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 News from the Pope:
Pope at Mass: Christians are called to be 'couriers of hope' Pope Francis has urged Christians to be “couriers of hope,” “genuine witnesses of Jesus in the world”. The Pope’s exhortation to leave the Lord’s table after the Eucharist and to be active in bringing His message of peace and mercy into the world, came during the homily at Holy Mass in the southern Italian town of Molfetta where he travelled to pay tribute to Fr. Tonino Bello who was known as “the pastor of mercy” and the bishop of “the last ones. Addressing the crowds gathered for Mass in the port area of the coastal town, Pope Francis commented on the liturgical readings of the day which focus on two central elements for Christian life: Bread and the Word. Read More...  Teen & Young Adult Retreat Team Looking for teens and young adults to help lead youth retreats. Living Stones is the name of the group and it rocks! Meet lots of great people, grow in your faith, and have tons of fun. If interested, contact Mr. Dan Kitzhaber 384-3252 x6, 659-4480 x4 or yministry@frontier.com
Catholic Adventure Camp July 8th-13th This is for teens currently in grades 6-12. This high adventure week will offer you the chance for rock climbing, repelling, canoeing, mountain bike riding, low ropes and high ropes, adventure trails, hiking, and time for prayer, the sacraments and reflection on God’s marvelous creation. Cost will be $410 for youth/$250 for adults. Financial help is available.  Praised be Jesus Christ! Saint Teresa of Avila compared the drudgery of life to “a bad night at a bad inn.” The good news is that Heaven promises eternal rest – that’s what we’re working towards and it ought to inspire us to spend each day preparing to meet God face to face. While you’re reading this I’ll be either in Avila, Spain or on my way there – 50 of us are on pilgrimage and have already experienced the usual reminders that we’re not in Heaven yet (e.g. there was a train strike in France on April 18th, meaning we had to take a bus from Paris to Lourdes – not a horrible thing, but we were looking forward to riding the amazing TGV train). I was in Avila in 2004 and experienced some remarkable graces that day. Even though I had not been able to sleep all week due to jet lag I was able to celebrate Mass in the convent where Saint Teresa of Avila once lived. After that I remember being so exhausted that I laid down on a park bench and just collapsed. It was probably quite the sight, me in my Roman collar sawing logs... “a bad night at a bad inn!” Life has its share of suffering and Jesus came to teach us how to bear it with hope in our heart. Some of you have had a real rough patch in your lives and are wondering when you’ll ever feel some degree of happiness and joy again. The Church is a mother and so she prays especially for her grieving children; she reminds us that Jesus came to bring comfort to the sorrowful (and conversely, sorrow to the comfortable). For those of you who were able to participate in our Lenten parish mission, you might remember some of the spiritual insights offered by Father John Paul. The 3rd night of the mission allowed people to come forward and touch the humeral veil Father was wearing as he carried Jesus in the monstrance. For many this was a powerful experience similar to the story of the woman who had suffered with a hemorrhage for 18 years and rightfully thought that if she could just touch the tassel on Jesus’ cloak she would be healed. Jesus is a Divine Physician and He wants to help us with our hurts; but so many times we run from Him and not to Him. This was evident to anyone who came to Father John Paul’s presentation on same-sex attraction the night before the mission began (and all of the talks are on Saint John’s parish website – stjohnsmarshfield.org). This is one of the most difficult topics and Father handled it beautifully: he reminded us that the Christian understanding of human nature is that every person is created in God’s image and likeness and is loved unconditionally by God. He then showed a powerful film titled “The Third Way” that included amazing testimony from people with same-sex attraction who found peace and hope in God. One of the best scenes for me was the man who said he had never been able to tell anyone, but that in the confessional he met a priest who was a true father to him. Many carry their wounds in deep secrecy because being vulnerable to God or others is frightening, and in many cases dangerous. Year after year I taught my students about the struggles of the human heart – when it came to same-sex attraction I always felt inadequate to the task. Father John Paul’s presentation was remarkable in that he captured the mercy and compassion of God, Who truly understands our hurts and how they can move us away from Him and the truth of who we are in His image. God established marriage as a covenant between Him, a man and a woman – no authority on earth can undo what God has created. Just the same, the underlying desire for love is one that all human beings share – our faith teaches us that God alone can heal our desires so that we can experience true love. For all of us, life is sometimes “a bad night at a bad inn.” But the good news is our life in this world is only for a little while – what comes next is eternal!
May God help us find the truth that will set us free, thus helping others find some joy in this world! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin  Evening of Recollection: The next Evening of Recollection will be held Thursday, May 3rd from 6:30-8:00pm at St. John’s. Father will center his reflection on Saint Rafael Arnaiz Baron. The evening will begin by exposing the Blessed Sacrament followed by a half hour meditation. There will be time for silent adoration and confession. Benediction will close the evening.
Do You Love Divine Mercy? Everyone who wants to live Mercy and the spiritual life more deeply is welcome to attend our meetings every other Thursday evening. Sr. Mary Veronica will lead us through teaching, prayer and fellowship. Join us on Thursday, April 26th at Corpus Christi Church, Bakerville at 7pm. Questions? Call 715-207-6664orfsofdivinemercy@gmail.com For more Parish News, check out our bulletin.  From the Pope:
One of the ways Pope Francis encourages others to respond to the call to holiness is by highlighting various men and women who have already attained that crown in heaven and urge us on to the finish line. He mentions a total of 40 saints in Gaudete et Exsultate, pointing out holy examples that are particularly relevant for the 21st century. Here is a brief list of 7 of these saints, along with what Pope Francis mentioned about their example of holiness. Read More...  Youth Rummage Sale May 17th & 18th the youth will be holding a rummage sale at St. John’s in the Columbia Rm. You are invited to donate your gently used items by bringing them during office hours to St. John’s Rel. Ed. office on Wed. afternoon, May 16th from 3-6pm or Thur., May 17th from noon -3pm. You are also invited to come purchase items from this sale to support our youth. Sale times are Thurs., May 17th, 3-6pm and Fri., May 18th, 8am-5pm.
 Praised be Jesus Christ! During my parish mission in Amherst and Fancher a month ago a man passed out at the 8:30 a.m. Mass. For the record, it did not happen during my homily. The people helped the man and eventually gave me an indication that he was okay and that we could proceed with the Mass. While a Mass certainly can be interrupted, it should always be finished if at all possible. What a priest wants to know is if the person who has collapsed is in danger of death and should be anointed. Most priests have their holy oils with them and would be happy to stop the Mass and offer the Sacrament of the sick to a person in a real medical emergency. Keep in mind that most people who pass out have merely fainted because of sickness or because they forgot to take their medicine or did not eat a proper breakfast. Father Burish claims he nearly passed out at the altar a number of times because of the ex- treme cold in the rectory and the always-empty refrigerator. It doesn’t help my reputation that Father Sedlacek is telling peo- ple that he’s lost 10 pounds in the last year – my theory on that is the rancid beer he’s been brewing. Anyway, back to medical emergencies at Mass: we’re almost always surrounded by out- standing medical personnel and they’ll be happy to assess the situation and call for help if needed. The goal is to determine how best to help the person, and then continue offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Think of all the prayers a person gets if they fall ill during Mass – not that I’m encouraging you to get sick during a weekend Mass! Now on to a more serious matter: protecting ourselves from a potential shooter. We’ve been advised by our insurance company to do all we can to assure that our parishes move from being a soft target to a more difficult one for a shooter. Both Christ the King and Saint John’s basically require that one enter from the back of church (the outside door to the sacristy at Saint John’s is now locked at all times). That gives our ushers and others a chance to see if someone is acting suspiciously and to alert others to it. On a spiritual note, we can now publicly ask the prayers of Bishop Oscar Romero, who will be canonized later this year. Bishop Romero was gunned down while celebrating Mass in Guatemala on March 24th, 1980 and now becomes an official intercessor. My prayer is always that any danger in church be directed to me. A priest has no wife or children and many times is the most obvious target for a deranged person. Please God, noth- ing like this will ever happen. But I cannot think of a holier death than to be in church with Jesus and His people, offering His sacrifice for the salvation of all people. One last topic has to do with our upcoming pilgrimage. We’ll be leaving at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 16th and will not return until around mid- night on Friday, April 27th. We take the bus to O’Hare and fly first to Paris. One day in Paris and then we travel by train to Lourdes. After two days in Lourdes we travel by bus across the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain and then meander westward until arriving in Fatima, Portugal. I’ll share our experience in writing upon our return. Father Sedlacek will be in charge while I am away. Please keep an eye on our “Bearded Brewster” so that he doesn’t get overwhelmed by the work and stress. Of all the dangers I’ve shared in this column, the greatest might be leaving Father Sedlacek in charge! Please pray for us, that our pilgrimage will help us grow closer to God and to each other. And be assured of our prayers, especially at the tombs of the saints and the apparition sites of our Blessed Mother.
May God protect us and give us a profound trust in His Providence! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin  Spring Bible Study - Jesus: The Suffering Servant A Threshold Bible Study that is a dynamic, informative, & an inspiring way to enter into a deeper relationship with God through Scripture. This Bible Study begins on Tues., Apr. 17th at 6:30pm and runs 6 weeks. To register call Carol by April 9th.
PCCW “No Bake Bake Sale” You will find a pink envelope in your April packet of tithing envelopes for this fundraiser. Your contribution helps to fund the Altar supplies (ie candles, wine, Hosts). If you do not receive envelopes, you can contribute using any envelope. Please mark clearly that it is for the PCCW “No Bake Bake Sale”. For more Parish News, check out our bulletin.
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MASS SCHEDULE
Monday - Friday: 7:00 AM Saturday: 8:00 AM Saturday: 4:30 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 Jean Kaiser 715-503-0118. Click on the image below for more information. 
Stay Connected with Our ParishWelcome 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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