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God Squad Advent
Join our Pastor, Fr. Jarrod, as he guides us through this Advent with meditation, liturgy, and prayer. Daily prayer and reflections, Dec. 3-23
Holy Land Pilgrimage
Join the St. Francis of Assisi Holy Land Pilgrimage, June 2-14, 2024!
Rebuild My Church Completed and Ongoing Projects
Our campus projects continue thanks to those who have given and pledged so generously to the Rebuild My Church Campaign. Here is a snapshot of the current status of completed and ongoing projects.
Faith Formation
Father's Focus
Time for Our ‘Grit and Grind’
As the saying goes, “You cannot love what you do not know.” Our formation in stewardship is a way for us to grow in our love and commitment to this way of life. The Stewardship Way of Life is the way every single one of us participates in the mission of the Gospel.
Brief History of Stewardship in the Diocese of Wichita
Just as a fish tank needs a delicately balanced environment for fish to thrive, the Diocese of Wichita provided the right environment for stewardship to thrive in the years immediately following Vatican II. The ingredients for this balance were fourfold: inspired pastors, highly engaged lay leadership, visionary bishops, and a collaborative presbyterate.
A Brief Tour of Some Renovated Spaces
Now that we have entered our newly renovated Church, I wanted to take a moment to go over some key elements. This renovation is not simply about updating areas that were in need of a refresh or better function, but to improve the space with beautiful architectural elements, and an increased focus on liturgical tradition.
The Rite of Blessing for Our Church Doors
There is a very important expression in Church formation, “lex orandi, lex credenda, lex vivendi,” meaning, “the law of praying leads to the law of believing, which leads to the law of living.” This essentially means that the way you pray determines the way you believe; and the way you believe determines the way you live.
Pillars of Formation
I want to make an analogous connection between these architectural aspects and stewardship. I believe they can be connected to the four pillars of stewardship:
A Parish Technology Guild
With internal Church renovations being complete, and having returned home for Mass, it is time to form a Parish Technology Guild to help oversee our technology needs. There are several systems at play in our Sacristy, Vestibule, Bell Tower, and Church. This guild would oversee maintaining these systems and maximizing their potential for parish use.
Welcome to Our Renovated Church!
It is my hope that as you enter our newly renovated church, you are struck by its beauty, simplicity and architectural integrity. It has been an honor and privilege to oversee the past four months of construction (June 1 to Sept. 30), working with Alloy Architecture and Simpson Construction to achieve this wonderful update.
An Instinctive Humility
As some of you know, I recently went to the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in the greater-metropolitan area of Winfield, Kansas. It was a great trip again, with wonderful fellowship, delicious food, good music, and mild weather.
Please, Tithe
God has called us, as stewards, to tithe generously, proportionately, and sacrificially 10% of our income. Consider this: your tithe guarantees the primacy of heavenly, faith-based goals over and above earthly, terrestrial desires. As you prayerfully consider your tithe, how close are you to God’s 10% goal?
Morality Matters
Roles in a Catholic Family
The family is the “original cell of social life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2207) and the need to support it, recall our roles within it, and strengthen our commitment to those roles is more important than ever. Never in history has an attempt to destroy the family been so strong.
The Gift of Treasure - Part 2
Stewards, motivated by mission and knowing they have a part to play, are called to give their first fruits. This is among the earliest lessons of the Bible: Abel gave of his first fruits and was blessed (Gen 4:3). Proverbs says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce; then will your barns be filled with grain, with new wine your vats will overflow” (3:9-10). “First fruits” in today’s language is 10 percent of gross earnings or, in IRS terminology, adjusted gross income.
The Gift of Treasure - Part 1
Monsignor McGread was fond of saying, “You will never find a U-Haul behind a hearse.” Jesus himself warned of being overly attached to wealth. To the rich person who stored up grain for himself, he said, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” (Lk 12:20).
Begotten Not Forced: IVF Immorality
The Church teaches that human dignity is best respected when the beautiful sexual union of two people conceives a child. This does not happen when a human being is created in a laboratory through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
Abortion is a Sin
In the sacred verses of the Gospel according to Luke, a poignant moment unfolds, resonating with the importance the Catholic Church holds for the sanctity of life. The passage, narrating the encounter between the Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, paints a vivid picture of the divine recognition bestowed upon the unborn.
The Bookends of Life and Death with Everything Else in Between
We were out in California visiting my relatives and I was about 26 weeks along in my second pregnancy. Sometimes you just never know this side of heaven why things happen as they do. Something went wrong - amniotic fluid had built up so much that I was measuring 40+ weeks, and consequently, I went into pre-labor. They tried to save her through a C-section, but her lungs hadn’t developed properly. Heather passed away before I could even hold her.
Being Pro-Life in a Culture of Death
As you know, October is Respect Life Month, a month the Church in the United States has dedicated for calling to mind the sanctity of life and the need to defend it from conception until natural death. It is a month dedicated to raising awareness, support, and prayerful intention toward defending life, a position that generally gets referred to as being “pro-life.” The term “pro-life” is one that has often been tossed around the last few years.
Principles of Totality and Integrity
As part of the “Morality Matters” column, once a month, I have been and will be writing a section on Catholic Bioethics. The intention is to call to mind the Church’s teaching on certain medical practices or procedures that may or may not be in line, morally.
Marry in the Church
Why Must I Marry in the Church? The inaugural public miracle of Jesus unfolded in the midst of the wedding feast at Cana. Here, Mary turned to Jesus and quietly remarked, “They have no wine,” echoing the scriptural account that “the wine ran short.”