We will kick off this year with our Little Caesars & Dutch Mill Bulb fundraiser. Please collect the money at the time of the sale. We ask that checks be made out to the seller and then the family writes a check for their total. All orders and money are due back to the school by Monday, September 15, 2025. We are hoping for a delivery date around the week of October 6. We will finalize once the date gets
closer. The top selling family will receive a $50.00 SCRIP card, and the second highest seller will receive a $25.00 SCRIP card.
All pastorate member are invited to take a journey through the Acts of the Apostles. You don't have to be an expert in scripture to attend. Bibles will be provided. Adoration will be held on Tuesdays after Mass.
There will be an orientation meeting for all parents and students who will be celebrating their First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion at St. Clement Church on September 17 from 6:00 -7:30 p.m.
FAMILY PROMISE at ST. CLEMENT
Our Host Week Is Coming Up!
Our week to host families experiencing homelessness is coming up the week of September 7. While that may seem far off, it really is not, especially with Labor Day the week before. Volunteer Sign-Up Forms for the various areas of service are on a table in the back of church. You can volunteer for more than one area, or more than once. Please sign up early in order for us to be ready on the 7th. If you have any questions, or are interested in helping out but have not done so in the past, please give me a
call at 723-4990, or Peg Jonas at 723-2051. Thanks!! ~ Bill
We are filled with joy and looking forward to having Bishop Hying celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation with 50 of our students from the pastorate. Please pray for them and their sponsors.
Musicians and singers are needed for a praise and worship team for Saint Joseph the Worker Pastorate. A workshop will be held on August 23. Time to be determined. If you are interested or want more info, please contact Leigh at: [email protected].
We are excited to participate in Clarity’s Baby Bottle for Life Campaign!
Thank you to Belinda Lyght, Advancement Director Clarity Clinic of SW Wisconsin, for sharing information about Clarity Clinic and how we can help to change and save lives. Filling a bottle with change will truly change lives. Filling a baby bottle helps fund Clarity Clinic so that they can continue saving the lives of the unborn and supporting the pregnancy and parenting needs of women and men. There are extra baby bottles at each church if you were not Mass when Belinda gave her presentation. Please return your baby bottle to a parish office by August 31.
I have announced my retirement as pastoral minister, effective August 31. God placed this on my heart 7-8 months ago, and His promptings have continued to this day. I spoke numerous times with my spiritual director about this, wanting to discern that this was truly coming from God. One of the concerns I had about retiring was the void if I left. But God took care of that as well. Fr. Steve and Dcn. Roger had been in discussions about the possibility of him coming on staff. It was God’s providence that brought this about for myself and Dcn. Roger. How good God is! Know that I am not moving and will still be involved at the parish. You’ll see me at Mass, lectoring and volunteering at the parish. I plan to continue coordinating our Family Promise Host week along with Peg Jonas, assisting at the Food Pantry and being the pastorate Mental Health Advocate. Please pray for me in the coming weeks, as change and adjustment can be challenging. May God watch over us all, and bless us in abundance. ~Bill Manthe
St. Clement Parish will be hosting a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training workshop on Wednesday, August 13. Did you know that 1 in 5 adults in the US lives with some form of mental illness; and that 130 persons die by suicide every day? MHFA training teaches you how to recognize, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance abuse challenges among adults. In our rural area, we face so many mental health challenges and barriers. The more people who receive MHFA training, the more that we can reach out to others, and whose lives can be supported, changed and even saved. Be the Difference! Sign up for the Mental Health First Aid Training on August 13 from 9 AM to 5 PM. To register, email [email protected], or call 608-821-3050. Two hours of online pre-course work must be completed before the training. Register ASAP
St. Mary’s Holy Name Fair Stand
The Blake’s Prairie Fair on July 18-20 will soon be here. LOTS of workers are needed to make
sure that the fair stand is successful. Men from other parishes can also volunteer to help! All
workers will need to have a fair button. The fair stand provides delicious food from morning to
evening all three days of the fair and has also been an important part of the fair experience in
Bloomington. The income from the fair stand is used toward the parish insurance which was over
$20,000 this year. The stand will also need LOTS of double-crusted apple and cherry pies from our
wonderful bakers!
Please contact Mike Patterson or St. Mary’s Parish office if you would like to help at the stand
or to make a donation. All men are asked to contribute $20.00 to help defray expenses.
Everyone is invited to attend the fair, enjoy the delicious food and to help make this event
successful.
Everyone from our pastorate is invited to join us for a fabulous SUNSET CRUISE on Friday, August 1.
The cruise will be from 8-10 p.m. and will depart from the Cassville Ferry Landing with loading to begin at 7:45 p.m. The cost is $12/person. Pay and Sign Up for the Cruise at the St. Clement Parish office. Please make checks out to Knights of Columbus and sign up ASAP! Bring your own chairs, drinks and snacks. Please Note: No Glass of any kind is allowed on the Ferry! We’ll be having live music too, for an enjoyable evening on the Mighty Mississippi! Invite your friends (and sign them up) and meet new friends from our pastorate! While everyone is invited, space is limited, so sign up
soon. For more information, contact Bill & Judy Seyer at 608-988-6543.
St. Mary School is looking to hire a Middle School teacher (grades 5-8) for the 2025-2026 school year. Please contact Kelly Copsey if you are interested in being a part of our St. Mary's family. [email protected] / (608)994-2435.
We are very grateful to the parents for following through with the promises they made at
their child’s Baptism, to bring them up in the practice of the faith. May God continue to bless
them as they teach their child about Christ’s love and presence in the Eucharist.
Our First Communicants:
Kinsley Breuer
Madilyn Cooper
Everett Guthrie
Jensen Hampton
Clay Mezera
Case Mulrooney
Liam Needham
Everett Patterson
Owen Price
Reid Raisbeck
Bennett Redman
Scarlett Udelhoven
Women of the pastorate, give your week a Great Start on Monday mornings with coffee
and donuts at 8:00 AM, prayer, Scripture readings of the day and discussion, 8:15 –
9:15, lower level of St. Clement Rectory, beginning Monday, Feb. 24. Sponsored by
St. Clement Council of Catholic Women.
Bring your copy of Word Among Us or Magnificat. Questions? Call or text Bernadette Schaefer at 608-732-7475.
Children are a great gift to us. One way families can find support for the moral and academic formation of their children is in a Catholic school. Below are just few of the reasons why we value our Catholic school:
*There is weekly Mass and special feast days where the children are more involved in the liturgy and regular prayer is a part of the school day.
*There is a regular religion class several times each week so the children can come to understand the rich tradition and teachings of the Catholic faith.
*Our Catholic School has a strong family feel and students are welcomed, and feel safe and comfortable while being challenged to grow and mature according to God’s plan for each of them.
*Teachers help the children connect the Catholic faith with all other learning and work with parents for the good of children.
Thank you to all of our wonderful parishioners, benefactors, and volunteers who make Catholic education in our area possible. Thank you to all of our dedicated teachers and staff who share their knowledge and faith each day with our students.
Thank you to our parents and families who made the decision to entrust St. Mary’s School with the education of their children.
May God continue to bless our students, families, and schools as we give thanks for the great blessing of Catholic school. Please contact the school or parish offices to learn more about enrolling your child(ren) in our excellent school.