Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
IMG_3824_1024x768The new Recycling Trailer has replaced the old Recycling Bin in our parish parking lot.  This trailer is also used by the parish Disaster Response Team for pick-up and removal of debris after destructive storms.  While it is not in use for disaster purposes, it serves as our means for collecting aluminum beverage cans.  Parishioners can continue to bring their aluminum cans, tied in plastic bags, and deposit them into the trailer.  The Ladies of the Sacred Heart arranges for the transport of the accumulated cans to recyclers in Hot Springs on a timely basis.  The money collected for the cans is donated at the end of the year to nearby organizations assisting women and children in poverty.  Please remember that the recycle trailer is only for aluminum cans.  Thank you for your continued support of this fundraising activity by the Ladies of the Sacred Heart.
handandfootParish Hand & Foot members invite all parishioners to meet each month for a fun evening of cards.  Hand & Foot is a great game that only takes a few minutes to learn.  Transmit an e-mail to Ed Harrigan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 915-0314 for more information.  Current members are asked to transmit their e-mail addresses to enhance communication.  We play September through May.  Send $8 per couple; $4 per single, $5 per substitute couple, and $2.50 for single substitute to SHHFC, Ed Harrigan, 320 Maderas Drive, 71909, before August 15.  Please include your e-mail address.
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Seated in front of 14 seminarians are (l-r) Monsignor Bernard Malone, Bishop Anthony Taylor, Monsignor Scott Friend, and Father Bill Elser.
The Knights of Columbus sponsored a lasagna dinner Saturday evening, July 21, with the purpose of raising funds to furnish the dining room in the diocesan House of Formation in Little Rock. Sacred Heart of Jesus Church had already donated $50,000 towards the construction of the dining room.  Prior to the dinner, Bishop Anthony Taylor celebrated the 5:00 p.m. Mass for parishioners with concelebrants Vocation Director Monsignor Scott Friend, former Sacred Heart of Jesus Pastor Monsignor Bernard Malone, and current Pastor Father Bill Elser.

Following the dinner, the 200 attendees received special envelopes for their individual donations.  The Hot Springs Village 300-member Knights of Columbus Council will conduct additional fundraisers to help equip the dining room. As a start, Grand Knight Bill Roe presented a $2,000 check to Bishop Taylor.  He also gave a $1,000 check to Monsignor Friend to be used in assisting individual seminarians as needed.  Again this fraternal year, the Council has committed $500 to each of four seminarians, and the 4th degree Assembly will do the same for two seminarians.  It should be noted that the Arkansas State Knights of Columbus has already donated $187,000 for construction of the chapel.

Each of the clergy involved in this event has a nephew who is either a priest or a seminarian.  Monsignor Friend has two. The seminarians at the dinner included: David Aguilar, Joseph and Patrick Friend, Juan Guido, Kardly Isidor, Thomas Johnson, Jose Luis Quijada, Daniel Phillips, George Sanders, Emmanuel Torres, Taryn Whittington, and Luke Womack.  Please click on Knights of Columbus to view photos of the House of Formation Dinner.

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Pictured in the first row are Dianne Gleason, JoAnn O’Brien and Mary Ann Honzik; second row, Dave Witchger, Chris Gleason, Mike Frantz, and Terry O’Brien; and top row, John Bodensteiner and Larry Lipsmeyer.

The parish Treasure Sale will be held on Friday and Saturday, September 28/29.  To collect donations, the following dates have been scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon:   August 8, 11, 22; September 8, 19, 22, 24, 25, 26.  Call Chris or Mike Frantz at 922-5877 or Lucy or Marvin Young at 915-8028 for more information or to arrange a pick-up of donations.  More information about the sale and volunteer sign-up forms are on a table in the hallway.

John Bodensteiner is once again coordinating the Treasure Sale with the assistance of new member and co-coordinator Chris Gleason.  Financials will be handled by David Witchger.  Terry and JoAnn O'Brien will oversee floor sales, while Tom Yerina and volunteers to his committee are in charge of setting up the church hall for the sale.  Information regarding collection dates and requests for assistance in getting donations to the church is being handled by Mike Frantz and Marvin Young.  The job or sorting and pricing donations is in the very capable hands of committee chairs Claudia Keearns and Mary Ann Honzik.  Deacon Lipsmeyer juggles all the miscellaneous matters that fall to no specific committee's oversight, and Kathy Geske is handling publicity.

With 900 plus parish households assisting with their donations, as well as by their participation in the various Treasure Sale committee activities, the 2012 Treasure Sale is promising to be another resounding success.  While the coordinators and committee chairs have a busy summer to look forward to, their dedication along with the support of willing parishioners will guarantee the end result of jobs well done. 

Shrine_of_Most_Blessed_Sacrament_AlaJoin others in your parish and throughout Arkansas on a pilgrimage to the magnificent Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of Angels Monastery in Alabama.  Stops include Ave Maria Grotto at St. Bernard Benedictine Abbey and EWTN Studios in Birmingham.  Enjoy Masses, spiritual talks and be on a live TV show.  It's a great time to be refreshed in mind and soul.  Cost is $220 which includes the bus trip and two night motel (based on double occupancy). Pay $100 deposit now to reserve your seat. Call Marj Hunecker at 501-568-5390.  The bus will leave from St. Theresa's Church in Little Rock.
IMG_3629The Rosary Makers had an outstanding year.  They sent over 9,000 rosaries this year alone.  This total is almost 2,000 more rosaries than last year and it brings their grand total since the group began to over 46,00 rosaries.  The rosaries are sent to countless missions, schools and military groups in the United States and around the world.  The Rosary Makers do not meet during the summer months and will begin again on Thursday, September 6 in classrooms C & D in the A & E Building.  For more information about this group, call Delores Griffin at 915-0826.

(Pictured l-r) Dee Griffin, Marge Newburn, Arlene Thompson, Rose Kutsch, Heidi Hubanek, Terry Heisler, Phyliss Zappala, P.J. Jendro, Mary Lucas, Barbara Shurtleff, Marguarita Butler, Betty Maier, Jean Krantz.  Missing is Carol Cruz..
motorcycle-671The Arkansas Knights on Bikes are part of the National Knights on Bikes Catholic Motorcycle Ministry.  We are looking for new members to join us.  The only requirements to join our group include the fact that you own, or anticipate owning, a motorcycle capable of highway speed; and, be a First-Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus.  For information, contact Michael Huber, President, Knights on Bike Arkansas, 479-387-4751.  E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go online for www.KnightsonBikesArkansas.
005_001Hello Everyone,

I want to share with you some photos I recently received of the construction on the church in Lowoi, Diocese of Torit, South Sudan. These photos are already a few weeks old, and the work has likely been completed by now. The Diocese celebrated its patronal feastday on June 29 (Sts. Peter and Paul), and South Sudan just celebrated its one-year anniversary as a new nation on July 1, so it may be a little longer before I'm able to share with you photos of the completed project, which I will do as soon as I receive them.  Check  photo album for more pictures.

But as you can see the entire structure of beams to support the roof were already in place when the photos were taken, and seems to be very professionally done, praise God.

When I was in South Sudan in May, things were very peaceful, though the economy was noticeably depressed. Pressure from the international community helped both sides to back away from increasing tensions, though the north still has to comply with troop withdrawals from the Abyei region. International loans and promised investment has helped to shore up the economy a little, too. There are still many challenges for South Sudan to face, but they are an amazingly resilient people, loved and blessed by God in a special way.

Thank you again for all your assistance and collaboration in making this miracle possible for the people in Lowoi. It's a great gesture of encouragement for them and a reminder that God is still mindful of them, too.

God bless,
Fr. Herald
faith_hope_love"I Corinthians" Little Rock Scripture Study at Sacred Heart will begin on Tuesday, June 12, for women only, from noon until 2:00 p.m.  On Wednesday, June 13, for men and women, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.  The Scripture Study is a nine week class, with no classes on June 26/27, or July 3/4.  The last class will be on August 28/29.  If you cannot make the class every week, we would still love to have you come when you can.  Please call Mickey Townsend at 922-0705 or sign up in the narthex.  Your study guide/commentary can be purchased at www.littlerockscripture.org/en/Studies.aspx?ID=106 or purchased at class on June 12/13.
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Fr. Bill presenting plaque to Mary Ann Miller.
All of us at Sacred Heart send a very warm thank you to Mary Ann Miller for her dedicated service to the music ministry.  Mary Ann has directed the Sunday Choir for over eight years and has decided it is time to officially retire.  She and Ed will be able to travel more and visit with their children and grand children.  Thank you, Mary Ann for your years of dedication to Sacred Heart and the music program.

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The Young Catholic Musicians in concert at Sacred Heart.
They came.  They sang and played.  And, did they ever entertain!  They are, The Young Catholic Musicians, a talented group of musicians, from St. Louis, Missouri.  The young musicians performed an amazing Country & Western Jamboree concert at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church on Saturday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. in front of approximately 300 parishioners and guests.  The musicians performed over seventeen selections which included “Red Hot Country Revue” with highlights from Boot Scootin’ Boogie; Your Cheatin’ Heart; Stand By Your Man; I Never Promised You A Rose Garden and Hey Good Lookin’ to “Red Hot Country Boogie” that featured Born to Boogie; Hillbilly Rock and Boogie & Beethoven.  The energy of this group was contagious and you couldn't help but join in singing The Yellow Rose of Texas and Deep In the Heart of Texas, audience participation sing-a-longs.

After the concert, The Young Catholic Musicians were provided overnight housing with fifteen Sacred Heart of Jesus families.  The Knights of Columbus provided breakfast on Sunday for the host families, the young musicians and their parent/chaperons.

Under the direction of Fr. Bruce Forman, The Young Catholic Musicians, represent over forty parishes throughout the Archdiocese of St. Louis.  There are a total of forty-two musicians that make up this group; seventeen instrumentalists and twenty-five vocalists.  They range in ages from 10-18 years old.  This group leads the liturgical music at a different church once a month, performs two concerts during the school year and takes those concerts on tour during the summer.  In the week before arriving at Sacred Heart they performed a concert at St. Pius X. Parish in Tulsa; Six Flags and City Hall in Dallas; Moody Gardens and NASA in Houston.  The musicians also led the singing of the National Anthem prior to the Cardinal/Astros baseball game on June 6.

The Young Catholic Musicians ended their program with a selection made popular by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Happy Trails.  They said they do not like to say goodbye, instead they believe in “Happy trails to you, till we meet again.”  All of us wish this wonderful, vibrant and dynamic group “Happy trails to you, till WE meet again.”

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Arkansas Travelers fans from Sacred Heart take in the game at Dickey-Stephens ballpark.
On Monday June 4, 2012 some 110 church members and friends met at the Sacred Heart Church parking lot where they were picked up by 2 buses to take them to North Little Rock’s Dickey-Stephens Ballpark.  Buddy & Martha Dixon handled the reservations for the event and even with a number of last minute cancellations, they were able to fill both buses, which have a capacity of 55 people each.  The buses drove thru some rain on the way to the ballpark but the skies cleared by the time we got there.  During the trip, original “Crackerjacks” boxes were given to each participant after they sang the song “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”, which naturally talks about “Crackerjacks”.

 Upon arrival at the ballpark the buses stopped just outside the park next to the pavilion where everyone was served all the hamburgers, hot dogs, and baked beans they could eat.  By game time at 7:10 PM, everyone was seated in their reserved seats.  The Arkansas Travelers were behind for much of the game but came back and won it by a score of 5 to 4 with 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

During the game Linda Good won a pizza presented by the Traveler’s mascot, one of our group won an Arkansas Traveler shirt (they actually caught it when it was shot from an air gun toward our group), and Bob Bowman caught a foul ball to take home as a souvenir.  The game ended shortly after 10:00 PM and the group returned to the buses for the return trip to the Village, arriving there about 11:30 PM, tired, but all seemed to have a great time.

On the trip over to Little Rock, the participants were asked to guess the number of paid admissions to the game, with a prize of a $20 gift certificate for the closest estimate on each bus.  On the trip back to the Village, Dorothy Weber won on Bus #1 and Scott Krantz's grandson won on bus #2.

Fr. Bill was able to attend the dinner, leading us in grace before the meal, but due to a death of a friend’s relative in Conway, had to leave before the game to attend the rosary.   Many thanks to Buddy and Martha Dixon for all their work and especially to Buddy for all the details he worked out and the great idea for the Crackerjacks.  

Check the Men's Club Photos for more pictures of this event.  Let’s do this again next year!

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Joe Petruk (l) and Steven Gregory congratulation Eugene Widlowski (r) on being selected as State Volunteer of the Month for his work as an AARP program instructor.
On Thursday, May 10, Eugene Widlowski was conducting an AARP Driver Safety Program at Sacred Heart Church.  Gene, an AARP program instructor for more than 15 years, conducts these classes about once each month.  A few special guests arrived at this class including Joe Petruk, the state of Arkansas Director of the AARP Driver Safety Program, and Steven Gregory, the local Zone Director.  Joe and Steven were not there to attend the class.  Rather, they came to present to Gene the State Volunteer of the Month Award for the month of April.  This award was in recognition of Gene’s long standing as a volunteer as well as his assistance in other program areas.  There are currently 127 instructors in Arkansas for the AARP Driver Safety Program and Gene was very proud to be recognized for his volunteer service.  The program is sponsored by AARP to provide drivers with a review of safe driving practices.  Those completing the class usually qualify for a discount on their auto insurance premium.

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Pictured (l-r): Msgr. Scott Friend, V.G. Karldy Hienz Isidor, Jose Luis Quijada, Luke Womack, Elden Labitad, Patrick Saint Jean, Thomas Johnson, Taryn Whittington, Father Ruben Quinteros, and Msgr. Richard Oswald.
At the May 1 Council meeting, Bob Honzik introduced guest speaker Monsignor Friend.  Acompanying Msgr. Friend were Prefect Msgr. Oswald and Vice Prefect Fr. Quinteros along with seven men currently in the discernment process.  They are currently housed on the first floor of Fletcher Hall on the diocese campus.

Msgr. was pleased to announce that there are currently 37 seminarians who are studying at eight seminaries in various United States locations and one in Rome.  There will be three ordinations at Christ the King on May 26 and one, Andrew Hart, at the Cathedral on July 21.  Little Rock Diocese ranks 12th out of 195 dioceses in the number of seminarians.

The ground has been broken for the $1.5 million new House of Formation on the Good Council Parish campus.  The original plan to renovate a former convent that was abandoned due to the cost and other considerations.

The benefits of having a House of Formation in the Diocese include: developing a relationship with parishes; providing a place where men interested in a vocation can discern and seek spiritual direction; studying closer to home at UALR for basic courses; taking advantage of the excellent ESL program at ULAR; and, reducing costs.         

The concept of a House of Formation is being well received by some dioceses which may also consider utilizing it for their men as an interim step before formal seminary training. 

Msgr. Friend also spoke about the quality and maturity of the current seminarians.  Of those in attendance, one has a PhD in philosophy and teaching experience, one was a 2nd year med student, and another will be receiving a degree from Seton Hall this spring. 

It should be noted that the Sacred Heart of Jesus Council 10208 is supporting four seminarians through the RSVP program, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Assembly 2316 has two. 

Click on www.houseofformation.org to follow the progress!
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Ed Voss, Dick Hill, Jim Passe, & Chuck Ralph cooking at the Men's Club Steak Dinner
Over 160 Men’s Club members, their wives, and widows of previous Men’s Club members, gathered for a year ending steak dinner on Tuesday, May 8th.  The steaks were grilled by Rick Hiemenz and his staff of 10 helpers who all received Men’s Club caps for all the hard work they’ve put in during the Men’s Club 2011-2012 year.  Fr. Bill made 6 different flavors of ice cream for the dinner with the Snickers ice cream being voted the favorite.  Fr. Bill also received a Men’s Club hat for all the hard work put in by him on behalf of the Men’s Club during the year.  Members of the Men’s Club that were leaders of the various committees were recognized, as well as the outgoing officers for this year and the incoming officers for next year.  Afterwards, the winning quartet from the Valentine Day party, lead us in a rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”, and a reminder to sign up for the Men’s Club sponsored baseball trip to Little Rock on June 4th. The evening was closed by those attending, forming a circle along the walls of the lower hall and singing the hymn “Let There Be Peace On Earth”.
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Helping Hands Ministry Co Chairs Cathy Wedwick (r) and Pat Widlowski greet Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, prior to the recognition dinner for volunteers.
On Thursday, April 19, the Helping Hands Ministry of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church hosted a dinner to say “thank you” to the many volunteers that donate their services to the ministry.  Cathy Wedwick and Pat Widlowski, co chairs of the ministry, welcomed the 60 guests to the Lower Hall of Sacred Heart Church.  In remarks before the meal, they reported on the impact that the 145 volunteer members of the Helping Hands Ministry have in the parish.  Volunteers provide rides to medical appointments, visit the homebound, prepare meals, send greeting cards to the sick and shut ins, maintain a Buddy phone service, drive and assist in shopping and provide special needs when required.   Over the past year volunteers have logged over1, 100 hours of service as well as almost 5,000 miles driven.  Cathy and Pat also took time to give special recognition to those volunteers that have played and are playing a key role in leading the Helping Hands Ministry including Ann Bowman, Donna Brown, Marilyn Burke, Kathy Geske, Gail Harmeyer, A. J. Keating and Astrid Wolf.

Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, also spoke to the gathering.  He thanked the volunteers for their unselfish service noting that there are always new needs arising within the parish community.  Helping Hands volunteers Sissie Arnoult, Ed Cudworth, Mike Miller and Jack Widlowski served the dinner, catered by Home Plate.  Father Bill also brought along some of his homemade ice cream which the group enjoyed as dessert served with a special cake that had been made for the event which included a big “THANK YOU” decoration.