Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
FRONING-JOHN-161From Deacon John:  Several people have asked for a copy of last weekend’s homily and sometimes reading something on paper doesn’t have the same effect as hearing it.   So we have posted an audio file of the homily.  I suggest that you take time before listening to the homily to reread Sunday’s first reading (Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25) and the Gospel (Mark 2: 1-12).   These readings really set the stage for the homily.   I hope this provides some thoughts for the Lenten Season.

Forgive, Forget, Future{mp3}homily_2012-02-19{/mp3}

2012_Ash_Wed_Fr._Bill
Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, welcomed parishioners and quests to the first Wednesday evening program and shared some stories about his recent trip to Japan.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church celebrated Ash Wednesday with two masses during which ashes were placed on the foreheads of parishioners.  The “Day of Ashes”, as it is officially known, always falls on a Wednesday 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays.  The ashes come from the burning of the palms that were used in the prior year’s Palm Sunday celebration.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a period of fasting, abstinence and penance in preparation for the celebration of Easter.  The ashes also symbolize death and remind us of our mortality, calling us to repentance before this life is over.  When public penance was common back in the 5th and 6th centuries people would cover themselves in ashes and wear sackcloth as penance.  Beginning in the 8th or 9th century the custom of placing ashes on foreheads became common and continues today as a tradition in many Christian churches including the Roman Catholic Church.

In addition to the masses on Ash Wednesday, Sacred Heart kicked off a Lenten Wednesday evening program.  Each Wednesday during Lent a light supper will be served in the church’s Lower Hall.  The Parish Life Council, chaired by Mickey Townsend and Bill Hurley, coordinate the supper arrangements.  Following supper there will be a special educational program that initially will be video presentations by Michael Cumbie of the Micah Project.  These dynamic and often humorous lectures will be discussing areas of sacramental theology and liturgical worship.  A Mass will follow the lectures each Wednesday evening.  On Ash Wednesday Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, was very pleased as he welcomed more than 300 parishioners participating in the first supper/video/mass program.

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2012_Mens_club_50_Anniversaries
There was a very large group for the picture of those married 50 years or more that were attending the Sacred Heart Men’s Club Valentine’s Party.
n Valentine’s Day the Sacred Heart Men’s Club held their monthly meeting as a special Valentine’s salute to sweethearts.  Approximately 120 members and their wives or girl friends along with widows of club members attended.  The ladies were presented with a decorated red rose.  Following dinner the program for the evening was “Men’s Club Men Got Talent”.  Buddy Dixon served as M.C. as four men from each of three tables selected at random came forward to sing a short oldie but goodies tune.  Those attending were asked to vote by their applause for the quartet that had the most talent.  Voted the most talented was the group that included Bernie Bauer, Ed Keearns, Bill Nosek and Milt Spaniel.  Following the program all couples married 50 years or more were asked to come forward to be recognized and a group picture was taken.  The couple married the longest was Bernie and Marilyn Bauer, celebrating 65 years of marriage and also both were celebrating their birthdays in February.

The Sacred Heart Men’s Club meets monthly at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church.  Membership in the club is open to all men that are members of Sacred Heart or whose spouse is a member.  Information about the club is available at their website, hsvmensclub.com.


2012_Meal_on_Wheels
Danny Murphy, Sacred Heart Men’s Club Secretary and Meals on Wheels Committee Chairman, and his wife Kathy load up their van at the McCauley Center with meals, bread and milk for delivery.
During the month of February men from the Sacred Heart Men’s Club deliver the Meals on Wheels to Village residents.  Teams of two, club members or a member and his spouse or friend, arrive at the McCauley Center about 9 AM.  Here they receive a list of all the deliveries that are scheduled for that day along with a book containing maps to each address.  Hot meals are kept in warming containers that are loaded into the car or van that the member is using.  In addition, on certain days, milk and bread for the week are also loaded and delivered.  Currently there are approximately 20 addresses within the Village that receive the daily meals and the delivery involves driving about 65 miles.  The Sacred Heart Men’s Club has been assisting with Meals on Wheels deliveries for a number of years and plans to continue this service in the future.


2012_Helping_Hands
Cathy Wedwick (seated) and Pat Widlowski (standing) review the volunteer list to make needed assignments.
Recognizing a need to provide assistance to parishioners, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church formed a Helping Hands Ministry.  Over the years this ministry has grown until today the ministry has over 150 volunteers providing over two thousand hours of assistance and support where it is needed.  Volunteers may spend just a few minutes calling to comfort someone on the Prayer List or to send a greeting card to cheer someone up.  They may also spend hours accompanying someone to a chemo appointment or doing some household chores for someone recovering from surgery.  Whether it is preparing a meal or visiting with those who are homebound or in a care facility, the volunteers who make up the Helping Hands Ministry are always ready to help and will drive over 5,000 miles each year to provide service.  When appropriate, the volunteer will bring along a handmade prayer shawl provided by the Prayer Shawl Ministry of Sacred Heart Church so the recipient, wrapped in the shawl, will feel the parish’s comfort and love even after the volunteer has left.

Under the direction of coordinators Cathy Wedwick and Pat Widlowski, the more than 150 volunteers stand ready to answer the needs within the Sacred Heart community.


GIERINGER-WALLACE-329Dear fellow parishioners,

It has been said there is a time and place for everything.

In 2003, having reached the magic age of 75, by Diocesan Retirement Policy I was required to retire from formal and assigned ministry as a Permanent Deacon.  Fortunately, our good Bishop Sartain and our pastor Monsignor Malone permitted me to continue to serve in the ministry here at Sacred Heart.

Today, almost nine years later, because of family responsibilities, it is necessary for me to activate retirement and Father Bill has graciously accepted my request.

You, the present and past members of this parish, Father Rossi, Monsignor Malone, Father Bill, my fellow deacons and their wives, and especially my dear wife Suzy have been and are a continuing source of inspiration and joy.

Suzy and I are blessed to be part of this parish family.  Our plan is to remain in the Village.  Fortunately, we enjoy reasonably good health and most of our family is not far away.

Thank you for the many acts of kindness, encouragement and the love and friendship you have given us.  Together we have traveled with you - and will continue to travel with you - the road of our Catholic faith.  May God bless you and yours always.

Sincerely in Christ,

Deacon Wally and Suzy


2012_Pastoral_Council
Preparing for their fist meeting of the Sacred Heart Pastoral Council are (l. to r.) Jan Winters, Marcia Bresnahan, Jan Lipsmeyer, Mary Ellen Costello, Father Bill Elser, Ed Keearns, Bill Hurley, Don Ritter, and Dave Hill. Missing is Mickey Townsend.
In December Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church held their annual election for representatives to serve on the Pastoral Council.  The council meets throughout the year to provide assistance to the Pastor.  Council members report on and coordinate activities within their respective commissions, assist in the budget preparation and provide recommendations to the Pastor on specific needs.  There are four commissions including Parish Life, Charitable Outreach, Education and Liturgy.  In addition one member of the Finance Committee also sits on the Pastoral Council.  The new members elected to serve two-year terms are Mickey Townsend (Parish Life), Dick Hill (Charitable Outreach), Marcia Bresnahan (Education) and Mary Ellen Costello (Liturgy).  In addition to these newly elected members, the council includes Bill Hurley (Parish Life), Ed Keearns (Charitable Outreach and Council Chair), Don Ritter (Education and Council Vice Chair), Jan Lipsmeyer (Liturgy) and Jan Winters (Finance).

2012_Candlemas
Sacred Heart parishioners processing into church with their lighted candles.
On February 2nd, parishioners from Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church gathered at church to celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, sometime referred to as Candlemas because of the tradition of blessing candles at this Mass.  This celebration is to commemorate the presentation of the infant child Jesus in the temple of Jerusalem 40 days following His birth in accordance with Jewish law.  This event is described in the Gospel of Luke.  At this celebration candles are blessed for parishioners to take for use in their homes.  A lighted candle procession into the church precedes the Mass to acknowledge that Jesus is the light of the world.  Father Bill Elser presided at the Mass that followed the procession.

2010_Sept_Treasue_Sale_25The possibility of having the Treasure Sale this year, and in future years, depends on a couple of things.  Deacon Larry Lipsmeyer and John Bodensteiner have agreed to run the sale this year if they can get some people to work with them who will take over the running of the sale for the next couple of years.  If you would like to find out what is involved, please contact Deacon Larry at 922-3283.  The start of the organization needs to be scheduled in February in order to be sure that we have the hall scheduled for the sale and for the days of collection.
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lens1847939_1232289791baby-faceForty Days for Life begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22.  Our parish will cover praying in from of the Abortion Mill in Little Rock on Wednesday, February 28, from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.  Next week a sign-up sheet will be available for those who are able to go to the clinic on our appointed afternoon.  Anyone is welcome to stop and praqy for 15 minutes or longer, anytime, during these 40 days.  Please call Rosemary at 501-781-6108 with any questions.
92080-Royalty-Free-RF-Clipart-Illustration-Of-A-Black-Number-6-Outlined-In-Green-With-Colorful-Flowers-And-ButterfliesDo you like to meet people?  It is time to sign-up to meet new and old friends for a pleasant evening of food and camaraderie.  Sacred Heart Sociable Six is the organization for you to join.  We meet three times, taking turns hosting.  A brunch or simple meal is all that a host/hostess needs to plan.  We will be starting the Spring Social Six in February. Call Jan Winters at 922-0526, or e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to sign-up or get more information on this friendly social event.  Your group listings and any other pertinent information will be sent to you in early February.

2012_March_Life
Sacred Heart parishioner board the bus to Little Rock to participate in the March for Life.
On Sunday, January 22, 2012, parishioners from Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church took a bus ride to Little Rock to participate in the annual March for Life.  The march is held annually on or near the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.  A national march and rally takes place in Washington, D.C. on January 23rd.  Catholics from around the state joined together in Little Rock to celebrate life at a Noon Mass on Sunday officiated by Bishop Anthony Taylor at the Robinson Center.  Following the mass, those attending joined hundreds of additional Pro-Life Arkansans from all over our state in the march from Capital and Louisiana streets to the State Capital where several speakers addressed the crowd including U.S. Representative Tim Griffin.  Sacred Heart has participated in the march for several years to give witness to the need to “Choose Life” and “End Abortion Now”.

RCIAlA nine-week program designed for individuals who have been baptized in another faith tradition and now desire to learn more about the Catholic faith and hopefully come into full communion with the Church, will begin on Thursday, February 2.  The sessions will run for nine consecutive Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.  If you know of anyone who might be interested, ask them to call Deacon Froning or Deacon Lipsmeyer.

2012_Jan_Mens_Club_029
Fr. Bill Elser demonstrating that he can use his smart phone to down load the app for Liturgy of the Hours devotions.
Sacred Heart Men’s Club held their monthly meeting on January 10th.  There were over 85 members in attendance to participate in the prayer service, dinner and meeting.  The featured speaker following dinner was Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church.  Father Bill began his talk by asking those present when is the best time to pray.  After hearing a variety of answers, Fr. Bill heard the answer he looking for – anytime!  Building on this he talked about the many reasons to pray which can be summarized into four main categories namely petition, praise, thanksgiving and penitential.

Under Father Bill’s direction, Sacred Heart has initiated a few new prayer activities recently.  The first is the reciting of the Patriotic Rosary.  Once a month at mass the Patriotic Rosary is recited as a prayer for our country, our leaders and those who have sacrificed for our liberty.  It is usually done coinciding with an appropriate national day of recognition such as Veterans Day or Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The second prayer activity recently initiated is to pray the morning prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours prior to the start of mass on Monday through Friday.  The Liturgy of the Hours is a common prayer started in the days of the very early Christian church.  The prayer grew out of the Jewish tradition of praying at specific times of the day and from Jesus’s teaching, as recorded in the bible, for all to pray at all times.  Ordained priests and religious of the Catholic Church are obliged to daily pray the morning and evening prayers from the Liturgy of the Hours.  In this way the Church offers a common prayer to Christ and with Christ to sanctify the entire day.  The Liturgy of the Hours prayer is built around scripture and includes readings from the old and new testaments, the psalms, songs of praise and specific prayers.  The Liturgy can be done in a group with a leader, such as a priest or a deacon, or privately by an individual.  There are books available to help facilitate those wishing to do the Liturgy as well as an app that can be downloaded to your smart phone, which Fr. Bill then demonstrated.

Father Bill concluded his remarks by calling on the men of the Sacred Heart Men’s Club to become “prayer warriors”.

2012_Singles_groupOn Monday, January 9, approximately 45members of the Sacred Heart Singles gathered for their monthly meeting in the hall at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. There was a delicious potluck dinner followed by a variety of games. After the games, Father Bill treated the group to his homemade ice cream. Everyone enjoyed the fun, good food and fellowship.

(Pictured) Father Bill (third from left), Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, joined the Sacred Heart Singles for their January meeting. 

2011_Christmas_BasketsSacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church provides food baskets to needy families at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.  The program is funded by donations by various organizations within Sacred Heart Church as well as gifts by individual parishioners.  This year the Sacred Heart Men’s Club was pleased to be able to donate $1,200 to the Christmas Basket Program as part of the club’s yearend donations.

(Pictured) Bill Patterson, President of Sacred Heart Men's Club, presents a check for $1,200 to Ed Keearns, Director of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Christmas Basket program.