Our Lenten Journey

We have entered this sacred time heeding the call of the Prophet Jeremiah to return to the Lord with our whole hearts.  As a parish community of disciples of Jesus Christ, we are returning to the Him whom we are called to love with our whole hearts, minds, souls and beings.  We are called to return to Him who loves us with the greatest and most perfect love--Jesus Christ.  As a community we will be spending the next forty days hearing the greatest story ever told--the story of our salvation.  We will be praying as we read the Gospel of Mark each day.  We will be fasting and letting go of those things that have filled our hearts, minds and stomachs instead of our true Love.  We will be giving alms to support the work of the Church in Ghana.  Thank you for joining together to return to Jesus with your whole heart. 

Please check out our Lent page for more.

News from the Pews

Father Daniel will be giving a short presentation after the Masses this weekend about our Lenten Almsgiving Project to build the Saint Pius X Rectory in Ghana.  You will be invited to stay after Mass in church to hear and see his presentation.

This weekend is NAMETAG Sunday.  If you have a nice name tag from work, a conference or workshop or you just want to create one, please wear it.  We will also have nametags available for you in the Gathering Space.  This is an opportunity to help us get to know each other and call each other by name. 

Stations of the Cross and Soup Suppers are being held on Fridays in Lent.  Supper will be served from 5 to 6:30.  Stations of the Cross will begin at 6:30.

Join us for a time of Adoration this Lent.  One of the great opportunities we offer at Saint Pius happens on the First Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM.  We have an hour of Adoration with great music, a reading from the Bible and time to simply love Jesus.  Please join us.

Our Pastoral Council met on February 15.  We had a full 2 hour plus meeting.  They have been listening to your thoughts about the Tabernacle Project and shared them.  We spoke about our parish goals and how to best achieve them, working on a plan to roll out things in the Fall.  I shared a very rough draft of a vision statement for our goals and how we will look in 3 to 5 years.  Lots of good things are happening with our Pastoral Council.

All Set for Sunday

The readings for Sunday can be found here.

This Lent we are going to take a proverbial step back to look at the big picture by asking some big questions.  This weekend we will be asking the question, "Why is it important to tell the story?"  Sometimes we just assume everyone already knows about Jesus, which may or may not be true.  Come and find out this weekend why it is important.

I'm working on getting better at this...

Sorry to miss last week's updates; I simply don't know where the time goes.  It feels like there is so much time in a day until the end of the day when I wonder where it has gone.  Probably like many of you, I am trying really hard to reorient my life.  It is so much easier said than done.  But if the past year or so has taught me anything, it is that each day is a gift filled with many blessings, and I need to appreciate each day as it happens.  

News from the Pews

Lent is this coming week!  It seems crazy to think that we are already for Lent, and one of the strange things about Lent is that it does not require preparation because it is a season of preparation, or better, a season of reorientation.  There will lots of things happening this Lent, so please allow me to give you some highlights.  The bulletin and weekly Flocknote will have much more information.

Almsgiving: Our community's almsgiving recipient this Lent is the village of Atase in Ghana, Father Daniel's home village.  Over the past decade he has been working on building a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The next project is to build a rectory next to the church for the priest to stay and minister in the community.  The goal for our Lenten almsgiving is $50,000.  We have a generous donor who is willing to match our almsgiving up to $25,000.  If we go over, then Father Daniel has a few more projects that will be done in the parish.  He will be speaking after the Masses next weekend (Feb 17 & 18) to show photos and more details.  There will large boxes in the Narthex where you will be able to place your alms throughout Lent.  We will also have a display with how much has been contributed.  

Prayer: Our prayer during Lent will include reading the Gospel of Mark.  There will be a reading guide posted on our website, included in a Flocknote each week of Lent and on Facebook as well as a hardcopy available in the Gathering Space.  The reading guide will give a daily passage along with a reflection question.  We will start this coming week with short passages about praying with the Scriptures and begin reading the Gospel on February 19.  Please join along with us in prayer encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Mark.

We will also be having additional prayer opportunities throughout Lent: additional Masses on Monday through Thursday at 5:15, Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings, a Women at the Well (www.womenatwell.org) event on Sunday, February 18, Bishop Barron's Lenten books and more.  

Fasting: Please consider fasting from something that will deepen your prayer and lead to giving alms.  

Pastoral Council is meeting this week. Our Pastoral Council will be meeting this week.  In addition to discussing the goals for our parish (developing music ministry, starting small groups, and building a culture of welcome and engagement), we will be looking at my vision for the parish in the coming years.  You have been hearing about this in homilies and on this blog in small pieces, and I am working with the Pastoral Council to develop this into a unified vision for the parish.  More will be coming!

Thanks to all who supported our Annual Gala and Auction.  Father Daniel and I had an amazing time at the Gala and Auction, and were delighted by the generous support shown to our parish ministries.  Special thanks to Maria DeJong for chairing the committee and all who spent hours making the event so successful.  Thanks to all our sponsors and contributors.  Thanks to all who attended and supported the Gala and Auction.  Father Daniel already has plans for next year's event with some authentic Ghanaian food.

Called By Name: On the weekend of February 17 & 18 and on March 16 & 17 we would like to invite you to wear your nametag to Mass.  In an effort to reduce the number of throw away name tags, let me encourage you to wear your nice name tag that you have for work or social groups you belong to.  The idea is quite simple: if we have a regular weekend (the third weekend) where folks are invited to wear name tags, then we will both notice and call another person by name in an effort to be community with and for each other.  You are always welcome to pray with one another any time!

All Set for Sunday

The readings for this Sunday can be found here.

During the lockdown of 2020 many nursing homes and religious communities in Italy were hit hard when the first waves of covid hit.  Many older folks, including religious brothers and sisters, died from covid.  As a result as the lockdown spread, many residential communities locked their doors to outsiders.  The family and friends who tried to visit were turned away for fear of bringing the virus into the community.  The intention was to help preserve the lives of the vulnerable residents. 

Without getting too deep into the situation, it offered many of us an experience of the lepers of the first century.  We were unclean and had to keep our distance.  There are remnants of this still in our time when we get a cold or covid.  Jesus was the brave one who dared to go into the communities and touch the leper.  He reminded them, and us, of our common humanity.  Where do we need to bring humanity this week?  Are there relationships or situations where folks have been dehumanized where we can bring God's healing presence?

Thank you

Father Daniel and I were both touched and honored by so many folks remembering us at Christmas.  The cards, notes and gifts were such a joy to receive and experience your affection and kindness towards us.  We both tried very hard to send out notes of appreciation and gratitude...in case we missed you, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your kindness and pardon our oversight.  We both are so happy to be a part of the Saint Pius family.

Seminarians

In the past month we have been privileged to have two seminarians join us at Saint Pius.  First, Mike Posegate, a native of our parish, was home from his studies at Loras College and generously served at weekday, funeral and Sunday Masses.  Second, Dominic Nguyen, a native of Saint Peter's Vietnamese Community, was assigned to us by the Vocation Director to complete his 10-day January Term Pastoral Experience from Saint Paul Seminary at the University of Saint Thomas in Minnesota.  Dominic interviewed priests and diocesan leaders about the history and future of the Diocese while living at Saint Pius.  He visited classrooms in our school and faith formation ministries, attended meetings, served at weekday, funeral and Sunday Masses and met many of you.  It was great to have both of these fine young men with us, and it offers us the reminder to pray for them and all our seminarians as they discern God's call to service in the Church.

Reflecting back on nineteen years

 Last Monday, January 22, I marked my 19th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood by Bishop John F. Kinney.  As you can probably relate, I am not sure where the last nineteen years have gone.  As I have shared with you previously, I spent the majority of the time at Saint Boniface parish in Cold Spring, MN, as the parochial vicar (2005--2008), a sacramental minister when I was home (2008--2013) and as pastor (2013--2023).  I have also had the great opportunity to serve as a sacramental minister at Our Lady of Mercy parish in Potomac, MD (2008--2012) during my graduate studies, and as a pastor of Saints Peter & Paul in Richmond, MN (2017--2023), Saint James of Jacobs Prairie in Cold Spring (2017--2013) and Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Rockville, MN (2020--2023).   These past six months as the Canonical Parochial Administrator of Saint Pius have both been rewarding and challenging as I have been also navigating a new way of life.  Above all I am grateful to God for the ministry and experiences with which I have been blessed as a priest, and ask His blessings on the future.  Thank you for allowing me to be a priest in your midst.

News in the Pews

Our Pastoral Council will be meeting on Thursday, February 1 to participate in a training program in order to pilot groups designed to allow people to know and be known by Christ and other people.  These groups are being designed with a "zero-entry" mentality meaning that one does not need previous knowledge or experience and a simple way to engage with a group no longer than 10 people in which the joy and power of a relationship with Jesus Christ might be shared.  The members of the Pastoral Council volunteered to pilot this process in the coming months with an intention to invite others into the experience after we find a proven model that will work for us at Saint Pius.

Our Finance Council was introduced to the first part of our budget discussions last week.  There is a lot more work that needs to be accomplished.

Bishop Joensen announced a "pause" in the process to implement the Des Moines Regional Catholic Schools.  This pause is meant to allow pastors and administrators along with principals and business managers an opportunity to discuss with diocesan and the regional schools leadership the vision and aims for the Des Moines Regional Catholic Schools as well as how to best achieve these goals.  In the short-term this means that there are not changes to our Saint Pius or any Catholic parish school as a ministry of the parish. 

This weekend we will be having a special second collection for the Diocesan Solidarity Fund.  The collection will be used to help parishes in our diocese who have experienced hardships, like Saint Mary's of Hamburg who sustained damage in floods a few years back.  Rather than have special collections whenever these happen, the Bishop is asking for an annual collection so that the funds are available when the need arises. 

All Set for Sunday

The readings for this Sunday can be found here.  Jesus is different.  Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah and so many others all spoken on behalf of God to the Chosen People.  The rabbis all interpreted the Sacred Writings based on what they had been taught from their teachers who passed on what they had received. 

Jesus is different.  Jesus speaks with His own authority.  Jesus is the Word of God.  Allow Jesus to speak to you with this Divine Authority.  Allow Jesus to challenge you this week.  Allow Jesus to affirm you.  Allow Jesus to speak to you.

Snow Days and "Mensiversaries"  

I love a good snow day--and have to admit that the lockdown ruined the snow day.  While there is a great value in being able to ZOOM, email and keep on top of things, there is an even greater value in being completely disconnected and hunkering down.  The joy of the snow day is the ability to relax without the guilt that can go with it--the "I should go to the store" or "I should stop by and visit that friend" become impossible because the car is going to stay parked and all I can do is walk short distances.  Snow days are good for the soul because they are sabbath days.

This current round of snow days happens to mark the passage of six months since Father Daniel and I arrived at Saint Pius, our six-month mensiversary.  As I have been asked my impressions and experiences so far, I thought I would share them with you.

What have been the greatest joys of being at Saint Pius?  I love the simplicity of Saint Pius.  After being in an Area Catholic Community which consisted of four parishes (1400, 800, 350 and 125 families) with 2 pre-K--6 schools (225 and 110 students), a child care center (45 infants--age 5) and a nursing home with memory care, assisted living and HUD housing (82 beds, 24 suites, and 32 and 40 apartments), one parish (about 2000 families) with one preschool--8 school (422 students) is heaven.  I also love the sense of community of Saint Pius that is broader than just the families belonging to the parish.  Saint Pius is warm, generous and welcoming, but it also sees itself firmly rooted in the diocesan and universal Church.  Father Daniel and I have been embraced quickly, and we feel it.  Saint Pius is also able to go beyond its comfort zone.  While Father Daniel and I have certainly pushed a bit, the pushing has been welcomed by you.  Many of the cards and notes that we both have received have said that the Holy Spirit is moving in a new and powerful way in our community--and that is because we have opened ourselves up to this movement by going out of our comfort zones. 

What have been the greatest challenges of being at Saint Pius?  The newness of it all.  While I have been involved in parishes for the 19 years of my priesthood and served as a pastor for the ten years prior to arriving at Saint Pius, there is so much that is different from how the Diocese of Des Moines functions and the Diocese of Saint Cloud.  Additionally, I have moved from living with common goods to becoming an independent contractor--as a monk the parish salary went directly to the community who took care of everything so I didn't have a retirement fund, health insurance, car insurance, taxes or the like; as a hopefully-to-be diocesan priest I am neither an employee of the parish nor the diocese, so I now have to think about saving for retirement, managing my insurance and paying taxes.  While not reasons to remain in religious life, they are nice benefits.  Slowing myself down.  My mode of operation tends to be moving from dreaming up solutions to problems to trying to implement them quickly.  I know I have frustrated a few people by doing this--it's the need to bring into a bit more discernment into the processes of living in an Apostolic Age.

Where do you see us in the future?  Saint Pius will look very different in five years.  If we continue implementing our strategic plan, we will undergo significant changes that will speak to the present needs.  As so many folks share with me, it is painful to see family and friends become lukewarm to cold Catholic Christians.  As we realize that it is too frequent, and we need to become more like the early Church in her methods and way of living, we are going to focus on pushing ourselves outside of the structures into building relationships.  Saint Pius will be a communion of faith communities.  I am struggling a bit for words to describe this piece because the current terms don't fit.  But we need to build support and easy entry into the faith as part of our parish.  Making disciples requires that we hear the message of the Good News of Jesus with the ear of our souls as well as walking each other on the journey to living the Christian life.  Simply being a member of a 4000 person group is not effective in making or sustaining disciples.  In the Acts of the Apostles and the early centuries of the Church, participating in the Mass was the last step of being a disciple--not the first--because it is not easily understood.  Saintly bishops and patriarchs spent months and years unpacking the experiences of the Mass with new disciples.  They all started with sharing the Good News in groups of two, four or eight.  They slowly brought new disciples into the depths of faith.  We will need to more intentionally do the same.

All Set for Sunday

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

 As you have probably figured out, I am not a big fan of the term "Ordinary Time."  Further, our way of naming it is a bit more complicated since this is the first Sunday of this present season that gets called the Second Sunday.  So, you will see me calling it the Sunday of the N week of the Year--just know it's a pet peeve.

We reflect this weekend on how we hear the call to follow Christ and where that call is taking us.   In order for us to hear the call, we should follow the example of Samuel and say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." and then actually listen to the Lord with the ears of our soul.  It takes time for us to discern whether or not it is the Lord, and then what the Lord is saying.  But we are called to keep listening, to keep responding and to keep following the Lord's lead.  How we do this is by not only seeing where the Lord lives, but staying with Him as Andrew and the other of John the Baptist's disciples did with Jesus.  We remain with Him not for an afternoon but for a lifetime.  

Our prayer this week is to ask the Lord to speak to us and then to wait for His Word.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

The road has been constructed, the Lord Jesus has come, is coming and will come again.  We recognize in Him our Way to the Father by following Him who is Light from Light, true God from true God.  Through the star, Jesus draws the Magi from the nations of the world to Himself.  Jesus uses their language, their understanding to draw them.  The Magi would study the stars looking for signs, and God gave them the perfect sign.  God does this not only for us who believe, but He does this for all men and women.  In our efforts to share Jesus with others, let's see where He is already revealing Himself to them.

In our readings this weekend, the prophet Isaiah foreshadows the revelation of God through Light.  He foreshadows the gifts of gold and frankincense.  Yet in the Gospel, Saint Matthew foreshadows the passion and death of Jesus through the third gift of myrrh, the spice used to bury the dead.  His Kingship, His Divinity and His Passion will all lead the nations into a deeper relationship with God.

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

• OUR SCHOOL's Leadership Council met this past week.  We spent the majority of the meeting discussing how our families who have students enrolled in our school might be able to participate in our pilot program this Lent of small groups. 
• OUR ANNUAL GALA AND AUCTION is quickly approaching.  Please join Father Daniel and me for an evening of fun and community.  The Gala and Auction is a whole parish event that benefits our parish ministries, including our school, as well as the Saint Pius X Parish Foundation.  
• FIRST CONFESSION is also quickly approaching.  We have about 60 second grade students from our school and faith formation ministries who will be confessing their sins and God's mercy for the first time on January 25.  Please keep them in your prayers.

PRAYING FOR PERRY

With the tragedy in Perry this past week, we keep the community in Perry in our prayers.  Reports from family members and friends say that the community is sad but hopeful.  Please continue to pray for all the families involved in this tragedy.  This is a time for us to especially be mindful of how we speak about events, practicing charity and restraint.

THANK YOU

I would be remiss if I did not end this blog entry as well as the Christmas season (on Monday, January 8) with some thank you's:

• TO YOU: we would not be able to worship and praise our God without YOU sharing your gifts, talents and abilities with the whole community.  Your prayer, song, silence, and participation in the Advent and Christmas liturgies made the seasons and Masses amazing.  Thank you.
• TO THE MINISTRY LEADERS: we would not be able to worship and praise our God without our team members who give and give of themselves.  They make sure that all the details behind the scenes are taken care of so that the we are able to gather together.  Thank you.
• TO OUR GUESTS AND VISITORS: we would not be able to worship and praise our God without others joining us.  Our community feels more full when we have new (or old) faces join us.  Thank you.
• TO OUR GOD: Thank you.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for this new year!

Happy Fourth Sunday of Advent.  As we concrete the highway for our God, let us , like Mary, cast aside all doubts and fears, knowing the He is coming!

This coming week the office will be open in the morning only on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Many of our team members are taking time off to rejuvenate and spend time with their families.  We will be back in full strength on January 2.

Happy Christmas to you and yours!  Father Daniel and I are so blessed to be a part of such an amazing community.  Our prayers during this Christmastide are for you that you may welcome the King of Glory, the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the Word made Flesh as He comes to us each day.  Let the light of Him who raises us higher than the angels fill you and illumine the darkness.

ALL SET FOR SUNDAY

This weekend we are invited to set and reinforce the road for Jesus to travel to us.  The ancient Romans did this by first laying large stones filled in with sand, and then more layers of medium stones and sand before setting the top, smoother road.  We do this through our regular routine of prayer (the largest stones) and our regular acts of service (the medium stones).  The sand is the little sacrifices we make each day.  The prayer, charitable works and sacrifices all lay the road for Jesus to come to us.  

In our readings this weekend, John the Baptist shows us what the daily sacrifices look like: "we must decrease so that He may increase."  During this third (and final) week of Advent, ask Jesus to help you to sacrifice for Him.

NEWS FROM THE PEWS

• OUR PASTORAL COUNCIL met this past week.  We spent the majority of the meeting trying to better understand what our small group experience will look like.  We are going to invite the coordinators from Ut Fidem to help train small group leaders for us in January so that we can start meeting during Lent.
• OUR MINISTRY TEAM will be gathering for an Advent Day of Reflection this Tuesday morning.  Our Parish Offices will be closed to allow our ministers to quiet themselves as they assist all of us to prepare the way for Jesus.  Please consider praying for Father Daniel, Alex, Beth, Cathy, Cheryl, Dean, Dorothy, Jill, Jordan, Mary Sue, Mary, Sharon, Sherri and me.  Perhaps you could offer a little sacrifice of time in added prayer or fast for us.
• MUSIC MINISTER POSITION IS STILL OPEN.  If you know someone who you think might be the right fit for us, please encourage him or her to apply for the full-time position.  Please add this position to your prayers.
• PLEASE CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE AND BULLETIN FOR OUR CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE.  With the Fourth week of Advent being a day, our schedule next weekend has changed.  Please check it out.  Also, remember that Sunday until 4 is your sabbath while Sunday after 4 celebrates the Nativity of Jesus.

Thank you Father Daniel! Many have said, and I must fully agree, that Saint Pius X hit the jackpot with our Parochial Vicar. Father Daniel is one of the holiest, most thoughtful and generous priests in the world. During my recent bout with COVID, he stepped forward to cover all the Masses last weekend and did so with grace and energy. We are all so blessed to have him with us.

Let’s celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation: This Sunday at 4:00 PM we will have about a dozen confessors available for you. We will begin with a short prayer service and then allow you the opportunity to celebrate God’s great gift of mercy and forgiveness. Please join us.

The School Leadership Council met this past week. One of the major agenda items was communication. Quite honestly, this is the continual challenge not just for the school ministry of our parish, but for most of us. We know that this is a challenge and will continue to work to share the great things that are happening. To learn more about all of our ministries, in addition to the website and the bulletin, check out our Facebook page as well.

Sign up for Flocknotes: As a parish we communicate with Flocknote, a messaging service. In order for you to sign up, you can go to spx.flocknote.com. You will need to enter your name and an email address or a cell phone number (or both). If you enter an email, you will receive notifications that way; if you enter a cell phone number, you will receive notifications through text messages.

Pastoral Council will meet this week. We will continue to talk about our pastoral goals of music ministry, developing a culture of welcome and engagement, and establishing small groups. Last month we discussed some mission projects–more information will be coming after the new year.

All Set For Sunday

• You will find the readings for this Sunday here.
• This weekend we hear the cry of John the Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Clearly, celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation is one important way we do this. Confessing our sins and acknowledging our need levels the mountains of pride that prevent the Lord from coming to us.
• A second way that we prepare the way of the Lord is by filling in our valleys with prayer. Imagine how much you could assist another person prepare for Christ’s coming by simply asking him or her what prayers are needed, and then taking the time to pray with that person. As a community that seeks to become more welcoming and engaging more deeply in our faith, take the opportunity to pray with another person today.

Announcements

The Catholic Tuition Organization (“CTO”) was established 18 years ago, helping to make Catholic education more affordable for all. Awards are based on need, and grant recipients receive a reduction in tuition of between 10%-49%. This year 42% of our St. Pius students received a grant from CTO. The new Education Savings Accounts (ESA’s) are helping reduce the remaining burden for those who qualify, but CTO is the first source of funding applied towards tuition. For our St. Pius students, the grants from CTO allow more of their ESA balance to be used towards supplemental instruction needs or saved for pricier Dowling Catholic as they continue their faith-based education. Iowa donors to CTO receive a 75% Iowa tax credit, meaning a gift of $1,000 towards Catholic education reduces the donor’s Iowa tax burden by $750 (Federal tax benefits also available). Learn more at www.ctodsmdiocese.org or contact CTO board member and SPX parishioner Kevin Shires at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

December 8, 2023

As a Church, we enter a time of waiting for the coming of Christ. This time is not simply a imitation of the Israelite people waiting for the first coming of Christ, but it is an invitation to us to prepare our Church for the glorious coming of Christ in the fullness of time.

Each week we will be looking at preparing our Church through the metaphor of road construction. This image has personal significance for me as I gained a deep appreciation for how the Romans constructed roads as I walked on the very roads constructed by armies and slaves nearly two thousand years ago on the Iberian peninsula.

This first week we will be looking at the first stage of road construction: the preparation of the ground. In some places this means tearing out the old roads and paths that have become impassable or dangerous; in other places, it is the clearing of the old growth for the new road. The second week we will look at leveling and smoothing the way of the new road. The third week we will look at creating the new foundation of the road. The fourth week we will cement the road in place.

Lord God (YOU), who give us time and seasons to show us the fullness of your Love (WHO), fill us with an openness to the working of your grace within our community so that we might prepare for Your Son’s coming (DO), who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (THROUGH).

Thank you to all who welcomed Mike Posegate last weekend. He sent a thank you note for your graciousness and warm welcome of him. He is truly appreciative of your prayers and support for him as he journeys on the road to priesthood.

Lord God (YOU), who call us to follow your Son through our daily life (WHO), fill our seminarian Mike with your peace and presence so that he might serve our Church in the priesthood (DO), through Christ our Lord. (THROUGH).

The News and Updates from Saint Pius Church for this week:

Thank you to Michelle McDonald and Suzanne Crowley; welcome Jill Snell: We are having a bit of transition happening in parish administration. Michelle is becoming the Office Manager for our school ministry as Suzanne retires for her second time. Jill is our new bookkeeper and director of digital communications. Join me in prayers for all three women as they transition into their new roles.

Let’s start a period of prayer for our new Director of Music: Please join us in praying that God will send us the right person to serve as our next Director of Music through the intercession of Saint Cecelia, the patron of musicians.

O glorious Saint Cecelia, who chose to die
instead of denying your King.
We pray you please to help us
as His fair praise we sing!
We lift our hearts in joyous song
to honor Him this way.
We ask that you hear this prayer
Which we offer the Lord today:
Please send our parish a director of music
who will help us to praise God
with all our hearts, minds, voices and souls.
At once in our hearts
and with our tongues we offer prayer
Sent heavenward on winged notes
to praise God dwelling there.
While with our hearts and tongues
we try with song to praise God twice.
We ask you, dear Saint Cecelia, to help us
to be united close with Christ!
Saint Pius X, pray for us!

Hello COVID, my old friend. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I met up with a friend who was passing through town with an hour window. We shared laughs and caught up on life together. We also discovered on Thursday that we also both caught COVID during that brief time. Most of my week has been spent with what I initially thought was a bad cold (I had tested negative earlier in the week). As such, the Finance Council meeting was cancelled as were a number of other engagements on my calendar.

Today (Friday) is the first day where I feel somewhat like myself again. I don’t have the full energy level yet, but am hoping to test negative again soon so that I can come out of isolation. I really don’t want to get all of you sick–and I am sorry if I did get anyone sick. Even with a what I thought was a cold, I tried to be cautious. Please know if things don’t make sense in this post, that it’s probably COVID’s fault.

It’s time to start thinking about Advent.

• Additional Masses: during Advent we will be offering Masses during the week at 8:15 AM as normal, and we will add a 6:15 PM Mass on Tuesday and Wednesday during Advent as well as a 12:30 PM Mass on Friday, December 15 and 22 (Friday, December 8 is a holy day with it’s own schedule). We will need lectors and sacristans to sign up for the additional Masses.
• Additional opportunities for Reconciliation: during Advent we will be offering Confessions on Friday morning at 9:00 AM and on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. Additionally, we will have a communal service on Sunday, December 10 at 4:00 PM as well as individual confessions on Monday, December 18 at 6:00 PM.
• We are going to be preparing the new road for Christ’s coming: Each week with the Scriptures to guide us, we are going to be engaging in some spiritual road construction within our community.

Getting All Set for Sunday

You can find the readings for this Sunday here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120323.cfm

The Lord is the potter; we are the clay. We ask Him to help us turn to Him, to help us to stay awake and alert for His coming. As we are trying to tear up the old roads and bring down the growth that is preventing us from building the new roads that will lead to Him, where are we fighting with the Lord or resisting His change in our lives. Are there boulders of pride that getting in the way? Are we trying to control the process of being shaped by Him? Not only for ourselves and in our families, but let’s pray this week for the grace to allow the Lord to show us what needs to be torn up in our parish so that we can build a road that allows us and others to come to Him!

Father, You have always responded to Your children’s needs in times past. Listen to our prayers today that we might open ourselves to Your wisdom and grace so that we might prepare for the coming of Your Son in His glory, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

December 1, 2023

This past week we gathered with family and friends to give thanks to our God for the wonders He has done for us. For some of us, counting our blessings is as natural as breathing. For others of us, it is hard to see the hand of God at work in our lives. For the rest of us, we are somewhere in between.

As a Church, giving thanks is the core of our life together. We gather on the Lord’s Day to thank God for the great gift of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We gather on the Lord’s Day to thank God for the Love He has bestowed upon us through the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We gather on the Lord’s Day to thank God for the gift of His Son who promised to remain with us and so He gives us His very Body and Blood. We gather on the Lord’s Day to thank our God for His great love for us.

Lord God (YOU), who sent Your Son to show us the depth of Your love(WHO), fill our hearts with gratitude for your many and wonderous blessings (DO), through Christ our Lord. (THROUGH).

Thank you to all who helped support Thanksgiving meals for local families in need. We raised over $7500 in our parish during the month of November. Your generosity and support for our parish’s outreach makes it possible for others to celebrate with family and friends.

The News and Updates from Saint Pius Church for this week:

Welcome Mike Posgate, our seminarian! This weekend we are thrilled to have our vocation from SPX with us at many of the Masses. Mike, who was recently featured in the Catholic Mirror, is studying at Loras College in Dubuque as a seminarian for the Diocese of Des Moines. We are thrilled that he will be serving at some of our Masses–and if you were at the Thursday Thanksgiving Mass, you’ve already seen him. Please keep him and all the seminarians for the Diocese in your prayers.

The Pastoral Council met last week: the Pastoral Council meets monthly to look at our goals and plans. We discussed how members of the Council can lead the small group movement that we desire to make our large parish feel more intimate. First, the Council is working to narrow the definition of small group. So far, we know that it is a group comprised of between 4 and 12 people who purpose is to spiritually accompany each member so that they are noticed, called by name and known by the other members of the group and Christ. We are looking to some training in leading groups to make this a reality.

The Parish School’s Leadership Council also met recently: The Leadership Council functions under the guidance of the Pastoral Council to foster our mission within the school ministry. The Leadership Council is taking the lead on planning the Saint Pius X annual gala and auction the first Saturday of February. This major fundraiser supports multiple ministries of the parish, including the school but not exclusively.

The Finance Council will be meeting this coming week.

Thank you for your support of Christians in the Holy Land with your purchases of the Olive Wood products. Please keep praying for our brothers and sisters who daily live in terror because of their faith in Jesus Christ. If you missed the sale, our friends Imad and Sophia will return to the area at Saint Francis on THIS WEEKEND.

It’s time to start thinking about Advent.

• Additional Masses: during Advent we will be offering Masses during the week at 8:15 AM as normal, and we will add a 6:15 PM Mass on Tuesday and Wednesday during Advent as well as a 12:30 PM Mass on Friday, December 15 and 22 (Friday, December 8 is a holy day with it’s own schedule). We will need lectors and sacristans to sign up for the additional Masses.
• Additional opportunities for Reconciliation: during Advent we will be offering Confessions on Friday morning at 9:00 AM and on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. Additionally, we will have a communal service on Sunday, December 10 at 4:00 PM as well as individual confessions on Monday, December 18 at 6:00 PM.
• We are going to be preparing the new road for Christ’s coming: Each week with the Scriptures to guide us, we are going to be engaging in some spiritual road construction within our community.

Getting All Set for Sunday

You can find the readings for this Sunday here.

Who is the king of your life? Take a few moments to write down everything you have done in the past twenty-four hours, noting how much time you spent on each activity. Does this snapshot of your life show you and others who your king is? What concrete things can you do to demonstrate to others that Jesus is the King of your life?

There is a meme going around that says something to the effect the definition of “busy” is “burdened under Satan’s yoke.” When we are too busy for prayer, for Mass, for service of neighbor, for helping a stranger in need, we are yoked with Satan rather than with Christ. Our calendars might be full, but when we are under the yoke of Jesus, we are not burdened nor are we busy–rather we see with joy the blessings He has given us.

November 24, 2023

Last weekend our readings focused upon how to keep our jars filled with oil to prepare to receive our King. At the 5 PM and 9 AM Masses, I asked folks to do a simple exercise to keep the oil jar filled by noticing a new person at church, asking his/her name and showing him/her that he/she is known by you and Christ through the question “How can I pray for you?” and then taking the time to pray with the other person. It was absolutely beautiful to see people praying with each other in the church, in the Gathering Space and in the Martha and Mary Fellowship Hall.

In case you missed the “steps to pray with another a person,” here are the four things to remember: YOU (address God), WHO (name what God has done in the past), DO (state your prayer intention), THROUGH Christ our Lord (how we always pray). This would sound like:

Lord God (YOU), who sent Your Son to save us (WHO), be with N’s child who is struggling with a life decision (DO), through Christ our Lord. (THROUGH).

Happy Thanksgiving! As you prepare your homes, especially the kitchen, to celebrate this most time with family and friends, I pray that you will be drawn into the beauty of the heavenly banquet where Christ Himself is the meal. May your time remembering days past and thanking God for the many blessings of today bring you into deeper in communion with Him who loves you beyond all telling.

We will celebrate Mass at 9 AM on Thanksgiving Day. I will be with friends in Minnesota–taking advantage of the opportunity to celebrate in new ways. My family gathers in the summer as the holidays are difficult with work and travel schedules.

Thank you to all who helped support Thanksgiving meals for local families in need. Your generosity and support for our parish’s outreach makes it possible for others to celebrate with family and friends.

The News and Updates from Saint Pius Church for this week:

Thank you for your support of Christians in the Holy Land last weekend with your purchases of the Olive Wood products. Please keep praying for our brothers and sisters who daily live in terror because of their faith in Jesus Christ. If you missed the sale, our friends Imad and Sophia will return to the area at Saint Francis on November 25 and 26.

It’s time to start thinking about Advent.

• Additional Masses: during Advent we will be offering Masses during the week at 8:15 AM as normal, and we will add a 6:15 PM Mass on Tuesday and Wednesday during Advent as well as a 12:30 PM Mass on Friday, December 15 and 22 (Friday, December 8 is a holy day with it’s own schedule). We will need lectors and sacristans to sign up for the additional Masses.
• Additional opportunities for Reconciliation: during Advent we will be offering Confessions on Friday morning at 9:00 AM and on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. Additionally, we will have a communal service on Sunday, December 10 at 4:00 PM as well as individual confessions on Monday, December 18 at 6:00 PM.

Getting All Set for Sunday

You can find the readings for this Sunday here.

Jesus tells the story about a man entrusting his riches with his servants. A “talent” was worth an entire year’s worth of wages. One talent would be beyond most people’s capacity or imagination, and yet the servants are given great responsibility. God entrusts us not only with money or possessions, but He gives us the greatest treasures–His Son. What are we doing with the responsibility of faith?

November 17, 2023

Greetings! In the past four months since my arrival here at Saint Pius I have been seeking my way of communicating with you weekly. I know Father Dave did videos–which were great, but I am not a video-type of person. The bulletin has a about a 10 day turn around (meaning that I would write a column a 10 days before it would appear in print) which means that I forgot what I’ve written by the time you’ve read it. So, this weekly blog post hopefully will be a workable solution for you and for me.

The weekly news and updates of the Saint Pius X Community:

1. We are simplifying the monthly green envelope used for the 2nd collection:

Parish Outreach will be for funding needs identified by the Outreach Committee. This includes various Urbandale and Johnston related charities for those in need.

The Food Pantry funds will go to the Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry which supports food pantries in Central Iowa.

Habitat for Humanity funds will help support St. Pius X volunteers in a yearly project.

The Parish Foundation will have a dedicated collection for the Foundation twice each year.

Please send funds directly to the Catholic Worker House if you wish to support their ministry.

2. This weekend is the annual Olive Wood goods sale. Your purchases support Christian families in the Holy Land. These are families whose very existence depends upon our prayers and support. Please consider purchasing all of your gifts for milestone occasions this weekend after Masses.

3. This past week the Linthicum family donated a quilt commemorating the 1979 visit of Saint John Paul II to Des Moines that was originally given to Father Art McCann (Pastor from 1982 to 1987). The gift is in memory of their uncle, Father Art, and mother, Ms. Jane (McCann) Linthicum. We will display the quilt in a public space in the near future.

4. Pastoral Council will be meeting this week. The agenda is still in process, but our principal, Alex Baranosky, will be joining us to converse with Council members about the school’s important ministry in our community. We will also be discussing how we will be approaching the parish goals of (1) enriching our music ministry program, (2) provide opportunities for small groups to foster connection among people, and (3) to develop a culture of “engagement and welcome” with the parish.

Getting all set for Sunday:

Our readings this weekend are found on the USCCB’s website here. We will hear the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom are prepared to receive the bridegroom and five who are not. On first reading it is a harsh Gospel that does not feel like the Christian message–after all, are we not called to share what we have been given with others. Why won’t the five who brought oil with them not share with the five who did not? Are we not supposed to look after our brothers and sisters in Christ–isn’t that what we are doing with the Holy Land Olive-wood sale this weekend?

The answer to all of these questions is a resounding “YES!” But, the Gospel is not talking about sharing–the Gospel reading is asking us whether we are preparing for Jesus’ return. Like Baptism, death is something each of us will do individually. While we will support and pray with and for the dying, death comes for each of us at a different time. We don’t know the day nor the hour.

Now is the time to live with Christ. Now is the time to be ready to receive the King.

I pray that your coming days will be filled with the awareness of God’s tremendous love for us.

In Christ,

Father Matthew

November 10, 2023