Dear Mary Immaculate and St. Rose parishioners and Newman Center students,
As you heard at the Masses this past weekend and as you will read in this bulletin, your dear pastor Monsignor Marion Makarewicz has entered a new phase of his medical leave of absence. Let us continue to accompany him with our prayers and good wishes and let us always have trust and confidence that the will of God will be realized for him and for us.
It continues to be my joy to serve as your parochial administrator. You are such a wonderful Catholic community! I especially want to thank you for your generosity to the Church as you complete and return your Parish Stewardship Renewal materials, an annual opportunity for each of us to reaffirm our commitment as Catholics to pray regularly, to participate directly in the life of the parish, and to tithe sacrificially to help support the parish in its mission of charity and mercy. Stewardship is a deeply spiritual process that expresses itself in concrete actions and commitments of time, talent and treasure. May God who is never outdone in generosity make us truly generous!
As you also heard this past weekend, Bishop McKnight has asked all Catholics across the Diocese of Jefferson City to unite in prayer during the nine days leading up to the November 5, 2024 General Election by praying a special Novena for the Electorate. By joining in this special Novena, we will help cultivate a spirit of mercy in ourselves and in our communities, praying for compassion, understanding, and respect for one another at all times. By making time for this prayer, we open ourselves to the grace of God, asking for His guidance, wisdom, and the ability to promote civility in public discourse. Please make a commitment with me to praying this Novena faithfully during the days from October 27 through November 4. You’ll find the prayer and the daily intentions included as an insert in the parish bulletin.
As part of our local faith community’s participation in this diocesan initiative, we will host a Holy Hour this Sunday, October 27, from 3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at Mary Immaculate Church. This service will include Eucharistic exposition, periods of silent prayer, a Rosary, recitation of the Novena prayer, and will conclude with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
As I stated in my last pastoral note to you, let us never fail to help and encourage one another, to have patience with one another as we learn and grow together, and always to pray for one another as we seek to serve the Lord in great humility.