With a careful search and examination, one can find a wealth of information online about the Catholic faith and Catholic culture.  RealCatholic TV is such a source for current information and commentary on how the Catholic Church and present day culture meet and, in some instances, clash.  Providing up to the minute commentary on political and social matters, messages from bishops of the church, reflections on the saints of the day, and a variety of other information, this site is one that will provoke you to think about your faith and the world in which we live.  Here's a recent video segment:

On Thursday, June 25th, Fr. David, and three parish representatives--Farrell Pedreauville, John Holecek and Peggy Bahr--interviewed three candidates for the position of architect of St. Joseph's expansion project.  The candidates were a combined team of McPherson architect, Randy Clark, and Brett Prather of Architectural Innovations of Wichita, Dennis Smith of Law Kingdon Architects of Wichita, and Bob Faires of Howard and Helmer Architects of Wichita.

All three architects interviewed very well, and each would have served the project with their expertise. However, after hearing each presentation, the interviewing panel unanimously expressed a preference for Bob Faires of Howard and Helmer Architects.  Mr. Faires had most recently served as the lead architect for the following projects: the new grade school at Mary, Queen of the Angels Church in Ft. Scott, the new grade school and expansion of the high school at St. Mary's-Colgan schools in Pittsburg, KS, and the new Church of the Magdalen church and school in Wichita.  Along with the experience of these and many other projects, Mr. Faires also demonstrated an attention to detail in outlining his approach to the expansion and renovation work at St. Joseph's.

Moving ahead now, the goal is to finish the drawings and specifications begun, and over half way completed, by previous projectarchitect Andy Steffes.  Mr. Faires did acknowledge that this project will remain indebted to the talent and creativity of Andy Steffes and that his task will be to guide the work through to the completion of Andy's vision. Efforts will be made to put the project out to bid by
the end of August.  Please continue to make St. Joseph's expansion and renovation a regular intention of your daily prayers!

My Dear Parishioners,

More progress has occurred in the search for a new architect since the update in the bulletin for June 21st, and I wanted to post that progress to date.  At this point I have met with the three architects whom we will interview to continue Andy Steffes' work as our previous architect.  At different times last week, I spent an hour to show the architects our current facility and point out the areas of the church and school where the work of renovation and expansion will take place.  Each architect asked questions about the project, and that helped me gain a better understanding of what our goal as a parish should be in moving ahead with this project.

I have set up three interviews with the architects to be held on Thursday, June 25.  Along with representatives of St. Joseph School and the Parish Building Committee, I will also seek to determine which architect will represent us the best with the construction company who will be doing the work of our renovation and expansion.  Each architect will have one hour to make a presentation about themselves, their respective architectural firms and the plan they suggest in completing the blueprints and specificiations so we can send our project out for bids with construction companies.  Our goal is to continue moving ahead as soon as possible and capitalize on the drop in construction costs and the strong interests of construction companies to seek work and, thus, offer very competitive bids that will work to our economic advantage.

Please keep the interviews on Thursday, June 25th, in your prayers and ask the Holy Spirit to guide me and the parish representatives in hiring the right architect for the job.

With Prayerful Optimism,

Fr. David

Although several weeks have passed since the celebration of the Easter Vigil on Saturday, April 11, offering a welcome to the three persons who became Catholic at that Mass is important enough to remember now. 

Receiving the Sacrament of Baptism was Kevin Felix.  His wife, Elizabeth Felix made her Profession of Faith.  Kevin and Elizabeth are now one family in faith, along with their one year-old daughter, Emily, who was baptized last year.  Kevin is the son of Kirk and Patricia Felix of Kansas City.  He is a student in the McPherson College Auto Restoration Program.  Elizabeth is the daughter of Scott and Tammy Watford.  They, along with Elizabeth's brother Josh, joined the Catholic Church at St. Joseph's in 2008.  Elizabeth is a para-educator at Eisenhower Elementary, here in McPherson. 

Also making her Profession of Faith was Jaycee Gfeller of St. Bridget of Sweden Parish in Lindsborg.  She is a student at Bethany College and the daughter of Ronald and Aimee Gefeller of Lindsborg.  Jaycee's parents and family also preceeded her in joining the Catholic Church last year in Russell, Kansas.

Acting as sponsors for the newly initiated were Mike Shaughnessy, sponsoring Kevin, Edith Shaughnessy, sponsoring Elizabeth, and Suzanne Chambers, sponsoring Jaycee.

May God bless these new members of our Catholic Church, and may their example of faith inspire our own!

The Catholic Church has many scriptural and imaginative forms of prayer that have developed in its history.  A number of these prayers, such as the rosary, use “sacramentals” to aid a person in praying.  A sacramental is an object, action or prayer that disposes one to receive grace and to participate more fully in the sacraments.  Examples of sacramentals are the rosary, crucifixes, candles statues and the scapular. 

Another prayer-sacramental is also known as The Rosary (sometimes called a “chaplet”) of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.  I recently read about this Marian prayer in a book about apparitions that Mary made to a number of young people in the African country of Rwanda.  Our Lady of Kibeho: Mary Speaks to the World from the Heart of Africa, was written by Immaculee Ilibagiza, who also wrote the story of her amazing survival of the Rwandan genocide in the autobiography, Left to Tell.

In this recent account about Mary’s apparitions and messages, which started 1982 with students of a girls’ high school in Kibeho, Rwanda, Ilibagiza relates how the Blessed Virgin called the people of that region to meditate on the sufferings of her son, Jesus, as a way to grow in faith and in forgiveness of the injuries they suffered.  She also instructed the young visionaries to pray The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows in order to beseech God’s grace upon our world and to help each of us endure the sufferings that ultimately befall us in our lives.  The messages that Mary offered the various women and men were so faithful to Catholic beliefs that, in 2001, the Vatican approved Kibeho as a place of pilgrimage and prayer in honor of Mary.  This places the site of Kibeho on the same level of veneration as Lourdes, France and Fatima, Portugal.

The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, which is explained at the end of Ilibagiza’s story, is composed of seven sets of seven Hail Marys.  Each set of prayers focuses upon one of the Seven Sorrows that Mary endured during her life as the Mother of Jesus.  The Seven Sorrows of Mary are:

1. The prediction of the prophet Simeon in the Temple
2. The flight of the Holy Family to Egypt to escape King Herod
3. The loss of Jesus in the Temple
4. The meeting of Mary with Jesus as he carries his Cross
5. The crucifixion of Jesus
6. The placing of the body of Jesus in the arms of Mary
7. The burial of Jesus in the sepulcher

Just as the Stations of the Cross and the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary direct our attention to the sufferings that Jesus and Mary endured, so The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows helps us to value the great sacrifice that they made on our behalf.  During the season of Lent the seven sorrows could be another prayerful devotion to help us prepare for Holy Week and the joy of the resurrection.

The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows can be found in Catholic bookstores or online.

Ash Wednesday Masses

8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph, McPherson

5:30 p.m. at St. Bridget of Sweden, Lindsborg

The following article by Fr. David appeared in the Friday, February 20th edition of the McPherson Sentinel as the Inspirational Message:

Ashes, ashes…

The season of Lent will soon be upon us, beginning with Ash Wednesday, on February 25th.  Many Christians will observe Lent as five weeks of preparation for the feast of Easter.  Some will also seek to become more attached to God and detached from the world by deepening their life of prayer and observing acts of penance.  That happens to be the traditional outlook of Catholics, who also abstain from meat on Fridays and fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Another Catholic observance that draws some attention from people will be the ashes visibly smudged on their foreheads, which they receive during Mass on Ash Wednesday.  Why do Catholics do that?  It seems particularly ironic when considering Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew which will be proclaimed at that very Mass: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father” (6:1).  Huh?  Wait a minute: Jesus tells us not to perform any visible, righteous actions, but then we go and mark our foreheads with ashes!  What gives?  It seems to go against what Our Lord is proclaiming to us.

A way to understand this apparently contradictory practice is to consider the significance of personal intention.  What is a Christian’s intention when performing righteous actions?  Jesus was challenging selfish or hypocritical intentions that motivated actions.  He goes on, in that passage of Matthew, to point out how some religious people of the day performed righteous actions only to call attention to themselves, to vaunt their esteem in the eyes of their fellow men, not to respond in love to God and neighbor.  In contrast, a righteous action performed with integrity and the intention of truly seeking the good of another or one’s growth in holiness is not hypocritical.

So, when it comes to marking one’s forehead with ashes, it all depends upon one’s personal intention behind that visible observance.  If a Catholic receives ashes only to call attention to himself, well, he might as well just wipe the ashes right off after Mass.  But, if a Catholic uses that righteous action to call to mind his need for God’s grace, his renewed effort to believe in the Gospel message and to love God and neighbor even more—and not just for the forty days of Lent, but his whole life long—then he is acting with integrity.  Actions look the same from the outside, but they can have radically different moral value because of the intentions that inspire those actions.  For Catholics and many Christians, the righteous actions and intentions of Lent can be summed up in the words of blessing that are offered when one receives the ashes: “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel!”

At the outset of this New Year 2009, we as Catholics have a responsibility as citizens that requires our utmost attention.  As I explained in my homily this last weekend, our government, soon to be led by President-Elect Barack Obama and his new Administration, will be considering the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) as the new law of the land concerning abortion.  According to the U.S. Bishops' web site, FOCA is a 55 page plan submitted by 63 pro-abortion organizations to widen the availability of abortion on demand and to severely limit the freedom of states and individuals to protect unborn children from abortion.  If passed into law, FOCA would make abortion a federally entitled "right" and also make it impervious to limitations or, God willing, elimination as a "choice" in our culture.

The Freedom of Choice Act, among many things, would throw out the following protections against abortion:

•  informed consent laws
• parental involvement laws
• laws promoting the health of mothers
• safety and health regulations for abortion clinics
• government programs that support and facilitate childbirth
• laws prohibiting late term abortion procedures such as partial birth abortions
• laws requiring licensed physicians to perform abortions

Holy Day Masses, Mary the Mother of God, December 

31st and January 1st:

5:00 p.m. New Year's Eve

7:00 p.m. New Year's Eve (St. Bridget, Lindsborg, KS)

9:00 a.m. New Year's Day

Advent Parish Penance Service

Thursday Evening, December 18

at 7:00 p.m.

Six Priests will be available to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Come

to recieve this gift of forgiveness and prepare spiritually for the coming of

Christ at Christmas!

 In an upcoming message, Fr. David will explore the theme of values and how a better understanding of them may help identify the values we have in common as members of St. Joseph Catholic Church.  In the meantime, you can hear some thoughts he shared in his homily last weekend in this week's homily podcast!

Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God’s gifts and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbor.

“As each one has received a gift,
use it to serve one another as good
stewards of God’s varied grace."

Peter 4:10

The culmination of St. Joseph's Annual Stewardship Renewal will occur on Sunday, November 23, the Feast of Christ the King.  On this weekend, St. Joseph parishioners are invited and reminded to return their Time and Talent forms and their Stewardship of Treasure forms by bringing them to Mass Saturday evening or Sunday morning.

Citizens of the United States of America have now elected a successor to the Presidency of our country. While the election results demonstrate an unquestionable choice for a new president, Catholics had to face many challenging questions when determining which candidate to support.  Both presidential candidates embraced some ideals contrary to upholding the God-given human dignity that each person possesses.  The choice to be made for president, in some ways, came down to making a choice for that candidate who would, if not perfectly, at least in a more consistent fashion reverence human dignity in his political platform.  Participating in these elections proved to be a matter of using faith-informed conscience and prudence, similar to many other difficult decisions that we face in our own day-to-day lives.

In the final outcome, President-Elect Barack Obama will assume the role of our nation's leader in the new year.  Many Americans and, doubtless, many Catholics among them, have great hopes for Barack Obama's presidency.  Insofar as all Americans desire to see a brighter future for our country, for our families and for ourselves, we can be united in that hope.  Yet, while we all share the same hope, we have different ideas of how to achieve the fulfillment of it.  There will be tension among us because of that difference. 

Throughout his campaign for presidency, Barack Obama has expressed his desire to bring change for the better to our nation and it's citizens.  Some of those promised changes, from the perspective of Christian, Catholic, beliefs, contradict this dignity of human life and respect for all human persons.  From this perspective, his election is a cause for concern.  Just as we devoutly prayed that God would guide voters in making the right choice for President, so we should continue to devoutly pray that God guide President-elect Obama as he prepares to assume the role of our nation's leader.  And, as Catholics, we should continue to devoutly pray that God bring about a conversion of heart within President-Elect Obama as he takes up key issues that touch upon human dignity.  

As Faithful Citizens, we Catholics are called to help shape our government by exercising our right and responsibility to vote.  Please take the time today to cast your vote in the National, State and Local elections.  Guided by a well-formed conscience, the virtue of prudence and sound knowledge of our faith and the issues at stake, we can uphold the value and dignity of all human beings.  Whether it be the most defenseless child in the womb, men and women seeking dignified employment and health care, the elderly seeking care in their later years, immigrants searching legally for a new home, or the men and women serving in our Armed Forces, the decision we make today as voters will impact all of their well being.

Prayer Before an Election

This last weekend I had helped offer a Catholic Engaged Encounter weekend at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.  After the retreat concluded on Sunday afternoon, I stayed in town that night to visit family and friends. On Monday morning, after recovering somewhat from the arduous schedule, I went to work out at the Northwest YMCA while I was in Wichita.  It wasn't very early in the morning, but still early enough, and I was still waking up.  As I pulled into the expansive parking lot of the relatively new exercise facility, I spotted a parking spot that was just being vacated by a silver Tempo.  What luck!  Without even pausing, I glided right into the free spot.

It was then that I heard the horn honking behind me and saw a blue, mid-size SUV passing in my rear-view mirror.  "Wonder what that's all about?" I asked myself. As I got out of my car and started to cross the remainder of parking lot to get to the entrance on a rather chilly morning, I received my answer.  "How rude can you be??" a woman with tousled morning hair and a gray sweat suit asked me loudly.  "I'm sorry?" I asked surprised.  "What did you think I was doing, waiting there in my car?  You shot right past me into that spot I was waiting for!  How rude can you be??"

I realized immediately that I had, indeed, taken her spot and that I hadn't even been paying attention as I entered the parking lot in the first place.  I felt terribly immediately, and I apologized as profusely as I could, but the disgruntled woman would have nothing of it.  Indeed, she hadn't even stopped to accuse me, but had kept on going toward the Y, and our exchange was being carried out in loud voices over the blacktop pavement.  Still feeling badly, I offered to move my car for her, and yet she only huffed out loud as if I was making a sarcastic comment in response.  Several other YMCA patrons were looking at us as they overheard the repartee of our lively discussion.  I felt rather self-conscious and the thought crossed my mind: "Gosh, what if she knew I was a Catholic Priest?"

The helpless feeling I experienced was only made worse by the fact that I really had made an honest mistake.  If I merited any guilt in the matter it was that I hadn't been alert enough to notice this woman waiting in her vehicle to take the spot that I all too deftly took for myself.  I felt helpless that she didn't stop to listen to an explanation that I could offer to her to make things clear; helpless that this woman was starting her day thinking that there was yet another jerk in the world ruining her morning workout.  I wanted to do anything I could to demonstrate that I really wasn't a jerk, that my actions really weren't meant to be an offense against her, and that I made a silly mistake because I don't tend to be the most attentive driver at times.

But, she stormed off, and what could I do?

I went in to the Y and I started my workout.  As I began striding on the elliptical machine, I had to accept the facts of the situation and also realize that if I could not receive forgiveness from her, that I could receive forgiveness from two other people: God and myself.  It wasn't too tough to know that God would forgive me.  However, it took me longer to forgive myself.  But, I was able to do so, remembering that, even though I am at times an inattentive driver, that at times--even as a priest--I am prone to thoughtlessness of others around me, I was still a good person and trying to be better--dare I say even holier?--every day.

I would also use this experience, as I have used other experiences of my oh-so-humanness, to be one who would offer forgiveness to those who offended me: to that driver who takes my spot in a parking lot, or who drives under the speed limit in the passing lane, or who wanders over the dividing line while texting someone, or doesn't go on green because they're preoccupied with a phone conversation on thier cell phone (sound familiar?)  How can I get upset with others doing the very same thing that I've done myself?  And yet, it can be so easy to do at times. But it is these little penances of patience that we can offer to atone for our own sins, to develop a loving patience for others, and to realize--ultimately--that many of our complaints, gripes and criticisms are about things that don't really matter that much.  "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  Even in a parking lot, one can encounter redeeming grace!

As of the time of writing this article, our country is three weeks away from holding elections for the next President of the United States.  Each of us, to greater or lesser extent, has been listening to the news, watching debates, participating in discussions with friends and family and determining personally what choice we will make in the elections.  Some may even be deciding whether or not to vote at all given the apparently confusing issues being discussed and the questions one may have about the worthiness of either candidate.  In spite of the challenges, however, it is a significant responsibility we have as citizens and as Catholics to participate in shaping the governance of our country through the presidential elections.  St. Paul instructed his student and friend Timothy of the importance of faithful citizenship on behalf of Christians when he wrote in the First Letter to Timothy:

First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil way of life in all devotion and dignity.  This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. (1: 1-3)

It is the knowledge of the truth revealed to us by Jesus Christ and mediated through the teaching authority of the Catholic Church, which should be the source of the decisions we make as we consider casting our votes at any time as citizens.  Fully aware of this, the Bishops of the United States have authored a document on this civic responsibility entitled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.  In that document, the U.S. Bishops Ask four questions that help clarify the role of Catholics in participating in political life.  Over the next three weeks, we will consider these questions starting with the first two this week.  A very comprehensive source of information that addresses these questions, and more can be found at the website sponsored by the Conference of Bishops: www.faithfulcitizenship.org

1) Why Does the Church Teach About Issues Affecting Public Policy?

The Church concerns itself with issue of public policy and political initiatives because all Catholics and Christians are called by Christ to impact the world in which they live for the better.  The Church's primary theme for any of it's statements on political activities is the sacredness of every human life.  This does not only mean the sacredness of life regarding the unborn and the issue of abortion, however this issue carries significantly more moral responsibility on the part of all Catholics for its defense.  The sacredness of life also has a bearing on the elderly, the handicapped, the rights of workers, the ability of families to provide for their basic needs, the upright conduct of employers and owners of business, and the care of those who have come to call this country their home.  The bishops point out that while the Church should not try to replace government, it does have experience in two essential areas from which the Church can offer advice or guidance.  First, the Church provides a consistent moral framework with which to make decisions and, secondly, the Church has had broad experience in serving those in need.

2) Who in the Church Should Participate in Political Life?

It is through the sacrament of baptism that we are brought into a relationship with God that should bear witness to our beliefs about the world He has created and His desire for all people to be saved. The U.S. Bishops points out this baptismal call to witness to Christ means that every Christian should participate in political life, those who are ordained, consecrated and living in the lay state.  Furthermore, they caution that, "As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group" (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenshhip, n. 14).  To be guided in this way means that we take the time and effort necessary to learn about the party platform of candidates and their own political goals as representatives of the people of our nation.

Next week we'll consider how our faith helps us make proper decisions regarding the responsibility to vote.

My Dear Parishioners:

As many of you are aware, the climate of our economy as of late has created challenges to undertaking construction projects such as the one we are preparing to begin at St. Joseph’s.  One such challenge has been ever increasing costs of construction materials.  Since the last presentation of the design of our expansion last April, the total cost of our envisioned project has increase by the amount of $650,000.  This amount raises the total cost of our parish expansion to approximately $3,750,000.  Taking into consideration the amount that we raised in our “The Spirit is Building” campaign—approximately $1,200,000—and our current operating budget, the parish Finance Council has determined that we can afford a project of $2,500,000 at this time. This means that we are going to have to approach our parish expansion in phases that will occur over a period of several years.

At our last Parish Council meeting, we discussed how approaching the expansion in phases, instead of completing it all at once, would affect the morale and interest of parishioners in the project.  The members of the Parish Council indicated that the design we created was still a very good solution to our space constraints and that it was worth proceeding to build, even if we had to approach construction in phases over several years.  Some members suggested that phasing was a prudent approach, so that we do not incur a greater debt than we can handle.  Other members suggested that parishioners might be willing to extend their pledge commitments over a longer period of time to make ends meet.  All the suggestions indicated to me that the expansion project is still worthwhile and well supported by the parish, even if we cannot accomplish it all at once.

With this support of the Parish Council in mind, and taking into consideration the suggestion of the Finance Council, we will move ahead with preparations for expansion.  The goal of the first phase of construction will include the following areas:

• The construction of the new bell tower, adoration chapel and decorative colonnade on the northeast corner of the church
• The remodel of the parish and school offices to incorporate the former rectory and the additional space it provides.
• Beginning the remodel of the current gym/hall into a dedicated parish hall for parish use.
• Adding the new activity center wing which also includes the new lunchroom/commons space, school lunch prep kitchen and restrooms for school and parish use.

All together, our hope is to accomplish the first phase at the cost of $2,500,000.  This also depends upon final approval from the diocese on the phasing as well as final word from the Diocesan Finance Office on the amount of a loan we would receive.  Once we have official confirmation from the Bishop’s office, we will provide updated drawings to show the areas that will be remodeled and added in the first phase.

As we continue forward with our expansion efforts, I believe it is important to keep in mind that all good things come to those who wait and are prudent and patient.  As much as all of us would like to have accomplished our expansion in one phase, the current economic climate has determined that we exercise caution and that we look forward to the full completion of our project in the future and with God’s guidance.

Sincerely, Fr. David

Each year on September 14, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross.  On this day Catholics are given an opportunity to reflect upon the great irony and mystery that an instrument of execution, the cross, was also the source of our freedom from sin and eternal life.  This year the feast day fell on Sunday and was celebrated in place of the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  It also provided a fitting day on which to welcome five persons into the Catholic Church during the Vigil Mass here at St. Joseph's.

Fr. David presided at the Mass and administered the sacrament of Baptism to Jim Adams and Tamme Lackey.  He then received the professions of faith from Chris Allen, Cole Brocksmith and Julie Grieb.  Together the five newly initiated members received the sacrament of Confirmation and, at the Rite of Communion later in the Mass, made their First Holy Communion.  On hand to joyfully welcome these men and women were their sponsors, spouses, friends and family as well as the parish family in attendance at Mass.  The celebration of initiation was the culmination of a course of summer study in which they participated in order to become more fully acquainted with the seven sacraments and other traditional beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church.

As fellow parishioners, please take the opportunity to personally welcome Jim, Tamme, Chris, Cole and Julie as the chance becomes available!

Pictured above are the newly initiated Catholics.  In the back row: Chris Allen, Tamme Lackey and Jim Adams.  In the front row: Julie Grieb, Cole Brocksmith and Fr. David Lies.

I have often heard of a spiritual adage that is attributed to Mother Teresa of Calcutta which states, "God does not call us to be successful, but to be faithful."  That saying carries meaning for me as a priest and as a pastor because I often find myself trying to gauge the fruitfulness of my ministry by successful outcomes rather than the faith that is cultivated by that ministry: Did many parishioners attend this or that function?  Were they visibly affected or express themselves positively?  Did I receive many compliments?.  Such measures of success are the standard means of judging the worthiness of an activity in our capitalistic, economically driven culture.  However, we can't judge the works of our faith as Catholics, nor their goodness, by standards of 'success' as Mother Teresa admonished us.  By all outward appearances, the three years of Jesus' teaching, preaching and healing efforts ended in a crashing failure: his execution on a cross.  God is not calling us to be successful, but faithful.

And yet, having prefaced this message with those thoughts, works of faith can be aided by establishing goals to be attained.  These goals shouldn't be "success benchmarks", but they can offer inspiration for an individual or a community to achieve growth in virtue and holiness; to better meet the needs of their own person or the members of the group.  St. Joseph Parish Council established such goals five years ago in March of 2003.  The council at that time set one, three and five year goals to provide inspiration for the growth of our parish and the growth of our faith as members of this parish.  At the most recent Parish Council meeting, held on Thursday, August 21, parish members of the Council reviewed those goals to see how far we have come in growing as a parish and a place of faith.  I would like to share some of those goals that were set and the results achieved by our parish in striving to meet them.

In 2004, the following one-year goals were accomplished:

- A Building Committee was created to begin the process of planning for the expansion of our parish.  We are seeing the fruits of that committee in our midst today as we consider the design for our expansion that we are hoping to undertake.

- Completing stained glass windows in the church.

- Establishing a maintenance committee.  This committee was established and served the needs of the parish facility until a maintenance/custodian was hired to meet many of those needs.  Eli Dallen served in that role for a number of years, and today, Dave Andes is conscientiously working to preserve the good order and maintenance of our church and school.

- Eucharistic Adoration was expanded to two days a week.

- Stewardship involvement was increased.

In 2006, the following three-year goals were set and achieved:

- Paying off the debt on the current parish facility.  We celebrated the completion of our loan payments just a month after I arrived, in September of 2006.

- Finalizing an expansion plan for the parish.  This occurred a little bit later in 2007.

- Establishing a formal maintenance plan for the care of the church and school complex.  This was begun and is continuing today as Dave Andes has begun creating maintenance logs for such items as lighting systems, appliances and air conditioning units.

- Having a paid Youth Minister on staff. This goal has remained elusive for our parish community.  The feasibility of creating a paid position for youth ministry is challenging given our current budget.  The education and faith-involvement of our young parishioners remains a primary concern for the Parish Council, and I am also keen upon creating interactive opportunities for our children and teens to grow in faith.  This year I'm undertaking to begin a Middle School Youth Group to try to meet a portion of that need.

- Having yearly parish missions.  This was also a one-year goal.  Although that hasn't occured in the last couple of years, I am happy to announce that we are planning a parish mission for early Lent in 2009.  I have located a priest to present the mission, and when his visit is finalized, I will offer further information for the mission.

And, finally, in 2008, the following goals were set:

- Breaking ground for the parish expansion.  While we are close to learning what sort of expansion we will undertake, and while I am hoping, at this writing, to learn any day of what the diocese will offer us in the form of a loan, the chances of a 2008 ground-breaking are slim.  2009 is a more realistic date.

- Having a full-time maintenance person.  This was accomplished ahead of the goal-date!

- Increasing school enrollment.  This was a goal listed as well in 2004 and 2006.  And each year, since 2001, enrollment at St. Joseph's School has gradually increased, even in the face of decreased enrollment in other area schools.  This year SJS has achieved a historic high enrollment count of 102 students in grades K through 6, and Angel Depot, pre-school and pre-K are at capacity, due in large part to the closing of two McPherson day care centers.

- Increasing Eucharistic Adoration to five days a week.  This clearly has not occurred at St. Joseph's, however, we have steadily maintained two days and nights of adoration.

After reviewing these one, three and five year goals, I believe our Parish Councils of the past years, as well as you, the parishioners of St. Joseph's, are to be commended not only on the success of acheiving the majority of these goals, but on the growth in faith that they have inspired.  In the months ahead, Parish Council will begin to consider new goals for the years ahead.  If you have any suggestions for goals, please share them with me or with your council representatives.  Our goals aren't so much to achieve success as much as to help us be faithful in our calling from God through his Son, Jesus Christ, to become a holy people.