PARISH OFFICE Hours………...… Mon.-Fri. 8:00am-3:00pm Parish website …..www.stfrancisellsworth.com CONTACT INFORMATION Pastor Fr. Eric Awortwe-Dadson Secretary Jackie Slocum 715-273-4774 Email – stfrancisrectory@sbcglobal.net Bookkeeper Jean Soberg 715-273-4774 Email – bookkeeper.stfrancis@gmail.com Director of Religious Education Joan Foley 715-338-1199 Email – cfoley@dishup.us Youth Ministry Cheryl Kaufer 715-594-3113 Pastoral Minister Marty Kulak 715-792-5281 Email - mandmkulak@bevcomm.net Music Director Missy Kowalchyk - 715-307-2120 Email - stfrancismusicellsworth@gmail.com Homebound Ministry Arlene Canfield—715-781-6888 Altar & Rosary Society Barb Leier—715-273-5358 School Principal Chuck Buckel—715-273-4391 Email - buckel@stfrancisellsworth.org School Administrative Assistant Amy Matzek—715-273-4391 Email - amatzek@stfrancisellsworth.org Parish & School Custodian Greg DesLauriers—715-273-4391

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM By appointment following preparation class. Please call the parish office to register for Baptism class.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE Arrangements must be made at least six months in advance.

ANOINTING OF THE SICK Administered by request. Please call the parish office.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday from 4:30-4:55pm or by appointment. RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION FOR ADULTS (RCIA) Any adult interested in becoming Catholic should contact Joan Foley at 715-338-1199

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI PARISH

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Stations of the Cross, and Benediction will be offered every Wednesday evening during Lent at 7:00pm..

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Each Friday of Lent this year, we will have a holy hour with Eucharistic adoration at 5:45pm. Feel free to come for the full hour or any part of it to join in prayer.

Weekend Masses Saturday……..5:00pm Sunday……….8:30 and 10:30am

PO Box 839, 264 South Grant Street, Ellsworth, WI

March 11, 2018

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Welcome to St. Francis

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LITURGICAL SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY LENTEN DEVOTION March 14 —7:00pm Cross Bearer and Candle Holders – Merry Hines, Jack Hines, and Barb Leier MASS– March 17 & 18 5:00pm Mass - Lector – Youth Mass Servers – Youth. Eucharistic Ministers –Don Anderson, Linda Donnel-ly, and Joe Richards. 8:30am Mass - Lector – Joe Richards Mass Servers – Lauren, Austin and Logan Brand Eucharistic Minister – Joe Richards, Marlys Johnson, and Mike Lifto. 10:30am Mass - Lector –Marty Kulak Mass Servers – Kayleigh Ayala, Josie and Maggie Pechacek. Eucharistic Ministers – Rose Mickelson, Gayle Nis-sen, and Julia Brenner.

MASS SCHEDULE AND INTENTIONS Monday, March 12 No Mass

Tuesday, March 13 8:30am Larry Wiskerchen Family Wednesday, March 14 8:30am +Judi Helmer Thursday, March 15 8:30am Jeffrey Kulak Friday, March 16 8:30am For Children in the Hospital 10:00am Communion Service at Atrium Care Center Saturday, March 17 St. Patrick, Bishop 5:00pm Youth Group Sunday, March 18 8:30am St. Francis Parish 10:30am +Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Fritzmann

St. Francis Thanks You for Your Ad St. Francis Catholic Church would like to thank you for pur-chasing an ad with Liturgical Publications Inc. (LPI) in our bulletin. Our bulletin sponsors defray the cost of our weekly bulletin. Before reaching out to the yellow pages, newspapers, etc., please reach out to our bulletin sponsors who appreciate your patronage.

ADULT EDUCATION

"OREMUS" A Guide to Catholic Prayer: The 6th session, “Discernment In Prayer", will be Monday, March 12. Choose from 10:00 to 11:15 am at Preferred Senior Living - led by John Woehrle or from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the St. Francis led by Leann Lifto. Contact Joan Foley for online registra-tion.

NEED PRAYERS OR A VISIT? If someone you know becomes hospitalized and would like a visit, please call the parish office. Let us know if someone would like to be listed in the bulletin prayer. Please call the parish office.

SAINT FRANCIS WELCOMES NEW

RESIDENTS AND VISITORS

If you are new to the parish, please call the parish office to register. We are glad you are here.

BULLETIN DEADLINE The items that need to be in Sunday’s bulletin, must be submitted to the parish office not later than Mon-day at noon.

PARISH SUPPORT

Adult Envelopes, including ACH’s - $9,400.00 Offertory - $412.00. Children’s Envelopes -$5.00. Ash Wednesday - $30.00. Catholic Life - $385.00

Readings for the Week of March 11, 2018 Sunday: 2 Chr 36:14-16, 19-23/Ps 137:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 [6ab]/Eph 2:4-10/Jn 3:14-21 Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 [1]/Eph 5:8-14/Jn 9:1-41 or Jn 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38 Monday: Is 65:17-21/Ps 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b [2a]/Jn 4:43-54 Tuesday: Ez 47:1-9, 12/Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 [8]/Jn 5:1-16 Wednesday: Is 49:8-15/Ps 145:8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18 [8a]Jn 5:17-30 Thursday: Ex 32:7-14/Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23 [4a]/Jn 5:31-47 Friday: Wis 2:1a, 12-22/Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23 [19a]/Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 Saturday: Jer 11:18-20/Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12 [2a]/Jn 7:40-53

ST. FRANCIS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION All St. Francis Seniors are eligible for the $1,000.00 Schol-arship given by St. Francis Parish. Applications are availa-ble at the parish office or on our website. Also, an email was sent to all the seniors with an application form at-tached. They are due back to the parish office by Wednes-day, March 21 at 3:00pm.

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Lent 4 Sunday - 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10, John 3:14-21 Introduction: The Fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday, from the first words of today’s liturgy. As on Gaudete Sunday in Advent, rose-colored vestments may replace violet and flowers may grace the altar, sym-bolizing the Church’s joy in anticipation of the Resurrection of the Lord. The central theme of today’s readings is that our salvation is a free gift of a merciful God, given to us sinners through Jesus, His Son. The readings stress God’s mercy and compassion and remind us of the great love, kindness and grace extended to us in Christ. Scripture lessons: In the first reading, taken from the Second Book of Chronicles, we learn the compassion and pa-tience of God. God allowed Cyrus the Great, a pagan conqueror, to become the instrument of His mercy and salvation to His chosen people who were in exile in Babylon. In the second reading Paul tells us that God is so rich in mercy that He has granted us eternal salvation and eternal life as a free gift through Jesus Christ. Today’s Gospel, has a par-allel theme, but on a much higher level. Jesus the Son of God, became the agent of God’s salvation, not just for one sinful nation but for the sinfulness of the whole world. Through John 3:16, the Gospel teaches us that God expressed His love, mercy and compassion for us by giving His only Son for our salvation. Nicodemus, the wealthy Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, meets Jesus by night and begins a long religious discussion. Jesus explains to him that he must believe Jesus’ words because He is the Son of God. He further explains to Nicodemus God’s plan of salva-tion by referring to the story of Moses and the bronze serpent (Nm 21:1-9). Just as God saved the victims of serpents bite through the bronze serpent, He is going to save mankind from its sins by permitting the crucifixion and death of His Son Jesus because the love of God for mankind is that great. Life messages: (1) We need to love the cross, the symbol of God’s forgiving and merciful love: As a forceful reminder not only of God’s love and mercy, but also of the price of our salvation, the crucifix invites us to more than generosity and compassion. It inspires us to remove the suffering of other people’s misery. It encourages us not only to feel deep sorrow for another’s suffering, but also to try our best to remove that suffering. Hence, let us love the cross, wear its image and carry our own daily cross with joy, while helping others to carry their heavier crosses. (2). We need to reciprocate God’s love by loving others: God’s love is unconditional, universal, forgiving and merciful. Let us try to make an earnest attempt to include these qualities in sharing our love with others during Lent. (3) Our rebirth by water and the Spirit must be an ongoing process: That is, we must lead a life of repentance and conversion bringing us to renewal of life, with the help of the Holy Spirit living within us, through prayer, Bible reading, fre-quenting the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist and doing corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Rejoice in the Lord!

Father Eric

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

EASTER FLOWERS

At ST. FRANCIS we have the tradition of offering you the opportunity to purchase Easter Flowers as a tribute to your loved ones. The Easter Flowers will remain in church. Your name and the names of your loved ones will be printed in the Easter bulletin. To order, simply fill out the order blank below, enclose a check or cash in a sealed envelope and drop in the offertory or mail to: St. Francis Parish, P.O. Box 839, Ellsworth, Wisconsin, By March 21, 2018

Suggested Amount $15.00 NAME OF GIVER _____________________________________ NAME OF PERSON FOR MEMORIAL LISTING ____________________________________________________ OR IN HONOR OF ____________________________________________________ Donation enclosed ___________________(Make checks payable to St. Francis Parish)

PARISH EVENTS RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

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SUNDAY SCHOOL: During the 10:30 am Mass for children, ages 3 - 5 years, including current kinder-garten students. .

Grades 1 - 5 Classes: Wednesday, March 14, from 5:45 to 6:45 pm. Religious Education Grades 6 - 8 Classes: Wednesday, March 14 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. 9th & 10th Grade Confirmation Classes, Wednesday, March 14 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm.

SPAGHETTI DINNER AND SILENT AUCTION

Sunday, March 18 join and support our youth going on the Mission Trip to Billings, Montana this sum-mer. The spaghetti dinner is from 11:30 am-2:30 pm. Come look at the wonderful items that will be availa-ble to bid on. Join us for good food and go home with a fantastic item. If you have a raffle item you would like to donate, please email Vicki Hines at vicki.hines@thomsonreuters.com. We will also have take-out available for $10.00 a meal. Please call Leann at 651-324-6357.

PARISH RECONCILIATION Tuesday, March 20 at 7:00pm. There will be Three priests present to hear confessions.

RESCHEDULED AWE GROUP EVENT The Awe group will be meeting Thursday, March 15 at 1:00pm . Refreshments will be served. Barry Cain, super-intendent of Ellsworth Community schools will speak on the referendum coming up for vote in April. Please plan to attend and RSVP to Audrey at 715-273-4572 by Tues-day, March 13.

YOUTH MINISTRY

The Youth Ministry group is going to Feed My Starving Chil-dren on Saturday, March 17th immediately following the 5:00 pm Youth Mass. Please join us – all ages are wel-come! Forms are on the Parish website. Contact Cheryl Kaufer

ESSAY CONTEST, 2018 TEENS FOR LIFE Contestant must be between 13 and 19 years old and a resident of Wisconsin. Topic: Choose a pro-life issue that you care about (abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, stem cells/cloning, assisted suicide, etc.) and write a persuasive argument. Include a paragraph stating what you have done or would like to do, to promote the val-ue of human life. Essay must be 300-600 words, typed and double-spaced. Research/sources must be cited. A cover page with your full name, age, school, home ad-dress, email address, and phone number is re-quired. You may include graphics, but they are not necessary. 1st Place: $200, 2nd Place: $100, 3rd Place: $50. Entry Deadline: March 28, 2018. For more info, visit wrtl.org/essay-contest/ or call Joleigh at 715-378-4302. Thank you, Norma Radke Pierce Country Right to Life Chapter of the Wisconsin Right to Life

PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday, March 13 at 6:00pm

KC MEETING Tuesday, March 13 at 6:30pm Thursday, March 15, Bible study after the 8:30am Mass.

FINANCE COUNCIL MEETING Thursday, March 15 at 6:00pm

THANK YOU In the midst of so much pain in the world, a little good news helps. So congratulations from the Mission Office. As a result of World Mission Sunday, St. Francis of As-sisi Parish in Ellsworth has helped to support the work of missionaries in over 1,1000 areas of the world where the Church shares in the poverty of her members, friends, and neighbors. May God bless you for your fi-nancial contribution of $695.00 and all your prayers. We will forward the total to the National Office of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. (We have also gratefully received your generous Mission Coop dona-tion of $4,045.00 for the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis in Cameroon, Africa. Your support of all the Missions is deeply appreciated) May God’s richest blessings be yours in Christ, Rev. Woodrow H Pace, Mission Director, Diocese of La Crosse.

CHOIR REHEARSALS Adult Choir - Wednesday, March 13. Kid’s Choir - Wednesday, March 14 at 5:00pm Youth Choir - Saturday, March 17 at 3:30pm