The next Red Cross Blood Drive supported by the Knights of Columbus and hosted by the Village United Methodist Church, 200 Carmona Road, is 8:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 10. Previous donors at this site with email addresses have been sent an email reminder. New donors can go to www.redcrossblood.org for detailed information and to schedule an appointment. Contact John Bodensteiner with questions or to be placed on an email reminder list (915-0339 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Thanks in advance for sharing your "gift of life." 
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 900 W. Cross St., Benton, will host an exhibit highlighting the presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist now through March 11.The Vatican International Exhibition, "The Eucharistic Miracles of the World," includes 145 panels featuring photographs, narratives and maps. The panels depict various Vatican-approved miracles occurring in countries around the world over a span of 1,300 years. The church is hosting the exhibit as part of its Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration 15th anniversary.
The self-guided exhibit in the church's McGinnis Hall is free and open to the public. The display will be open after the 5 p.m. Mass on February 28 and March 7 until 8 p.m., as well as 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 1. The exhibit will also be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays March 2 to 11. Viewing will also be available following the 10:30 a.m. Mass on March 8 until 3 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 10, there will be a bus trip to Benton to view the exhibition. The bus will be leaving Sacred Heart of Jesus parking lot at 10:30 a.m. and will return at 3:00 p.m. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex. There is a $20 fee. For any questions, please contact Joan Smith at 922-1958.
Mark you calendar for April 2 and plan to attend our Holy Thursday Feast Before the Fast. This meal, catered by Johnna Westerman and served by the Ladies of the Sacred Heart, will be held in the Lower Hall at 5:00 p.m. and upon its conclusion we will go upstairs into the church and begin the Easter Triduum with Mass at 6:30. There will be sign up sheets in the narthex beginning this weekend. 
Effective the weekend of March 14/15, Saturday evening Mass will be celebrated at 5:00 p.m. due to the arrival of Daylight Savings time. That very same weekend, the second Sunday Mass will return to 10:00 a.m. Please mark your calendars, and call the Church Office with questions. 
Orders can now be placed for those wonderful products from Kraemer's in Wisconsin. Order forms can be located in the narthex. You can also view and print the order form on the Knight's web site. We will have the first delivery of products to the Village sometime in November (date to be determined). We will also continue to take orders through the winter months, and shipping will occur when we have enough ordered product for the Kraemer Group to make a run from Wisconsin to the Village.We will maintain some products on hand for instant sales, and that list of products will also be on the Knights of Columbus website. See Kraemer's Cheese On Hand. Lastly, we will sell gift boxes for the holidays.
Additional information can be obtained from the sales staff: John Meyers at 915-0746 or Al Bilgischer at 209-5231.
Members of All Saints Guild will be selling baked goods the weekend of March 28/29 at the 5:00 Mass, as well as on Sunday at the 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Masses. See us before or after Mass. We will have a variety of homemade goodies, and we invite all parishioners to come to Classrooms A/B and join in getting some fresh baked breads, muffins, cookies and cakes. 
Our monthly movie, "Dreamer" will be shown on Friday, March 6, at 5:30 p.m. in the Lower Hall. The presentation shows us a story of a down-and-out horse trainer who rescues a once-great racehorse that's been severely injured. Supported by his daughter, he sets out to win the Breeders Cup Classic. Actors are Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Elisabeth Shue, Kris Kristofferson and Ken Howard. No food will be served - just popcorn, beer, wine and soft drinks. Looking forward to seeing your there. 
Plan to join us for any or all of our parish Lenten mission which will be given by Father Victor Karls (a Redemptorist priest) from March 1 through 4 here at Sacred Heart Church. Father Vic's talks will be given starting Sunday, March 1, at 6:00 p.m. and will continue the next three days, with the choice for mission-goers of either 9:45 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. each of these days. Opportunity will be given after both talks on Tuesday, March 2, for individual reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A parish mission is a great time to encourage and invite Catholics who are currently inactive in their practice of the faith to return. Please come yourself and invite others to join you for this special Lenten experience! 
The Knights of Columbus will be selling Petit Jean hams before and after the Masses March 21/22 and March 28/29. Ham products can be picked up at the church on March 31 or shipped anywhere in the United States. All proceeds go to benefit children-in-need. Please support this important charitable program.  |
| Treasure Sale Director Chris Gleason presents an $8,000 check to St. John's Principal Angela Issacs, witnessed by pricing co-chair Claudia Keearns (Mary Anne Honzik was not available for photo). St. John's students pictured are Jesse Chavis and Jasmin Gonzales. |
Father Bill recently encouraged us to make an effort this new year to participate in daily Mass at least once a week in addition to our Sunday obligation. Throughout Lent, Daily Mass will be offered Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Besides participation in Mass, please also consider spending some time (or some extra time) in the Eucharistic Chapel praying before our Lord. 
Mark your calendars for Friday, March 27, as all are welcome - parishioners and non-members alike - to the Fish Bake in the Lower Hall. Menu includes Baked Domestic Tilapia, specialty green beans, tater tots, coleslaw, rye bread and coffee. Other beverages will be available from the donation Refreshment Center. Father Bill's ice cream will also be available for a donation to support our youth.There will be two seatings, 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $10; at the door, $11. Children under 10, $5; children under six years eat at no cost. Take-outs will be available. Tickets sold after weekend Masses starting next weekend. Call Joe at 915-0511 with questions.
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| Our Lady of Fatima 7th and 8th graders. Fr. Bill Elser presenting check to school principal, Jan Cash. |
Thank you to everyone who participated in the basket program during 2014! All who donated to the fund, those who participated in the acquisition and distribution of food from Project Hope and, most of all, those who delivered the baskets. During the year 144 baskets were delivered: 36 baskets at Easter, 48 baskets at Thanksgiving and 60 baskets at Christmas. At Christmas 113 children received 449 presents and a certificate for a pair of shoes. The value of the Christmas Baskets totaled about $25,000. Donations to the basket fund totaled over $11,000 in 2014, including $1,000 from the Knights of Columbus, $1,200 from the Men's Club and $1,780 from the Ladies of the Sacred Heart. A special thanks to Anna Suttor who donated $500 resulting from the sale of her wonderful jellies. In addition, $1,500 was donated to the Village Outreach Shoe Fund through donations placed in the shoe box.With more than 60 individuals participating in delivering baskets and about 435 angels being taken from the tree, this is truly a wonderful example of the willingness to help those in need and the generosity of our parish!
The Knights of Columbus would like to invite everyone to their delicious Parish Breakfast on Sunday, March 1. The menu includes biscuits and gravy with sausage and scrambled eggs, hash browns and juice, coffee and milk. We will be welcoming new parishioners who will be guests of the Knights. Please join us in welcoming them to the Sacred Heart Family. All breakfast proceeds are used to fund Knights charitable activities throughout the year. See you there! 
Ever wish you could just talk with someone about your loss? Or that there was a safe place to be with others who had suffered the loss of a loved one, and just share what worked for you and what you still struggle with? There is such a place! We will begin a Grief Support Group here at Sacred Heart in the library on Monday mornings at 10:00 a.m. beginning February 23.Within the Grief Support Group, there will be six sessions facilitated by Deacon John, and each one will last about one and one-half hours. If you know someone who is grieving and could use support - that is, anyone (does not have to be a parishioner), please have them contact Deacon John. The size of the group is limited, so please make a reservation by calling Deacon John at 226-5506 or 226-9035.