MADISON — Good Shepherd Parish invites those interested in renewing their faith to attend its “Called to Grace” parish mission June 16 to 19.
Sunday and Tuesday will be at St. James Church, 1128 St. James Ct., and Monday and Wednesday evenings at St. Joseph Church, 1905 W. Beltline Hwy.
Fr. Matthew Bonk, a Redemptorist priest from Brooklyn, Minn., will preside over the mission. Each service will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by refreshments and fellowship at 8 p.m.
‘Grace-filled happening’
The mission will include proclamation of the word, preaching and reflection, music, and praying together.“It will be a grace-filled happening, an opportunity to experience in a special way the wonderful and incredible presence and love of God,” wrote Msgr. Tom Baxter, pastor, in inviting parishioners to the mission. Monsignor Baxter continued, “This mission is for you if
“• you have abandoned the faith of your youth.
“• you have been on again, off again in the living of your Catholic religion.
“• you have wondered what is going on in the Church today.
“• you have been faithful in your witness of your Catholic faith.
“• you want to become a bolder, more loving witness for your faith.
“• you feel you need to know more about how to pray.
“• you judge yourself to be in need of spiritual growth.
“• you are a sinner or a saint, or somewhere in between.”
Priest leading mission
Father Bonk promises to be an excellent speaker, said Peggy Adamowicz, chair of the Good Shepherd Liturgy Commission, which is organizing the event.
A graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in communication arts, Father Bonk served several years of ministry at a homeless shelter before entering the seminary. He joined the Redemptorist order in 1997 and was ordained in 2004 after serving in missions. After working in several parishes, he is now on the Redemptorist Evangelization Team.
Father Bonk told Adamowicz that “the power of the sacraments is little realized or understood by most Catholics, and this mission will be a chance for us to rediscover their power.”
Mission schedule
Adamowicz shared the mission’s schedule:
• Sunday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m., St. James. “The first service will help us to be more deeply aware of the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation given us by Jesus, and the gifts they continue to give us.”
• Monday, June 17,at 6:30 p.m., St. Joseph. “The second evening will give us a chance to recommit ourselves to follow Jesus in our particular vocations and lifestyles.
“Father Bonk will cover the sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders, and will give each of us a chance to recommit to Jesus in using our unique gifts and talents in our own life circumstances.”
• Tuesday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m., St. James. The emphasis this evening will be on the “powerful sacraments for Reconciliation and the Blessing of the Sick with a chance for all to attend Reconciliation.”
• Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30 p.m., St. Joseph. The mission will end with Mass and a focus on the Eucharist, “where we offer bread, wine, and treasure, symbols of ourselves given to God. We have learned that Christ has offered us great strength and grace in the sacraments, and now we offer him back what gifts he has given us.”
Refreshments and fellowship will follow each service. A free-will offering will be collected at the end of the mission. More information, including directions, can be obtained at http://www.thegoodshepherdmadison.org