Churches of St. Mary & St. HenryCarry outs available. Lots of parking and seating. Sunday, April 8 8:30AM to Noon St. Mary’s Parish Social Hall Serving French Toast and Pancakes,

If you brought a dish in recently for an event, please pick it up! The dishes can be found in the social hall.

Community and Social Events

Saturday, April 7, 2018 Spring Bake Sale & Boutique - 9AM-3PM St. Patrick Social Hall, 24425 Old Hwy 13 Blvd, fresh baked rolls, lots of homemade goodies, your favorite home-party representatives and more!

Thursday, April 12, 2018 Salad & Hot Dish Luncheon - St. Paul Lutheran Church, Le Center, serving from 11AM-1PM, $7 Adults, $2 Children 10 & under. Take-outs & In-town deliveries 357-2212.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Salad & Hot Dish Luncheon - Church of St. Peter, 1801 W Broadway, St. Peter, serving from 11AM-1PM, Adults $8, Ages 5-12 $5. Carry outs available. Lots of parking and seating.

All You Can Eat Breakfast

Sunday, April 8

8:30AM to Noon

St. Mary’s Parish Social Hall

Serving French Toast and Pancakes, Scrambled

Eggs with Ham, Sausage, Milk, Coffee and OJ

Adults $8 Kids 6—12 $4

Kids 5 and under—Free

Knights of Columbus events

This Wednesday, April 4 is our final Youth Group meeting of the year. Grades 10-12 will meet 7:15-8:30 pm at the home of Randy and Stacy Hunt.

We will cap off the year with a special discussion, fun and prayer. Make plans to join us!

Youth Grades 8-12 This summer we would like to take a group of youth to the Steubenville North - Youth Conference in Rochester July 13-15th. The theme for this year is REVEALED - We live in a world where voices are shouting at us from all sides, trying to tell us

who we are and who we aren’t, who we should be and who we shouldn’t be. But amidst all the noise is our loving Father, who wants to make Himself known to us and speak truth about who we are. God’s love is deeper and His plan for our lives is

greater than anything the world has to offer – will we allow Him to reveal it to us?

Join us for: Music – Dancing – Laughs – Spiritual Growth

Over 50,000 Catholic teens across North America will participate in 25 Steubenville Youth Conferences, and we want you to be one of them! Come experience the love of God in a new and more profound way.

He has so much in store for you.

Registration forms and $50 non-refundable deposit will be due to the church office as soon as possible. Registration forms and information packets may be found at the church office or at our parish website. For more information please contact

Jean or Fr. Chris at the church office or visit the website below! http://www.partnershipforyouth.org/steubenville-rochester/

All 8th grade - high school age teens are invited. Dead Theologians Society inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow. Its motto is, “Dead to the World, alive in Christ!” Come and have fun, learn about a rock star in the faith, eat well and spend time with Jesus. Mark your calendars and plan to join us the second Sunday of each month from 6-9PM. We will be alternating the location between the Church of St. Mary, Le Center and the Church of the Nativity, Cleveland: April 8 (Cleveland), May 13 (Le Center), June 10 (Cleveland). We invite all parishioners of all ages to come to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during the DTS gatherings. We especially need adorers to commit to be before our Lord for an hour during the 6-9PM gathering time. Please contact the parish office or Fr. Adams if you are able to take one of the hours to pray for our youth. This is such an important part of the fruitfulness of this program.

Canoeing in Voyageurs National Park, MN for kids entering grades 9-12 - July 16-20, 2018 Getting outside and away from your usual lives can be an adventure of getting to know yourself, other people your age, God, and what you believe. This is a “basecamp” style trip, meaning that we will

be canoeing to our campsite and setting up there for the duration of our retreat; we will canoe for a few hours to daily destinations, with light hiking over rocky terrain and time for swimming and fishing. Join Fr. James Adams for the High School Youth Camping Retreat. For a full description on what you’ll experience on this 5 day retreat and for registration details go to: https://idretreats.org/2018-i-d-retreats/voyageurs-canoeing/ or call Jen Messing 612-518-5490. Registration is due by June 18th, Cost is $435 - Don’t miss out - there is a Max of 20 Participants.

Youth Activities

Mission Sewing Mission Sewing will not take place on Tuesday, April 3.

We will start up again on Tuesday, April 10.

Anyone interested in helping with tying mission quilts is

welcome any Tuesday afternoon at 1PM in the Mission

Room. Just stop in, visit and help tie a quilt with our

group. Call Ruth, 357-6421, if you are interested, have

questions or would like to donate material, time or talent.

You’re invited to Tom Helfter’s 80th Birthday Celebration!

Open House - Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 2-5PM at American Legion Club

97 S Park Ave, Le Center

Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry 165 N. Waterville Ave., Le Center, MN 56057

Phone: 507-357-6633 Phone/Fax: 507-357-4838

www.stmarysthenry.org

Parish Staff

Pastor: Fr. Christopher Shofner, [email protected]

After Hours Emergencies: 612-227-7985

Associate Pastor: Fr. James Adams, [email protected]

Trustees St. Mary: Clarence Mager 357-4338 Pete Plut 357-6222

Trustees St. Henry: Dan Germscheid 357-4923 Jim Selly 357-4898

Coordinator of Faith Formation: Jean Boothby

[email protected]

Secretary/Receptionist: Gloria Wolf

[email protected]

Accounting/Bookkeeping: Tara Robinson

[email protected]

Maintenance: Joe Holicky

[email protected]

Music Ministry: Terri McMillen

[email protected]

Office Hours - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Thursday

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Friday

Bulletin Deadline - articles need to be submitted to Gloria by noon

on Wednesday.

For use of meeting rooms or Social Hall - contact Gloria

Mass Schedule

Saturday 4:30 PM (St. Mary)

Sunday 8:00 AM (St. Henry)

10:00 AM (St. Mary)

12:00 PM (St. Mary, in Spanish)

Monday No Mass

Tuesday 5:00 PM

Wednesday to Friday 9:00 AM

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Saturday 3:45-4:20 PM (St. Mary)

Sunday 7:30-7:50 AM (St. Henry)

Or by appointment (contact Fr. Shofner or Fr. Adams)

Our Eucharistic Adoration chapel is open for individuals to come

for 5 minutes or an hour and be with Our Lord in the Blessed

Sacrament. Our chapel hours are: Tuesday 9:00 AM to Thursday

9:00 AM (closes during daily Mass and Funeral Masses).

EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD

APRIL 1, 2018

If we look at things

from only a human

perspective, we

tend to say that

man’s journey

moves from life to

death . . . Jesus turns

this perspective

upside down and

states that our

pilgrimage goes

from death to life:

the fullness of life!

-Pope Francis Angelus, November 10, 2013

From the Pastor’s Desk

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christ is risen! Alleluia! Easter Sunday is the high point of the year for every Christian throughout the world. Darkness turns to light. Sadness turns to joy. Defeat turns to victory. Through Jesus Christ. The Resurrection of Christ is God’s definitive statement that Death does not have the final word and that God’s power is stronger than all things.

Sometimes, however, we’re deaf to that word. Our hearts are distracted by worldly concerns or overwhelmed by the sorrows of life, that we forget to see the light that shines in the darkness. It can be difficult to focus our hearts on the victory of the Resurrection.

When I was very young, I didn’t understand the meaning of Easter very well. I remember Easter coloring books that spoke nothing of the Resurrection of Christ. I remember images of the Easter Bunny, candy baskets and colorfully painted eggs. While these are nice traditions, they do little to comfort us when we consider the weight of our troubles in this life. As we get older, we realize that Easter is so much more than the promise of chocolate – it’s about the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus made us that He would rise from the dead. It’s the promise of life!

Matthew’s Gospel describes the fear that the women felt when they came to the tomb and found it empty. They didn’t know what to make of an empty tomb or the presence of an angel inside the tomb. They didn’t think that Jesus had risen from the dead. It had to be announced to them: “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said” (Matthew 28:5-6). At times, when we are naturally inclined to react with fear and sorrow, we need the encouragement that only the Easter message can bring: “Jesus is alive! Don’t remain here in the tomb looking for Him, but go forth as He did into the world with joy and love and renewed hope!”

To acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead is to proclaim that there is something more powerful than death. And it’s to proclaim that there is something more than just this life and its concerns. To acknowledge the hope of healing is to proclaim that our hearts are ruled by something more powerful than pain. We are ruled by Jesus Christ – and the power that allowed Him to conquer death is the same power that transforms us and gives hope in times of distress. To hope for anything in life without placing that hope in Christ is in vain.

I pray that you came to know that during these past forty days of Lent, whose disciplines and sacrifices brought with them their own amount of struggle and suffering. But we took them on so that we could offer them to God, who accepted them and transformed them. Now that we have arrived at Easter, we recognize that this is what God does through the course of all our hardships. He turns darkness into light, sorrow into joy, defeat into victory, and death into life.

The Church has much to be thankful for this Easter season. Foremost is that our Lord loved us enough to give His life and rise from the dead so that we might live in the eternal joy and consolation of His Heart. Each day may we live in a different way, so as to acknowledge that the Lord transforms our hearts and calls us to live as His disciples.

God bless, Fr. Chris Shofner [email protected]

Are you new to the Churches of St. Mary & St. Henry? We are glad that you are with us! All you need to do to register is to stop in or call the parish office during office hours. We will be happy to help you. The registration form takes only a couple minutes to fill out. For your convenience these forms can be found in the church entrances and on our web page at www.stmarysthenry.org. For those of you that are registered and know of someone who is looking for a parish family, be an evangelizer and tell them how easy it was to join. We welcome our recently registered parishioners and look forward to getting to know you better. We ask all our parishioners that if you see someone at Mass that you do not know, do take the time to greet them and introduce yourself to them.

Mass Schedule & Intentions

Monday, April 2

Tuesday, April 3 9:00 AM Opening of Adoration 5:00 PM Mass Mary Wood†

Wednesday, April 4 9:00 AM Mass Peggy & Martin Malinski††

Thursday, April 5 8:55 AM Closing of Adoration 9:00 AM Mass Joe & Edith Tambornino†

FIRST FRIDAY, April 6 8:30 AM Confessions 9:00 AM Mass Leonard Beer, Charles Beer, & Edward Beer†††

Saturday, April 7 3:45 PM Confessions 4:30 PM Mass Colleen Lamey†

Sunday, April 8 7:30 AM Confessions (St. Henry) 8:00 AM Mass (St. Henry) Lucy Helfter† 10:00 AM Mass Sandra Goettl† 12:00 PM Mass (in Spanish) For the Parish

This Week in the Parish

Monday, April 2 OFFICE CLOSED

Tuesday, April 3 7:00 PM St. Henry Pastoral Council

Wednesday, April 4 5:30-6:30 PM Faith Formation Kindergarten 5:30-6:30 PM Faith Formation Classes 6:45-8:00 PM Faith Formation Classes 7:15-8:30 PM Youth Group

Thursday, April 5 6;30 PM KC Meeting at St. Henry 7:00 PM Hispanic Bible Study

FIRST FRIDAY, April 6 AM Communion Calls PM Wedding Practice

Saturday, April 7 2:00 PM Wedding

Sunday, April 8 8:30-Noon KC Breakfast 6:00-9:00 PM Dead Theologians Society (Cleveland)

Readings for next Sunday, April 8, 2018

Acts 4:32-35 1 John 5:1-6 John 20:19-31

Marriage Banns: Lauren Carol Kelly & Cody Dallas Boelter

Taylor Ann McCrady & Michael John Kocina

Baptism Classes If you are interested in having your child baptized, please contact Father Chris at the Parish Office to reserve your spot and to schedule a Baptism class. This 1 1/2 hour-long class is required for the parents and godparents of the child to be baptized.

Please note the next scheduled date for baptism will take place on April 15, 2018.

Please Note: A requirement for Baptism is a copy of the child’s birth certificate.

Sacramental Information

Baptism - offered once each month (except during Lent). Contact Fr. Chris for baptism in Spanish & English.

Marriage - contact Fr. Chris at least 6 months in advance. All couples must complete a weekend retreat as well as marriage preparation classes with Fr. Chris.

Confirmation - youth are prepared in grades 8 & 9. For adult confirmation - contact Fr. Chris.

Anointing of the Sick - communal anointing for the Parish once each year in the spring. For private anointing, contact Fr. Chris.

Communion calls for ill or homebound - please contact the Parish Center.

Sacramental Life

Please Pray For

Part of our Christian duty is to pray for each other. The following have asked for your prayers:

Paul McCabe Myles Genelin

All residents at Central Health Care, Mala Strana, Benedictine, Traditions, Villages, Three Links, Horizon Place, Beacon. Some people have requested to not have their name included on this list. We respect their wishes and ask that you pray for all who are ill.

The Spring Hot Dish and Salad Luncheon was very successful. Again we received many compliments on our beautiful social hall, the variety of hot dishes and salads we had and our cheerful workers! Thank you to everyone who helped make the luncheon a success: The circle leaders, the families who donated food to the luncheon and the bake sale, the dining room and kitchen workers, and all who came to eat at the luncheon. Money is still coming in for the luncheon. We have $2137.00 from the luncheon and $266.00 from the craft and bake sale for a total of $2403.00. Again, thank you to everyone.

A reminder to anyone who would like to nominate someone or be willing to serve as a CCW officer. Please call Patti Germscheid or Jean Cemensky-Mohr.

The Southwest Deanery CCW Open meeting will be Thursday, April 12, 6:30PM, at St. Andrew's in Elysian. There are posters on the bulletin boards in the church entrances with more information. There is no cost for the event, but we need to RSVP by Monday, April 9. Please call Patti Germscheid at 357-6516, if you want to go. We can carpool from the church parking lot at 5:45PM.

At the time of a funeral for a CCW member, the CCW will say a rosary for the deceased member, if the family asks us to. We will say the rosary during the wake or before the funeral, whichever works the best. We also pay for a Mass to be offered for the deceased at a later date.

We are trying to make a list of members who would lead the rosary when the family asks us to say it. If you would be willing to lead the rosary at the wake or before the funeral, please call Patti at 357-6516 so we have a number of ladies to call. Thank you for your willingness to help!

Parish Festival - June 24, 2018 General Festival Chairperson or Co-Chairs Needed! If this is a position you’d like to take on for 2018, please contact the parish office. This is a fun role

and the duties are mostly organizing and communicating with the different committee chairs.

This could easily be a shared position.

The next meeting has been scheduled for: Tuesday, April 17 at 7:00PM - we need a Chairperson or Co-Chairs

in place by this time.

Next Sunday, April 8 make plans to celebrate the Feast of the Divine Mercy at one

of our local parishes.

Faribault – Divine Mercy 1:30-3:00 pm – Confessions and Adoration 3:00 pm – sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3:30 pm – Mass with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, followed by refreshments

Belle Plaine – Our Lady of the Prairie 2:00-3:30 pm – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Prayers, Chaplet of Divine Mercy 2:10-2:45 pm – Confessions

Jordan – St. John the Baptist 2:00-3:30 pm – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Readings, Prayers, Chaplet of Divine Mercy NO Confessions available

Easter is the time to rejoice and be thankful for the gifts of life, love and joy. A blessed Easter

from the Pro-life Team!

St. Mary-St. Henry Pro-Life Team

We offer our prayers and condolences to Dolly Beer and family on the passing of her son, Lawrence Beer on

March 21. His funeral service was this past Wednesday, March 28 at the Le Center Funeral Home.

May you find comfort and peace in God’s infinite mercy and love.

St. Mary’s CCW Events

Donated by: In Memory/Honor of: Bill and Theresa Collins Prchal & Collins Families

Donald Callisto Bonnie Callisto

Mary Dwyer Eugene H. Dwyer Joseph & Adeline Tikalsky Harry & Christine Dwyer

Don and Mary Hayden Jerry and Mabel Hayden Rosemary Hayden Storberg

Rita Schipreth Frank and Mary Schipreth Sandy and Irene Buesgens Mike & Loretta Prendergast

Bonnie Garvin Joe Garvin Jr. Don and Daisy Hoffman Joe and Anna Garvin Sr. Lorraine Factor Grace & Paul Hoffman

Jerre Richter Roy Richter Lorraine and Gordon Sykora Mary & John Lukes Marie Gallagher William and Emily Benzick

Tom & Mariane Beer Don & Patty Gibbs Leonard Beer

Mary, Lauren, & David Kelly Dennis Kelly Mike & Mary Dressen Pam Kelly John & Carol Kelly

Harriet Schmidt Schmidt Families McCabe Families Zimmerman Families

Kathleen A. Hunt Michael & Mary Hunt Thomas J. Hunt Hunt/Sheehy Families

Jean and Dick Bradshaw Sandi Bradshaw Jason Bradshaw

Pat Habinck Frank and Erma Kelly

Jeremy & Ann Gindt Clarence & Ruth Ann Gindt Bonnie Westfall

Larry & Shirley Germscheid Gina Germscheid

Mike & Darcy Schloesser Beverly Schloesser Jody Schloesser

Judy & Dave Ykema Blaschko & Ykema Families

Donna O’Keefe Dr. Patrick O’Keefe

Paul & LaVonne Weber Lawrence & Melania Wenning Warren & Regina Weber Marcia Weber

Donated by: In Memory/Honor of: Sharon Zwirn Zwirn Family Joanie Thomas & Thomas Family

Colin Mangan Leo & Catherine Mangan Family John & Rose Hagert Family

Sandy Pinney Alan Pinney Kevin McGillen

Dave and Mary Krenik Ralph and Sarah Parkin

Dorothy Scheurer Greg Scheurer

Ken and Dolo Kalina Giesen and Kalina Families

JoAnn Cemensky Family Joseph H. Cemensky Jr. Joseph & Katherine Cemensky Sr.

Joseph and Milda Androli Mike and Agnes Trezcinski

Robert Berger Barb Wade John & Helen Berger

Norby & Teresa Krenik Norby & Teresa Krenik Family

Mike & Kathy Siebsen Patrick Cooney Family

Dorothy Vavra Milo Vavra The Fix Family

Ed & Cheryl Scheurer Lawrence & Margaret Blaschko

Greg & Mary Scheurer

Tim & Maureen Blaschko Gene Blaschko Martin Malinski Peggy Malinski Mary Sautter

Pete and Steph Plut Ray & Phyllis Plut

Bob & Monika Rivers Bruce Weber

Gwen Wallskog Jerry Wallskog

Charlie & Vicky Austin Art Hedum & Vic Nelson

Pat & Mary Joe Smith Lloyd Sandberg Family Pat Smith Sr. Family Vincent Bruce Family Richard Sandberg Jim Sandberg

Brent and Angie Christian Harry Christian

Fran Christian Harry Christian

Clarence & Deb Mager Ray & Leona Mager Dolores Traxler William Traxler

Madonna Russo John & Lucille Muggli

Liz Sladek Roy Sladek

Kathleen Schroer Vic Schroer

Laurie Wohlers

Sandra Blaschko

Easter Flower Donations Thank you! Happy Easter!

Faith Formation

April 4, 2018 - Faith Formation Classes resume, Kindergarten Classes, Youth Group

Confirmation II Class (9th Grade) - Interviews with Father are beginning soon. Please have the following requirements turned in within the next few weeks so you can schedule your interview: 8 Mass notes from this year (16 total with last year’s), Sponsor Interview, Saint Research, Service Hour Sheet documenting 30 hours of volunteer work, Sacramental fee, and a Baptismal Certificate if you were not baptized or received First Communion at St. Mary’s or St. Henry’s.

Summer Dates: Mark your calendars to reserve these dates for our summer programs. We will need volunteers for each, so let Jean know if you are available.

July 13-15 – Steubenville Conference - grades 8-12.

July 22-27 – Totus Tuus – grades 1-12 – Registration coming soon

August 5-9 – VBS: Splash Canyon – Ages 3 years old to Kindergarten – Registration coming soon

Faith Formation Board Members Needed We have two openings for board members starting this summer. If you have a desire to be more involved in the formation of our youth, please contact the office for more information.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him. “

Psalm 91:14-15

Jean R. Boothby, Faith Formation Coordinator [email protected] 941-962-5168

Church Cleaning - Terry Blaschko & Charlene Boettcher are scheduled to clean the church by April 8, 2018.

St. Henry CHURCH Annual Spring Cleaning Bids: Please send a per hour bid to the church office for cleaning the St. Henry Church. Cleaning is to be completed by noon on April 21st. We will provide a cleaning list and supplies, but it includes all pews, wood on and under pews, sacristy, soft washing of stained glass windows, wall spot cleaning, vacuuming all. Approximate time frame is 6.5 hours. Bids to be received in office by: April 9th.

St. Henry HALL Annual Spring Cleaning Bids: Please send a per hour bid to the church office for cleaning to be completed within the next 4 weeks at the St. Henry Hall. We will provide a cleaning list and supplies, but it includes some lifting and moving of appliances and wash down of all kitchen shelves, equipment and cleaning of hall floor and washing curtains. Approximate time frame is 6 hours. Bids to be received in office by: April 9th.

St. Henry News

March 24-25, 2018 St. Mary St. Henry

Weekly Budget $ 3950.00 $ 825.00

Weekly Offering $ 3616.59 $ 855.00 Plate $ 215.00 $ 73.00

TOTAL $ 3831.59 $ 928.00

Diff. from budget -$ 118.41 +$ 103.00

Parish Stewardship

2018 Catholic Services Appeal We have reached our goal for St. Mary and have almost reached our goal for St.

Henry! Thank you all who have generously donated. If you have not yet done so, please consider doing so soon!

Goal Collected St. Mary $ 12,117 $12,557.00 (103.6%) St. Henry $ 2,382 $ 2000.00 (83.9%)

Goal to replace roofs and air conditioning units: $180,000

Raised to Date: $125,223.39

Building Maintenance and Improvement Fund

As our Lenten journey is soon to come to an end we reflect on our brothers and sisters we have walked with, through our CRS Rice Bowl contributions, we commit to

bringing Easter joy to each person we meet in our daily lives. Don’t forget to turn in your CRS Rice Bowl using the box found in the church or dropping it off at the parish office. Thank you!

April 7 - April 8: Second Sunday of Easter - Sunday of Divine Mercy

Altar Server Extraordinary Minister Lector Usher

Saturday, Apr 7, 4:30 PM (St. Mary)

Alexis O'Connell Sue Leary - Host Volunteer Needed - Host If you are able to fill this spot, please contact the office.

Jean Cemensky-Mohr Timothy Blaschko Donald Hayden James O'Connell Harold Wondra

Sunday, Apr 8, 8:00 AM (St. Henry)

Josh Holicky Patricia Germscheid - Host Jim Selly

Sunday, Apr 8, 10:00 AM (St. Mary)

Kellen O'Keefe Alexa Oros-Chimal Gabe Robinson

Angela Christian - Host Brent Christian - Host Darian Hunt - Host Gregory Schoenbauer - Host

Brian Hoffman Paul Factor Brad O'Keefe Brendan O'Keefe Timothy Widmer