We, the people of St. Clare Catholic Parish, In the Diocese of Belleville, are called by God

in baptism to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Centered in the Eucharist, and strengthened

by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we strive to live the Gospel and further the reign of God.

We do this by creating a vibrant faith community, by actively promoting justice and evangelization, and by using our gifts in the service of God’s people, to give God

glory and reverence all of Creation.

WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE Saturday 5:00 p.m. Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Nursery service during the 10:30 Mass.

BAPTISM—Preparation classes for parents are offered every other month for infant baptism. Call the Parish Office to sign up. Adults wishing to be baptized should also call the Office.

RECONCILIATION—Saturdays 3:30 until 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. Community celebrations are also offered every Advent and Lent.

MATRIMONY—Contact Pastor a year prior.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK—Communal celebrations twice a year, or by appointment.

St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church 1411 Cross Street

O’Fallon, IL 62269 618/ 632-3562

618/ 632-9036 (fax) www.stclarechurch.org

Fr. Jim Deiters Pastor Dennis Vander Ven Deacon Marcia Fix Parish Secretary Jamae Shubirg Administrative Assistant Shirley Seipp Business Manager John Harter Facilities Manager Sr. Carolyn McWatters Liturgy & Music Director Tom Docter Accompanist Jane Dotson Family Faith Formation

ST. CLARE SCHOOL 632-6327

214 West Third Street, O’Fallon, IL Milissa Faust Principal

Gloria Schmidt Secretary

Eileen Yahl Accountant

MT. CALVARY CEMETERY 632-7631

Jim Deschesne Sexton

PARISH TRUSTEES

Michael Crupe

John Dempsey

ST. VINCENT DEPAUL 632-4270

Emergency Assistance

Palm Sunday March 29, 2015

Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Bishop of Belleville

St. Clare of Assisi, Pray for Us!

From Our Pastor...

March 28 Valorie Wright Debra Talbott Erica Wilson Andrew Ramsby Hayden Wurth Weston Schur Amelia Ponciroli March 29 Robert Spellman Marlene Davis Mary Ellen Sheehan Tom Bow Dakota Haerter Catherine Fitorre Kaleb Dabbs Patricia Way Callie Kimball Colton Phillips March 30 Viola Titter Thomas Hempsted Chu Knopps Regina Missey Scott Herling Bernadette Dwyer Ben Hug Nora Walsh Ella Walsh Madeline Yost March 31 Barbara Calandro Greg Bak Amber Smith Liz Clay Sara Scheldt Nick Stanton Elijah Miller Sean Spain Olivia Ponciroli Madeline Snyder

April 1 Joscelyn Russell Melvin Heisserer Jeanne Smith Whitney Wisnasky Kristie Randolph Tyler McDaniel Elliot Mauch Paula Goldberg Aubrie Hohm Clare Naegele April 2 Matty Ueda James Boeving Matt Chambers Chris Kramer Brandi Hodges Alexavier Jansen April 3 Michael Earley Jim Cavins Stacey Cutter Jodie Rodriguez Amie King Jeanne Haselhorst Christina Zabbo Maria Burke Chaz Stephens Lexie Newcomb Emerson Nieroda Claire Eberhart April 4 Dennis Vander Ven Anna Schoendienst Steven Kuca Karla Arguelles Keith Evans Leanne Morrison Greg Saplin Natalie Heitzman April 5 Earl Wilcox Kenneth Troy Cheryl Matzker Diane Vernier Kim Pierson Timothy Lewis Cyndi Witt Brian Schoby Ricky Ransom Robert Clancy Gus Smith

How Will You Make This a HOLY Week?

I have written a version of this column in the past but find it helpful as a review…

Like many religious holidays, Easter has become for many people simply a ‘family/social time’ to get together with relatives or take a mini-vacation with the kids out of school. Part of this is due to our crazy schedules which do not allow for much family time during ‘ordinary time.’ I’m just asking the question: “How can you keep/restore/discover this as “Holy Week” in your own personal life and family?”

I want to congratulate those of you who still try your best to keep the week ahead a special time for prayer by celebrating the most important days of our Christian-Catholic calendar.

In the midst of our ‘regular’ schedule this coming week, each year I encourage all of us to do our best in making Holy Week…HOLY. Below are a few recommendations, especially focused on the Triduum, to help all of us keep these days holy. I especially want to encourage our parents to please put extra effort into ‘forming’ our children into the Easter Traditions of our Catholic faith.

Let us all make an extra effort to keep these days spiritual and prayer-ful, enjoying our rich Catholic traditions. I look forward to seeing all of you at the Triduum celebrations! A Blessed HOLY Week to you, Fr. Jim Deiters

♦ Try to participate in all three of the main evening services: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil in order to get the full Triduum experience.

♦ How might you simplify your schedule (no TV, computer) during these three days? Consider joining your parish for Morning Prayer on Friday and Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

♦ Have a big ‘end of Lent’ meal with family or a friend early Thursday night before Mass since we begin the “Triduum Fast” from Thursday night until after the Saturday night Vigil. Then we have our parish ‘break-fast’ after the Vigil and/or make your Easter Sunday meal at home extra special after these days of fasting.

♦ Stay after Mass on Holy Thursday night for Adoration and quiet time.

♦ Spend some quiet time in church on Friday during the day meditating on the meaning of the Cross, pray the Stations of the Cross by yourself very slowly.

♦ Spend some time talking to the children and grandchildren about what Jesus’ Death and Resurrection mean to you. Help them make the con-nection between bunnies and eggs as signs of new life and Easter candy as symbolic of ending our Lenten sacrifices.

Please pray for the sick, their loved ones and caregivers; may they never lose sight of the love of God… Jennifer R. Barajas, Wray Barr, Joe Burroughs, Shirley Carroll, George Covington, Lori Dalton, June Dean, Dennis & Delores Dumstorff, Yasuko Estabrooks, Rita Ferreri, Mildred Gerardi, Mike and Linda Gilkerson, Hannah Grubofski, Patricia Gundlach, Rita Haukapp, Margaret Heinke, Jessica Holmes, Boston Johnson, Rosemarie Jones, Pauline Keller, Dan Kimutis, Dawn Papproth Kuhn, Thelma LaSalvia, Virginia Leninsky, Abelina Leon, Vincent Lepes, Mary Lugge, John Molnar, Mary Molnar, Nona Morgan, Helen Murphy, Margaret Nettles, Katie Paulochk, Thomas Peters, Doris Prosser, Lynn Robke Crutcher, Roy Rogge, Madelean Sanford, Michael Schmitz, Craig Seipp, Diane Gettis-Simmons, Betty & Jean Stogner, Michelle Strube, Pat Thompson, Betty Tomasovich, Jake Van Hook, Pat Weiler, Steve Wells, Virginia Woods Please pray for all our military families, especially those separated by deployment.

MASS INTENTIONS

Saturday, March 28 Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord 5:00 p.m. John, Charles & Theodore Furmanek

Sunday, March 29 Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord 8:30 a.m. Kenny and Connie Williams Domingo Family 10:30 a.m. Rita Rehkemper Omer Green Monday, March 30 Monday of Holy Week 6:00 p.m. Gerry Munie Tuesday, March 31 Tuesday of Holy Week 7:30 a.m. NO MASS 8:30 a.m. All School Mass in Gym 11:30 a.m. Chrism Mass at St. Peter Cathedral Wednesday of Holy Week, April 1—No Mass Holy Thursday, April 2 7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper Followed by Eucharis c Adora on 9:30 p.m. Night Prayer Good Friday, April 3 8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer 3:00 p.m. Sta ons of the Cross 7:00 p.m. The Lord’s Passion Holy Saturday, April 4 8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer 8:15 p.m. Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday, April 5 8:30 a.m. Everre Tru mann Delmar and Elizabeth Young 10:30 a.m. John Mackey

Weekly Readings for March 30—April 5 Monday: Is 42:1-7; Ps 27:1-3, 13-14; Jn 12:1-11 Tuesday: Is 49:1-6; Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17; Jn 13:21-33, 36-38 Wednesday: Is 50:4-9a; Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; Mt 26:14-25 Thursday: Lord's Supper: Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; Ps 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15 Friday: Is 52:13 -- 53:12; Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1 -- 19:42 Saturday: a) Gn 1:1 -- 2:2 [1:1, 26-31a]; Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35; or Ps 33:4-7, 12-13, 20-22; b) Gn 22:1-18 [1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18]; Ps 16: 5, 8-11; c) Ex 14:15 -- 15:1; Ex 15:1-6, 17-18; d) Is 54:5-14; Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; e) Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-6; f) Bar 3:9-15, 32 -- 4:4; Ps 19:8-11; g) Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3-4 or Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 or Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; h) Rom 6:3-11; i) Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Mk 16:1-7 Sunday: Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8; Jn 20:1-9 or Mk 16:1-7 or (at an a ernoon or evening Mass) Lk 24:13-35

LITURGICAL MINISTERS

Please go on line to sign up for The Triduum:

Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday

Quarter Auction & Shopping Fair to Benefit Youth Ac vi es Friday, April 17

St. Clare Church Fellowship Hall A fun night out with lots of prizes!!

Vendor Fair opens at 6 Auc on begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission: $5 per person at the door (then pay as you go to bid on prizes)

or buy an all-in paddle (chance to win every prize) for $25 per person.

For table of 10 reservations or to donate prizes, contact Jane at janeadotson@yahoo.com or 632-3562.

Lenten Penance Service Sunday, March 29 Cathedral of St. Peter Noon—5

Tuesday of Holy Week, March 31, Bishop Braxton will celebrate the Mass of Chrism at Cathedral of St. Peter

The Mass will begin at 11:30 a.m. “The Chrism Mass is one of the principal expressions of the life of our Local Church. On this day, the Priests and the Christian Faithful of the Diocese gather around me as I consecrate the Sacred Chrism and

bless the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick.” Bishop Braxton

Begin Holy Week in quiet Adoration with Jesus:

We also pray each month during this Year of the Consecrated Life

for our priests and religious, for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and our seminarians.

We are extending the hours on Monday… If you can sign up for an hour, or anytime you can give,

sign up sheets are on the bulletin boards in the Gathering Space or email Suzie at jpdford@charter.net.

Eucharistic Adoration Palm Sunday March 29

After 10:30 Mass until Monday 5:45 p.m.

Join us in praying the

Divine Mercy Novena

St. Clare of Assisi Church 2:30 p.m. on Good Friday

3:00 p.m. for the following 8 days (through Saturday, April 11)

The Diocese of Belleville is sponsoring Divine Mercy Sunday events at

St. Clare of Assisi Church Sunday, April 12 from 1:30 – 3:30pm.

Divine Mercy Novena and Chaplet pamphlets are available on the Table in the Gathering Space this weekend. Please feel free to take one home if you

prefer to pray the Novena at home.

Confirmation Schedule: April 18 Students Mass and Dinner with Fr. Jim Rescheduled to April 19

April 19 Blessing for all students. Attend 10:30 Mass REAP Retreat for students & sponsors from 1—5 in Fellowship Hall Confirmation Students Dinner with Fr. Jim rescheduled: Sunday, April 19 at 11:40 a.m. in Choir Room for pizza lunch and important preparation time with Fr. Jim. No 8th Grade PSR on April 19.

April 26 Confirmation Rehearsal at 11:45 a.m.

April 27 Confirmation with Bishop Braxton 7 P.M.

Confirmation Service Opportunity!! Filling Easter Eggs on Thursday, April 2 from 1—2:30 p.m. and putting out eggs for hunt on Easter at 9 a.m. & 10 a.m. Contact Jane at janeadotson@yahoo.com

CLASSES MEET 10:30—11:40 on Sundays

St. Clare School, 214 West Third Street

March 29 PSR Class

April 5 Easter Sunday No PSR

April 12 No PSR Class—1st Communion

April 19 PSR Class (except 8th grade) 7th Grade Soup Kitchen

April 26 LAST PSR CLASS

PSR Parish School of Religion

www.stclarechurch.org

April 5 No Meeting—Easter Sunday

April 12 Youth Group in Youth Room 6-7:30 p.m.

April 19 Youth Group Game Night Fellowship Hall 6-7:30 p.m.

April 26 Youth Group and Adopt-a-Highway 5-7:30 p.m. 

Youth Group  Schedule 

    

National Catholic Youth Conference November 19-22, 2015 in Indianapolis 

 

 

All Parish Youth in grades 9-12 next fall  are invited to join us  

at this amazing event!!

MONDAY MOMS!

Faith Based Study & Prayer Activities, Support Group, Play Time

St. Clare Church Nursery 9:30—11 a.m.

2nd and 4th Mondays each Month

For more information, call Stephanie 573-424-6733

The Event of a Lifetime!

Hoyleton Mission Trip—June 21—26 for high school (incoming freshmen through 2015 graduates) and youth group alumni. Help with landscaping, painting, clean-up and fix-up at Holyeton Children’s Home and interact with the children living there. It’s five days you will never forget! Contact Karen Jalbert at 610-9149 for info.

Crazy 8’s Game Night

Sunday, April 12 5-7 p.m. in Fellowship Hall

For all 7th & 8th grade students. Bring a friend from any parish or faith. Bring your favorite

game to play. Games, food and fun. Parents invited to bring food and come help!

Stewardship

Sunday , March 22, 2015 Tithe……………………….$14,357.09 New Church……………...$ 700.00

“One man gives freely, yet grows all the richer; Another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” Proverbs 11:24

GREEN THUMBS WANTED! The Art and Environment and Gardening ministries are looking for someone to plant and maintain the four large planters on the entry plaza to our church. This includes picking and plan ng annuals suited for spring, summer and fall growing seasons, and keeping the pots watered through the dry summer months. This is a great volunteer project for couples or families! For more details, contact Kathy Sjoquist at kathysjo@sbcglobal.net.

PARISH SCHOOL OF RELIGION (PSR) TEACHERS NEEDED Our parish will need a kindergarten teacher and a third grade teacher for PSR class on Sunday mornings from 10:30-11:40 a.m. in the 2015-16 school year. Classes meet September-April, except for school holidays. There are plenty of lesson plans and ideas for ac vi es and cra s available for the new teacher, along with a teacher's guide. Contact janeadot-son@yahoo.com or 632-3562 to learn more about how you can help.

DONATE YOUR OLD DVD PLAYER Gently used, working DVD player needed. If you have one to donate to the Youth Group, please contact Jane at janeadotson@yahoo.com or 632-3562.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL LEADERS We need adult and/or college age co-leaders in registra on, outdoor recrea on, dance or Bible games (especially if you want to do some fun "science experiments"). This year's VBS will be held mornings July 13-17 at St. Clare School in conjunc on with Corpus Chris Parish. Contact janeadotson@yahoo.com. Youth help-ers (incoming grades 6-12) will sign up in May.

DONATIONS OF BASKETS AND AUCTION ITEMS St. Clare Youth Group needs dona ons of baskets, gi cards, wine and other prizes for our annual Quarter Auc on, to raise funds for our youth to a end the Diocesan and Na onal Catholic Youth Conferences. If you have any new items or gi cards you are unable to use, you have business or have a special talent for making something, we would love to have your dona ons for our event. Your name or business name will be listed in the program or you can donate anonymously. Please contact Jackie Gross at jgross933@gmail.com or 660-4667 or Jane Dotson at janeadotson@yahoo.com or 632-3562.

Share God’s Gifts You have been given wonderful gi s

from God...Will you share them?

Experience Jesus’ Divine Mercy As we draw closer to our Lenten journey’s end with the three days of the Easter Triduum this Holy Week, we par cipate in Christ’s Passion, Death, Burial and Resurrec on. If we immerse ourselves in His journey this week, we can experience the pro-found Love and Mercy that Jesus freely gives us. Whether we’ve done well in growing closer to God these past several weeks, or we’ve struggled to keep our Lenten sacrifices, God is always eager and ready to pour out his Mercy on us in for-giveness of our sins. Pope John Paul II said, “Divine Mercy is THE message for the third millennium and God’s gi to our

me. There is nothing that mankind needs more than Christ’s Divine Mercy.” Fr. Michael Gaitley helps us learn more about this great devo on and this Pope called the “Divine Mercy Saint” in this CD, The Second Greatest Story Ever Told.

In this very popular talk, Fr. Gaitley describes the “second greatest story ever told” – a story that en-compasses Divine Mercy, the life of St. Pope John Paul II, and the crucial role that Marian Consecra-

on can play in your life. Fr. Mi-chael Gaitley is a priest in the Con-grega on of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Concep on and is the director of the Associa on of Mar-

ian Helpers, a spiritual benefit society with more than one mil-lion members and is also the author of the groundbreaking book 33 Days to Morning Glory, (Available on our kiosk).

Join other parishioners from St. Clare, Corpus Christi and St. Nicholas in praying the Novena of Divine Mercy here at St. Clare, starting Good Friday and continuing for 9 days through Saturday, April 11. See more info in this bulletin.

Please check our kiosk in the Gathering Space for new CD and book

tles. Great for youth and adults! Suggested dona ons are: CDs - $3.00, Books - $4.00, Booklets $2.00. Please place payments in the slots on either side of the kiosk. Thank you!! Your dona ons go directly toward ordering new tles. Find us on the parish website stclarechurch.org for more informa on on Lighthouse Catholic Media…click on the Lighthouse logo on the main webpage.

ALTAR ANGELS April 4: Rose Brennan, Celerina Collins, Babe Papproth ACTS OF THE APOSTLES BIBLE STUDY All are welcome to explore the Acts of the Apostles on Tuesday nights beginning April 7—June 2. This Bible study group meets from 7—8:30 p.m. in the church library. To register, please call the parish office by March 31. Cost is $15 for books. SENIORS TO LEARN ABOUT FUNERAL PLANNING The St. Clare Seniors will hear about funeral planning at their April mee ng and then will make plans for some up-coming trips. Kim Sabella, a licensed funeral director from Wolfersberger Funeral Home and a member of St. Clare Parish will be our guest at the April 13 mee ng. Her presenta on “Funeral Pre-Planning: Yes, It’s for Everyone” will provide infor-ma on in a relaxed se ng. The mee ng begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The Seniors are planning a casino trip this spring and a trip to the racetrack this sum-mer! Any parishioner over 55 is invited to join the Seniors group, which usually meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month in the Fellowship Hall for evenings of great food, lots of laughs and a variety of entertainment and guest speakers. The seniors group is strictly social; no work or fundraising is involved. For more informa on, please contact Judy at 632-4074. PARENTS Order Magnifikids for your children ages 6-12! A weekly booklet about Mass that includes prayers, games and ideas on living our faith. Especially helpful for First Communion prep. Cost is $17 a year and deadline to order is April 13. ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION On June 7 at 1 p.m. Bishop Braxton will celebrate a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter honoring the Sacrament of Matrimony. Couples married 25, 30, 40, 50 & 60 plus years are invited to a end. Please call the parish office if you will be celebra ng a milestone anniversary this year! 6TH ANNUAL ST. CLARE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION EASTER EGGSTRAORDINAIRE 5K will be held Saturday, April 4. Race begins at 9 a.m. at Rohr Field, 586 West State Street. Please register by April 1. Pre-registra on is $20 for adults and $18 for par-

cipants 18 years and under. Kids half mile Fun Run (pre-registra on $12). Egg hunt to follow for all children. For more inforam on or to register, please contact Tom Fischer at thomas.fischer@saintclareschool.org.

Pentecost Festival Sunday, May 24 Calling all International Cooks!

Showcase your heritage!

Contact Jackie Gross at 660-4478 or jgross933@gmail.com

For information on how to set up a booth featuring foods from your country...

The Good Life: How to Build Your Life on

God’s 3 Bold Promises

Coming to St. Clare June 6, 2015 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Featuring best selling author and speaker,

Dr. Allen Hunt

With Special Musical Guest George Lower

During this event, you'll discover prac cal, profound and specific ways to experience God’s immense love, constant presence

and unique plan for your life.

God’s 3 Bold Promises

“I Love You” This talk will help you discover a profound experience of the immense love of God. That love is what you’re made for. God’s love treasures, seeks and rejoices in you.

“I Will Never Leave You nor Abandon You” We will all encounter moments in life where God feels distant or absent. Yet, God boldly promises never to leave us alone. He will not abandon us. His mercy and forgiveness will follow us wherever we go.

“I’m Preparing a Place for You” For every journey, it is important to begin with the end in mind. God has a des ny and a des na on in mind for you, His child. God’s grace will draw you deeper into the good life that leads you there.

♦ What is the Good Life? ♦ How do we find it? ♦ How do we embrace it?