 Happy Pentecost Sunday and the beginning into Ordinary Time! What a journey this Easter Season has brought us on. We have experienced many emotions along the way. Anger, uneasiness, fear, boredom, frustration, just to mention a few. We have experienced separation from family and friends, an acute awareness of distancing, and even an eagerness to return to some sort of “normal”. But as we end our Easter Season this Pentecost Sunday, we return to some sense of normal in respect that Masses will resume. It is this Sunday, we gather to celebrate Pentecost, a day on which we come together to remember that day long ago when a Jewish festival became something life-changing for those who had chosen to believe in the resurrection, had chosen to put their trust in Jesus, had chosen to fol- low wherever he wanted to lead them. It’s really not possible to overestimate the power of this experience in the life of the Church. Whatever exactly happened that day, however we understand the descriptions used by the authors of the Gospels and Acts, one thing is pretty clear: The community of faith was changed forever by this experience, was changed from being paralyzed by fear to being on fire with the Good News, on fire with the mission of Jesus, on fire to tell the whole world what they witnessed and how they had been transformed in ways they could never have imagined. Who want’s that? Now that might strike you as an odd question. And yet, I believe it’s one we must sincerely ask ourselves. You see, we’re not here this day to only remember the past. We’re also here to give thanks to God for the gift of himself in the person of the Holy Spirit, the gift given long ago and the gift given to each of us, in this time and in this place. And so, what happened TO and FOR them is what God hopes for each of us. He wants to put his very life into us, he wants to pour the grace of his Spirit into our hearts and our minds. He wants to set us on fire, that kind of fire that changes the world. Respectfully, I know that not everyone is ready to return to Mass, and some are even against it. But it is in our differences that God allows us to choose, and it is with a Christian heart that we understand both sides in this situation. We don’t pass judgment, but instead allow the Holy Spirit (renewed in us this Pentecost Sunday) to guide our decision and respect that of others. My friends, amongst all that is going on, put your faith in all the gifts that Jesus has left us; the gift of love, forgiveness, understanding, and yes...the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us. May each of you have a blessed week and know you are in my prayers, Fr. Barry
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 Below is the Bishop's letter about public Masses and the guidelines from the Diocese for the resumption of public Masses More information will be posted later about Christ the King's policies for public Masses Direct links: diolc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Letter-to-all-faithful-May-14-2020.pdf diolc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Public-Mass-Guidelines.pdf  God Doesn’t Call The Qualified. He Qualifies The Called.Are you being called to welcome a Catholic exchange student into your family? Global Outreach is excited to be able to have TWO (2) students at Columbus Catholic High School for the 2020-2021 academic year. Please prayerfully discern being a Host Family for a young lady or man from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland or the Ukraine who is patiently waiting for your “Yes”. More Information: Barbara Tota-Boryczka, Global Outreach Executive Director, 920.540.3085 or Barbara.Tota-[email protected]  Why is it so important that we register in a parish? It isn’t good enough that we go to mass? Registration is the official way we join a parish community. Many people that that because they attend a particular church they automatically belong to that parish. At times, young adults who have moved away for years think they are still signed up under their parents membership. But their membership requires calling the parish office to formally enrolling yourself in that parish. Registration is a commitment to a community, a way to be included in the religious, social, and ministerial activities of your parish. Your registration affects the parish in many ways. Census numbers can determine how many priests are assigned to a particular church, what benefits and obligations the community has to the diocese, and how Masses, Confessions, and devotions are planned and scheduled. Registration shows that you belong. It is also necessary for certain benefits, like scheduling sacraments, obtaining certificates and getting contribution state- ments for taxes. Most, importantly, it lets the parish count on you, to call on you to assist in its mission. Registering in your parish is a statement of faith and confidence in the life and work of your parish.  From the desk of Fr. Barry:
“. . . and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always . . .” My friends, living a life full of love and goodness and generosity is only made possible because of our loving God ... a God who is not at a distance, but is one who dwells with us and in us through his Spirit. It is this living God who can transform us in ways we can’t imagine, transform us into men and women who resist our urges to lash out, to get even, to judge, to ridicule, to get angry at every little thing. It is in our willingness to open ourselves up to this outpour- ing of grace that we get a completely new “default” position, a new attitude, a new way of being. And make no mistake about it, this is not something “extra” added to discipleship, not something we can simply discard if we so choose. Rather, it is as essential to a life of faith as are our beliefs. In fact, it’s the ONLY evidence of faith. So let’s pledge to be, and committed to being; a little kinder, a little more patient, a little more forgiving and gentle and merciful. If we all did that, imagine what the world might look like. God doesn’t have to imagine it. He created it to be this way for all time. As we are over half way through our Easter Season, we are still called to dig deeper into our relationship with Christ. To not go back to our old ways but to come to the realization that it is through Jesus Christ being in our lives that we grow deeper in our faith. Our relationship with the Father. Our relationships with one another. We begin to see the things that separate us from our God, and see that by having the Holy Spirit among us, we are not alone in this world. With the “stay at home” restrictions being ruled unconstitutional, we will see some guidance set forth from Bishop Callahan soon. I will update each of you via email or mail on what the next steps are and what this means for the upcoming Masses. Please ensure that we have the correct address in our system. If you have moved or have an email address that we do not, please call the parish office and update them. UPDATE on the new office/rectory: If you’ve driven by the new location for the offices/rectory, you would have seen A LOT of progress on the build- ing. When things seem so bleak and uncertain for our Church future, God’s glory still shines through. We are blessed that all the building materials have arrived when due and we are pushing forward with the anticipated move in date of July 1st. To date, all the windows and wood beams are up. We passed our first inspection and insulation will be going in next. Then drywall is scheduled for next week! Cabinets go in the first week of June, then flooring and trim! Without your dedication, love, and support of Christ the King, we would not be seeing what we are experiencing with this project. God has a plan, and my promise to each of you is that I am here for you. It was through the same gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us by Christ that I dedicate myself to each of you and your needs. May God Bless each of you in the coming weeks and am excited about seeing you in Church soon! Fr. Barry  From the Bishop:
The priests of our Diocese—your pastors—are maintaining contact with the Diocesan Central Offices in order to speak about questions and concerns coming from you to them and on to us for advice and answers. These are challenging times for all of us and we do need to move slowly, patiently, and prudently. Please keep that in mind when you are addressing your pastors—and even me. Thank you. We, your priests and bishops, are trying to do our best to stay in contact with the state leadership; encouraging everyone at that level to understand how important our faith is to us and, especially during the Easter season, for us to attend Mass and receive the sacraments. Let us continue to pray that God will send a remedy for us in this time of distress. The Year of Saint Joseph will be a big help for us. St. Joseph is a principal patron of our Diocese and, of course, our Cathedral. On Friday, 1 May, I will celebrate with you, via livestream media, the Holy Mass at 12:00 noon, in order to launch this year of prayer and good works. Please check the website diolc.org for further information and ideas—beyond the time of pandemic. (It will come to an end, we trust.)  As to supporting your parish financially during this time of the uncertainty and when the social distancing is in place to only 10 people, thus not be able to attend weekend masses. Your contribution can be mailed to 306 S. LaSalle Street, Spencer, WI 54479 or our finance person can establish your request for automatic withdrawal from your bank account per monthly ACH payment, thru your parish, not thru the diocesan website. If you wish to do so, please call parish office 715-659-4480 for details. Your continued support is so greatly appreciated. God’s blessings to you.  To celebrate Mother’s Day, Fr. Barry is inviting all mothers to come for a blessing and a flower! The celebration will commence under the carport on Sunday, May 10th from 11am-noon.  The Holy Eucharist will be distributed after daily Mass under the carport ***** Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday - Friday *** from 8:40 a.m. thru 8:50 a.m.  To celebrate Mother’s Day, Fr. Barry is inviting all mothers to come for a blessing and a flower! The celebration will commence under the carport on Sunday, May 10th from 11am-noon. |
MASS SCHEDULE
Tuesday - Friday: 8:00 AM Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:00 AM & 10:00 AM RECONCILIATION
Saturday: 3:15 - 3:45 PM OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM Stay Connected with Our ParishWelcome from Our Pastor
Welcome to Christ the King Catholic Church! Ever since 1938 this parish has been assisting souls in their quest for deeper union with God. Our mission statement is essentially found in the stained glass window above the main altar: “For Christ our King.” Insofar as God made us and we belong to Him, we have come to... Read More
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