Blog Archives

Fatima Visionaries Francisco and Jacinta Will Be Proclaimed Saints

3/31/2017

News from the USCCB
Living as a People of God in Unsettled Times - WASHINGTON— The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Administrative Committee has issued the following pastoral reflection in solidarity with those who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict or fear in their native lands. In the statement, the bishops encourage each of us to do what we can to accompany migrants and refugees who seek a better life in the United States....Read More

News from the Pope:
Pope Francis: telegram of condolence for London attack - (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a telegram expressing his condolences to the victims of the terror attack at the Houses of Parliament in London on Wednesday, in which an attacker killed four people before armed police shot him dead....Read More

News from the Church:
Fatima Visionaries Francisco and Jacinta Marto Will Be Proclaimed Saints - On Thursday Pope Francis approved the second and final miracle needed to canonize Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta Marto, two of the shepherd children who witnessed the Fatima Marian apparitions. The Pope approved the miracle in a March 23 audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which he advanced six other causes, approving one other miracle, two causes for martyrdom and three causes of heroic virtue...Read more

Shadow Stations coming up soon

3/30/2017

Help with Feed My Starving Children Program: Join with others from our parish family to help assemble food packs for starving children around the world. This year’s goal for this community-wide effort is to have 1500 volunteers of all ages to pack 273,292 meals! It will be held at Zion United Methodist. This is for adults and youth. We have three time slots reserved: Thurs. Apr. 20th: 6:30-8:30pm, Fri. Arp. 21st: 4-6pm and Sat. Apr. 22nd: 8-10am.

Shadow Stations This Lent, we will be presenting the passion of our Lord using a multimedia method known as Shadow Stations. We need both young people AND adults to help bring to life this dramatic performance. A cast of 12 young people grades 6-12 are needed. We also need help with music. Practice will begin Thurs, Mar. 23rd. There will be one presentation at 6:30pm Apr. 12th at the Mfld. Sr. High.

World Youth Day 2019 in Panama update The next World Youth Day gathering will be in Panama in 2019. Because it will be in January we will not be organizing a pilgrimage but are instead looking at offering a foreign mission trip in the summer of 2019. If you have any other questions, please contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber.

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.

From the Desk of Father Martin, March 26

3/29/2017

Praised be Jesus Christ! Please pardon the interruption, but I’d like to use this week’s column to give an update about some of the projects currently happening at St. John’s. One happy result of the money raised in part by the pig roast is that we’re updating Saint Francis Hall. This room is used by a variety of groups: the Boy Scouts, our youth groups and Young Adults gatherings, Women at the Well and our Secular Carmelites. The work we’re doing will benefit these groups and help them grow closer to God and to each other. By now you’ve probably noticed the incremental work we’ve been doing to make the Columbia Room more welcoming and versatile. Thanks to the work done there, that room is in constant demand and we can be proud of how often our parish is the hub of not only parish and community meetings, but even Diocesan level meetings. Another project that you will not be able to see is about to begin in the bell tower. Our noble and beloved pipe organ is getting some tender loving care – the blower and tremolo are being moved from the bell tower inside the church. This will protect and preserve these parts as well as the motors that drive the blower. Once that work is done, the old wood platforms and the ladder that allow us access to the attic will be rebuilt. My ultimate goal is to reach the very top of the bell tower so as to carve my name there... because I know my Mom will be reading this, I’m just kidding! Last but far from least is the work we are doing in the basement of the church. As you know, we excavated and poured a concrete floor in the main part of the basement last spring. We are presently working under the cry room, the sanctuary, and the sacristy. The goal is again to improve the foundational strength of the church as well as to make heating and cooling it more efficient and cost effective. The most exciting part of the project is that we are building a chapel under the cry room. Bishop Callahan has given us approval and this will give us another place to worship and adore Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. Before describing the project further, allow me one caveat: some are already certain that this will soon be the home of our beloved St. John Paul II Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. For the record, we do not have Diocesan approval at this time for such a move. Just the same, please pray that God’s will be done – if He wants us to host perpetual Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, then we will be ready to accommodate this august honor. Your prayers are crucial because the devil will do all he can to wreak havoc and sow seeds of dissension among God’s people. Returning to the work being done in the basement, we will have a beautiful chapel that has good light and is warm in the winter and comfortable in the summer. At this point we are still working out the details of many things, but the hope is to have an “open house” sometime after Easter when you’ll be welcome to walk through and see the progress. Please check our parish website periodically for pictures of the progress we’re making. Added to this work is the desire to put a half bath in the cry room for families. There will also be a bathroom in the basement as well as a stairwell connecting the sacristy to the room directly below it. Please pray for these projects – you can ask the intercession of Venerable Mother Frances Streitel. She founded the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother and founded Saint Joseph Hospital 127 years ago. The chapel will fittingly be named in her honor and in honor of the many heroic Sisters who served this community so generously and faithfully.

May God guide us to know, love, and serve Him with our first fruits and not our last!
Your friend in Christ,
Father Martin

40 Hours Devotion Coming Soon

3/28/2017

ST. JOHN’S EASTER TRIDUUM
Holy Thursday Mass ~ April 13th at 7:00pm Good Friday Service ~ April 14th at 12:15pm Easter Vigil ~ April 15th at 8:30pm
Commissioned Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, and servers are asked to assist for the Easter Triduum. The sign up sheets are in the sacristy.
If you would like to participate in the Washing of Feet on Holy Thursday, please sign up in the Sacristy by noon on Palm Sunday, April 9th. We need to have twelve participants.

40 Hours Devotion coming soon! Sign-up sheets are available in the entranceways of Church for an hour of Adoration during our 40 Hours Devotion. Please take a minute to see what hour might work for you. Along with Adoration will be the opportunity for confession and some meditations given by Fr. Martin & Fr. Joseph. A full itinerary is posted on the doorways of the Church.

FORMIng Disciples: During Lent St. John’s will offer a three session series on Discipleship for adults to help deepen your relationship with Christ and others. The three sessions will be held on Mar. 6th, Mar. 20th and Apr. 3rd from 6:30pm until 7:45pm in the Columbia room. Contact Dan Kitzhaber at 715-384-3252 ext. 6

St. Joseph’s Table: Our parish food drive is underway and will run until March 26th. Please have all donations placed by the St. Joseph altar by noon on Sunday, March 26th. We are accepting any non- perishable food items, cleaning supplies, toiletries and baby supplies. These items will be distributed to those in need in our parish, St. Vincent de Paul pantry, the Hannah Center and the Transitional Shelter.

Save the date: There will be Basic Evangelization Training provided on Friday evening, April 28th and Saturday, April 29th in La Crosse by Adam Jahnke, a national speaker from St. Paul Evangelization Ministries. We hope to send any interested parishioners. This will be an EXCELLENT opportunity to grow in knowledge of and enthusiasm for our faith. More details to follow

Mission Team News: 1) Meet the Sisters! Check out the kiosk in the church entryway. We have pictures and biographies of new Sisters who are now living in the Divine Mercy Convent which was built (start to finish!) by our parish’s partnership with the Sisters of Our Lady Queen of Africa and dedicated last October.

2) New Program: Pen Pal with a Sister. We have 8 Sisters who would like to become pen pals with us. This is our way of furthering friendships with this wonderful group of holy women in Tanzania! So far, we have 5 folks who have accepted a Sister into their lives. It is simple; just communicate with your new friend at least 6 times a year, possibly help her with English if she asks for help. The sisters all have email accounts, but this can be done via mailed letters if preferred. Contact SAM Steiner, 715-384-4397 or the parish office at 715-384-3252, ext 2.

News from Divine Mercy Convent, Mwanza, Tanzania:

Greetings and love!
We have used the money [sent after Christmas] as we intended! The construction for the small building is now over! The money has also helped to buy some furniture like beds, chairs, mattresses, pillows, tables and mosquito nets. I will send the pictures maybe tomorrow because today the network for the internet is very weak. Thank you, thank you once again! We are proud of you! Building the Sisters convent in Mwanza was very demanding! You have fulfilled one of God's goals of creating you as human beings! Once you come to Mwanza and see the convent , I am sure you will discover some of your potentials that maybe you did not know before! Welcome to Mwanza, to witness what God has done for us through your hands, sweat and sacrifices! Sr Eddy.

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. 9am on Mondays and 1pm on Saturdays are openings needed to be filled. Please call Jean, 715-387-0571 to schedule your hour.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent

3/26/2017

Here is the homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent from St. John the Baptist Church:

Click here to listen

Meet the American Monks Who Might Re-Evangelize Ireland

3/24/2017

News from the USCCB
Bishops Welcome Constructive Dialogue In Congress To Protect Creation And Address Climate Change - WASHINGTON— Bishop Frank J. Dewane and Bishop Oscar Cantú welcomed a new resolution introduced in Congress yesterday, March 15, by a group of Republican legislators. "The U.S. bishops welcome the commitment of a group of members of Congress to engage in constructive dialogue to protect our common home and to recognize the impact of climate change," said Bishop Dewane in response to the announcement of the Congressional resolution sponsored by several members in the House of Representatives, including Congresswoman Elise Stefanik....Read More

News from the Pope:
Pope Francis: three characteristics of a good confessor - (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Friday with participants at an annual course on the internal forum, organised by the Apostolic Penitentiary.In his words to the group, the Pope spoke about the formation of good confessors, focusing on three characteristics which should guide their work....Read More

News from the Church:
Meet the American Monks Who Might Re-Evangelize Ireland - DUBLIN — Local Catholics have too often been used to nothing but bad news about religious life in Ireland: Whether it’s the punishing revelations about past abuses in institutions run by religious orders or the dearth of vocations, the picture has often seemed bleak. But news that a new monastery has been established in the Diocese of Meath — the first in that diocese since the Reformation — is raising hopes for a new springtime in religious life in the island once dubbed the “Land of Saints and Scholars.”...Read more

Help with Feed My Starving Children Program

3/23/2017

Help with Feed My Starving Children Program: Join with others from our parish family to help assemble food packs for starving children around the world. This year’s goal for this community-wide effort is to have 1500 volunteers of all ages to pack 273,292 meals! It will be held at Zion United Methodist. This is for adults and youth. We have three time slots reserved: Thurs. Apr. 20th: 6:30-8:30pm, Fri. Arp. 21st: 4-6pm and Sat. Apr. 22nd: 8-10am.

Shadow Stations This Lent, we will be presenting the passion of our Lord using a multimedia method known as Shadow Stations. We need both young people AND adults to help bring to life this dramatic performance. A cast of 12 young people grades 6-12 are needed. We also need help with music. Practice will begin Thurs, Mar. 23rd. There will be one presentation at 6:30pm Apr. 12th at the Mfld. Sr. High.

World Youth Day 2019 in Panama update The next World Youth Day gathering will be in Panama in 2019. Because it will be in January we will not be organizing a pilgrimage but are instead looking at offering a foreign mission trip in the summer of 2019. If you have any other questions, please contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber.

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.

From the Desk of Father Martin, March 19

3/22/2017

Praised be Jesus Christ! Saint Philip Neri lived in Rome in the 16th century and was one of the most loving and lovable saints the Eter- nal City has ever seen. He was a great confessor who truly helped his people to trust in the Lord and His infinite mercy. But St. Philip Neri could be tough too – maybe you’ve heard the true story of the penance he gave a person who was famous for spreading gossip. He told him to take a feather pillow to the top of the church bell tower, rip it open, and allow the wind to blow all of the feathers away. Once the parishioner complied and returned to tell Neri “mission accomplished,” it was then that Neri revealed the rest of the penance: “now go and gather each and every feather.” The penitent was crestfallen and said that such a task was impossible – and so St. Philip Neri made the point that damaging the reputation of others by our words does irretrievable harm. As you recall, we’re meditating this Lent on the Ten Commandments: this week we begin with “Thou shall not kill.” Sounds relatively easy until you consider all the ways we can damage others by our words, our slights, and our lack of Christian charity. A few weeks ago we heard Jesus say that it is not enough to merely abstain from mur- der; we’re also not to harbor grudges or speak derisively about people we dislike. A merely hypothetical scenario would be folks who say mean things about our elected officials – for people who want to grow closer to God, this sort of behavior undermines our efforts. And to put an even finer point on it, Saint James writes in his epistle, “no human being can tame the tongue . . . . with it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the likeness of God,” (James 3:7, 9). Moving on to the 6th Com- mandment, we’re told that “Thou shall not commit adultery.” Our world makes this a challenge because of all the sources of impurity and occasions for lust. Now remember that adultery begins long before we formally break our vows – Jesus said it begins in the heart when we indulge selfish desires for carnal pleasure. Saint John of the Cross insightfully stated once that “what the eye does not see, the heart does not want.” Custody of the eyes is key for anyone who wants to protect the desires of the heart. You may have noticed that some states are making pornography illegal (e.g. Utah), which is a step in the right direction. For people struggling with the desires of the flesh, the most important factor is to bring it out into the light – i.e. tell a priest in the confessional. Anything we hide from God becomes a favorite hiding place of the devil. He will provide you with a litany of excuses as to why these sins are “no big deal” and “everybody does it” and “after all, it’s not hurting anybody.” Never forget that Satan is the “father of lies” and will only lead us to the prison of addiction, which is always a living hell. Also apropos of adultery is the seductive trap of contraception, which made extra-marital affairs much more feasible. When he courageously taught that contraception was against the will of God in Humanae vitae, Pope Paul VI predicted that widespread use of contraception would lead to an increase in marital infidelity. Only the greatest of ignorance could feign surprise that this prophecy has sadly come true over and over again. These days contraception promises sex without babies, while many of the immoral reproductive practices (e.g. in vitro fertilization) promise babies with- out sex. Thank God for the reassurance Saint Paul gives us in his letter to the Romans: “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more,” (Romans 5:20).

God, help us to be pure of heart so that we may see You in every person we meet!
Your friend in Christ, Father Martin

Saint Joseph's Table Food Drive

3/21/2017

FORMIng Disciples: During Lent St. John’s will offer a three session series on Discipleship for adults to help deepen your relationship with Christ and others. The three sessions will be held on Mar. 6th, Mar. 20th and Apr. 3rd from 6:30pm until 7:45pm in the Columbia room. Contact Dan Kitzhaber at 715-384-3252 ext. 6

St. Joseph’s Table: Our parish food drive is underway and will run until March 26th. Please have all donations placed by the St. Joseph altar by noon on Sunday, March 26th. We are accepting any non- perishable food items, cleaning supplies, toiletries and baby supplies. These items will be distributed to those in need in our parish, St. Vincent de Paul pantry, the Hannah Center and the Transitional Shelter.

Save the date: There will be Basic Evangelization Training provided on Friday evening, April 28th and Saturday, April 29th in La Crosse by Adam Jahnke, a national speaker from St. Paul Evangelization Ministries. We hope to send any interested parishioners. This will be an EXCELLENT opportunity to grow in knowledge of and enthusiasm for our faith. More details to follow

Mission Team News: 1) Meet the Sisters! Check out the kiosk in the church entryway. We have pictures and biographies of new Sisters who are now living in the Divine Mercy Convent which was built (start to finish!) by our parish’s partnership with the Sisters of Our Lady Queen of Africa and dedicated last October.

2) New Program: Pen Pal with a Sister. We have 8 Sisters who would like to become pen pals with us. This is our way of furthering friendships with this wonderful group of holy women in Tanzania! So far, we have 5 folks who have accepted a Sister into their lives. It is simple; just communicate with your new friend at least 6 times a year, possibly help her with English if she asks for help. The sisters all have email accounts, but this can be done via mailed letters if preferred. Contact SAM Steiner, 715-384-4397 or the parish office at 715-384-3252, ext 2.

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. 9am on Mondays and 1pm on Saturdays are openings needed to be filled. Please call Jean, 715-387-0571 to schedule your hour.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent

3/20/2017

Here is the homily for the Third Sunday of Lent from St. John the Baptist Church:

Click here to listen

MASS SCHEDULE
Monday - Friday: 7:00 AM
Saturday: 8:00 AM
Saturday: 4:30 & 7:00 PM
Sunday: 7:00, 9:00 & 11:00 AM

CONFESSION SCHEDULE
Tuesday–Friday: 6:30 - 6:50 AM
First Friday: 6:00-7:00 PM
Saturday:3:45 -4:15 PM & 6:15 -6:45 PM

ADORATION

PERPETUAL ADORATION: The Marshfield Deanery has the John Paul II Adoration Chapel located in the basement of St. John the Baptist Parish, at 201 W. Blodgett St. The chapel is accessible from the rear parking lot. For more information or to sign up:
contact Dale at 715-383-2262 or Jean Kaiser 715-387-0571. Click on the image below for more information.

Stay Connected with Our Parish

Welcome From Our Pastor

Welcome to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church! Ever since 1877 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Pope John Paul II called the parish a “school of prayer” and St. John’s is committed to promoting growth in holiness in every state in life. Each of us is called... Read More

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