St. William Newsletter Volume IX Number 3 God's Church in Action On Wednesday, May 29, 2013, the Seventh Grade class from St. William Catholic School visited Cozy Lil' Acres Assisted Living facility on the corner of Mineral Point and North Grant. The purpose of their visit was to interact with the residents, while simply talking with them and playing games. I received a card and note from the daughter of one of the residents, who happened to visit that day. Her note caused me to feel more proud of our students than I already do, and I wanted to share that with you who continue to support our Parish School so generously and to know that your support really does make a difference. The following is what the daughter's note said. "I am writing to compliment your 7th grade class at St. William School. The 7th grade class was visiting, when I arrived to visit my mother. The students were visiting the residents, playing games with them and serving popsicles to the residents. They were kind, polite, well spoken and so concerned with the resident's well-being. What a great group of students!! James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this; To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and keep himself unspotted from the world." I truly witnessed God's Church in action and watching the students and the awesome teacher of 40 years, Ms. Rosemary Urbanick, brought tears to my eyes. I just wanted you to know what a great group of students you have in 7th grade. I am a member of New Life Assembly of God "Do not hesitate to visit the sick, because for such deeds you will be loved. Sirach 7:35 Date: Summer 2013 and it is so refreshing to see that the Church, the Body of Christ is alive and well." Welcome to Our New Parish Family Members The Martin Romero and Elizabeth Alvarez family has recently joined our parish. They are the parents of Osvaldo, age 13, Rosa, age 8, Adamari, age 3 and Kenya age 11 months. Martin is employed by Certi-Dry. We extend a warm welcome to them and to all who have recently joined St. William Parish. We hope our new friends will share their talents with any of the many ministries that welcomes new members. It is a great way to meet people and become involved in activities. St. William Parish School News Registrations are being accepted for the 2013-14 school year. For a tour of the school and registration materials, please contact the school office at 608-7555184. The school office is not staffed fulltime during the summer, however, messages will be checked frequently. For immediate assistance, call the rectory at 608-755-5180. We encourage all families to consider enrolling their children in St. William Parish School and become members of our school family. For parish members, the tuition for providing a high quality, Catholic education, is $1,700.00 per child. This amounts to a little over $32.00 per week (or the cost of a dinner out). The first day of school is August 26th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. Full days of school begin August 27th. talents to the success of our Faith Formation program. We still have a need for Catechists to fill the following positions. The Back-to-School Picnic is Thursday, August 22nd, with a free picnic supper in the Parish Hall from 4:30-6:00 pm provided by the Home and School Association. This is a great opportunity to renew friendships and meet new families. Also, registration paperwork is due at this time. Second Grade: Will guide and direct the children on their journey to the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion. The students will also be learning prayers and studying Salvation History. Diane Rebout, Principal News From the Office of Faith Formation Fifth Grade: Students will study The Creed, Salvation History, Understanding the Ten Commandments, and Christian Prayer. The Office of Faith Formation is always busy, no matter what time of the year!!! Sixth Grade: Curriculum will include Salvation History, Understanding the Sacraments, Understanding the Ten Commandments, and Understanding the Catholic Christian Life of Prayer. Registrations for Faith Formation classes will be accepted all summer. Please call the office at 608-755-5183, ext. 211. and leave a message. You will then be contacted to set up a time to complete the registration details. Please consider becoming part of this important ministry. For more information about this opportunity, please contact the Office of Faith Formation at 608-755-5183, ext. 211. The 2013-14 Faith Formation calendar includes the following important dates to add to your home calendars. Jane Graves, Office of Faith Formation Did You Know? Sep. 11th - Catechist in-service - 6:30 pm School Library Did you know that there is a special need for donations of fans to give relief to those less fortunate. Fans can be dropped off at the ECHO Office, 65 S. High Street. Sep. 18th - First Day of Faith Formation Classes Sep. 25th - Freshmen and Parent meeting 6:30 pm - Parish Hall School supplies and monetary donations are needed. Volunteers to sort, package, and distribute school supplies, the week of August 19th, can call Fran at 754-5333 for more information. Oct. 2nd - Juniors and Parent meeting - 6:30 pm - Parish Hall Special thanks are extended to the many dedicated volunteers who lend their time and 2 A list of school supplies that are needed is available on the ECHO website at www.echojanesville.org. online to www.eatwellgivewell.com and register St. William's KC's as your recipient. Present your card when making a purchase, and the Knights will receive 10% of the amount you spend on fresh produce. ECHO SUMMER NEEDS Enjoy nutritionally rich food and help St. William KC's raise funds to support its many charities. Canned Meats Macaroni & Cheese Hamburger Helper Peanut Butter & Jelly Soup & Crackers Spaghetti O's Canned Fruit Flour Did you know that you can continue to support our Parish School by purchasing SCRIP gift cards during the summer months. This is a painless method of shopping, and it provides support for our school technology program. When you make purchases using SCRIP, a percentage (determined by each vendor) of your total purchase comes back to our school. Personal Items Diapers (Sizes 4-6) Toilet Paper Dish Soap Laundry Soap Deodorant The past year, May 1, 2012 through April 30, 2013, SCRIP purchases totaled just over $280,000.00 Funds of about $31,000.00 raised from this source are used to support our technology program. These funds are used to purchase all of the software licensing, virus protection, technical support, internet access, and the filter on the school computers. In addition, annual subscriptions to the Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, and library software programs are all paid through the SCRIP program. "Life is an ECHO - what you send out, you get back" Did you know that Fr. John leads "Our Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion" the first Tuesday of each month immediately following the 7:30 am Mass at St. William Church. Did you know that you can support St. William Knights of Columbus by purchasing fresh produce from Skelly's Farm Market. Simply ask for a card at any of Skelly's locations Farm Market, 2713 Hayner Road Stand at corner of Milton Ave. and Mt. Zion Stand on Milwaukee St. near Pontiac Drive Janesville Farmers Market Saturday mornings SCRIP gift cards are sold in the narthex after all weekend Masses and at the rectory from 8 am noon and 1 - 4 pm during the week. Many thanks to all of the supporters of this program. Did you know that while you are away on vacation or you just prefer to do your financial business electronically, you can have your stewardship contribution automatically deducted from your checking "EAT WELL, GIVE WELL" is a fundraising opportunity. To participate, go 3 account and sent to St. William Parish. Forms are available at the rectory to begin this process. For more details, please contact the Parish Office at 608-755-5180. Janesville Catholic Women's Club Scholarship Awards The Janesville Catholic Women's Club were presented at the high schools' awards nights. Featuring Our Young Stars Trevor Sigmond was home-schooled and plans to attend UW-Whitewater or UWRock County. He is a member of St. Patrick Parish. St. William Home and School Scholarship Awards Congratulations to Sydney Gardner and Claire Gorman. They are the recipients of the 2013 Home and School Scholarship. Meredith Konkol graduated from Parker High School and plans to attend UW-Madison. She is a member of St. William Parish. Sydney was a 2009 St. William School graduate, and this year, she graduated from Milton High School. She plans to attend UW-Milwaukee and major in nursing. While in high school, she was active in track and cross country, history club, Future Business Leaders of America, Student Council, and served as a Link Crew leader. Outside of school, Sydney has assisted the Knights of Columbus and the Scouts with several service projects. She has also been an Altar Server, helped in both Vacation Bible School and Religious Education, and other service activities in the parish. She attended the Junior National Leadership Conference. Sydney's parents are Dan and Gina Gardner. Elizabeth (Lily) Cooper graduated from Craig High School and plans to attend Iowa State University. Lily is a member of Nativity of Mary Parish. Elizabeth Maginot graduated from Craig High School and plans to attend UWMadison. She is a member of St. John Vianney Parish. Recipients and their parents were honored at the Club's Annual May Scholarship Banquet. Funds for scholarships are donated at the Club's Annual Card Party held in October. Claire graduated from Parker High School. She plans to attend UW-Madison majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Spanish. She has been active in Student Leadership Council, volleyball, several high school musicals, and has served as a VIC tutor Claire also has volunteered for Vacation Bible School, rang bells for the Salvation Army, Trick-or-treated for ECHO, and she works at Jimmy Johns. Her parents are Randy and Nancy Gorman. Knights of Columbus Council #9230 Scholarship Awards The Knights of Columbus Council #9230 awarded ten $150.00 scholarships to graduating seniors at a breakfast provided by the Knights. Students who received the awards are: Benjamin Boyd Morgan Gardner Kattie Klubertanz Austin McDonald Andrew Reid "Listen to me, my child, and acquire knowledge, and pay attention to my words." Sirach 16:24 4 Michael Dubanowich Sydney Gardner Meredith Konkol Ashley Millard Elizabeth Tordoff Along with good food, you will enjoy music by the Polka Masters for the Saturday and Sunday Masses and the dance Saturday evening. Also, karaoke will provide a fun time Saturday night. The talented "Go Deans" will be back again to entertain you with their music on Sunday, along with a magician and musician Dan Riley. Congratulations to all of the recipients of these awards. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue on their life's journey. Coming Events Watch the weekly bulletins for more information. St. William Endowment Golf Outing Special Notes A Message From Father John Date: Place: Time: Cost: Saturday, August 10th Glen Erin Golf Course 4:00 pm Shotgun Start Dinner following $50.00 per person - Includes 9 holes, cart, fun contests, prizes, and dinner On the weekend of May 18 & 19, 2013 at all of the Masses, Mary Ellen O’Leary spoke to the people who attended Mass that weekend, on my behalf and on behalf of the Finance Commission of St. William Parish. She made a presentation regarding the current financial position of our parish. I wanted to be sure that all registered members of our parish had the opportunity to receive this information, therefore, I have included the text of her presentation for your review. Registrations are due by July 31st For more information contact: Brady Bohlman @567-9625 Clyde Bohlman @931-4024, or The rectory @755-5180, option #3 “On behalf of Father John, the Pastoral Council, and the Finance Commission I extend deep gratitude to all for your faithful stewardship. For decades Saint William Parishioners have readily and unselfishly provided the monetary resources needed by our parish family. During tough economic times many have made personal sacrifices so that they could continue their financial support of our parish. Since January, 2011 parish members have responded with extraordinary generosity to the Debt Reduction Drive. Father John and parish leaders acknowledge, appreciate and respect such faithful and generous stewardship. Your time, talent, and treasure are essential to the wellbeing of our Saint William family. Yet, like any family, our Saint William family needs to be realistic Harvest Fest Hopefully, all calendars have September 14th and 15th reserved for the Parish's main fundraiser of the year, HARVEST FEST! A Basket Raffle will again be featured. Why not put your talents to work and create an awesome basket that will generate the most interest. Start gathering items for the basket that will tempt people's "just gotta have that" feeling! This raffle has been one of the most popular attractions at Harvest Fest. 5 about its financial position, now and as we anticipate the future. Today, I will address three topics: borrowed money undermines the progress that is being made toward financial soundness by the Debt Reduction Drive. 1. The Debt Reduction Drive 2. The ongoing challenge of paying for parish maintenance and repair needs 3. A shortage of money needed to pay our parish's monthly bills Thank you for listening and thank you for all you do for our parish family. It is my hope that any decisions you make about extending monetary support to Saint William Parish will revolve around what you will have, not what you won’t have, if you share more of your treasure with our parish. Why? Because what you will have is greater than any treasure measured by worldly standards. What you will have is a parish able to fulfill its sacramental, pastoral, and educational mission, free from the hindrances of debts and deficits.” I am pleased to report that so far, the Debt Reduction Drive has been very successful. We have made strides towards our goal. Thank you to those who have contributed. Many of you will remember that when the Debt Reduction Drive was introduced the concept of equal sacrifice was emphasized. Parishioners were asked to pledge what they thought was their fair share toward reducing our parish debt. Currently over $115,000 in pledges are yet to be paid. As the January, 2014 deadline nears, we encourage you to be faithful to the concept of equal sacrifice and to do your best to complete your pledges in full. 60th Anniversary of St. William Catholic School St. William Catholic School opened its doors in September 1953. Over the years, the staff and students have changed, but the parish's commitment to Catholic education has remained the same. Thank you to all for continuing to provide financial and prayerful support of our school. Special events to commemorate this anniversary will take place during Harvest Fest, September 14th and 15th. Last fall I explained that the implementation of a long range plan for parish maintenance and repairs was not possible because of a lack of money. Since that time, we have had a very snowy winter. More recently, an extremely wet spring has contributed to damaging water leaks at the school and in the chapel. Both of these developments have placed unexpected demands on our budget. Consequently, it is still not possible to fund contingency projects aimed at preventing the kind of emergency response spending we are once again facing. Members of the Education Committee are working to update the alumni list. This list will be available at Harvest Fest. Alumni are asked to review the list for accuracy of their information. Tours of the school will be conducted at various times throughout the Harvest Fest weekend. Details of other functions recognizing this anniversary are being finalized and will be part of our Parish Harvest Fest. Envelope and offertory income for this fiscal year is lower than our expenses. Reduced levels of individual giving and seasonal fluctuations in total weekly income are having a negative effect on cash flow. As a result, it is sometimes necessary for our parish to borrow money to pay our bills. Moreover, paying monthly bills with 6 Parish School Technology Faith Connections Update and Request TV CONNECTIONS Part of our long range technology plan is to purchase and install interactive whiteboards in all of the classroom before the beginning of school in August. Presently, we have four SMART Boards in the school, and they are used every day. With the purchase of eight additional boards, all of our students will have access to this technology each day. The cost of each of these projectors is $2,750.00 which includes installation. Already, one generous donor has come forward offering to purchase one Board. We welcome any more donors, or groups of donors, who would like to contribute toward the cost of this project. Donations, indentified for the purchase of Whiteboards, will be greatly appreciated and can be sent to the school office. Thanks to all who contribute to this project. WISC-TV - Sunday Mass - 7:00 am EWTN - Daily Mass 9M-F) - 7:00 am, 11:00 am, 6:00 pm, and 11:00 pm MOVIES "Courageous" - Rated PG-13 - Available at public library "Have a Little Faith" - Available at public library RADIO 91.1 FM - Contemporary Christian music INTERNET www.madisondiocese.org - An excellent resource site for what is available around our eleven county diocese. TO HONOR ALL LOVED ONES SERVING IN THE MILITARY www.parentalguide.org - Website to help you determine what movies are appropriate for your family www.madisoncatholicherald.org - To view the Catholic Herald online. Lord God, Almighty Father, Creator of mankind and Author of peace, as we are Ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty We possess, we ask You to bless the Members of our armed forces. Give them courage, hope, and strength. May they ever experience Your firm Support, gentle love, and compassionate Healing. Be their power and protector, Leading them from darkness to light. To You be all glory, honor and praise, now and Forever. Amen BOOKS "Heaven is for Real" - by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (available in adult and children editions) PRAYERS St. William Prayer Chain - A group of parishioners who pray for those in need of prayer. Direct requests to Char Butters at 752-3840 or Vicky Rosinski at 756-2186. Bulletin section - "Remember in Prayer" To add a name to this section, call the parish office at 755-5180 #3. 7 St. William Parish 1815 Ravine Street Janesville, WI 53548 NON-ROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID JANESVILLE, WI 53548 PERMIT #1283 Return Service Requested ST. WILLIAM NEWSLETTER "The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all that He has made." Psalm 145:9 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Aug. 10 - Endowment Golf Outing - 4:00 pm - Glen Erin Golf Course Aug. 22 - Back to School Picnic - 4:30-6:00 pm - Parish Hall Aug. 26 - First day of Parish School - 8:00 am - 12 Noon Sep. 11 - Faith Formation Catechist In Service - 6:30 pm - School Library Sept. 14 & 15 - HARVEST FEST Sep. 14 & 15 - St. William Parish School 60th Anniversary Celebration During Harvest Fest Sep. 18 - Faith Formation Classes begin Sep. 25 - Faith Formation Freshmen/Parents Meeting 6:30 pm - Parish Hall Oct. 2 - Faith Formation Sophomores/Parents Meeting 6:30 pm Parish Hall St. William Parish Mission Statement St. William Catholic Church is a Eucharistic community; Glorifying God through prayer, Sacraments, and service; Creating oneness with God and neighbor; By generously sharing our time, abilities, and material resources. 8