Bulletin

Little Black Lenten devotional books are available again for $2.00 each on the bulletin table in the social hall. Place your money in the envelope. Thank you!!

Please join us after Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 17th, for our annual Soup Supper. We will be serving Potato soup and Broccoli Cheese soup, bread and desert. The proceeds from the soup supper go to the local food pantry and the Good Samaritan Fund. As always we ask the community to sign up to donate ingredients, bake bread, and donate deserts. We will have sign up for those donations on Sunday February 7th and Sunday February 14th. Please join us as we begin our Lenten journey together as community.

Over The Top: March 12-13, 2010, Veterans Auditorium, Des Moines. This two-day “women only” conference will include awesome speakers, drama and some great music! Give yourself the gift of this time away and refresh your faith at the same time! The churches of Nevada have a block of great seats reserved! Cost for both days including lunch is $89. For more information or to sign up, contact Eileen Miller at 515-231-9377 today! This could be a great Valentine’s gift for your wife, guys

Do you have some pop cans or bottles that are cluttering up your house? You can donate them to the St. Patrick’s Youth by dropping them off at the Story County Redemption Center, 1420 Lincolnway, Nevada. Just inform one of the workers that the cans/bottles are a donation for St. Patrick’s. Thank you!!!!!

Good Samaritan Fund

Please consider helping out your friends, neighbors, or a complete stranger in the upcoming months. The Good Samaritan Fund is also going through some lean times, just as everyone else is experiencing. If you could help in anyway; prayerfully, or with a donation, you will be helping someone who has a dire need. The Good Samaritan Fund is driven by your donations and by donations from other churches and individuals here in Eastern Story County. We have helped many families in the past year, all from our smaller towns, where you may live. Our clients aren’t asking for a “handout” but a “hand up.” Please take the time to consider helping others in our community.

Thank you!!

MEMORIAL AND ST. PATRICK’S TEAM UP TO FEED THE HUNGRY: Members of Memorial Lutheran and St. Patrick’s churches will provide workers for “Food at First” United Methodist Church in Ames on four Thursdays in 2010. There is an open invitation of anyone-any family-to get the free meal, and everyone has their own reason for attending. The major focus is to help those who are not able to simultaneously meet their basic needs of food and shelter. Two shifts of workers prepare and serve/clean up after the meals: 3-5 p.m.-preparation (4 people needed); 5-7 p.m.-serve/clean up (8 people needed). Children and youth are welcome, when accompanied by an adult. For more info contact Mike Coverdale at 382-5232 or mjcoverdale@mchsi.com or click here to sign up

REMINDER: All lay ministers (Eucharistic ministers, lectors, altar servers, etc.) are meeting in the reconciliation room for prayer about 15 minutes before Mass starts.

JUST A REMINDER if you need to reserve the social hall for events, you will need to contact the Cluster Office to reserve the hall.

Special Intentions

All caregivers, the ill and homebound, Charlotte Zeisneiss, and all special intentions. Please also remember our service men and women in your prayers.

Let us support one another in prayer

Reverend Mitchell will speak to us and give a slide presentation of his recent experiences while working in the Middle East Peace movement. Reverend Mitchell, a retired United Methodist Minister, will share his recent experiences and information on this conflict learned during his recent trip to Israel and Palestine. Please join St. Mary’s Social Justice Committee in welcoming Reverend Mitchell to St. Mary’s. All are welcome from nearby parishes and the general public as well. Please join us in the Parish Hall on Thurs. Feb. 18th. All are invited!

The Archdiocesan Catholic Charities’ Annual Appeal is being conducted in all parishes of the Archdiocese the weekend of February 13 and 14, 2010. A letter will be mailed to your home asking you to support this worthy cause. You may contribute by mailing the envelope to Catholic Charities or put it in the parish collection basket, and we will forward your donation the Catholic Charities. Please be as generous as you can. Thank you!

Enjoy an evening of uplifting music, acknowledging the challenges and celebrating the joy of living a Christian life in the modern world. Catholic mom and Nashville singer/ songwriter Marie Bellet will perform at 7:00 pm, March 6, 2010 at Holy Spirit church in Carroll. Admission is free. Free will donations will support the Carroll Area Iowans for LIFE. Listen to Marie at www.mariebellet.com or E-mail: dadea@netins.net for more information.

The St. Thomas Aquinas divorced & separated support group will meet Thursday, Feb. 11 with dinner at 5 p.m. at Legends American Grill, 200 Stanton Ave. in Ames, followed by a talk on the Catholic annulment process from 7-8:30 p.m. in the St. Catherine room at the church, 2210 Lincoln Way in Ames. The Rev. Jon Seda, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas, will talk about the Church's teaching on annulment, and share information on how to begin the annulment process. Free childcare is available. Men and women of all faiths are welcome. To RSVP for dinner or to request childcare by noon on Wed., Feb. 10, call Carol at (515) 296-2250 or email breathe2relax@msn.com.

Anyone wishing to be part of the Cluster Choir for the Easter Vigil may contact Shawna Dumbaugh at 515-387-1398.

Need a weekend away from the stress of daily life? New Year's resolution need some help? Look no further! The women's Christian Experience Weekend at St. Henry Parish in Marshalltown is February 26- 28. Take a weekend to sit back, relax, reflect on life and reconnect with God. For more information go to www.sthenrychurch.com (CEW page) or contact Patty Mayer sthenrysre@marshallnet.com.

Once again Loras College in Dubuque is offering every parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque the opportunity to designate one new student recipient for their $500 parish grant, which is renewable while enrolled at Loras College. If you will be enrolled as a new student at Loras College for the Fall 2010 semester, you just might be the recipient of the parish grant. Please contact Fr. Dagit by March 31 to be considered for this $500 renewable grant to Loras College.

Tune in EWTN (channel 370 on Direct TV or 261 on Dish Network) to see the Mass, direct programs from the Vatican and excellent speakers. For Catholic radio programs, check KWKY, 1150AM.

Donations of nonperishable food, paper products or cash are always gratefully accepted!

Catholic Charities offers the following services:
Individual, marital, and family counseling; confidential assistance with marital problems, depression, stress and other issues. Affordable sliding fee schedule. For an appointment call 515-296-2759.

We all know that John the Baptist actually baptized a lot of people. He even baptized Jesus. The question is, did Jesus ever baptize anyone?

In John 1:29-34, John the Baptist makes a remarkable statement. He said Jesus existed before him. Remarkable because John the Baptist is Jesus’ cousin, and was conceived first. He also says Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. This is an early reference to the Trinity