THE GOOD NEWSVolume 19, Number 1 January/February 2021 Good Shepherd Cluster 313 W. Court Street New Hampton, Iowa 50659 Phone: 641-394-2105

Office Hours: Monday-Thursday

8 am-4:30 pm Friday 8 am-noon

DearBrothersandSistersinChrist,Inthislatesteditionofthe‘GoodNews’thereareupdatesonsomeofthemanythingsstillhappening at Good Shepherd Cluster. For all of the things that have been modiBied orcancelled in the year 2020, we have still managed to do quite a lot in our churches, St.JosephSchool,St.John’s,andinourfaithformationprograms.Ihavesomuchgratitudeforourstaff, teachers,catechists,andvolunteersthathavegoneaboveandbeyondto furtherourmissionwhilebeingvigilanttokeeppeoplesafeandhealthy.Let’sprayformanymoreopportunitiestosafelygatherin2021forworship,service,education,andspiritualgrowth. TheannualHolyFamilySoupFestivalwillhaveanalternativelookin2021. WearestillBinalizingsomeoftheplans.PleasewatchforamailinginJanuarywiththedetails.Also,Iwouldliketoremindyouwhowouldliketomakeanycontributionstoyourparish,school, or cemetery for the 2020 Biscal year, we must receive your contribution (or bepostmarked)byThursday,December31.Thankyouverymuchforyourcontributionsandgenerosity especiallyduring such a challenging year. MayGodbless and rewardyou foryourkindness.Pleasecontinuetousecautionwhencomingtochurchincoldorwinteryweather.Pleasestaysafeandmonitoryourownhealthinchoosingwhetherornottogotochurch.Duringaglobalpandemic,evenmerecoldsymptomsareenoughtohaveagoodreasontostayhome.Andwhencomingtochurchpleaseusegoodhygiene,avoidtouchingyourface,useafacecoveringwhenyoumaycome intocontactwithothers,maintainasafedistance,etc. Wehaveseenhowquicklyandeasily thiscanspreadwhenwe letourguarddown. Also, if Iwere to come downwith symptoms or have potential exposure,Massesmay need to becancelledwithoutmuchnotice. Sopleasebepreparedandunderstandingshouldthatbenecessary.I’mlookingforwardtocelebratingtheChristmasseasonwithyouandIpraythatGodwillbless each of you and your families in the year aheadwith health and goodness. I feelprivileged to bewelcomed into some of your homes, even if only bymeans of YouTube.Moreimportantly,pleasewelcometheLordintoyourhomesandyourheartsatthistimeofyearandaskHimtostaywithyoualways.

Fr.Dellaert

St. Joseph Community School’s Distinguished Graduate 2020

Sr. Lucia grew up as Marie Catherine Patricia Schwickerath; the third oldest daughter of seven children born to farmers Herman and Katie in New Hampton. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School graduating in 1952. She attended New Hampton High School and went on to St. Catherine’s College in St. Paul, MN where she graduated with a BA in Music and Education in 1962. She furthered her education with a MA in Sacred Music and Liturgy from DePaul University of Chicago and St. Joseph’s, Rensselaer, IN. She received a Certificate in Counseling and Spiritual Direction from Aquinas College in Dubuque in 1976 and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from the Indiana University of Philanthropy in Indianapolis in 2006. In 1957 she entered St. Paul’s Monastery followed by novitiate, temporary vows and took Final Vows as a Sister of St. Benedict of St. Paul’s Monastery in 1964, celebrating 60 years of Religious Life in 2019. As her niece, Tonya Scott says, “Sr. Lucia has been the outward expression of the faith that my grandmother Katie Schwickerath, lived and taught to her children and grandchildren. Lucia continues to be a beacon of faith to guide our family, her sisters in vocation, and all those she serves. She provides strength in times of need and reassurance that our faith will lead us to everlasting life.”

Congratulations, Sr. Lucia!

O de ce eb a ed Ve e a Da a a e f a . F a g he Ve e a

Me a , a g ec a ec a d g ge he a de . Tha

Ve e a - e a ec a e a d e ce!

We ce eb a ed W d K d e Da N e be 13 h.

O 4 h g ade ef f g e a d he ch a d e

h ed D . K be Ba f he d e . She ha bee

g ac ead g g d g Sch Ma e h ea !

We e e ab e h a g

f f ec a f a a T e Ba e ba ga e,

b e d d ec d each g ade g g he be h !

He e a e a c e f 1 g ade e g a a e ac ! Lea g h c a d e a e f d ac ca ha d - ea g.

I g e ac ce h f e a e a a h a d f ha

ba e . a e ce!! :)

Good Shepherd Parishioners,

As we begin 2021, many of us are looking to get back to normal after the holiday season. Granted, “normal” is more or less a relative term these days. There are always decorations to box up, trees to take down, last minute cards to send, and awaiting the inevitable post-Christmas credit card bill lurking in the mail. Yet, even as we stack, clean, and store we are reminded of the hope, joy, and wonder that Christmas brings. Promises of peace and good will for all-even in the midst of our tumultuous times. Promises so wonderful, it would be a shame to simply box them away for another year.

As we conclude the Christmas Season on The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (January 10th), we move back into the Season of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is a Season ordered toward deeper knowledge, love, and service to the Lord, guided by the words and actions of Christ in the Gospel. Ordinary Time is an opportunity for us to further our experience of the Incarnation (The mystery of God becoming man) into our normal daily lives. Ordinary Time is an opportunity for us to continue the spirit of wonder, joy, and peace from Christmas into the days, weeks, and months beyond using the gifts and talents God has given us!

In 2021, let us make this resolution our new normal: to keep the spirit of Christmas (the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation) alive throughout the year. Let us be people of hope, joy, and wonder in all that we think, do, and say throughout the entire year-not for a single season. Let us avoid the temptation to keep our faith boxed away with the lights and decorations, and instead display it for all the world to see!

God Bless,

Brian McGee Director of Faith Formation

Dear Friends in Faith,

Second quarter is well underway. Much like the first, our youth are focused on reviewing the Sacraments and diving deep in their understanding of various relationships. Thankfully, we were able to have our junior class receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. A collage has been made for each of our twenty-four candidates, since a group photo was not permitted. This group of juniors has been one of the kindest classes I've been blessed to teach in my four years at St. John School of Religion. I pray they never lose sight of that and that they will continue to grow further in their personal relationship with Christ.

Flashing forward to summer, our parish is planning to participate in a mission trip with Catholic Heart Work Camp to Kansas City, KS during July 11-17. This is something we will tread lightly into, as so much still remains uncertain. We will be having several "social distant friendly" fundraisers in the near future. Be sure to check the bulletin or our parish Facebook pages for specific details.

Stay Healthy & Stay Blessed, ~Amanda Husak St. John's Coordinator

Stewardship needs report July 1, 2020-December 13, 2020 (24 weeks)

Projection Actual Difference Holy Family $11,383.65 x 24 weeks $273,207.60 $252,084.88 -$21,122.72 St. Boniface $754.25 x 24 weeks $ 18,102.00 $ 17,530.00 -$ 572.00 Immaculate Conception $964.87 x 24 weeks $ 23,156.88 $ 17,942.84 -$ 5,214.04

By Deacon Vic DeSloover “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15-9

Relationships between friends and family depend entirely on their love for one another. What value is there in riches when there is no love between a husband and his wife, or a parent and their children? And, what value is there in the knowledge and fervor of God’s work without the knowledge and experience of God’s love? The one thing you need to know when you have a relationship with God is to know by experience how much God loves you, and learn how to pass on that love. Think about these words of Christ, “As the Father has love me, so I have loved you.” What a wonderful love! The same love that he had for the Father, Jesus now gives as a gift to his children. He longs to see this unconditional love rest upon us and work within us, so that we can remain with him day after day. Do you ever stop and realize that whenever you have a close relationship with God you are surrounded by His love every single day. Let this sink into your heart. It is time for you to realize that the greatest happiness of your life is in knowing that Christ loves you and that his Spirit will remain in you.

CLUSTER PICTURE DIRECTORY

Lifetouch has shared with us that all directories will be shipped by the end of

January.

AMAZON SMILE PROGRAM

The below information was taken directly from the Amazon website…. What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from over one million organizations to support. How much of my purchase does Amazon donate? The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details. How do I shop at AmazonSmile? To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations? Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible. Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile? Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same. How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile? On your first visit to AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. We will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. What charities can I choose from? You can choose from over one million eligible 501(c)(3) public charitable organizations. St Joseph Community School is listed as Holy Family Church and School, New Hampton IA. Can I change my charity? Yes, you can change your charity any time. Your AmazonSmile purchases after the change count towards your newly selected charity. To change your charity, sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser and simply select “Change your Charity” in “Your Account.” Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile? Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you.

CASEY’S REWARDS

Are you a Casey’s Rewards member? Would you like to donate your Rewards to Saint Joseph Community School? If so, here are the instructions on how to do so:

• Go to www.caseys.com. Select Rewards at the top of the page. • Sign-in to your Casey’s Rewards program. • Select Redeem Points. It is located under your total points. • Select Cash for Classroom. There will be a Cash for Classroom box. Select “Learn more”. • Enter zip code “50659” in the Find a School box. Enter. • A list of schools in the “50659” zip code will appear. Select Saint Joseph Community School. • Select “Support this School”. It will ask you to confirm your wish. Select “Support”. • Select “Donate”. • Your available points will appear and give

you your options for how to redeem your points

• Select “Cash for Classrooms”. Note the red check mark:

• Select how many points you want to redeem (increments of 50). As you move the white dot, the amount

of your donation will change. • Select “Redeem ****** Points”. • A box will appear asking you to confirm your choice. Select “Confirm”. • A box will appear thanking you for your donation. • Your balance screen will show the amount of donations you wish to donate to Saint Joseph Community

School.

• Your donation will be sent to Saint Joseph Community School. When you return to your Casey’s Rewards, Saint Joseph Community School will be listed as your school of choice. The next time you want to donate your rewards to Saint Joseph Community School, you will not have to go through the first nine steps.

Thank you!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BINGO Knights of Columbus, New Hampton Council 1697 would like to keep our potential Bingo Supporting Community informed. We are suspending Bingo until further notice.

**All dates are tentative Fri-Jan 1 9 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Jan 2 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm St. Boniface Mass Sun-Jan 3 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass 11:30 am Holy Family Spanish Mass Tue-Jan 5 5:15 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Wed-Jan 6

6:30 pm-Catechist In-Service @ Holy Family

Fri-Jan 8 8:30 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Jan 9 4 pm Holy Family Mass

6 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Sun-Jan 10 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass 11 am RCIA @ Holy Family Tue-Jan 12 5:15 pm St. Boniface Mass Wed-Jan 13

6:30 pm Faith Formation @ Holy Family Fri-Jan 15 8:30 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Jan 16 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm St. Boniface Mass Sun-Jan 17 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass Mon-Jan 18 6:30 pm First Eucharist Parent Meeting @ Holy Family Tue-Jan 19 5:15 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Wed-Jan 20

6:30 pm Faith Formation @ Holy Family Fri-Jan 22 8:30 am Holy Family Mass

Sat-Jan 23 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Sun-Jan 24 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass 11 am RCIA @ Holy Family Tue-Jan 26 5:15 pm St. Boniface Mass Wed-Jan 27 6:30 pm Faith Formation @ Holy Family Fri-Jan 29 8:30 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Jan 30 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm St. Boniface Mass Sun-Jan 31 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass 11 am RCIA @ Holy Family Pre Cana Day @ Holy Family

**All dates are tentative Tue-Feb 2

5:15 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Wed-Feb 3 6:30 pm-Faith Formation @ Holy Family Fri-Feb 5 8:30 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Feb 6 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Sun-Feb 7 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass Tue-Feb 9 5:15 pm St. Boniface Mass Wed-Feb10 6:30 pm-Faith Formation @ Holy FamilyFri-Feb 12 8:30 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Feb 13 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm St. Boniface Mass Sun-Feb 14 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass 11 am RCIA @ Holy Family 11:30 am Holy Family Spanish Mass Tue-Feb 16 5:15 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Wed-Feb 17-Ash Wednesday Day of Fasting 7 am Holy Family Mass 8:30 am Holy Family Mass 6 pm Holy Family Spanish Prayer Service 6:30 pm St. Boniface Mass Fri-Feb 19 8:30 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Feb 20 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm Immaculate Conception Mass Sun-Feb 21 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass RCIA Rite of Sending

Tue-Feb 23 5:15 pm St. Boniface Mass Wed-Feb 24 6:30 pm Faith Formation @ Holy Family Fri-Feb 26 8:30 am Holy Family Mass Sat-Feb 27 4 pm Holy Family Mass 6 pm St. Boniface Mass Sun-Feb 28 8 am Holy Family Mass 10 am Holy Family Mass 11 am RCIA @ Holy Family