I love the new SJA bulletin but one of my concerns is that the
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Presider: Fr. Jim DeBruycker Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family with a special candlelight ritual remembering all children, victims of war. The SJA Children's choir under the direction of Seth Boyd and guest singer, Leah Kremer will add their beautiful voices to our worship. Our readers are Charlie Bulger and Emily Pechacek. Thank you all. There is no Family Mass today or next Sunday, Jan. 4. Family Masses will resume on Sunday, Jan. 11. The Sunday Morning Registration and Information Office is located in the Parish Center. In the office you may register to become a SJA parishioner; get program information; sign up for a program; and register to volunteer. The office is open after both of our Sunday morning liturgies. I love the new SJA bulletin but one of my concerns is that the deadline for the Pastor’s 2 Cents is Monday, which really means I write it on Friday almost a week and a half before you read it. Twice in my life I have had to write extensive prophecies for a cornerstone time capsule - how did Carter’s second term go and how did President Kerry do in the White House? Oh well, if Jesus came a second time over Christmas I guess it’s just water over the dam at this point. Luckily, it’s not as if President Obama is going to do something drastic like normalizing relations with Cuba. In other words I hope and am sure you had the best Christmas possible under the circumstances, all things considered. This Sunday we have two feast days coinciding on the same day – the Feast of the Holy Family and the Martyrdom of the Holy Innocents. To me, the Christmas season has two narratives going: First, it remembers God came into the world out of care for us. Second, He came not with the power of military might but in the guise of helplessness which, in turn, needs nurturing and protection. It is the building of a new kingdom, but not one built on the aggrandizement of power but on the empowering of the weak to reach their full potential to do good and be good. The story of this kingdom’s new birth is told with remarkable accuracy, maybe not so much with historical as with political reality. From the very beginning there was someone who wanted to end it, but it has been surviving, sometimes by the skin of its teeth, and growing. This year for the first time since WWII there are more than 50 million refugees dispersed throughout the world. Once again the weakest are fleeing the powerful as they destroy each other and the homes and lives of their citizens. We have to ask for what reason and what is our culpability in this tragedy. Sadly, as a religious person, I have to realize many of these people are suffering because of who or how they call God - God the all-powerful, the all mighty, all merciful, all loving. For those who fight over the name of the God of Abraham they must not have read his concerns. The God of Abraham is concerned not with rituals or proper etiquette or prophets but with every baby in a manger. If God needs to protect God’s name God is the only one in a position to do so. FFI check the bulletin, the SJA website or call the Parish Center. The Upper Room is located in the Parish Center; Hospitality Hall is in the Church basement. Tuesday and Thursday morning 8 am Mass is celebrated in the Church Tuesday, December 30 Mass, 8 am in the Church Thursday, January 1 New Year’s Mass, 10 am in the Church The Parish Center Offices are closed Friday, January 2 The Parish Center Offices are closed Sunday, January 4: Presider: Fr. Cassidy. Epiphany! The award winning Lincoln High School Choir, from Thief River Falls, will provide special music. 9 and 11 am Gym Masses: Sunday, January 11: Presider: Fr. DeBruycker. Pre-Mass Speaker: Baptism of the Lord. Ian Stade, parishioner will share a letter to his daughter and a challenge to our community in celebration of her baptism. Sunday, January 18: Presider: Fr. Cassidy. Pre-Mass: We will hear the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders for civil and human rights. T Mychael Rambo joins the SJA Choir. Sunday, January 25: Presider: Fr. DeBruycker. Pre-Mass Speaker: Dr. Ed Ehlinger, MN Commissioner of Health. Parking: Be considerate of our neighbors and their property. Please don’t block driveways or park in their on-street handicapped areas. Thank you! Sun, Dec. 28: Sirach 3:2-6,12-14; Col 3:12-21; Luke 2:22-40 Mon, Dec. 29: 1 John 2:3-11; Luke 2:22-35 Tue, Dec. 30: 1 John 2:12-17; Luke 2:36-40 Wed, Dec. 31: 1 John 2:18-21; John 1:1-18 Thu, Jan. 1: Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 Fri, Jan. 2: 1 John 2:22-28; John 1:19-28 Sat, Jan. 3: 1 John 2:20-3:6; John 1:29-34 Sun, Jan. 4: Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 Sunday, February 8: Presider: Fr. DeBruycker. Pre-Mass Speakers: Parishioners – Charlotte Kinzley, John Song and Damien Poling - whose work with those on the margins in our community is discipleship in action. Attention 5 pm Mass Eucharistic Ministers/Sacristans: The 2015 Calendar is ready for sign-up in the Church Sacristy. SignUpGenius for Eucharistic Ministers is available on line. It's simple, user friendly and a reminder is sent 3 days before your scheduled volunteer day. FFI contact Marcia at mkurtz@stjoan.com. Gluten-free Communion is available upon request. Please see any of the Sunday sacristans in the Gym before Mass. For Family Mass please see Gabrielle. Bud B., Dennis Barta, Jean Besch-Patsch, Phyllis Berninger, Charlie Bloss, Betty Bonnert, Sara Brock, Don Burke, Maureen Carlson, Dorothy Casserly, Dayna Cell, Miles Chambers, Denise, John D., Megan Daoust, Kris & Larry Dease, Dale Dolata, Lois Doyle, Maire Doyle, John & Margaret Frees, Jim Gorman, Bryen Granlund, Tom Griep, Tom H., Pat Haliday, Betty Hinker, Jim & Pat Hinton, Megan Hoffman, Mary Hoody, Jody Hughes, Dan Jay, Tom Jay, Tex Jones, Paul Jonsson, Stacy Kenyon, Cole Kitchel, Lynne, Kirk L, John Lasota, Gary Lindstrom, Liz Loney, Chantilly Lynch, Rose McGonagle, Katherine & Lauren McManus, Kayla McMullan, Jackie Mead, Chuck Meiers, Shell Meehl, Kelley Meyer, Mike M., Sharon Miller, Dorothy Mongoven, Jason Monroe, Pamela Morgan, Gene Muelken, Greg Murphy, Pat Murphy, Nick, Charlie Nelson, Craig Norby, David Novitske, Heidi Nyberg, Olivia, Doris Oakes, Sr. Dolores Oaks, Matt Olk, Stacey Olk, Bill P., Rick Pattison, Joan Penrose, John Pirola, Liz Pojar, Nikki Poynter, Tom Privette, Catherine Pususta, Herb Ranweiler, Helen Russett, Susan Roufs, Herb Rorke, Sheila Rossebo, Pat Sable, Conrad Sampair, Marianne Seekamp, Sam Slagerman, Emily Slotness, Philip Sosin, John Spalding, Julian Sprunck, Sandy Stroud, Irene Taddiken, Helen Tierney, Matthew Tenant, Mary Eve Thomas, Echo Thoren, Madison Travers, Carin Vagle, Sandy VanWyk, Mimi Villaume, Patricia Vorst, Ben Weston, Darlene Wheeler, Carol Whitlow, Dan Williams, Jim and Jerry Wohnoutka, Jane Young, Kathleen Ziegler, Ava & Annemaire Zubrzycki A Book of Prayer is located in our Gym vestibule. If you have a family member or friend who is ill, or who has recently died, please write their names in our Book of Prayer before Mass so we may include them in prayers during our Sunday Masses. Prayer Corner Requests: To keep prayer requests current, names will be included in the bulletin for four weeks and then removed. To renew your request, please call Nancy Becker at 612.823.8205 ext. 223. Choir will rehearse for the annual MLK concert (Jan. 18) on Thursday, Jan. 8 and 15 at 7 pm in the Church. We welcome singers who might like to join this choir for the special concert. Two rehearsals required. See Anna Vagle. New Year’s Mass: Come ring in the New Year with prayer and song as our community gathers in the Church on January 1 at 10 am for a special New Year's Mass. Thief River Falls High School Choir: On Sunday, Jan. 4 the award winning Thief River Falls High School Choir, under the direction of Darcy Reese, will fill our 9 and 11 am Gym Masses with song in honor of the Epiphany! Concert Series: Come celebrate the MLK Holiday with our annual MLK concert, Sunday, January 18 at 7 pm, Marching to a Better World. Dan Chouinard hosts some of your favorite singers on the 50th anniversary of the Selma marches of 1965. A rockin' combo and the SJA choir will help hold it all together. Tickets for the whole family on sale today after the Gym Masses or at www.stjoan.com. Get Connected! To take advantage of new social media options, log on to Facebook and “Like” our page at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Community. You can also follow us on Twitter at @sjampls. Cabaret 2014 raised $108,000 for the ministries of St. Joan of Arc. Thank you to the pastors, Cabaret Committee, Anna Vagle, Dan Chouinard, George Maurer, Tommy Barbarella, all of the musicians, volunteers, staff, and Cabaret attendees. You made our 20th Cabaret a huge success. We are grateful and honored to have worked with all of you. Christopher Hermann and Jean Hartman (Co-Chairs). Save the Date! Valentine's Day Breakfast: On Saturday, Feb. 14, 8 - 11 am, Mobile Loaves and Fishes food outreach ministry (and SJA Sustaining Partner) invites you to a pancake breakfast and silent auction here at SJA in Hospitality Hall. To volunteer, donate items or RSVP for the event, email MLF.mpls@gmail.com. Summary of contributions for the week and fiscal year. Includes plate, envelopes and estimated Sustaining Member payments. Dec. 15 - Dec. 21: Actual $52,321 Budget $56,615 Prior Year Actual $60,228 YTD (July 1 - Dec. 21): Actual $826,344 Budget $839,700 Prior Year Actual $834,976 SJA Outreach Fund: The SJA Outreach Fund is a restricted, designated fund and every dollar goes out in the following ways:  SJA CARE Fund: Providing emergency financial assistance for housing and utilities to parishioners and neighbors in need.  Justice Grants: We just awarded $33,000 to 9 organizations in which our parishioners are involved as volunteers and leaders. Check the website for the list!  Sustaining Partnerships: We provide support to four organizations with which we share a special relationship (Sister Parish, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Arm in Arm in Africa and Women Against Military Madness). Wedding Policies at St. Joan of Arc: Weddings at St. Joan of Arc are provided as a service to members of the parish community. Because of the large number of weddings, it is not possible to provide the services of a Presider or our facilities for people who are not registered parishioners. For a wedding to take place at SJA, it is necessary that one of the engaged couple be a registered member of the parish for at least six months before a wedding date can be set. A date can only be scheduled by one of the priests after an initial interview with the engaged couple. A minimum of six months from the time the date is set to the wedding is necessary in order to complete requirements. In cases where there has been a previous marriage ending in divorce, it is not possible to set the wedding date until notice of an annulment is in hand. FFI call Mary Ann at the Parish Center. Food Shelf Donations Are Needed: You are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items with you when you come to Mass on Sunday and place them in our food shelf bins, located in the entrances to our Church and Parish Center. Your food offerings are donated to the Foodshelf at Sabathani Community Center each week. Thank you for your willingness to help those in need. Mobile Loaves and Fishes needs toiletry size soap, toothpaste toothbrushes, shampoo, lotion, socks, hats and mittens for the winter. Please place your donations in the collection hamper next to the food shelf bin. FFI contact mlf.mpls@gmail.com or 612.615.4348. The Bottom Line: Contributions last week were $4,294 below budget. Year-to-date contributions were $13,356 below budget or 1.5%. Thank you for your continued support. ~Steve Meyer, Finance Director Towards Health Care for All: On Sunday, Jan. 25, our preMass speaker is Dr. Ed Ehlinger, commissioner of the MN Department of Health and champion of true health care reform that provides affordable, quality care for all. Following the 11:00 Mass, our SJA Conversations on Health Care network will host a discussion in the Church with Dr. Ehlinger, please join us! Momentum is growing for a transformation of health care in our nation and this SJA group is leading the way. Dakota 38 Screening: This film is the story of a 330 mile journey on horseback to heal and reconcile the memory of the 1862 mass killings of 38 Dakota men by the U.S. Hosted by our partner Urban Homeworks and their Urban Neighbors program, the evening includes appetizers, beverages and a discussion on healing with the subject of the film, Jim Miller. Jan. 11 at 5 pm at the Capri Theater; $3 suggested donation. FFI on Pastoral Ministries contact Mary Ann Kelly-Wright at 612.823.8205 ext 231 or via email: mkelly@stjoan.com. Mental Health Ministry: Monday, January 12, in Hospitality Hall. Come and learn about Mental Health Connect, an exciting new program to better serve people living with mental illness. Bethlehem Lutheran Church and SJA are both involved with MHC. Light supper at 5:45 pm; program 6:30 - 8:15 pm. All are welcome. 1.25 hours CEU certificate available for professionals in the field. FFI contact Mary Ann Kelly-Wright at the Parish Center. Did You Know? Thanks to several very hard-working MHM volunteers our resource library is undergoing a much needed inventory. Thanks to a generous donation we will be updating and adding new titles to the library in 2015. Great collaboration = great ministry work. FFI on Peace & Justice programs contact Julie Madden at 612.823.8205 ext 228 or jmadden@stjoan.com. Thank You, SJA: As we close this year, I want to thank all who continue to make our St. Joan of Arc peace and justice ministries so vibrant and life-giving. Your commitment to following in the footsteps of Jesus in our work for human dignity, for the common good and for solidarity with all of God's people is inspiring and contagious! Locally and globally, you make a difference, and you bring a spirit of joy and welcome to your work. We are blessed by your witness. Call to Peace: Today we remember the Feast of the Holy Innocents and we mourn the lives of children lost to us in war. We invite you to join our SJA WAMM/Peacemakers monthly gathering, the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7pm in the parish center, to discuss Christian teachings of nonviolence and the commitment of the early Church to the nonviolence of Jesus. SJA EcoSpirits Retreat Day: Join our EcoSpirits for an afternoon of reflection and planning on Saturday, Jan. 10 at beautiful Woodlake Nature Center in Richfield, 12:30 - 4:30 pm, followed by a potluck dinner. Our EcoSpirits lead our congregation in caring for all of God's creation and we welcome you to join us. FFI or RSVP contact Ann at 651.216.2019 or akmongoven@gmail.com. #BlackLivesMatter Matters to Us: The recent tragic deaths of African American men, and the outcry in response, remind us that we as a nation have so far to go in creating racial equity and understanding. We work with ISAIAH, a collaborative of more than 100 local congregations, on issues of social and racial justice, and we invite you to join our next gathering on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 7 pm in The Arc for a discussion and actions on this very topic and on our work to build God's kingdom together. The Gathering: If you would like information about The Gathering, an early-to-mid stage memory loss day program, contact Mary Ann in the Parish Center, Julie McChesney at Bethlehem, 612.312.3366 or go to www.lyngblomstem.org/ the gathering. SJA Housing Ministry Welcomes the New Year: FFI, please contact Julie Madden.  On Saturday, Jan. 10, you are invited to join a team of SJAers working with Urban Homeworks to rehab a home that will provide beautiful and affordable housing to a lowincome family. No experience needed, and it is a very satisfying day meeting great people and doing holy work!  Our youth continue to lead our efforts with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, and hundreds of SJAers have joined Beacon's advocacy network to raise our voices at the state and local level in support of affordable housing for all. We invite all to join us. SJA/TRUST Grief Support: The winter series begins Thursday, Jan. 22 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Mpls. Pick up a schedule from the Church or school hallway bulletin board or the Parish Center. FFI contact Mary Ann Kelly-Wright at the Parish Center. Second Chance Coalition: Join a statewide effort to effect change in our criminal justice system and laws that continue to disenfranchise those who have been convicted of a crime and served their sentence. Coalition meeting Jan. 14, 5 pm at Goodwill Easter Seals, 553 Fairview Ave. in St. Paul. BeFriender Ministry: BeFrienders can be confidential, caring support during times of stress or transition, long-term or shortterm. To find out if a BeFriender might be helpful to you, contact Carolyn Dobis, 651.485.2868 or Mary Ann Kelly-Wright at the Parish Center. We form the faith of our community through participation in prayer, liturgy, sacraments, education, community and works of justice. Baptism: To have your child baptized at St. Joan’s you must be a registered member and participate in a 90-minute Baptism preparation class. FFI and to register call JP at the Parish Center. New to SJA? Meet a Mentor Family! Do you love SJA but find it hard to connect with other parish families? Would you like to be part of the many exciting SJA ministries, but don’t know how to get started? Sign up with a mentor family! Your mentor family will join you for coffee and cookies after a Family Mass to share with you the ways their family found a home at SJA. FFI contact Gabrielle at gdane@stjoan.com. Adoptive Families Book Club: Join us on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 10 am to discuss the novel, Orfan by Corie Skolnick. We’ll meet at Turtle Bread on Chicago Avenue. Questions? Email Gabrielle at gdane@stjoan.com. : FFI contact Jennifer Gessner, at 612.823.8205 ext. 240, or jgessner@stjoan.com. Our Nursery, located in the lower level of the Parish Center, is open for the 9 and 11 am Sunday Masses. The Nursery Cooperative is a wonderful community of families and volunteers that allows parents to enjoy Mass and meet other young families in the Parish. Drop-ins are welcome! : (Ages 4-Kindergarten) FFI contact Therese Pendleton at 612.823.8205 ext. 230 or tpendleton@stjoan.com. : (Grades 1-6) FFI contact Marie Bissonnette at 612.823.8205 ext. 229 or mbissonnette@stjoan.com. Grades 1-6 Schedule Today and Jan. 4: No Class or Family Mass Jan. 11: Classes and Family Masses resume : (Grades 7-12) FFI contact Donelle Poling at 612.823.8205 ext. 241 or dpoling@stjoan.com. Slopefest (grades 7-12): Join us for a weekend full of fun, faith, friends, skiing and snowboarding. Friday, Feb. 13 16. $250 for skiers/snowboarders, + $10/day to rent skis, $20/day to rent snowboards. We will be hitting the slopes of Spirit Mountain in Duluth, staying at YMCA Camp Miller. Pick up permission slip in Parish Center. FFI contact Donelle at dpoling@stjoan.com. Must register by Feb. 6. : FFI contact Julie McConaha at 612.823.8205 ext 226 or jmcconaha@stjoan.com. #SJA<40's New Year's Resolution: Been meaning to come to one of our events? First chance: New Year's Resolution Brunch on Sunday, Jan. 4 after 11 am Mass at Turtle Bread Company. Women, Save the Date! Women of SJA gather Saturday, Feb. 7, 8:45 - 12 pm. Catherine Michaud, CSJ, Ph.D. inspires the ultimate talk on women in the emerging Church. Watch upcoming bulletins for more details. Men, Save the Date! SJA Annual Men's Retreat is coming, Saturday, Jan. 31, 9 am - 12:30 pm. Come to the Tree of Life! Watch upcoming bulletins for more details. RCIA and All: Everyone is invited to hear Fr. Jim DeBruycker teach about our Catholic Sacraments of Initiation along side our great RCIA class. Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 pm in the Church. Experiencing Stories Together! SJA Parish Book Club is launching our third year together and you are invited to join us for any of these upcoming selections at 6:30 pm in the Parish Center:  Ordinary People by Judith Guest on Jan. 14.  Until They Bring The Streetcars Back by Stanley Gordon West on Feb. 11.  The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian on March 11. Opportunities for Individual Spiritual Development at SJA: Did you know that we offer two ongoing groups in which to study theology and the bible? These run year-round and can be joined anytime. Contact Julie McConaha at jmcconaha@stjoan to get connected!  Scripture Matters: A studious, friendly group who elect their next study materials to take them further in their spiritual journey. Meets most Tuesday nights at 7 pm.  Bible Journey: These small groups use the N. T. Wright For Everyone bible study guides and explore the New Testament chapter by chapter. Session I meets Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, Session II meets Wednesdays at 1:30 pm. Meals on Wheels Volunteers are needed to deliver hot meals and warm smiles to elderly or disabled homebound people. Drivers are always needed to help with this valuable program. Time commitment is approximately one hour during the noon hour when called to help. FFI call 612.822.6040.
