COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS … · Jul 15: Chris Evans Ordination to Permanent Diaconate, 10:30 AM -...

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Upcoming Special Events

Daily Mass during Summer Break: Tuesday -

Friday, 8:00 AM Individual Confessions:

Every Saturday: 3:30 - 4:15 PM

Every Tuesday & Thursday: 7:40 AM May 26: Last Day of School May 29: Memorial Day; Parish Office Closed

Jun 3/4: Feast of Pentecost, WEAR RED Jun 11: Ministry Appreciation Breakfast, 8:00

AM - Noon; Parish Center Jun 17/18: Feast of Corpus Christi (Parish Feast

Day) Jun 18: Father’s Day Jun 19-30: Summer RE Classes, Kdg - 8th

Grades; 9:00 AM - Noon, Mon - Fri; St. Edward School

Jul 4: Independence Day; Parish Offices Closed

Jul 8/9: Holy Land Woodcarvings; Gathering Space

Jul 10: Totus Tuus Registration Deadline

Jul 15: Chris Evans Ordination to Permanent Diaconate, 10:30 AM - Noon; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Hiawatha, IA

Jul 22/23: Parish Reception for Deacon Chris Evans; After each Mass

Jul 23-27: “Totus Tuus”, 7th-12th Grades; 7:00 - 9:15 PM; St. Edward School

Jul 24-28: “Totus Tuus”, 1st-6th Grades; 9:00

AM - 2:30 PM; St. Edward School Aug 6: Garage Sale Donations Accepted; Parish

Center Aug 11, 12, 13: Garage Sale; Parish Center Aug 12: Parish Golf Tournament; 7:30 AM -

Noon; Shotgun Start, South Hills Golf Course Aug 24: First Day of School Sept 4: Labor Day; Parish Office Closed

School News 2

Faith Formation News 3

COR At 220 East 4

Reflections on Deacon Formation 5

IMPACT: Adult Lay Transformation 6

Daily Disciple 7

A Personal Reflection 8

Lenten Meals Program 8

Joyfully Gifted Workshop 9

Time & Talent: Committed to Serve 10

Community Garden 11

Finance Council 12

Capital Improvement Envelopes 13

Stewardship Appeal Q&A 13

5 Ways to Grow Closer to Christ 14

Inside this issue:

Pentecost 2017 The Pentecost Effect “How does each of us hear (the

Apostles) in his own language? … We

hear them speaking in our own

tongue of the mighty acts of God.”

Such was the Pentecost experience of

those not in the upper room! They did

not hear the rushing wind nor see

tongues of fire. They came to know

God is in their world, in a way

understandable to them.

That “Pentecost effect” is still

needed by our neighbors today who

also were not in that upper room so

long ago. Even if one has been given

a faith relationship with Christ, the

ongoing encouragement of having the

events of one’s daily life “translated”

into the language of God’s presence

with us, and love for us, is needed.

That is all the more true for those

whose vocabulary does not include

Jesus Christ, God loves me, or You

have a home in this Church!

And so as the culture changes

around us, how we express the

language of God’s love changes,

though the steadfast truth of that love

does not. It’s why Baptism calls us to

keep growing in one’s faith: so I can

unde r s t and a n d sha re m y

experiences of God in life today. If

I’m allowing the Holy Spirit to give

me the language to understand my

own walk with Jesus today, I’ll have

some mighty acts of God to offer

others as guidance for their finding

Jesus!

That is why we have developed

and are implementing a new 5-Year

Pastoral Plan: to better create

opportunities in this day and time for

translating experience into experience

of God! You will find it on the parish

w e b s i t e u n d e r

“About” and then

“Pastoral Council.”

Anot he r u se fu l

resource is the

waterloocatholics.org

website with all of its

Adult Faith options

and opportunities.

We make time for these things not

only for ourselves, but for our ability

to be sent by the Holy Spirit to carry

on the conversation about God

coming into our world and lives!

Funding this new Pastoral Plan and

the ongoing worship and work we do

with Jesus is why I’ve been sending

you letters asking you to pray over

your financial support of our parish.

If you have not responded yet,

regardless of your answer, please do!

It’s an encouragement to all when we

hear most are taking the question to

their prayer. Another encouragement

is that our parish has helped Chris

Evans hear the particular call to speak

of God’s mighty works that is

Ordination to the Permanent

Diaconate. We celebrate that with

Chris & Carrie and their children

soon! July 15th is his ordination date.

Save the weekend of July 22/23 for

our parish celebration!

May God bless you in the trust that

allows us to sacrifice for the

Kingdom. May God fill you with the

courage for speaking in the language

of God’s mighty love to the diverse

neighbors journeying with us in this

time and place. A safe and joyful

summer to all!

Fr. Tom

Fr. Tom McDermott

Pastor

T H E C O M M U N I T Y O F B L E S S E D S A C R A M E N T

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 3

School News Principal Angie Beck

Our school year is coming to a

close, but don’t forget about

registration for next school year

and summer child care!

Blessed Sacrament KidZone

Daycare offers fun field trips and

activities to keep kids safe and

busily entertained all summer!

KidZone Daycare is licensed

through the Department of Human

Services and is able to care for

children from 18 months through

5th grade. Students from all

schools are

w e l c o m e !

B l e s s e d

S a c r a m e n t

K i d Z o n e

Daycare hours

are from 6:30

am-5:30 pm,

M o n d a y

through Friday

year-round. Contact Jamie at 236-

6131 for registration information.

We are already looking forward

to the next school year! We are

currently accepting registrations for

new students. Stop by the school

office or call Angie Beck, principal,

at 233-7863 for a tour and to learn

about the great things happening at

Blessed Sacrament School. We

offer exceptional faith-based

education, small class sizes, and a

dedicated staff.

SUMMER PROGRAM

June 19th - 30th, Monday - Friday

9:00 am - Noon, St. Edward School

FALL PROGRAM

Wednesday Nights: 6:15 - 7:30 pm, Sacred Heart School (begins Sept 13th)

Sunday Mornings: 8:15 - 10:15 am, Blessed Sacrament School (Meets twice each

month beginning Oct 1st)

For more information, call 319-233-0498

(Children K-8, Not Enrolled in Catholic Schools)

7th - 12th Grade: July 23- 27

7:00 - 9:15 PM, St. Edward School For questions, contact Annie Zeets, email: [email protected] or call 319-233-0498

1st - 6th Grade: July 24 - 28

9:00 AM - 2:30 PM, St. Edward School For questions, contact Julie Novotney, email: [email protected] or call 319-233-0498

For more information and to register, visit: www.waterloocatholics.org/new-totus-tuus

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: JULY 10, 2017

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.waterloocatholics.org/new-totus-tuus/

Faith Formation News

VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 3 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PAGE 3

W a t e r l o o

Catholic Faith

Formation, in

conjunction with

the pastors of the

four parishes in

Waterloo, have

been prayerfully considering the

direction of our high school faith

formation offerings, particularly

our CORE program. Currently

CORE is the main high school faith

formation program for students

who are not in Catholic schools.

In our reflection and discussion

we have come to realize that CORE

is no longer fulfilling the faith

needs of “today’s” high school

student nor our goal of making

disciples of Jesus Christ and His

Church. These two main reasons

along with the extreme “busy-ness”

of today’s typical high school youth

and the changing models of

learning and teaching, we know we

need to make significant changes to

our approach in high school faith

formation. We also understand the

current CORE model has not

fostered parent involvement in the

faith development of their teen and

has also separated Catholic school,

public school, and homeschooled

teens. With all of this in mind, we

will no longer offer CORE for high

school faith formation.

To replace the CORE program

we will offer a new and different

model of faith formation for high

schoolers called YDISCIPLE. This

model is based on gender specific

small faith sharing groups, led by 2

adult mentors of the same gender,

meeting when members of the

g r o u p ’ s s c h e d u l e a l l o w s .

YDISCIPLE (a product of the

Augustine Institute) is on the

approved list of curriculum the

Archdiocese provided in 2014. If

you would like to check out the

YDISCIPLE program go to

www.formed.org and register using

your email and parish code:

QFCYJH. After you register you

can click on the programs tab on

the home page and scroll down

until you see the YDISCIPLE

section. You will also see there are

many other programs on this site as

well, including Fr. Barron's

Catholicism series, bible studies,

movies, books, talks, etc. Feel free

to explore and enjoy!

We expect small faith sharing

groups to meet both the scheduling

and faith needs of today’s high

school youth. It will not only

involve and inform parents, but

these groups will be open to all

Catholic teens, not just public

school students. We will be having

informational meetings for parents

and their high school teens with

more details regarding this program

on these following dates:

August 7th; 6:30-7:30pm @

COR 220 East 4th St. Waterloo,

IA 50703

August 17th; 6:30-7:30pm @

COR 220 East 4th St. Waterloo,

IA 50703

The roll out of this new program

will start in the fall of 2017. With

the change in programs we will

NOT be offering Summer CORE

for the summer of 2017. Again,

S u m m e r C O R E 2 0 1 7 i s

CANCELLED. This will not affect

high schoolers ability to be

confirmed on schedule in the

future. Confirmation expectations/

program details will be outlined at

the informational meetings.

Do not hesitate to contact us with

any questions/concerns:

Kelleryn Rauzi, 233-0744 or

[email protected]

Annie Zeets, Youth Minister

[email protected]

Kelleryn Rauzi, Assoc. Dir. Of Children & Family Catechesis

http://www.formed.org




Week af ter

week, Mass after

Mass, we hear,

“Go forth, the

Mass is ended,” or

“Go and announce

the Gospel of the

Lord.” What does it actually look

like though to announce the

Gospel?

Certainly this begins with

exuding radical authenticity and

integrity that begs the question of

how it’s possible to live such a life.

Certainly this means naming to

friends, coworkers, and family

members where your hope and joy

lie.

Personally though, I have always

struggled to “announce the Gospel”

to anyone other than the choir.

Whether it is shyness, or some

embarrassment, or fear, I often find

that I clam up.

COR at 220 East is the first

experience I have had where I feel I

am in concrete ways “announcing

the Gospel.” Sometimes having an

intentional time and place and a

little bit of structure can make all

the difference.

What is COR? COR is a

downtown storefront building

operated by the

W a t e r l o o

C a t h o l i c

Parishes. On one

hand, COR is a

c o m m u n i t y

center and event venue for activities

such as music concerts, art exhibits,

private parties, and movie and

discussion nights. And on the other

hand, COR is softly facilitating

evangelization in everything it

does.

How does COR evangelize?

Here are some of the ways we have

noticed over the past two years:

One-on-one conversations

between guests and COR

h o s p i t a l i t y m i n i s t e r s -

Hospitality ministers are trained

volunteers from our parishes

that staff our events and

weekday open hours.

A simple chalk board sign on

the sidewalk inviting anyone in

Enhancing community presence

and connections - We have built

many bridges of trust through

supporting local businesses and

restaurants and offering space

and support to local non-profits

i n c l u d i n g E M B A R C ,

Hospitality House, Catholic

Charities, and Guiding Star

Cedar Valley.

A concrete space for people to

invest in and take ownership of

– A man in the community

walks in and asks if he can

display his clock collection at

COR. A local business inquires

about opening a coffee shop in

COR. A parishioner offers to

organize a golf tournament to

raise funds for COR. A college

student home for the summer

chooses to intern at COR. A

donor accepts the invitation to

invest some of their treasure. A

volunteer gives of their time

and talent.

Reversing negative perceptions

of the Church – Anyone in

Waterloo can not make the

claim that we are not open to

the arts, to listening to different

perspectives, out and present in

the community, attractive to

youth and young adults, and

open to the needs of the

members of our community.

Evangelization is a process that

begins with building a bridge of

trust with an individual or a group.

The mission of COR is to build

trust, to heed the words of Pope

Francis to “get out of our offices

and parish grounds” and to get

close to the heart of the people.

What is a way to go forth and

“announce the Gospel?” Support

COR.

Ways to support COR:

Attend our events

Invite others to our events

Like our Facebook page &

invite your friends to do so as

well

Be a Friend of COR– supports

the COR values and shares

treasure

Be a Hospitality Servant –

supports the COR values and

shares time and talent

Be a Hospitality Minister –

supports the COR values and

serves as a witness of faith

Rent COR for your next bridal

shower , bi r thday par ty,

graduation open house, or

business meeting.

Contact Ellen Voegele with

questions or if interested in

supporting COR:

Phone: 319-349-6710

Email: [email protected]

COR At 220 East Ellen Voegele, Dir. of Young Adult Ministry



Reflections on Deacon Formation Chris Evans

As I approach

ordination to the

p e r m a n e n t

diaconate, I

would like to

share with you

some of the

details of my

formation as a Deacon and reflect on

the journey my family and I have

traveled these past five years.

My call to the diaconate is a long

story that really begins with my

parents, Don and Gayle Evans. The

example they set for their children

was not perfect, but it absolutely

taught us that service to others and to

the church was something that was

supposed to be done. They would

take us to Mass when we were

young, do their best to verify that we

had attended Mass when we were old

enough to drive, and they sent us to

Catholics schools. They also

encouraged us to serve at Mass, join

small groups from church, and to

volunteer for school and church

boards and committees. My parents

provided a living example of

Matthew 6:3. Service was instilled in

me from a very early age.

I have known since my senior year

in high school (1990) that God

wanted me to do something for Him

in his church. I did know that I

wanted to serve, although I don’t

know that I ever felt called to the

priesthood. I have always felt a

strong calling to be a husband and

father. So, I was looking for the place

that fit best in the church while

serving in various ministries. This

led me back to Deacon Barlow and

the example he lived of service,

ministry, and family. Looking into

the diaconate told me that I couldn’t

be ordained until I was 35 years old,

so I had some time to wait. In the

meantime, I went off to college, met

a wonderful woman, got married, and

had five kids (rapidly).

Sometime in late 2009 or early

2010, I saw an announcement in the

bulletin regarding informational

meetings about an upcoming class. I

was involved in the lay formation

program at the time and I got excited

about the possibility of answering the

call that I had felt for so many years.

My wife, Carrie, was hesitant but

willing and, with her approval, I

spoke to Fr. Denny and he put my

name forward as an applicant for the

diaconate program. I applied to join

Diaconate Class XVI and got turned

down. That was a tough day. It was

felt that my children were too young

and that I should apply again in two

years. I basically shelved the idea of

becoming a deacon “until later”,

assuming that later was quite a ways

off.

I was surprised in 2012 to receive

a call from Tom Lang, head of the

permanent diaconate for the

Archdiocese of Dubuque asking if I

had considered applying again. I did

so and was admitted to Diaconate

Class XVII with classes starting in

December of 2012.

The journey of diaconate

formation has been deep and

challenging and wonderful. I have

learned much more than I knew

before - that I can trust the Church.

The depth of thought that has been

put into answering every question

that I can come up with is amazing. I

could spend the rest of my life just

studying it and still not come to the

end of what has gone on before me.

Because of that depth, I can trust

what is taught first and seek to

understand second. This has been a

huge growth for me. It encourages

me to act, not just to question and

think. There is nothing wrong with

questioning and really trying to

understand the “why” of it all, but I

don’t have to let that keep me from

acting. There is so much to learn and

so much I have learned about the

Church and how it has influenced my

outlook on the world.

Coming to grips with the depth

and breadth of the Church and to be

confronted by the people of the

church and my diaconate class who

are so much better at really every

aspect of their lives has been such a

blessing. Despite their own

brokenness, they remain faithful to

the struggle and to the God who has

led and lifted them up. I know that

God will be present with me and, if I

am willing to listen for that small,

still voice, will lead me safely

through all of my life. The fruit of

that has begun to flower but there is

certainly still growth for me to

accomplish.

My family and I have been blessed

by the prayerful support of the parish

and we truly appreciate that.

Something that I have learned

through this process is to no longer

treat that lightly. “At least we can

pray for it” was something that I used

to view as a last resort or even with a

little bit of a scoff. That has changed.

Prayer is the first tool in the bag, the

strongest one too. I will never again

downplay the power of prayer. It’s

not a last resort, it’s the first thing to

do. Thank you all!

Editor’s Note: Chris will be ordained to

the Permanent Diaconate on Saturday,

July 15th at 10:30 a.m. at St. Elizabeth

Ann Seton Church in Hiawatha. He will

deliver his first homily at Masses the

weekend of July 22/23. Please join us for a

reception in the Gathering Space after the

4:30 Mass on Saturday and the 8:30 Mass

on Sunday. A special breakfast will also be

held in the Parish Center after the 10:30

Mass.


Please join us in congratulating

Maggie England and Candice

Miller on their completion of the

IMPACT adult lay formation

program. Maggie and Candy were

commissioned as Lay Ministers by

Archbishop Jackels at a special

Mass and commiss ioning

ceremony held at St. Mary’s

Catholic Church, Waverly on

Saturday, May 6th.

IMPACT, a two-year lay

formation program, has been

designed to lead participants

further down the path of

discipleship. IMPACT, an

invitation to step away from the

busyness of our lives, will nourish

the heart and mind through

theo l o gi ca l and sp i r i t ua l

formation. Through study, prayer,

reflection, and conversation,

participants are challenged to

respond more fully to Jesus’ call to

mission—to IMPACT our world!

IMPACT is a program of the

Archdiocese of Dubuque, in

collaboration with Loras College.

Participants will receive the best

possible faith formation through

this valuable partnership.

IMPACT follows the guidelines of

formation as set by Co-Workers in

the Vineyard: Year One focuses

on personal and spiritual growth;

Year Two focuses on the

i n t e l l e c t u a l an d p a s t o r a l

components of our Catholic faith.

We asked Maggie and Candy to

reflect on their participation in

IMPACT and share with us their

thoughts on their experience with

the program:

Maggie England: “IMPACT. I

say this word and my eyes actually

well-up with tears. THIS is a

phenomenal program for any

individual who is open and willing

to learn and grow in their faith.

Because I allowed myself to be

vulnerable in this journey these

past two years, I feel that I have

undergone a significant change in

my relationship with God and in

coming back home to my true self.

As I sit here almost 2 years later, I

have never been more thankful

and grateful for completing this

mos t wonderfu l program!

IMPACT has really challenged me

to be bold with my faith outside of

the church walls. With more

confidence than ever, I now talk

more about my faith and God in

the workplace. As I go, I take with

me the principles of S3

Leadership: Servant, Steward,

Shepherd, along with the

response: SEE with the eyes of

Christ, JUDGE with the mind of

Christ and ACT with the love of

Christ. ”

Candy Miller: “My involvement

in IMPACT has helped me to

grow in faith and has deepened my

desire to be a better servant of

God, both in my parish and in our

world. Awareness of my own

spiritual energy has given me a

basis for trying to channel my gifts

in ways that might bring others

closer to God. I am now more

committed to cultivating servant

habits in my life by engaging in

quiet time, deeper prayer, reading

more scripture, remaining faithful

to regular Mass attendance, and

a c c e p t i n g a n d m o d e l i n g

unconditional love. I feel very

grateful and blessed to have been a

part of the 2015-2017 IMPACT

cohort. My prayer is that I will live

my life in a way that emulates the

peace and love of Christ, and that

my actions may always be

reflected in such a way that words

are not even necessary to help

bring others closer to Him. I love

the phrase: ‘No God, No Peace -

Know God, Know Peace.’”

IMPACT is open to any adult

who desires a deeper relationship

with Christ and a greater

understanding of the Catholic faith

in order to further the kingdom of

God. IMPACT may be for you if

you have a desire to: - Enrich and deepen your faith;

- Learn more about the Catholic

faith; - Respond further to the call of

discipleship; - Enhance engagement in parish

and community life; and, - Share more deeply in the

mission of Jesus.

The next IMPACT begins

September of 2017 with Saturday

sessions held at St. Elizabeth Ann

Seton Parish in Hiawatha, IA.

Enrollment is open now with

applications available online at:

https://www.dbqarch.org/offices/

adult-faith/impact/application/.

Deadline for applications is July

31, 2017.

If you have a desire to deepen

your faith and enhance your

involvement in our parish, please

prayerfully consider participating

in IMPACT. To learn more visit

https://www.dbqarch.org/offices/

adult-faith/impact/ or contact Fr.

Tom.

IMPACT: Adult Lay Transformation Harland Robinson, Editor

https://www.dbqarch.org/offices/adult-faith/impact/application/

https://www.dbqarch.org/offices/adult-faith/impact/application/

https://www.dbqarch.org/offices/adult-faith/impact/

https://www.dbqarch.org/offices/adult-faith/impact/


1+1=1? Dan Armstrong

was born 1-13-67 to

Anna Mae and James

Armstrong. In this case

1+1=1. His name

appears on the 1st page

of baptismal records at

Blessed Sacrament.

Dan has 4 brothers and 1 sister.

4+1+1+2=8 people lived happily in

the Armstrong household.

Dan spent kindergarten at Castle

Hill school and 1st - 8th at Blessed

Sacrament. It was at Blessed

Sacrament that Dan received the

sacraments of Baptism, Holy

Communion, and Confirmation.

When I asked Dan who his favorite

grade school teacher was, he

multiplied and gave me 2 names: Mrs.

Blesz and Mr. Mahoney. Dan said that

Mrs. Blesz was the 1st person to

discover his interest and talent in math.

Igniting that raw talent for math led to

his career choices.

Mr. Mahoney was the 'fun' teacher.

Dan says he probably didn't learn

much that year but he had a great time.

Now you know the 2 sides of Daniel

David Stephan Armstrong. He is

gifted in math, but not caught up in the

solemnity of it. He balances it with

fun.

E=mc2. After grade school, Dan

attended Columbus Catholic High

School. His favorite teachers there

(again he multiplied the request) were

Mr. Will and Mr. Gilbert. Of course,

these were 2 of the math teachers at

Columbus. It's safe to say that Dan

enjoyed his high school career. 1 of

his post graduate goals was to come

back and teach at the school, which he

did, right after he graduated from Iowa

State in 1990.

While at Iowa State, Dan felt a

distance from his faith, nothing

serious, just a loss of closeness. He

was called home from college to be at

the side of his dying father. James

Armstrong was losing his battle with

cancer. Dan was part of a family

decision to stop treatment and focus on

pain management. He had a lot of

hard questions for God; but, unlike

math, there were no straightforward

answers. Dan found a quote from a

child scientist character in the Bloom

County comic strip, "The universe is

too mathematically perfect to be an

accident." That sums up how he feels

about his faith.

It was when he came back home and

realized he was becoming very serious

about a certain Blessed Sacrament girl

that he warmed back up to the rituals

of the church.

2+2=4 The sweet equation in Dan's

family is 2+2=4 loving people. Dan

knew his future wife in grade school.

Susan Taylor was 2 years behind him.

He seriously noticed her in high

school. She happened to live next door

to one of his friends. Their shared

experiences and history made dating

and eventually marrying seem so right.

1 year after he graduated from Iowa

State, Dan married Susan Taylor,

daughter of Blessed Sacrament

parishioners, Leon and Carol Taylor.

Father Walter Brunkan, principal of

Columbus Catholic High School, and

Dan's boss, officiated at their wedding

at Blessed Sacrament on 11-8-91.

Dan and Susan went on to have 2

daughters. Both of their daughters are

graduating this year: Alexandra, 21, is

graduating from UNI and Isabelle, 18,

is graduating from Cedar Falls High

School. Each of these young women

will be continuing their education, with

Isabelle headed to Iowa State, in the

fall, to study for a degree in Event

Management, and Alexandra, after a

gap year, pursuing an advanced degree

in Elementary School Psychology.

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc. The Fibonacci Sequence. Each

number is the sum of the previous 2

numbers.

Daniel David Stephan Armstrong is

the sum of the people who came before

him to show him the way. Watching

his parents worship and serve the

community of Blessed Sacrament

taught him responsibility to the Faith.

Dan is the sum of his immediate

family. He speaks of his wife and

daughters with deep pride.

His choice of Stephan as a

Confirmation name came from the sum

of his love for his brother, the

example of a first martyr, and, who

knows; perhaps the street where his

home parish was.

When he speaks of the areas of

Blessed Sacrament that he's been able

to help with, we realize the topic is

division.

Dan has divided his time: Fall

Festival Chairperson, Fall Festival Co-

chair, Chairman of the Parish Council,

member of the Social Justice

Committee, Chairperson of the Parish

Community Life Committee, founding

member and current Coordinator for

the Men's Group. While in high school,

Dan was an active member of the

Youth Group.

He keeps so busy and keeps things

so orderly that I asked him if he was

OCD. He said no, not OCD, but

maybe CDO (he put it alphabetical

order).

Yes, Daniel David Stephan

Armstrong is an Action Man of Faith.

He is a true example of Faith on the

move. He would be the disciple who

says, "Let's get the job done." He

doesn't sit around and ponder it. He

gets moving. He is a great guy to have

on your side.

Blessed Sacrament Parish is so

lucky to have him and his family

among us.

I'm no mathematician but Dan's

math adds up. The 1 Who Is, Was, and

Will Always Be added everything

good together and came up with Dan,

the best equation of all.

Daily Disciple: Dan Armstrong Margaret Klein, Contributing Editor


A Personal Reflection Seminarian Jim Goerend

It’s a wonderful

feeling to be back in

Iowa! Those were

my first thoughts

when I crossed over

the Julien Dubuque

bridge, racing over

the border between Illinois and

Iowa and heading for Blessed

Sacrament in Waterloo. Then the

nervousness started to settle in as I

drew closer to the Cedar Valley.

Luckily for me, those nervous

feelings vanished as soon as I

started to greet people at that first

4:30 Saturday Mass. It was, and

still is, such a warm welcome from

this community that made me

quickly realize that this is where

God wants me, this is where I need

to be. In a short 2 ½ months I have

come to view Blessed Sacrament as

home and the people of God here

my family. As with any family, we

have our challenges, but I have

witnessed a willingness here to

meet those challenges and work to

better the lives of those in the

community. I have had the

privilege to walk with so many on

the spiritual journey, from the

baptism of newborns and the

receiving of first communion to

sitting with families as their loved

ones make the transition to the next

life. I have been able to get back

into the classroom and work with

students and work with adults who

have the desire to join the Church.

The outpouring of love and

friendship at Blessed Sacrament has

deepened my understanding of

God’s call, to walk with the people

of God and be a bridge to Jesus

Christ. I have truly been blessed by

God in His plan to send me here to

Blessed Sacrament. I pray for this

faith community every night and

ask that you pray for me as I

continue this journey. May God’s

blessings always be upon everyone

here at Blessed Sacrament!

Lenten “Feed the Hungry” Meals Program Deacon Bob Stirm

This year we met to discuss

feedback from last year’s meal

project. We tried to address two

suggestions for improving our

Lenten Project. First we have been

asked in the past why all of our

meals went to either Central

America or Africa. With one in

five local children going to bed

each night hungry, we decided to

supply nutritious meals to our own

community. Our goal was for

44,000 meals this year. We met

that goal and shipped 35,860 meals

to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank

and 8,400 to our local St. Vincent

DePaul Food Pantry.

Our second goal this year was to

involve more of the local

community in our project. We

received cash contributions from

Zion Lutheran Church ($500), St.

Edwards’s ($500), and Waterloo

Council 700 Knights of Columbus

($500). We had over 270 volunteers

that came to help out.

Volunteers from Zion Lutheran

Church, Sacred Heart, First

Congregational Church, Queen of

Peace Hispanic Ministry, our Boy

Scout Troop, our own parishioners,

students, and faculty worked two

shifts to meet our goal. We

continued to package meals until

we ran out of materials. We

actually finished 30 minutes early.

Many thanks to all.

This year’s event brought our

meal total for the last four years to

160,000 meals. Thanks to Barb

Duggan, who started this fantastic

program and all those that have

helped in countless ways ever

since.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PAGE 9 VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 3

August 11, 12, 13

Parish Center Drop off your donated items for sale

beginning August 6th.

For more information, call Margaret Klein at

319-429-1907 or email:

[email protected]

Estate Sale

Services

Downsizing?

Clearing household goods from an estate?

Blessed Sacrament parishioners offer Estate Sale Services

for those willing to donate the proceeds back to Blessed

Sacrament Parish. At your location, we will set up for a sale,

advertise and staff the sale, and dispose of what remains

after the sale.

If you are interested in discussing or scheduling a sale with

us, please call Margaret Klein at 319-429-1907 or email:

[email protected]

On March 25th

and April 4th we

were blessed to host

two Joyfully Gifted

Retreats. Between

both days 27 people

c o m p l e t e d t h e

workshop.

As one of the organizers of the

workshop I could not have been

happier about how it went. I found

myself looking around the room

during small group breakout

sessions and being amazed by how

easily conversation was flowing

and touched to see smiles on every

face.

Joyfully Gifted is a workshop

designed to help you discern

(identify) your unique spiritual gifts

or charisms. Each of us possesses at

least one spiritual gift given to us

by God to be used in service of

others. Many of us have multiple

gifts, some of which are just

waiting to be discovered. When we

planned Joyfully Gifted I thought

that is all it was going to be about. I

pictured a wonderful day where

everyone would discern their gifts

and then go forth to build up the

church. That certainly did happen,

but so did so much more.

During those two days there

w e r e s o m a n y u p l i f t i n g

conversations. Strangers became

friends and encouraged each other.

In helping someone else discern

their gifts, you are often uplifting

them by pointing out their strengths

in ways they may not have ever

realized. Some people left the

workshop and have gone on to form

small groups to further discuss

what they have learned. This is

fantastic! However, even those who

walked away with no plans of

thinking about their gifts again, left

feeling blessed. They left feeling

like they were an important part of

our church community; with the

knowledge that our community

could not possibly be what it is

without every individual doing their

part. What a wonderful realization!

Everyone has a unique set of

gifts and talents. Those gifts may

change over time, but everyone

always has something to offer. You

may even be using your gift

without realizing it. Maybe you

attend Mass every week and that is

all you do. You may not think you

have much to offer, but if you turn

to the person next to you and say

hello or ask about their week then

you are providing hospitality,

which is a true gift as it has the

power to completely change

someone’s day for the better. This

is the type of thing we learned by

doing Joyfully Gifted.

We hope to offer another

workshop or set of workshops in

the fall. If you think you might be

interested please do not hesitate to

contact me or any member of

Stewardship Committee. We would

be happy to tell you what to expect

and why it is right for you.

Joyfully Gifted Workshop Karla Bray, Volunteer Coordinator



VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 3 PAGE 10 COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Hello, my name is

Candy Miller and I am

the Chairperson of the

parish Stewardship

Committee. This

coming October we

w i l l a g a i n b e

conducting our annual Time and

Talent Survey to invite all parish

members, including youth in grades

3-12, to active participation in

parish volunteer ministries.

We’d like to begin by saying

“thank you”. Thank you to all who

sacrifice their time and talent in any

way that contributes to the long

standing success of our community

of faith. As you all know, there is

more to our parish than just what

you see at weekend Mass!

For example, each week there are

those who fold bul let ins ,

newsletters, or bulk mailings,

money counters, folks who help

with general maintenance of the

parish & rectory, gardeners, Meals

on Wheels, Community Meal,

Catechists, Children’s Liturgy of

the Word Facilitators, Eucharistic

Ministers for the homebound,

hospitalized, or in care facilities,

prayer chain warriors, those who

provide transportation to parish

activities, youth chaperones, and so

many others too numerous to

mention.

All of these things are planned

and prepared by leadership

committees and staff who are

deeply committed to our becoming

who it is God is calling us to

be. The ministry and mission of

our church take place because of

the gifts our members and friends

freely choose to offer.

In 2012, Matthew Kelly, a

renowned Catholic author and

speaker, released a book called

“The Four Signs of a Dynamic

Catholic”. In the course of his

research of several U.S. Catholic

parishes, he found that roughly 7%

of registered parishioners contribute

approximately 80% of the volunteer

hours in a parish. He is quick to

point out that while generalizations

like this can provide incredible

insight, they can also be very

dangerous if taken too far out of

context. In general terms, however,

the good news is that if only 7% of

Catholics are accomplishing more

than 80% of what we are doing

today on a world-wide scale,

imagine how much more could be

done if this were increased by only

1%? Not to mention what a

difference an additional 5% could

make?

In today’s busy world, there are a

lot of commitments and/or

obligations demanding our time

outside of our regular work and

h o m e s ch ed u l es , an d w e

acknowledge and recognize that

some are able to offer more time

than others; nonetheless, we are

deeply grateful for all who sacrifice

and graciously give of their time

and talent in any way they can,

whether it is through activities that

are directly related to our parish, or

activities that indirectly benefit our

members, such as Scout leaders,

activity coaches or leaders, and

school volunteers.

The decision to give of our time,

talent and treasure is a choice, but

as a follower of Jesus, it really isn’t

an option! Each of the baptized is

called uniquely by name, entrusted

with a state-in-life vocation as well

as a personal vocation. This

vocation includes special gifts so

one’s unique mission, as well as our

commonly-shared mission, might

be fulfilled. And there is deep,

personal fulfillment that comes into

play when we are exercising our

charisms in areas we are truly

called to serve, and it begins with a

simple step of a commitment to be

involved. Some members of our

parish who participated in the

Joyfully Gifted Workshop learned

that all charisms carry with them

many special graces that can enable

us to convey and demonstrate the

way of Jesus by simply just being

who we were created to be and

doing what He leads us to do.

Based on what we have received,

we are encouraged to give back –

out of thanksgiving for what God

has done, and as a sign of

faithfulness and commitment to be

a part of the good things that God is

continuing to do in our parish and

this world. We have the gift of

Jesus and we are invited to respond

to what God has given us with

generosity of our own.

The practice of exercising time &

talent stewardship is a spiritual

discipline and a way to grow our

faith, both personally and as a

community. Over the next few

months, we ask that you prayerfully

consider what areas God is calling

you to serve. No volunteer effort is

too small to help make a difference!

Time & Talent: Committed to Serve Candice Miller, Stewardship Committee

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PAGE 11 VOLUME 7 , ISSUE 3

Community Garden Seminarian Jim Goerend

Spring is here! The

birds are chirping, the

trees have leaves, the

tulips have bloomed and

gardens are being

planned! Speaking of

g a r d e n s , B l e s s e d

Sacrament is in the

process of designing and building

a community garden. Why, you

might ask, would the parish be

getting into the gardening

business? Well, I’m glad you

asked. For many of us, gardening

has been a staple in our lives.

Some have grown up with a

garden out in the backyard or had

grandparents who had a garden.

Some of us got the gardening bug

when we got older and some have

always wanted to do some

gardening. Living in Midwest

farm country, I’m sure that many

of us have had some experience of

homegrown produce. Gardening

has also had a rich history in our

society. How many remember

Victory Gardens? These mostly

private gardens which were

planted during W.W. I and W.W.

II were used to help reduce

pressure on the public food

supplies during wartime. In

addition, they fostered community

and allowed people on the home

front to have a sense of being part

of the drive toward victory.

At Blessed Sacrament, our

community garden is geared

toward living out the teachings of

Jesus Christ. In Matthew’s

Gospel, we read “For I was hungry

and you gave me food, I was

thirsty and you gave me drink…

And the king will say to them in

reply, ‘Amen, I say to you,

whatever you did for one of these

least brothers of mine, you did for

me.’” Jesus gave us several

examples of feeding people. He

fed the crowd of 5,000 and fed

another crowd of 4,000. He

commands Peter to feed his sheep.

Jesus feeds us in the most Holy

Sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus

Christ calls us to care for the poor,

to feed and nourish them. One

way to live out this call and

ministry is through

growing food in a

garden and providing

the produce to those

who hunger. One might

say, I already donate

groceries to the food

pantry and food bank,

which is a good thing. I would ask

you to think of the powerful

witness it is for the youth of our

community to see us grow food in

a community garden and provide

that produce, grown through the

sweat of our brow and the work of

our hands, to those among us who

lack the means to purchase

healthy, fresh vegetables. Imagine

the power of that witness to inspire

our youth to live out Jesus’ call to

feed the hungry and aid in the

building of God’s Kingdom here

on earth.

The Bles sed Sacrament

community garden is meant to

foster and grow a sense of

ministering to the poor, the needy,

and the less fortunate. Jesus also

calls us to love our neighbor.

What better way to love our

neighbor than to feed them and

tend to their welfare.


Finance Council: Sustaining the Mission As part of our

ongoing series of

articles focusing

on our new

Strategic Plan,

this Pentecost we

feature our parish

Finance Council and their faithful

stewardship of resources necessary

to support our four-fold mission to

celebrate faith, proclaim the

Gospel, build community, and

serve the needy.

As an advisory body to the pastor

and pastoral council, the finance

council enables the parish to live its

mission by prudent and lawful

stewardship of all resources, to

include adminis t ration and

stewardship of human resources,

parish facilities, and parish

finances, including the annual

budget and long-range financial

development.

In order to fulfill their

responsibilities as faithful stewards

of resources, the finance council

has adopted a dynamic and far-

reaching strategic plan addressing

the parish’s overarching focus areas

t o i n c r ea s e an d i m p r ov e

engagement, involvement, and

participation in parish life by all

parishioners; to increase outreach

efforts to approach, engage, and

i n v i t e t h e i n v o l v e m e n t ,

participation, and membership of

people not yet affiliated with a

Catholic parish; and to increase

efforts, supports, and expenditures

to identify and address the needs of

the poor and the marginalized

populations.

In support of our parish

overarching focus areas, the finance

council has established a two-year

goal focusing on the strategic

planning needs and goals of each

standing committee, including

needed resources and budgets,

actions to increase parish income to

ensure long-term solvency, and

support of the implementation of

the parish strategic plan.

To achieve this goal, the council

has set for itself certain tasks,

strategies, and methods to be

accomplished during the period

from January 2016 to December

2017:

1. Collaborate with each standing

committee to identify and

priori tize their strategic

planning goals and to determine

the needed resources and

projected costs of those

resources.

2. As part of the budget planning

process, determine whether the

prioritized strategic planning

goals and resources can be

addressed through ordinary

income sources, or potentially

require funds that necessitate an

increase in income.

3. Within the budget planning

process and in collaboration

with the pastoral council,

determine which strategic

planning goals wil l be

addressed in the upcoming

fiscal year and which will be

postponed to a subsequent year,

and allocate appropriate funds

to the prioritized goals and

resources.

4. If the funds needed to address

the prioritized goals and

resources exceed projected

income, implement steps to

increase income.

We would like to point out that

each of our actions in support of

our wider strategic plan hinge on

one recur r ing theme: the

availability of funds necessary to

support each standing committee’s

goals. Our recent steps to

encourage increased financial

support through sacrificial giving

options, electronic giving, and our

Stewardship Appeal are critical to

our efforts as an active and engaged

parish pursuing our four-fold

mission.

Without your active participation

and support, we risk being

relegated to the role of a

diminishing “maintenance parish”

instead of a dynamic “missionary

parish” devoted to bringing the

Good News of Our Lord to both

our parish community and the

world.

Please prayerfully note the

efforts of our finance council, as

well as our standing committees,

and your commitment and

participation as a disciple of Christ.

For more information on how

you can help, please do not hesitate

to contact our parish office at

319.233.6179, or a member of our

Finance Council.

Harland Robinson, Editor

Check out our new video and blog content designed to lead teenagers & families into

a deeper relationship with Jesus! www.blessedsacramentwaterloo.org

http://www.blessedsacramentwaterloo.org


Capital Improvement Envelopes Our parish income

from the use of the

Capital Improvement

special envelopes has

fallen off dramatically

the last couple of

years. This may be in

part, due to the outstanding effort

that many of our parishioners made

during our parking lot capital

campaign between 2014 and 2016.

However, the current trend in the

use of the Capital Improvement

envelopes is concerning and has

resulted in us having to make some

difficult decisions regarding which

maintenance and improvement

areas to delay or trim from the

budget.

Capital Improvement is a

designated income source for our

parish budget. All money

contributed to the Capital

Improvement fund is used for

major repairs and maintenance, as

well as improvements to our parish

buildings and grounds. For 2017-

2018, we will reserve income from

the Capital Improvement envelopes

to specifically address the Parish

Center and Putz Hall kitchens, and

to begin building a fund to repair,

maintain, and eventually replace

the aging boilers in our buildings.

Fu nd i n g t he se s i gn i f i c an t

expenditures would not be possible

t h r o u g h A d u l t E n v e l o p e

contributions alone. We encourage

your use o f t he Cap i t a l

Improvement envelopes that are

included in your bi-monthly

envelope mailings, as a means to

supplement the money required to

address these much needed

improvements and repairs. All

money contributed to the Capital

Improvement fund is not assessed

by Cedar Valley Catholic Schools.

Tom Salkeld, Finance Council Chair

Stewardship Appeal Q & A Tom Salkeld, Finance Council Chair

Q. Who will be asked to support this Appeal? - We will be asking all families to consider an increase in their current level of support.

Q. How much should I increase my offering? - That will vary from family to family, in part depending on when the last time was that you made an

increase. If its been a while, then a more generous increase may be appropriate. For households that

increase annually, the increase may be more modest.

Q. If I miss Mass and am unable to make my Offering, how would you like me to handle that? - Over the course of the year for different reasons, you may miss Mass. Minimally, “making up” the

following weekend is important. For many parishioners though, switching to electronic giving has become

the preferred and most convenient way of adhering to your committed level of support.

Q. What if I am unable to increase my regular support at this time? - If you are unable to increase your current level of support, then we thank you for what you are currently

doing. Also, as many parishioners do, volunteering your time and talent may be equally fulfilling.

Q. Is electronic giving available for our Offering? - Electronic giving, frequently referred to as e-giving, is both available and strongly encouraged. For you it’s

convenient, the most secure way of making your offering, and eliminates missed gifts. For the parish, it’s a

great help in stabilizing our income and guarding against the significant lows that sometimes occur.

Please support our Appeal. You can do so in a number of ways:

If you are a regular supporter, please consider and enact a permanent increase.

If you have not been a regular supporter, please become one at an initial level you can maintain.

Whether a longtime supporter or a new supporter, please begin using electronic giving as your primary

method of supporting the parish.

Helping defer the parish’s Appeal costs in the form of an outright gift would also be very appreciated.

If you have any questions regarding the Appeal, please feel free to call the parish office.

650 Stephan Avenue

Waterloo, Iowa 50701

THE COMMUNITY OF BLESSED SACRAMENT

Rectory Phone 319-233-6179

FAX 319-233-6051

School Phone 319-233-7863

Day Care Phone 319-236-6131

We’re on the Web!

facebook.com/blessedsacramentchurch/

www.blessedsacramentwaterloo.org

NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Permit No. 1870

Waterloo, Iowa

Reconciliation 3:30 PM Saturday or see bulletin

Masses 4:30 PM Saturday

8:30 AM & 10:30 AM Sunday

8:00 AM Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

9:00 AM Wednesday during School

FIVE WAYS TO GROW CLOSER TO CHRIST THIS SUMMER

SACRAMENTS

Frequent the sacraments. The sacraments are life-changing encounters with Christ that result in grace for living.

LECTIO DIVINA

Read and pray the Scriptures using Lectio Divina. This can become a very fruitful daily conversation with Jesus. You can apply God’s Word to where you are at in life and come to a better understanding of what God is trying to change in your life.

PRAYER

Establish regular times of prayer including scheduled holy hours at an adoration chapel. Many parishes have chapels just for the purpose of spending quiet time with God.

ROSARY

Grow in your relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary. She will always take you to her Son, especially in the Rosary.

REMINDERS

Schedule reminders throughout the day that you are a disciple of Jesus and that you are to actively follow him.

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Source: Our Sunday Visitor, www.osv.com

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