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Pastor’s 2 Cents From: Fr. Jim DeBruycker
We had many volunteer chaplains when I first went to work at HCMC. Most of them were active pastors from a number of different denominations. They took turns covering any emergencies that came into the ER.
I enjoyed talking about parish life with them. No matter the denomination we all had very similar issues to deal with. We came to the conclusion there were certain church ‘types’ which populated every parish from the ‘empty barrel’ that makes the most noise to the quiet faithful servant who actually knows what is going on. I learned more from these conversations than I ever did in the seminary, which probably is true of every profession.
One Saturday evening I was relieving a pastor, an American Baptist. He said he was off to church. I was surprised I didn’t think the Baptists had Saturday services. “Oh I’m going to the Basilica.” “Isn’t that awful high church for a Baptist?” I asked. “Well as a Baptist I believe that each congregation has the revelation and presence of Christ in it. And since that is where my son and daughter-in-law worship that’s where I worship.” “Do you receive communion?” “Of course try and stop me.” Far be it from me to interfere in a family’s religious beliefs.
For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20 I think with the good pastor above, especially during these Covid days we have all come to believe in Jesus words. We have not been gathered in the same room with each other but we have gathered as families and on line and I think that counts as three or more gathered together.
The readings this week give us good principles to live by. 1. Don’t walk by injustice, inaction on our part, of good people, can be as dangerous if not more so than the actions of evil people in the
world. 2. Don’t cause scandal, look before you condemn. 3. Make sure you know what you are talking about before you act. Check out good sources first. 4. Find common ground where you can. 5. And here sums up all of the law: love your neighbor as yourself, or the more mundane expression of it: do unto others as you would
have them do unto you.
That’s all you have to do, nothing to it, it’s not rocket science. You could and would change the world.
SJA Welcome Back Sunday: 2020 Version! Next Sunday, Sept. 13, between 9am - noon, we invite you to drive through the SJA parking lot and pick up info (from your vehicle, wearing your masks) on all kinds of fall activities, including Faith Formation and Family Liturgy, Warm Hands Warm Hearts Coat Collection, peace and justice ministry events, SJA gardening, and other Shared Ministry volunteer opportunities. AND you can purchase Cabaret raffle tickets, too!
Please plan on stopping by our drive-thru. We'll be thrilled to see you, even for a moment, and we promise we won't try to hug you. See you soon!
Help Parishioners In Need! If you are able to help members in our community with things like picking up & delivering groceries please contact Sherri Stella at 612.823.8205 ext. 231 or [email protected].
Sun, Sep. 6: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20 Mon, Sep. 7: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8; Luke 6:6-11 Tue, Sep. 8: Micah 5:1-4a; Matthew 1:1-23 Wed, Sep. 9: 1 Corinthians 7:25-31; Luke 6:20-26 Thu, Sep. 10: 1 Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13; Luke 6:27-38 Fri, Sep. 11: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27; Luke 6:39-42 Sat, Sep. 12: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22; Luke 6:43-49 Sun, Sep. 13: Sirach 27:30-28:7; Romans 14:21-35; Matt 18:21-35
Carol Anderson, Molly McLaughlin Antila, Bill, Dennis Barta, Dave Benson, Phyllis Berninger, Elaine Boehm, Marcia Boehnlein, Patty Brennan, Lorraine Bryant, Stacy Budd, Jonathan Bulthuis, Pam Burd, Josefina Cahuex, David Carroll, Bob Corrick, Barbara Cracraft, Culver family, Judy Dean, Larry Dease, Jim DeBruycker, Mae Deiekhuis, Colleen Dooley, Ava Dunlay, Kathie DuRocher, Henry F, Bridgit & Paul Fiore, John & Margaret Frees,
Michelle Fries, Kate Gilbert, Heidi Gregorich, Ron Guillfoile, Barbara Hager-Olsen, Mary Hale-Haniff, Claire Hayes, Isaiah Henry, Judy Hilkemann, Brad Hinker, Jim Hinton, Megan Hoffman, Jan Horner, Kathy Horner, Kathy Itzin, Tom Jay, Janie, Jean E, Jeri, John, Annie Kack, Brad Karkkainen, Glen Kelley, Chuck Kennedy, Paul Kennedy, John Kingston, Sage Kirscht, Theresa Knaus, Steve Kremer, Jim Kummer, Abby L., Helen LaFavor, Amy Lainus, Melva Larson, Bobby Lindholm, Margaret Lulic, Chantilly Lynch, Dawn McCelland, Kate Meyer, Bob Miller, Rita Miller, Tom Moore, Bev Moran, Paige More, Royce Morrissette, Jack Muelken, Ted Mueller, Nate, Rita Nelson, Craig Nordby, Arla Olive, Dick Olson, Paul Olvera,
Mike O’Rourke, Colette Ott, Charmaine Owens, Jacques Parent, Pam Paul, Alice Pirola, Gina R, Pat Radecki, Graham & Nancy Rattray, Carol Reiland, Jack Riebel, Jean Rieck, Gina Romani, Donald & Susan Roufs, Dorothy Rowe, Pat Russell, Ruth J, Sri, Shasa Satrin, Ottavio Savina, Don Schafer,
Dale Schmidkee, Carter Schmidt, Phil Schmidt, Colleen Schroeder, Pam Schulstad, Betty Scully, Gerry Sell, Gary Sheppard, Sam Slagerman, Harold Sonnek, Joan Speltz,,Ross Spriggs, Doug Stahlke, Vivian Steblay, Carson Stier, Nancy Stockhaus, Rick Streng, Grayson Taylor,
Matthew Tennant, Dennis Thurmond, Glo Tonskemper, Arturo Torres, Al Traynham, Linda Underhill, Jesus Uz Tiu, Carin Vagle, Leroy Vague, Dave Velasco, Floyd Ward, Pam Washington, Marlys Weber, Mary White, Jerry Wohnoutka, George Wolf, Jim Wolfe, Morley Woodruff, Michele Wylie,
Mike Wyman, Denise Wyttenbach, Sarah Yoder, Curt Youngren, Dave Youngren, Annemaire & Ava Zubrzycki, Bridget Zvirin
Prayer Corner Requests: To keep prayer requests current, names will be included in the bulletin for four weeks and then removed. To add a name or to renew your request, please call the Parish Center at 612.823.8205.
Our Liturgies from April through today’s will be available through the St. Joan of Arc website. Celebrate virtually with Fr. DeBruycker , Fr. Cassidy and the SJA community. Watch online at www.stjoan.com.
Family liturgies are taking a brief hiatus before launching again on September 6th, when we start off our Fall together!
Summary of contributions for the week and fiscal year. Includes plate, envelopes and estimated Sustaining Member payments.
Week of August 23- August 30, 2020 Actual $20,575 Budget $27,467 Prior Year Actual $28,866
Year to Date (July 1 – August 30, 2020) Actual $264,966 Budget $274,666 Prior Year Actual $310,499
THANK YOU for your continued generosity!!
27 Days Until Imagination Cabaret 2020: Mark your calendars! and join us on Saturday, October 3 at 7pm for: A FREE, 90-Minute Live concert broadcast on Stjoan.com Our 26th Annual SJA Concert Fundraiser - Your contributions
make a difference to our 90 programs throughout the SJA community, city, country and world. Featuring over 20 performances from Twin Cities musical Luminaries. Three great raffle prizes: A Maui Vacation package (details on our website) or cash prizes worth $500 or $250 Purchase Raffle Tickets in person with cash or check only.
$20/ticket - no limit. Raffle tickets are available at the Parish Center during regular
hours; please call first, or come to the Sept. 13 drive-through event from 9am to Noon.
Find details on the SJA website (www.stjoan.com) and our Facebook page.
Bookkeeper Position: Arm in Arm in Africa is seeking a part-time Bookkeeper. This is a paid position, typically requiring about 15 hours a week, with additional hours required around quarterly reporting and fund-raising events. The Bookkeeper will report to Pat Murphy, Treasurer of AIAIA, and work closely with
Pat Dawson, Executive Director. Familiarity with Quickbooks Online a plus, but will provide training for the right candidate. A complete job description can be found at aiaia.org. If interested, please send an email - including a resume or summary of your experience - to Pat Dawson at [email protected]. Food Shelf Donations Are Needed: We will continue to accept non-perishable food items, which can be dropped off Monday thru Friday, 9am - 3pm, in the bins in the Parish Center entry. Your food offerings are donated to the Foodshelf at Sabathani Community Center and they have also indicated a need for laundry detergent and body soap. Thank you for your willingness to help those in need. Mobile Loaves Twin Cities needs toiletry size soap, shampoo and lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes an lightweight socks. Please place your donations in the collection hamper across from the food shelf bin in the Parish Center entrance. FFI contact [email protected].
SJA Vigil for Detained Immigrants: This Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7:30am, join us at the Whipple Federal Building for a vigil of prayer and music to lift up those who will appear in immigration court -
many of whom will be deported directly from this facility. SJA readers and musicians (Lee Vague!) will host this important vigil for our brothers and sisters in detention. Space is limited; RSVP to Julie Madden. Twin Cities Nonviolent: From September 18 - 27, there will be 10 days of virtual peacemaking activities and presentations, bringing much-needed healing and hope to our Twin Cities. Many people familiar to SJA, including musicians, peacemakers, and justice builders, will be part of this event. FFI go to twincitiesnonviolent.org and join with others in lifting up a Twin Cities free from violence. This is a short video that tells the story of this event: https://youtu.be/k_s3pIoLVhk EcoSpirits: A Relay For Our Water. We have joined a
statewide effort to celebrate and safeguard our water, which is currently threatened by the Line 3 pipeline expansion project proposed by Enbridge Energy. On Sunday, Sept. 21, our SJA EcoSpirits will meet a representative
from Shir Tikvah Synagogue and accept a container of water from the Headwaters of the Mississippi. We will walk with it to SJA, where it will be held overnight, and then we will walk with it to Nokomis Square Cooperative Spirit to Action Group on Monday. Please stay tuned for ways to participate in this action. Eventually the water will return to the Headwaters with our gratitude and a solidified commitment to protect our water and stop the Line 3 pipeline. SJA Antiracism Ministry: We thank everyone who has joined us for powerful discussions and steps forward this summer. Our most recent conversation explored our sense of safety in our community, and began the discussion of what it means to reform, defund or abolish the police. We are continuing this discussion on Sunday, Sept. 27, 11am - 1pm, and we will be joined by SJA youth who are leading great things! FFI/to register for this event, please contact Julie Madden. RCIA: SJA welcomes you on your spiritual journey of study,
exploration, faith sharing, and faith formation. The Rite of Christian Initiation, or RCIA, is an important Sacrament designed for adults (called Candidates), who are interested in becoming Catholic, or for Catholics who wish to be
Confirmed, and may also include the Rite of Baptism. Each Candidate works with an individual sponsor who will walk with them through this unique faith journey. The RCIA classes from Fall 2020 through Spring 2021, led by Fr. Jim DeBruycker and the RCIA leadership team, build learning relationships that encourage provocative questions about what it means to be Catholic and opportunities to grow in one's faith. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Cynthia Bailey Manns at [email protected].
School Supply Collection at SJA through September 18: Even if you're doing distance learning, the best part of back-to-school season is a brand new backpack and fresh new supplies. We are collecting items for distribution by the Church of Blessed Kateri, so plan on dropping off a backpack with supplies at our ministry drive-thru on Sunday, Sept. 13, 9am - noon, or at the Parish Center Monday - Friday 9am - 3pm thru Friday, Sept. 18. For a list of necessary supplies, go to www.stjoan.com or con-tact Julie Madden. Warm Hands Warm Hearts Is Back! Our beloved annual
collection of 500 new coats and winter accessories for children in our community will commence very soon. It is led entirely by SJA volunteers and
you can be involved in several ways: Here’s how you can get involved – pick one or more! • Shop early -- Purchase a coat with mittens and a hat, put it in a plastic bag, label the gender and size on the outside, and drop it off at SJA’s Drive-thru Ministry Event on Sunday, September 13 from 9am to noon. We will have extra bags available, too. • Sign up later – on our WHWH Sign Up Genius online site. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D49ADAD2BA64-warm7 Select a gender and size, then bring your purchased coat/hat/mittens to SJA on one of the following dates. Plastic bags and labels will be available for you there. Saturday, October 10, 9am - noon Saturday, October 17, 9am - noon Monday - Friday, October 12 - 16, 9am - 3pm • Send in a donation by check or cash to SJA, attention “Warm Hands, Warm Hearts” in the memo line. Volunteers will use your donation to shop for missing sizes. • Volunteer to don your mask and gloves to accept donations at SJA on the dates above and move them into the gym and/or sort previously donated items. To sign up to volunteer go to our WHWH Sign Up Genius site: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050D49ADAD2BA64-warm7 • Have questions? Call 612.823.8205 (Ext 237). Welcome the Stranger Fall Series: Our Welcome the Stranger ministry focuses on immigrants, refugees and asylees, and we have a fantastic series of events coming up to explore connec-tions between Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota immigrant communities. Our first event is Sunday, Sept. 20, 10 - 11:30am, with Bonnie Rietz, former mayor of Austin, MN, and founder of Apex Austin, which works to welcome immigrants to her community. FFI/to register, contact Julie Madden or go to www.stjoan.com. Also, we have a short introductory video from Bonnie available on our Facebook and web page! SJA Housing Ministry: We Respond to the Needs of Our City. On Tuesday, October 6, at 4:30pm, join our SJA Housing Ministry team for a brief update on our work, and an invitation to join us! We are partnering with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative in supporting an exciting new development in North Minneapolis, and we need your help. RSVP to Julie Madden for the Zoom link.
A Reflection on Labor Day…
This is what our church tells us: The economy exists to serve people, not the other way around. We don’t exist to serve the economy. The economy exists to serve humanity. And, in our increasing understanding, the economy exists to serve the planet, too.
Our church teaches that all people have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. The Church fully supports the right of workers to form unions to secure their rights to fair wages and working conditions.
Our church teaches that all people have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one should be able to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.
Hear that again: No one should be able to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.
Our church teaches that, in the first place, the worker must be paid a wage sufficient to live with dignity.
Our church teaches that it is right to struggle against an unjust economic system that does not uphold the priority of the human being over capital.
Our church teaches that there is a need for solidarity movements among and with the workers. And this is what Pope Francis has written and said on Economic Justice:
“Just as the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say ‘thou shalt not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills.”
Pope Francis has said: “Human rights are not only violated by terrorism or repression, but by unjust economic structures that create huge inequalities.”
Pope Francis has said: “We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.”
In 1986, the US Council of Catholic Bishops wrote: “As a Church, we must be people after God’s own heart. We are called to shape a constituency of conscience, measuring every policy by how it touches the least, the lost and the left out among us.” For a moment, imagine if we as a church committed ourselves to crying out for an economy in which everyone has enough. Imagine that.
The world demands a great deal of us right now. So perhaps this Labor Day is a pause when we begin to realign, when we get down to what we were created for – to love God and love one another, knowing that we are precious not for what we do or what we have, but for who we are, and whose we are.
Prayer During Times of COVID-19
In this time of COVID-19, we pray: When we aren’t sure, God, help us be calm;
when information comes from all sides, correct and not, help us to discern; when fear makes it hard to breathe, and anxiety seems to be the order of the day, slow us down,
God; help us to reach out with our hearts, when we can’t touch with our hands; help us to be socially connected, when we have to be socially distant;
help us to love as perfectly as we can, knowing that “perfect love casts out all fear.” for the doctors, we pray, for the nurses we pray,
for the technicians and the janitors and the aides and the caregivers, we pray, for the researchers and theorists, the epidemiologists and investigators,
for those who are sick, and those who are grieving, we pray, for all who are affected, all around the world … we pray for safety, for health, for wholeness.
May we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked and house those without homes; may we walk with those who feel they are alone, and may we do all that we can to heal the sick - in spite of the fear.
Help us, O God, that we might help each other in the name of the Creator, in the name of the Healer, in the life of the Holy Spirit that is in all and with all,
We pray. May it be so. -Rev. Richard Botts
