ST. THOMAS AQUINAS PARISH

MASS SCHEDULE

April 29 Fifth Sunday of Easter

Saturday, April 28: 4:00 PM St. John the Baptist 5:30 PM † Leona Meerstein 5:30 PM † Greg Anhalt and Cindy Koenig Sunday, April 29: 8:00 AM † Joan Mueller 8:00 AM Helen Kautzer 9:30 AM St. John the Baptist Monday, April 30: 8:00 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist Tuesday, May 1: 8:00 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist Wednesday, May 2: 8:00 AM † Deceased Members of the Beck Family 8:30-9:30 AM Adoration

Thursday, May 3: 8:00 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist Friday, May 4: 8:00 AM † Don Diedrich Saturday, May 5 ~ First Communion Mass: 4:00 PM St. John the Baptist 5:00 PM Rosary for Life 5:30 PM For the People of STA and SJB Sunday, May 6: 7:30 AM Rosary for Life 8:00 AM † Arthur Stahl 8:00 AM † Mary Jane Popelka 9:30 AM St. John the Baptist

Liturgical Ministers Schedule Saturday, 5:30pm April 28 Vigil: Fifth Sunday of Easter Lector: Lynn Kulow

Ministers: Gerry Kulow, Don & Lynn Meerstein, Judith Menne, Ron Nielsen, Kitty Pfeifer

Sunday, 8:00am April 29 Fifth Sunday of Easter Lector: Matt O’Connor Ministers: Dennis & JoAnn Streblow, Richard Vogel, Kathy Kist, Dori Schmitz, Ron Nielsen

Saturday, 5:30pm May 5 Vigil: Sixth Sunday of Easter Lector: Kevin White

Ministers: LuAnn & Philip Schils, Pat Schmidbauer, Katherine Suemnicht, Ann Buechel-Haack, Rhoda Dales

Sunday, 8:00am May 6 Sixth Sunday of Easter Lector: Suzette Burkart Ministers: Lori & Matt O’Connor, Red Platz, Dori Schmitz, Clarice Schneider, Diane Slabe

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER 1st Reading…Acts of the Apostles 9:26-31

2nd Reading…1 John 3:18-24

Gospel…John 15:1-8

Monday…John 14:21-26

Tuesday...Matthew 13:54-58

Wednesday...John 15:1-8

Thursday...John 14:6-14

Friday...John 15:12-17

Saturday…John 15:18-21

SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER 1st Reading…Acts of the Apostles 10:25-26,34-35,44-48

2nd Reading…1 John 4:7-10

Gospel…John 15:9-17

April 21 & 22 ~ Thank you!

Stewardship Envelopes $2,612.00

Loose Offering $462.00

Building Mnt. Envelopes $461.00

This 5th Sunday Collection is shared between

Catholic Charities & Zeru Zeru

Catholic Charities is here to help parishes, parishioners, and parish

volunteers. They offer help with: • Crisis Situations • Unemployment • Connection with pregnancy services • Counseling for families, couples and individuals • Help with homebound • Questions on immigration

Zeru Zeru

ZeruZeru, Inc. is a non-profit organization created by Eric & Karene Boos of Elkhart Lake for the purpose of

securing the human rights of poor and vulnerable Tanzanian children suffering from albinism.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Baptism Through the waters of Baptism we

welcome Adrijana into God’s grace, and our STA Parish Family. She will be

baptized on Saturday, April 28th. Adrijana Hirka Farizi is the daugther of

Arif Farizi & Sarah Schwarten Congratulations and God’s choicest

blessings to the parents and their newly baptized baby.

ON A SEARCH… For at least fifteen members so we can update our pictorial...That’s right, if you are a new parishioner, have a new addition, didn’t like your last picture, or simply missed the last time. Here is your chance!!!

Just call the parish office (876.2457) to be added to the list. When we reach 15, Lifetouch will come back to take pictures and distribute updated pictorial's to them and EVERYONE else that was included in the last book. LETS DO THIS!!

Father’s Coffee Klatch -- May 2nd, 10-11:30 - In the Chapel

Fifth SUNDAY of Easter ~ APRIL 29, 2018 Dear Parishioners:

What a difference a week makes, huh? I’m walking outside today (Monday) without a jacket. Robins are chirping again; people are strolling; drivers have their windows rolled down. In addition to the signs of Nature that Spring is really here, we also have those other annual Church-related events that serve as signatures of Spring: First Communion celebrations, the Feast of Pentecost, May crowning ceremonies.

Speaking of “May crownings,” I was pacing the hallway earlier today, wondering what topic I might address in this week’s bulletin article. I found myself in SJB’s recently designated Communication Coordinator, Katie Kleiber’s office. Figuring this was her bailiwick, I asked her, “What should I write about?” Quick as a flash, she said: “May Crowning.” Me: “What’s to write about?” Katie: “That it will happen with the First Communicants after Mass on Tuesday, May 1st.” Me: “Well, that’s all of one line. . . .” Then the light flashed, the sirens went off! The new Marian feast: Mary, Mother of the Church.

In a decree released on March 3rd, Pope Francis directed that Latin-rite Catholics around the world will henceforth mark the memorial of “the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church” each year on the Monday after Pentecost. Honoring her in this way highlights for believers that Mary was present with the disciples on Pentecost, praying with them as the Holy Spirit de-scended upon them. [Acts of the Apostles 1:13-14; 2:1-4]

In one sense, Mary has been honored as a mother-figure for the Church – the people of God – since the day of her Son’s crucifixion, when, according to scripture [John 19:27-28] from the cross “Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’” But this identity didn’t gain a formal articulation until November 21, 1964, when Blessed Pope Paul VI invoked the terminology in his allocution (address) at the Closing of the Third Session of the Second Vatican Council and promulgating Lumen Gentium, the Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. (Lumen Gentium has a well-developed section on the role of Mary in salvation history and her place in the life of the Church [Chapter 8, “Our Lady”], but it never explicitly invokes the title of “Mary, Mother of the Church.”)

Pope Paul confirmed the designation of Mary as “Mother of the Church” four years later, when he issued the Apostolic Let-ter, “Credo of the People of God: Solemn Profession of Faith” on June 30, 1968. (There is some rather intriguing speculation about why he chose to proclaim this “Credo” [translation: “I believe”] when and how he did. If you’re interested, just “google” “Credo of the People of God.”)

So, the Church has another Marian Feast Day. It isn’t a new Holyday of Obligation. This Feast won’t have a fixed date in the Church’s liturgical calendar, but since it will always be celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost, it will never “trump” a Sunday celebration (like is happening this year on June 24th, when the universal Church will celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint. John the Baptist instead of the twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time). But there will eventually be special Mass prayers for this memorial to help us appreciate even more deeply the importance of the Blessed Virgin in the faith life of the Church.

Father Phil

Camo Quilt Project Brat Fry...Friday, May 4th and Saturday, May 5th at 11 Moraine Drive, Elkhart Lake from 9am to 4pm. Proceeds go to purchase materials to make quilts for our veterans in assisted living and nursing home facilities and troops serving overseas. American Legion Auxiliary Annual Chicken Dinner & Brat Fry...Sunday, May 6th at the Greenbush Legion Hall, from 10am to 3pm. Please bring your aluminum cans. Proceeds will be used to assist the Children’s Burn Camp. Hosted by Haslee-Doebert-Schmidt Auxiliary Post #261 Greenbush.

A fun day was had by all on Sunday, April 22nd, as our 2nd Graders attended our 1st Holy Communion Retreat to prepare for their upcoming special day. The children along with their families, started with 8am Mass, then

went to class learning more about the meaning of our Mass and it’s traditions, painting keepsake

chalices, and enjoying a delicious breakfast. Look for the chalices on display near the altar at our First Holy Communion Mass, which is

Saturday, May 5th at the 5:30pm Mass. May God richly bless them on their special day!

Please keep them in your prayers!