Mass: Fourth Sunday of Lent (click link to view)

Readings:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031923.cfm

Faith Formation Lenten Project – Care Bags for the Homeless

When Faith Formation resumes after spring break, students in grades K-6 will be putting together care bags for those in need in Newton. We are asking for donations of gallon size zipper baggies, travel sized hygiene items, granola bars, snacks, etc. If you are able to make a donation to this cause, please bring donations to the Office of Faith Formation by Friday, March 24. Thank you!!

Family of the Month. February, 2023

LaVerne Dietrich Family. LaVerne first became a Knight in 1967. He and his wife Katherine are very active in our Sacred Heart Church. LaVerne is one of the main leaders when it comes to our annual Lenten fish fry. He has been pivotal for its success every year. He and Katherine are Hospitality Hosts at our weekend masses. Katherine can be found at church many days of the week helping out with numerous things and has been doing this for many years. These are just some of the things that LaVerne and Katherine do for our parish and community.

If you have a servant heart like LaVerne and are a Catholic gentleman over the age of 18, we would love to have you join our local Knights of Columbus. The Knights are a great way for your entire family to help serve the Lord.

Dear Friends,

Last weekend I was pleased to announce that Fr. Marty Goetz will be the next pastor of Sacred Heart Church beginning July 1, 2023! I am so excited for you! Fr. Marty is a good friend and one of the best priests in our diocese. You will love him!

This Sunday is the last Sunday for our evening Vespers and Soup Supper. Next Sunday, March 26, we will be celebrating a Lenten Communal Penance Service at 2:00 PM. There will be four or five priests available for you to choose from as we celebrate the mercy and love of God who forgives us in Christ. Nothing can keep us from the love of God except ourselves. Don’t deny yourselves this opportunity to be renewed and refreshed in God’s love.

A reflection by Father John Foley, SJ: Most spiritualities say something like the following, and Ignatian Spirituality is no different: see more deeply. Feel more deeply. Pay attention to the quiet movements inside yourself and you will know more about what is outside you. Deepen yourself and you will learn to see.

Sometimes we are told “quit spending time on yourself and go get some work done” or “go help someone.” But you can’t see very well through a window if it is dirty, or if you have furniture piled up in front of it. In Lent we do housekeeping so that we can see clearly, without our usual prejudices pulled in front of the windows of our soul.

Take the Pharisees in the Gospel. They could not see clearly. When they asked the blind man how his sight had been restored, the man replied simply, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed it off, and now I can see.” WHAT? screamed the Pharisees. THAT MAN “CANNOT BE FROM GOD BECAUSE HE DOES NOT KEEP THE SABBATH.” He is therefore a sinner! He could not have cured you. (With these words, one high piece of furniture is shoved in front of the window).

These Pharisees run and get the man’s parents, who will surely know what really happened. But the parents say an arch reply: “he is a grown man, he can speak for himself.”

Back to the blind man. He explains, “It is unheard of that anyone ever opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man [Jesus] were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.”(Piece of furniture number two will now rumble in front of the window of their eyes, as follows: WHAT? YOU ARE LECTURING US ABOUT MEN OF GOD AND YOU ARE STEEPED IN SIN FROM YOUR VERY BIRTH? GET OUT OF HERE!

The man born blind sees well. The Pharisees are the ones who refuse to see. If they were physically blind this would be understandable. But the truth is hidden by their own need to control others, their love of being in charge. What if they had looked the man through eyes unclouded by sin? They could have beheld a miracle, with wonder and awe.

Much later in time, Ignatius called this way of seeing “the simple eye.” It is what we are trying to move toward during Lent.

SHARE Preschool Director Position

Sacred Heart Catholic Church is seeking a Director/ Lead Teacher for the 2023-2024 school year (30 hours weekly from Aug.-May). This person will work with a strong team of associates, parish staff and involved board members to fulfill the mission of the church. Responsibilities will include the implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum as well as a religious education component and the management of all aspects of the program.

The Case for Jesus

Tuesday evenings beginning February 28 at 6:30 pm

Do you follow Jesus ‘on the way’? Can we trust the Gospels? Do we really know who wrote them? Do the Gospels communicate truth – or fabricated fables? Who is Jesus? Who did Jesus claim to be? Join Dr. Brant Pitre as he draws evidence from both early Christian and non-Christian writings attesting to the authenticity, authorship, and dating of the Gospels, and as he gives an indepth look at the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s Crucifixion, Resurrection, and the proclamation of Christ’s divinity. Dr. Pitre’s powerful presentation will strengthen your faith so that you can not only stand firm and profess that Jesus truly is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” but also confidently respond to any skeptics you encounter.

This study consists of nine sessions, and the group will meet for these via Zoom

Fearless and Free Bible study

Friday Mornings beginning February 24 at 9:45 am

Based on the Book of Ephesians, Fearless and Free Bible study focuses on healing and wholeness. Author Lisa Brenninkmeyer designed this Bible study for any woman confronting the reality that life isn’t easy. When suffering slams into you and leaves you reeling, or you feel great one day and down on the mat the next, turn to this Scripture study.

In these six compassionate lessons, you’ll learn how just the right passages in Scripture can waken you to the reality of who you are in Christ. You’ll be coached as you wrestle with the battle in your mind and finally, be strengthened as the warrior to reclaim your footing and move forward in life, grounded in the truth of Scripture. This is not about surviving; it’s about flourishing in Christ’s love.

Mother Teresa: No Greater Love – film showing at Capitol II Theater on January 22nd at 4:00 PM, presented by Knights of Columbus and Church Life Commission. During the last half of the 20th century, Mother Teresa captured the imagination of the world through her dedication to serving the poorest of the poor. Filmed on five continents and featuring unprecedented access to institutional archives, this movie is a soaring tribute to a spiritual icon, a powerful witness of authentic Christian charity, and a guidepost for all who seek hope in our turbulent times. Join us to watch this inspiring, feature-length film. Bring your family and friends and be inspired to put your faith into action. Tickets sales begin the weekend of January 7th & 8th following Mass.

Saturday, March 11:

Monday, March 13:

· 11:30 AM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Patrick Denny McDermott, brother of Rosie Murphy

Tuesday, March 14:

· 5:15 PM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Nancy Smith, mother of Joan Thorpe

Wednesday, March 15:

· 11:30 PM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Scott Strike, son of Burt & Marlis Strike

Thursday, March 16:

· 5:15 PM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Cheryl Ulrich, sister in law of Terry Ulrich

Friday, March 17:

· 9:00 AM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Leo & Cleo Schatz, parents of Francis Schatz

Saturday, March 18:

· 4:00 PM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of William Wilgenbusch, husband of Mary Jo Wilgenbusch

Sunday, March 19:

· 9:00 AM Mass will be offered for the members of the parish

Monday, March 20:

· 11:30 AM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Jeremy Biondi, husband of Nicole Biondi

Tuesday, March 21:

· No Mass today

Wednesday, March 22:

· 11:30 PM Mass will be offered for the repose of the soul of Patrick Stewart

Thursday, March 23:

· 5:15 PM Mass will be offered for the Souls in Purgatory

Friday, March 24:

· 9:00 AM Mass will be offered for the repose of the souls of Lawrence & Clemence Mertz, parents of Francis Schatz

Saturday, March 25:

· 5:30 PM Mass will be offered for the repose of the souls of Russell, Dorothy, and Ron Green, parents and brother of Marilyn Lamb

Sunday, March 26:

· 9:00 AM Mass will be offered for the members of the parish

Welcome to the website of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, located in Newton, Iowa.

This is a Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Davenport. The church is located at 1115 South 8th Avenue East, in the southeast quadrant of Newton.

Sacred Heart is a vibrant Catholic Community, living its Eucharistic faith in the risen Jesus, proclaimed in word and deed, celebrated in worship and sacrament, and shared in outreach to the parish community, to the diocesan and universal church,  and to the wider secular community.

Our social center, staff offices, and administrative offices are housed in the McCann Center, dedicated in 1969 to the memory of the Rev. Msgr. Thomas J. McCann, who served as pastor here from 1910-1960.

The church was dedicated in 1976 and was renovated in 2005, when a courtyard was enclosed to create a gathering space at the entrance to the church. This project included a new sacristy, a day chapel, and the creation of handicapped accessible restrooms. The key element of this construction is the addition of a flowing water baptistry, which also serves as our holy water font.

Please spend some time browsing our website, but more importantly, come and visit us in person and join us in the celebration of the holy Eucharist. May God bless you this day and always.