Pastor’s 2 Cents From: Fr. Jim Cassidy
I think it is reasonably accurate to assert that most of us do
not feel comfortable with the uncertainties of life. We most often
appreciate an accurate assessment of "what's happening next," and
with a clear plan in mind, we make it our goal not to be offset by
uncertainty. Life shows us on a regular basis that our need for
certainty is not always met. It is precisely in those times of "not
knowing," of "not understanding," of "not accepting," that we turn
to our faith. Somewhat to our surprise and dismay, the paschal
mystery is a paradox in and of itself. Suffering and death lead to
new life and resurrection. There can be no resurrection without
death. There is no new life without casting aside the old. We hear
in today's gospel the words of Jesus as we are reminded that in
order to find our lives, we must lose them. As I mentioned in my
homily for Corpus Christi, is it any wonder, as Augustine reminds
us, "Our hearts are restless, until they rest in you, Lord."
For the past number of months, we have experienced a dramatic
increase in what it means to have a restless heart. We have lost
loved ones to the virus. The coronavirus pandemic closed many
schools and businesses. Financial strain taxed some families as
parents lost jobs. Our "normal" expectations of coming together in
person to worship with our beloved community of SJA has been put on
hold for what is beginning to feel like a lifetime, but for good
and medically safe reasons. Then we experienced the death of George
Floyd and our community responded by both peaceful protests and
civil unrest, including burning buildings and tear gas. Hopefully
we have gained a deeper understanding of Black Lives Matter and how
systemic racism has for decades created a "cancer" in our American
life. In the last several months, that cancer has been revealed to
the light of day. Thousands have taken to the streets to demand and
an end to police brutality and racism. At the same time, the
coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately affected African
Americans in communities across the country, continues to
spread.
Why would our hearts not be restless? I want to invite you to a
heartwarming opportunity. With great excitement, I want to invite
you to partici-pate in Arm In Arm In Africa's very first Virtual
Fundraiser--Family Style. Our event is "Arm In Arm In
Action--Celebrating 20 years of Compas-sion." The celebration will
be on Sat., July 18th 2020, which also happens to be International
Mandella Day. This celebration will lift up the 20 years of
partnerships that AIAIA have nurtured in SA. I believe that our
journey has endured over the years from a fundamental belief that
All Black Lives Matter. While apartheid "officially" ended in SA in
1993, its intentional deprivation of education and forced
relocation will be felt for generations to come. Couple that with
70% unemployment, with the COVID-19 pandemic, I am seeing the need
for food assistance to be greater than ever before. On behalf of
our brothers and sisters in Africa, I can say with absolute
certainty, WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT.
Our one hour celebration will livestream on YouTubeTV and
Facebook Live at 12 noon on Saturday, July 18. You can find all the
details at aiaiajuly18.funraise.org or visit our website at
aiaia.org. It is an hour of family learning and entertainment,
co-hosted by our very own Christo-pher Hermann and T Mychael Rambo.
It will lift your restless hearts and with your support, bring
nourishment to those who desperately are in need. In Gratitude, Fr.
James Cassidy
SJA LGBTQ Group: As we bring Pride month to a close, we give
thanks for the presence and the witness of faith of our LGBTQ
community at St. Joan of Arc. Our LGBTQ group meets for social,
educational and worship experiences together - and all are welcome.
Please contact Julie Madden for more information, and happy Pride,
SJA
http://aiaiajuly18.funraise.orghttp://aiaia.org
Sun, June 28: 2 Kgs 4:8-11,14-16a; Rom 6:3-4,8-11; Matt 10:37-42
Mon, June 29: Acts 12:1-11; :2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18; Matt 16:13-19 Tue,
June 30: Amos 3: 1-8; 4:11-12; Matt 8:23-27 Wed, July 1: Amos
5:14-15, 21-24; Matt 8:28-34 Thu, July 2: Amos 7:10-17; Matt 9:1-8
Fri, July 3: Eph 2: 19-22; John 20:24-29 Sat, July 4: Isa 57:15-19;
Phil 4:6-9; John 14:23-29 Sun, July 5: Zec 9:9-10; Rom 8:9, 11-13;
Matt 11:25-30
Cheryl Adams, Steve Ahlman, Arlene Alexson, Ann Allen, Carol
Anderson, Molly McLaughlin Antila, Dennis Barta, Dave Benson,
Elaine Boehm, Marcia Boehnlein, Patty Brennan, Brent, Lorraine
Bryant, Stacy Budd, Jonathan Bulthuis, Pam Burd, Betty Byrne, David
Carroll, Jim Cassidy,
Bob Corrick, Culver family, Elizabeth Davidson, Larry Dease, Jim
DeBruycker, Colleen Dooley, Rosemary Drees, Bob Duffy, Ava Dunlay,
Kathie DuRocher, Henry F., Patricia Forster, Carol Fourre, John
& Margaret Frees, Michelle Fries, Kate Gilbert, Heidi
Gregorich, Ron Guillfoile,
Mary Hale-Haniff, Claire Hayes, Isaiah Henry, Brad Hinker, Jim
Hinton, Megan Hoffman, Jan Horner, Kathy Horner, Kathy Itzin, John
K., Glen Kelley, Chuck Kennedy, John Kingston, Sage Kirscht, Steve
Kremer, Helen LaFavor, Amy Lainus, Melva Larson, Margaret Lulic,
Chantilly Lynch, Dawn
McCelland, Joaquin Mendez, Kate Meyer, Bob Miller, Rita Miller,
Tom Moore, Bev Moran, Paige More, Royce Morrissette, Terry Muelken,
Ted Mueller, Nate, Rita Nelson, Craig Nordby, Dick Olson, Paul
Olvera, Mike O’Rourke, Colette Ott, Jacques Parent, Pam Paul, Alice
Pirola, Rita,
Pat Radecki, Graham & Nancy Rattray, Carol Reiland, Jack
Riebel, Jean Rieck, Gina Romani, Donald & Susan Roufs, Dorothy
Rowe, Pat Russell, Sri, Ottavio Savina, Don Schafer, Dale
Schmidkee, Phil Schmidt, Colleen Schroeder, Betty Scully, Gary
Sheppard, Paul Skrip, Sam Slagerman,
Harold Sonnek, Teddy Sparrman, Joan Speltz, Ross Spriggs, Doug
Stahlke, Vivian Steblay, Carson Stier, Nancy Stockhaus, Rick
Streng, Joleen Strosahl, Beth Swanson, Gabe T, Grayson Taylor,
Matthew Tennant, Dennis Thurmond, Troy, Glo Tonskemper, Al
Traynham, Linda Underhill,
Carin Vagle, Leroy Vague, Dave Velasco, Barbara Verthein, Floyd
Ward, Pam Washington, Marlys Weber, Lee Weinberger, Bennett
Wentworth, Mary White, Jim & Jerry Wohnoutka, Jim Wolfe, Morley
Woodruff, Michele Wylie, Denise Wyttenbach, Sarah Yoder, Curt
Youngren, Dave Youngren,
Annemaire & Ava Zubrzycki , Bridget Zvirin
Prayer Corner Requests: To keep prayer requests current, names
will be included in the bulletin for four weeks and then removed.
To add a name or to renew your request, please call the Parish
Center at 612.823.8205.
Our Liturgies from April through today’s will be available
through the St. Joan of Arc website. Celebrate virtually with Fr.
DeBruycker , Fr. Cassidy and the SJA community.
Watch online at www.stjoan.com.
Families, tune in to the video liturgies designed for
families!
Summary of contributions for the week and fiscal year. Includes
plate, envelopes and estimated Sustaining Member payments.
Week of June 15- June 21, 2020 Actual $46,719 Budget $33,717
Prior Year Actual $32,610
Year to Date (July 1 – June 21, 2020)
Actual $2,090,886 Budget $1,974,317 Prior Year Actual
$1,978,019
THANK YOU for your continued generosity!!
Congratulations! Many of you will remember Shaymaa and Mustafa
Al-Tameemi who first arrived in Minneapolis in the fall of 2009 for
what was to be three separate medical visits. In 2012, the family
of eight immigrated to Turkey, and then located permanently in the
Twin Cities 2014, when their application for refugee status was
awarded. Now, six years later, Shayymaa has let us know that the
family’s US citizenship was granted and their adult son, Hussein ,
received his in a court appearance last Thursday. Congratulations
to the whole Al-Tameemi family as they begin their new journey as
US Citizens!
Emergency Arts Boxes is asking families to create boxes filled
with art supplies that will be distributed to people devastated by
the killing of George Floyd. Simply find a box and pack it with
new, packaged
and unopened art supplies. You can then safely drop off your box
at SJA Mon-Fri between 9-3. FFI contact Gabrielle at
[email protected] or visit https://emergencyarts.net
Food Shelf Donations Are Needed: We will continue to accept
non-perishable food items, which can be dropped off Monday thru
Friday, 9am - 3pm in the bins in the Parish Center entry. Your food
offerings are donated to the Foodshelf at Sabathani Commu-nity
Center and they have also indicated a need for laundry deter-gent
and body soap. Thank you for your willingness to help those in
need.
Help Parishioners In Need! If you are able to help members in
our community with things like picking up & delivering
groceries and such, please contact Sherri Stella at 612.823.8205
ext. 231 or [email protected].
A Prayer During Times of COVID-19
In this time of COVID-19, we pray: When we aren’t sure, God,
help us be calm; when information comes
from all sides, correct and not, help us to discern;
when fear makes it hard to breathe, and anxiety seems to be the
order of the day,
slow us down, God; help us to reach out with our hearts, when we
can’t touch with our hands;
help us to be socially connected, when we have to be socially
distant;
help us to love as perfectly as we can, knowing that “perfect
love casts out all fear.”
for the doctors, we pray, for the nurses we pray,
for the technicians and the janitors and the aides and the
caregivers, we pray, for the researchers and theorists,
the epidemiologists and investigators, for those who are
sick,
and those who are grieving, we pray, for all who are affected,
all around the world …
we pray for safety, for health,
for wholeness. May we feed the hungry,
give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked and house those
without homes;
may we walk with those who feel they are alone, and may we do
all that we can to heal
the sick - in spite of the fear. Help us, O God,
that we might help each other. in the name of the Creator, in
the name of the Healer,
in the life of the Holy Spirit that is in all and with all, We
pray.
May it be so. -Rev. Richard Botts