106 N. Western Ave. Girard, KS 66743 Tel.

(620)724-8717

Weekly Bulletin

of
Saint Michael Church, Girard www.stmichaelgirard.com

Saint Michael Parish Mission Statement:

MASS SCHEDULE
GIRARD Sat. 5:30pm Sun. 10:00 am ARMA 4:00pm 8:00 am

We the parishioners of Saint Michael the Archangel, through leadership and strong traditions are faithful disciples of the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church. We commit ourselves to be generous stewards of our faith, our parish, and our community. We strive to involve all members to be united in one parish family for the salvation of all. Notes from the Pastor: The funeral mass of Fr. Donald Thissen, Thursday, January 23 rd at All Saints Church in Wichita, like all other funerals was sad but the celebration was beautiful! Retired Bishop Eugene Gerber was the main celebrant with about fifty priests concelebrating. There were several people from different parishes throughout the diocese, and I am happy to see about thirty five from Girard and five from Arma! Bishop Gerber in his homily highlighted Fr. Thissens ministerial works especially in giving glory to God. Before the end of the mass, the priests sing the Salve Regina as part of the tradition in the diocese on funeral mass of priests. Then Fr. Thissens favorite prayer to the infant Jesus that he introduced to parishioners was being prayed Oh Infant Jesus meek and mild, look upon this little child. Pity mine and pity me and suffer me to come to Thee. Heart of Jesus I adore, Heart of Mary I implore, heart of Joseph, pure and just, in those three hearts we put our trust. At the luncheon that followed, the congregation continued to talk about how Fr. Thissen touched the hearts of so many people. He will be missed but it is a consolation to think that he is now free from suffering of lung illness. May God welcome him into His eternal kingdom! We thank God for the safe return of those who joined March For Life, especially our parishioners. Many of you have seen the extensive coverage of the march at EWTN. It was another successful march and hopefully the hearts of our lawmakers, judges, and all those who do not regard the unborn as a human life will be softened by the grace of God and that they will recognize the legal rights of the unborn. Of course, we who believe, look at the unborn not just on legality but on the sanctity of human life. May our prayers and efforts bear fruit in the respect of human life, especially the unborn, throughout the world. Reminder again to take your envelop at the entrance of the church which contain the summary of your contributions throughout the year 2013. I thank you again for your generosity and for your Next Sunday(02/02/14) 10:00 AM CCD Students
Jerry Hanson CCD Students CCD Students

CONFESSION Sat. 2:00-2:45pm 3:15-3:45pm Weekdays before Mass; anytime by appointment.

STAFF Fr. Roger Lumbre Pastor Janel Scales Bookkeeper/Bulletin Editor Faith Paoni Secretary Rectory Office Hours Tues-Fri 9AM-Noon Closed on Mondays Tel. (620) 724-8717

Next Saturday (02/01/14) Altar Servers: E. M. E. Lectors: Gift Bearers 5:30 PM Volunteers Teresa Davenport Ned Sauer Randy & Donna Little Family

Mass Schedules & Intentions for January 25th-February 2nd:

Jan 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Feb 01 02 Saturday 4:00 PM 5:30 PM Sunday 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Monday 7:00 AM Tuesday 5:30 PM Wednesday 6:30 PM Thursday 8:00 AM 8:30AM-3PM Friday 7:00 AM 8AM-6PM Saturday 4:00 PM 5:30 PM Sunday 8:00 AM 10:00 AM Henry Yartz Ed Perrin Ad Dantis Pro Populo Intentions of Gilpin Family Henry Yartz Frank OToole Ad Dantis Eucharistic Adoration Helen OToole Eucharistic Adoration Barbara Doue Pete Masser Henry Yartz Pro Populo Arma Girard Arma Girard Girard Arma Girard Arma Arma Girard Girard Arma Girard Arma Girard

good stewardship of your treasure. May God bless you a hundredfold! If you do not see your name among the envelops, it might be that you are not registered in our parish, or that you did not use your envelops for your contribution. If you think there is a mistake, please call our parish office. If you are not registered at Saint Michaels or Saint Josephs and you are not registered in any other parish around the area, it is time for you to register! Why is it important to register as a parishioner? Some Catholics see only the need to register in order to receive the sacraments, like baptism, or to be enrolled at a catholic school, if the parish has one. But the need to register in a parish is more than those reasons mentioned. In her wisdom, the Church has seen the practice of registering at the church responsible for a particular territory as the best way for both priests and laity to build a sense of community within the parish and our relationship with the bishop as a diocese. The Code of Canon law stipulates, "As a general rule a parish is to be territorial, that is, it embraces all of the Christian faithful within a certain territory; whenever it is judged useful, however, personal parishes are to be established based upon rite, language, the nationality of the Christian faithful within some territory or even upon some determining factor" (No. 518). So I hope and pray those of you who are not yet registered may incorporate yourself fully to the parish by registering! God bless you all! Fr. Roger

Fr. Thissen: Priest Par Excellence We lost a part of our diocese last Saturday, Jan. 18, when Fr. Donald Last Week July 2013 to date Thissen died in Wichita at age 69, having served the diocese 43 years. He Contributions $2,454.50 $77,384.85 came to St. Josephs (and St. Michaels) in 1993 when we became a mission Children's Offering $13.76 $484.94 church with the departure of Fr. Andrew Seiler. Fr. Thissen became the pasExpenses $64,343.95 tor of both churches and we began what would be an enjoyable 14 years with Over/ (Under) $13,525.84 him. He remained until 2007 when the Bishop relieved him of his mission (St. Josephs) due to health and Fr. Bob McElwee of Sacred Heart Church at Frontenac took us as their mission. Fr. Thissen would remain with St. Saint Michaels Upcoming Events Michaels for two more years before he took full retirement in 2009 as his Finance Council Parish Council health worsened. Tony Stonerock-Chair Dale Coomes-Chair Even though we were a mission church, he spent considerable time with TBA TBA our parish. He was present at all of our dinners and programs and it wasnt unusual to see him wandering through the crowd seated at tables, speaking to Rosary Altar Society Knights of Columbus everyone. He loved to joke and laughter normally followed as he strode the Next meeting, TBA 1st Tuesday of Month, 7pm hall! He was so orthodox in his teachings at the pulpit and it was always eviAt 6:30pm in the Hall. St. Michael Parish Hall dent that he had prepared his talks well. I might add that he also delivered them in a powerful manner! We had a microphone system, but with him, it Helping Hands Daughters of Isabella Need help or want to volunteer, Call Marilyn Bradshaw, wasnt necessary! I, personally, felt that he was at his best when he spoke his Call Carrie Smith, 724-6684 724-7133 funeral homilies because he had the ability to empathize with the families who had lost loved ones, as well as to all of his audience. I knew of several That Man in You Friday mornings at 6am who converted to the Church because he had what it took to let the griefstricken know that he and the Church understood their sorrow. Were grateful to God for giving us such a kind, intellectual priest who was dedicated to serve. If he ever seemed short or abrupt with you, it was probaFundraiser for the Philippines bly due to his hearing problem. This was the reason that he spoke so loudly The Parish Council of St. Joseph will be holding a fundraiser during his homilies. Our world is more empty with his passing. He truly Pancake and Sausage Breakfast on Sunday, Jan. 26 in the parish made a difference by bringing Christ into our lives with joy, love, and ofhall. The breakfast will be from 9am to 12 noon. It is a free will ten, some laughter. He will be missed by both local parishes and by all who donation that will go to the Philippines Relief Effort. had the pleasure of knowing him. Larry Filosa called me to express his profound sadness upon hearing about Fr. Thissens death. Larry is responsible Soup & Chili Feed for purchasing and installing the giant sign west of the parish and facing the The Knights of Columbus will be hosting their soup and chili bypass. He also made an agreement with Fr. Thissen where he sent funds feed on Saturday, Feb. 22 after the 5:30pm mass and on Sunday, annually to enhance the parish grounds such as the line of trees in front of the Feb. 23 after the 10:00am mass in the St. Michaels Parish Hall. church, the Grotto of Mary, and the Stations of the Cross. Free will donation, with donations going towards March for Life Oh, Infant Jesus, meek and mild, look upon me, little Child Ill always & Birth Right. Altar Society ladies are asked to bring pies for think of Fr. Thissen when I hear that prayer. desert. Article by Marcel Normand
COLLECTIONS

CCD Announcements **There will be no PSR classes this Wednesday, January 29th, due to a half day of school. Classes will resume, Wednesday, February 5th. **PSR grades 1-5 will have their CCD Sunday Mass on February 2nd, so please make sure to have your child to the Church 10 minutes early.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Attention Students Grades 8-12 We have 3 openings for youth interested in attending the Steubenville Conference June 27-29 in Steubenville, OH. Cost is $185 which will be partially offset by fundraising. A $40 deposit is due up front. Hurry, only a few spots left! If youd like to attend or want more information, please contact Michelle Smith-Puckett. This conference is already sold out so if you want to attend, dont delay! Steubenville Conferences are an outreach of Franciscan University of Steubenville that serve 45,000 high school youth at 20 different conferences across North America every summer. This outreach seeks to invite teens into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church, empowering them to live as His disciples. These conferences are high-energy events featuring inspiring talks, dynamic worship, and profound encounters with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and sacrament of reconciliation.

St. Michael, defend us in all our battles!

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