St. Mark Catholic Church

4220 Ripa Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63125

Office: 314-743-8600, Fax: 314-743-8618 www.stmarkstl.com

July 29, 2018 Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mass Schedule Sundays—7:00, 9:00, & 11:00 am Monday—Friday—6:30 & 8:00 am

Saturdays—8:00 am & 5:00 pm Holy Day—6:30 & 9:00 am, 7:00 pm

Confessions Saturday afternoon—3:30 to 4:30 pm

Sacraments Call 743-8620 or 743-8600 to make

an appointment with one of the Priests.

Clergy Rev. Msgr. Patrick K. Hambrough

Pastor phambrough@archstl.org 314-743-8609—church 314-743-8620—rectory

Rev. Ted Vitali, CP Non-Resident, Associate

vitalit@slu.edu 314-729-7572

Rev. Mr. Richard Rosenkoetter Deacon

RichardRosenkoetter@archstl.org

Administrative Staff: Parish 4200 Ripa Ave., St. Louis, MO 63125

Diane Little—Secretary 743-8602 dianelittle@archstl.org

Alice Wilcox—Bookkeeper 743-8603 alicewilcox@archstl.org

Christina Sanders, Ph.D. Pastoral Associate

743-8604 christinasanders@archstl.org

Rose Masidonski—Music Director 743-8605 rosiemaz@hotmail.com

Loretta Gutting—Webmaster 922-6838 loretta5@swbell.net

Prayer Hotline Dolores Bollwerk @ 631-5108

Rose Duane @ 631-0202

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Tuesday after 8:00 am Mass to 9:00 pm

Bulletin Announcements Deadline is Monday at noon

BULLETIN—dianelittle@archstl.org WEB—www.stmarkstl.com

Administrative Staff: School 4220 Ripa Ave., St. Louis, MO 63125

Fax: 314-743-8690

Julie Bingham—Principal

743-8643 principal@stmarkstl.com

Mary Althage—Secretary 743-8640 malthage@stmarkstl.com

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 29, 2018

As young couples sit across my desk from me and prepare to receive the Sacrament of Marriage, I feel the conversation must turn to their ideas and hopes for a family. “How soon will you have children?”, I ask, “And how many children will you have?” Their answers vary, depending on their age, their income, or their jobs. Usually,

they say they will try for children in a few years, after they have settled into this new vocation, and usually they say they want to have two children, maybe three. Never 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10. Of course, I understand their answers and value the consideration they have given to this part of their future lives together, but I always ask them to consider that God may surprise them and ask them to have a big family with several children. This is key, I emphasize. All things in marriage, indeed in life, should be a reflection of God’s will, a reflection of prayer. If couples are deciding on family size based on things like finances or health, but without prayer, they may be cheating on God. Last week I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the promulgation of the encyclical authored by Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae (Of Human Life). In that controversial teaching the Pope proclaimed immoral and sinful any use of artificial contraception, a teaching that was met with much protest and, sadly, a teaching unknown and/or ignored by many Catholics today. Yet, this teaching, like all in the Church, is offered to Catholics as a way to prepare themselves to do God’s will. Pope Paul VI, or any authentic teacher in the Church, has nothing to gain personally by this. Rather, the Pope is fulfilling the obligation he has to be true to his calling as a Christian and to be straightforward in proclaiming the will of God, something Jesus Christ expects of all his followers. The will of God—that’s the key. In the teaching of Humanae Vitae, Paul VI upheld the long traditions of the two goods of the sacrament of marriage, the communion of life experienced by the couple, and procreation, the continuance of the human race. These two goods, wrote the Pope, cannot be separated by any artificial means, which is exactly what contraception does. That makes it wrong. Rather, Church teaching informs us, the creation and design of God must be respected. In this area, we must understand that God has designed that a man’s healthy body will always be fertile and a woman’s healthy body will at times be fertile and at other times within a month be infertile. That’s how God designed it. Artificial contraception, particularly chemical ones, interrupt that design. This is not permitted. It’s as if a person or couple says to God, “The way you made the body, O Lord, is not convenient to me, therefore I will alter your design so that I may live as I wish.” One should not do that. None of us should ever say to God, in any circumstance, that your ways do not fit in with my plans or lifestyle. To speak in such a way, to live in such a way, is sinful. We’re supposed to avoid that. Pope Paul encouraged scientists and doctors to study the body carefully and develop ways to use naturally what the body offers so that birth may be regulated. Natural Family Planning does this quite well. NFP allows a couple to learn by the study of their bodies when a woman is fertile and when she is not. This natural, rather than artificial, way of regulating birth respects the design of God and encourages both the man and woman to play a role in family planning, as well as broadening the ways they express intimately their love for each other. NFP urges both the man and woman to be involved to give. That’s different than artificial contraception, which requires one or both to hold back, to cut off, whether by use of a condom or pill or any other device. Some part of what God has put there is intentionally held back. That’s dangerous! It’s dangerous because it makes it easier to hold back in other areas. It’s dangerous because it may establish a pattern. If one or both of a couple gets used to holding back a part of their reproductive system in the bedroom, it may make it easier to hold back other parts of their lives in the rest of the house. They may hold back their honesty, their generosity, their patience, their faithfulness or their prayer. The devil, we must remember, is insidious. He will tempt us in ways we might not at first comprehend. This is one of those ways. Get sacramentally married couples to use contraception and get in the habit of holding back a part of themselves and then they’ll continue to do it and before you know—boom—they’re divorced. Pope Paul warned this may happen back in 1968 when he wrote Humanae Vitae. Time has proven him right. Let us as Catholics seek to know what our church teaches and do our best to both practice it and share it. This is God’s will. Paul VI followed that will and informed us of it when he wrote this encyclical then. Let us do our best to obey that will now. May God bless all of you. Father Hambrough

Monday 6:30 A. & L. Maloney 8:00 A. Rowe Tuesday 6:30 Server needed 8:00 J. Bono Wednesday 6:30 Server needed 8:00 H. & J. Bast

July 30—August 5

Thursday 6:30 Server needed 8:00 Server needed Friday 6:30 Server needed 8:00 Server needed

Saturday 8:00 A. Rowe 5:00 D. Davis Sunday 7:00 L. Grebing 9:00 K. Goersch, H. Lotspeich 11:00 J. Smedra, A. Bernardino

Mass Intentions July 29—August 5

Sunday 7:00 Veronica Gough 9:00 People of the Parish 11:00 Christine Zeitler Monday 6:30 Don Brahm 8:00 Donald Wolf Tuesday 6:30 Jack Hulla 8:00 Riley Richards Wednesday 6:30 Kathy Bast 8:00 Ann Degnan Thursday 6:30 Dorothy Holtzman 8:00 Loc Nguyen Friday 6:30 Arline Leise 8:00 Charles Matzig Saturday 8:00 Mary Puleo 5:00 Agnes Paskas Sunday 7:00 People of the Parish 9:00 Marilynn Austermann 11:00 Linda Meier

Ministry Schedule August 4 & 5

5:00 Lectors: R. Rosenkoetter Ministers: E. Schneider, P. O’Rourke, T. Worrell, J. Preisack, K. Goersch Hospitality: H. Bulliner, J. & L. Guillot, D. Benz 7:00 Lectors: M. Griffin Ministers: S. Chambers, C. Fleming, J. Johnson, C. Oberbeck, D. Stanger, L. Wells Hospitality: D. Tullman, , R. Leiber, M. Masidonski, L. Weber 9:00 Lectors: S. & T. Bast Ministers: K. Vaughn, W. Gemmer, K. Griebenow, D. Kopff Hospitality: E. Farrell, S. Clements, M. Fischer, C. Batye

11:00 Lectors: K. Gillman Ministers: S. Bialczak, D. Brauer, M. Diethelm, C. Coerver Hospitality: B., L. & T. Schneider, M. Holman

Volunteers Needed

Looking for parishioners who are interested in joining the St. Mark Prayer Hotline. As time has gone on we have lost many members and are in need of new volunteers. You would be one person in the chain asked to call another person in the chain to inform him/her of people who need prayers. Please contact Rose Duane at 314.631.0202 or Dolores Bollwerk at 314.631.5108 if interested in helping out. Thank you!

Please note that from Monday, August 6 until

Friday, August 10, inclusive, we will have only a 6:30 am Mass. Mass at

8:00 am will be offered on Saturday, the 11th.

Note, too, that there will not be Eucharistic Adoration on Tuesday, August 7.

Adoration will resume on August 13.

August 6 & 10—Linda Bornemann & Theresa Winecoff

August 13 & 17—Ginny Kelly & Joan Terry August 20 & 24—Mary Voirol & Jan Preisack

August 27 & 31—June Bocquillon & Susan Metherd

Thank you for your work ladies!

The Petition Writers for the month of August are Lee Ann Ward and Linda Koester. Thank you ladies!

Are you being called to share your faith with others?

There is a place where you and your gifts belong: the Ministry of Catechesis

We are looking for catechists (religion teachers) to serve in:

• RCIA

• Grade 5 PSR

Sponsors for those wanting to enter the Catholic Faith through the RCIA program are also needed. If you are interested in sharing your faith with others, please contact

Christina Sanders, Pastoral Associate at 314.743.8604 or christinasanders@archstl.org.

July 30—August 5

Monday 5:30 pm—Volleyball—Parish Center _______________________________________________ Tuesday 9 am to 9 pm—Adoration—church 6:30 pm—Bingo—Bandwagon Hall 9 am—Crafters/Prayer Shawl—Parish Office 5:30 pm—Volleyball—Parish Center ——————————————————————————- Wednesday 5:30 pm—Volleyball—Parish Center 7 pm—Christ’s Journeymen—Parish Office ——————————————————————————- Thursday 5:30 pm—Volleyball—Parish Center ——————————————————————————- Friday 5 pm—Volleyball—Parish Center ——————————————————————————- Saturday 9 am—Volleyball—Parish Center ——————————————————————————- Sunday 1 pm—Volleyball—Parish Center

July 30—August 5

Monday: Jer 13:1-11; Dt 32:18-21; Mt 13:31-35 Tuesday: Jer 14:17-22; Ps 79:8, 9, 11, 13; Mt 13:36-43 Wednesday: Jer 15:10, 16-21; Ps 59:2-4, 10-11, 17-18; Mt 13:44-46 Thursday: Jer 18:1-6; Ps 146:1b-6ab; Mt 13:47-53 Friday: Jer 26:1-9; Ps 69:5, 8-10, 14; Mt 13:54-58 Saturday: Jer 26:11-16, 24; Ps 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34; Mt 14:1-12 Sunday: Ex 16:2-4, 12-15; Ps 78:3-4, 23-25, 54; Eph 4:17, 20-24; Jn 6:24-35

Bingo is played every Tuesday at Bandwagon Hall, on Reavis Barracks and Lemay Ferry Road.

Doors open at 3:30 pm and games begin at 6:30 pm.

Team 4 will work Tuesday, July 31

Terri Narzinski

If you cannot work when scheduled or have questions, please call Loretta @ 922-6838,

or Megan Bono @ 261-3570.

Mary Miller C/T Buescher Kathy Harangozo Paul Russo Stacey Hulsey Paul Mori

Keith Panchot Kevin Bradshaw Teresa Taylor Annie Beckerle Laurie Meier Jane Johnson

Registration for 2018-2019 PSR Year is currently taking place.

Please register now, rather than later!

The PSR year begins on Monday,

September 10th at 6:30 p.m. (No registrations will be accepted on the Monday nights

PSR is in session, this includes September 10th.) Registration forms may be found in the Church vestibule or by contacting Christina Sanders (PSR coordinator) at

christinasanders@archstl.org or 314.743.8604.

For those St. Mark parishioners who were unable to have their picture taken by Lifetouch because of illness, immobility or being out of town, you are

welcome to send a snapshot of yourself/family to Diane Little via email at dianelittle@archstl.org or a physical copy. Please have these to the Parish Office by July 31.

Your smile is needed in the St. Mark Pictorial Directory!

The following groups will have their photograph taken by Jerry Adlersfluegel on Sunday, July 29th at the following times: Hospitality Ministers** ~ 12 Noon Lectors** ~ 12:10 p.m. Altar Angels ~ 12:20 p.m. Petition Writers** ~ 12:30 p.m. Eucharistic Ministers** ~ 12:40 p.m. Money Counters ~ 12:50 p.m. Prayer Hotline ~ 1:00 p.m. School Board ~ 1:10 p.m. Ladies Guild ~ 1:20 p.m. BINGO Workers ~ 1:30 p.m. Please meet in the School Cafeteria 5 minutes before your designated time.

**Those group members who had their photo taken on Sunday, July 16th need not come on

Sunday, July 29th.

This is an invitation for 5 or 6 women of the parish who would be interested in getting our cafeteria kitchen in tip-top shape on Thursday, August 9 beginning at 9:00 am for the start of the school year. The floors have been stripped and waxed and closets have been

cleaned out. We are now looking for people to wipe down the cabinets, wash dishes and label areas so that everything has a “home”. We would like the kitchen to be in order for the start of school and our Fall Festival. All cleaning supplies will be provided. Please let Diane Little (743-8602) know if you are interested in helping out. Thank you!

September 21st and 22nd will be our fall

festival this year. We are finally all together in one spot and we look forward

to an exciting event!

The Fall Festival Committee is still looking for a few more good people:

Booth sponsor chairperson (Round up sponsors and put up signs during festival)

Silent Auction chairperson or persons (Need someone to shadow this year and take over next year)

Clean up crew chairperson (Someone to coordinate cleanup crew throughout the day

and at the end of the night)

As always we look for new faces to join our group. If you would like to join us or have ideas please contact the names below. We need the support

of all parishioners and/or school families to make this successful.

Kountry Kitchen Booth—Looking for baked goods to be donated the week of the festival.

More details to follow. ~~~~~~

Let’s have a garden party! Please contact Anita Stephens @ 314.413.7742 if you have any plants,

baskets, containers, or other gardening items for the Plant Booth. Your donations are greatly appreciated!

~~~~~~ Silent Auction Donations—Donations of new items only; tickets to sporting events, the Muny, the Fox, vacation rentals, electronics, etc. Donations can be

dropped off in specified boxes at church. Call Mimi @ 314.359.1588 for questions or pick up.

~~~~~~ Party Time! If you have unopened Wine,

Whiskey, Mixers, Beer, or alcohol related items left over from your graduation or summer parties,

the Fall Festival Wine & Spirits Booth would love to have it! Please contact Jo Nell Russo via call or text @

314.630.1853 for questions or pick up.

Paul Russo (314) 630-2250 JoNell Russo (314) 630-1853 Kelly Goersch (314) 504-5397

Jean Bolton John Bowlin Barb Fischer

July 22, 2018

Envelopes $ 8,372.00 Online Giving 1,133.00 Loose 565.00 School Support 470.00 Total $ 10,540.00 —Avg. Weekly Expenses 15,000.00 Final Total $ 4,460.00

Thank you for your generosity!

50+ Club

Monday, August 6—Board meeting at 1:30 pm in the Parish Office.

Monday, August 13—Membership meeting at 7:00 pm in the school cafeteria. We will have Election of Officers for the coming year, 2019. Entertainment will be Larry Benoist; he plays music for all ages. We will also have signups for the Communion Breakfast which will be Sunday, October 7 after the 9:00 am Mass. It will be catered by Genesis and will be held at Genesis banquet hall. Cost is $14.

Men's White House Retreat

All men of the parish are invited to join us on our annual retreat at White House. This will be a silent, guided retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. It’s a peaceful break from the chaos and confusion of everyday life. It’s like a 3-day vacation with Christ on their beautiful 80-acre campus high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. All meals and private lodging are provided. Our retreat begins the evening of Thursday, August 23, 2018 and concludes Sunday afternoon, August 26, 2018. There is no set fee to attend a retreat at White House! White House operates on a free will offering basis, asking those in attendance to simply give what they feel they can at the conclusion of the retreat. To register call Patrick Lampe at 314-638-4452 or visit www.whretreat.org to find additional dates.

Do you have a copy of the book The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic? Can you pass it along to others who have not read the book? If your answer to these two questions is "yes," please consider donating your book to St. Mark Parish, so, that they may be distributed to other parishioners. Place your book in the bin in the cry room.

For more information about the book study contact Christina Sanders at 314.743.8604 or

christinasanders@archstl.org.

In The Gospel, Jesus supersedes both the apostles’ and the crowds’ expectations: with little he feeds many….Jesus is the sign of God’s lavish presence and love. Your donation to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

is indeed a sign of God’s extravagant love to the lonely and the poor. This month, through your gifts, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was able to assist families with providing food and assistance with utilities, rent and other bills. God bless you!

Save the Date!

Sunday, September 9th

St. Mark Church and School is hosting a blood drive with

the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center after Masses from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm.

To be eligible to donate at that time, one cannot donate between now and then. Please hold off on

donating the rest of the summer so you can participate in our Parish drive!

Contact coordinator Chrissy Ortman to schedule an appointment. Text or call: 314-650-9363 or email:

chrissyort@sbcglobal.net.

All presenting donors will receive a t-shirt.

Did you know, one blood donation can save 3 lives?

National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows—When Mental Illness Hits Home, Friday, August 24 from 9:00 am—4:00 pm. This unique conference is for friends and family members who journey with people with mental illness and for professionals in the mental health field. Cost is $40. For more information call 618-394-6270 or visit snows.org/help.

Annual Silver and Golden Wedding Jubilee Mass

Couples celebrating their 25th, 50th or 50+ wedding

anniversary during 2018 are invited to this annual Mass to be held

Sunday, September 16th, 2:30 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica (4431 Lindell Blvd)

Archbishop Robert Carlson will be the celebrant.

Family members and friends are invited to join the couples at this special celebration. Couples registered

by August 24th, will have their names and wedding date printed in the program and receive a

certificate of congratulations.

You may register online by visiting archstl.org/jubileemass.

Questions: Office of Laity & Family Life, 314.792.7170.

Dynamic Catholic, Alive!-Fed by God—The readings today drive the point home to us that God provides for all our needs. One of the most widespread problems we embrace in our culture is an excessive degree of self-reliance. There is nothing wrong with preparation and hard work, but there is also nothing wrong with asking for God to provide for us in our need. We pray that God would give us our daily bread every time we go to Mass. Jesus reminds us in the Gospel passage that He will provide for us abundantly when we ask Him. He knows the exact manner in which we need nourishment, both bodily and spiritual. This principle of trusting in God’s providence is central to our labors of evangelization, which are ultimately in the hand of God. We can certainly plant seeds and accompany others in the path of discipleship, but we cannot make someone convert to Catholicism or become a saint by our own personal effort. This week, consider how you are in need and ask for God’s help to sustain you. “May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you” (Ps 33:22). ~archstl.org/dynamic

Widow / Widower’s Support Group—These meetings are held at St. Simon the Apostle Church in the Lower Church Hall in the 'Mary Room'. Our next scheduled

meeting will be taking place on Sunday, August 19. Time is from 1:30—3:00 pm. Any questions, please contact

Linda Jackson @ 314-544-5623 or RJJANDLSJ@aol.com.

RCIA—Journey in Faith

Have you been thinking about joining the Catholic Church?

Have you been Baptized but have not received First Holy Communion

or been Confirmed?

If you answer “yes” to either of these questions, contact Christina Sanders, St. Mark Pastoral Assistant: 314.743.8604 or christinasanders@archstl.org for more information about the RCIA Inquiry classes which will begin in early October.

Spiritual Warfare and the Family Today—Topics include “The Family & Spiritual Warfare” and “The Impact of Violent Video Games”. Held at Ascension Parish, 230 Santa Maria Dr., Chesterfield, MO 63005 on Saturday, August 4 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Cost is $10 which includes lunch. Presenter is Adam Blai. Visit archstl.org/spiritualwarfare for registration.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter This weekend enriches your good marriage by strengthening communication. It is a great way to rediscover what a great thing you have going for you in your marriage. The next weekends are August 3-5 or September 21-23 in St. Peters, MO. If you would like to apply or get more information, go to www.stl-wwme or call 314-649-7317.