MASS SCHEDULE
Wednesdays: 7:00pm
Saturdays: 4:30pm (during pandemic only)
Sundays: 10:00am
RECONCILIATION
Wednesdays: 6:30pm
ABOUT OUR PARISH
From the time St Teresa Catholic Church was established in 1937, to the move in 2009, the history of St Teresa is extensive.
Bulletins & Ministry Schedules:
“That’s not fair” was a commonly used phrase growing up in a house of nine kids. Perhaps you heard it in your home as well. We would probably say the same about this weekend’s gospel. The owner of a vineyard is looking for day workers to tend to his vineyard and he’s hiring anyone he can find. Some are hired early in the morning and some later in the afternoon. At the end of the day, the owner pays all the workers beginning with those hired last. When they received the usual daily wage, the ones hired early in the morning figured they would receive more and yet all received the same wage, regardless of the hours worked. “That’s not fair,” said the early birds, “you made us equal to them.”
If the gospel was about fairness, those early birds would have their day in court. Yet it’s not fairness, but the generosity of God that Jesus is most concerned about in today’s gospel. And, he’s not merely talking about vineyards, but the kingdom of heaven.
The point Jesus is making is that God’s generosity is beyond measure, and human logic. Whether we come to faith early in life or on our deathbed, God’s generous love is there to welcome us. Whether we have been close to the Lord with only minor infractions along the way, or lost are way and been overcome by sin, God’s generous forgiveness is there to reconcile us. Whether we have been deeply wounded and scarred for life or only received a few scrapes and bruises, God is there to heal us. This does not mean that forfeit faithful living counting on a last minute comeback, but that we know and trust God’s generosity is beyond measure and cares for all regardless of what may seem fair.
It’s like a woman who was being interviewed after being honored as a “heroic mother.” She had single handedly raised a large family and all her children did very well in life, becoming good adults, with good jobs and families of their own. Hers was a story worth acknowledging and celebrating. Seeking to identify some formula for raising a good family, the interviewer commented, “I suppose you loved all your children equally, making sure they all got the same treatment.” “No,” she said, “I love them. I love them all, each one of them. But not equally. I loved the one that was down til he got up. I loved the one that was weak until she got strong. I loved the one that was hurt until he was healed. I loved the one that was lost until she was found.” What’s it like in God’s world? What is the kingdom of heaven like? It’s like the mother who loves all her children according to their need, and loves them until they become who they were created to be – and then continues to love them. “That’s not fair, that’s generosity.” Thank God.
We look forward to celebrating Mass in person with many of you this weekend, but also pray for those staying home and viewing live-streamed Masses. Please note that all three IC Masses, 5 PM Saturday, 8 AM and 11 AM Sunday will be broadcast live and available after by clicking on https://celina-ic.org/ and then the “Live Stream” on the top right corner of the IC webpage and follow prompts to the Mass. You can also find mass on FB at https://www.facebook.com/Immaculateconceptioncelina/ In our opening song we affirm that “All Are Welcome and bear the image of God’s face.” At offertory we acknowledge that “we are pilgrims on a journey, helping each other walk the mile and bear the load” in the Servant Song. In our communion song, we look to “Christ, Our Light” shining in our hearts and shining in our church. And we go forth knowing “We Are Called…to act with justice, to love tenderly, to serve one another and to walk humbly with our God.” Lyrics to the songs can be found at the end of this email.
A few other notes –
v All Catholics in the archdiocese continue to be dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass until further notice. Those who are at risk or fearful that they or their family might become sick are encouraged to stay home and join the Church by viewing live-streamed Masses. Perhaps a family member can bring Holy Communion to them. Please contact the parish office to make arrangements. The Celina Cluster Mass schedule: Saturday - 5:00 PM IC, 7:00 PM OLG; Sunday – 8:00 AM IC, 9:00 AM OLG, 10:00 AM St Teresa, 11:00 AM IC and during the coronavirus restrictions only, we are adding a Saturday 4:30 PM at St. Teresa. Weekday Masses are as follows: IC Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:30 AM; OLG Masses Tuesday 8 AM, Wednesday 7 PM and Friday 8 AM; and St. Teresa Wednesday 7 PM. All IC weekend and weekday Masses will be broadcast online. Guidelines and social distancing for resuming public Masses have been posted on our parish websites and have been sent by mail to all parishioners. A few reminders
o All faithful are asked to follow the Governor’s order to wear a face mask at church out of genuine love and concern for all.
o Offering boxes/baskets will be at the entrances of church at IC and St. Teresa. Please drop in your envelope/offering as you enter. OLG will continue using long handled baskets during offertory. We are grateful for your continued generosity. Offertory envelopes can also be dropped off or sent to our respective parish offices or online contributions can be made to each of the parishes at https://celina-ic.weshareonline.org/index.aspx (Please note that WeshareOnline is hosted on the IC website to reduce administrative costs, but funds are directed to each specific parish)
o Please pick up a worship aide as you enter and begin seating toward the front of church following the color-coded pews.
o Holy Communion will be distributed to parishioners remaining in alternating pews by priest, deacon and EM’s wearing masks and using empty rows of pews to reach all parishioners. Holy Communion on the tongue is strongly discouraged.
o Parishioners are asked to remove all items after Mass. Recycle boxes for one time use worship aides will be at the entrances of church.
o Parishioners are asked to dismiss from the back of church first, or closest to entrances, respecting social distancing.
v Each of our parishes have begun CCD/religious education (IC school began in August) and it is good to see and hear the children around church. This weekend we celebrate Catechetical Sunday recognizing and offering thanks for all the teachers and catechists sharing the gift of faith.
v We continue Stewardship renewal recognizing that all we are and all we have are generous gifts from God. Out of gratitude for all that God has given us, we are called to share a portion of our time, talents and treasure with others.
o Please take a moment to review the Annual Stewardship report in this weekend’s bulletin and witness how your sharing of time, talent and treasure helps all of us grow and serve in wisdom, age and grace.
o Please also take a few moments in the next few weeks to complete the Stewardship sign up and where you may be able to share your gifts and talents.
Let us be grateful for God’s generosity toward us, even when it’s not fair. Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken & Fr. Tim
“Love is patient, love is kind…” We usually hear them at weddings, but today they are the words of our first reading at Mass. St. Paul tells the Corinthians and us what love is and what it is not. Love is patient, kind, and it rejoices with the truth. “It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” It is not jealous, pompous, inflated, rude, or quick-tempered. It is not selfish, it does not brood over injuries, and it does not “rejoice over wrongdoing.”
The words sound so lofty and yet Paul was responding to something very earthy and real; he was responding to a gifted community of faith, blest in many ways, but being torn apart by division and strife. Perhaps the words of St. Paul are as needed today as they were centuries ago.
It is easy to reduce love to sentimentality, or an emotion and an exclusive relationship with another. And yet, the real love St. Paul describes is much deeper. Rather than simply being sentimental, it is lasting and sacrificial. Rather than being merely an emotional response, it is a profound and practical gift and truth that shapes the very essence of who we are. And rather than being an exclusive relationship between two, it is meant to be a Christ like love that encompasses all people.
Perhaps the invitation today is to spend some quality time reflecting on the words of St. Paul, not merely from the perspective of a perfect wedding day, but in the everyday encounters and struggles of life where we need them most.
We continue to have folks joining us in church for Mass, and we also have folks who are at risk or fearful that they or their family might become sick, staying home and viewing livestreamed Masses. We livestream all Masses at IC (5 PM Saturday; 9 & 11 AM Sunday; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:30 AM) so that those remaining at home for safety may also be strengthened by the Lord in Spiritual Communion or family members bringing Holy Communion to the home. Please contact the parish office if you would like to bring Holy Communion to a loved one staying at home.
Mass attendance percentage for St. Teresa for Sept 12 & 13
4:30pm Saturday Mass 38% 10am Sunday Mass 105%
A few other notes:
We remember IC parishioners Tom Hemmelgarn and Tim Fink and OLG parishioner Rosie Pleiman who died during the week. May they rest in peace.
Each of our parishes have begun CCD/religious education (IC school began in August) and it is good to see and hear the children around church. This weekend we celebrate Catechetical Sunday recognizing and offering thanks for all the teachers and catechists sharing the gift of faith.
We continue Stewardship renewal recognizing that all we are and all we have are gifts from God. Out of gratitude for all that God has given us, we are called to share a portion of our time, talents and treasure with others.
May our love be patient and kind.
Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken & Fr. Tim
Dear Celina Cluster Parishioners,
It’s against the backdrop of all those times that we have been hurt by others or taken advantage of that Ben Sira says in the first reading this weekend “wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight…forgive your neighbors injustice,” and Jesus tells us to “forgive from our hearts, not once or seven times, but seventy seven times.” How do we begin to live out such a demanding message from the Lord? Where do we begin forgiving others?
It may help to begin with our own experiences of being hurt by others and why we sometimes hold wrath and anger tight. Some people have the presumption that by being angry at someone or holding a grudge, we are somehow getting back at them, that we are somehow inflicting pain or hurt upon them for the pain they have caused us. The reality is that often the wrath and anger or grudge we harbor within does more harm to ourselves than to the one who has hurt us.
Ben Sira must have understood what it felt like to be hurt or taken advantage of and how hard it is to forgive, and yet he also knew that forgiving others was critical to a life of joy and inner peace. He tells us what we need to forgive our neighbor’s injustice, so that when we pray to God, God will forgive us. And he cautions - can anyone who nourishes anger against another expect to be healed by the Lord? Can even God bring healing if we are unwilling or unable to let go of the hurt? The point Ben Sira makes is that we need to forgive others so that we ourselves can be forgiven by God. He ends the reading by saying life is too short to harbor hatred and vengeance, we miss so much by doing so, we cheat ourselves. He encourages us to remember the commandment to love one another, the covenant or promise God made to always care for us even when we turn away in sin, and to overlook the faults of others.
In the gospel Jesus takes forgiveness a step further. Peter must have felt pretty satisfied with himself. When he asks Jesus how many times you must forgive the offending brother or sister he suggests, “Seven times?” He thought his willingness to forgive seven times was not only perfect, but exceeded what the Law and religious leaders of his day required. How surprised he must have been to hear Jesus’ answer, “Not seven times but seventy seven times.” Peter’s willingness to forgive seven times indicates that he was beginning to learn what Jesus required of his disciples – forgiveness, but what Jesus pushes today is that there is no limit to the times we are called to forgive.
Jesus wants us to be people who forgive rather than people who get angry and hold grudges. And he's not just talking about once or twice. He's challenging us to have an attitude of forgiveness which is similar to the king in the gospel parable. Even though the servant owed a vast sum of money, the king was willing to forgive and wipe it out completely. He possessed an attitude of forgiveness. That forgiving attitude is the type of attitude Jesus wants us to have. As Christians we are called to have a forgiving attitude towards one another - even when that is difficult - even when it leaves us feeling taken advantage of and being hurt. For ultimately our attitude of forgiveness is what will help us know and experience God’s forgiveness for us.
We look forward to celebrating Mass in person with many of you this weekend, but also pray for those staying home and viewing live-streamed Masses. Please note that all three IC Masses, 5 PM Saturday, 8 AM and 11 AM Sunday will be broadcast live and available after by clicking on https://celina-ic.org/ and then the “Live Stream” on the top right corner of the IC webpage and follow prompts to the Mass. You can also find mass on FB at https://www.facebook.com/Immaculateconceptioncelina/ In our opening song we give “Praise to the Lord” whose goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee. At offertory we humbly affirm that “Where Charity & Love Prevail” God is ever found. In our communion song, we recognize that “When We Are Living” and when we are dying, it is in the Lord. And we go forth singing “There’s a Wideness: Be Merciful.” Lyrics to the songs can be found at the end of this email.
A few other notes –
v All Catholics in the archdiocese continue to be dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass until further notice. Those who are at risk or fearful that they or their family might become sick are encouraged to stay home and join the Church by viewing live-streamed Masses. Perhaps a family member can bring Holy Communion to them. Please contact the parish office to make arrangements. The Celina Cluster Mass schedule: Saturday - 5:00 PM IC, 7:00 PM OLG; Sunday – 8:00 AM IC, 9:00 AM OLG, 10:00 AM St Teresa, 11:00 AM IC and during the coronavirus restrictions only, we are adding a Saturday 4:30 PM at St. Teresa. Weekday Masses are as follows: IC Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:30 AM; OLG Masses Tuesday 8 AM, Wednesday 7 PM and Friday 8 AM; and St. Teresa Wednesday 7 PM. All IC weekend and weekday Masses will be broadcast online. Guidelines and social distancing for resuming public Masses have been posted on our parish websites and have been sent by mail to all parishioners.
o Offering boxes/baskets will be at the entrances of church at IC and St. Teresa. Please drop in your envelope/offering as you enter. OLG will continue using long handled baskets during offertory. We are grateful for your continued generosity. Offertory envelopes can also be dropped off or sent to our respective parish offices or online contributions can be made to each of the parishes at https://celina-ic.weshareonline.org/index.aspx (Please note that WeshareOnline is hosted on the IC website to reduce administrative costs, but funds are directed to each specific parish)
o Please pick up a worship aide as you enter and begin seating toward the front of church following the color-coded pews.
o Holy Communion will be distributed to parishioners remaining in alternating pews by priest, deacon and EM’s wearing masks and using empty rows of pews to reach all parishioners. Holy Communion on the tongue is strongly discouraged.
o Parishioners are asked to remove all items after Mass. Recycle boxes for one time use worship aides will be at the entrances of church.
o Parishioners are asked to dismiss from the back of church first, or closest to entrances, respecting social distancing.
v On Friday, September 11, 2020, the archdiocese will observe the third annual Day of Prayer for the Church and the Victims of Abuse. In addition to a Votive Mass of the Mystery of the Holy Cross celebrated by Archbishop Schnurr at 11:30 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, all are encouraged to join in prayer. You are invited to watch on livestream https://venue.streamspot.com/5a36f117
v Good Friday Collection – As many recall, Good Friday was one of the suspended liturgical celebrations during the shutdown. While some still contributed to the Good Friday collection that supports Christians and shrines in the Holy Land, some may have missed the opportunity. The US Bishops have designated September 12th & 13th as another opportunity to support Christians and shrines in the Holy Land. If you would like to contribute to the Good Friday collection, please use your designated offering or use an envelope marked “Good Friday Collection” and place it in the regular offertory.
v USCCB Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund – Some parishioners have asked how they may be able to make a financial donation to help those afflicted by the wildfires in California and Hurricane Laura along the Gulf shore. Funds may be placed in envelopes marked for the “USCCB Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund” and put in the regular offertory. These funds will be used to support the efforts of Catholic Charities USA and/or Catholic Relief Services, the official relief agencies of the U.S. Catholic Church, as they and their local agencies respond to immediate emergency needs for such necessities as water, food, shelter, and medical care, and aid in long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts; and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church. Funds will be used in response to Hurricane Laura and any other disasters that occur and will be distributed where they are most needed.
v If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about becoming Catholic, our RCIA is beginning in September. Please see our website: www.celina-ic.org/rcia/ to add your name to the list or contact Fr Tim.
Let us pray that God will give us the grace to offer forgiveness to others and in return, receive his gift of forgiveness for us. Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken & Fr. Tim
PLEASE IF YOU STILL NEED TO TURN IN YOUR REGISTRATION BRING IT SUNDAY!
We are looking forward to seeing all of our students and learning about our Catholic faith! Things will be a little different this year but God's goodness and love is a constant!
This year PreK/K will be split into 2 groups that will switch every other week. Parents should have already received a text what group your child is in and what week they will be attending.
Grade 11 & 12 will be meeting on Wednesday evenings beginning Sept 16th at 7:45 PM.
Please pray for all of our students & teachers!
Info:
St Teresa Catholic Church
4227 State Route 707 Box 445
Rockford, Ohio 45882-0445
Church Office (419) 363-2633
Residence (419) 586-6648
Rev Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S., Pastor
Fr Tim McFarland, C.PP.S, Parochial Vicar
CELINA CLUSTER RESUMPTION OF MASSES LETTER MAY 2020
ST TERESA GUIDELINES FOR THE RESUMPTION OF PUBLIC WORSHIP
ST TERESA CHURCH SAMPLE SOCIAL DISTANCING SEATING
Catholic Bishops of Ohio Continue Suspension of Public Masses through May 29, 2020
ARCHBISHOP SCHNURR LETTER TO THE FAITHFUL 3-17-20
Suspension-of-all-Publicly-Celebrated-Masses-Liturgies
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE FROM THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF OHIO & CELINA CLUSTER
Parish News:
Family Fun Night has turned into an Online Auction for the gift baskets that have been donated by local businesses. Online auction will be open to the public on St Teresa Facebook page, www.facebook.com/StTeresaRockford/. Be sure to invite friends and family to participate. Thank you to those who donated and remember to help support your local business! The auction will be May 4th – 22nd. Be sure to read and follow the guidelines for this event. Thanks for your support and happy bidding!
Dear Celina Cluster Parishioner,
Several parishioners have asked how things are going in the parish, so we thought we would share some highlights and what is happening at each place.
Diane stteresachurch@bright.net is in the office at St. Teresa most of her regularly scheduled days/hours, but also working some from home and Cheryl crestteresa@bright.net comes in for RE matters as needed.
Cassie ologcassie@gmail.com and Linda ologlinda@yahoo.com are alternating days at OLG Monday through Thursday, but also working some at home.
IC Office Staff (Lindsey llunz@celina-ic.org & Ann ann@celina-ic.org) and RE/Youth staff (Joyce jjohnson@celina-ic.org, Tiffany tpierstorff@celina-ic.org & Gary glocke@celina-ic.org) are mostly working remotely from home, but in the office occasionally for critical matters.
Polly, IC School principal, polly.muhlenkamp@icschool-celina.org is in the office many days coordinating school efforts and other school staff come in as needed for materials. Teachers continue to send educational materials home for children and parents.
Fr. Tim tmcfarland@celina-ic.org and I kschnipke@celina-ic.org are also working from home and the office at the same time since we “live above the store.” We are mostly staying home, but going out for emergency calls and an occasional order out to support local business.
Please know that all the Celina Cluster Staff continue to be available to serve you and respond to needs. You are welcome to contact the parish offices by phone, especially if needing to visit the parish office to make sure someone is available. Please practice social distancing and good hygiene for the safety of all. If leaving a voicemail for Lindsey or Ann, please note they may not hear it for a few days. A sure way to contact any staff member is by email as they check it regularly. If there are any emergencies, please use the emergency cell phone 419-953-6231 and leave a message if Fr. Tim or I are not able to respond immediately. We do monitor the emergency phone regularly and will return calls as soon as possible.
Following the recommendation of the Archdiocese, each cluster parish will continue to pay staff for regular hours whether they are onsite, working from home or unable to work due to the stay at home order. Like many others, they too rely on income to care for their families.
At the same time, each parish is experiencing a significant loss of income as the main source of income for any parish is the Sunday collection. If you are able to continue your weekly offering, that is greatly appreciated as it helps with the regular bills and utilities that we need to keep paying. If you are struggling financially yourself due to the loss of a job, reduced wages or other financial setbacks, we do understand that your family takes priority. Offertory envelopes can be dropped off or sent to our respective parish offices or online contributions can be made to each of the parishes at https://celina-ic.weshareonline.org/index.aspx Fortunately, each parish has also been blest with savings that can be utilized if necessary. Each parish has projected expenses several months out so that we can be proactive if we need to utilize savings.
IC Church remains open for private prayer Mon-Fri 9:00 AM to 7 PM, Sat. 7:30 AM to 4 PM, Sunday 7 AM to 7 PM. OLG is open daily from 7 AM to 7 PM. St. Teresa will be open Wed. 1 PM to 5 PM, Sunday from 10 AM to 12 PM. Bulletins are available online and in each church. As you visit church, please be mindful of good hygiene practices for you and for others, possibly wiping surfaces and objects you touch with disinfecting wipes.
While updating the PAC sign at IC, I noticed a reflection of the world. Indeed, the world has become closer and more connected in a most unusual way in this time of crisis. Let us all “Pray Healing For Our World.”
Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken & Fr. Tim
Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S.
IC, OLG & St. Teresa
229 W. Anthony St.
Celina, OH 45822
(419) 586-6648
St Teresa Church will be open for private prayer Wednesdays 1pm-4pm and Sundays from 10am-12pm. In addition, St. Teresa Church will be open for individual sacrament of reconciliation and prayer from 6:30 to 7:30 PM on March 25th and April 8th. There are prayers in the pews and missalettes for your reference. You are encouraged to drop off your envelopes at this time. As you visit church, please be mindful of good hygiene practices for you and for others, possibly wiping surfaces and objects you touch with disinfecting wipes.
The closed-door 5 PM Saturday Mass at IC broadcast on Live Stream that can be viewed live or any time after. Click on https://celina-ic.org/ and then the “Live Stream” on the top right corner of the IC webpage and follow prompts to the Mass.
The closed-door 8:00 AM Masses Mon-Fri at IC broadcast on Live Stream that can be viewed live or any time after.
Prayer During an Epidemic
Our Sunday Visitor
Lord Jesus,
Hear our please, our good shepherd and divine physician.
We implore your mercy in the wake of an outbreak of serious illness and disease.
Guide our efforts to prevent contagion and make preparations to care for those most vulnerable.
Assist all professionals and volunteers who work to eradicate the epidemic now spreading.
May our actions be marked by your steadfast love and self-less service and never by panic or fear.
Bestow your comfort and healing to the sick, sustain and strengthen them by your grace.
May they know your closeness as they carry the cross of illness.
And may all you have called from this life come to worship you eternally with all the saints as you grant consolation and peace to their mourners. Amen.
Holy Mary, Health of the Sick, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Hope of the Sick, pray for us.
St. Rocco, protector against epidemics, pray for us.
Family Fun Night has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 9th at the Rockford Community Building. However the meal will still take place this Saturday as a drive thru. This will be the food only, no drinks will be supplied. Please remember to bring your tickets! Please share with friends and family who may have tickets.
Monthly Money Madness Flyer 2020
St Teresa’s Monthly Money Madness
- Each month for a whole year you will have a chance to win up to $200.00 each month. We will draw 4 tickets- 1st one is $100.00 winner, 2nd one is $50.00 and 3rd and 4th ticket is $25.00 each. All tickets are in for each of the three prizes.
- Only 100 tickets will be sold.
- Need not be present to win.
- Drawing will be held the 2nd Sunday of each month.
- 1st drawing will be on Saturday March 14th This drawing will take place at St. Teresa’s Family Fun Night.
- Prize dollars will be doubled on March 14th if you are present at the Family Fun Night. If not present, you will receive the regular amount.
- Tickets available at the Parish office or contact Ray or Lynn Moeller at 419-586-7312 or rgmoeller86@gmail.com
Each ticket is $50.00
Sponsored by St. Teresa’s Parish. All proceeds benefit the parish.
ADDRESS:
4227 St Route 707 /Box 445
Rockford, Ohio 45882-0445
EMAIL:
PHONES:
Office: (419) 363-2633
Residence: (419) 586-6648
OFFICE HOURS:
M, T, TH 9-11am;
Wed 9-5pm; Fri 9-1
