Thank You! A sincere Thank You to all my fellow parishioners for their support, love and generosity over the last 3 ½ years. A special thanks to all who expressed well wishes and congratulations to me last weekend and to those who put together the celebration, it was very much appreciated. Please know that I will keep you all in my prayers and I ask for yours as well. If you are in Carrington please feel free to stop in for a visit. May God Bless You All. Fr. Terry Dodge
Fr. Dodge's Address: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, PO Box 420, Carrington, ND 58421-0420
Monday Mass time change and Bible Study: We welcome to our Deanery One Fr. Jim L. Tiu who is in residence at the Carmelite Sisters. Fr. Tiu will assist us here at St. John’s as his schedule allows. We are grateful that he will normally celebrate Mass on Mondays but at 9:30 am so that he can also keep his 7:00 am Mass schedule at the Convent. After the 9:30 am Mass Fr. Tiu, a gifted teacher and preacher, will continue Bible Study in the place of Fr. Dodge. This will start Monday, February 12th. We are blessed to have had various priests, Fr. Dickinson, Fr. Meyer, Fr. Dodge and now Fr. Tiu. Each priest has his own way of conducting the bible study and we are the beneficiaries of their gifts! Anyone is welcome to come. They will be held in the East Room right after the Monday morning 9:30 am Mass.
St. Francis Community Choir: Parishioners are invited to join in song and fellowship by joining the community choir for the performance of The Day He Wore My Crown!, an Easter celebration. Practices will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 - 9:00 pm in the All Faiths Chapel at St. Francis Medical Center beginning February 7th. Performances are Saturday evening, March 31st and Sunday, April 1st at the Stern Cultural Center. Please call Mary Jacklitch at 643-0405 with any questions.
Coffee and Rolls: Catholic Daughters will be serving coffee and rolls Sunday, February 5th after the 7:30 and 9:00 am Masses.
Music Notes: The 9:00 am Choir will practice at 6 pm on Wednesday. The 11:00 am Choir will practice one-half hour before Mass.
Mardi Gras - February 19th - Mark your calendars! Sunday, February 19th will mark our 16th Annual Mardi Gras. This is a parish celebration with a wonderful meal, games, bake sale, theme basket silent auction and a raffle. The Mardi Gras dinner will be served in the Mehok Center and the silent auction and games will be located in the school gym. You should have received a letter in the mail this past week from the Mardi Gras committee, containing raffle tickets for your family to sell and suggestions of various ways you and your family can help support Mardi Gras. Volunteers are needed.
Saint John's Restoration and Renewal 2012: Last weekend we welcomed our fellow parishioners who graciously agreed to chair our Wrap-Up Fund Drive which, by the grace of God, will take us through to the completion of our historic parish physical renewal. By means of our financial gifts and pledges, we hope to build the new home for our priests, remove the old school and rectory and then complete our long over-due parking lots. Thanks be to God for the incredible support of every person who loves Saint John’s parish! Without your prayers, trust and generous spirit, none of this would have been possible! The list of those who have done so much along the way is long, remarkable and known by our loving God. Now I pray that we will give our best in this final Wrap-Up and, again, give God the glory! Fr. Dale
Lenten Newsletter: Articles for the Lent Newsletter due in the parish office by February 6th.
Out of Africa: Thank you to all who so generously donated to help our sister parish in Tanzania Africa. We were able to help the children attend school this new year and to send food. Full details will come in our Lenten newsletter.
New St. John's School t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts are available with our new logo. Youth: $10 - white or red, $12 - tie dye red or tie dye multi t-shirts, $18 - red hooded sweatshirts. Adult: $10 white or red t-shirts. If you are interested in buying a shirt or sweatshirt please stop by the office. For more information call 642-6116.St. John's Preschool Registration: St. John's Preschool is now accepting registrations for the 2012/2013 classes. This is a licensed 4 year old preschool with structured activities and a Christian theme. Morning and afternoon sessions available with each class meeting 3 half-days per week. Please call 642-6116 with questions or to register your child.
Youth Education News (E-mail:tammy.goerger@sendit.nodak.edu - Amber.Bogenreif@sendit.nodak.edu )
February 8th - Regular Class
Students & Parents: Thank you for changing your schedules so that we could view “Courageous”. We currently have 2 copies of the movie in DVD format available. If you were unable to join us but would like to borrow one of the DVD’s, please call Michelle or Pat at the parish.
Grade 6 - 12 Parents and Students: Youth bake sale will be the weekend of February 11th and 12th instead of a youth breakfast. We’ll be able to offer Valentine treats and other goodies as a fundraiser for our summer programs. Please email Kathy Davis and let her know what you can bake or bring for this bake sale. You may also call her at 640-282 or call/email Michelle or Matt. If you can start baking now and need to freeze them, just let Michelle or Kathy know. If baking isn’t your forte, snack & trail mix and other items are always welcome.
Prayer Requests: Please call Lorraine Wieser at 642-5062 or the parish office with prayer requests.
AARP Tax-aide Free Tax Help! For taxpayers with low and moderate income, with special attention to those age 60 and older. Help available to answer questions, prepare tax forms and e-file at: Senior Citizens Center of Wahpeton, 520 Third Avenue South. Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:00 am through 3:00 pm beginning February 7th thru April 11th. Call 701-642-5746 for appointments.
Area Happenings:
Vianney Discernment Weekend: February 10th through 12th, 2012 The Vocation Office of the Diocese of Fargo is sponsoring a Discernment Weekend at Maryvale Convent outside of Valley City for men 16 years and older who are discerning God's call to the priesthood or religious life. The weekend allows the men the opportunity to meet others asking the same questions, to visit with priests and seminarians, to pray, reflect, listen and discuss the Lord's call. There is no cost, but pre-registration is needed for meal planning. For more information or to register, contact Fr. Dale or call Fr. Kurtis Gunwall at 701-356-7957 or visit www.fargovocations.org.
A benefit is planned for David and Heather Goroski on March 8th from 5:00 through 8:00 pm at the Eagles Club in Wahpeton to assist with their financial expenses. David and Heather are active parishioners of St. John's Parish. As a child, David had cystic fibrosis and received a double lung transplant in March 1998. In April 2011, David was diagnosed with a large mass in his esophagus. David is continuing with medical treatment and is doing well and getting stronger each day. The benefit includes a meal of spaghetti and apple dessert, silent auction baskets, bake sale and raffles. Financial donations accepted at State Bank and Trust in Wahpeton. Donations of gifts baskets for silent auction can be brought to St. John's Church. Donations for the bake sale can be brought to the Eagles on March 8th. Call St. John's Church with questions and to volunteer your services.
Ignatian Retreats Offered this Lent: The Respect Life Office is hosting two Ignatian Retreats this Lent; a Retreat for Women, February 16-19, and a Retreat for Men, March 8-11. Retreatants will be introducted to St. Ignatius Loyla's methods of encountering Jesus Christ. Both retreats will be directed by Andrew Jasinski and held at the St. Francis Convent and Retreat Center, Hankinson. Retreatants will be required to observe silence throughout the weekend. Cost: $250. Registration deadline: February 10 for the Women's Retreat and March 2nd for the Men's Retreat. For additional information and registration form, click here, or contact Rachelle at 701-356-7910.
FYI: For anyone suffering from an ongoing health condition, chronic pain, anxiety or depression: Sanford Clinic is offering a Free online workshop to help you find useful ways to deal with pain, fatigue and stress as well as additional supportive tools. It is also secure and can be anonymous. For more information, Click Here or call Sanford’s Center for Learning regarding Better Choices/Better Health at 701-234-5089.
Home Bound Parishioners: If you have a family member, friend or neighbor who is home bound even if just for the winter, please call the parish office to let us know. We would like to be able to call them to see if they would like communion or a visit from Father Dodge or Fr. Dale. Thank you for helping us keep in contact with our parish family.
Need assistance getting to Mass? The parish would like to offer transportation to mass for anyone who may need a ride. Please contact the parish office if you need a ride to mass.
Special Blessing: A special blessing is available for couples/mothers expecting a baby. Please contact the parish office for a date and time with Fr. Dale and/or Fr. Dodge.
Every family is invited to bring up the bread and wine during Mass on the weekends. All you need to do is check in with the ushers when you come to Mass, go to the back after Father’s homily, carry the gifts up to Father when the ushers are finished with the collection. Please call Michelle or Pat in the parish office to volunteer.
Care Center Residents: If you or someone you love are at the Leach Home, St. Francis Nursing Home or St. Catherine’s and you would like St. John’s to be visiting them, you need to let us know. The institutions do not let us know; even signing a form does guarantee that we will be informed.
Hospitalization and Your Pastor: Your pastors want to visit you when you or someone you love is hospitalized. Due to federal privacy laws, however, no one from the hospital automatically notifies us that you are there. In spite of everyone’s best intentions, it is also possible that we are not notified of your wishes even if you have signed a release or have given verbal permission. The surest way for us to be notified is for you personally or someone who loves you to notify us. Any Catholic in an acute medical state should be anointed with the Sacrament of the Sick by a priest as soon as possible. If someone is dying, a priest should be called for the Church’s Rites especially if death is near and before death occurs. If death has already occurred, a priest should still be called. (Office: 642-6982 Residence: 642-4985)
Pregnant? Need someone to talk to or somewhere to live? St. Gianna’s Maternity Home, Minto , ND cares about you and your baby. For more info, call 701-248-3077 or toll free: 877-701-3077 or write to: 15606 County Rd 15, Minto , ND 58261.
REMINDER...Address Change, etc. If you are moving away or are new to the parish, have an address change or change in family status (birth, death, marriage, divorce), please contact the Parish Office so we can update membership records. If you have never formally registered (or just want to check if you are registered), please contact Pat or Betsy at 642-6982. Membership ensures you will receive all parish mailings, newsletters and an end-of-year statement of your donations, for tax purposes. Anyone over age 18 should register as an adult.