Dear Mary Immaculate and St. Rose parishioners and Newman Center students,
We are very quickly approaching the end of the Church’s liturgical year! Next weekend we will celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We know that Jesus the King came to serve others, even to the point of giving His life on the Cross for us. How much He loves us!
Jesus continues to show His love for us in so many ways, the greatest being the gift of Himself in the Most Holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. That is why we will have a very special moment at all the Masses next weekend when we will officially commission all the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion who were recently given the mandate from Bishop McKnight to serve our community in this role.
The Ordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are the Church’s bishops, priests and deacons. However, the local Ordinary (the Bishop) may give other Extraordinary Ministers who are members of the laity the faculty to assist the clergy with the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass, and also outside of Mass to take Communion to the sick and the homebound whenever it seems necessary for the pastoral benefit of the Faithful and a priest, deacon or instituted acolyte is not available.
Fully initiated, practicing Catholics in good standing with the Church who have the proper dispositions, have been formally trained and prepared for this ministry, and are in full compliance with the Church’s Safe Environment/VIRTUS requirements, the following parishioners have been authorized to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion for a term of five years:
Sabra Adams, Michele Behnen, Matthew Berkus, Joseph Bischsel, Mark Blacksmith, Linda Boland OFS, Pat Boren, Susan Boren, Kevin Brawner, Paula Brawner, Jim Cox, Andrea Davis, Mike Early, Kit Hadwiger, Steve Hadwiger, Sr. Ruth Ann Klauser SSND, Chris Koch, John “Sarge” Konarski, Michelle Lemmon, Sharon McGahan, Betty Milas, Mary Myers, Susan Pattermann, Thérèse Ream OFS, Dale Schenewerk, Bea Schulte, Damian Schulte, Trish Sexton, Brent Speak, Janie Theobald, Odilia Turner, Winston Vanderhoof, Kocoa Vandike, Frances Vittetoe, Glen Wehner, Vicki Wehner, and Bess Willis.
On behalf of Deacon Chris, Deacon Dave and myself, I want to thank each of you so much for your generosity in faithfully assisting us with this precious ministry. You are a great gift to our parish family as you help make the greatest of all Gifts available to the People of God, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. May He reign forever in our hearts!