Rescheduled Rally in Rozellville: The Marshfield Deanery will reschedule this event at St. Andrew’s in Rozellville on March 5th from 1-4pm. Hundred of teens from across the Diocese will celebrate their faith with a Catholic Worship band from the Twin Cities and a meal.

Catholic Adventure Camp July 9th-14th, 2017! This high adventure week for all teens grades 6-12 will offer the chance for rock climbing, repelling, canoeing, mountain bike riding, low & high ropes, adventure trails, time for prayer, the sacraments & reflection on God’s marvelous creation. The total cost will be about $400 for youth and $200 for adults. Sign-up soon! Financial help is available.

Steubenville Youth Conference: Join this awesome, high energy event with 2,000 other teens. (Must be currently in 8th - 12th grade) Be ready to roll up your sleeves and lend a hand while serving others. The conference will be held at St. Thomas University in St. Paul from July 28th - 30th. The cost will be about $260 which includes most meals, transportation & all housing. An information meeting will be held Monday, Feb. 6th in the Columbus High School cafeteria.

Young Adults: There will be a gathering for all young adults in the area on Tues., Feb. 14th at 6:30pm in St. Francis Hall at St. John’s. We will learn more about Divine Mercy. There will be socializing, snacking, praying & learning! Contact Dan Kitzhaber or Fr. Sedlacek. 

Calling All Bakers: Our Parish bake sale will take place Feb. 4th and 5th at all weekend masses. Please consider helping by donating your homemade baked items. You may bring your items to any of the masses that weekend. All proceeds go to help defray the costs of adult educational opportunities. Questions? Contact Connie at 715- 305-6742. Thank you from the St. John Education Committee.

Baptism Class for those requesting the baptism of their children will take place Tues., Jan. 31st, 5:30-8:00pm in Columbia Room. Pre-registration is required and you can do so by calling 715-384- 9565 ext 2. For those not registered in the parish, information will be given on how to do so. This class is for all parents of their first child and/or those who have not yet taken Father Martin’s Baptismal class

St. John’s Book Exchange “If a man wants to always be in God’s company, he must pray regularly and read regularly. When we pray, we talk to God. When we read, God talks to us.” St. John’s provides a wonderful opportunity to come closer to God by providing a variety of books that are free and meant to be taken and read. You are welcome to keep the book, pass it on, or return it to the shelf when you are finished. Please come browse the books which can be found in the hallway leading to the Bride’s room. 

St. John’s Parish Family has the opportunity to aid the less fortunate in our area by serving a fellowship meal in the Gathering Room of St. Vincent de Paul Center. We meet on Jan. 25th at 3pm to set up, serve the meal at 5pm and finish with clean-up by 6:30pm. If you are able to help, call Jane at 715-387-2019
​
Prayer Shawl Ministry is a way to offer a sense of prayer, comfort, support & love to an individual in times that are difficult such as: death of a loved one, a serious diagnosis, or a life’s struggle. Fleece comfort shawls are now also available. These may be used for young and old alike. All are available in the Bride’s room. For more information contact Lori at 715-387-0244. 
​
In need of inspiration or experiencing Jesus' presence or healing? He will provide for your needs in ways we cannot always anticipate. Come be with Jesus in adoration at Pope Saint John Paul II Adoration Chapel, 510 S. Columbus Ave. Fridays at 9pm-10pm or Saturdays at 1am-2am are openings needed to be filled. Please call Jean, 715-387-0571 or Dale, 715-383-2262 to schedule your hour. ​​​​​​

For more parish events, check out the Bulletin

News from the USCCB
USCCB President Urges Encounters Of The Heart In Message For Martin Luther King Jr. Day - WASHINGTON—The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, issued the following statement in relation to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Full statement follows:…Read More

News from the Pope:
Pope Audience: We look with hope to unity not division - (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Wednesday that Christian Unity and reconciliation are possible. He was speaking during his weekly General Audience in the Paul the VI hall where he also continued his catechesis on Christian hope…Read More
​
News from the Church:
Pope Francis: Mother Cabrini Is a Model for Caring for Migrants -VATICAN CITY — On the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis pointed to St. Frances Cabrini as an example of how to treat foreigners, calling her a “courageous” woman who knew how to bring God’s love to those who were lonely and in hardship. After praying the Angelus with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square Jan. 15, Pope Francis sent a special greeting to members of different ethnic communities who had gathered in honor of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees….Read more

Rally in Rozellville : Bad weather forced a cancelation on December 17th. The Marshfield Deanery will reschedule this event at St. Andrew’s in Rozellville sometime in February or March. Hundred of teens from across the Diocese will celebrate their faith with a band from the Twin Cities and a meal. A free-will offering will be taken. For more information, contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber at 715-384-3252, ext 6 or 715-659-4480 ext. 4 or yministry@frontier.com 

Catholic Adventure Camp July 9th - 14th, 2017! Crosswoods Christian Adventure Camp, located south of Ashland, has been reserved for the Diocese of La Crosse. This high adventure week for all teens currently in grades 6-12 will offer the chance for rock climbing, repelling, canoeing, mountain bike riding, low and high ropes, adventure trails, hiking, and time for prayer, the sacraments and reflection on God’s marvelous creation. The total cost will be about $400 for youth and $200 for adults. Sign-up soon! Financial help is available. Questions? Contact Mr. Kitzhaber at 715-384-3252, ext 6 or 715-659-4480 ext. 4 or yministry@frontier.com ​

Praised be Jesus Christ! “First impressions, second thoughts, and the third degree” – that’s a phrase from the longtime Wisconsin State Journal sports writer Andy Baggot and it works well when a column is going to be a bit more wide-ranging than usual. First up is the remarkable story of Father Stan Rother. You may already know that Pope Francis announced on December 2nd that this holy priest has been formally recognized as the first martyr born on American soil. At our annual class gathering a classmate from Father Rother’s home diocese of Oklahoma City regaled us with some very edifying stories. Father Rother was born on March 27, 1935 on his family farm outside of Okarche, Oklahoma. When the Rothers brought their baby boy for baptism, the pastor asked what name they had given the child: “Stanley Francis” the parents responded. The old German pastor Monsignor Zenon Steuber noticeably halted and with a disapproving look answered back, “There is no saint named Stanley. He will be Francis Stanley.” Now that Father Rother’s path to beatification has been opened, it seems we may soon have a Saint by the name of Stanley after all! After enduring some significant academic struggles during his years in seminary, Father Rother was ordained and later sent to the missions in Guatemala. He served with great distinction though the times were rife with danger and instability. As the political situation deteriorated, Father Rother witnessed one of his catechists being abducted just outside the parish church at dusk – sadly, there was nothing he could do. Tortured bodies were sometimes found, but many were never seen again. Father Rother knew that his name was on a death list. When he came home for Christmas with his family in 1980 those closest to him noticed how distant and absent he seemed. As he walked the land he once worked on his family’s farm, he was strikingly listless and without vitality. Eventually he determined to go back – he said at that time that “the shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.” So against all advice he returned. Masked gunmen came for him in July of 1981. Father Rother knew their routine and he put up significant resistance, telling the men that they’d have to “do it here” and that he would not go with them. Shots rang out and Father Stan was killed in his rectory bedroom. The men were never identified or caught. At the request of the people of the mission who deeply loved him, they asked the family if Father Stan’s heart could be buried at the church. The family permitted it. The rest of his body was returned home and is now buried in the Catholic cemetery of Okarche, Oklahoma. And now Father’s extraordinary sacrifice has been officially recognized, meaning that he’s on his way to being beatified. What a blessing for the Church in America! Now please allow what is often called a non sequitur: Recently someone passed along the following for our ongoing growth in church etiquette: “In the document, Instruction On Certain Questions Regarding the Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful in the Sacred Ministry of Priests, put out by the Vatican on August 15, 1997, we read, "In eucharistic celebrations deacons and non-ordained members of the faithful may not pronounce prayers — e.g. especially the eucharistic prayer, with its concluding doxology — or any other parts of the liturgy reserved to the celebrant priest. Neither may deacons or nonordained members of the faithful use gestures or actions which are proper to the same priest celebrant. It is a grave abuse for any member of the non-ordained faithful to "quasi preside" at the Mass while leaving only that minimal participation to the priest which is necessary to secure validity" (ICP Practical Provisions 6 §2).” For the record, the only gentle correction for us is that solely the priest is to pray in the orans position (i.e. with arms in the form of a cross) during the “Our Father.” I just thought you’d like to know. May God bless us with holiness in our priests and in our people, that we may worship Him in word and deed!

​Your friend in Christ, Father Martin