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:
One day, a little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was very large mammal it’s throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher said again that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, “When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah.” The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?” The little girl replied, “Then you ask him.”
We may never really know if Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but what we do know is that that no one lives forever. In the readings this weekend, St. Paul tells us the world is passing away and Jesus and Jonah warn us that we need to be ready. Thinking about the end of life is not an everyday conversation for most folks, in fact, for many it can bring a sense great concern, if not fear.
It seems that fear tactics are also being used in the readings this weekend. In the first reading Jonah goes to the sin city of Niniveh announcing 40 days more and the entire city will be destroyed. Repent and change your ways or be destroyed. Amazingly they listen and change their evil ways. In the second reading St. Paul tells us that time is running out and that the world as we know it is passing away. And in the gospel Jesus tells the people of Galilee that the time of fulfillment is at hand, the kingdom of God is here. Repent of your sinful ways and believe in the good news.
It is likely that the Weather Channel could easily spin an episode of It Could Happen Tomorrow around the readings for this weekend and yet there is a difference between the fear tactics of today and those of the bible. Today the media uses fear to captivate people, to boost their ratings and to bring in money. In biblical times the fear factor was used as truth to captivate people’s attention, to get results, to bring people back to God. The prophets of old were God’s agents seeking results that did not lead to paralysis, but transformation; results that did not hold people captive, but that would somehow bring freedom from the oppression of dark and sinful lives. Perhaps in the midst of our fears today the Lord is offering us the same opportunity; the opportunity to move beyond the anxieties that paralyze, to be freed from the sinful behaviors that bind us and to see with new eyes visions of hope and promise for the future.
Today, January 22, the church designates as Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. In Evangelium Vitae, Pope Saint John Paul II writes, “A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer.” The US Bishop’s Conference shares the following:
The over 60 million abortions since the 1973 decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton reflect with heartbreaking magnitude what Pope Francis means by a “throwaway culture.” However, we have great trust in God’s providence. We are reminded time and again in Scripture to seek the Lord’s help, and as people of faith, we believe that our prayers are heard. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), no. 373, designates January 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance, called the "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children”: “In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.” As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting and/or giving alms.
Other notes:
Today begins the annual Catholic Ministries Appeal throughout the archdiocese. The CMA provides vital funding to six local ministries. These ministries include: St. Rita School for the Deaf; Our Retired Archdiocesan Priests; Campus, Hospital, and Prison Ministries; Our Seminary and Vocations work at the Athenaeum of Ohio; Catholic Charities & Social Services; and New Evangelization programming. More information about the CMA will be arriving in the mail over the next week. We invite you to prayerfully consider making a gift to this year’s CMA. Thank you for your support.
We remember IC parishioners Dan Otten and Joe Hartings who died recently. May they rest in peace.
May we too have visions of hope and promise for the future of all life.
Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken & Fr. Tim
We meet a mysterious figure in today’s first reading (Heb 7:1-3;15-17), one who appears out of nowhere, lacking ancestors. Someone mentioned only three times in the bible, but who becomes the key to understanding the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, is that mysterious figure. He also appears in our psalm response (Ps 110:1,2 ,3,4) emphasizing a priesthood that will last forever, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
We first meet Melchizedek in Genesis 14. There, Abraham, the father of the first covenant between God and his people, receives a blessing from Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High, which the Church has understood as an anticipation of the Eucharist. And Abraham then offers a tithe. This signifies the mysterious priesthood without beginning or end that foreshadows the eternal priesthood of Christ that will last forever. Jesus, who has done everything required of a priest by offering the perfect sacrifice once and for all, continues these priestly duties by leading us to God.
The name Melchizedek means “king of justice” and “king of Salem”(peace) pointing to our great high priest Jesus Christ who brings justice and peace to the earth. May Jesus strengthen us by the gift of the Eucharist and Spiritual Communion calling us to be people of justice and peace.
Below is an update on the number of people attending each Mass compared to the approximate number of people who would fit into church with safety and social distancing in mind. We hope this helps those gauging when to return to Masses safely.
St Teresa Masses
Saturday 4:30PM: 45% full
Sunday 10AM: 101% full
Let us look to Jesus, our great high priest, king of justice and peace. Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken & Fr. Tim
There are a lot of voices to listen to – the voices of our parents, our children, other family members and friends, co-workers, bosses, teachers, coaches, classmates and our parish priests – to name but a few. We might think of the voices that come through our cell phones, iPad’s or our T.V.’s at home. And of course, there is the voice of God. It is amazing to think about all the voices in our heads and around us, but it can also be difficult and daunting discerning those voices - trying to figure out which ones to listen to, which ones to ignore and which ones we need to respond to.
In the first reading this weekend, young Samuel is awoken by the voice of God although he does not know that it is God. Samuel was dedicated to the Lord at birth by his mother Hannah and grew up in the temple. He spent so much time in the temple that eventually he was given the responsibility of making sure the temple light, like the sanctuary lamp in our church, was always lit. One day Samuel fell asleep in the temple and was awoken by someone calling his name. He thought it was Eli, the priest of the temple, so he goes to Eli and says, “Here I am.” Eli says, “I did not call you, go back to sleep.” A second and third time Samuel hears his name, goes to Eli and asks what he wants. Eli then realizes that it is the Lord who is calling and tells Samuel next time answer by saying, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Scripture tells us, “Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.”
In the Gospel, two followers of John the Baptist, including Andrew, hear John refer to Jesus as the “Lamb of God.” And so, they leave John and follow Jesus. As Samuel was led to God’s voice by Eli’s directions, so, too, are Andrew and the other disciple led to Jesus by John’s words. When he sees them, Jesus asks them, “What are you looking for?” Their response is simply to ask where he is staying and he invites them to “come, and you will see.” The evangelist tells us that they stayed with him that day. We don’t know what transpired during their time together, but it was enough to lead Andrew to go and tell his brother Simon, “we have found the Messiah.” He, too, goes to Jesus. When Jesus meets Simon, he gives him the name Cephas, which is translated Peter.
As God called Samuel and as Jesus called his disciples, so have we been called. We too have been called by the voice of God, but perhaps it has been difficult discerning that voice among all the other voices running through our heads and our lives. Perhaps the invitation for us this weekend is to follow the example of Samuel; to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, to spend time in church and to open our hearts saying, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
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 join Samuel sing, “Here I am, Lord.” At offertory we ask, “Send Forth Your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.” In our communion song we recall with the disciples, “Lord, When You Came to the Seashore.” And we go forth singing “The Summons – Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?” Lyrics to the songs can be found at the end of this email.
A few other notes –
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.
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:
Governor DeWine and Archbishop Schnurr have renewed their call that All individuals in Ohio must wear facial coverings in public at all times when at an indoor location that is not a residence
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.
Speak Lord, your servant is listening!
Blessings and prayers, Fr. Ken & Fr. Tim
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 Christmas Schedule
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
