St. Joseph Ridge Parish W2601 State Road 33 La Crosse, WI 54601 608-788-1646

Fifth Sunday of Easter May 14, 2017 Rev. Timothy Welles – Pastor & Member of the Mariological Society of America PHONE (608) 788-1646 WEB SITE: www.saintjosephridgeparish.com E-MAIL: [email protected] Father Tim E-Mail: [email protected]

WEEKEND MASSES: Saturday, 4:00 PM; Sunday, 8:30 AM Confessions are every Saturday from 3:30 to 3:50 PM or by appointment. The Rosary is recited before the Saturday-evening Mass around 3:30 PM. Sacraments: Please contact Father Tim at the number above for more information. Anyone who is ill and/or needs prayers is encouraged to call the rectory office at 608-7881646 to have your name added to our weekend intentions and/or our bulletin. Please also let Father Tim know if you would like communion brought to you. Televised Mass can be seen on La Crosse, Channel 19, at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The Mass is also available any time of day, throughout the week, on the Diocesan web: www.diolc.org. Please remember to notify the parish if you have moved

Fifth Sunday of Easter “Dream On” was the title of a song made popular by the band who called themselves “Herman’s Hermits” back in the 1960’s. With the readings for today, this song is very much appropriate. Did you ever wonder what the Kingdom of Heaven must be like? Some people have said it’s the stuff that “dreams are made of.” And not only that, Jesus told us in the Gospel reading that He is going to “prepare many dwelling places” for us to live. This makes me wonder: “WHO are we going to live with?” If there are many dwelling places, then it only stands to reason that we don’t want to be neighbors with someone that we have disliked! For example, there was a cute story circulating around on the internet a number of years ago that goes somewhat like this: “Once upon a time...in the Kingdom of Heaven, God was missing for 3 days. And Michael the Archangel went looking for Him. When he had found Him, Michael said: “God, where have you been? Everyone is looking for you!” God replied: “Michael, I’ve been busy creating a planet, called Earth, and it will be a great place of balance. One land mass will be cold, and another land mass will be hot.” Michael pointed to a little piece of land, and said: “What will that small piece of land be called?” God replied: “Oh, that piece of land….that little piece of land will be called “Wisconsin”. And in Wisconsin there will be the most intelligent, the most beautiful, and the most educated people on Earth.” To which Michael replied: “But, God….you said there will be balance...where is the balance here?” To which God wisely replied: “Oh, there will be balance alright...just wait until you see all the idiots that will be surrounding them in Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa!” (with apologies to you folks that are from those places!). Heaven really must be something special! In fact, one of our Church songs’ lyrics are : “Eye has not seen...ear has not heard...what God has ready for those who love Him…” Even Thomas in the Gospel reading is quite perplexed with this. He wants to know the exact location of the future cosmic home. But Jesus does not give directions. Instead, he says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Just like last week, we learned that Jesus is “the Good Shepherd, the gate, and now “the way.” We also learn something a little bit puzzling. Jesus calls himself “the cornerstone.” I used to think that this meant that Jesus is the foundation in much like a cornerstone is the foundation of a building. Did I have this thinking wrong! After a bit of research, I found out that “the cornerstone” is not the foundation of a building but instead the “cornerstone” in Bible times meant the final piece that is added to the top of an arch to hold the two sides together. This reminded me of the St. Louis Arch, which I visited many years ago. As it neared completion, the 2 sides curved closer and closer together waiting for the gap to be filled between them. This gives the whole structure PERFECT BALANCE. The message for us that Jesus wants us to know that He is the living stone who indeed puts everything together in perfect harmony due to the sacrifice on the cross on Good Friday. Jesus alone can bring together families, nations, and end all the divisions and separations. He becomes a living home for us; a home that we can run to and to take refuge in. What a home to “Dream On” about! What’s on Fr. Tim’s calendar Tuesday, May 16: La Crosse Deanery Clergy Council 3:30pm. Your Pastor, Fr. Tim

St. Joseph Ridge Parish ~ Weekday Masses MASS TIMES Saturday, May 13, 4:00 PM Sunday, May 14, 8:30 AM Tuesday, May 16, 8:30 AM Thursday, May 18, 8:30 AM Saturday, May 20, 4:00 PM Sunday, May 21, 8:30 AM

MASS INTENTIONS +Kevin Hilby +Curtis Strittmater +Catherine Fuchs +Richard Trussoni (Mass may be cancelled) +John, Bernice & Sam Mashak Our Parish Family

St. Peters, Middle Ridge Sat. 8:00 PM & Sun. 10:00 AM Wed. & Fri. - 8:00 AM Adoration on Wed. from 7—9 PM

St. Mary, Coon Valley

LITURGICAL MINISTERS

Sat. 4:00 PM & Sun. 9:15 AM Wed. at 6:00 PM during Lent Fri. 8:00 AM

Schedules can also be found on our website: saintjosephridgeparish.com

Saturday, May 20, 4:00 PM Sunday, May 21, 8:30 AM Servers: Katie Murphy & Addison Wieman Servers: Eli Hundt and Grace Hundt Ushers: Dave Brown & Ryan Brown Ushers: John Thurk & Tim Hougom Reader: Diane Elsen Reader: Dan Steiger Communion Minister: Evie Mikshowsky Communion Minister: Sally Miller (New schedules can be found in the back of church, please pick yours up.) LAST WEEK’S STEWARDSHIP: Adult Envelopes, $1,900.00; Offer tory, $219.00; DCCW, $30.00. DIOCESAN ANNUAL APPEAL - PLEASE, your help is still needed!! As of Sunday, May 7th, we have $15,739.00, with 42.5% participation! Only $1,740.00 of the $17,479.00 to go!! UPCOMING MEETINGS

Minutes for the meetings are posted in the back of church on the bulletin boards between the bathrooms.

PCCW Meeting: Monday, May 15, 2017 at 7:00 PM in the school hall. PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING: Monday, J une 12, 2017 at 6:00 PM in the school hall. ANNOUNCEMENTS CONGRATULATIONS to our Confir mation Students: Aar on Bahr ; Colin Dickman; Anna Gor ski; Ethan Hundt; Shea McGowan; Alec Morris; Sydney Schamberger; Alicia Schams; Andrew Steiger; and McKenna Timm. They were confirmed this past Wednesday evening. THANK YOU Diane Elsen and ever yone else who helps to make the beautiful quilts pr esented to the Confir mation Students. ST JOSEPH RIDGE COMMUUNITY BLOOD DRIVE will be Monday, May 15th fr om 1—6 PM at the Greenfield town hall. Appointments encouraged at 608-788-0090 (Mary) but walk ins are accepted. Open to all, Be a Hero, Donate Blood! HEALING THROUGH GRIEF GROUP will meet on Monday, May 15, from 5:30 – 6:30 PM, in the Sally Olson Conference Room at the Mayo Clinic Building (800 West Avenue South). The topic will be “Grief and Your Questions.” Sessions include an educational topic and a time to share with others also experiencing grief. Free Confidential, one-on-one support is also available from a Franciscan Healthcare chaplain with specialized training in grief. Registration is not required, attend any or all sessions. For more information please call 608.785.0940 ext. 22218. BIRTHRIGHT! Thank you ver y much for your par ticipation in the annual Baby Bottles for Bir thr ight fundr aiser this year . Your generosity for mom’s and dad’s-to–be and their unborn children, which supports Birthright’s mission “that every mother has a right to give birth and every baby has a right to be born,” is greatly appreciated. The amount given by your church this year was $757.53! CHICKEN QUE AND BAKE SALE- Holy Tr inity, Wednesday, May 17th fr om 11 AM until gone. $8.00. Chicken, coleslaw, beans and roll. MARRIED COUPLE RETREAT Want to take your Marriage from Good to Great? The Diocese is excited to host a Domestic Church evangelization retreat for married couples on May 18-21 at St. Anthony's Spirituality Center in Marathon. Domestic Church provides lifelong formation for Sacramentally married couples so they can grow in holiness and learn to live and take advantage of the gift of their Sacrament. Couples begin formation by attending an Evangelization retreat. For more information on Domestic Church and to register for the retreat, please go to diolc.org/marriage/marriage-enrichment/. ST MARY’S COON VALLEY CHICKEN Q, sponsor ed by their Men’s club, will be Saturday, May 20, 2017 form 11 AM until 5 PM, at St. Mary’s Church, 900 Central Ave. Coon Valley, $9, includes 1/2 chicken, baked poatato, coleslaw and bread. HAVE YOU JOINED MY PARISH APP YET? It is an excellent tool for your smar t phone! You can access the bulletin and a ton of prayers. Check it out, it is easy to do. Download it by texting “App” to 88202. After downloading, search for St. Joseph Ridge Parish. Please feel free to contact Stacy on her cell phone (608769-8828) for help downloading this valuable tool. You won’t regret it. Do It Now!!

DONATE TO PROJECT MILK The most r ecent “Project Milk” shipment arrived at our diocesan orphanage, Casa Hogar, in Peru just before deadly floods devastated parts of the country. This shipment of 40,000 lbs of nonfat powdered dry milk (purchased from Wisconsin dairy farmers, thanks to your donations) was shared with about 20 other orphanages around Lima, as well as flood victims, reaching thousands. There is still need for more milk. Visit www.diolc.org/project-milk to learn more and to see how your donation can help us send another shipment soon! BOY SCOUT RECOGNITION Sunday, June 11th at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral in La Crosse at 2pm. All applications for Boy Scout Religious Emblems need to be in By May 11th, please send completed applications to Cindy Sjolander, Religious Emblems chairman, W4894 N Kinney Coulee Rd., Onalaska, WI 54650. Any questions please call 608-783-4911 or email: [email protected] NEW Class for LEADER OF PRAYER Begins July 14-15, 2017 Applications are now open for a new class of men and women who wish to serve as Leaders of Prayer for the Diocese of La Crosse. These classes are comprised of a three-part course of study meeting Friday evening and all day Saturday. Lay persons are prepared and commissioned to serve their parishes in a variety of ways, including: bringing Holy Communion to the sick, conducting a Liturgy of the Word, possibly assisting with distribution of Communion on weekdays when a priest is unavailable (or on Sunday in an emergency) and leading parishioners in prayer at times of illness or death. In nursing homes or healthcare facilities, when no priest is available, they may conduct a Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest. For more information or to register visit www.diolc.org/ministries and click on “Leaders of Prayer,” or contact the Office for Ministries and Social Concerns – [email protected], or 608-791-0161. ACS NEWS: Aquinas Catholic Schools wishes all the mother s and grandmothers a special blessing on this Mother’s Day weekend. The school year may be winding down and graduation is on its way but it’s not too late to set up a tour at any of the five Aquinas Catholic Schools. Call Michelle Skemp at (608) 784-0735 with any questions or to set up a tour. ARE YOU OR A LOVED ONE EXPERIENCING SAMESEX ATTRATION? The diocese encour ages you to look into the programs Courage or Encourage. Confidentiality is deeply respected. Contact Ann Lankford at 608-791-2568 or email, [email protected] or find resources at www.couragerc.org or diolc.org/samesexattraction. RETREAT, REST, RENEW AT ST. ANTHONY’S! Located on 40 acres in Central Wisconsin, the historical St. Anthony Spirituality Center is the ideal location for a private retreat of any duration, to attend a spiritually nourishing weekend program on a variety of topics, or to just come for a day away from the ordinary. Go online to www.sarcenter.com to see all upcoming retreats or call 715-443-2236 for more info. NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING (NFP). Learn NFP at home and at your own pace with the Home Study Course fr om NFP International, www.nfpandmore.org. Includes Ecological Breastfeeding (it really can space babies), a double-check system of fertility awareness, and Catholic teaching that’s easy to understand. Work with a live instructor by email. Completion certificate. LIKE US “St. Joseph Ridge Parish - La Crosse, WI” on Facebook!

PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS:  

All of our students that are graduating this May. All intentions in our parish book of prayer. If you have a request to add, please call the office 608-788-1646.

PRAYER CHAIN, We have decided to discontinue our parish prayer chain. If you have any prayer requests, please call or text Father Tim at the rectory 608-788-1646 or his cell phone 608-518-1338. He would also like to offer those prayers during Mass, let him know if it’s ok to do that.

UPCOMING DATES: Sunday, September 10 - Parish Picnic MARK YOUR CALENDERS: TOTUS TUUS, 2017 will be the week of July 9 –14th at Blessed Sacrament Parish. Grade schoolers meet during the day; middle and high schoolers meet in the evenings. Leaser are seminarians and young women involved in ministry. Totus Tuus, meaning “Totally Yours”, is an enriching and fun Catholic program based on Church teaching. Stay tuned for sign up information. DIOCESAN YOUTH EVENTS: Please go to http://diolc.org/yya/ for youth events! ACH OPTION INSTEAD OF WEEKLY ENVELOPES. If you are interested in using this method instead of your weekly envelopes, please fill out a form (they are found in the back of church, or on our parish website) and either mail it to St. Joseph Ridge Parish, Attn. Stacy; W2601 State Road 33; La Crosse, WI 54601; or put it in the offertory collection in a sealed envelope that says “Attn. Stacy.” All information will stay confidential. As the form states, withdrawals to your account may occur on the 5 th or 20th of each month or both, if you wish. If you want the withdrawal made on both dates, you must fill out two forms. If the 5th or 20th falls on a weekend or holiday, then funds are drawn on the next business day. Please feel free to call Stacy Burns at (608) 787-0882 with any questions.

DIOCESE OF LA CROSSE GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING INSTANCES OF CHILD ABUSE The Diocese of La Crosse, through its policies and procedures, seeks to provide a prompt, appropriate and compassionate response to reporters of sexual abuse of a child by any diocesan agent (employee, volunteers, vendors, religious or clergy). Anyone wishing to make a report of an allegation of sexual abuse should send that report to the Most Reverend William Patrick Callahan, Bishop of La Crosse, at the Diocese of La Crosse, P.O. Box 4004, La Crosse, WI 54602-4004. Alternatively, you can contact Mrs. Karen Becker, Victim Assistance Ministry, 608-519-8002 or [email protected]. The reporting form is available through the Diocese of La Crosse Office of the Vicar for Clergy or on the diocesan website at: www.diolc.org . Individuals are also encouraged to take their reports directly to civil authorities. Copies of the diocesan policy are available through your local parish and on the diocesan website. If you have any questions about the Diocese of La Crosse and the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, please contact Monsignor David Kunz, Vicar for Clergy, Diocese of La Crosse, at (608) 791-2679; or [email protected].