This Week in Our Parish

August 27, 2017 21st

Sunday in Ordinary

Time

Sunday Mass

Saturday 6:00 PM

Sunday 7:30 AM & 11:00 AM

Daily Mass Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday

8:00 AM

Wednesday and Friday

5:00 PM

Liturgy of the Hours This ancient communal prayer of the

Church is prayed after all weekday

Masses

Sacrament of Reconciliation Confessions are heard before all

Sunday Masses and after all weekday

masses

Rosary The Holy Rosary is prayed 30

minutes before all Weekend and

Daily Masses

Bethel Home Mass and Rosary held on 3rd Friday

of each month at

10:15 AM

Norseland Mass and rosary held on 2nd & 4th

Wednesday each month at 9:30 AM

Adoration of the Blessed

Sacrament First Thursday of the Month

8:30 AM -10:00 AM

Sunday Meals for Fortney Hotel Residents – Sunday September 3rd is the next date we

will be providing the meal. Food should be delivered to the kitchen in Marian Hall on

Sunday, September 3rd by 12:00 PM Noon. Pans, with instructions, will be out in the Atrium

this weekend. Heartfelt thanks to all parishioners who have brought food in the past, and if

you have not participated in this service, please consider fulfilling one of the Corporal

Works of Mercy – Feed the Hungry. Take a pan home this weekend!

PCCW will be collecting school supplies for local schools. They will be disbursed at

second semester. Please consider purchasing some extra school supplies in support of this

service. The collection point for the purchased supplies is in the basket in the Atrium. PCCW will meet on Tuesday, August 29 at 6:00 PM in Marian Hall. Plans will be made for

the fall dinner and other events for the remainder of the year.

Are you or do you know someone who is… • A Catholic who is interested in discovering more about your faith?

• A baptized Catholic who has not celebrated the sacraments of Holy Eucharist,

Reconciliation or Confirmation?

• A non-Catholic Christian interested in the Catholic faith?

• A non-Christian curious about the Catholic Church?

St. Mary’s is offering an opportunity to come together in a small group to learn more about

our Catholic faith through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Sessions focus on the

teachings and the history experience of the Church and prepare individuals to celebrate the

Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the Easter season.

You are invited to participate in the process with your questions, your insights and your

faith story in a warm accepting setting. For information please contact Susan Tully at 608-

606-0631 or < stully@mwt.net>.

Religious Education needs YOU! We are looking for a 5th grade Sunday morning teacher (9:30am - 10:45am) as well as

someone to team teach with Kathryn Anderson the combined 7th/8th grade class on Sunday

evenings (6:30pm - 7:45pm). Please contact Tara Lyons if you are willing to help this year.

Teachers receive $25 per class period. If we are unable to find teachers, we won't be holding

classes for these grades. Help is much appreciated and MUCH needed!

This year in October we will be electing four new members to the Parish Council. Please

consider running for the parish council elections in October if you have an interest in taking

more of a leadership role in our parish. Please contact the parish office by September 17th to

submit your request for candidacy.

From the La Crosse Office of Vocations - As all our seminarians head back to school,

we ask that you keep them in prayer – and be assured of their prayers for you!

Parish Website www.stmaryviroqua.org

Fr. Joseph Arokiam OFM Cap, Parochial Administrator (715-937-5117) Julie Moore, Bookkeeper <stmarybookkeeper@mwt.net Kris Matheys, Secretary<stmaryparish@mwt.net Tara Lyons, Director of Religious Education <tara.m.lyons@gmail.com>

400 Congress Avenue, Viroqua, WI 54665, 608-637-7711

August 27, 2017

Who is Jesus for You and Me Before Jesus set out for Jerusalem to die on the cross, he wanted to make sure and

know how he was understood by the people as well as by his own disciples.

The disciples told him what they had heard about him from the people. They said the

general impression of the people was that he was one of the prophets or John the

Baptist sent back from the dead to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. Evidently,

the people had not yet recognized Him as the Messiah. They said that he was Elijah the

great prophet back from the dead before the coming of the Messiah. Hence they left a

chair vacant for Elijah when they celebrated the Passover. They said that He was John

the Baptist, who had openly proclaimed himself to be the precursor of the Messiah

returned from the dead to complete his mission. None of the people understood what

Jesus was really about.

Jesus, after having heard the opinion of the people from his disciples, wanted to know

the opinion of his own disciples who had much acquaintance with him than any of the

people with a question, “Who do you say that I am?.” Peter answered, declaring

without any hesitation said with conviction, “You are Christ, the Son of the Living

God.” While the other disciples were silent and almost were afraid to express in words,

Peter made his great discovery in recognizing that Jesus is the Messiah,

the anointed one, Son of the Living God. As a result of this declaration of his

recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, Son of the living God, Peter was rewarded as head

of the Apostles and of the church and gift of infallibility of faith and morals. From him

the privileges are given to the Popes, his lawful successors.

Once Napoleon Bonaparte said to his General Bertrand, “I know men, and I tell you

that Jesus Christ is not a man, but he is much more than a man. You speak of Caesar,

Great Alexander and me Napoleon Bonaparte as great and mighty persons, but I say we

all would be dead and gone and our name and fame would disappear within no time

from the face of the earth. But Jesus although dead and gone lives forever in the hearts

of the people, because Jesus continues to live and transform the minds and hearts of

all.” He also affirmed that to the lost Jesus is the way, to the ignorant He is the truth, to

the dead He is the life, to the blind He is the light, to the sick and sufferers He is the

comforter and healer.

In conclusion, if you are asked by someone especially by a non-Christian with a

question, "What does Jesus mean to you?” What answer you would give? I would say

that He is my ever unchanging Friend on whom I rely upon. I would say He is my life,

joy, my peace and comfort, healer, strength and salvation. Therefore who is Jesus for

you? Think and reflect and meditate and share your Jesus experience with others.

Sharing with others especially with the non-Christians your Jesus experience would

enable them to come closer to Christ. So don’t hesitate. Fr. Joe

August 27, 2017

FINANCIAL REPORT Weekend August 20,, 2017

Adults: $2094.00 Offertory: $24.001

Total: $2335.00 Needed Weekly: $3,400.00

Youth: $21.00 Assumption: $115.00

MASS INTENTIONS THIS WEEK

Saturday, 26 August, 6:00 PM *People of St Mary Parish

Sunday, 27 August, 7:30 AM +Reinie Leis

(Robert & Ione Hauser)

Sunday, 27 August, 11:00 AM +Paula Herken

(Richard Herken)

Monday, 28 August, 8:00 AM +PJ Hauser

(Paul & Levina Hauser)

Tuesday, 29 August, 8:00 AM +Sandi Kuehn

(Jerry & Paula Cina)

Wednesday, 30 August, 5:00 PM +Nunce & Helen Cina

(Angie Cina)

Thursday, 31 August, 8:00 AM +Joe Menne

(Jerry and Paula Cina)

Friday, 1 September, 5:00 PM +Wesley Schar

Saturday, 2 September, 6:00 PM +Ernie Sobczak

(Joe & Pat Biebl)

Sunday, 3 September, 7:30 AM +Lorraine Groh

(Dan Groh)

Sunday, 3 September, 11:00 AM *People of St Mary Parish

Saints of the Week * St Augustine

FURTHER INTEREST Saint Padre Pio Relics – Bishop Callahan’s video Message available The Relics of Saint Padre Pio will be coming to the Diocese of La Crosse on September 20, 2017, and Bishop Callahan has recorded a

special video message to invite the people of God to venerate this unique saint’s relics at Saint Joseph the Workman Cathedral. Please

view and share this video about Padre Pio on your website and on social media and follow the Diocese of La Crosse Facebook page for

updates and schedules to share with your parishioners.

Men of the Cross Conference – October 28th The 2017 Men of the Cross conference will be held in Chippewa Falls at McDonell High

School on October 28th. Speakers include John Pridmore, Fr. Richard Heilman, Jesse Romero and David DeWolf. For more information

about the conference and to register, please go to www.menofthecross.org.

The Most Reverend William Patrick Callahan, D.D., Bishop of La Crosse, makes the following announcements:

The Reverend Prince Amala Jesuraja, Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Elmwood, Sacred Heart Parish in Spring Valley and St. Luke

Parish in Boyceville, is released from his responsibilities as Pastor of St. Luke Parish in Boyceville, effective September 1, 2017. He

retains his other appointments.

The Reverend James R. Kurzynski, Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Menomonie, is also appointed Pastor of St. Luke Parish in

Boyceville, effective September 1, 2017.

The Reverend Michael DiRocco, Associate Pastor of St. Joseph in Menomonie, is also appointed Associate Pastor of St. Luke Parish in

Boyceville, effective September 1, 2017.

The Reverend Daniel H. Hackel, Pastor of St. James Parish in Amherst and St. Mary of Mount Carmel Parish in Fancher, and Parochial

Administrator of St. Maximilian Parish in Southeastern Portage County, is released from his responsibilities as Parochial Administrator

of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish effective September 12, 2017. He retains his other appointments.

The Reverend Peter M. Manickam, Pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians Parish in Colby, is appointed Pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe

in Southeastern Portage County, effective September 12, 2017.

This Week we highlight Thorson Funeral Home as the bulletin sponsor of the week.

Please Support the Businesses that Support Our Parish Bulletin

“Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God. I

will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my

right hand of justice.”