St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church has been serving the Catholic community of Park Falls, Wisconsin for over one hundred years.
January 18, 2022
Dear Northwoods Catholic Community parishioners,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone is healthy and doing well in this New Year 2022. May God continue to bless each one of us abundantly throughout the year. Let us continue to pray for the end of the pandemic, COVID-19, and the new variants. First, I would like to thank every one of you, for keeping the faith alive in this difficult time. We are living in a difficult time, but we do all necessary precautions for the Mass and other parish activities. Council of Catholic Women at St. Anthony and St. Francis had their holiday fair and Immaculate Conception had their quilt raffle after a year of a break due to a pandemic. Knights of Columbus in Butternut did their raffle and in Park Falls they are having their pork and dumplings on February 5th from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. This year they are having a drive-up and carry-out. So those who don’t want to come and sit down, still could support them and enjoy the pork and dumplings. Thank you for caring for each other and following all the precautions to be safe in this time of uncertainty. A special thanks to everyone who stepped forward to do the different ministries in this difficult time.
Update on St. Anthony School: As I mentioned in my previous letters, our goal is to come up with a viable plan for the school building before our celebration of the Feast of St. Anthony and the 100th Year Anniversary of the School building on June 4, 2022. There have been several development groups that have looked at the building, but we have only one purchase agreement received. They would like to turn the building into apartments. At this point we have two options for the school building: sell the building for one dollar or reopen the school. I told all those who asked about the possibility of reopening the school that we need to find two things: how many young families want to send children and how many people are willing to support financially?
Last month you received a survey to explore the idea of reopening the St. Anthony School. So far 57 families participated in the survey. In 57 families, 28 of them express the desire to reopen the school. 24 families answered no and the rest of them are undecided. In 27 families, 12 of them are younger families with children. We have 18 children who want to enroll in St. Anthony school. There are people who have made promises of over a million dollars if we come up with a viable plan. It is a good start, but it is not enough. If we need to accomplish this goal, we need more younger families and donors to come forward. A big thank you to all those who responded, it is much appreciated. We would like to hear from everyone.
The question is what would we like to see? Whatever your answer, support the reopening of the school or selling the building for one dollar and turning it into apartments or doing something else, we would like to hear from everyone. Please fill out the survey and mail it to the parish office or drop it in the collection basket. We need to hear from you by February 3rd. So, we will have the results of the survey when the 100 Year Anniversary committee meets on February 3rd and for the next council meeting on February 10. We are hoping to make our final recommendation to the Bishop and the corporate board.
Name____________________________________________________________
Email Address_____________________________________________________
Parish____________________________________________________________
Would you be interested in St. Anthony's School re-opening?
__Yes __No __Maybe
Would you be interested in sending your children to St. Anthony's School if the school reopened?
__Yes __No __No/No children
If you would be interested in sending your children to St. Anthony's School, let us know the grade levels for the 2022/2023 academic year: (*If the school reopens, a minimum of 10 students per grade are needed to operate each grade.)
Daycare (currently operating)
____3K ___2nd Grade ___4K ___3rd Grade
____Kindergarten ____4th Grade 1st Grade ___5th Grade
Other grades_______________________________________
If you are interested in sending your children to St. Anthony's School, are you comfortable with a tuition rate of $2,000 per student (discount for 3+ children in the same family)?
____Yes _____No
We qualify for the school choice program (no tuition). https://schoolchoicewi.org/enroll-in-a-school-choice-program/?fbclid=IwAR1hPxfJ-L7F82XeCzjdhWU0v7RBeeNXMQsusNhTjQhywtf2XyYi6elu9ik
Enroll In A School Choice Program - School Choice Wisconsin
For over 30 years, The Jaeger family has found a wellspring of community and opportunity at Trinity Freistadt in Mequon, WI. Their children attend the school which is connected to a ministry with a heritage that reaches back to 1839.
schoolchoicewi.org
Would you be interested in supporting St. Anthony's School reopening through volunteering or fundraising?
____Yes ____No
Other comment or ideas__________________________________________________________
Synod on Synodality: Last year we received an invitation from Pope Francis to join us to prepare for Synod 2023. In October 2021 Bishop James Powers inaugurated the process of preparing for the Synod 2023 in our Diocese. Pope Francis emphasizes three keywords for the Synod: communion, participation, and mission. Bishop James Powers invites each cluster to gather in prayer and discussion to respond to the Pope’s invitation. Northwoods Catholic Communities is planning to gather on Saturday, February 19 from 8:30 am to 11:00 am at Padua Center, Park Falls. In case the weather doesn't permit us to gather on February 19, we have a second date Saturday, February 26. I join parish and finance councils to invite each and every one of you to participate in this gathering. If you could call the office at 715-762-4494 (SA) or 715-769-3644 (IC) and give the number of family members participating it will help us to organize. In case you couldn’t call us, still, you are invited. We will be prepared for extra settings and materials.
Family of Faith: As I mentioned in my previous letters, at St. Anthony, we are using a beautiful program called "Family of Faith.” It is a family program, which is designed for adults and children. This year's theme is the “Sacraments.” I would like to invite the entire cluster to join the Family of Faith on the first Wednesday of the month. The first class will be every first Wednesday of the month at 5 pm or 7 pm at St. Anthony Church. We have two sessions to accommodate everyone. For some, 5 pm will be too early, for others, 7 pm will be too late. Please mark your calendar every first Wednesday of the month whatever time fits in your schedule. Let us learn together, so we will be able to share our faith with our children, grandchildren, family, or other people and celebrate our faith beautifully. We will have different speakers every first Wednesday of the month to make it more attractive. Please bring a friend with you.
Once again thank you everyone, for celebrating our faith and sharing gifts, time, and talents. You make differences in each of our parishes. May God continue to bless us in this New Year 2022!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Shaji Joseph Pazhukkathara
Dear Northwoods Catholic Community parishioners,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone is healthy and doing well in this New Year 2022. May God continue to bless each one of us abundantly throughout the year. Let us continue to pray for the end of the pandemic, COVID-19, and the new variants. First, I would like to thank every one of you, for keeping the faith alive in this difficult time. We are living in a difficult time, but we do all necessary precautions for the Mass and other parish activities. Council of Catholic Women at St. Anthony and St. Francis had their holiday fair and Immaculate Conception had their quilt raffle after a year of a break due to a pandemic. Knights of Columbus in Butternut did their raffle and in Park Falls they are having their pork and dumplings on February 5th from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm. This year they are having a drive-up and carry-out. So those who don’t want to come and sit down, still could support them and enjoy the pork and dumplings. Thank you for caring for each other and following all the precautions to be safe in this time of uncertainty. A special thanks to everyone who stepped forward to do the different ministries in this difficult time.
Update on St. Anthony School: As I mentioned in my previous letters, our goal is to come up with a viable plan for the school building before our celebration of the Feast of St. Anthony and the 100th Year Anniversary of the School building on June 4, 2022. There have been several development groups that have looked at the building, but we have only one purchase agreement received. They would like to turn the building into apartments. At this point we have two options for the school building: sell the building for one dollar or reopen the school. I told all those who asked about the possibility of reopening the school that we need to find two things: how many young families want to send children and how many people are willing to support financially?
Last month you received a survey to explore the idea of reopening the St. Anthony School. So far 57 families participated in the survey. In 57 families, 28 of them express the desire to reopen the school. 24 families answered no and the rest of them are undecided. In 27 families, 12 of them are younger families with children. We have 18 children who want to enroll in St. Anthony school. There are people who have made promises of over a million dollars if we come up with a viable plan. It is a good start, but it is not enough. If we need to accomplish this goal, we need more younger families and donors to come forward. A big thank you to all those who responded, it is much appreciated. We would like to hear from everyone.
The question is what would we like to see? Whatever your answer, support the reopening of the school or selling the building for one dollar and turning it into apartments or doing something else, we would like to hear from everyone. Please fill out the survey and mail it to the parish office or drop it in the collection basket. We need to hear from you by February 3rd. So, we will have the results of the survey when the 100 Year Anniversary committee meets on February 3rd and for the next council meeting on February 10. We are hoping to make our final recommendation to the Bishop and the corporate board.
Name____________________________________________________________
Email Address_____________________________________________________
Parish____________________________________________________________
Would you be interested in St. Anthony's School re-opening?
__Yes __No __Maybe
Would you be interested in sending your children to St. Anthony's School if the school reopened?
__Yes __No __No/No children
If you would be interested in sending your children to St. Anthony's School, let us know the grade levels for the 2022/2023 academic year: (*If the school reopens, a minimum of 10 students per grade are needed to operate each grade.)
Daycare (currently operating)
____3K ___2nd Grade ___4K ___3rd Grade
____Kindergarten ____4th Grade 1st Grade ___5th Grade
Other grades_______________________________________
If you are interested in sending your children to St. Anthony's School, are you comfortable with a tuition rate of $2,000 per student (discount for 3+ children in the same family)?
____Yes _____No
We qualify for the school choice program (no tuition). https://schoolchoicewi.org/enroll-in-a-school-choice-program/?fbclid=IwAR1hPxfJ-L7F82XeCzjdhWU0v7RBeeNXMQsusNhTjQhywtf2XyYi6elu9ik
Enroll In A School Choice Program - School Choice Wisconsin
For over 30 years, The Jaeger family has found a wellspring of community and opportunity at Trinity Freistadt in Mequon, WI. Their children attend the school which is connected to a ministry with a heritage that reaches back to 1839.
schoolchoicewi.org
Would you be interested in supporting St. Anthony's School reopening through volunteering or fundraising?
____Yes ____No
Other comment or ideas__________________________________________________________
Synod on Synodality: Last year we received an invitation from Pope Francis to join us to prepare for Synod 2023. In October 2021 Bishop James Powers inaugurated the process of preparing for the Synod 2023 in our Diocese. Pope Francis emphasizes three keywords for the Synod: communion, participation, and mission. Bishop James Powers invites each cluster to gather in prayer and discussion to respond to the Pope’s invitation. Northwoods Catholic Communities is planning to gather on Saturday, February 19 from 8:30 am to 11:00 am at Padua Center, Park Falls. In case the weather doesn't permit us to gather on February 19, we have a second date Saturday, February 26. I join parish and finance councils to invite each and every one of you to participate in this gathering. If you could call the office at 715-762-4494 (SA) or 715-769-3644 (IC) and give the number of family members participating it will help us to organize. In case you couldn’t call us, still, you are invited. We will be prepared for extra settings and materials.
Family of Faith: As I mentioned in my previous letters, at St. Anthony, we are using a beautiful program called "Family of Faith.” It is a family program, which is designed for adults and children. This year's theme is the “Sacraments.” I would like to invite the entire cluster to join the Family of Faith on the first Wednesday of the month. The first class will be every first Wednesday of the month at 5 pm or 7 pm at St. Anthony Church. We have two sessions to accommodate everyone. For some, 5 pm will be too early, for others, 7 pm will be too late. Please mark your calendar every first Wednesday of the month whatever time fits in your schedule. Let us learn together, so we will be able to share our faith with our children, grandchildren, family, or other people and celebrate our faith beautifully. We will have different speakers every first Wednesday of the month to make it more attractive. Please bring a friend with you.
Once again thank you everyone, for celebrating our faith and sharing gifts, time, and talents. You make differences in each of our parishes. May God continue to bless us in this New Year 2022!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Shaji Joseph Pazhukkathara
September 28, 2021
Dear Northwoods Catholic Community parishioners,
Happy Fall! I am sure everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall season and watching out for beautiful fall colors, the painting from God. First, I would like to thank you, everyone, for keeping the faith alive in this difficult time. I know there are still people not able to be back to Church due to health reasons. We are living in a difficult time. Thank you for caring for each other and following all the precautions to be safe in this time of uncertainty. A special thanks to everyone who stepped forward to do the different ministries in this difficult time.
Our children are back to school, and we will be starting our religious education program soon. We will be taking all the measures to keep everyone safe, at the same time, we need to celebrate our faith with a grateful heart and not necessarily live-in fear either. Last academic year, we started a new program for religious education at St. Anthony's. It is called Family of Faith. Due to COVID-19, once a month, we had a religious education program for the entire family. Then parents taught the class for the rest of the month at home. At the end of the year parents mentioned it was a great opportunity to refresh their faith, but it was a little too much to have class at home. So, this year, we are going to have a religious education program at St. Anthony every week, but at the same time, we are going to have every first Wednesday of the month for the parents and entire cluster. At Immaculate Conception, our younger children will be released from school for religious education. Our youth will have class in the evening.
As I mentioned above, at St. Anthony, we are using a beautiful program called "Family of Faith.” It is a family program, which is designed for adults and children. This year's theme is the “Sacraments.” I would like to invite the entire cluster to join the Family of Faith on the first Wednesday of every month. The first class will be on October 6 at 5 pm or 7 pm at Padua Center. We have two sessions to accommodate everyone. For some, 5 pm will be too early, for others, 7 pm will be too late. Please mark your calendar. We will have different speakers every first Wednesday of the month to make it more attractive. Some of your family or friends may not practice the faith, invite them to learn faith with you. New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew our relationship with Jesus Christ. I hope to see you, everyone, on October 6 at 5 pm or 7 pm session! Be there or be square.
We have two lay leaders of prayers in their training. Mary Ryback from Immaculate Conception and Jim Litwaitis from St. Anthony. Most of you may remember the old bell which was in the St. Anthony school building. We are in the process of restoring and bringing it to place in front of the Church. It is a great treasure to preserve.
Month of October is approaching us fast. St. Francis Church will be celebrating the feast of patron, Saint Francis on Sunday, October 3rd at 11:00 a.m. Mass. There will be a blessing of animals after
the Mass and luncheon will follow. Month of October is the month of Rosary, also it is Respect Life month. Before the weekend Mass, all three parishes in our cluster will pray the Rosary. Please come half an hour early and join for the Rosary. First Sunday of the month, at Immaculate Conception and St. Anthony we will be rededicating the tombstone for the unborn babies. During the month of October each weekend we will pray a different theme, such as: 1. for unborn babies, pregnant mothers, and the dignity of life from womb to tomb; 2. inclusion-the idea of inclusion started with including people with disabilities in our faith celebration. I think these days, in every aspect of our life, we need an open mind and heart to accept and respect life; 3. World Mission Sunday; 4. for the victims of domestic violence.
It is a historical moment in the life of the St. Anthony Catholic Parish community. The cornerstone for St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and School, the landmark of Park Falls, was laid on September 4, 1921. The new St. Anthony Church and School building was completed and Blessed in the Fall 1922. We all painfully remember the closing of the school in 2017. Since then, we are constantly talking about the future of the building. Many people came and looked at the building, for apartments, community center, YMCA and so on. So far, we haven't made a final decision, we are still open to new ideas. In August St. Anthony Parish and Finance Council meeting, we came up with a plan to celebrate the historic 100th anniversary of our original Church and school building. The closing of the historic celebration of 100th anniversary will be next June 2022 in conjunction with Feast of St. Anthony. We are planning to collect historical pictures, and history of the original Church and School building for the celebration and have an open house. We are also planning to have a pictorial directory of the parish and include all the history of St. Anthony Church and School. If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please call Fr. Shaji at 715-762-4494 Ext. 2. If you have creative ideas for our school building and are willing to join for the planning, we are open to listen and take it to further discussion. Our goal is to make the best decision for our school building by the centennial celebration in June 2022. Our first request is your prayer. Stay tuned for further info!
Last weekend in August, all our three parishes kicked-off our Catholic Service Appeal (CSA) for the year 2021-2022. The goal for each parish is as follows: St. Anthony $38,873.00; Immaculate Conception $10,543.00; and St. Francis $4,073.00. If all of us participate we can reach the goal. There is no gift that is too small or too big.
I would like to say again a thank you to all of you for celebrating faith and supporting our parishes financially. Please don't forget to mark your calendar for October 6, for Family of Faith.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr.Shaji Joseph Pazhukkathara
Happy Fall! I am sure everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall season and watching out for beautiful fall colors, the painting from God. First, I would like to thank you, everyone, for keeping the faith alive in this difficult time. I know there are still people not able to be back to Church due to health reasons. We are living in a difficult time. Thank you for caring for each other and following all the precautions to be safe in this time of uncertainty. A special thanks to everyone who stepped forward to do the different ministries in this difficult time.
Our children are back to school, and we will be starting our religious education program soon. We will be taking all the measures to keep everyone safe, at the same time, we need to celebrate our faith with a grateful heart and not necessarily live-in fear either. Last academic year, we started a new program for religious education at St. Anthony's. It is called Family of Faith. Due to COVID-19, once a month, we had a religious education program for the entire family. Then parents taught the class for the rest of the month at home. At the end of the year parents mentioned it was a great opportunity to refresh their faith, but it was a little too much to have class at home. So, this year, we are going to have a religious education program at St. Anthony every week, but at the same time, we are going to have every first Wednesday of the month for the parents and entire cluster. At Immaculate Conception, our younger children will be released from school for religious education. Our youth will have class in the evening.
As I mentioned above, at St. Anthony, we are using a beautiful program called "Family of Faith.” It is a family program, which is designed for adults and children. This year's theme is the “Sacraments.” I would like to invite the entire cluster to join the Family of Faith on the first Wednesday of every month. The first class will be on October 6 at 5 pm or 7 pm at Padua Center. We have two sessions to accommodate everyone. For some, 5 pm will be too early, for others, 7 pm will be too late. Please mark your calendar. We will have different speakers every first Wednesday of the month to make it more attractive. Some of your family or friends may not practice the faith, invite them to learn faith with you. New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew our relationship with Jesus Christ. I hope to see you, everyone, on October 6 at 5 pm or 7 pm session! Be there or be square.
We have two lay leaders of prayers in their training. Mary Ryback from Immaculate Conception and Jim Litwaitis from St. Anthony. Most of you may remember the old bell which was in the St. Anthony school building. We are in the process of restoring and bringing it to place in front of the Church. It is a great treasure to preserve.
Month of October is approaching us fast. St. Francis Church will be celebrating the feast of patron, Saint Francis on Sunday, October 3rd at 11:00 a.m. Mass. There will be a blessing of animals after
the Mass and luncheon will follow. Month of October is the month of Rosary, also it is Respect Life month. Before the weekend Mass, all three parishes in our cluster will pray the Rosary. Please come half an hour early and join for the Rosary. First Sunday of the month, at Immaculate Conception and St. Anthony we will be rededicating the tombstone for the unborn babies. During the month of October each weekend we will pray a different theme, such as: 1. for unborn babies, pregnant mothers, and the dignity of life from womb to tomb; 2. inclusion-the idea of inclusion started with including people with disabilities in our faith celebration. I think these days, in every aspect of our life, we need an open mind and heart to accept and respect life; 3. World Mission Sunday; 4. for the victims of domestic violence.
It is a historical moment in the life of the St. Anthony Catholic Parish community. The cornerstone for St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and School, the landmark of Park Falls, was laid on September 4, 1921. The new St. Anthony Church and School building was completed and Blessed in the Fall 1922. We all painfully remember the closing of the school in 2017. Since then, we are constantly talking about the future of the building. Many people came and looked at the building, for apartments, community center, YMCA and so on. So far, we haven't made a final decision, we are still open to new ideas. In August St. Anthony Parish and Finance Council meeting, we came up with a plan to celebrate the historic 100th anniversary of our original Church and school building. The closing of the historic celebration of 100th anniversary will be next June 2022 in conjunction with Feast of St. Anthony. We are planning to collect historical pictures, and history of the original Church and School building for the celebration and have an open house. We are also planning to have a pictorial directory of the parish and include all the history of St. Anthony Church and School. If you are interested in joining the planning committee, please call Fr. Shaji at 715-762-4494 Ext. 2. If you have creative ideas for our school building and are willing to join for the planning, we are open to listen and take it to further discussion. Our goal is to make the best decision for our school building by the centennial celebration in June 2022. Our first request is your prayer. Stay tuned for further info!
Last weekend in August, all our three parishes kicked-off our Catholic Service Appeal (CSA) for the year 2021-2022. The goal for each parish is as follows: St. Anthony $38,873.00; Immaculate Conception $10,543.00; and St. Francis $4,073.00. If all of us participate we can reach the goal. There is no gift that is too small or too big.
I would like to say again a thank you to all of you for celebrating faith and supporting our parishes financially. Please don't forget to mark your calendar for October 6, for Family of Faith.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr.Shaji Joseph Pazhukkathara
June 1, 2021
Dear Northwoods Catholic Community Parishioners,
Happy summer! First of all, I would like to thank you, everyone, for being patient and following all the precautions to be safe in this time of uncertainty. The good news is we are getting better and better every day. A special thanks to everyone who stepped forward to do the different ministries in this difficult time.
There are parts of the world still suffering from COVID-19 greatly. In India, they are going through a very difficult time. So we need to continue to be cautious and take all the necessary precautions. At the same time, we need to celebrate with a grateful heart what we have and not necessarily live in fear either. Please see the enclosed letter from Bishop James Powers which gives detailed guideline to go forward with liturgies and other parish activities.
We are planning to start back different ministries like servers, extraordinary ministers of Eucharist, Choir, and so on. In the beginning, it may be a little different in each of our parishes because of the structure and space, but our hope is eventually we can do it like before. As I said, slowly we try to get back to normal, we need more ministers. If you are a piano player or singer and would like to share your talent, please call the office. Please don’t feel bad, if you are not a musician, you are most welcome to sign up for any other ministries: servers, readers, and so on. If you are already a minister, you will be receiving an email or a phone call. In case, if you didn’t get an email or phone call, please call the office. This year Totus Tuus will be July 25-30. Please mark your calendar and encourage everyone our children and youth to participate. It will be a wonderful experience.
Easter season concluded with the celebration of Pentecost, we began the Ordinary Time. In Ordinary Time, last Sunday we celebrated the Most Holy Trinity, and next Sunday, June 6, 2021 we will be celebrating The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Last Parish Council we decided to have the Eucharistic Adoration on Sunday, June 6 after the 8:00 A.M. (9:00 am to 4:00 pm) at Immaculate Conception, Butternut. It will be a great opportunity to spend an hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. If you are able to sign up for an hour please call the office or please just show up whenever you can and spend time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Let us give thanks to God for keeping us safe well, and let us ask for his continued blessing on us so we can grow in faith and celebrate the gift with others.
Sunday, June 13, 2021 is the actual feast day of St. Anthony. This year, you may not see it on the liturgical calendar because it falls on Sunday. Last two parish council meetings, we were planning the celebration Feast of the patron saint of the Parish. We decided to begin a Novena to St. Anthony on June 4. You can participate by coming to daily Mass, or you can sign up online (we will be posting the link on Facebook, bulletin, and website) or you can pick up a booklet from the entrance of the St. Anthony Church. The celebration of the Feast will be on Sunday, June 13, 2021, at 9:30 A.M. Mass and box brunch follow. All are welcome to come and celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony. If you could give a phone call or send an email, we could prepare well. In case you couldn’t notify us in advance, please don’t hesitate to come. We will be well prepared.
Our cluster is planning to have a float for Pioneer Day and Flambeau Rama parade. We are looking for creative ideas and talented people to help with the float. If you could help with it please call the Parish office in Butternut or Park Falls. St. Anthony rectory roof replacement was almost done just before the winter. But they couldn’t get the parts for gutters and downspouts. We just got those parts and they will be finishing up soon.
I would like to join the parish and fiancé council of our parishes to thank you for the generous giving. Last year and a half, some of you were not able to come for the Mass. Still, you brought in or mailed your giving envelop. Thank you to everyone who gives generously and supports our parishes. We enjoy the sacrifices of our parents, grand or/and great grandparents. Whatever we sacrifice will help our church to provide faith for the future generation.
Every year we have Catholic Service Appeal (CSA). The year 2020-2021 is towards the end of the drive. Please see the goal and where we are at this point below:
Goal Received Remaining
St. Anthony $33,648.00 $18,171.00 $15,477.00
Immaculate Conception $10,599.00 $3,190.00 $7,409.00
St. Francis $4,834.00 $1,415.00 $3,419.00
Thank you to all of you who already gave or pledged towards CSA. If you forgot please make a donation towards it. There is no gift that is too small or too big. If we reach the goal, still, the remaining balance we have to pay from our checking account. Please support CSA.
When we pray together, we stay together. It is true as a family and as a church. Please come and celebrate our faith and if possible support our parish financially. Also, you can support the parish with your time and talent by involving in different ministries. It is time for a new beginning. It is the best time, to begin with, the celebration of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
Some of you received the Hymnals at the beginning of the year. If you didn’t get a Hymnal please ask the greeters, they will give you one. You can take home and bring with you every time you come for Mass.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Shaji Joseph Pazhukkathara
Dear Northwoods Catholic Community Parishioners,
Happy summer! First of all, I would like to thank you, everyone, for being patient and following all the precautions to be safe in this time of uncertainty. The good news is we are getting better and better every day. A special thanks to everyone who stepped forward to do the different ministries in this difficult time.
There are parts of the world still suffering from COVID-19 greatly. In India, they are going through a very difficult time. So we need to continue to be cautious and take all the necessary precautions. At the same time, we need to celebrate with a grateful heart what we have and not necessarily live in fear either. Please see the enclosed letter from Bishop James Powers which gives detailed guideline to go forward with liturgies and other parish activities.
We are planning to start back different ministries like servers, extraordinary ministers of Eucharist, Choir, and so on. In the beginning, it may be a little different in each of our parishes because of the structure and space, but our hope is eventually we can do it like before. As I said, slowly we try to get back to normal, we need more ministers. If you are a piano player or singer and would like to share your talent, please call the office. Please don’t feel bad, if you are not a musician, you are most welcome to sign up for any other ministries: servers, readers, and so on. If you are already a minister, you will be receiving an email or a phone call. In case, if you didn’t get an email or phone call, please call the office. This year Totus Tuus will be July 25-30. Please mark your calendar and encourage everyone our children and youth to participate. It will be a wonderful experience.
Easter season concluded with the celebration of Pentecost, we began the Ordinary Time. In Ordinary Time, last Sunday we celebrated the Most Holy Trinity, and next Sunday, June 6, 2021 we will be celebrating The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Last Parish Council we decided to have the Eucharistic Adoration on Sunday, June 6 after the 8:00 A.M. (9:00 am to 4:00 pm) at Immaculate Conception, Butternut. It will be a great opportunity to spend an hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. If you are able to sign up for an hour please call the office or please just show up whenever you can and spend time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Let us give thanks to God for keeping us safe well, and let us ask for his continued blessing on us so we can grow in faith and celebrate the gift with others.
Sunday, June 13, 2021 is the actual feast day of St. Anthony. This year, you may not see it on the liturgical calendar because it falls on Sunday. Last two parish council meetings, we were planning the celebration Feast of the patron saint of the Parish. We decided to begin a Novena to St. Anthony on June 4. You can participate by coming to daily Mass, or you can sign up online (we will be posting the link on Facebook, bulletin, and website) or you can pick up a booklet from the entrance of the St. Anthony Church. The celebration of the Feast will be on Sunday, June 13, 2021, at 9:30 A.M. Mass and box brunch follow. All are welcome to come and celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony. If you could give a phone call or send an email, we could prepare well. In case you couldn’t notify us in advance, please don’t hesitate to come. We will be well prepared.
Our cluster is planning to have a float for Pioneer Day and Flambeau Rama parade. We are looking for creative ideas and talented people to help with the float. If you could help with it please call the Parish office in Butternut or Park Falls. St. Anthony rectory roof replacement was almost done just before the winter. But they couldn’t get the parts for gutters and downspouts. We just got those parts and they will be finishing up soon.
I would like to join the parish and fiancé council of our parishes to thank you for the generous giving. Last year and a half, some of you were not able to come for the Mass. Still, you brought in or mailed your giving envelop. Thank you to everyone who gives generously and supports our parishes. We enjoy the sacrifices of our parents, grand or/and great grandparents. Whatever we sacrifice will help our church to provide faith for the future generation.
Every year we have Catholic Service Appeal (CSA). The year 2020-2021 is towards the end of the drive. Please see the goal and where we are at this point below:
Goal Received Remaining
St. Anthony $33,648.00 $18,171.00 $15,477.00
Immaculate Conception $10,599.00 $3,190.00 $7,409.00
St. Francis $4,834.00 $1,415.00 $3,419.00
Thank you to all of you who already gave or pledged towards CSA. If you forgot please make a donation towards it. There is no gift that is too small or too big. If we reach the goal, still, the remaining balance we have to pay from our checking account. Please support CSA.
When we pray together, we stay together. It is true as a family and as a church. Please come and celebrate our faith and if possible support our parish financially. Also, you can support the parish with your time and talent by involving in different ministries. It is time for a new beginning. It is the best time, to begin with, the celebration of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
Some of you received the Hymnals at the beginning of the year. If you didn’t get a Hymnal please ask the greeters, they will give you one. You can take home and bring with you every time you come for Mass.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Shaji Joseph Pazhukkathara
Click here for the Cluster Calendar of Events
