​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.

CHRISTMAS CHURCH DECORATIONS:
​We will be decorating the church for Christmas on Sunday, December 13th, immediately following the 11:00 a.m. Mass.   Everyone is welcome to help. Face masks are required. We plan to divide up and work in small groups to keep the 6’ distancing.
​

CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS
Poinsettias are available again this year in memory of your loved ones. Please pick up the envelopes on the back table and return them as soon as possible. They can be dropped in the collection at the week-end Masses or mailed to St. Francis Church, P.O. Box 216, St. Paul, KS 66771

FORMED provides the very best Catholic content from more than 60 organizations to help parishes, families and individuals explore their faith anywhere. Supporting thousands of movies, children’s programs, eBooks, audio, parish programs and studies direct to your browser, mobile or connected device.

FORMED.ORG is a free subscription to you, where you will find the best Catholic content all in one place! Watch on your TV, computer or phone, feature films about the saints, documentaries on Catholic topics, and children’s programming. Just go to formed.org and select your parish. Register with your name and email address. See the flyer enclosed in this week's bulletin for more information. 

FLOCKNOTE is a new way of communicating within our parish via text messages and emails. Our Parish School of Religion will use this method to keep parents informed of cancelled classes, meetings and any other important information. To be on this list, please text VIRGINMARY to 84576 on your phone and you will receive a link to verify your email or go to stfrancischurch3.flocknote.com and put in your zip code. When you get to Flocknote, pick PSR Families to join. 

Here is a link to the St. Francis St. Ambrose home page and the October 18 Bulletin.

​KANSAS IS NO LONGER PROLIFE!
HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT:
It’s almost too gruesome to believe, yet true.  According to official records of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, an average of nine preborn babies lose their lives each week in Kansas through a horrific procedure known as live dismemberment abortion.

There is more shocking news about abortion in Kansas.
Did you know the legal path is now open for taxpayer-funded/Medicaid-funded abortion in Kansas? Did you know that under current Kansas law, a 14-year-old girl (or any minor) can get an abortion without the knowledge or consent of her parents? Did you know that virtually every prolife Kansas law on the books is now “presumed unconstitutional?” including bans on brutal late term birth abortion, informed consent and even basic clinic sanitation standards?

All these appalling facts—and much more—are the result of a devastating decision recently made by the Kansas State Supreme Court in the abortion case Hodes & Hauser v. Schmidt.

​You probably haven’t heard much about this decision, but overnight it changed Kansas into one
of the most radical pro-abortion states in the country.  In fact, Kansas abortion law is now even
more extreme than states like New York. ​

WHAT IS "VALUE THEM BOTH?”
What can Kansas Catholics do to change this injustice?

VALUE THEM BOTH is the proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that will safeguard both women and babies from what could soon be an unregulated abortion industry.

VALUE THEM BOTH restores to the people of Kansas, through their elected officials, the ability to regulate the abortion industry in a way that protects both women and babies.

Unlimited abortion hurts women and babies. VALUE THEM BOTH places the power to regulate the abortion industry back in the people’s hands where it belongs.

Passing VALUE THEM BOTH is a two-step process.

First, a “super majority” of the Kansas Senate and House must vote to approve placement of the amendment on a statewide ballot. Once that happens, citizens will vote. The amendment becomes part of the Kansas Constitution if it receives a simple majority of votes. Passage of VALUE THEM BOTH will again make our abortion laws enforceable and constitutional.

THE UPCOMING STATE ELECTION MATTERS!

This past Legislative Session, VALUE THEM BOTH passed the Senate, but came four agonizing votes short in the House. Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry cheered.

The Catholic Bishops of the United States have declared abortion to be the pre-eminent issue of our day. The Catholic Bishops of Kansas call VALUE THEM BOTH their #1 legislative priority.

Before casting your vote this election, become informed about this and other issues. Then exercise your responsibility of faithful citizenship and VOTE!

RESOURCES:

Chuck Weber is the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference and can be reached at: Chuck@KansasCatholic.org

The Kansas Catholic Conference is the official voice on public policy matters of the Kansas Catholic Bishops. The web site is: www.kansascatholic.org

The web site of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops can be found at: www.USCCB.org

Photograph is by Swedish photograph Lenart Neilson.  

Parish School of Religion Parents and Students:
​Our PSR K-12th grade program will begin September 16th at 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. with Mass in the St. Francis Church.

We will continue to meet in the church each week until social guidelines for COVID-19 allow us to go back into our classrooms. Each student will receive a workbook and syllabus for their class that they will complete at home. This will be a family-centered approach and parents will need to make sure assignments are completed. There will be time at the end of Mass each week for the teachers to connect with their class and follow up with the week’s lesson.

We will do our best to social distance in the church and keep our student’s safe!  If you can, please bring your bag from last year when you come the first night to collect your books.

New Students to our Program: Please enroll new students in Kindergarten or any other grade in our PSR program by calling Suzie Diskin at 620-449-2783 as soon as possible.

Thank You — Looking forward to a great 2020-21 program!