“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
[Gospel Verse for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time]Dear Parishioners,
In this weekend’s Gospel verse, we are reminded that Christ has healed us: spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, relationally, physically. Today let us approach the Divine Healer with confidence and trust and bring Him our wounds that are in most need of healing. He wants to make us whole and only He can make us so.
Peace and healing in Christ,
Fr. Hottovy
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Handy Links:
- Eucharistic Adoration Sign-up
- Parish Website
- Parish Facebook Page
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House Schedule
Attachments:
:: NEW & UPDATED PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
Note: things taking place this weekend are highlighted in red.
By now, you should have received your 2020 Contribution Statements (2020 donation records for tax purposes). If you have not received your statement, or if there are errors, please contact the parish office: 402-477-3979 or Jeanne at jeanne-kee@cdolinc.net.
Sunday at 1pm Men’s Club needs workers to take down Christmas Trees and move them into storage.
Funded by a Dillon Grant: Parish funds were not used to purchase or install this system.
Air Scrubber by Aerus® | In the first week of February, an Air Scrubber will be installed in the church!
What is the Air Scrubber? The Air Scrubber by Aerus® utilizes state-of-the-art technology developed by NASA to create a safe environment for the astronauts in the international space station. This same technology can be utilized on Earth—in our church, for example—to keep our air and surfaces sanitary.
How in the world? Many air scrubbers take in the air from a building, clean it, and release it again. This system is different. This system, which attaches to our HVAC, uses oxygen and water molecules to create oxidizers (ActivePure Molecules) that are released into the space, killing both airborne and surface pathogens.
How effective is it against the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID)?
- Within an hour, 99.9% of airborne viruses have been destroyed.
- Within three hours, 93% of surface viruses are destroyed and within six hours, 98% of surface viruses have been destroyed.
It’s not just the SARS-CoV-2 virus that will be “scrubbed” from our air, but other contaminants such as dust, allergens, other viruses, and bacteria.
We’re not astronauts … is it safe for us? Yes; It has been shown to be safe to use in indoor spaces with people present and is approved by the FDA. If you would like to learn more, search “Air Scrubber by Aerus” or visit https://www.airscrubberbyaerus.com/
Saint Blaise Blessing of Throats will be offered after all weekend Masses THIS WEEKEND: Feb 6-7. (This time we mean it. 😉 )
SOUPER Bowl of Caring
THIS WEEKEND (the weekend of Super Bowl LV: Feb 6-7), Godteens will be at the exits of the church after Masses to collect donations which will be given to the Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach. MTK has remained open even during the pandemic and was able to provide over 75,000 meals to people in need in 2020. Please donate to this great cause!
Hand Warmers for Our Friends On the Street: In the vestibule, there is a box of hand warmers. Please take one or two to keep in your car (you can come back for more). When you see a homeless person on the street at a stop sign, you can start a conversation with them by saying, “Hello. Would you like a hand warmer?” Exchange names. Learn and use their names. They are your brother or sister disguised as Christ. Please see the box in the vestibule and its attached sheet for further ideas and details.
40 Days for Life begins Wed Feb 17th. St. Teresa’s assigned times are Thursdays from 11am-6pm. Sign up on the board in the vestibule to pray for an hour outside Planned Parenthood. Weekly commitments are greatly needed. Please join in and bring a friend.
Knights of Columbus #833
Annual Friday Lenten Fish Fry: CARRY OUT ONLY
- Serving from 4:30-7pm
- Cost is $10 per meal
- Featuring fried Pollock & fries with a side of coleslaw and bread
- First Fish Fry: February 20th
Seminarian of the Week
Isaac Wahlmeier is the son of Pat & Debra Wahlmeier of St. Michael Parish in Hastings. Isaac is studying College 4 at St. Gregory the Great. Remember to pray for Isaac and for his formation.
Welcome by Baptism Mary Alice Guenzel, daughter of Cameron & Annie. Congratulations!
Please Pray For the repose of the souls of
Marilyn Brandt, sister-in-law of Dorothy Brandt
Bob Harper, father of Gary Harper
and Leona Divis, grandmother of Father Hottovy.
We Help | What is the “We Help” Fund and how does it work?
A need was seen in our parish and so several years ago the “We Help” fund was begun. Sometimes there are parishioners who need a financial boost. There are a variety of causes and some that come to mind are job loss, unexpected medical costs, and emergency household expenses.
Our diocese has two wonderful charitable organizations in Catholic Social Services and St. Vincent de Paul which contribute important benefits to Lincoln as a whole. “We Help”, on the other hand, is made up of only St. Teresa parishioners helping other St. Teresa parishioners financially when they are in need.
Here’s how it works:
It can be almost completely anonymous with no one knowing who gives and who receives except for Father Hottovy.
¨ When someone is in need of assistance, that person contacts Father and explains why help is needed. Father then uses money or SCRIP from the fund to provide the needed help.
¨ This is made possible when parishioners, who have the ability to do so, donate what they can and place it in one of the specially marked “ We Help” envelopes. These envelopes are found in three “We Help” displays: one each on the shelves right inside the north and southwest entrances to the church and one on the shelf in the vestibule.
¨ Donations may be made in the form of cash, check, or SCRIP. If a charitable giving tax credit is wanted, there is a place on the envelope to add the donor’s name and church envelope number (this is optional). Donations may be deposited in the Sunday collection basket or in the drop-slot located to the right side of the rectory door.
¨ All donations are added to the fund which is then available to help our own parishioners when needed.
Please give what you can to the “We Help” fund so we can help each other in this way!
God bless you for your generosity!
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Our nation is being torn apart. But what if there’s one big thing at the center of it all. In Divided Hearts of America, Super bowl champion and executive producer Benjamin Watson goes on a journey to discover the truth about abortion – a subject that has been at the center of heated debates since the passage of Roe V. Wade in 1973. Along the way, Watson sits down with over 30 experts in various fields and from both sides of the ideological and political spectrums and asks the question: Can the most divisive issue of our time actually bring us back together again? Free showing February 16, 2021, 7pm, Lincoln Right to Life Center, 5632 S. 48th Street. Refreshments will be provided. https://www.facebook.com/DividedHeartsFilm/
:: REPEAT PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS (for your convenience) ::
Grand Group
In the last year, due to COVID, we were only able to enjoy four of our planned activities. Hopefully, by the end of February we will all have had our COVID vaccinations and we’ll be able to get together safely once again. Counting on that to be the case, our planning meeting is scheduled for Tue Mar 2nd at 1pm in K.C. Hall. Since we have seven events left over from last year we only have four new events to plan. Have a safe February, get vaccinated, and we’ll count on your help to make some great plans on Tue, Mar 2nd.
Adoration + Exposition
- Exposition will continue until Feb 16th. We need an adorer for Wednesdays from 2pm-3pm so that we can keep daily Exposition. You may use the above link to the sign-up or you may call the parish office for help signing up.
- Note: There is interest in overnight adoration with exposition. In order to see how much interest there is in this, we added the night hours to the signup. If you have a regular holy hour during those times, please sign up so we can see how many openings we have. Thank you to all who make this possible!
Altar Society Prayer Line
An Altar Society Prayer Line has been established to lift up our prayers to God as a parish community. Leva Orationes Deo is Latin for lift up prayers to God. Requests can be made by e-mailing levaorationesdeo@yahoo.com or by calling (the first caller on the list) Mary Pat McBride at 402-314-1296. All intentions will be sent by e-mail to the Altar Society e-mail list. If you want to participate in the phone prayer line, please contact Mary Pat.
Kindergarten Preview: Future Kindergarten parents: are you interested in sending your child to Kindergarten at St. Teresa School or want to find out more about our program? You are invited to attend Kindergarten Preview on Tue, Feb 9th, from 5:30-6:30pm in the school cafeteria. For more information or to sign up, call the school office: 402-477-3358. Note: incoming Kindergarteners are to be 5 years old by July 31st. In April, we hope to have a separate event where future kindergarten students can come and spend time at school.
:: NEW DIOCESE-wide ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
2021 Lenten Series – An Introduction to Spiritual Life-Matt Simmons, diocesan director of the Office of Evangelization and Spiritual Formation, will lead the series. The series will be in-person at the Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House, Waverly, NE or at-home, live stream and on demand recordings. It will be held on Tuesdays starting on February 16 through March 30 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. This series is free and registration is requested at https://lincolndiocese.regfox.com/lent2021. Any questions call 402-473-0615 or email Annette-Wemhoff@cdolinc.net. Participants are welcome to attend even if they cannot come to each event in the series. Everyone is warmly invited to attend!
St. Patrick Catholic Church at 6111 Morrill Ave. has two part-time openings. We are looking to fill a position as an assistant cook and a janitor. Please contact Father Schweiger at 402-466-2752 for more details.
:: REPEAT DIOCESE-wide ANNOUNCEMENTS ::
Healing Hearts Support Sessions for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one are being offered to assist Catholics in the grief process. The sessions will be held on six weekly Tuesday evenings beginning February 16, 2021, 7:00-9:00 p.m., at John XXIII Diocesan Center, 37th & Sheridan Blvd. Suggested Donation: $25 (for materials) To register, please call 402-473-0620.