Batesville, Indiana Fall 2011

St. Louis Newsletter

A Publication for Parishioners Parents and Alumni

The word stewardship has the ability to conjure up many images and emotions within our very being. Some might be pretty accurate and others could not be further from the truth. I often say that if you want to know the truth, you need to go to the source. Re-garding the proper understanding of steward-ship the bishops of the United States have written a document for that very purpose. I

invite you to read a summary of that document and then strive to live the life Our Lord has called us to.

Disciples as Stewards Let us begin with being a disciple—a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. As members of the Church, Jesus calls us to be disciples. This has astonishing implications:

Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost.

Christian disciples experience conversion—life-shaping changes of mind and heart—and commit their very selves to the Lord.

Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live.

Jesus' disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance in living as Christian stewards.

Stewards of Creation The Bible contains a profound message about the stewardship of material creation: God created the world, but entrusts it to hu-man beings. Caring for and cultivating the world involves the following:

Joyful appreciation for the God-given beauty and wonder of nature;

Protection and preservation of the environment, which would be the stewardship of ecological concern;

Continued on Page 9

A Message From our Pastor on Being a

Christian Steward Have you ever received a phone call and after listening to the caller for a few min-utes think that they must have the wrong number?

That is what happened to St Louis School Principal, Chad Moeller, when he received a phone call from The Ripley County Chamber of Commerce telling him that he had

won the 2011 Ripley County Educator of the Year Award. “I actually asked her if she had the right person.” Still skeptical when he arrived at home, his family assured him that they had also received calls.

Mr. Moeller was honored November 15th at the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Awards Din-ner at South Ripley Elementary School in Versailles. The Ripley County Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership or-ganization with a mission to attract, develop and retain business. It was founded in 1992 by a group of individuals and organiza-tions interested in the quality of life for people who live in Ripley County.

This is Mr. Moeller’s sixth year as principal at St. Louis. He previously taught art here at St. Louis for three years, then took a job as principal at another school before returning here as principal.

By Cindy Nurrenburg

Principal Receives Honor

Thank You Maggie! A familiar face is no longer seen work-ing around the parish. After 33 years as house-keeper and cook at the St. Louis parish rectory, parishioner Maggie Voegele has hung up her apron. Her long-lived career with the parish began in 1978, when Father Robert Hoffer was pastor. Maggie began working in the school cafe-teria before her services were needed in the par-

ish rectory. She also worked bingo, since it began here at St. Louis. Working for seven different pastors through the years, she served in this role until September, 2011. Maggie enjoyed her work very much and always had a smile and kind words for all. Thank you, Maggie, for all of your hard work and dedication to our parish.

Parish News

Ron Freyer One Step Closer to Diaconate

On September 17, 2011, Ron Freyer was installed as Acolyte, becoming one step closer

to his ordination to the permanent diaconate. The candidates for ordination as deacons and priests

are to receive the ministries of lector and acolyte and are to exercise them for a suitable time, in order to be better disposed for the future service

of the word and of the altar. These ministries are conferred by the bishop through the liturgical Rite De Institutione Lectoris and De

Institutione Acolythi as revised by the Apostolic See.

According to the Apostolic Letter given Motu Proprio:

On First Tonsure, Minor Orders, and the Subdiaconate, the Lec-tor is appointed for reading the word of God in the liturgical as-sembly. Accordingly, he is to proclaim the readings from sacred

Scripture, except for the gospel in the Mass and other sacred cele-brations; he is to recite the psalm between the readings when

there is no psalmist; he is to present the intentions for the general intercessions in the absence of a deacon or cantor; he is to in-struct the faithful for the worthy reception of the sacraments. He

may also, insofar as may be necessary, take care of preparing other faithful who are appointed on a temporary basis to read the

Scriptures in liturgical celebrations. That he may more fittingly and perfectly fulfill these functions, he is to meditate assiduously

on sacred Scripture.

The Acolyte is appointed in order to aid the deacon and to minis-

ter to the priest. It is his duty to at-tend to the service of the altar and to

assist the deacon and the priest in liturgical celebrations, especially in the celebration of Mass; he is also to distribute communion as a special minister when the

number of communicants is so great that the celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged. In extraordinary circumstances an

acolyte may be entrusted with publicly exposing the Blessed Sac-rament for adoration by the faithful and afterward replacing it,

but not with blessing the people. He may also take care of in-structing other faithful who on a temporary basis are appointed to assist the priest or deacon in liturgical celebrations by carrying

the missal, cross, candles, etc., (altar servers).

As one set aside in a special way for the service of the

altar, the acolyte learns all matters concerning public divine wor-ship and strives to grasp their inner spiritual meaning: in that way he will be able each day to offer himself entirely to God, be an

example to all by his gravity and reverence in church, and have a sincere love for the Mystical Body of Christ, the people of God,

especially for the weak and the sick.

2

MASS SCHEDULE The Immaculate Conception of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Holy Day of Obligation

December 7th—6:00pm December 8th—8:10am,

6:00pm

Christmas Eve: December 24th 5:00pm, 12:00 Midnight

Christmas Day: December 25th 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am

New Year’s Eve: December 31st

5:00pm

New Year’s Day: January 1st 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am

Approximately 150 people of all ages came to St. Louis Parish on Saturday night, September 17th to eat, drink and min-

gle with friends.

Dinners of smoked pork loin, baked potatoes, cole slaw and a drink were served. Sides of brats, kraut, chips and loin

sandwiches were available for those wishing a lighter fare. Do-mestic and German beer, and wine, were served by licensed bar-

tenders. Music by Frank Zelinski’s group played from 7:00 until 10:30 PM.

Those who were not able to attend the festival on Sun-day, had a chance to participate and have some fun. The com-

mittee already has plans to make the event larger, have some games of chance, movies for the children and raffle tickets avail-

able next year. If anyone wants to join the committee, just call the Parish office.

St. Louis parishioners again put on a great festival on Sunday, September 18. The chicken dinners and turtle soup

lived up to their reputation, and people tried their luck at the many booths of chance. Fun was had by all!

By DeeDee Kaiser

Annual Biergarten Fun

Parish News

A “Biblical Walk Through the Mass” was well received when we offered it last Lent. Since the changes

to the Mass translation will take place the first Sunday of Advent, we reoffered this DVD series on Friday mornings after Mass. The last session is on the new translation. The new translation is a meant to unify us

with the rest of the Church as it will align our translation more closely to theirs. Since some of the language will change, it will also give us time to pause and reflect on what it is that we are saying and what it truly

means.

It had been requested that sessions similar to the RCIA classes be offered to the parish in general. For

our fall Adult Formation, we surveyed the parish as to topics and days of the week. Tuesday evenings had the most votes. No matter the day selected, the surveys agreed on “Scripture and Tradition”, “Catholic Morality”,

“Jesus”, “Saints”, and “Prayer” as the topics to be covered. The final session will be the DVD of the Biblical Walk through Mass explaining the Translation changes.

From the Desk of our Director of Religious Education

Terri Meyer

Welcome New Music & Liturgy Director

3

The Music Ministry in each par-ish is a very important component of

enriching the Liturgy for parishioners. Because of this importance, St. Louis

Church has designated a distinct office of Director of Music and Liturgy.

The parish welcomes Sunny

Calvert, previously from Jacksonville, Florida, as its new Director of Music and Liturgy. Her hus-

band, Mel, joins her. Sunny coordinates all the hymn selec-tions and music groups for each Mass and liturgical event; oversees rehearsals; is responsible for equipment maintenance;

and maintains proper liturgical norms according to the General Instructions of the Roman Missal.

“I love what I do! I’ve been involved in music all my

life, and, in recent years, I’m blessed to be able to use my tal-ents for the Church and God’s precious people.”

Sunny grew up in Shelby, OH, and studied organ and piano beginning in St. Mary’s grade school, then high school at

Villa Maria, Pennsylvania, and graduated with a music degree from Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. St. Paul, Minnesota,

contacted her immediately out of college to teach music.

Mel started his piano studies at the age of five in Har-rison, Ohio, finishing at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He was very active in choral groups in college and was the lead

in many musicals and plays.

Sunny and Mel have been profes-sional musicians and entertainers for al-

most all of their 37 years together. Mel has vast experience headlining shows in-

volving music, comedy and magic. Sunny

joined him when Mel was a piano comic, and they formed a show group with backup musicians and singers that travelled across

the United States and Canada for their first five years together, playing the Las Vegas circuit and other top live-entertainment

spots, including eight return engagements to Nashville.

After performing in such places as the Spanish Province of the Canary Islands, Costa del Sol, Barcelona, Spain, and sev-

eral areas of Europe, Sunny and Mel returned state side and their son, Michael was born in Washington D.C.in 1984. Michael is

still the apple of their eye. Mel loves kids, and has 5 children from a previous marriage, 17 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren!

Sunny and Mel finally relocated to the beach-side city of

Jacksonville, Florida, Sunny teaching music and Mel involved in several business entities. Church friends eventually tapped them

for their musical talents and they began directing choirs and ac-companying liturgies for several different parishes in the area.

Both Sunny & Mel are very impressed with the St. Louis Adult Choir, formerly under the very competent direction of

Susie Kirschner and Chris Weigel; with Mike Fritsch and his ex-cellent guitar groups; and with Rita Wilder and her Teen choir.

Sunny has some exciting plans for the Music Ministry, including a children’s choir, a boys’ choir, a handbell ensemble, choirs for

each weekend Mass and, perhaps, a choir trip to Rome in the future!

They appreciate the kindness and support that St. Louis parishioners have extended to them as they settle in their new

surroundings. They, in turn, extend an invitation to all to be-come involved in any of the Liturgical music groups and reflect

the Lord’s goodness with their individual talents!

Parish History

Sr. Sheila’s Life Resembled

“Sound of Music” Many of you remember her as Sister Sheila, who taught the first grade at St. Louis Catholic School in the 1950s. Sister had dedicated herself in her teens to be a teacher and a nun. However, her father became ill and she was granted special permission to leave to care for him in l961.

It was during this time that she met a widower, Ed Kreimer, whose wife had died, leaving him to work and raise a family of nine children; the baby was only

two years old. They fell in love and were married on July 24, l966.

How does her life resemble that of Maria von Trapp played by Julie Andrews in the movie “Sound of Music”? Maria and Martha (Kramer) Kreimer were both nuns who left the convent. They both took care of the children of a widower, fell in love and eventually married. Differences-- the Kreimer chil-dren couldn’t sing as the von Trapp children did. The von Trapps lived in Austria, the Kreimers hailed from Monfort Heights, Ohio.

From the beginning, Mrs. Kreimer told the children to call her “mom” and refer to their birth mother as “mommy”. She continually reminded the children of their birth mother. She was very well organized—could tell you how many loads of laundry she did in a day, how much detergent she used, how much milk the children drank in a week.

She loved her family---she always talked about her kids, she never referred to them as her stepchildren. She even counted their spouses as her own. She was so proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She proudly told eve-ryone she knew that she had 100 people in her family.

Ed Kreimer preceeded her in death, dying of kidney failure in l998. When she became ill, she reminded the chil-dren of her funeral plans. One song she had chosen was tradi-tionally reserved for the funeral of a nun, a calling Martha Kramer Kreimer had traded for two other high callings, those of wife and mom.

Her niece said, “She was a relentless optimist. She found the best in people and in situations. She brought out the best of everyone she met.”

Martha Kramer Kreimer, known here at St. Louis as Sr. Sheila, died on Sunday, May 22, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio leaving six daughters and two sons, having previously lost a son.

By Juanita Kaiser 4

The First Nuns at St. Louis

The Rev. Louis Haverbeck, OFM was the first resi-dent Pastor at St. Ludwig’s. He built the first school in 1871 on the NW corner of the parish property. It was a 2 story

brick building with 2 large classrooms downstairs. Three Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg taught 4 grades in

German. They lived on the upper floor of the school. Sr. Virginia Van Benten (formerly Sr. Lucia) researched the

Archives of St. Francis Convent and found that Sr. Julitta Ramming, Sr. Ottilia Weghorst and Sr. Blanca Smith were

the first teachers at the new St. Louis School in 1872.

Can You Help? This photo is from the St. Louis Parish Ar-

chives. We know it was a Passion Play performed in downtown Batesville. We do not know the year or who

the actors were. If you can help, please call the Parish

Office (934-3204) or send a note to Judy or Cynthia c/o the Parish Office. Thank you.

Fr. Stephen Celebrates 25th Jubilee of Priestly Ordination

The sun was shining brightly, the church bells

were tolling and people were coming from all around

the area to be present for Fr. Stephen Akange’s 25th Jubilee celebration of his priestly ordination. Many

people couldn’t remember the last time they attended a

25th jubilee celebration of a priest here at St. Louis Parish.

As the Mass began, the choir singing and trumpets playing, Fr. Stephen, six priests and one dea-

con followed the servers in procession down the aisle,

all dressed in their gold and white vestments. The Mass was a beautiful tribute to Father’s 25 years given

to the priesthood. St. Louis Church was filled with pa-rishioners and friends, who listened intently as Monsi-

gnor William Stumpf, Vicar General of the Archdiocese

of Indianapolis, delivered the homily to the congrega-tion. He spoke of his first meeting with Fr. Stephen,

Father’s many accomplishments since his ordination

and how he (Monsignor Stumpf) chose to send Fr. Dennis Duvelius, Fr. Stephen Akange and Fr. Bernard

Varghese to St. Louis Parish five years ago.

At the end of the Mass, Fr. Stephen took time

to introduce his friends from New York and Philadel-

phia, and thanked the visiting priests and everyone present for coming to celebrate the Mass with him.

Following the Mass, 400 people attended dinner in the Activity Center to continue Fr. Stephen’s celebration. The Activity Center had been tastefully decorated with candles and pink

roses (Father’s favorite color). People signed the register, cameras flashed, everyone greeted the priests, wine was poured and

the food tables were prepared. To celebrate the occasion, the head table was set with fine china and crystal for the priests. Fr. Dennis Duvelius led the meal prayer, after which the priests were served and the food lines were opened to those in attendance.

Mike Fritsch served as Master of Ceremony. He introduced the priests and read the biography of Fr. Stephen, noting

his many accomplishments during his 25 years in the priesthood. Mike thanked the caterers for the delicious food and everyone for coming to celebrate with Fr. Stephen. In addition to the dinner, Parish Life committee and Youth Ministry leaders hosted

receptions under the tent after each Mass for those who could not be with Fr. Stephen at the dinner.

The priests who came to celebrate included: Monsignor William Stumpf, Vicar General of the Indianapolis Archdiocese,

Fr. Dennis Duvelius, former Pastor of St. Louis, now Pastor of St. Paul Parish in Tell City, Fr. Peter Gee, Pastor of St. Francis de

Sales Parish in Stockwell, south London, Fr. Randall Summers, Pastor of St. Louis, Fr. George Nangavchiveettil, Pastor of St John in Enochsburg, St. Anne in Hamburg, and St. Maurice in Decatur County, Fr. Pascal Nduka, Pastor of Morris, Fr. Karl Pi-

kus, Pastor of S.S. Philomena and Cecilia in Oak Forest and Deacon Jerry Byrd from St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Mein-rad, IN.

By Juanita Kaiser

Parish News

5

Announcements Parish News

St. Louis Parish & School Calendar

* Check Website or weekly Bulletins for Mass times

Nov 27 1st Sunday of Advent Dec 5 Music Program Grades K-2 Dec 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception—Holy Day Dec 16 Christmas Break Begins Dec 24-25 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses Dec 31-Jan 1 New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Masses Jan 3 School Resumes Jan 14-15 Women’s CRHP Weekend Jan 29-Feb 4 Catholic Schools Week Jan 31 Italian Night, Book Fair, Science Fair Feb 22 Ash Wednesday; 7th Grade Fish Fry Mar 4 Kindergarten Open House Mar 11 Super Sunday Bingo Mar 12 Music Program Grades 4-5 Mar 25-31 Spring Break Apr 1 Palm Sunday Apr 8 Easter Sunday Apr 27 Jr. High Musical May 6 First Communion May 18 8th Grade Graduation May 22 Summer Break Begins June 2 Jerry Byrd’s Ordination – 10:00 a.m. at St. Peter and Paul in Indianapolis June 3 Jerry Byrd’s First Mass – 2:00 p.m. at St. Louis Check Websites for more information

St. Louis Church www.stlouis-batesville.org St. Louis School www.batesville.k12.in.us/sls/

6

BAPTISMS

Destiny Sueann Keihn, Haley Jannette Diaz, Angela

Noemi Diaz, daughters of Omar & Linda (Keihn) Diaz

Jackson William, son of Jason & Sara (Remmert) Burlage

Carly Rae, daughter of Mark & Melissa (Yorn) Blanton

Emma Claire, daughter of Jeffrey & Lisa (Mattucci) Hunter

Laney Grace, daughter of Robert & Kayla (Mobley) Wuestefeld

Peyton Riley, daughter of Justin Ditmer & Kayla (Mobley) Wuestefeld

Anthony John, son of Richard & Anne (Schneider) Meer

Evan Matthew, son of Matthew & Lori (Wuestefeld) Pulskamp

Nolan Michael, son of Michael & Abby (Kirschner) Gesell

Isabel Louise, daughter of Edward & Diane (Prickel) Dierckman

Myra Jean, daughter of Dan & Elaine (Rennekamp) Meer

Ayden Henry, son of Frank & Deann (Weberding) Schneider

Zel Harrison Small, son of Paul Trenkamp & Malia Small

Braylen Michael, son of Donald & Cheryl (Ryker) Borgman

Charles Bradley, son of James & Amy (Irvine) Lesneski

Grant Evan, son of Richard & Melanie (Hartman) Hartwell

In Memoriam William J. Werner 5/19/11 Helen F. Hirt 7/25/11 Paul G. Eckstein 8/22/11 Bentley Dwenger 9/16/11 Gemma E. Ritter 9/30/11 Denis Forsting 10/30/11

Ron Gillman 11/9/11

William Amberger Nicholas Back Allison Beal Brandon Belter Evan Blanken Patrick Bossert Abigail Brandt Katherine Brunner Drake Burton Gabrielle Cooper Matthew Dennis Anna Dickman Courtney Eckstein

Lexi Eisert Erin Flannery Joseph Freyer Ivy Glaser Grant Greene Margaret Grieshop Elizabeth Harrah Justin Hartman Kelli Hartman Peter Heil Bryan Hoeing Mark Hoog Evan Hountz Matthew Hurm Hayden Johnson Joshua Keith Tanner Kellerman Jacob Kessens Kaitlyn Kessens Ella Lamping

Richard Linville Kollin Macke Jessica Meer Jordan Miller Bethany Moll Christopher Nurrenberg Seth Parker Amanda Phillips Analise Prickel Austin Prickel Tara Prickel Carlie Redwine Cassidy Rohrig Brandon Rose Jaeger Rose Wyatt Schebler Austin Schutte Brooke Siefert Lucas Tonges Sophia Voegele

Jacob Vogelsang Blake Walsman Benjamin Wanstrath Brian Weberding Sarah Wilder Mariah Wyatt Garrett Yorn

Congratulations Confirmation Candidates

Please pray that our young people, strengthened by the Holy Spirit

through the Sac-rament of Confir-

mation, will be true witnesses of Christ to others.

May they spread

and defend the faith by word and

deed.

School News From the Desk of the Principal

Why St. Louis School?

In my Back to School Night pres-entation this year I addressed the

question, “Why send your kids to St. Louis School?” It was a great oppor-

tunity for me to talk about all of the wonderful acts of kindness that hap-

pen here every day. I had enough examples to give a three-hour speech. But trying to be considerate

of people’s time I limited my exam-ples to just a few. I would like to talk

about one of those here.

Our PE teacher Kyle Jolly and his wife were recently blessed

with a baby boy whom they named Landon. Landon is a beauti-ful little boy, but he has a few problems with the bones in his

legs, feet, and hands and will need numerous surgeries. We heard that a restaurant was having a fundraiser to help the

Jolly’s with the medical bills and we wanted to help. So the teachers told the kids that we would collect any loose change

they may have at their homes and donate it for Landon.

Please understand that this was not planned for weeks or even

days. We heard about the fundraiser on a Monday morning and began announcing our efforts that afternoon. By Friday of that same week, the students and staff of St. Louis School had col-

lected $1491.96! What amazing generosity!

On the last day a third grade girl walked into the classroom

and had a bag full of bills and coins. The teacher remarked to her that it was a lot of money. The little girl said with a smile,

“Yeah, I emptied my piggy bank!” The teacher with some con-cern asked if her parents knew, and the third grader said, “Yes,

they were proud of my decision. Then my mom gave me a big hug.” The little girl walked away smiling.

Amazing Results!

We have recently experienced much success at St. Louis

School. The State of Indiana requirements for high school no longer include taking ISTEP in 10th grade. Instead students

must pass an End of Course Assessment (ECA) in Algebra 1 and English 10. Since we offer algebra at St. Louis School, we gave

our students the ECA in May. Sixteen students took the algebra EOC. Not only did all 16 pass, they all received a pass+! That

means we have a 100% passing rate for the 3rd year in a row. Scores could range from 0-900 and it took a score of 564 to pass. One student scored a perfect 900 and two more score a

near perfect 891. The average score for SLS students was 777.

In March, Governor Daniels announced St. Louis as a 2010-

2011 Healthy Hoosier School Award Silver Level Winner. This is given to schools that make a positive difference in the health

of their students. This is the fourth year in a row that St. Louis School received this honor.

St. Louis School ISTEP scores rank in the top five in the Archdiocese and 32nd out of 1789 schools in Indiana! Congratu-

lations SLS students, parents, staff, and parish!

Staff Prays To Begin Day

Did you know the staff of St. Louis School begins each day with prayer? Every morning we gather in the old gym before

the students arrive to be together and pray.

Chad Moeller

PTO Corner The PTO finished another successful fall fundraiser bringing in over $10,000.00 in profit

for our annual trash bag sale. We will continue to sell them on the first Saturday of the month start-

ing in December. They will be sold from 9:00am-11:00am as that time coincides with the uniform

exchange. The uniform exchange is just that, bring in your uni-forms that no longer fit and exchange for other sizes. No cost

involved.

Catholic Schools week begins with donuts after all

masses on Sunday Jan. 29th and continues with events through-out the week including a dinner put on by PTO on Tuesday,

January 31st.

We continue to profit from the Kroger Cards and hope that any parishioner will consider using them especially during

this Holiday season. Kroger cards can be purchased from the school or parish office for $2.00. Simply reload the card with

money, before you shop and then use the card to pay for your purchases. We get 4% of all dollars spent while shopping

or purchasing fuel.

Thank you to all for the continued support of St. Louis

School and PTO.

Submitted by Autumn Hurm

PTO President

7

Reality Check

On July 2nd, the St Louis Youth Mission Team returned from a one-week mission trip to Canonsburg, Pennsylvanis. During that week, we teamed with 14 other youth groups, from 11 states, to spend a week of our summer helping refurbish homes for the needy of Canonsburg. The 389 teen and adult participants were divided into 62 crews that worked on 60 homes. The work projects included painting, building wheel-chair ramps, repairing decks and porches, and a variety of other home repairs. Together, we completed over 11,000 hours of community service and donated almost 2,000 food items to the local food pantry.

The theme for this year’s work camp was “Connect”. Each day, we examined our connection with friends, family, and God using the grapevine analogy in John 15:5. On Monday, “I Am the Vine” focused our attention on how everything comes from God. On Tuesday, “You Are the Branches” helped us exam-ine how we spiritually wither and die if our connection to the “Vine” is severed and on Wednesday we talked about how “Remain in Me” means believing in God even in the hardest of times. On Thursday, “And I in You” helped us reflect on how Jesus went “all-in” for us by dying on the cross and on Friday we discussed how we can’t “Produce Much Fruit” apart from Him.

The Mission Team would like to thank the parish for its support of this ministry. This experience would never be possi-ble without your spiritual and financial support. Because of your generosity, over 200 teens and adults from our parish have been able to touch the lives of many needy families and bring home memories that will last a lifetime. Words can’t begin to express our gratitude.

We’ve already selected Savannah, Georgia as the desti-nation for the 2012 mission trip. We’ll leave on July 8th and return on July 14th. Once again, we’ll finance the trip thru a variety of fund-raisers. In addition to selling Poinsettias in the Fall and 5 Oaks Gift Certificates next Spring, we’ll be hosting dances for the Junior High in the old gym at school, making and selling turtle soup, and sponsoring a car wash or two. We look forward to the continued support of the parish.

By Dave Meyer

How much does your family pay for groceries or daycare or your home? Nearly 500 Ripley County Eighth Graders discovered the answers recently at Reality Check, “a taste of reality for 8th graders”. Sponsored by WRBI, this exercise has been an event at Jac-Cen-Del High School for 14 years.

St. Louis teachers prepare their students by discussing their GPA and choosing a career based on that score. They learn to write checks and balance a checkbook. They arrive at the event and are given a bank account with a monthly salary earned by a working husband and wife. They make their way through a dozen and a half stations, paying student loans and taxes, ac-quiring children, buying or renting homes and vehicles, pur-chasing groceries, childcare, utilities, communications, insur-ance and savings. They sometimes have a costly misfortune or perhaps win the lottery. After each transaction, they add or de-duct the amount for each service. The goal is to get through the month with cash still in their accounts…just like real life!

After returning to school, St. Louis teachers, Linda Ort-man and Sherri Kirschner discuss with their students how they could do better, make more informed choices, appreciate what it takes to raise a family. By the end of the day, students have a much better perspective about what their parents do each month. One student said “Kids are expensive!” another “I’m going to thank my parents when I get home” and another “I thought it would be neat to get out of class for a couple of hours. I didn’t know I’d learn so much!” and still another “I think I need to work harder and raise my GPA!”

A Reality Check can be a very good thing.

By Judy Tonges

Four-Generation SLS Family My grandson, Luke Tonges, graduated from St. Louis School this past spring, but he’s not the first one in our family to do so.

My mother, Rose Moeller Flodder graduated in 1929, just a few years after the present school was built. I graduated in 1954, and my 4 children all received diplomas in the 1970s. Luke’s 5 siblings will also follow this tradition.

St. Louis has always provided a good, solid, Catholic education with teachers and administrators who care about their students’ future. My mother was taught by Franciscan nuns and priests, as was I. As times changed, lay teachers took over those responsibilities, but St. Louis still offers the same quality educa-tion. My children and grandchildren have had a wonderful Catholic education that spills over into their personal lives.

Many families have a long St. Louis history. We are proud to be a four-generation St. Louis family.

By Judy Tonges

Youth News School News

8

St. Louis Youth Helping Others

More Parish News

9

Continued from Page 1

Protection and preservation of the environment, which would be the stewardship of ecological concern;

Respect for human life—shielding life from threat and assault, doing everything that can be done to enhance this gift and make life flourish; and

Development of this world through noble human effort—physical labor, the trades and professions, the arts and sci-ences. We call such effort "work." Work is a fulfilling human vocation.

The Second Vatican Council points out that, through work, we build up not only our world but the Kingdom of God, already pre-sent among us. Work is a partnership with God—our share in a divine human collaboration in creation. It occupies a central place in our lives as Christian stewards.

Stewards of Vocation Jesus calls us, as his disciples, to a new way of life—the Christian way of life—of which stewardship is part. But Jesus does not call us as nameless people in a faceless crowd. He calls us individually, by name. Each one of us—clergy, religious, lay person; married, sin-gle; adult, child—has a personal vocation. God intends each one of us to play a unique role in carrying out the divine plan. The chal-lenge, then, is to understand our role—our vocation—and to re-spond generously to this call from God. Christian vocation entails the practice of stewardship. In addition, Christ calls each of us to be stewards of our personal vocations, which we receive from God.

Stewards of the Church Stewards of God's gifts are not passive beneficiaries. We cooperate with God in our own redemption and in the redemption of others. We are also obliged to be stewards of the Church—collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church's essential mission. This mission—proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying—is our task. It is the per-sonal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church. All members of the Church have their own roles to play in carrying out its mission:

Parents, who nurture their children in the light of faith;

Parishioners, who work in concrete ways to make their par-ishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community;

All Catholics, who give generous support—time, money, prayers, and personal service according to their circum-stances—to parish and diocesan programs and to the universal Church.

Obstacles to Stewardship People who want to live as Christian disciples and Christian stew-ards face serious obstacles. In the United States and other nations, a dominant secular culture often contradicts religious convictions about the meaning of life. This culture frequently encourages us to focus on ourselves and our pleasures. At times, we can find it far too easy to ignore spiritual realities and to deny religion a role in shaping human and social values. As Catholics who have entered into the mainstream of American soci-ety and experienced its advantages, many of us also have been ad-versely influenced by this secular culture. We know what it is to struggle against selfishness and greed, and we realize that it is harder for many today to accept the challenge of being a Christian steward. It is essential, therefore, that we make a special effort to understand the true meaning of stewardship and live accordingly.

A Steward's Way The life of a Christian steward models the life of Jesus. It is chal-lenging and even difficult, in many respects, yet intense joy comes to those who take the risk to live as Christian stewards. Women and men who seek to live as stewards learn that "all things work for good for those who love God" (Rom 8:28). After Jesus, we look to Mary as an ideal steward. As the Mother of Christ, she lived her ministry in a spirit of fidelity and service; she responded generously to the call. We must ask ourselves: Do we also wish to be disciples of Jesus Christ and Christian stewards of our world and our Church? Central to our human and Christian vocations, as well as to the unique vocation each one of us receives from God, is that we be good stewards of the gifts we possess. God gives us this divine-human workshop, this world and Church of ours. The Spirit shows us the way. Stewardship is a part of that journey.

Blessings, Fr. Randy

Calling All Alumni We are always looking for ways to improve our parish newsletter. It is our goal to make it informative and enjoyable for

all readers. One thing we would like to add is a section on school memories. It is fun to reminisce and recall how things were back in the “old days.” If you have a story or a “remember when” you would like to share please send it to St. Louis Parish Office, Attention: Newsletter.

We are also interested in what our alumni are doing or have been doing since their time here at St. Louis Catholic School. If you would like to share something for our “Where are They Now?” section please send it to St. Louis Parish Office.

Alumni News

10

Thank You to Our Annual Fund Supporters Thank you to everyone who donated to the Annual Fund Drive for St. Louis Catholic School. We raised $34,070.00 to help balance the budget for our school. All funds raised through this appeal go directly towards the operating costs of the school. We are encouraged by

this success and pray that our efforts will continue to provide a major source of income for our school and keep Catholic education af-fordable for all students. We truly appreciate your support! The following list includes donations made through June 30, 2011:

Mr. and Mrs. David Abplanalp Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Abplanalp Mr. Larry Albers Louis & Laura Firsich Mr. John Amberger Mr. and Mrs. Michael Amrhein Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Batta Mr. Jeffery Bedel Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bentfield Mr. Douglas Bessler Mr. Brent Billman Ms. Carolyn Billman Mr. Dale Billman Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bischoff Mr. and Mrs. James Bischoff Ms. Karen Bischoff Mr. Harry C. Borchelt Mr. and Mrs. David Borgman Mr. and Mrs. Michael Borst Mr. and Mrs. Millard Bossert Mr. and Mrs. John Brelage Mr. Thomas Bruns Mr. and Mrs. Michael Burkhart Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Chaffee Mr. and Mrs. Tim Cooper Mr. and Mrs. David Cox Mr. and Mrs. James Dickey Ms. Velma Dieckmann Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dierckman Mr. Elmer Dierckman Mr. and Mrs. Roger Dierckman Mr. and Mrs. James Dietz Mr. and Mrs. James Doll Mr. and Mrs. Brad Dreyer Ms. Marah Duncan Mr. Gerald Eckstein Mrs. Rose Eckstein Mr. and Mrs. Russell Eckstein Mr. and Mrs. Robert Edwards Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ekins Ms. Edna Enneking Mr. and Mrs. Joe Enneking Mr. and Mrs. Howard Federle Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Feller Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Flaspohler Mr. and Mrs. Mark Fledderman Mrs. Vanessa Fledderman-Gutierrez Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Flodder Sister Ruth Mary Forthofer Mr. and Mrs. Paul Freeland Mr. and Mrs. Dale Freese Mr. and Mrs. Robert Freese Mr. and Mrs. Nelson French Mrs. Catherine Frey

Mr. and Mrs. James Frey Mr. Thomas Fritsch Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gander Mr. and Mrs. Joel Garcia Dr. and Mrs. Jon Geers Mr. and Mrs. Mike Gerstbauer Mr. and Mrs. Brent Gibson Mr. Terry Giesting Mr. William Giesting Mr. and Mrs. James Gigrich Mr. and Mrs. Todd Gigrich Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Glaser Mr. and Mrs. John Goldsmith Mr. Bryan Greiwe Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Greiwe Mr. Robert Greiwe Ms. Marion Gutzwiller Mr. and Mrs. Pat Hanley Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Harmeyer Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Harmeyer Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hartman Ms. Barbara Hendrickson Mr. and Mrs. Gus Hillenbrand Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Hirt Ms. Betty Hodges Mr. Herbert Hoff Ms. Romilda Hoff Ms. Ruth Hoff Mr. and Mrs. Robert Holtel Mr. and Mrs. William Hountz Mr. Walter Hullemeyer Mr. and Mrs. Allen Irrgang Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jeffers Mr. and Mrs. George Junker Mrs. Juanita Kaiser Mr. and Mrs. Don Karbowski Ms. Lillian Kennel Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kerker Mr. and Mrs. Ryan King Mr. and Mrs. Ed Kirschner Mr. and Mrs. James Kuisel Mr. and Mrs. William Kuntz Mr. and Mrs. Francis Kurtz Mr. and Mrs. Charles Laker Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Laker Ms. Virginia Laker Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Lamping Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lamping Mr. and Mrs. David Laudick Mr. and Mrs. Neal Laugle Mr. James Lecher Dr. and Mrs. Mark Lindenmeyer Mr. and Mrs. David Lohmueller Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Luhring Mr. and Mrs. Peter Mack Mr. Anthony Mattucci

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mattucci Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Mauk Dr. and Mrs. Charles McGovern Ms. Shirley McGovern Mr. Carl Meiners Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Merkel Mr. and Mrs. Dale Meyer Mr. and Mrs. Earl Miller Mr. and Mrs. Fred Miller Mr. and Mrs. Kip Miller Mr. Jim Mohr Ms. Marian Mollaun Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Mollaun Mr. and Mrs. Donald Moorman Mr. and Mrs. Steve Moorman Dr. and Mrs. Noel Mungcal Ms. Margaret Neth Mr. and Mrs. Dale Niese Mr. Greg Niese Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Niese Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose Nobbe Mr. and Mrs. Edward Nobbe Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Nobbe Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ollier Mrs. Nancy Patterson Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Poltrack Mr. and Mrs. Luke Prickel Mrs. Rosemary Prickel Sister Margaret Rahe Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Reidy Mr. and Mrs. Richard Riehle Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Rippe Mr. Earl Roell Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Roell Mr. and Mrs. Paul Roell Mr. and Mrs. Dwain Rosenberger Ms. Ann Roth Mr. and Mrs. Chris Rudolf Mr. James Saner, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Tim Savage Mr. and Mrs. George Scanlon Mr. and Mrs. Gary Schebler Mr. George Scheele Mr. and Mrs. Clem Schmidt Ms. Dorothy Schoettelkotte Mr. and Mrs. Rob Schrand Mr. and Mrs. Denis Schrank Mr. and Mrs. Denis Schutte Mr. and Mrs. Brian Schwettman Ms. Ethel Seevers Mr. and Mrs. Caran Siefert Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Siefert Mr. and Mrs. Carl Simmermeyer Mr. and Mrs. Greg Smith Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Smith Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sorce

Ms. Donna Stewart Mr. John Strange Mr. and Mrs. Herman Struewing Mr. Jim Struewing Mr. and Mrs. Charles Suding Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Suhre Mr. David Sunderman Mr. and Mrs. Michael Suttmann Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Swanson Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Tekulve Mr. and Mrs. Francis Telles Mr. Theodore Telles Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Temple Sister Ginney Van Benten OSF Mr. Gary Vogelsang Mr. and Mrs. Harry Volz Dr. and Mrs. John Wade Mr. and Mrs. Allen Walke Ms. Margie Walke Mr. and Mrs. Willard Wallpe Ms. Kara Wanstrath Mr. and Mrs. Ken Wanstrath Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Wanstrath Mr. Steven Wanstrath Mr. and Mrs. Robert Weberding Ms. Deborah Weigel Mr. and Mrs. Donald Weigel Ms. Mary Weigel Mr. and Mrs. Martin Weiler Ms. Joan Weisenbach Mr. and Mrs. Scott Weisenbach Mr. Donald Wenning Mr. and Mrs. Tom Werner Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Werner Mr. and Mrs. Tom Wespiser Ms. Roselyn Wessel Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wilhelm Mrs. Renate Wolferst Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wuestefeld Mr. and Mrs. Gary Yane Mr. Joseph Zimmerman In Memory of Paul P. Amber-ger, Francis Firsich, Louis & Laura Firsich Ms. Alberta Amberger In Memory of Dan Bettice Ms. Mary Bettice In Memory of Ralph Blanken Mrs. Thelma Blanken

Alumni News

11

In Memory of Marilyn Borchelt Mr. Harry C. Borchelt In Memory of Roger Burke Mrs. Robertine Burke In Memory of Loretta Dirks Mrs. Virginia Yargus In Honor of Gigi Dreyer Mr. & Mrs. James Dreyer In Memory of Bob Fasbinder Mr. & Mrs. Ed Kirschner In Memory of Gene Fullenkamp Mrs. Viola Fullenkamp Mr. & Mrs. Edward Gerdowsky Mr. & Mrs. John Quick In Honor of Gerstbauer Grandchildren Mr. & Mrs. Denis Schrank In Honor of Gibault Mr. & Mrs. Paul Goldsmith In Memory of Paul Goldsmith, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Paul Goldsmith Mrs. Vivian Goldsmith In Honor of Grandchildren Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Wessling In Memory of Dorothy (Siefert) Harmeyer Ms. Candace Harmeyer In Honor of Al & Norma Hartman's 50th Anniversary Mr. Paul Hartman Al Hartman’s 75th Birthday Mr. Paul Hartman

In Memory of Cathy S. (Allen) Hartman Ms. Mary Washburn In Memory of Robert Hillenbrand Smith Mr. & Mrs. John Hillenbrand II In Memory of Janice Hoff Mr. Herbert Hoff In Memory of Joe & Cecelia Hoff Ms. Edith Hoff In Memory of Adam Hortemiller Mr. & Mrs. James Hortemiller In Memory of Paul & Agnes Hortemiller Mr. & Mrs. Richard Dieckmann In Memory of Betty Jobst Ms. Sue Siefert In Memory of Harry & Dorothy Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Johnson In Honor of Sherri Kirschner Mr. & Mrs. Ed Kirschner In Honor of Kevin & Andrew Kolb Mr. & Mrs. Michael Kolb In Memory of Earl Kreinhop Mrs. Bertha Kreinhop In Memory of Deceased Members of the Laker & Reer Families Mr. & Mrs. Albert Laker In Memory of Christine Laloge Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Lents

In Honor of Chad Moeller Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Gillman In Memory of Betty Ollier Mr. & Mrs. Adam Hollins In Memory of Walter & Agnes Bessler and Larry Raver Ms. Linda Proctor In Memory of Dorothy E. Roell Mr. Raymond Roell In Honor of St. Xavier High School Mr. & Mrs. Tim Savage In Honor of Peg Salatin Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Small In Memory of Patrick Shane Ms. Gertrude Shane In Memory of Jake Siefert Ms. Mary Ann Siefert In Honor of Ruth Siefert Mr. & Mrs. Tom Siefert In Honor of Tom & Angie Siefert Ms. Rita Westerfeld In Memory of Harold Smith Mrs. Margaret Smith In Memory of Kathleen Struewing Mr. Bob Struewing Mr. Jim Struewing In Memory of Sylvia Tebbe Mr. Louis Tebbe In Memory of Maryanne Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Sebastian Thomas

In Memory of David Thornsberry Mr. & Mrs. Julius Thornsberry In Memory of Ruth Torline Mr. & Mrs. David Lyttle In Memory of Brenda Moeller Vogelsang Mr. & Mrs. Mike Moeller In Memory of Clarence Walke Ms. Mary Walke In Memory of Ralph & Velma Walke Mr. & Mrs. Jim Mahle In Memory of Shawn Walke Ms. Patti Walke In Memory of Bill & Monica Weberding Mr. & Mrs. Charles Hannebaum In Memory of Mr. & Mrs. Sylvan Weigel Mr. & Mrs. Janis Indriksons In Memory of Lawrence Wessel Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Mikula In Honor of Andrew Wintz Family Ms. Ruth Kramer In Memory of Jim Wintz Mrs. Kathy Wintz In Memory of Urban Wintz Ms. Ruth Kramer This listing includes gifts received from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. If there has been an error or an omission, please accept our apolo-gies and contact DeeDee Kaiser at 812-934-3204.

About the Newsletter The parish newsletter is printed twice a year, in the fall and spring. Our goal is for the newsletter to

be interesting and informative for all our readers—parishioners, parents and alumni. If you have suggestions, or would like to assist with this newsletter, please contact Margie Walke at 812-934-3418 or e-mail mar-

walke@etczone.com. We welcome your input!

Thank you to our newsletter committee members who are dedicated, talented and creative: Mary Mattingly, Judy Ton-

ges, Jeff Gratz, Mary Jo Sunderman, DeeDee Kaiser, Cindy Nurrenberg, Jennifer Bergman and Kay Schumacker.

St. Louis Catholic Church 13 St. Louis Place

Batesville, IN 47006 812-934-3204

Address Service Requested

Mass Schedule Weekend: Saturday 5:00pm (vigil); Sunday 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am Weekday: Tuesday 6:00pm; Wednesday—Friday 8:00am, (8:10 am when school is in session)

Prayer & Devotion Rosary & Benediction: Sunday evenings at 7:00 pm. Sacraments Reconciliation: Saturday evenings at 4:00pm; Tuesday after the 6:00pm Mass; Wednesday—Friday after the 8:00am Mass; (after the 8:10am Mass when school is in session.

St. Louis Church and School Websites Check the new St. Louis Church website at www.stlouis-batesville.org for weekly bulletins, mass schedules, parish calendar and school links. At the School website, www.batesville.k12.in.us/sls/, there is information on the PTO, school calendar, staff and staff web pages for home-work and other school related information.