St. Michael's Parish

2001 College Place

Harlan, Iowa 51537

5/27/20 Parish News and Information

Masses: St. Michael's will resume the daily Mass schedule starting Wednesday June 3, 2020. Social distancing and wearing a mask are required. Parishioners over the age of 60 are discouraged from attending as they are the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. The Mass schedule is as follows beginning June 3rd:

Wednesday June 3 at 8:15am
Thursday June 4 at 12 noon
Friday June 5 at 8:15am

Beginning June 9, there will be an additional weekday Mass on Tuesdays at 8:15am.

West Central Community Action: St. Michael's is their largest single donation each month and when we suspended Masses they missed our contributions immensely! PLEASE TAKE FOOD DONATIONS TO WEST CENTRAL M-F between 8:00am and 1:00pm. They take frozen foods and refrigerated foods also. They have seen a swell in the numbers of families needing assistance. Thank you for your support of WCCA!

First Communion: On Wednesday June 10 at 6:30pm a private First Communion Mass will take place for the First Communicants, their parents and their siblings. A review class is scheduled for all 2nd graders in Faith Formation and from SCCS on Wednesday June 3 at 6:30pm in the Rosman Parish Center.

Confession: The Sacrament of Reconciliation continues to be available by appointment.

Funerals, Weddings, and Baptisms: These Liturgical events cannot be planned due to their particular tendency to include more than 10 people.

Tithing and Donations: We are grateful to all who have continued to send in their Sunday tithes! It is keeping the parish going! Thank YOU!! The ADA continues to do well also. To date, we have achieved 86% of our goal of $52,675. We are still in need of $7,116. We will be sending out reminder letters soon to those who have given in the past, but have not turned in a donation this year. Please, if you have not pledged or sent in a donation do so as soon as possible. We hope to make our goal by June 1, 2020.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT! CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020!

Fr. John Frost reassigned to Des Moines

Fr. John Frost will be leaving St. Michael's as he has been reassigned to a parish in Des Moines, St. Mary of Nazareth. Fr. Dan Gehler has been reassigned as pastor at St. Michael's. The official 'moving' day for priests will be July 9, 2020. Fr. John's last weekend Masses will be July 4/5, 2020.

Fr. John has been at St. Michael's for 10 years. He has spent much of his priesthood in the rural parishes and has enjoyed getting to know this particular way of life. Fr. John was born in Omaha but his family moved to Des Moines as a child; both his parents came from Iowa farming families. He is sad to say goodbye to the many families he has come to know during his time at St. Michael's and is grateful for the parish's kindness while he has been here. He will especially miss the children in the Faith Formation program and at the school. He frequently had lunch with the SCCS students and welcomed the FF students when they participated at Sunday Masses in the liturgical roles.

We wish Fr. John all the best in his new assignment at St. Mary of Nazareth. God Bless You!

Sunday Mass at St. Michael's

You can access the Knights of Columbus YouTube channel to view Mass at St. Michael's here - https://tinyurl.com/y4ax6z3g

Covid - 19 Relief Fund - Donate Now!

The Diocese of Des Moines has created a relief fund in partnership with Catholic Charities to provide immediate assistance to the most vulnerable individuals and families in our Diocese. They will receive help with monthly rent, utilities, medical bills etc. This will allow them to spend money on basic needs like groceries, gas and other essentials during this time of uncertainty. Catholic Charities will administer this aspect of the relief fund through a grant application process. Payment will be made directly to vendors such as landlords, utility companies, hospitals/clinics, etc.

The fund will also be available to parishes and schools to help with their most pressing needs as collections have taken a downturn. The Diocese will be working with ministry leaders to identify the most vulnerable parishes and their urgent needs.

This is an excellent opportunity for those who can offer financial assistance to help their fellow human beings. You can find out how to donate by visiting the Covid Relief Fund on the Diocesan web-page. There you will find all the information to send in your donation, or if you prefer you may send your donation to St. Michael's marked "COVID-19 Relief Fund" (1912 18th Street Harlan, IA 51537). Thank you for your generosity!!

Daily Mass

Daily mass is celebrated every day from Bishop Barron's chapel, join in at Word On Fire

Plenary Indulgence Has Been Granted

A Plenary Indulgence is the Church's way of granting forgiveness of sins when normal means are unavailable.

For those individuals that contract COVID-19 Bishop Joensen has granted a plenary indulgence (forgiveness of all sins). The conditions for receiving plenary indulgence are a spirit of repentance for the sins committed in a person's life by utilizing a prayer like this, "Lord, forgive me of my sins." or "Lord, have mercy on me a sinner." After recovering from COVID-19 the person need to have the intention to go to confession, receive Holy Communion, and pray for the needs of the world as soon as possible.

A plenary indulgence is also granted to a person at the moment of death when they are unable to be anointed with the Sacrament of the Sick. The only conditions shall be the person be properly disposed, that is, express an attitude of faith or sorrow for sin and that a cross or a rosary should be present in the room.

Prayers During This Time of Emergency

While we are restricted from attending Mass, we are not restricted from praying! We encourage spending time together as a family with the Lord. Gather your family nightly before bed or around the breakfast table each morning and offer your thanks for the preventive measures that are being taken. Here are a few prayers you may want to include.

Prayer to the Archangel Michael

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell, Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Prayer of Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Prayer for the Sick

God our Father we come to You in our need to ask Your protection against the Corona virus that has claimed lives and has affected many. We pray for Your grace for the people tasked with studying the nature and cause of this virus and its disease and of stemming the tide of its transmission. Guide the hands and minds of medical experts that they may minister to the sick with competence and compassion and of those governments and private agencies that must find a cure and solution to this pandemic. We pray for those afflicted. May they be restored to health soon. Grant us the grace to work for the good of all and to help those in need. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.

ALL MASSES HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Saturday - 5:00 pm
Sunday - 8:30 am and 10:30 am
Weekdays - varies, click on bulletin to the right
Holy Days - click on bulletin to the right

Confessions
Saturday - 4:00-4:30 pm
or by appointment

First Friday Adoration
9:00 am - 12:00 noon
Benediction 12:00 noon