ST. JOHN’S PARISH NEWSLETTER ePistle at www.creighton.edu\stjohns

Omaha’s Jesuit Parish located at Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178

Cornerstone laid 1887—Established as a Parish 1897—Designated a City Landmark 1981

MASS/RECONCILIATION TIMES 402-280-3030

PARISH OFFICE 402-280-3031

Pastor: Fr. Lorn Snow, S.J. 402-280-3262

Associate Pastor: Fr. Phil Amidon, S.J. 402-280-2206

Eucharist:

Monday- Friday 7:00 a.m. Main Church

No Mass during University Breaks

Monday—Friday 12 noon Main Church

Monday—Friday 5:00 p.m. Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ

Monday 9:00 p.m. Main Church**

Tuesday 9:00 p.m. Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ**

Saturday 7:00 a.m. Main Church **

12 Noon Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ

5:00 p.m. Main Church

(Anticipatory)

Sunday 8:00 a.m. Main Church

10:30 a.m. Main Church

4:30 p.m. Main Church**

8:30 p.m. Main Church**

10:00 p.m. Main Church**

**Academic Year Only—dates @www.creighton.edu\stjohns

Adult Faith Formation (Fall and Lenten Series)

Sunday 9:15 a.m. Conf. Room, LSJ

Youth Religious Education

Sunday 9:15—10:15 a.m. LSJ

Reconciliation:

Mon—Fri 12:30—1:00 p.m.

Saturday 4:00—5:00 p.m.

St. John’s Parish Staff Chase Becker

Liturgy Coordinator 402-280-1128

Coco Osborne

Adult Faith Formation cocoosborne@creighton.edu

Julie Carlson

Administrative Assistant 402-280-3031

Kathleen Denne

Business Manager 402-280-2975

Molly Mattingly

Music Director 402-280-2203

Sr. Barb Markey

Pastoral Minister 402-280-1499

Tom Everson

RCIA Coordinator kkad25@cox.net

Vivian Amu

Sacristan 402-280-2786

Jonathan Chiacchere stjohnsreligioused@gmail.com

Youth Religious Ed & Sacramental Prep

Scott Quinn

Youth Group scottquinn@creighton.edu For more detailed information please refer to Parish

Brochure, located at all church entrances.

Shouting with joy, breaking into song and singing praise to the Lord sounds like a great plan until I start listening to the news. That’s when I begin to falter. Reluctance sets in. I waver in the midst of my joyful song. How does one pour joy into a world that seems intent on spreading violence and hate? The wold need our joy and hope. To pour our fear and anger into a world already enslaved in fear and anger is not helpful. Starting today, let’s watch intently for good news. It, too, is all around us. It doesn’t ordinarily receive the coverage it deserves. The good that is being poured out into the world is often overshadowed by the evil Evil spelled backward tells us to live. Let’s find a way to live in joy and hope.

Sr. Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S. B. Living Faith, January, February, March 2017

Used with Permission

January 22, 2017 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; break into song, sing praise.”

(Psalm 98:4)

Saturday 5:00 p.m. Sunday 8:00 a.m. Sunday 10:30 a.m. Sunday 4:30 p.m.

PRESIDER Fr. Hamm, S.J. Fr. Amidon, S.J. Fr. O’Meara, S.J. Fr. Simonds, S.J.

LITURGICAL ASSISTANT Laraine Conway Dick Cleary Ann Cole

ALTAR SERVER Julie Nubel

LECTORS Cathy Pedersen Bob Carlson John O’Keefe TBD

Jim Howard Mary Lou Carlson Kathy O’Keefe

PRAYERS Jane O’Brien Mary Lou Carlson Anna Nubel

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS G. Selk J. Howard D. Cleary C. Nigrelli P. Martin

M.A. Howick B. Carlson K. Tupper R. Wright

E. Wirth M.L. Carlson B. Schmidt

S. Hansen A. Haddad

M. A. McDonald J. Chiacchere

S. & B. Selde J. Tilleman

Liturgical Ministry Schedule— January 28-29, 2017 This schedule can also be accessed at St. John’s website—http://stjohns.creighton.edu

Readings for the week 8:23—9:3 1:10-13, 17 4:12-23

Is 1 Cor Mt

Sunday The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

1/22

9:15, 24-28 3:22-30

Heb Mk

Monday

1/23

10:1-10 3:31-35

Heb Mk

Tuesday 1/24

22:3-16 16:15-18

Acts Mk

Wednesday

1/25

1:1-8 4:21-25

2 Tm Mk

Thursday

1/26

10:32-39 4:26-34

Heb Mk

Friday

1/27

11:1-2, 8-19 4:35-41

Heb Mk

Saturday

1/28

2:3, 3:12-13 1:26-31 5:1-12a

Zep 1 Cor Mt

Sunday Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

1/29

Prayer Requests Dick Miller

Julie L. & Connor L. & Family

Deb P.

M. & J.

S. & S.

J. & S.

Barb M.

Lisa M.

Peggy J.

Chris

Jim

Connie

Veronica

Barb Durant

Renee Kalkowski

Jack Walsh

Colleen Davis & Family

Richard Grimit

Weekly Offering Report

Mass Intentions January 23—28 2017

7:00 AM (Main Church) Monday Mr. & Mrs. Steve Gzehoviak—intentions

Tuesday Mr. & Mrs. Robert Engelmeyer—intentions

Wednesday Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Wilson—intentions

Thursday Mr. & Mrs. Joe Pensick—intentions

Friday Frank Hoing —intention

Saturday

12:00 Noon (Main Church) Monday Patty & Ed Leslie –intentions

Tuesday Mr. & Mrs. Leo Diekemper—intentions

Wednesday Michael Sullivan –deceased

Thursday

Friday Colleen Davis & Family—prayers

Saturday (LSJ’s) Mr. and Mrs. Dan Throener—intentions

5:00 PM (Fr. Halley Chapel, LSJ’s) Monday Clarice Kaup—intention

Tuesday Keith Kucera—intention

Wednesday

Thursday Deceased Members of Ignatian Associates

Friday Charlie Bolton—special intention

The Second Collection this week is for: St. John’s Building Fund

Please be as generous as you are able.

Weekly Budget Goal 7,067.31 Annual Budget Goal 367,500.12

Weekend 1/14-15/2017 5,119.57 Fiscal Year-to-Date Goal 204,951.99

Above (below) weekly goal (1,947.74 Amount Collected YTD 222,581.13

Above (Below) YTD Goal 17,629.14

UPDATE: Meeting Rescheduled

Volunteers Needed—Sick and Homebound

Our parish is in need of volunteers to accompany the sick and homebound. Training for this ministry will be January 29, 2017 at 11:45 a.m. Some of the topics

that will be covered will include the distribution of communion, how to interact with people who may be un-able to communicate, have disabili-ties or who are in hospice. Or, if you are simply interested in learning more, please stop by to ask ques-tions or gather information. Thank you!

St. Johns at Creighton University Consolation Faith Sharing Group:

A Faith based support group for those living with Mental Health illness and those who care for them. The first monthly meeting for those living with mental health concerns will be held on

Sunday January 22nd at 3:00PM in the St. Johns resource room upstairs to the right of the main altar. Individuals with mental health illnesses and family mem-bers are welcome to participate in this faith based support group. Questions or

for more information please contact the

Parish Office at 402 280 3031.

From St. John’s Social Justice Committee: Join OTOC on Wednesday, January 25th at 7pm at the Weitz Community Engagement Center, Room 230 (6400 South, University Drive Road North, Omaha, NE 68182) for a panel discussion about how to protect water quality in proposed light of upstream large-scale livestock processing and production plants. Panelists include the head of the Des Moines Water Works, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and other water quality experts. For more information go to www.OTOC.org.

February Celebrations!

Welcome new parishioners: Robin Springs, John Brown

Wedding Anniversary:

Jane & John Doe 25 years

Welcome Aidan! Born to Jill and John Doe on

January 4

Birthdays

Adele Simpson—80 Years young

From St. John’s Social Justice Committee would like to invite parishioners to attend Omaha

Together One Community house meetings during the month of February. House meetings provide citizens the opportunity to be in conversation with one another about their hopes for our community and to do the work of democracy. Stay tuned for

exact dates, times and locations.

A “Celebration Corner” is being added to the St. John’s newsletter beginning in February. Please allow the St. John’s Community to share in the joy of celebrating a new arrival or milestone birthday, anniversary or jubilee.

Send information to Marjorie Brenna, 402-932-3104, or brennanmarjorie@gmail.com by the 15th of the previous month. Announcements must be made by the parishioner/family being honored. No announcements are accepted on behalf of others.

Please see sample, below:

Leadership Meeting– January 10, 2017

Administration Commission: Communication Committee is part of this commission. Kelly McDonald volunteered to be liaison between commission and Ei-leen worth. New goal: Investigate securing the church.

Worship Commission: Recruiting and implementing Children’s Liturgy of the Word

Community Life Commission: Parish Directory: Call people who are not signed up.

Faith Formation Commission: The need to engage po-tential parish volunteers. Creation of a parish bulletin insert to be disseminated during Lent/Easter in the new newsletter format

Outreach Commission: Gauging interest in a second Day of Service to be held in June or July.

St. John’s Parish Council: Mission Statement development. Liturgist update. New Business: One more student member is needed. Election of new officers: Sean Malloy was elected Secretary. Mike Hoover was elected co-chair. Discussed the Archbishop’s pastoral vision and priorities for the Archdiocese. Doc-

ument to review in fall of 2017. Next meeting will be a prayer service/reflection on April 11.

Food For Thought

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 8:23—9:3 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17 Mt 4:12-23

All Are Welcome …

The prophet, Isaiah writes: … he (Yahweh) has glorified…the District of the Gentiles.” Isaiah repeats this message: “ …he (the messiah) will make glorious …the land (Gentiles) beyond the sea… The people (gentiles, foreigners) who have walked in darkness have seen a great light…. You (gentiles, foreigners) have multiplied the nation (Israel), you have increased its joy.” Words spoken long before Jesus’ time.

In Matthew’s gospel Jesus quotes Isaiah verbatim. At this time Jesus was in the land of the gentiles, a people rejected. Jesus’ message of inclusion is repeated throughout the Bible –people once rejected, degraded and denied are now welcome. Not only welcomed, but they increase our “joy”. They make us richer. Repeatedly the Bible encourages us to welcome the stranger, the one who is different, the countless who are forgotten, discounted or ignored. Paul’s letter speaks of “rivalries among you…each of you is saying “I belong to Paul or….I belong to Christ.” In other words, I belong and you don’t.

I am acceptable and you aren’t. I am favored and you aren’t. Paul asks, “Is Christ divided?”

To be a stranger in a strange land can be challenging, terrifying depending on circumstances. I spent a month on a South Pacific island with our daughter, a Peace Corps volunteer. I wanted to share in her experience. Not to say I was without anxieties heading to a place where cannibalism had been practiced in the near past. There was Christian missionary influence and conversions of sorts. Of the many beautiful, challenging and endearing experiences I will always remember how welcome I was. The Nevi people were extremely curious, but always in joyful, child-like ways. However, I recall the interior disturbance I felt when the village “minister” said to me, “We believe in freedom of reli-gion… you are always welcome in our church as we are always welcome in yours. I hope one day vis-it your church”. Secretly I hoped that would not happen too soon. I was embarrassed. I dreaded the possible rejection this beautiful man could easily encounter in my church. He looked different, spoke differently, ate foods unavailable here. Different in so many ways. Because he was so different he would be difficult to miss, but easy to dismissed. He would expect to be fully welcomed – no re-strictions. As I was welcomed- no restrictions. The Nevi people I encountered had a pureness of heart, an acceptance of things they could not influence –nature, which could be very damaging. They seemed to trust in the best of everyone. We might call them naïve, not so. As a community they were gracious, hardworking and caring of the less fortunate among them – the disabled, sick, dying, orphaned or widowed. All were fed, none homeless and those in need seemingly lovingly cared for. None visibly rejected. Not to paint a totally unbelievable picture – they are human. We share the same faults and foibles.

Merciful forgiveness and generosity shine brightly in us, we are church. Yet, we continue stub-bing our toes on our own humanity. We can be our own worst enemies. Still, we have a faithful, lov-ing, mercifully forgiving God. Christ is not divided among us. All of us belong to Christ!

Good News: Inclusion – a truth ever present, ever new. We profess it, believe it and we even know the words to the song: “All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.”

Amen

Joan Blandin Howard