​Being handed a roll of this candy is a reminder that you can make a difference in the lives of women facing crisis pregnancies.

​The familiar Life Saver candy was invented in 1912 by Clarence Crane of Garrettsville, Ohio. He was looking for a hard-candy alternative to chocolate that melted during hot Ohio summers.  Their shape was similar to life rings used on boats and around swimming areas.  As they became popular, a roll of the candies was a "lifesaver" for the occasional sweet-tooth attack.

A New Meaning.
In recent years, the word "Lifesaver" has taken a more literal meaning.  Knights of Columbus members, across the nation, don their familiar aprons and meet parishioners at church doors, after Mass, with the cash-can in hand.  Being handed a roll of the candy is a reminder that you can make a difference in the lives of women facing crisis pregnancies.  

The difference an ultrasound machine makes is frequently the difference between a mother keeping or aborting her baby. It is hard to deny the humanity of an unborn baby when confronted with a face, a nose, a heart, ten fingers and ten toes.  To date the Knights of Columbus have donated more than 1,500 ultrasound machines, worth more than $72 million  — in all 50 states, Mexico, Canada and countries in South America and Africa.  Thousands of babies have been saved and and the lives of countless mothers, fathers, and families have been enhanced thanks to the work of the Knights.

PARISH SURVEY:
The Disciple Maker Index Survey opened Friday, April 1, 2022 and we need your help. Your participation in this survey is critically important and will be helpful for Fr. Theodore. Please help us participate by completing a 10-15 minute survey as soon as possible. To complete your survey go to https://portal.catholicleaders.org/dmi/survey/y71a4y You may also use the QR Code, shown here, with your phone. There are paper copies of the form in the back of the churches that you may return to the parish office. The survey will ask you to reflect on your own spiritual growth and enable you to provide feedback on our parish’s efforts to help you grow. All responses will be confidential and the parish will only receive information about the community as whole. We will receive the results this summer at which time we will share what we have learned with the entire parish. 

On Monday, February 28, the Senate will vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act, H.R. 3755. This deceptively-named, extreme bill would impose abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy through federal statute. Even worse, it would eliminate modest and widely supported pro-life laws at every level of government -- the federal, state, and local level -- including parental notification for minor girls, informed consent, and health or safety protections specific to abortion facilities. It would force all Americans to support abortions here and abroad with their tax dollars. It would also likely force health care providers and professionals to perform, assist in, and/or refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as force employers and insurers to cover or pay for abortion.

We need to send an unmistakable message to the Senate that this horrible bill must never be enacted. Join Archbishop Lori, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities and Cardinal Dolan, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty in urging the Senate to oppose H.R. 3755.

​Check out the chairmen’s letter and this fact sheet to learn more about this radical bill.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/dup78voj74oEKsEuAHWNmw

Reminder/RSVP - First Degree Exemplification & Social.
​Knights of Columbus Council 760 will host a First Degree Exemplification Ceremony and social on Saturday, January 22, at the St. Francis Parish Hall.  

The Exemplification Ceremony will be held in the east room of the parish hall  beginning at 6:00 pm, lasting about one hour.  

Following the Exemplification, at 7:00pm, there will be an evening social.  The Knights will provide grilled burgers with the trimmings and beverages including adult beverages.  The social is for all Knights and their wife or friend.   Knights not involved with the Exemplification and guests may gather in the west room during the Exemplification. 

Please RSVP, if you plan to attend, by calling*:

• Charles Schettler (620) 423-6635 or
• Keith Van Leeuwen (620) 423-6747​

* Or, if you have thought it over and have decided to join after all, call and let them know. It is not to late to be a part of the Exemplification!

About the Knights:
Pope John Paul II once referred to the Knights of Columbus as the “Strong right arm of the Church.”  There were reasons for his comment and when you Join the Knights, you are placing yourself in the company of a well-respected Catholic fraternal organization.  Follow THIS LINK for more information about the Knights of Columbus on a local, national and world-wide basis.
​

Schedule of Christmas Masses at St. Ambrose and St. Francis:

Christmas Eve:

• Friday, December 24, 5:30 p.m. at St. Francis
• Friday, December 24, 8:00 p.m. at St. Ambrose

Christmas Day:

• Saturday, December 25, 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis
• Saturday, December 25, 5:30 p.m. at St. Francis

First Degree Exemplification:​
Knights of Columbus Council 760 will host a First Degree Exemplification and social on Saturday, January 22, at St. Francis Parish Hall.  This is a perfect opportunity to become a Knight; and introduce your spouse or a friend to our Council 760 fraternity and their wives.

The Exemplification ceremony will be held in the east room of the parish hall.  It begins at 6:00 p.m. and should last about one hour.  

Following the Exemplification, at 7:00, there will be an evening social, the Knights will provide grilled burgers with the trimmings and beverages including adult beverages.  The social is for all Knights and their wives or a friend.   Knights not involved with the Exemplification, and guests, may gather in the west room during Exemplification. 

Interested?  If yes, contact:  

• Charles Schettler (620) 423-6635 or
• Keith Van Leeuwen (620) 423-6747

​About the Knights:
Pope John Paul II once referred to the Knights of Columbus as the “Strong right arm of the Church.”  There were reasons for his comment and when you Join the Knights, you are placing yourself in the company of a well-respected Catholic fraternal organization.  Follow THIS LINK for more information about the Knights of Columbus on a local, national and world-wide basis.

During the past weekend KofC Council 760 replaced the fourteen The Lord's Prayer signs, that stretch about 4/10th's of a mile east from Xavier Road, on the north side of highway 47.  A group of Knights took on the job of: removing the old signs; scraping and repainting the existing posts; and remounting a set of new 2' x 4' sign panels.  They also repaired a couple of posts and replaced a few of the trim strips finishing off the installation.
​
The project actually started several weeks earlier when artwork from the earlier signs was located.  Those earlier images were enhanced to make the lettering more prominent on the backgrounds.  Then the new images were printed on vinyl covered aluminum plates mounted on a corrugated vinyl core.
​

This Was the Third Iteration. 
We don't know the exact timing, but the new signs are the third set that have graced The Lord's Prayer along K47 during the past 25 or more years:

1. Felix and Ruth O'Brien installed the first set about twenty-five years ago [1].  These original signs were hand painted and installed along the same 4/10th's mile stretch as the newer ones.
2. About ten years ago, the Kroenke family had signs made and installed that were very similar to the new ones.  Over the past few years, those vinyl-on-aluminum sign panels began to crack and fade.
3. Hopefully the new KofC versions of the signs will last another 10 years, or until the Council or someone else extends the tradition.

​The signs can be difficult to appreciate at 65 miles per hour.  Here is a slide-show gallery of each of the new panels.  Hover the mouse over the pictures to see the slide navigation controls.

​ROSARY IN THE CHURCH GARDEN!
Respect Life Sunday is October 3rd. This is a day set aside to pray for all human life, especially for an end to abortion. We also pray for a greater respect and value of each human life. Our 6th-8th grade PSR classes will lead a pro-life rosary in the church garden at 4:00 p.m.

Homemade ice cream and cake will be served in the shelter house afterwards by the Knights of Columbus. Please join us as we ask Mary’s blessing for our prayers!

​This is a Confirmation stewardship project for our junior high students.

THE FUNERAL VIGIL AND MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL FOR SERVANT OF GOD, EMIL KAPAUN, will both be broadcast on EWTN; and livestreamed from the Diocese of Wichita YouTube Channel.
​

• The Vigil will be on Tuesday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m.
• The Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 29.

Please tune into EWTN on your TV, or go to: www.youtube.com/user/dioceseofwichita to livestream the liturgies.

More information can be found at:  frkapaun.org/kapaun-comes-home

Some tickets may still remain for the liturgies.

In addition, a Memorial Mass will be held at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu this Thursday, September 23 at 11:00 p.m. It can be streamed at:*
​ www.cathedralofourladyofpeace.com/LiveStream.html 

*  Note:  The Memorial Mass link from Honolulu might not remain active on their site.

HARVEST HOUSE MEETING:
​Attention to all Harvest House members, and anyone wanting to join, please feel welcome. Meetings are on the 3rd Thursday of the month. This month’s meeting will be on Thursday, September 16th at the St. Paul Café (back dining room) at 12:30 p.m. Hope to see you there.

​Contacts: Judy Fager 620-423-9144,  Marlene Clark 620-687-4401.

If you want some more information about the Diocese Adult Senior Ministries, or the Harvest House Organization follow THIS Link.

A Busy Time Ahead!  
 
Knights of Columbus Meeting — September 13*.
Council 760 will have a meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 13 at the St. Francis Parish Hall in St. Paul.  All Knights are encouraged to attend.  We have a busy period ahead including, Benefit Breakfasts, Fall Festival, Our annual Smoked Ribs community fund raiser and some other projects.  Hope to see you there!

Benefit Breakfast — Sunday, September 26th.
Mark your Calendars for Sunday, September 26th, for a Benefit Breakfast at St. Francis Parish Hall.  We begin serving at 8:00 a.m.  and will continue until around 11:30 a.m.  We will some need early kitchen workers in the 6:00 - 6:30 a.m. time frame.

* This meeting has been rescheduled from Tuesday, September 14 to Monday, September 13 because of schedule conflicts.

Effective Monday, August 30, Mass Schedules For Weekday Masses At St. Francis Are Changed:

• Mondays — 8:00 a.m.
• Wednesdays — 6:15 p.m. *
• Fridays — 8:00 a.m.

There will also be a First Saturday Mass on September 4th at 8:00 a.m.

* The Family Mass for PSR, on Wednesday, September 8th, will be at 7:00 p.m.

Back Under Way!
After a break of nearly two years it was great to get the team back together.  Our August 22 meeting included a great chicken dinner, home-made cupcakes and the much-missed companionship of our Altar Society sisters.  Among other things, we are kicking of our 2021 Fall Festival planning.  A Fall Festival job sign-up sheet will be in the back of church soon.  Also, the annual plan and officers/guild list will be posted to the parish website.   

WHAT A WEEK — A Holy and Exciting Week!!! 
St. Francis Catholic Church started the week of July 18th through 23rd with a wild and wet Totus Tuus retreat for our 1st through 6th graders.[1]  Before the dust had settled, we started a traditional St. Francis Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) Retreat for sixteen candidates from around the Diocese of Wichita.  Wichita TEC #165 took place at the St. Paul High School on Friday June 23-Sunday June 25.

Teens Encounter Christ is a 3 day retreat for High School Juniors and older.  It focuses on Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the mission for his disciples to spread his love throughout the world. Here are some highlights and facts about this year's St. Paul TEC and the program in general:

• We said "traditional" — Why?   There are multiple TEC's in the Wichita Diocese each year, and locations vary.  But during the past 2-3 decades, St. Paul has hosted a disproportionate share of the events.  Why?  It likely has a lot to do with our historical standing as the Cradle of Catholicism in Southern Kansas. [2]
• This year's St. Paul TEC candidates included: nine from St. Francis, St. Paul; two from St. Michael, Girard; one from Our Lady of Lourdes, Pittsburg; one from Sacred Heart, Fredonia; three from St. Michael, Mulvane.
• TEC is held in 50 U.S. Catholic dioceses and has expanded overseas.
• This was only the sixth TEC in the nation to have been held since the pandemic began. 

TEC's are an intense spiritual event that changes people's lives; and forms relationships that last a lifetime.  Anyone who has made a TEC retreat is encouraged to come serve on future TECs!  Did we mention they are a lot of fun!  Here is some photographic proof:

Thanks to Our TEC Crew:
Resource:

• Lay Director - Keaton McCracken
• Music/Asst. Director - Dustin Treiber
• Spiritual Director - Father Jeremy Huser
• Morgan Bruna
• Irene Langerot
• Rick Langerot
• Aaron Stonerock
• Sarah Treiber
• Krista Wegerer

Wheat Crew (WC):

• WC Director - Emily Rose Stonerock
• WC Spiritual Director - Fr. David Voss
• Cook - Janet Holden
• Austin Dowell
• David Walker

Also, thanks to Amy Lomshek who couldn't commit full time, but unofficially popped in and out to help behind the scenes.  We were a little short handed this year and she helped a lot.

NOTE:
1.  For information about the St. Francis Totus Tuus, follow THIS link.
2. A former Diocese TEC Director, Andy Green, told us years ago that he loved to bring a group of youth to St. Paul for a TEC.  He knew they were coming to a truly holy place — the birthplace of Roman Catholicism in southern Kansas.  To better understand follow THIS link.

Our 2021 Totus Tuus youth retreat was a success and proof is in the photos!  Totus Tuus is committed to bringing kids closer to Christ through the sacraments, prayer and fun!  During the week of July 18th-23rd the day program ran from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and included outdoor water fun, snacks pizza, ice cream sundae making and a few pretty good messes.  During the week, our 1st through 6th graders also took time for Mass, prayers, Confessions, Adoration and learning more about their Catholic Faith.

Many, many thanks to our Diocesan Missionaries: Katie, Thomas, Dominic and Audrey for providing an energetic program and keeping it exciting.  Also thanks to Father Sam Pinkerton, Religious Ed. Director Suzie Diskin, and a small army of volunteers.  Special thanks to the Mission Township Fire Department for cooling things off; and Heather Sinclair for this great set of photos!!! 
​

OH!  And as if a week of Totus Tuus wasn't exciting enough; St. Francis also started it's 2021 Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) retreat on Friday, July 23!  Follow THIS Link!

Returning to Normality—One Step at a Time:
On Thursday, April 15, Bishop Kemme announced that the Mass dispensation would be lifted on the weekend of June 5-6.  His letter allowed that personal dispensations; and local guidelines regarding social distancing, masks, etc. would be left to the judgement of pastors.  With this announcement, St. Francis and St. Ambrose have taken the following steps.

Return to Normal Mass Schedules at Both Churches.   Effective this weekend, June 5-6, both St. Francis and St. Ambrose will return to their normal, pre-Covid, Mass schedule:

Saturday:                      5:30 p.m. — St. Francis, St. Paul*
Sunday:                        8:00 a.m. — St. Ambrose, Erie
                                      10:00 a.m. — St. Francis, St. Paul
Monday:                       7:30 a.m. — St. Francis, St. Paul
Tuesday:                       No Mass​
Wednesday:                7:00 p.m. —St. Francis, St. Paul
Thursday:                     8:30 a.m. — St. Ambrose, Erie
Friday:                          7:30 a.m. — St. Francis, St. Paul                                 

The new schedule is reflected in the May 30 bulletin and the parish website has been updated.

The Ministry Schedules for both churches have been updated and changes are reflected in the bulletin.  The Ministry Schedule for St. Francis is linked below.

*  At the moment, the Saturday, 7:30 a.m. Mass at St. Francis is not reinstated (subject to change). 

Guidelines.  Most of us received a letter from Father Sam dated May 1, 2021.  It lays out guidelines for implementation of Bishop Kemme's announcement as they apply to each parish.  Please note that until social distancing is removed for both churches; St. Francis parishioners should attend weekend Masses in St. Paul to avoid over-crowding of St. Ambrose.  In addition to Father Sam's letter, the Diocese released another brief Guidelines document this week (below).

Some Reference Information:
Here are links to relevant information:

• Bishop Kemme's April 15 letter (Also linked above)
• Father Sam Pinkerton's May 1, 2021 Guidelines.
• Diocese Guidelines Released This Week.
• Website Home Page Including Updated Mass Schedules, Links to May 30 Bulletin and June 2021 St. Francis Ministry Schedule

Front — Amani LaForte
Back — Amy Hummel (Teacher), Rhett Born, Daxen Burns, Knox Aday, Kristy Mueller (Teacher)

Thanks to Father Sam Pinkerton, PSR Director Suzie DIskin, teachers Kristy Mueller and Amy Hummel, and all of the parents and family members who made this a joyous and holy event.