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St. Francis Parish lauds its community for the success at Pierce County Fair Stand, led by Alesha Radke. Our webpage now boasts an enhanced interactive calendar. The Parish's Endowment Fund, invested ethically, has brought over $9,500 since last July, supporting our initiatives. The upcoming Diocese of La Crosse Annual Appeal remains a vital contributor to parish and charitable endeavors.

St. Francis Parish hosted a successful National Night Out with over 500 attendees, highlighting community unity with food, music, and kid-friendly activities. As the Parish prepares for the upcoming Fair and altar renovations, a new donation software is set to be launched to streamline parishioner contributions.

The Assumption of Mary, celebrated on August 15th, honors her unique role as the Mother of God and her ascent to heaven. Declared an infallible dogma in 1950, this feast underscores the dignity of human life and the eternal promise of salvation, inspiring believers to mirror Mary's deep faith.

"Telos" denotes God's divine purpose for Christians, guiding moral decisions and fostering a Christ-like life. Essential for aligning with God's will, it emphasizes righteousness, compassion, and love. Christians are called to embody Christ's essence and champion the mission of making Jesus famous.

Late Advent is a term given to the days from December 17th to the 23rd. The prayers of the Church during those days uses short pieces of religious texts which begin with “O”. The song, “O Come O Come Emmanuel” is based on these O Antiphons.

Advent is the time to prepare and to watch. What follows are parts of a sermon given by St. John Henry Cardinal Newman.

In December we celebrate Christ’s birth, but it is a month of feasts and of saints of every description. 

Christmas is just around the corner and Youth Ministry wants to make your shopping days easier!

Our Mission Trip youth are selling tickets for a chance to win a Prime Rib Meal for six people! Tickets can be purchased from any mission trip youth or leaders and at the Blessing Breakfast on Sunday, November 13. Thank you for your support!

The month of November is traditionally dedicated to praying for the departed but begins on the 1st with recalling the promise of heaven given to the saints. November 2nd is the Feast of All Souls where we pray for all the faithful departed that they may swiftly pass into heaven to enjoy the eternal banquet.

October 11 marked the 60th anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II.  This Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965 was the largest gathering of Catholic Bishops in the history of the church with more than 2, 500 bishops attending the opening session.

The Diocese of La Crosse has embarked upon a fundraising endeavor, the “Inspired by the Spirit” Campaign and all 157 parishes of the Diocese are participating in this capital campaign.

I have shared with you before some statistics from Pew Research Center.  They do a lot of religious-based surveys and are considered a reliable source for information.  In 2019 they published a piece entitled “Are religious people happier, healthier?

Pew Research does surveys in the United States regarding religious questions.  Here are some interesting facts about Catholics in the US taken from Pew Research’s website. 

We are a long way from a culture which both supports life and recognizes our responsibilities toward our Creator and toward one another, but the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, in placing serious moral issues back at a local level, is a giant leap in the right direction.  

As I am writing this the sun is shining, students are making their way to school on this bright morning, the trees are near to having full leaves, and some birds have started a nest in a tree in the backyard. Things are pretty darned pleasant and I’m reminded that spring is the recurring sign of hope.

Begin your search for “happiness” by embracing the bounty we have already been provided by the giver of all good gifts.

Read the Gospels and come to know Jesus. Then authentically imitate, follow and learn from him. That will be one of the early steps in the adventure of a more meaningful life. 

Fear is a great obstacle to the adventure of living a meaningful life. We are afraid doing something different will be hard. We are afraid of what others will think. We are afraid to make changes ourselves and afraid of telling others to change. We are afraid to miss out.

This is our third reflection for Lent on what I’ve been calling a meaningful life. I said that the path of a meaningful life is one which rejects money, power, pleasure, and fame as the means of happiness.