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| Deacon John Froning gathers with Sacred Heart parishioners and their pets at the church entrance for the pet blessing ceremony. |
After the prayers of thanksgiving to God for his goodness to humankind, the blessing was bestowed on each dog with a sprinkle of holy water to convey this holy act. One adventurous Westie had already tasted the holy water before the ceremony actually began to ensure it was of the highest holiest quality.
It was obvious that the four-legged companions of Sacred Heart’s parishioners had already received the greatest blessing of being owned by very caring and devoted humans. Several of the pets were adoptees from our local HSV shelter that now live the good life, safe and cozy with owners who had seen their promise and picked them to share home and hearth.
As the dogs and owners headed back to cars after this blessing ceremony ended, if you looked very carefully you might have noticed little halos shined to perfection bobbing above each furry head. After all the excitement, owners and pets looked forward to going home for some quiet restful naps. And in their hearts, all were smiling.
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| Father Bill Elser is busy serving some of his home made ice cream assisted by students from the religious education program. |
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| Student Hazel Bonilla takes an order from Bill Patterson, Men’s Club President, and his wife Diane. |
Members of the Men’s Club prepare the dinner and also serve as waiters. Over 400 guests enjoyed a baked chicken dinner with salad, bread, potato, vegetable and coffee. Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart, made several flavors of ice cream that were sold and served by youngsters from the religious education program to raise money for the program. Bill Patterson, President of the Men’s Club, said following the event that the club had exceeded their goal and was very pleased with the success of this year’s Chicken Bake. The Sacred Heart Men’s Club is open to men of Sacred Heart parish and spouses of Sacred Heart parishioners.
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| Pictured (L-R) are Fr. Bill Elser, Fr. Vic Bieberle, Jonathan Semmler, Bishop AnthonyTaylor, Camille Eisenhauer, and Monsignor Bernard Malone. |
A dinner, prepared and served by the Ladies of Sacred Heart, followed the service for the families and friends of these two most recently confirmed youngsters, as well as for Megan Shaffer and Dylan Kinkade, who were confirmed earlier this year.
Bishop Taylor offered the blessing before the meal, and joined Fr. Bill Elser, pastor, Monsignor Bernard Malone, retired pastor, and Fr. Vic Bieberle in participating in the festivities. Celebratory balloons decorated the tables and Fr. Elser’s homemade ice cream and Mary Parks’ banana/chocolate cake were served as the very special dessert.
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| Father Victor Bieberle (second from right) greets parishioners and guests following his anniversary celebration mass along with (from left) Father Rossi, Father Elser and Msgr. Malone. |
Born in Bushton, Kansas 85 years ago, he entered the priesthood in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas. After a career that included both being a pastor at various parishes as well as serving as a military chaplain, Fr. Vic retired in 1995 and moved to Hot Springs Village. Over the past 15 years he has assisted in various capacities at Sacred Heart Church. Now he has decided it is time to return to Wichita to be close to his family and truly retire. The home in the Village is sold and Fr. Vic will be heading back to Kansas in a few weeks.
Parishioners and guests gathered at the mass that was followed by a reception in the Lower Hall. Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart, presided at the mass and at the conclusion he presented Father Vic with a portrait that had been made in his honor and that will be hung in the church narthex. At the reception a variety of food was available for the more than 300 guests in attendance, all of which had been prepared by approximately 70 women of the Ladies of Sacred Heart Guild. John McGrail, a Sacred Heart parishioner, presented a poem that he had prepared to honor Fr. Vic which was a very moving tribute to this long serving priest. Monsignor Bernard Malone, who along with Father Raymond Rossi are past Pastors of Sacred Heart, were in attendance and thanked Fr. Vic for all of his years of service in assisting them to serve the parishioners of Sacred Heart.
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| Father Bill Elser, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, will be welcoming visitors to an Open House on October 9th |
RCIA is a journey, not just a series of classes. It is a time for those exploring the Catholic faith to take a walk with Jesus to learn His message of love, and allowing that message to change ones heart. However, everyone who comes to explore the Catholic faith has a different faith background and some even have varying experiences with the Catholic Church. It simply doesn't make sense for everyone to be in the same setting as they discern God's call in their life. As a result and to accommodate various needs, programs will be offered to facilitate the unique needs of those wishing to explore the way and faith of the Catholic Church and the community of believers at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church.
The Sacred Heart RCIA program is open to anyone wishing to explore the Catholic faith for the first time and also to those who may have "fallen away" from the church and wish to explore what the church is today. For more information and to learn if this program fits your unique situation please call either Deacon Larry Lipsmeyer (501-922-3283) or Deacon John Froning (501-226-5506).
An Open House will be held at the church on Sunday, October 9, at 2:00 p.m. A tour of the church will be given and questions will be answered about all aspects of the faith community at Sacred Heart. Refreshments (including some of Pastor Father Bill's famous ice cream) will be offered.
Scott Randall, General Manager of the Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association, and his wife Sandi were guests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church Men’s Club at the club’s Kickoff Dinner on Tuesday, September 13th. Over 160 members, spouses and widows of deceased members attended the potluck supper meeting which included brats cooked by the members. Following the meal Scott shared with the group his observations about the Village since his arrival earlier this year and his goals for the continued success of the Village in the future.
Scott and Sandi Randall (picture at left) enjoyed the fellowship at the Sacred Heart Men's Club Kickoff meeting prior to the POA General Managers talk.
This fall, from September 28 to November 6, our community is uniting with hundreds of other cities around the world for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history: the 40 Days for Life campaign. Recognizing that "with God all things are possible," people of faith are praying that this effort will help bring an end to the tragedy of abortion.40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign that has already mobilized over 400,000 people worldwide, saved more than 4,300 lives from abortion, led to the conversion of 52 abortion workers, and seen 13 abortion facilities close. 40 Days for Life is made up of three components:
Prayer and Fasting: believers throughout our city are invited to join together for 40 days of fervent prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.
- Peaceful Vigil: stand for life during a 40-day peaceful public witness outside the Little Rock Family Planning at #4 Office Park Drive.
- Community Outreach: help take a positive, upbeat pro-life message to every corner of our city through media efforts, advocacy, and public visibility.
Do you have a family member, relative or loved one, currently serving in the United States Military? Would you like to have him/her remembered in prayer by our parish family here at Sacred Heart of Jesus?We would like to display a Prayer Board where the names of those actively serving our country in the Military will be posted. If you wish to have a loved one included on this prayer list, please write his/her name on the paper provided and place it in the basket in the narthex. You can include the rank and branch of service for each person listed. We lift up in prayer all the courageous men and women who volunteer their service to protect our precious freedoms.
Do you look forward to receiving the Little Blue Book (for Advent) and the Little Black Book (for Lent)? Both contain scriptural reflections and other useful information for each day of these special liturgical seasons. This year we will also be getting for our parishioners, the Little White Book (for Easter Season). If you would like to purchase additional copies of any of these "Little Books" for family members who live outside of our parish (for $1.00 per copy), please sign up in the Education Building hallway or download, print and fill out the Little Books Order Form. We will send in our bulk order by the middle of September. So, place your order as soon as possible. 
It is time to sign up to meet new and old friends for a pleasant evening of food and camaraderie. A brunch or simple meal is all that a host needs to plan. We meet three times, taking turns hosting for the evening. Can 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 the protocol for this lovely social event. You will then receive your group listings and any other pertinent information in early September. We are looking forward to a wonder Fall! 
We all need a prayer warrior in times of crisis - emergencies, surgery, imminent death or the loss of a loved one.Fourteen people in our parish are prepared to offer prayers at these and other critical times. All you need to do is call Kathy Oesterle at 922-3552, Suzy Gieringer at 915-9777, or Marcia Bresnahan at 922-9190 to get intercessory prayers started for you and/or your loved one.
You can also become a member of our parish prayer warriors by calling Kathy, Suzy or Marcia.
Members of the Hand & Foot Card Club invite parishioners to meet once a month for a fun evening of cards and to meet other members. Hand & Foot is a fun game that only takes a few minutes to learn. E-mail 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 address to make communication a bit easier about the club activities. We will be starting up again in September and play through May. Please respond by August 20 so we can set up the 2011/2012 schedule. We have a couple of players who can no longer drive and need to find new partners, anyone up to helping out? Send $8 per couple, $4 per single, $5 per substitute couple and $2.50 for a single substitute. |
| Many Sacred Heart parishioners attend End-of-Life presentation led by Deacon John. |
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| The opening page of the new Sacred Heart website has a greeting from Fr. Bill Elser introducing the site along with links to connect users to the many functions of the site. |
Lynne and Mike carefully evaluated the needs of the parish and set about designing the site so that it would be very user friendly, recognizing the many diverse users there would be. Ultimately launched at the end of 2010, the website has met all of the goals that were originally set and continues to evolve. In addition to the usual content found on a church website such as news, commentary from the Pastor and a copy of the church bulletin, the website has many unique features. Visitors to the site can check the current Prayer List, read Today’s Scripture Readings, find other websites from the parish or diocese to explore and even email a greeting card to a patient in any one of the local Hot Springs or Little Rock hospitals. One of the key features of the site is an interactive calendar. Visitors to the site can check for scheduled activities by month and they can focus on one day or even focus on one specific activity to obtain the scheduling information they are seeking. In addition, any information viewed on the website can also be printed.
The parish recently conducted a portrait photography activity where each parishioner had the opportunity to have their picture taken. In the past, the pictures were then used by the church to publish a parish picture directory. This time, in addition to publishing a picture directory, there will be a picture directory available on the website with plans to update it as new members join the church, a feature not available with a printed directory.
The usage of the new Sacred Heart website has been steadily increasing. It has proven to be an excellent way to make communications timely and effective. As usage continues to increase more and more innovations will be added. Several innovations are already in the works. Those interested in visiting the website are welcome to take a look at www.hsvsacredheart.com.
I spoke of the Holy Spirit who unified the apostles in their action (of coming out of the room they were in to proclaim Jesus Christ crucified and risen) and in their message of hope through Jesus Christ. The Most Holy Trinity is a unity of identity and action as of the Body and Blood of the Lord is about the great "Sacrament of Unity" that is the Eucharist and the Eucharistic celebration.
I spoke of the unity at every Mass of people coming from different backgrounds, locations, and ages to join together in unity of giving praise and worship to God in our thoughts, words and in song.
I made the statement that the one aspect of the Mass in which we are the most unified is our posture. At various time of the Mass we all stand. At various times we sit and at various times we kneel. Someone who had never been to Mass would certainly be impressed by our unity of worship, especially in our posture, EXCEPT perhaps at Communion time.
Around 2003, the bishops of the United States in teaching about our liturgical celebrations, especially the Mass, pointed out the uniform posture that we have during Mass and they stressed that that should be the case at Communion time. Those who grew up in the pre-Vatican II days remember that the common posture of the congregation during Communion was kneeling. People received Communion kneeling and the rest of the congregation was kneeling throughout Communion. With Vatican II came the change in our posture to receive Communion (standing). Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be a corresponding change in the congregation's posture before and immediately after receiving Communion. The Bishops of the United States in the year 2003 reemphasized unity of posture throughout the Mass including Communion time. This means that we should all stand at the beginning of Communion and remain standing until everyone receives Communion. During this "Communion Time" we are strongly encouraged to be in Communion of voice by singing the Communion Hymn or Antiphon. Once everyone has received Communion, we all kneel (or sit if you can't kneel) and speak and listen to the Lord during a time of complete quiet, before we all stand for the "Prayer After Communion."
Back in 2003 when then Bishop Sartain of our diocese instructed our priests about this emphasis of common posture during Communion time, he stated that if anyone chooses to kneel after going back to their pew after receiving Communion that no judgement should be made by anyone about that person, and certainly nothing derogatory should be said to those who do this. That should be the case here and at every Catholic Church that responds to the call for unity of posture throughout Mass, including the Communion Rite.
Reverend Robert Barron in his DVD presentation, EUCHARIST, explains the biblical roots of our Eucharistic celebration of the Mass as Sacred Meal, Sacrifice, and Real Presence. It will be shown Thursday at 9:45 a.m. after Masses July 7, 14, 21 in the Lower Hall. Mark your calendars! Invite your friends. For more information, call Marcia at 922-9190.