Hello everyone! This weekend, we hear the gospel reading of Jesus meeting the woman at the well. He asks her for a drink. He thirsts for her conversion. He says to her, “For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.” She was not satisfied in life and was looking for that happiness in the men she was with.
He then offers her a drink of the living waters, the kind in which once she drinks, she will never thirst again. He offers us the same kind of drink. Only Jesus can offer that which satisfies so that we never have to chase after those fleeting pleasures of life, those things which only drain us of our money, our resources, our energy, our time, and ultimately, even the happiness for which we seek.
Jesus says that, “true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.” The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit seek us out so that in our worship of the true God, we shall receive “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” and shall never thirst again. In these days of Lent, when you’re in the desert to be purified of your sins, you can always find refreshment in the Word of God the Scriptures, in Adoration, in prayer, in the Sacrament of Confession, and the Eucharist. These living waters are always available to us so let’s drink them up so that we will never thirst again.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of ICC parishioner, Mike Fink’s, wife Marianne, who passed away suddenly on Tuesday night as well as for peace and consolation for Mike and the family. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
You may view her obituary here: https://www.coldrencrates.com/obituaries/Marianne-Fink?obId=27467955#/celebrationWall
It’s already that time of year…Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend so Spring forward one hour on Saturday night!
Adoration this Sunday after Mass
We are having a day of Eucharistic Adoration at both parishes during Lent in conjunction with the diocesan wide 40 Days of Adoration. At ICC, our day of adoration is this Sunday, March 12th following the 9am Mass until 9pm. After communion, I will expose the Blessed Sacrament and place it in the monstrance upon the altar. There will be no dismissal. Please consider staying to adore our Lord for some time, even if for a few minutes. When leaving, please depart in silence with respect for our Lord’s presence and for those who remain in prayer. It is appropriate to genuflect and even better to get on one’s knees and bowing before leaving. The Blessed Sacrament will remain exposed until 9pm. You are welcome then to come during the day at any time for Adoration.
At OLL, the day of adoration will be on Friday, March 31st, following the 9am Mass until 9pm. Sign-up sheets are in the church. Please sign up for an hour to spend with the Lord.
ICC Maintenance projects
The church gutters were replaced this week. We received a grant from the Catholic Foundation in the fall of 2021 to get them replaced and finally they are done. The old copper gutters had been leaking in many areas and a patch would have cost almost as much as getting them replaced with aluminum and would have lasted only 10 years. The new aluminum gutters are a dark bronze and blend in with the roof so they basically go unnoticed. Now that they have been replaced, I was able to schedule the interior walls of the church to be fixed. Through God’s providence, the interior wall people were able to start on Thursday after the gutters were finished on Wednesday. They should be finished with that work by the end of next week. Let’s hope it all goes smoothly and that both will last for many decades to come.
No Adoration next Wednesday at ICC
Due to the interior wall work in the church, Adoration next Wednesday, March 15th is cancelled. We will still have Mass at 9am and I will still hear confessions from 9:30am – 10:30am.
Repeat info:
Mission speaker in Bluffton
St. Mary Catholic Church in Bluffton is hosting mission speaker John R. Wood to speak on March 13th at 6pm. They are inviting local churches. The theme is “Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission.”
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at ICC March 18
The Knights of Columbus will be hosting a corned beef and cabbage dinner on Saturday, March 18 after Mass (5pm to 8pm or until they run out) for St. Patrick’s Day. Donations will be accepted. Carryout will be available. If you wish to pre-order carryout, call Brad Lautar at 419-675-0822 and leave a message of name and how many servings.
OLL Penance Service March 26th after 11am Mass from 12pm-1:30pm
OLL will have a Lenten Penance Service on Sunday, March 26th immediately beginning after the 11am Mass, from 12pm until 1:30pm. Fr. Charlie Cotton will be there to help hear confessions.
Reconciliation Monday, April 3rd
I will hear confessions on the Monday of Holy Week from 4pm-5:30pm at ICC and then from 6pm-7:30pm at OLL. That will be one of the last scheduled confessions before Easter. It will only be me hearing confessions as almost all parishes in the diocese will be holding confessions during that time.
Please remember the Church precept that we are to go to Sacramental Confession at least once a year. You receive graces from every Sacrament and those graces help us to be more holy.
Attached are the bulletins, Sunday readings, and Fr. Ferguson’s cat column.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us!
God bless!
Fr. Ed
