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| Deacon Larry Lipsmeyer gives blessing over pets. |
Attending on this cool Sunday afternoon were quite an assortment of God’s canine creation. Elegant poodles pranced, and laughing terriers danced. Some felt the urge to “sing” God’s praises, some just barked out several well-timed “amens”, and some just sat stoically and contemplated the holy occasion in silence.
While Deacon Larry read the scripture and prayers, tails wagged, itches were scratched, and much sniffing ensued. And when it was time for the sprinkling of the holy water, some of these well-loved companions tried to hide from the holy “rain drops”, others frolicked in this very pleasant diversion, and a few just sat and worried whether this sprinkling of water might mean a bath would soon follow.
Fifteen minutes later all pets followed their owners back to their cars for the trip back home. They moved proudly and joyfully next to their human caretakers, trusting in them and happy just to be in their company. The dogs had all been blessed, but each of the owners knew they too were blessed just to have one of God’s most wonderful creatures as their own special furry friend and companion. Click here for more photos.
The 2012 Treasure Sale was very successful with $16,595 raised in support of Catholic education at Our Lady of Fatima in Benton and St. John's in Hot Springs. Quite remarkably, the 2012 amount compares to $15,817 in 2010 and $16,668 in 2008. Thanks to all the parishioners who donated items and volunteered their time. A special thanks to those who have been working since May collecting, pricing, transporting and storing items. Co-chairs John Bodensteiner and Chris Gleason wish to recognize and than the other committee members for their tireless efforts: Mike Frantz, Kathy Geske, Mary Ann Honzik, Claudia and Ed Keearns, Gerald and Ann Krawczynski, Larry Lipsmeyer, JoAnn and Terry O'Brien, Dave Witchger, Tom Yerina and Marvin Young. Click here to view more pictures in the photo gallery. 
You are invited to nominate a parishioner for election to one of the following commissions: Education, Parish Life, Liturgy or Social Justice. Nominations open September 22 and close October 7, 2012. The term of office is two years. One would attend six commission meetings, and as the commission liaison, attend six pastoral Council meetings held on alternate months during the year. Workshops and Virtus training will be provided. The first year one would learn "how-to" and then oversee activities. Nominating forms and the ballot box are in the narthex. If you have questions, please call members of the Nominating Committee: Don Ritter at 224-659-5001, Mary Ellen Costello at 922-3915 or Mickey Townsend at 922-0705. 
Forty Days for Life is a peaceful, prayerful, pro-life campaign that has proven effective. From September 26 through November 4, our community is joining with believers in hundreds of other cities for 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.You are invited to stand and pray peacefully in the public right-of-way outside the Family Planning Clinic in Little Rock. Our parish has adopted Wednesday, October 3, from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sign-up sheets will be available in the narthex. If you have never prayed and witnessed in public before, please consider participating. We will arrange for you to ride with other prayer warriors. There will also be opportunities for private prayer and fasting, both at home and with fellow parishioners here at church. Join this worldwide movement to protect mothers and babies, which has also led to the conversion of abortion workers and the closing of abortion facilities. Call Mary Ellen Costello at 922-3915 for information.
We pray that everyone who can do so, will exercise their right and responsibility to vote in the November election. We are planning a voter registration drive at our church toward the end of the month. You can easily check to see if you are currently registered to vote by logging on to www.voterview.org or by calling 501-303-5630 (Saline County) or 501-622-3610 (Garland County). 
On Wednesday the 19th of September our third Columbarium, Sacred Heart of Jesus III, was delivered and placed on its foundation in our Cemetery and Memorial Garden. This now gives us a total of 240 double size niches for inurnment of the cremated remains of deceased church members and their immediate families. Our first inurnment was on All Souls Day 2005. We are accomplishing what was our first goal; that was to have a special place on church grounds for our cemetery.You can tell from the pictures, click here to view more photos in photo gallery, that this is not an easy thing to do. Each Columbarium weighs 28,000 pounds. A tremendous amount of planning and timing goes into this process to make it work. It takes a huge crane, two large trucks, cement labor and a lot of effort from our committee and volunteers to help get this done. Special thanks to all of those that came out to help with this huge project. The sidewalks, lights, benches and plants have to be completed before we can start selling niches in Sacred Heart of Jesus III. If you have any questions, please call Deacon Larry Lipsmeyer at 922-3283 or Buddy Dixon at 922-2811. Thanks to all for their help and support in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cemetery.
We have a fine selection of books featured in our library on St. Padre Pio. You will want to read about his amazing life. Come into our library and browse among the many selections of books, DVD's, audio and video tapes for adults and children. Can't find the library? Just enter the chapel, make a quick left and go through the door marked "Conference Room/Library". You are always welcome. 
This year our parish will provide each family with two books of daily reflections: the "Year of Faith", published by Magnificat, and for Lent, "Little Black Book" as published by Little Books. These books can be purchased for your family members and friends not living in the parish. Order forms are in the A & E Hallway. Please place your order by Tuesday, September 25, 2012. 
Sacred Heart of Jesus invites you to join us for fun with "Church Fitness" a program consisting of lite cardio/tuning with pilates/yoga stretches on Thursdays at 9:45 a.m. in the Lower Hall. Classes will begin on September 4 and continue through October 30 (excluding September 27). The class is taught by Alia Berg, a licensed certified fitness instructor. The cost of the program is by donation per class. Call Alia at 209-2133 for more information. 
Fr. Herald Brock sent a picture of the completed roof on St. Peter Claver Church in Lowoi, Diocese of Torit, South Sudan. The roof was completed in June with the help of financial assistance from the parishioners of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. Fr. Brock is affiliated with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. This group has been supporting the people of South Sudan and plan on continued assistance in the future. Click here for more photos in photo gallery. 
Sacred Heart of Jesus has been invited by the Village Bible Church to join with them in sponsoring the Crosses for Life Memorial. This is a statewide outreach project of the Benton County Right to Life, and has been displayed in various locations throughout the state of Arkansas since January 2000. There are 4,000 white crosses displayed that represent the 4,000 pre-born children who die daily in the United States as a result of induced abortion. The purpose of the display is to memoralize those children and increase public awareness of the magnitude of what has been called by some, "The American Holocaust".The crosses will be displayed on the property of both churches, from Monday, August 20 through September 22. The Crosses for Life Memorial is available to pro-life organizations throughout the state, and the project is funded by individual donations.
The 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. 
Parish 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 hopharrigan@sbcglobal.net 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.  |
| Seated in front of 14 seminarians are (l-r) Monsignor Bernard Malone, Bishop Anthony Taylor, Monsignor Scott Friend, and 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.
Join 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.