 | Listen to the homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time from St. John the Baptist Church: Click here to listen |
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 Here we are on a trip to Kalambo Falls, Zambia across the river in the background.
 News from the USCCB:
U.S. Bishops Domestic Justice Chairman Exhorts Senate For More Reasonable Approach on Health Care - In light of uncertainty about how the Senate will proceed on health care in the coming days, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, called on the Senate to fix problems with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a more narrow way, rather than repeal it without an adequate replacement....Read More News from the Pope: Pope to catechists: Be creative - (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent a message to an International Catechetical Symposium which is taking place this week at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in Buenos Aires, and has as its theme “blessed are those who believe”.....Read More News from the Church: Hopes Rise as Yemen Confirms Kidnapped Indian Priest Is ‘Alive’ - Hope and expectation are rising after Yemen confirmed that missionary Salesian Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was kidnapped in Yemen more than a year ago, is “alive.” The heartening news was communicated to the Indian government July 12 by Abdulmalik Abduljalil Al-Mekhlafi, deputy prime minister of Yemen, when he called on Sushma Swaraj, external affairs (foreign) minister of India, in New Delhi......Read more  Vacation Bible School - The week to set aside is July 31st-Aug. 4th. Adult and teen volunteers will be needed and child care will be offered. If you are able to volunteer, please call Heather at 715-897- 1941. Registration forms available in the kiosk in the entrance way.
Tracking Mary: The Queen of Heaven Express is leaving the station! Mysteries and Messages Revealed at Each Stop! Discover how Mary brings us closer to Jesus through the Power of the Rosary! Help us provide an outstanding Vacation Bible School experience for our young people by taking an “ornament” off of our tree (located in the back of church) and either purchase or donate money for the item listed. Please return the item to the box provided or place the money in a marked envelope in the collection by July 26th. Thank you for being a part of helping our children grow in faith.  Praised be Jesus Christ! Do you ever worry about money? Most people do, and contrary to popular belief, materially rich people worry about money at least as much as poor people. We celebrate this week National Natural Family Planning (NFP) week and before you accuse me of non sequitur (i.e. something that does not logically follow), please read on. Thanks to Alice Heinzen, the director of our diocesan marriage and family life office, we have access to remarkable resources that help couples live out their marriage vows (the website is diolc.org). Recently Alice forwarded a link to testimonies given by couples who use NFP and let me tell you how edifying and insightful they were... for example, one husband admitted, “I don’t think it is accidental that most divorces occur over the central agitations of sex and money. Looking back, I’m convinced that trusting in God’s provision in the area of finances, and more slowly in the area of our sexual relationship and openness to children were deeply connected. The issue, in either area, is fundamentally not about correct numbers but about to Whom we entrust our family.” Now the connection between NFP and money becomes more clear – it is about trusting God in every area of our life. Most of us find some aspects easier than others when it comes to truly trusting in God’s Providence. For example, one couple with five kids was considering sterilization because, as the wife admitted, “That teaching doesn’t apply to us, we have five kids.” Later on she and her husband changed their mind and eventually had a sixth child, whom they now love as the apple of their eye. Yes, trusting God in this intimate area is a struggle for human beings, and our Catholic couples are not immune to this challenge. As another husband put it, “Stacy and I understood NFP to be, at bottom, about bringing our whole lives – including our sexuality – into cooperation with God’s plan.” Yes, NFP is challenging because it asks us to trust God in very personal parts of our lives, and this is not easy for us... conversion is never easy. “Better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit.” Yes, NFP is aiming high because it helps married couples to trust in God and to truly do His will. And there are so many fruits for those who are willing to give NFP a try. For example, one husband admitted, “Much to my surprise, I also learned how grateful my wife was that I was willing to learn how her body worked. Sharing the family planning responsibility, as well as finding non-sexual ways of expressing affection and intimacy when we had good reasons to postpone pregnancy, strengthened our marriage and made me a better husband and father.” And while there are many other reasons to recommend NFP, the fact that only 1% of NFP couples end in divorce beautifully validates Jesus’ statement that “you will know them by their fruits.” NFP does demand more of the couples that practice it, but it’s a burden that is not born alone, as Jennifer and John Campbell testify: “Unlike artificial contraception – which usually places full burden of family planning on the woman – NFP promotes shared responsibility of the fertility of both the husband and wife. It lends a spirit of togetherness to a marriage.” Yes, we live in a fallen world that sees many people doing what everybody else is doing but expecting different results. But for those who follow the Catholic Church’s teaching about marital intimacy, they often discover joy in somewhat surprising places. Our last testimony comes from a wife, who had this to say: “One of the things that really happens through living with NFP over the years is that you are awakened and realize how wonderful children are, that they are truly gifts from God. NFP has seen me through the journey from fear to acceptance, to a great joy in my fertility.” May God bless all marriages with greater trust in His Providence, for them and their families! Your friend in Christ, Father Martin  Parish Pull report: Thank God for the most glorious evening one could hope for as we hosted our 5th annual Parish Pull on July 14th. The crowd was the biggest ever (as well as the hungriest and thirstiest) and our valiant and generous volunteers were once again up to the challenge. I am so proud of all the generosity and joy I saw displayed by our volunteers in making this an event that truly draws our community closer together. Though we do not yet have the final numbers, I hope that we’ll be able to donate around $30,000.00 to Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Family Shelter. Please say a prayer in gratitude to God and His co-workers who made this yet again a wonderful event.
Save the date: August 8th is the 2nd Annual Vocations Dinner at Our Lady of Peace. Mass is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. with a social at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. What makes this such a wonderful event is the chance to meet some of our seminarians. You should have received an invitation in the mail. I hope to see many of you there! Come celebrate with us the Eucharist including the Sacrament of the Sick on Wednesday, July 26th at 9:00am. We extend a special invitation to the sick and homebound who feel well enough to come. Transportation to and from St. John’s will again be available. Please call the parish office 715-384-3252 ext. 2, Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 5:00pm if you would like a ride to Church for this occasion or if you wish to volunteer to drive. Mission Team 2017 Trip to Tanzania: Join us as we pray: From Fr. Martin: "This pilgrimage is in the hands of the Lord - it will be what He wants it to be. May we, by our prayers and sacrifices, be disposed to receive what God wants to give us through the Sisters and the many other people we will meet.” From Sister Sabina: "God of all courage, help us to walk alongside our sisters and brothers in Tanzania as they struggle to feed their families and live their faith. We know you hear the cry of the poor and call on us to live out your desire for charity. May we, through prayer and action, show your love for the people in need around the world as we share our bread with the hungry. In Jesus’ name who shared bread with the hungry and gave hope to those in despair.
 The brand new SOLQA office building, almost complete, where we stayed in Sumbawanga. Hot water came to us in a bucket! Beautiful grounds, Mass, sisters who truly want to know your heart!!  Stacey introduces herself to the fabulous, beautiful, enthusiastic girls of St. Theresia School.  Sweet dancers at the St Martin de Poores Orphanage.
Many wonderful stories to tell!! Truly a holy group of dynamic women!! We are so blessed to be here! All has gone well!  Began at 3 am, with flight to Mwzana! Delightful coffee in airport café, then onto Mwanza in Fast Jet airlines. Immediate notables: drier air, arid terrain, modest tin roofs homes dot the rocky hills (smooth igneous rocks). Down the stairs to bus to open air “terminal” with baggage claim under roof only. The sisters were their smiling selves, greeting us with blue and white ribbon leis and kangas with “Tumsifu mungu wa milele” Praise God Everywhere. The ride on poorly paved road gave way to even bumpier dirt road for the majority of the way to Divine Mercy Convent , streets lined with one story store fronts/stands selling shoes, fruit, cassava, pots, anything to make a go of engaging in the economy, lots of men on groups on side of road- unemployment! Pulled over to avoid deep valleys in the road-shocks will be shot quickly! Dust. Colorful batik dresses, women carrying the goods for the daily life on top as they walk, bikes bundled with sacks of coal for the men.
 News from the USCCB:
U.S. Bishops Chairman Urges Administration to Raise Cap on Refugee Admissions - This week, U.S. refugee admissions reached the historically low cap of 50,000 refugees allowed to be resettled in the United States for Fiscal Year 2017, as set forth by the Administration's March 6th Executive Order 13780. Executive Order 13780 altered the initial Fiscal Year 2017 Presidential Determination which authorized the resettlement of 110,000 refugees into the United States. Currently there are approximately 22.5 million refugees seeking protection globally.....Read More News from the Pope: Pope endorses campaign to put 'Laudato Sì' into action - (Vatican Radio) Following the 2nd anniversary of the publication of his encyclical “Laudato Sì – On Care of our Common Home”, Pope Francis has endorsed a pledge campaign that aims to mobilize at least 1 million people to directly engage in turning the encyclical’s message into action.....Read More News from the Church: Tens of Thousands Rally in Dublin to Keep Ireland Pro-Life - The 2017 All Ireland Rally for Life, which took place in Dublin on July 1, exceeded all expectations in what organizers here were quick to dub “an amazing day.” Speaking to EWTN News Ireland shortly afterwards, event organizer Niamh Uí Bhriain from The Life Institute said, “It was just such an amazing day, amazing to see tens of thousands of people out to save the Eighth (pro-life) Amendment and to send a really strong message to (Taoiseach/Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar that the Irish people, the pro-life majority have awoken and they have arisen and they are going to save the Eighth Amendment because we have to provide a better answer than abortion for mothers and babies.”.....Read more |
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
Monday: 6:30 - 6:50 AM & 7:30-8:30 AM Tuesday–Thursday: 6:30 - 6:50 AM Friday: 6:30 - 6:50 AM & 7:00-8:00 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 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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