St. Mary ’ s Immaculate Conception Parish

MARCH 18, 2018 Fifth Sunday of Lent

7176 Esker Road, Custer, WI 54423 Phone: 715-592-4330 Website: www.stmaryscuster.com

Mass Intentions Sunday, March 18, 9:35 a.m. Stations of The Cross

10:00 a.m. St. Mary’s & Sacred Heart’s

Parish Families

Tuesday, March 20, @ Sacred Heart

8:15 a.m +Katherine Helmuth

by Mark & Leona Prondzinski

Wednesday, March 21, 8:15 a.m. +Janet & Gusty Peplinski

by Ken, Denise, Katie & Kyle Glodowski

Thursday, March 22, @ Sacred Heart

7-8 a.m. Adoration 7:30-8 a.m. Confession

8:15 a.m +Clarence & Emily Burant by Linda Gifford

Friday, March 23

8 a.m. Adoration 7:30-8 a.m. Confession

8:15 a.m. +Rhody Studinski

by Dave & Lorraine Glodowski

Saturday, March 24, @ Sacred Heart

8:15 a.m. +Bernard Lepak by family 2:30 p.m. Confession 3:30 p.m. Rosary

4:00 p.m. +Chet & Florence Wojtalewicz by family

Sunday, March 25, Palm Sunday 8:00 a.m. @ Sacred Heart

Parishioners of Sacred Heart & St. Mary's

9:35 a.m. Stations of The Cross

10:00 a.m. +Don Johnson by Judi & family

Pastor—(715) 592-4221

Father Gregory Michaud sacredheartoffice@yahoo.com

In case of emergency please call 906-282-2049

Fr. Michaud’s OFFICE HOURS

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. —3:30 p.m.

Senior Priest in Residence Fr. Roy Witucki

Secretary-Donna Wierzba

stmary@wi-net.com

Bookkeeper-Diane Wysocki

stmaryicfinance@gmail.com

CCD Coordinator-Jessica Bielen

jwier319@gmail.com

Custodian-Jeanne Hintz

Maintenance/Grounds keeping-Kenny Rozek

************************************

MARRIAGE PREPARATION If you plan to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage

you must begin your preparation with Father at least

6 months prior to your wedding date.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

ADORATION

Friday morning: 7:00-8:00 a.m. @ St. Mary’s

First Friday: Following the 8:15 a.m. Mass

until 3:00 p.m. @ St. Mary’s I.C.

CLERGY

PARISH STAFF

Parish Mission Statement St Mary’s Parish is a practicing Catholic Community providing spiritual,

social and educational opportunities for all God’s people that we may deepen our love of God and one another through prayer and deed.

Area Wide Confession Schedule:

3/20 St. Mary-Fancher 6:00 pm

3/22 Holy Spirit 6:00 pm

Please remember in your prayers:

Fred Rzentkowski, Tom Kujawski, Ruthie Pliska, Bette Maslowski, Sam Molski, Marge Megal,

Tom Schmenk, Mary Zurawski, Jeff Pliska, Julia Chodzinski, Gladys Lepak, Trish Mrozek,

Margaret Elsenrath, Shirley Brozik, Karen Poffinbarger, Jean Marchel, Al & Brigid Pellatt

Weekly Financial Support MARCH 11, 2018

Total: $ 1271.00 Envelopes $ 1025.00

Offertory $ 166.00 Building Fund $ 60 .00 Steubenville $ 20.00

During the Lent/Easter

Season Father Michaud

would like to visit members who are

homebound or would like a visit. Please notify Father Michaud or the parish

office 715-592-4330 of your desire for

prayers, Holy Communion, anointing of

the sick and other needs. Because of

federal privacy laws, notification must

come from you or a close family member.

TARGET: $16,820.00 Thank you to all who have turned in

their cards. We are at 60% for cards

returned. Please turn in your annual

appeal pledge card this week! Drop it

in the collection or mail it in. Extra

cards in entrance of the Church.

St. Mary’s I.C. is online!

Stay up to date with upcoming

events, Mass changes, and read

the weekly bulletin.

Check us out

www.stmaryscuster.com

WHAT I AM NOT Dear Family,

When I was a deacon I had the opportunity to preach on John

1:29-34. In that passage John is questioned as to whether he is the Christ

or not, i.e., God. John’s answer is put this way... “He confessed, he did

not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ". (Jn 1:20)

It’s kind of odd how it is written. John confessed what he was

not. Usually, when we confess, we accuse ourselves of what we have

done, what we are. This is rather odd that John would confess what he

was not. Yet, there is a good reason for this. John almost perfectly did the

will of God. He was almost certainly without sin during his ministry of

“being the voice of one crying out in the desert" (Jn 1:23), so important

was it that that ministry be done with perfection. After all, he is

announcing the coming of the Messiah.

Every time we sin, we take the place of God in our minds and our

hearts. Our personal sin today is no different than that first sin of our

parents, Adam and Eve. They usurped to themselves that which was only

God’s prerogative. It was for him alone to know and determine good and

evil. When we confess our sins, we confess that we have “played God”.

When John confesses, he likely couldn’t confess “playing God”,

therefore, the only confession he could make was to confess that he

WASN’T God.

During Lent, we are to examine our consciences closely and look

at those ways in which we have claimed to be God in our hearts and

minds. And that is a very important thing for us to do. But, let us not

focus only on that.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, gave to the

Church a great spirituality. In it, he gave us what is called the Examen, or

Examination of Consciousness. It’s different that purely an examination

of conscience and is something that he says we should do at the end of

each day.

We should look at our sins, to be sure. In doing it daily, we will

see patterns in our sinfulness, we will know ourselves better, and we will

make a much more thorough confession when we go. We will, quite

honestly, feel better when we go.

That being said, we should not look only at the times we said in

our hearts and minds we “were God” for ourselves, we should also

confess, as John did, where we did cooperate with God and let Him be

Him in our lives. We should “confess” (not in the confessional but during

our examen) those times when we honestly could confess with John the

Baptist, “I am not the Christ”.

As you go through the rest of this Lent, be sure to look at your sins

and give them God in the confessional. But!!!, be sure to see the

goodness in yourself as well. It’s there in all of us. If we can see goodness

in ourselves, we’ll certainly see it in others.

God knows He sees the goodness in you!!! Have a great rest of

your Lent! God bless and Mary keep you,

Fr. Michaud

Coordinator of Religious Education -

Jessica Bielen jwier319@gmail.com

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

CLASSES Today 8:30-9:45 a.m.

STUDENTS LENTEN PROJECT: On Sunday, Feb 11th our students attended a Lenten Prayer Retreat, one of the project was “Take what you need. Give what you Can” Our words can be very powerful and we must be careful with how we use them. Our goal is to use our words in a positive way to spread healing and positivity throughout our parish. Please TAKE WHAT YOU NEED…..Take a note that speaks to you from our door. If you would like: GIVE WHAT YOU CAN…...Write a note to add to our door to brighten someone’s day!

St. Mary’s I.C. Parish

CARD PARTIES

@ 1 p.m. 2 more to go!! Date Leaders

March 18th Youth

March 25th Altar Society

YOUTH CARD PARTY

TODAY, ALL PARISH

MEMBERS are asked to HELP. Members are

asked to donate raffle prizes and/or a

monetary donation. The students will be

working at the card party and baking the

cupcakes. Come enjoy the afternoon with the

youth of our parish! **All money raised from

this Card Party will go towards our Religious

Education Program. The students thank you!

BUY YOUR TICKETS THIS

WEEKEND Drawing

Sunday, March 25th at

the Card Party

2nd BUCKET RAFFLE $1.00 each or

6 for $5.00 Purchase tickets after Mass for

a chance to WIN gift cards from: Peoples Meat

Market, Menards, and more……Need not be

present to Win. Thank you for your support.

CAN A WEEK, Next Sunday is the last

day to donate a can of nonperishable food

to help those that need an extra hand this

Spring. Needed are non-perishable food,

diapers, household supplies, laundry detergent and

monetary donations, SCRIP also welcome. Please

deposit items in cart at main entrance of church. We

plan on delivering on Monday, March 26th.

Thanks to Group 7 members who donated cupcakes,

money & prizes for the card party last Sunday.

Bernard & Marlene Schulist, Gladys Pampuch, Nick

Pliska, Kaden Stanczyk, Henry Gagas, Travis, Gina

& Lila Kempf, LeRoy & Pat Wierzba thanks for

working. Thanks to Bonnie Kosobucki, Elizabeth &

McKenzie Yarbrough for selling tickets after Mass.

Profit $627.00

EASTER FLOWERS: Donations envelopes

can be found in the pews. Please include your

name and the name of the person you wish to

donate in memory of.

BUY SCRIP Today, March 18th in the Church entrance.

Thank you to everyone who purchases SCRIP

Each year at the Steubenville Youth Conferences thousands of high school teens experience an unforgettable weekend. You will experience Jesus is a powerful way through motivational talks, Adoration, confession, Mass and more. This is event is open to all current eighth graders to graduating seniors. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required with registration. Registration deadline is May 15th, see Jessica or Donna to register.

MARCH BIRTHDAY’S Wishing you Birthday Blessings!

19th-Gladys Pampuch & Jenny Yenter 20th-Cheryl Gagas

22nd-Marlene Bronk 24th-Larry Zwicki & Louise Betro

27th-Kenny Rozek

Restorat ion of the Stat ions of the

Cross Our stations were in need of some repair

and paint. Thank you to the following families who

“Adopted a Station” Al Gavin Family; Ken,

Denise, Katie & Kyle Glodowski; Lenny & Ruthie

Pliska; Elsie Mansavage; In memory or John &

Mona Platta; Shirley Pliska; Russell & Diane

Wysocki in memory of Gusty & Janet Peplinski;

LeRoy & Pat Wierzba; Chet & Rita Raschka; Joe

& Karen Raschka; In memory of John & Lorraine

Mocadlo; Jerome & Gladys Lepak in memory of

Clara & Albert Gliniecki and Virginia & Barney

Lepak; Cheryl & Butch Gagas; In memory of

Henry & Cecilia Lemke. Thank you for your

generosity.

Liturgical Appointments SUNDAY, March 18 LECTOR Brianna USHERS Carson, Sara,Randy SERVERS Madison, Cassie, Zach, Kaden EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS Elsie MONEY COUNTERS Elsie, Judi, Denise Musicians Carolyn & Jacquie SUNDAY, March 25 LECTOR Kate & Tom USHERS Pat & Gladys SERVERS Lenny, Roman, Nick EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS Dave MONEY COUNTERS David, Rosemarie, Mike Musicians Mary & Cheryl HOLY THURSDAY, MARCH 29 Lector Kirk USHERS; Mike & Nick Servers Lenny, Roman, Nick, David, LeRoy Eucharistic Ministers: Pat, Marie

Women on a Mission—Mission is to provide an environment of

learning, giving and loving to enhance the fellowship and growth of

the women’s faith community of St. Mary’s Custer.

Check out the 2 quilts, colored by Women on a Mission and quilts

made by Bernie Fritschler, at the church entrance. They will be given

to First Choice. Special Thanks to Bernie!!

Next month, April 2, we will have a Master Gardener provide tips and

tricks to getting the most out of our garden. Yes, we will be getting

dirty! All Ladies of the parish are welcome!

PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS—

Fr. Michaud, Gina Kempf-chairperson,

Elizabeth Yarbrough-secretary, Russell

Wysocki, Chet Raschka, Joe Raschka and

Bob Armatoski.

Pastoral Council Elections will take

place on April 22nd. Nominations are

open to St. Mary’s I.C. parishioners 18

years and older and will close on Monday,

April 16th. Please consider nominating

yourself and a fellow parishioner.

God Bless and Thank you to Bob

Armatoski, Chet Raschka, and Joe

Raschka for sharing their time and talents

with the Council. They are all up for

re-nomination.

You want to get more involved at

St. Mary’s I.C., but don’t know what to do?

Here’s your chance: We are looking for

parishioners to become Eucharist Ministers.

Please contact Donna for more information

about becoming a Eucharist Minister.

715-592-4330.

Adventure Camp Who: Students who are currently in grades

6-12. When: Week 1 - June 17-22, Week 2 - June 24-29, Week 3 -

July 8-13, Where: Crosswoods Camp, Drummond, WI Rte 2, Box

295 | 15010 Black Bear Rd Mason, WI The six day Adventure

Camps are packed full of excitement and life lessons. From the minute

groups arrive, they are challenged and encouraged to participate in

activities that stretch them both physically and spiritually. Those who

participate in CrossWoods’ adventure activities find that in taking the

risk to do new and challenging activities, they become more willing to

take the risk to follow our Lord more fully. Rock climbing and

rappelling, “survivor hikes”, whitewater canoeing, ropes course, and a

whole host of other activities are incorporated into each one week

experience. They are intended to give students a feel for life in the

wilderness and life on the edge. For more information http://

diolc.org/yya/youth-opportunities/ adventure-camp/ . There are

spaces open in each of the three weeks. If interested contact Jessica.