Ministry of Visitation:   The folks who visit the homebound and nursing homes and bring communion had their bi-monthly meeting on Saturday, August 6. At this time we have over ten people who visit over twenty individuals usually once a week. This doesn’t include a number of people who bring communion to a spouse or other family member at home regularly. This work of mercy and charity is a significant source of grace and blessing for our community. Please call the parish office if you or someone you know is unable to come to church and would like a regular visit and/or Holy Communion. Even if it is for a short time of recovery after surgery, the consolation and strength of the Sacrament and fellowship will make a big difference. Also, the Ministry of Visitation is open to others to join in making visits. Please contact Linda Boland, OFS or Bess Willis if you would like to know more.

Social Concerns Commission Formation: By the time this bulletin is published, the first organizational meeting for a Social Concerns Commission would have taken place this past Thursday. The purpose of the Social Concerns Commission is to identify the significant social issues that either enhance or compromise the well-being and sanctity of individuals and the community. The commission assists the pastor in leading the parish’s response to those issues in the light of the Gospel and the Tradition of the Catholic Church. The Commission provides leadership to all parishioners in helping them live out their baptismal calling to preach the Good News by word and works on a local, regional and global level. While all the commissions and councils of the parish offer opportunities to fulfill the stewardship value of service, it is the Social Concerns Commission which ensures that each and every parishioner has an opportunity to be of direct charitable service in proportion to one’s abilities. Please contact Msgr. Mak if you would like to be part of our organizational efforts.

New School Year:  This coming week begins the academic year for our grade school and high school students and as such is the perfect opportunity to embrace the grace that comes with new beginnings. We remember that when God created the heavens and the earth and all that is within them, he saw that it was very good. Reminding ourselves of Creation allows us to be more open to the creative Spirit within us. Modern thought tempts us into thinking we are born as a blank slate. A tempting metaphor for those who might deny the existence of eternal Truth, this saying in fact is a denial of the natural law that is written in our hearts. Let us remember that there can be no learning without the capacity for wisdom that is shared with us by God’s Holy Spirit. Our children aren’t empty vessels into which knowledge is poured. They are children created in the image and likeness of God and whose inherent dignity calls forth from us a reverent and dedicated response. Our community embraces the sacred duty to raise our children in the light of faith. We fail in that duty if we do not afford our children every opportunity to hear God’s Word proclaimed in the midst of His People and celebrate God’s presence in the Holy Eucharist each Sunday, the day of the New Creation in Christ. Embrace the grace and come to Church!

Stewardship:  Preparations are underway for our first annual Catholic Stewardship Renewal which every parishioner will participate in this October. For many people, this will simply formalize the faithful commitment of time, talent, and treasure they are already making. For others, this will be the opportunity to assume a new stance of participation in the life and mission of our parish. Please remember that our parish transitioned to a new model of Stewardship on July 1 that is based on the notion of the biblical tithe. This means we have very few second collections or special purpose collections. What you normally would give to the charitable efforts of the parish in a Quarter Sunday Collection and other second collections should now be part of your regular offering. For those who have been faithful contributors to the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal, you are being asked to change your customary contribution to the CSA now to the regular parish offering. The parish in turn will be tithing each month to support Diocesan offices and further services of the Church in the US and throughout the world.

Confirmation:  The 2022-2023 religious education school year will include the preparation for and celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Recall that the Diocese of Jefferson City has in recent years transitioned from a high school focused curriculum to that of seventh graders. For parishes that have smaller numbers of students, preparation and celebration can take place every other year, so it would include eighth graders. This is a significant milestone that can pass by very quickly if you are not paying attention. Our seventh and eighth grade students will include Confirmation preparation in their curriculum this year. All seventh and eighth grade students in the parish are expected to participate. This is especially crucial for PSR students. Last year there were no students who attended 7^th and 8^th grade PSR classes. Parents of seventh and eighth graders, you will be receiving further details about what Confirmation preparation entails. And for students and parents alike, remember that our Catholic faith holds Confirmation primarily as a special grace that the Holy Spirit confers upon you. Contrary to some points of view that have been influenced by non-Catholic sacramental theology, Confirmation is NOT a rite whereby a young person chooses to be Catholic. The Sacrament of Confirmation confirms and strengthens the faith that has already been given through the Sacrament of Baptism. Personal commitment and faith is assumed to be present as evidenced by a family’s participation in the sacramental and evangelical mission of the Church. 

Parish School of Religious (PSR):  On Wednesday, August 21, high school youth group resumes meeting. On Wednesday, September  14 at 6:30 PM, the parish school of religion will meet to begin this year’s religious catechesis for the children of the parish who do not attend Mary Immaculate Catholic School. Registration information will be available shortly for those families who will be attending this year. With the pandemic having had a major impact on our PSR and Youth Group programs these last three years, we must still put out some extra effort to ensure that everyone is appropriately engaged in the faith formation of the youth of our parish. We are blessed with dedicated leadership in Chris Koch for the elementary students and Janelle Stephens for the high school students. While we are ably assisted by university students as catechists, we do invite other young adult parishioners to assist as catechists and assistants. Parents are reminded of the serious obligation to fulfill the promise you made at your child’s baptism to foster their lives of faith. Your concern and support is crucial if we are to assist in passing on the faith to the next generation.

Worship Commission:  One of the responsibilities of the parish commissions is to provide coordinators for the various ministries the commission is responsible for. At this time the Worship Commission has coordinators for music, for sacristans, for hospitality, and for readers. Coordinators for altar servers, extra-ordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and art & environment are also needed. Please contact Msgr. Mak if you are interested in these leadership roles. Additionally the Worship Commission will be working toward organizing a formal ministry of prayer, petition, and intercession. In the past the Legion of Mary and the Altar & Rosary groups were part of the prayer ministry of the parish. While we have continued to place special intentions and needs for the community to pray for, having a more organized association of individuals who commit to personal prayer each day for the needs of others will be a great grace to many. The Worship Commission will take leadership in this.

Other Items on our minds:  As always, your assistance with the local food pantry either by bringing food to church or by volunteering is greatly appreciated. The food pantry has done some major reorganization and upgrading and is now more equipped than ever to address food insecurity in our community, but it needs your help. Several social issues regularly remind us of how necessary charity, mercy, and compassion are needed. Inadequate housing, substance abuse, domestic violence, neglect of family, sickness, isolation, and mental illness all contribute to the problems that require our direct charity. Mary Immaculate makes a difference in our community. Your faithful offertory tithe enables us to respond in significant ways to these and other issues that affect the well-being of God’s children. Finally the parish council is still short one member. Yours might be the voice that is needed for our community. Consider offering yourself in service as a member of the parish council by contacting Matt Wolken, our parish council president. And I thank all those who generously give of their time to serve on the various councils and commissions and leadership bodies of the parish.