SAINT PIUS X, POPE OF THE EUCHARIST, PRAY FOR US.

During this month of August, we celebrate our patron in a special way.  There are several prayers attributed to our patron as well as several that ask for his intercession.  It is fitting as our nation enters the period of living the Eucharistic Revival that we turn to the Pope of the Eucharist to pray for us.

Glorious Pope of the Eucharist, Saint Pius X, you sought "to resore all things in Christ." Obtain for us a true love of Jesus so that we may live only for Him. Help us to acquire a lively fervor and a sincere will to strive for sanctity of life, and that we may avail ourselves of the riches of the Holy Eucharist in sacrifice and sacrament. By your love for Mary, mother and queen of all, inflame our hearts with tender devotion to her.

Dispel confusion and hatred and anxiety, and incline our hearts to peace and concord so that all nations will place themselves under the sweet reign of Christ who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Saint Pius X, pray for us.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings can be found here.

We continue this Sunday reading from Saint John’s sixth chapter where Jesus offers us a reflection on the Eucharist.  God gives us what we need—Himself.  God gives us Himself through the Bread from Heaven.  God gives us Himself in the Eucharist.

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

It’s August which means that we are beginning another season of ministry.  This coming week our School Council will meet.  The following week our Pastoral Council will meet.  The fourth week of the month our Finance Council will meet.  Each of these Councils serves as advisors to the Pastor for the good of our community.  Each Council is concerned with how we can live our mission and achieve the vision for this amazing parish.  Please pray for these important groups who help with the work of making Saint Pius home and equipping us to live our mission.

Our Feast Day celebration is coming up on August 18.  The weekend will include a wonderful picnic style meal following our 11:00 AM Mass with games and fun.  We will introduce our new discipleship prayer, announce a fun contest for the whole community, and more—please join us.

This year we will be inviting you to help realize our vision to make Saint Pius a home for this community of disciples and to equip them to live our mission.  We will do this through a two-prong approach.  The first is to invite you to join a small group.  The purpose of our small groups is to allow each member to encounter Jesus by sharing life together.  You won’t have to know anything special, do anything weird or be in charge of any event.  You will be hearing more about this each week this month.  Please start praying for the success of this vision.

If you haven’t seen our Facebook page—check it out.  Father Daniel has posted amazing photos of his village in Ghana, especially of Sacred Heart church and the beginnings of the new rectory.  

SOLEMNITY OF SAINT PIUS X, POPE, 

PATRON OF THE PARISH

Reading 1 Ezekiel 34:11-16

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel:

For thus says the Lord GOD: 

Look! I myself will search for my sheep and examine them.  

As a shepherd examines his flock 

while he himself is among his scattered sheep, 

so will I examine my sheep. 

I will deliver them from every place where they were scattered 

on the day of dark clouds.

I will lead them out from among the peoples 

and gather them from the lands; 

I will bring them back to their own country 

and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel, 

in the ravines and every inhabited place in the land.

In good pastures I will pasture them; 

on the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. 

There they will lie down on good grazing ground; 

in rich pastures they will be pastured 

on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will pasture my sheep; 

I myself will give them rest—oracle of the Lord GOD.

The lost I will search out, the strays I will bring back, 

the injured I will bind up, and the sick I will heal; 

but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. 

I will shepherd them in judgment.

The Word of the Lord

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

1. (9a)Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
   
   

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.

1. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
   
   

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.

1. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
   
   

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.

1. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2 Eph 1: 3-10

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians:

Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who has blessed us in Christ 

with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,

as he chose us in him, 

before the foundation of the world, 

to be holy and without blemish before him. 

In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, 

in accord with the favor of his will,

for the praise of the glory of his grace 

that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we have redemption by his blood, 

the forgiveness of transgressions, 

in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. 

In all wisdom and insight,

he has made known to us the mystery of his will 

in accord with his favor that he set forth in him 

as a plan for the fullness of times, 

to restore all things in Christ, 

in heaven and on earth.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation Jn 6:56

1.  Alleluia, alleluia.
   
   

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.

1.  Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Jn 21:15-17

A Reading from the Holy Gospel According to John:

After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and

eaten breakfast with them,
he said to Simon Peter,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"

Simon Peter answered him, 

"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."

He then said to Simon Peter a second time,

"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Simon Peter answered him, 

"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
He said to him, "Tend my sheep."

He said to him the third time,
"Simon, son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time,

"Do you love me?" and he said to him,

"Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."

[Jesus] said to him, "Feed my sheep."

The Gospel of the Lord.

I want to invite you to something vital for our parish and our Church: joining a small group this fall. 

Many of you have shared how you feel the Spirit working in this community and your desire to connect with Christ more deeply—to be fully alive in Him. 

Our Bishop has asked us to cultivate connections in Christ.  We encounter Jesus in four primary ways: the Eucharist, when the Bible is shared, when the Church ministers, and when the people of God gather and share life together.  While we focus on the Eucharist this year, we realize that gathering and sharing life together is essential to our ability to realize our vision that Saint Pius is our spiritual home with a community equipped to live our mission.  When we encounter Jesus by gathering and sharing life together outside of this sacred space, we come to this sacred space more open to the power of Christ’s presence through the Eucharist, the Biblical proclamation and the ministry of the Church. 

I would like you to form or join a small life-sharing group here at Saint Pius next month so that you can encounter Jesus in a new way. 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us!

As the National Eucharist Congress concludes this weekend, and we begin our Year centered on the Eucharist, it is fitting for us to begin with asking the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis who will be made a saint in the coming year.  Blessed Carlo was a young person in love with Jesus and created a website of Eucharistic miracles.  

Oh God, Our Father,
thank you for giving us Carlo, 
a life example for the young
and a message of love for everyone.

You made him become enamoured with 
Your Son Jesus, Making of the Eucharist 
his “Highway to Heaven”.
You gave him Mary, as a most loving Mother, 
and, with the Rosary, you made him 
a poet of her tenderness. Receive his prayer for us.
Above all, gaze upon the poor, 
whom he loved and helped.
Grant for me too, by his intercession, 
the grace that I need ...
And make our joy fulfilled,
placing Carlo among the Saints 
of your Church, so that his smile 
may shine again for us in the glory of your name.
​Amen.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings can be found here.

Jesus invites His disciples, and all of us, to come away with Him to rest.  We need to rest in order to reorient ourselves, to recenter ourselves on Him.  Even as He rests, He sees the needs of the many who are seeking Him.  How are you called to rest in Jesus this week?

THE NEWS FROM THE PEWS

Father Daniel is visiting his family in Ghana this week.  Please keep him in prayer, especially as his family gathers to celebrate the marriage of his brother.  

Welcome back Msgr. Steve Orr!  Msgr. Orr will be assisting in the next months as both Father Daniel and I take time to rest and get away.  We are grateful to Monsignor as he shares his faith with all of us.  Please join me in both welcoming him back as well as congratulating him on 50 years of priestly ministry!

Please keep in your prayers our neighbors who are still recovering from the storms this past week.  Thankfully no lives were lost, but many are dealing with damage and a mess.  Let me also encourage you to reach out to help someone who might be moving branches or other debris.

Enjoy the week!

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings for Sunday can be found here.

Jesus sends out the Apostles two by two.  If you’ve seen The Chosen, you could imagine that not all the pairs were perfectly matched by our standards, but by God’s standards, it worked for His glory.  It is important to lean on someone else when sharing the Gospel message for the simple reason that we can get in the way of our purpose without even realizing it. When we work with another, we have the rough edges ground down—much like two rocks placed in a tumbler.  Spend some time thanking God for the person in your life who is helping you to smooth the rough edges.

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

It’s been a year, can you believe it?  Father Daniel and I began our work in this wonderful community on July 13, 2023.  It is amazing when I think about it.  There have been so many blessings and know we both are grateful to be here, even if one of us is leaving for the rest of the month and next!  We both feel like we’ve found a home away from home here and thank God daily for having the Bishop send us here.

The National Eucharistic Congress begins this weekend in Indianapolis, IN.  Catholics from across our nation are gathering to bask in the Christ’s great gift to the Church.  At Saint Pius, we will take the lessons from the national revival and congress to begin transforming our community.  As we strive to foster the domestic-ness of our community, we want to keep Christ at the center.  In the coming year, we will focus on the Eucharist.  One of our first steps has been to bring the Eucharist into full sight of the community as it gathers in prayer.  We are planning to construct a platform on the other side of the doors—but until we are able to do that, we have moved the tabernacle up into the sanctuary proper.  The original baptistry area is still a chapel meant for private devotion—one of the beautiful elements of the design of our tabernacle is that it draws our attention to the Eucharistic presence from all eight sides; it shows the fullness of Christ’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

July is still a quiet month in our offices.  Many of our ministry team members are taking time to rest and relax.  Please be patient with us as it takes some time for us to return messages.  If you have not heard from any of us, please don’t be afraid to reach out again; I know it is easy to get overwhelmed with messages and sometimes a response gets missed.  It is not personal.  It’s more a sign of a cluttered mind (and desk!).

I hope you are taking time to enjoy the heat, the sun, the warmth.  God is blessing us abundantly and uses all of this to help us and all of His creation grow.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings for the 13th Sunday of the Year can be found here.

The readings for the 14th Sunday of the Year can be found here.

Our readings for these two Sundays of the Year remind us that we need to turn to Jesus in faith.  If we really believe that He can heal us, we need to get closer to Him.  If we really believe He has power, we need to make an effort to get close to Him.  It is not enough to know about Him—we have to know Him.  It’s not enough to hear about Him from someone else; we have to set aside all that we think we know about Him and actually encounter Him.  What do you need to do in order to allow Him to work more deeply in your life?

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

Welcome Ben Lockwood!  We are happy to welcome Ben Lockwood to our ministry team.  Ben has been with us since the end of May as an intern with our music ministries.  Ben will be working in our Evangelization ministries with our youth as well as assisting with Worship ministries as the liturgy assistant.  Ben graduated from Wartburg this Spring and originally hails from Anoka, Minnesota.  Please welcome Ben to Saint Pius X.

Centering our community on the Eucharist.  We are going to be spending this next year centering ourselves on the Eucharistic Lord.  In a very real and tangible way, we started doing this by moving the tabernacle into the sanctuary under the crucifix.  When you come into the church through the baptistry, you see the altar and the tabernacle quite clearly.  The Eucharist is the source and the summit of our Christian lives, and we will spend the year building on the work of the Eucharistic revival in our nation to implement Pope Saint Pius X’s vision of having a deeper love and reverence for the Eucharistic Lord.

Happy Fourth of July!  If you are in Urbandale for the holiday, please check out the Fourth of July festivities in town.  A huge part of this is the parade on Independence Day.  Saint Pius is proud to have a float in the parade.  You are welcome to join us walking with the float.  There will be a Flocknote with more information coming soon.

Summer is truly upon us.  Our ministry team members are taking vacations, going to conferences and spending time with family and friends.  Please be patient with us as it might take a bit longer than normal for us to return messages.  Father Daniel will be taking his annual vacation to go home to Ghana later this month.  He will return in August—please don’t worry about that!  Please pray for his, all our ministry team members’, safe travels.

A final thought about change… We must do things differently.  This might involve physically moving things or moving things on websites or processes we’ve done.  I fully recognize that not everyone appreciates or desires change as it is by its very nature destabilizing.  As a Church, we simply cannot keep doing everything as we have.  We are living through the change of an age which requires us to think, act and respond differently.  Many of the attitudes and structures we have depended upon no longer are the norm.  Our goal is not change for its own sake but change for Jesus’ sake!  Keep praying with us and for us that we might share the Gospel with others in new and bold ways.  Please be patient with us through this time of change.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings for this Sunday can be found here.  Anyone who ever tells you that the life of the disciple of Jesus is without trails, struggles, pain, difficulties, persecution or the like is lying to you.  Even when we invite Jesus into our lives, our homes, our parish community, our Church, the waves of this world will crash against our boat.  The stresses of life will try us.  We will feel overwhelmed.  The disciples in the Gospel reading today certainly did.  After the Resurrection, they faced all sorts of difficulties.  The truth is that while there are not guarantees of wealth, easiness or anything like it, Jesus does promise that He will be with us.  If it feels like He is sleeping, we have to take the initiative to cry out for help.  He has the power to calm the seas with a single word but we need to place our trust in Him.  He will get us through it, but we need to choose to believe.

NEWS FROM THE PEWS 

This week we took an important step in our Blessed Sacrament Chapel project.  With the help of a few folks, the tabernacle, with diocesan approval, was moved into the sanctuary until we can build the platform for the permanent placement of the tabernacle in the Chapel space.  In the mean time, we will partially close the doors to allow the chapel space to be a bit more private for prayer and to accentuate the tabernacle in the sanctuary.  The proper sign of reverence for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is to genuflect on the right knee when entering and exiting the nave of the church.  Once Mass begins, our attention is properly directed to the altar.  Lectors and other ministers will bow during Mass to the altar.

Please join us in praying the Memorare, asking our Blessed Mother to pray that the Lord will send right person to us to lead our Worship Ministries.  Our Worship Ministries include all of our liturgical ministries—sacristans, cantors, lectors, choirs, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, servers, accompanists, ushers, greeters, church environment and many others.  

Bishop Joensen ordained two new priests on Friday, June 21: Fathers Luis Cabrera and Mike Mahoney.   Father Cabera is assigned to Corpus Christi in Council Bluffs and Father Mahoney is assigned to Saint Theresa’s in Des Moines.  Please pray for our new priests.

Thank you to the Holy Name Society, our Outreach Committee and our Friday morning Men’s Group who supported Iowa Catholic Radio’s effort to include Saint Pius in the daily Mass broadcast.  Our daily Mass will be included in a rotation with those from other parishes as the morning Mass broadcast on ICR.  We are grateful for their support and ministry among us.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is in Council Bluffs, Glenwood & Imogene, and Shenandoah June 23–25.  Each day includes a Mass, a procession with the Blessed Sacrament, prayer, exposition and fellowship.  The recent edition of the Catholic Mirror has more information.

Father Daniel and I are grateful for your prayers and your support of us.  We know the Father has a plan for our Church, and Saint Pius has a role in His plan.  We are excited to see how our small role will develop in these coming years.  Each day we ask the Holy Spirit to show us how we can better cooperate with Him and be better priests and shepherds of this community.  Thank you for every choice you make to surrender yourself and your family into His hands.  None of us are in control.  We simply have to choose to follow Christ each day.  We have to choose daily to love God with all our hearts, mind and strength, to love our neighbor as ourselves, to trust that He is restoring all things in Christ.  God bless you.

HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY!  

We join together this weekend to thank God for the gift of fathers and fatherhood.  We live in a time where “father” has become negative—think paternal, patronize—and the role of the father has been down-played.  It becomes more important for us to celebrate fathers as gift from God, who is the perfect Father.  As our school children often sing, “He is a good, good Father.”  We pray that our fathers can draw inspiration and strength from the saints as they live their vocation to love their wives and give life to their children.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings for Sunday can be found here.  We are challenged in our readings this weekend to surrender to God every thing we believe we have and trust that He will bring forth great things.  When we look at creation, we see God doing exactly this—He takes a seed and brings forth giant trees.  He takes a human person and brings forth a mighty nation.  He takes bread and brings forth His Son into the world.  Look around and see the great works of a Father who loves us.

NEWS IN THE PEWS

• JUNE 30 is the date for our training for Liturgical Ministries.  When we announced last week, I forgot about a major event in Council Bluffs (see below) on June 23.  We will train existing and new folks as lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and sacristans after the 11:00 AM Mass.  Please join us!
• The National Eucharistic Procession  is coming to the Diocese of Des Moines through Council Bluffs on Sunday, June 23. Details for the Serra Route through our Diocese can be found here.  If you are able, please make the pilgrimage to Council Bluffs for this amazing event.
• We are still seeking to hire someone to lead our Worship Ministries at Saint Pius.  This leader will work with Cathy and Ben (who has been serving as an intern) to direct all aspect of our community’s liturgical ministries, including music.  Please join me in praying a Memore daily for our Blessed Mother to intercede for us in finding the right person for this ministry.
• As you may have noted in these posts, we are going to be restructuring our professional folks at Saint Pius.  The titles and direction of our ministries are going to be going through transformation to bring us into alignment with Bishop Joensen’s vision for the Diocese and our visioning work with the Pastoral Council.  In August we will inviting you into deeper relationships with Christ and with each other—truly, more to come.
• Iowa Catholic Radio would like to start broadcasting morning Masses from Saint Pius in a rotation with other parishes.  In order to do this, we need to raise about $1400 more—thanks to our Holy Name Society and Outreach Committee who have already given donations to make this a reality.  Please contact Dean if you would like to help us out.
• Summer Projects are under way.  I need to make a clarification as I think I may not have spoken clearly on this topic.  Our normal operating income coming from your regular tithing through envelopes, automatic payments, web site donations, etc. supports our regular operating expenses (payroll, utilities, insurance,  routine maintenance, etc.).  The Saint Pius reserve funds and special donations pay for our major projects.  The Finance Council authorized us to be able to spend up to $300,000 for these special projects this summer.  Some of the projects are required by state and local authorities (updating the sprinkler system in the school); others make our campus safer (fixing the concrete, repainting the parking lots lines, fixing the retaining wall).  We also need to be the best stewards of our resources (adding bathrooms to the preschool program is much less expensive and easier than hiring additional staffing to maintain adult-child ratios).  The Finance Council and its Building and Grounds Committee prioritize our special projects list and advise on implementation.  Of course, we always pray that nothing major happens that requires immediate attention (retaining wall, A/C units that break).
• Father Daniel and I are also developing our liturgical wishlist (bringing the tabernacle into full view in the church, additional counter and storage space for vessels and music ministry items, a vestment set for major celebrations with enough chasuble and dalmatics for our assigned priests and deacons plus guest concelebrants, the ICR request above).  You will hear about these in the coming weeks and months as well. 

LET’S KEEP PRAYING

There is lots happening in our world around us.  Please keep praying for and with each other.  Everyone needs prayer—be courageous as a disciple of Jesus and pray!

HAPPY “ORDINARY” TIME!

This Sunday we come back to the Sundays of the Year. The readings can be found here. This weekend we reflect upon everyone’s favorite topic: Sin.  We are reminded that division is never a part of God’s plan for humanity.  By choosing to believe the lies of the serpent, Adam and Eve divided themselves against each other and against God.  Satan’s tactic, as Jesus points out, eventually brings destruction on the strong house—the Church.  We are called to humbly acknowledge our sins and allow Christ to unite us into Himself.

NEWS IN THE PEWS

With summer upon us, the evenings at SPX are quieter, but there is still lots happening.  Check out the bulletin for all the happenings.

As we are transitioning this summer into new ministry structures, our office team members are taking necessary vacations.  We know we have great things ahead of us.  Throughout all of this, we are working to keep things as “normal” as possible while also making changes.  Please keep us all in prayer as it’s never easy and we all like solid routines.  We also know that pruning causes stronger and better growth.   

HAPPY FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI!

The readings for today can be found here.

We celebrate the great gift of the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ this weekend.  We realize that Jesus is fulfilling His promise to be with us until the end of the age through the gift of the Eucharist.  In His Body and in His Blood we receive the gift of life.  In His Body and in His Blood we have Him within us.  In the Eucharist, we receive LOVE.  It is always good to spend a few minutes to praise God for His great gift to us.

UPDATES ON PROJECTS

This summer we are going to be completing several projects.  Unfortunately the entire list of projects will not be able to be completed as prices continue to increase.  We have several projects that are needed as well as some that have been deferred as long as possible:

Fire alarm system in the original school building: when we did the Parish Center project we had three years to bring the whole building up to code.  This summer marks the third year, and we have to do the project.

Bathroom addition in the Preschool: The DHS has a minimum staffing level for the 3-year old and 4-year old programs.  Currently we need to have a higher ratio than required because there is not a bathroom in each classroom.  With the addition of the bathroom we can reduce the staffing ratio and provide a safer environment for the program.

Concrete: We have several areas of concrete that need to be replaced.  The stoop on the back door of the Parish Offices is deteriorated as well as several holes in the parking lots, sidewalks and curves on campus.  

Retaining wall: In the lower parking lot below the preschool playground, the retaining wall collapsed with the heavy rains this Spring.  We had not expected this project, but need to fix it right away.

Painting: the lower level of the church building was last painted about 15 years ago (according to the best estimate).  Additionally, the gathering space walls have significant damage from posters (the reason why they are still up).  We need to fix and paint these areas.

Master key replacement: we need to update the church complex security.  One of the most basic ways is through rekeying the building as we know that copies have been made over the years, and we don't know who has keys to the buildings.  We already have the electronic key access where we can monitor access, so by changing the outdoor keys, we will have better security.

Cameras in the parking lot: depending on the costs of the above projects, we hope to install security cameras in the parking lots.

Because of the cost of these major projects, there are several projects that are on hold until next year:

The relocation of the tabernacle: we have a solid design, but the cost to move it was a little less than the retaining wall.  We will look to see how the tabernacle is fixed to the floor.  If we are able to move it into the sanctuary safely, we will look at doing this summer with little cost, and then next summer the more expensive project.

Martha and Mary updates: the carpet in the Martha and Mary Fellowship Hall has hosted many feet and absorbed many spills.  We have cleaned it, and it is worn out.  We will look at reflooring the MMFH in the coming years as well as additional sound absorption.  

Ceiling Fans in the church: we will need to replace the light fixtures in the church as the bulbs will not be available in a couple of years.  When we replace the fixture, we will install ceiling fans to help move air.

HVAC: The heating system and the air conditioning system do not speak to one another.  We also have had some issues with the computer that controls the AC, causing a really warm church.  We will need to look at fixing these issues.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Once again, a word of gratitude to Sherri Hunt for her 13+ years of ministry among us.  She will be spending time with grandchildren and family, and enjoying her free weekends.  Please keep her in your prayers as she begins this new adventure.

WITH GRATITUDE FOR THOSE WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FOR OUR FREEDOM

On Monday we celebrated Memorial Day, a day where we remember the men and women who died in defense of our freedoms.  We remember those who died in the War of American Revolution, the War of 1812, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the War to end all Wars, the Second World War, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Second Gulf War, the Action in Afghanistan and other conflicts and battles waged in defense of our nation.  We remember the sacrifice they made, and we honor their families who were left behind (our Gold Star families).  We pray their souls may be at rest and their families may have peace.

THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

On Sunday we celebrated our God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We thank God for the ability to be in relationship with Him who is Love itself.  We celebrate the God who desires to restore us into the proper relationship with Him.

THE PASTOR

This past Sunday we welcomed Bishop Joensen to our parish for the Installation of the Pastor.  This is a ceremony that signifies our communion with the Bishop as the shepherd of the Diocese of Des Moines and his desire to keep us together with the Church.  After renewing my priestly promises, he asked me to lead our community in the profession of faith and then make an oath of fidelity for the office of Pastor.  

At the conclusion of the Mass, I shared with the community our vision and the plan for the coming year.  The Pastoral Council will be spending time with the vision, and in the coming year we will be discussing the goals for the coming years to help us attain our vision.  (See last week’s post for the vision and goals for the coming year.) We have a dynamic community that is being filled by the Holy Spirit.  I know He will show us clearly how to move forward.

THANK YOU

As I write this, Sherri Hunt is in her last week with us.  Her final day will be this Friday, May 31.  She was sharing with us that she is already excited to be able to join her children and grandchildren at their parish this weekend as the grandchildren take part in the Eucharistic procession.  Sherri has built up a robust and thriving liturgical ministry program at Saint Pius X.  We are so grateful for everything she and her husband Dave have done to make this happen.  We wish her the blessings of God as she moves forward on her journey.

HAPPY PENTECOST!

The readings for this weekend can be found here.  For a more extended prayer experience, I would encourage you to read through the extended VIGIL readings for Pentecost found here.  Pentecost is an amazing day, and one year we will do the Vigil for Pentecost with it's treasure of readings--but this year has too many things happening already.  The Vigil expands upon the story of how God has reached out to us through the ages to restore us into a relationship with Him.

This past week I have been praying intently with our mission statement; the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that God has already restored all things in Christ.  He is the subject of the sentence while we receive the fruits of His restoration if we choose to accept them.  In other words, we are not restoring, God is through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.  God does this when we choose to share the story of how He desires so much to be in relationship with us.  Ask the Spirit to help you to be able to receive and then share His Love with others.

THE NEWS IN THE PEWS

This week wrapped up the evening meeting cycle for the year.  While we have the school graduation for our eighth graders and a few other events, the meetings and groups are pretty much finished until August rolls around.  I know our ministry team is excited to review the year and start working for next year's activities.

So, as we look to next year and beyond, we are going to allow our Vision to guide us:  We engage our Saint Pius family of disciples to consider Saint Pius home and to live our mission (Love God. Love others. MAKE DISCIPLES.  Restore all things in Christ.) by utilizing the Genesis approach and noticing our brother or sister, calling all by name, knowing Jesus, and making Christ known to each person.  

Our two goals for the coming year look like:

(1) We will implement the Genesis approach through small group ministry for adults, youth and families:

      –Fiat Lux groups for young adults and adults

     –Ut Fidem 2.0 groups for youth

     –Blessed and Broken groups for families preparing to receive First Communion

(2) We will develop our "notice, name, know and make known" approach to discipleship with a focus on the Eucharist:

     –reintroduce our monthly “Hospitality Sunday” with time for food and fellowship

     –provide the books Beautiful Eucharist and This is My Body for individual and book study groups

     –promote Eucharistic adoration with the school, discipleship formation program and after weekday Masses

     –explore hosting a parish mission and/or retreat focused on the Eucharist

     –introduce CGS for preschool program

     –celebrate Sacraments during Masses, especially on Sundays

This is quite the list for us to work on during the coming year.  You will be reading more about this over the summer.  Don't be alarmed if details or names change--it is really a work in progress, and my sharing with you at this point is two-fold: an accountability to build on the momentum many in our parish have been developing this past year as well as to start conversations about where we can go to implement our vision in the coming years. In all of this please continue to ask the Holy Spirit to animate, lead and guide us.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, who have taught the hearts of the faithful
by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Ascension.  The readings can be found here.  Yes, it is confusing--but in 1998 the US Bishops received permission to move the Ascension from Thursday to Sunday in order to reduce the number of Holydays of Obligations.  However, each grouping of dioceses called Provinces with an Archdiocese--ours being Dubuque--had to agree to the move.  Almost all of the US Provinces agreed except Hartford, CT, New York, NY, Philadephia, PA, Boston, MA, and Omaha, NE.  So, if you lived in Council Bluffs and went to Mass on Thursday near work you celebrated the Ascension and this Sunday were at your home parish would also celebrate the Ascension.  

The Ascension is our annual reminder that we have a mission given to us by Christ: TO MAKE DISCIPLES!  The question for us to contemplate is whose disciples are we making?

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

Thursday was a Council-packed day.  The Finance Council met in the afternoon to look at the annual budget (July 1--June 30).  Included in the budget were major projects for the summer: installing a new fire alarm system required by State Code in the original school building, repair of concrete in the parking lot, repainting the lines in the parking lot, the installation of a new bathroom to reduce our staffing for the preschool program, and painting in the narthex and lower level of the church building.  It will be a busy summer.  There are more projects on the To-Do List--but right now, we are stretching the budget to get these done this summer.

The Pastoral Council and School Councils met in the evening in a joint meeting to discuss their particular roles as well as how we can live as a community where it feels like home together.  One of the challenges with a parish with about 1500 families is that we are not a huge parish, but we're not small either.  It can be easy for different groups to become disconnected, and as we are working towards living as a family of disciples, we were seeking ways to work together.  The fact is that the school is the largest ministry of our parish--but the school is not a separate entity from the parish.  As a community, we need to change our patterns of speaking to reflect this reality--or we risk alienating ourselves from ourselves.  Whenever there is division, we know Satan has been at work.  So it was beautiful to see our Councils finding ways to work together.  Two important events happen that are beginning places for us to work together--the Feast Day celebration and our annual Gala.  The Feast Day is a fun day for us while the Gala also raises funds for special parish projects (like this year we worked together to make the Parish Center Lobby warm and inviting), our parish operating budget as well as allowing our School Council to provide fun experiences for families in our school.  

The Councils will not be meeting in June and July because yours truly needs some rest and relaxation during the summer.  It has been a year full of personal and professional transitions, and I need some down time to be able to recharge with the Holy Spirit.  Evening meetings do take a toll.  

This past week I was able to attend the band concert at the school.  We have an amazing new generation of musicians.  One of my best friends taught band before joining the monastery and being ordained.  In my first years as a priest, I spent many hours listening to him practice his flutes, trumpets, cellos, piano and organ.  While clearly not a musician, Father Cletus deepened my appreciation for how music can give voice to the soul.  I was thrilled to see young people doing the same.  

I also stopped by the Holy Name Brat supper--always a good meal.  They are excited about their upcoming golf outing; if you golf or know someone who does, it will be a fun event.  I will stop by at the beginning, but unfortunately my golfing skills are limited to watching.

A happy Mothers' Day to all our moms--thank you for saying yes to life.

God bless you all--see you at Mass.

Here is the list of Ten Things to give up during Eastertide from Father Christian Raab, OSB, of Saint Meinrad's Archabbey:

Fear and anxiety. When the Apostles are locked away because of fear, Jesus comes through the locked door.  See John 20: 19-19.

Despair. Jesus shows the Apostles His hands and His side (John 20: 20), showing us what we thought was the end is not the end.

Meaninglessness and purposelessness. Jesus says to them after His resurrection, “The Father has sent me, now I send you" (John 20:21).  We have a meaning, we have a purpose, we have a task to bear fruit.

Attachments to the past.  Jesus says to Mary Magdalene, “Stop holding on to Me.” (John 20:17) We must give up the ways Jesus was yesterday, and that's hard to do, but He wants us to look for how He is coming to us today.  He does not want us trapped in the past. (See John 20: 11-18).

Grudges. Jesus, the Risen Lord, forgives Peter on the seashore and He forgives the Apostles for abandoning Him. (See John 21: 1-19).

Unbelief.  Jesus says to Thomas, “Do not be unbelieving, but believe. Put your finger here and see my hands, bring your hand and put it in my side" (John 20: 27).

Sins.  Saint Paul tells us in Galatians tells us that Jesus Christ suffered and die to set us free from Sin.  Do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.  (Galatians 5:1).  So after giving up sins in Lent, Easter is not a time to just turn into gluttons.  In fact, Easter is full of graces for the overcoming of sin. That's an awesome thing to think about.

Discouragement. We remember that Jesus is victor over Sin and Death (1 Corinthians 15: 58), and He is here with us to lean on.

Indifference and lukewarmness.  Jesus says He's coming soon and He's coming as judge (Acts 1: 11).  So we are called during the season to take Him seriously and renew our seriousness about being disciples.

The life of isolation.  Jesus says to Peter and the Apostles, “Come have breakfast” (John 21: 12).  So, He asks us to give up our life of isolation and join with others in the Church.  Have you taken time to pray with anyone new recently or have you isolated yourself to only your friends and family?

From All Set for Sunday: #181 Fifth Sunday of Easter, Apr 24, 2024

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-set-for-sunday/id1510029900?i=1000653495625

This material may be protected by copyright.

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

SCAMS:  I have been told by several folks that there is a phishing scam out there.  For most of you, this will not happen unless you are connected with an event or group at Saint Pius that appears in our bulletin or on our website.  The scam artists have a great way to harvest contact information from digital documents and then send messages that have my name attached to them, but if you look at the address, it comes from a strange address not connected to Saint Pius.  So, please, do not fall for this scam.  I will not ask you for favors that require you to purchase gift cards or anything of the like.  I won't ask you to send money anywhere--even Ghana!  I won't ask for something at odd times for one individual.  I will use proper grammar and will sign off in my typical style.  Please send me an email to my Saint Pius address if you have questions.  But when it doubt, toss it out!

PREACHING THE GOSPEL MESSAGE: During Lent Father Daniel, the deacons and I attempted to share with you the basic core teaching of the Church.  We followed a pattern designed by Father John Riccardo of the ACTS XXIX group called "The Rescue Project."  If you would like to see more about it, please go the actsxxix.org for more or if you want a refresher.  You can also check out our SPX YOUTUBE channel that has videos of our past 9 AM Masses.  (https://www.youtube.com/@StPiusXUrbandale/streams).  

WHAT'S COMING UP: I have been spending time in between engagements recently praying and working on Saint Pius and our future.  With the first cycle of activities almost complete at this point, folks have asked where we are going.  The short answer is that  "We engage our Saint Pius family of disciples to live our mission (Love God. Love others. MAKE DISCIPLES.  Restore all things in Christ.) by utilizing the Genesis approach and  noticing our brother and sister, calling all by name and making Christ known to each person."  This is a very rough draft with a lot more needed to put flesh on it.  The Genesis approach follows the example God gives us in the first book of the Bible where He starts with nothing and slowly creates structures and then fills those structures with life.  For us this will start in a small group where people bring the reality of life, full of questions and chaos, and allow the questions and chaos to lead into an encounter with Jesus.   We have been piloting these small groups with the Pastoral Council this Spring, and as you have read, things have gone well.  More information will come over the summer.

LEADERSHIP COUNCILS:  Monthly I attempt to share with you what our Leadership Councils (Pastoral Council, Finance Council and School Council) have been up to and what is in the works.  In May, we will talking at all three of these Councils about what membership will look like in the coming year.  So, allow me to share ideal candidates and the selection process for each Leadership Council.  All Council members must be practicing Catholics in good standing with the Church and engaged in the life of Saint Pius.

Pastoral Council: The Pastoral Council is the main advisory group for any parish.  The PC seeks to plan for the pastoral needs of the community now and in the future.  The ideal candidate for this Council will have a broad view of the parish and be willing to seek the good of the whole community.  If you would like to recommend someone for the Council, please send Dr. Cheryl an email with contact information for the person.  We will have a conversation with the person to see if this would be a right fit, inviting that person to a meeting and then allowing the Holy Spirit to choose in the case of more candidates than positions.

Finance Council: The Code of Canon Law (the law of the Roman Catholic Church) states that each parish must have a Finance Council and states that members should have expertise in "accounting, business, finance, or law."  Finance Councils advise the Pastor on how to be the best stewards of God's blessings to the parish.  Finance Council members are appointed by the Pastor after consultation with the Business Manager.  

School Council: The School Council is a recent change to our parish structure.  With plans for regionalization in the works, the Bishop has transferred the School Board to the Diocesan Level so that all schools have the same policies and procedures.  The School Council functions on the parish level to advise the Pastor on living the mission through the ministry of the school.  Our School Council seeks to involve families enrolled in the school with the bigger life of the parish.  School Council members are appointed by the Pastor in consultation with the Principal.   

We have other committees and groups that meet as well which support the life of the parish.  In the coming months, we will find ways to highlight these groups and committees so that you can better appreciate how dynamic our parish community is.

PODCASTS:  Each night when the boys and I walk I often listen to different podcasts.  One of my current favorites is one produced in the Archdiocese of Omaha called "EQUIPCAST."  It is a series of interviews and discussions that are happening in the Archdiocese of Omaha on how to foster mature missionary discipleship.  I have also been listening to the ACTS XXIX podcast--in the first episodes Father Riccardo posts his preaching the Gospel message referenced above.  I share these with you, especially in light of the Council membership process to help you understand what I am finding exciting these days and being challenged by.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

This weekend Jesus reminds us that we are the branches attached to Him, the VINE.  The Father is the Vinekeeper who prunes and trims.  We are meant to produce fruit for the Father.  It will be good to reflect on how the Father is working on you.

Happy Easter!  I pray that you are enjoying this Eastertide and continuing to bask in the glory of Jesus' victory!

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

I fully realize I have been neglecting this blog and trying to keep you in the loop with News from the Pews as well as helping you get all set for Sunday.  So, this might be longer than normal.

There is a pastor at Saint Pius again!  On March 15, Bishop Joensen formally accepted me into the Diocese of Des Moines and also assigned me as the Pastor of Saint Pius X for a six-year term.  This ends a nine-month period of in-betweenness for me as I was a monk without rights or privileges in the monastery and not a priest of Des Moines.  Now as a priest fully belonging to Des Moines, I am able to shepherd this community more fully with stability here.   Bishop Joensen will join us for Mass on Sunday, May 26 at 11:00 AM to formally install me as pastor.  I am most grateful for your support and love during these past nine months, and I really am thankful to God for leading me here with you.  The Holy Spirit is doing great things among us--and it is amazing!

Thank you for an amazing Lent, Holy Week, Triduum and start to our Easter season.  It truly does take a whole community to prepare for and celebrate Christ's victory over Sin and Death. 

• The guides for our Gospel of Mark reading were written by about ten different folks from our parish--priests, deacons, ministry team, school team, leadership volunteers.  They were compiled and distributed by our Ministry Team members.  
• Our liturgical environment was taken down, set up, taken down and reset up by an amazing crew who also keep the outside of our campus looking great.
• Our musicians rehearsed and ministered beautifully throughout this sacred time.
• Our liturgical assemblies were actively and fully participating in the worship of our God.
• Our liturgical ministers served well at the various ministries throughout this time.
• Our candidates to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion were well prepared by a teams of folks.
• Our cleaning crew did a great job keeping up with everything.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Congratulations to our newly baptized, our newly received, our newly confirmed and those who have received Jesus for the first time this Eastertide!

Saint Pius School Leadership Council met on April 11.  One of the big news items is that we finally settled on calling the group the "School Council."  It had been called the "Leadership Council" but that name also describes other groups in the parish.  The School Council is short and to the point.  The School Council is made up of the working committee chairs and the Officers.  Their role is to support and advice about matters of the school.  They also coordinate a lot of the extra activities for our school ministry.  

At the April 11 meeting I had to apologize to them and to our families who enroll students at Saint Pius School for a communication failure on my part.  We announced the tuition quickly after we worked through the effects of the pause on the Region for Saint Pius School.  In short, the tuition was set at a level that allowed families who qualify for the Educational Savings Account (ESA) to use it while not pricing ourselves out for families who do not qualify for the ESA.  To qualify for an ESA, students either must be newly enrolled in a private school (next year this includes our Kindergarten and first grade families as well as transfers from public schools) or be in a family that makes less than the maximum income level set by the State of Iowa.  Saint Pius has a diversity of income levels--so this became a challenge.  For the families who do not qualify for the ESA or other outside support, our parish offers a $650 scholarship for each child.  The sticker shock of the increase was strong, and I am sorry for not sharing this early enough or in a manner that was easily understandable.  We are blessed with a vibrant school ministry, and we are committed to making it affordable for all.

Saint Pius Pastoral Council met on April 18.  The Council spent time reviewing how the pilot process for our Fiat Lux (adult small discipleship groups) was experienced and how we can begin to start up more groups in September.  We learned a lot about what works at SPX and how to improve the experience.  We also are looking how to utilize the approach, which we are calling Genesis, in other areas of ministry.

Saint Pius Finance Council will meet in May to look at our budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year (July 1--June 30).  Our Finance Council's main purpose is ensure that we are good stewards of the blessings from God.  

With the conclusion of Sacrament season this weekend, we are looking at a wind down for our ministry year.  Faith Formation classes will conclude in the coming weeks, RCIA will wrap up with mystogogia, school is planning for graduation and field day already.  As we wind down, we will also take opportunities to review the year and start planning for next year.  

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

This Sunday Jesus reminds us that He is the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd protects us while also guiding and leading us.  We pray for ourselves that we will trust Him enough to keep turning back to Him.  He knows the plan for us--as individuals, as families, as Church--and we are called to ask Him to reveal to us what we need to know in order to keep moving forward with Him.

God bless you this week.

In Christ,

Father Matthew

HAPPY HOLY WEEK

As we have concluded our forty days of Lent and enter into this Holy Week and Triduum, we do so with a sense of gratitude for what God does for us through the Passion of Jesus Christ.  We are grateful for Jesus' suffering and death on the Cross.  We are grateful for His willingness to take on the Evil One on our behalf.  We are grateful that we are free from the dominion of Sin and Death.  We are grateful for the gift He gives us.  As we walk with Jesus these days, let us ask Him to be our guide.

Please join us for the Masses and Liturgies of Holy Week and Triduum: Palm Sunday at 5:00 PM (Saturday); 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM; Monday--Wednesday of Holy Week at 8:15 AM and 5:15 PM; Holy Thursday at 7:00 PM (there is no Mass on Holy Thursday morning); Good Friday at 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM; and Easter at 8:00 PM on Saturday, 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:15 AM and 11:00 AM.  Each liturgy has a special power--we look forward to celebrating with you.

Last chance to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession) is Monday at 6:00 PM.   There will be no confessions of Good Friday or Holy Saturday.

Please keep in prayer those preparing to receive Sacraments this year.  Please keep in prayer our elect who will be baptized, our candidates for full Communion, our candidates for Confirmation and our candidates for First Communion.  Pray that they may open themselves to the power of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives.

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

There have been no Council meetings this week.  With Holy Week, Triduum and Easter approaching, we had no meetings last week or during this coming week.  We are continuing to work on furthering our mission to LOVE GOD.  LOVE OTHERS.  MAKE DISCIPLES.  RESTORE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST.  We have amazing momentum building with our Lenten pilot programs--and I cannot wait to see where God will take this next for us.

How can you help?  There are some special projects at Saint Pius that require certain skills to make them happen. 

First, we need seamstresses to create covers for our statues and images.  Traditionally on the Fifth Sunday of Lent the statues and images are covered, including the crucifix.  However, we don't have any covers.  If you are able to help us make covers, please let us know.

Second, we need carpenters to transform the Reconciliation Room into a working sacristy by installing a counter and cabinets in the space.  Further if you have a counter and cabinets in excellent condition that need a new home, send us photos--it would save having to purchase new ones.

Third, we need a woodworker to design a sliding panel on the confessional wall in the Reconciliation Room.   The dark panels for the confessionals have slats that do not move and don't provide privacy for someone who wants to confess behind a screen nor open enough for someone who wants to confess in view of the confessor.  We can better utilize the space if we can take out the slats and put in something that is moveable.

LET'S HOLD EACH OTHER IN PRAYER

Please pray for our community this week.  As we journey with Jesus we are called to hold one another in prayer.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings for this Sunday can be found here.

This Sunday marks the last regular week of Lent.  We finish with the scrutinies, or examinations, of those seeking Baptism as we hear Jesus speaking about dying like a grain of wheat that will bring new life.  This necessary death will bring us freedom and new life--we simply are invited to trust in Him.

This Sunday also concludes our series on the Story of the Good News.  We have spent the weeks of Lent looking at why God's story matters in our life.  We know that God created us out of Love and for Love.  We heard that Satan is jealous of God's Love for us and so he deceived us into believing that we don't need God.  In falling for this deception, our race placed itself under Satan's control.  Through the crucifixion of Jesus, a man and God conquered sin, freeing all of us from being bound by sin.  Yet, we still choose to sin.  This weekend we will ask the question, how are we going to respond to God's love for us?  What difference does this make?

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

It's been Spring Break for most of the community, and it has been quiet on campus.  The normal level of energy from our school and faith formation students has been absent.  A group of our teens spent their Spring Break in service to others--whether on a mission trip or spending the day packing food for the hungry around the world.  It has been a great week to see them engaged in ministry.

Our Pastoral and Finance Councils met this week to look to the next ten years and to work on priorities.  They recommended that we make sure we do our due diligence and, if it seems like it makes sense, we remove the houses at 3656, 3660 and 3664 66th Street.  We will now need to start planning for an appropriate residence for our priests as well as determining the best way to remove the houses as we start planning for how the property could be utilized.  My take away is that for us to best steward the resources entrusted to us, we won't be spending money on the houses.  This is a first step in many more conversations for our future.

The next few weeks are filled with opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  On Sunday at 4:00 PM we have twelve additional priests coming to hear confessions.  Please make every effort to take advantage of this opportunity.  Father Palmer will be here as normal on Friday morning after Mass, Father Daniel and I will hear confessions on Saturday morning, and then a last chance opportunity on Monday, March 25 at 6:00 PM.  We will not have confessions available on Good Friday or Holy Saturday.

Last week I spent time on retreat at New Melleray Abbey outside of Dubuque.  It was a great week of silence, prayer and reading.  It was good to recharge my own spiritual batteries in preparation for the coming weeks.  The week served to reconnect me with the rhythm of the monastery while reaffirming my choice to return home.   Overall it was a wonderful retreat.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings for this Sunday can be found here.

Jesus does not need anyone to explain human nature to Him because He already knows it.  By pitching His tent among us, He already knows what we experience--our highs and our lows, our joys and our struggles.  It's funny because we often approach Him trying to explain ourselves--why we didn't follow a certain commandment, justifying our actions, thoughts and beliefs to Him.  Jesus already knows the human experience.  We are invited this weekend to trust in Him.

This weekend we will be answering the third important question based on the previous two.  We know that we are fitting our lives into God's story.  The Bible gives us what is real and true.  God created us in His image and likeness for an intimate relationship with Him.  We were not created in such a way that we need to hide or enhance our beauty--He already did this.  So, this week we will ask, if all of this is indeed true, WHAT HAPPENED?  Why is our world so messed up? 

NEWS IN THE PEWS

This was a quiet meeting week at Saint Pius.  With a fifth Thursday, none of our leadership groups met this past week.  The dogs and I took a really long walk instead and got to bed at a decent hour.  

We are certainly still in the midst of Lent.  Our Lenten community prayer is going well.  Weekday Masses have had folks praying and participating.  We have a lot of folks who are reading the Gospel of Mark.  Stations of the Cross have been well attended.  It is wonderful to see so many in our community embracing the call to repent by turning to God in prayer.  Our Lenten community almsgiving is also going well.  I have heard a lot of people sharing Father Daniel's project and we are making good traction on it.  Next weekend we will have updated numbers.  Our Lenten community fasting is also present--while certainly more private, we see it happening at our soup suppers and other times.  

This weekend is the Annual Diocesan Appeal.  This appeal allows Bishop Joensen to do the ministry of Bishop with the support of all the parishes in the Diocese of Des Moines.  You should have received a mailing this past week with more information about the ministries supported by the appeal.  Please make sure to indicate you are a Saint Pius parishioner when you donate so that we receive the proper credit towards our assessment goal.  Thanks in advance for your generosity.

SPECIAL PRAYERS

Please keep in prayer all of our hospitalized parishioners and all enduring chronic pain and suffering.  We have several members of our community in need of your special prayers.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The readings for the Second Sunday of Lent can be found here.

"This is my Beloved Son.  Listen to Him."  The Father speaks these words over Jesus after the Transfiguration so that the Apostles Peter, James and John can understand the story of salvation.  As our deacons reminded us last week in their homilies, the Bible is not just a random collection of books with different types of literary genres but it is an overarching story of God's LOVE for His Chosen People.  The story of salvation is not just something that happened thousands of years ago, but it is happening right here and now.  The Father speaks these words over Jesus to help not just the Apostles but to help us as well, since the Bible is the inspired Word of God written for us.

Hear the Word of God spoken in your midst today.  What is your reaction to the story?

OUR LENTEN JOURNEY WITH THE GOSPEL OF MARK

Please continue to join all of us at Saint Pius reading Saint Mark's Gospel this Lent.  Mark shares with us Jesus in action.  He invites us to join with him and with others to figure out who Jesus is.  This past week I visited a middle school theology class where the students were reading and discussing the passage for the day.  It was an amazing discussion.  While there insights are not recorded, please feel free to comment on the Facebook post with the reading guide (unless you gave up social media for Lent, then write down your thoughts in a journal).  The reading guides can be found here.  And if you haven't started yet, it's not too late.  The weekend allows for you to catch up.

NEWS IN THE PEWS

It's been a full week at Saint Pius.  Our Finance Council met this past week to start exploring the budget for 2024-2025.  We are incredibly blessed with a generous parish who supports our ministries prayerfully and financially.  Thank you.  Part of the budgeting process is to start exploring the upcoming parish needs and projects.  One of the items that we will be discussing with the Pastoral Council at the joint meeting in March is the plan for the houses on 66th Street.  We either need to invest resources in the houses to keep them up or we have to have a plan to remove them from the property as the exteriors need replacement of siding, roofs and the like and the interior needs some work as well.  If we decide to remove them, then we will need a plan for the property itself--do we build one large rectory for both priests to live, do we construct a parking lot, do we have a nice green space as a playground, do we construct additional office or meeting space, do we ...?  There is a lot to discuss and we will need to make decisions and take action in the next three years before we waste resources or have buildings with serious issues.

We have a very positive response to the Lenten Mass schedule.  The Monday through Thursday 5:15 PM Mass has been well received.  I know for Father Daniel and me it has been a great opportunity to celebrate Mass daily in the community.  

We are taking this Lent as an opportunity to pilot a few initiatives to determine how best to implement them in the coming year.  As you probably have read we are working on a Genesis process to foster community within our parish and beyond.  The Pastoral Council has about seven groups of 6-10 people who are attempting to build sustainable small community in the most simple way possible.  We will be sharing more about what this looks and how others can get involved next summer--just know that it takes time to see how things could work at Saint Pius.  We are also working greeters on a Called by Name opportunity to better welcome and engage folks as they attend Mass.  Again, we will let you know how you can get involved once we work out a Saint Pius way.

Bishop Joensen sent a letter to families involved in our Catholic school ministry in the Des Moines area this past week informing them that he wants to continue to expand the pilot program for the regionalization effort.  Our  school is NOT included in this expansion.  We are still paused in terms of the regionalization effort along with Saint Theresa, Holy Trinity, Saint Francis and Sacred Heart.  We are praying that we will be able to work through the chaos in order to support our parishes collaborating together in the regionalization.  Please stay tuned.

This weekend we will be doing a second collection for the Saint Pius X Foundation.  The Foundation is our way to provide financially for our parishes future needs in a sustainable way.  While we operate from your Sunday tithe on a yearly basis, the Foundation allows for continued support of this community through investing money for the long-term (think of it as a 100 year retirement plan for the parish).  We don't know what the future holds, but we want to make sure that Saint Pius has means to continue the vital mission of sharing the Gospel and making disciples.  Thanks for your generosity to this collection.

Our Ghana almsgiving project is off to a very successful start.  Father Daniel and I are both humbled by your support of this project.  It not only will help his home village but it shows that the Church is truly Catholic and interdependent.  Just as we benefit from the gift of the Ghanaian people, the Ghanaian people benefit from our gifts as well.

Continued prayers for all of you during this Lenten season.  Please continue to pray for Father Daniel, our ministry team members, our deacons and me so that we may be faithful to the Gospel and lead you as you go forth to make disciples.