FEBRUARY 4: Phil & Becky Dosher FEBRUARY 6: Bryan & Karen Trimborn FEBRUARY 7: Ron & Linda Kempf, Mike & Rosemary McGarrah

STEWARDSHIP: The Lord’s Way

Like St. Paul in the second reading, the good steward can say, “I do all that I do for the sake of the gospel

in the hope of having a share in its blessings.” JANUARY 28, 2018 $ 10,714.91 JANUARY 31, 2018 Auto Draft Collection $ 1,905.00 WEEKLY BUDGET $ 20,723.00 TOTAL INCOME TO DATE $ 603,184.25 BUDGET TO DATE $ 644,180.00 MAINTENANCE COLLECTION $ 10.00 CHILDRENS COLLECTION $ 34.96 YOUNG STEWARDS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE COLLECTION LAST WEEK: Olivia & Parker Baumeyer, Sophia Fehrenbacher, Chase & Troy Gerteisen, Braydn & Briley Jones, Max & Quinn Layman, Harrison & Madelynn Manger, Nikki Mayer, Emma & Katherine Roemke, Isaac, Natalie & Zackery Schneider, Caleb, Carly & Chloe Stock, Grant & Lauren Voelker

MISSION OUTREACH HAITI $ 220.00 HAITI STUDENTS $1,000.00 LATIN AMERICA COLLECTION $ 147.00

Please remember in your prayers Marian Whitting, the cousin of Jeff Schneider, Vanessa Smith, the

cousin of Dan Kelley, Mary Martin, the mother of

Chris Scheller, Kay Etienne, the mother of Fr. Bernie

and Fr. Zach Etienne, and Paul Weber, the brother of

Joanie Schneider, all of whom died in the past couple of weeks. May they now know the fullness of life with God in His Kingdom and may his peace be with their family and friends.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS FOR 2017 AVAILABLE TODAY We have prepared a record of your financial contributions for the year 2017. You can pick them up in church today. Please be sure to check this report for accuracy. If there are any mistakes, don’t hesitate to call the parish office (812-963-3273) so we can make the necessary corrections. I thank you for taking seriously the responsibility we share in providing the financial resources needed to do the work we do in our parish.

LITURGICAL MINISTERS SCHEDULE (EM=Eucharistic Minister, L=Lector, S=Servers, GB=Gift Bearers)

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10 & 11 5:00 PM (EM) Lee & Toni Askins, Dolores Sudholt, Eric & Karen McDonald; (L) Marianne Ritter; (S) Isaac Schneider, Patrick McDonald; (GB) John & Jane Luigs 8:00 AM (EM) Tom & Dolores Folz, Jalane Weber, Imogene Baehl, Michael Elpers; (L) Donna Blankenberger; (S) Addy Wilkinson, Madelynn Manger; (GB) Alan & Donna Blankenberger 10:30 AM (EM) Cecelia Koch, Joe Crowdus, Kitty Deig, Paul Hillenbrand, Amy Cody; (L) Mandy Elpers; (S) Kurt Forcum, Parker Warren; (GB) Mike Forcum Family

MONDAY: 7am-6:30 pm Eucharistic Adoration TUESDAY: 7 pm Choir Practice WEDNESDAY: 6:30 pm Just Faith THURSDAY: 6:30 pm St. Anne’s Altar Society Meeting SATURDAY: 4-4:40 pm Sacrament of Reconciliation 5:45 pm PTO Dinner, Dance & Auction SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Food Pantry Collection SUNDAY (Feb. 11): 9 am Family Religious Education Class 9 am RCIA

Feb. 9: Knights of Columbus Haubstadt Craft Beer fundraiser, 7 pm, must be 21. Feb. 11: St. Wendel Ladies Club Valentine Breakfast, 7:30-11:30 am, in the Cafetorium, adults $6, chil-dren (5-12 yrs) $3. Feb . 11: All Saints Parish A-Men’s Fat Sunday Breakfast, 8 am-noon, St. Anthony Cafeteria, $7 all you can eat.

SCRIP SELLERS SCHEDULE: Feb. 10, 5 pm: NO SALES

Feb. 11, 8 am: Meagann Manger Feb. 11, 10:30 am: Mandy Elpers

For Scrip questions, please contact Paula Baehl (pbaehl@yahoo.com) 812-598-9056

Do you want to keep up with Catholic news in the Diocese of Evansville? How do you find out about the Lenten Fish Fries? The 2018 Summer Socials? The Brute Society nominees? All the important news in the Diocese of Evansville? There are two ways you can do that. One: Send $24 to The Message, P.O. Box 4169; Evansville, IN 47724-0169, for a year’s subscription to the print edition of The Message. Two: send $12 to The Message, P.O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47724-0169, for a year’s subscription to the brand new digital edition. You also can visit www.TheMessageOnline.org. to renew or subscribe.

This Lent we will begin a five week Bible Study centering on the Mass—Sunday morn-ings beginning on February 25th from 9:00-10:25 and Wednesday evenings beginning on February 21st from 6:00-7:30 pm. Childcare will be provided. Please contact Shari Kempf 812-480-8185, Paula Baehl 812-598-9056, or Jessica Reckelhoff 812-598-1151 (or jreckel-hoff@evdio.org for email) for more information.

Wondrous Encounters….is Rich-

ard Rohr's collection of meditations for Lent. "There are two moments that matter. One is when you know that your one and only life is absolutely valuable and alive. The other is when you know your life, as presently lived, is entirely pointless and empty. You need both of them to keep you going in the right direction. Lent is about both. The first such moment gives you energy and joy by connecting you with your ultimate Source and Ground. The second gives you limits and boundaries, and a proper humility, so you keep seeking the Source and Ground and not just your small self." —From the Introduction

God For Us….Explore the meaning of Lent,

its importance in spiritual formation, its significance in the preparation of Easter, and the holy season of Easter itself. Reflec-tions from leading spiritual writers in North America reveal what one theologian has called the "bright sadness" of Lent—that it is not about becoming lost in feelings of bro-kenness, but about cleansing the palate so that we can taste life more fully. Lent and Easter reveal the God who is for us in all of

life—for our liberation, for our healing, for our wholeness. Lent and Easter remind us that even in death there can be found resurrection. God for Us provides a rich resource for renewing meaning in a season that is at best neglected or misunder-stood. Contributors include: Kathleen Norris, Scott Cairns, Richard Rohr, Ronald Rolheiser, James Calvin Schaap, Luci

Shaw, Lauren F. Winner and Beth Bevis. Books can be order from Barnes and Noble

or go to store.cac.org

Are you looking for something to read that will inspire you? Check out these books, written by Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.: Ta-toos on the Heart and Barking at the Choir. Gregory Boyle is an American Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Indus-

tries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilita-tion, and reentry program in the world. He has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, the White House named Boyle a Cham-pion of Change. He received the University of Notre Dame’s 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest honor given to American Catho-lics. He is the acclaimed author of Tattoos on the Heart (2010). Barking to the Choir is his second book, and he will be donating all net proceeds to Homeboy Industries.