Links:

• St. Ann Announcements
  
• Upcoming St. Ann Activities

  St Joseph Announcements:

  The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available before weekend Masses (5:30 till 5:45 PM on Saturday. and 7:30 till 7:45AM on Sunday.) or by appointment.

• Note: Location and Church Office hours at St. Joseph change
  
• Beginning the week of July 27th, Rita will be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 til 12:30 PM. Fr. Meyer will be around Friday through Sunday.
  The parish office is now located in the St. Joseph Parish Activity Center. The office is located directly across from the conference room. Please stop by with any questions or business!

  Sick Calls and Emergency

• During the week, Monday-Thursday, if there is a medical emergency that requires sacramental assistance, you will need to contact Fr. Todd Goodson at St. Ambrose in Seymour at 812-498-6730
  or Fr. Steve Donahue at St. Mary’s in North Vernon at 812-346-3604.

  St. Joseph Vocation Cross

• There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board. We are asking each parish family to take the cross and accompanying folder to your home for one week. You can pick up the cross and folder in the confessional in the bookcase and return it the following week. Please check the following family’s Mass time to have it back in time for them to pick it up. The folder contains instructions and ideas that you can do. The schedule is through the week of December 21st, so please choose a week that is convenient for your family.

  Home Blessings

• Fr. Meyer has set a personal goal. He would like to make a visit to every household over the next 365 days. This would give him the opportunity to meet everyone on a personal basis, get to know his new parish boundaries, and most importantly, bless our homes, land, crops, animals, etc. If you would like to make an appointment, the St. Joseph contact persons are Traci Yoder at 392-3126 or Bev Vogel at 522-1323 and the contact person at St. Anne is Wendy Reitman at 346-2073.

  Shut-In Visitations

• On first Fridays, Fr. Meyer will be visiting all shut-ins. To make this possible, shut-in names are needed. Please contact the office with any names that you may have.

  St. Joseph and St. Anne First Communion dates

• First Communion has been scheduled for Sunday, April 26, 2009, at the 8:00 and 10:30 AM Masses. First Communion is open to all second graders in both parishes. A Mandatory meeting for all second grade parents will be on Sunday, Sept. 28th following the morning Masses at each parish aprox. 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM. Please mark your calendars accordingly. For more information contact Fr. Meyer, Annette Pollert or Rita Bott.

  The Sacrament of Confirmation

• Confirmation for the upcoming year has been set for Sunday, May 3, 2009, at Lucas Oil Stadium. This will be an archdiocesan-wide event celebrating the 175th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. All students in 8th grade, at both parishes, will be eligible to be confirmed.

  Are You

  a Kid for Jesus?

• Join K4J. Meetings are the 1st Tuesdays of each month from October to May at St. Joseph’s. Cost is $38.16 per child which covers the cost of the monthly mission pack magazine that the child receives. K4J is perfect for 4 year olds to 5th graders. The fifth graders and up get to be “captains” (leaders.) Please call Traci Yoder (K4J guide) 812-392-3126 to sign up by Monday, Aug. 25th.

  Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults-(RCIA)

• St. Anne and St. Joseph will be meeting together. The first class will be held at St. Joseph on Thursday, October 2nd at 6:00 pm. Please contact the Parish office to register. If you have family members who might need a personal invitation let Fr. Meyer know.

  Parish Hall Regulations

• Some new rules for the use of St. Joseph Hall are to go into effect immediately.
  (1) The hall must be closed and locked by no later than 10:00PM for all events except scheduled rental events.
  (2) There will be NO OVERNIGHT ACTIVITIES allowed in the hall.

  Mass Intentions Are Needed

• Dear Parishioners: Mass requests are presently at a very low level in both parishes. If you would like to request a Mass for someone, it would be celebrated rather quickly. The usual gift offering for a Mass is $10.00, but your request will be honored even if you cannot afford that amount. Please contact the parish office.

  St. Joseph College Students

• The Rosary Society is interested in starting a new ministry pertaining to the college students of our parish. We would like to send them care packages periodically throughout the school year. They can live at home or away from home. If you think your college age child would like to be included, please contact Cari Hauersperger at 346-8685.

  Pro-Life Volunteers Are Needed

• If you are interested in answering the Birthline hotline from the comfort of your home, please contact Sister Diane at 317-236-1521. The hotline volunteer responds to women in crisis pregnancies and those seeking material assistance through our ministry at the Catholic Center. Training is provided.

  Volunteers Needed

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jennings County currently has 9 boys and 5 girls waiting for a Big Brother or Big Sister to spend time with them. If you could share some time doing everyday activities or special events with a child please call toll free 1-877-892-2447 for more information.

  enhance your relationship

• Are you looking for ways to enhance your relationship? Then go directly to Visit our U. S. Bishops Its part of our U. S. Bishops efforts to promote marriage. Help us help your family and friends by emailing the website address to them.

  St. Vincent de Paul Volunteers Needed

• The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store is in need of extra hands to sort, mark, hang, and sell merchandise in the store. Workers are especially needed for Wednesday afternoon and Friday all day, but any time you can give would be greatly appreciated. Also volunteers who are willing to learn the interview process are being sought. To volunteer or ask questions call Jane Kirchner, 346-7793, Ruth Long, 873-7863, or Vickie Ernstes, 346-5926.

  Letters From Sean Danda

  Thank You
  My Dear Rosary Society,
  Again, I am moved by your generosity and kindness to me. To be a seminarian in Rome is wonderful, but Rome (and Europe) is expensive. You help make it possible for me to enjoy and experience those places that I once dreamed of visiting. May I be a better priest for having had these experiences. Know that I continue to remember you all, especially in my prayers at those places closest to my heart. May God continue to bless you in your work here on earth and embrace you completely in heaven.
  Yours in Christ, Sean Danda

  Dear parishioners of St. Joseph and St. Ann parishes,
  Peace and greetings to everyone from Sean Danda in Rome. I am now in my second year of theology and grow with great confidence and certainty in God's vocational calling for me. In a few short years, I will be a priest of Jesus Christ for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (keep praying for me!). Thank you for all of your prayerful and financial support for me over these years. It has been because of your generosity that the Lord inspires a generous return from me.
  
  A year and a half have passed since I was last in Indiana or the United States. This year I celebrated Christmas on pilgrimage in the Holy Land. It was one of the most memorable experiences that God has given me thus far and will remain close to my heart. Please know that I prayed for everyone of you and your special intentions while I was at Calvary.
  It was such a special experience to be in Galilee and Jerusalem over twelve days because it was an encounter with the place that Jesus lived, walked, taught, healed, etc. Imagine a parent, spouse, or dear friend taking you to the actual place where they were born, attended school, grew up. It remains a special place for them, and it is a special thing for them to share it with you. They might even share a story about the place while you are there together, and that story takes on new significance. Although the house, school, town might have changed some, you can still imagine things as they once were.
  This was my experience of the Holy Land. I traveled to Christ's home while he was on earth. He shared stories about the people that he healed, the miracles that he performed, and the passion that he suffered for me, for us. Although much has changed since Biblical time in the Holy Land, it still was the same land Christ walked, the same sea he fished upon, and the same Jerusalem that he wept over. I was able to be in all those places: to stand in the Sea of Galilee, to pray in the Garden of Olives, to kiss the rock Christ was laid upon.
  The land also told her story. She certainly experienced all these events, and I spent many long hours sitting with her in Galilee either near the seashore or on the mountain of Beatitudes. Israel is a diverse land. She is very fertile in some places and a desert in others. She has rolling hills and mountains. She has valleys and plains.
  In fact, the Dead Sea is the lowest land on the entire face of the earth. It has been said that the Dead Sea is dead not only because of all the salt in it but also because it only receives water. The Sea of Galilee is called the "Sea of Life;" it both receives water and gives water. From Galilee, Jesus did most of his public ministry; from his priests, he does the same today. I have been given much and must always give too. I continue in my priestly formation and look forward to one day serving you and others from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Continue to pray abundantly for more holy vocations, and Christ will surely hear and answer our prayers. God bless you all.
  I remain yours in Christ, Sean Danda

  Church Bulletins for the Homebound

• If you know someone who would like to receive the St. Joseph or St. Ann bulletin by mail or e-mail please contact the office at 812-346-4783. The e-mail version is a text only version. Please leave your name and phone number so that the bulletin editor can contact you for particular information. email Contact Bulletin Editor

  Catholic Charities' Website

• Catholic Charities of the archdiocese of Indianapolis has launched its new website:
  Visit the Catholic Charities of the archdiocese
  Check it regularly for updates on programs, special events, Hurricane Katrina relief, and donation and volunteer needs from across the archdiocese. Thank you for your continued support of our mission.

  Catholic Radio on Your Computer

• Catholic Radio 89.1 FM (radio area is from Bloomington north) recently began "streaming" its signal on the internet. If you have a computer, just go to:
  Listen to Catholic Radio
  and click on the LISTEN NOW button. Every day you can hear the Mass at 8:00AM and noon, the Rosary at 7:30AM, and lots of interesting Catholic talk shows.

  For Spiritual Enrichment

• An inexpensive series of programs called Sunday Night "101" Series will be presented at Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis. The cost is $10.00 per person or $25.00 per family. For more information go to Welcome to Fatima Retreat House
  

  Religious Items Available

• Come visit our St. Joseph parish Bookstore. Items available for sale include bibles, rosary's, holy water bottles, books and Cd's, and St. Joseph 150th Anniversary wood plaques. There is also information available, in brochures and on DVD and VHS formats, about Abbey Caskets, a work of the Benedictines

  The Panther Claw-Set

• This closet is maintained here at the Jennings County Middle School. They organize new and gently worn clothing and shoes. Students who need these items can come to get them free of charge and without embarrassment. They will accept clothing and shoe donations anytime during the school year but they will probably have a clothing drive a couple of times a year to “replenish” the Panther Claw-Set. They are also accepting teen appropriate items to be worn to the 8th Grade Dance. For more information, please contact Rebecca Lanier or Krystal McBride at the Jennings County Middle School.