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.

We are overjoyed that 43 Confirmadi from our pastorate were able to enjoy a retreat at Camp Gray on March 28-20 as they prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation this fall.

We are looking for a few good men/women who like to bake to help make desserts for our Youth Nights in Lancaster. The next gathering would be January 29 at 7:00 p.m. Please contact Leigh Boorn via email [email protected] if you can help. Thank You in Advance!

A Moment with the Bishop: Go Make Disciples, our diocesan-wide evangelization initiative, is who we are and what we do as baptized followers of Jesus Christ. It is our participation in the perennial mission of the Church. Into the Deep is our strategic planning effort to realign our resources so that we can better accomplish and live out this mission, both now and for generations to come. As we continue on the path of coming together into new combined parishes, it is vital that we keep our eyes and hearts on our Go Make Disciples initiative and the six fundamental objectives guiding all our efforts as missionary disciples: Grow Everyone’s Relationship with Jesus through prayer, sacrament, and study of Scripture. Reclaim Sunday as Sabbath by making the Sunday Eucharist front and center and by rediscovering holy leisure with family and friends. Evangelize by engaging others in the Faith and speaking about the reason for our hope in Jesus Christ. Focus on Youth by connecting with young people and helping them become fully committed to Christ. Call Forth New Leadership by inviting new people to step up and share their talents and gifts. Reach Out to the Community by serving the needs of all and witnessing to the Love of Christ by deed and charity. Jesus is our Master and Teacher, our Redeemer and Savior who has conquered the power of sin and death forever. Together, let us renew our commitment as both disciples and evangelizers by falling more deeply in love with Jesus and by going forth with confidence and joy to build the kingdom of God and to strengthen the Church here in our local diocese of Madison. Let's bring everyone we know home to Jesus Christ and His Church!

Family Faith Formation & High School Program For the last two years our west county parishes have carried out a Family Faith Formation program, where whole families come together once a month to learn about our Catholic Faith and prepare to carry out lessons at home. This year SS Andrew-Thomas will begin as well. We will have identical programs for families from the River Ridge School District to meet on the first Wednesdays at St. Mary's School in Bloomington, and for families from St. Charles and SS Andrew-Thomas to meet at SS Andrew-Thomas School or St. Charles School on alternating second Wednesdays of the month, from 6:00 to 7:30pm. Families are welcome to enroll in either program at their preference as well as to attend sessions at either site based on their convenience. We will also begin a High School Youth program for 9th-12th grades to meet on the 4th Wednesdays at St. Clement in Lancaster from 7:00 to 8:30pm starting September 25, a requirement for 9th graders preparing for Confirmation - though for families who may have difficulties arranging transportation, 9th graders may attend their local Family Faith Formation meeting on 1st or 2nd Wednesday. Our first Family Faith Formations meetings in September will be Orientation where we describe the program in detail. Schedules can be found on our Website. For further questions please contact Fr. Mark Miller.

Religious Education for K-8th grades begins on Wednesday, September 18. K-6th starts at 6:00 PM and 7-9th starts at 7:00 PM. Registration forms for K-6th are available at the church entrances as well as being emailed to last year’s Rel. Ed. Families, for more information, please contact Rebecca Dean, [email protected].

Bishop Hying sees the essential need for the Catholic Church to embrace evangelization, first for all of us who belong to the Catholic Church, then to reach out to others to hear the message of Christ. He has outlined four simple, but essential way for us to encounter Christ more fully and be transformed by his grace. All Catholics are encouraged to grow in holiness and deepen of their faith.