Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Church from age 14 onwards. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection. Click on the title link above for a reflection on fasting from USCCB.
The next offering of the IMPACT program will be held at Resurrection School in Dubuque, starting in September of 2023. IMPACT is a two-year adult formation program facilitated by the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Through reading and monthly sessions with dynamic presenters, IMPACT provides spiritual, theological, intellectual, and pastoral formation in the Catholic faith in order to help participants live as missionary disciples in their parish and community. To learn more, click on the title link or visit www.dbqarch.org/impact.
Dubuque County Right to Life is hosting a Trivia Night on February 11th at St. Columbkille’s Parish Hall. Doors open at 5pm and trivia begins at 6:30pm. A table donation is $200 for a table of 8 or $25 per person. Register yourself or fill a whole table. Costumes and table themes are encouraged. Babies and toddlers are welcome to attend. The donations will go towards building an outdoor memorial wall to give families a place to name their children who have died through miscarriage or abortion. Register by February 1st by calling 563-556-5960 or emailing dcrtl@dcrtl.org. Food will be provided by the Knights of Columbus for a small donation. Join us for a fun night for a great cause!
Our Knights will host a free will offering breakfast on Sunday, February 12, 7:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., to support the Iowa K of C Ultrasound Initiative. These machines allow women in crisis pregnancies to see their child and choose life. The breakfast will include made-to-order omelets and all the fixings. All are welcome!
We regret to inform our parishioners that the parish office was broken into on the evening of Wednesday, January 18. The suspect accessed staff offices, both locked and unlocked. They took stamps, and approximately 10-20 parishioner contributions that were received by mail or dropped off after the regular weekend collection was deposited. If your contribution payment was received at the parish office between Monday and Wednesday of this week, it may have been taken. We are working with the Dubuque Police Department. Please know that we are taking this matter, and the protection of your financial security, very seriously. We provide this information should you decide to contact your financial institution. Please contact Anita Sullivan at the parish office (563-583-9117) with questions. We thank you for your understanding and we do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Are you giving your Fiat? Are you saying YES to God? Attend the 2023 Archdiocesan Women’s Conference, Beauty in Christ: Fiat! Saying Yes to God! St. Columbkille will be hosting this virtual conference in Presentation Hall – all are welcome! We thank the Knights of Columbus Council #15813 for their sponsorship. Click on the title link for more information and to register online.
You are invited to a citywide celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday, December 21 at 6:30 p.m. The prayer service will include individual confession with several priests from around the area. Please take advantage of this opportunity as part of your spiritual preparation for Christmas.
Your gift to the Retirement Fund for Religious helps communities care for their aging members and reflects thanks for their devoted service. Please give to those who have given a lifetime by donating this weekend. More information can be found on the bulletin insert, and collection envelopes will be available in the back of the church. Online donations can be made at retiredreligious.org.
By examining our conscience, we respond to God’s Word – looking at our own lives, searching our hearts, and asking God’s forgiveness. All are invited to attend a Communal Reconciliation Service at St. Columbkille on Sunday at 4 p.m.
One of the most effective means to wake from spiritual sleep and to don the armor of light is to come to confession. Next Saturday St Raphael Cathedral will have 5 priests on hand at 11 am to serve as channels of God’s grace and mercy. Been a long time? Why extend the gap any longer? Don’t know what sins to confess? Talk to your spouse, co-workers, or friends. The liturgy will include music, scripture, prayer, and time to reflect, lasting no more than an hour. Bring a Bible or spiritual reading and give Jesus some of your precious time and open your hearts to listen to him, speaking words of love and peace.
Our worship space will once again be decorated with poinsettias for the Christmas season. If you would like to contribute in memory of a loved one, or to the fund in general, please send a check payable to St. Columbkille in the amount of $15, or click here to submit your request and payment online. The deadline for inclusion in the Christmas bulletin is December 5.
On behalf of our Finance Council and staff, we offer you the Parish Financial Report for the fiscal year from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. The printed report can be found inside the bulletin this weekend (October 8 & 9). To receive a hard copy by mail, please click here and submit your request. We thank you for your dedicated financial support for the mission of this parish. Those many families joining us do so because you are encounters with Christ for them. May God bless us and make our work fruitful in His eyes.
Hurricane Ian struck the west coast of Florida with monstrous winds and flooding rains, leaving millions without power and many without drinkable water. Make an emergency donation to Catholic Charities USA today and 100% of your gift will help provide lifesaving resources through the Florida Catholic Charities agencies. Click here to donate to these relief efforts directly, or provide a check in an enveloped marked "Catholic Charities USA - Hurricane Ian" and we will direct it there. Please continue to pray for the families who lost so much during this tragic natural disaster.
In observance of Respect Life month, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be offered after each of the weekend Masses on October 8 and 9 to show our respect and care for the sick and elderly. Anyone in need of the Sacrament is invited.
The Synod Survey Report has been posted on the archdiocesan website at https://dbqarch.org/synod-report. This report was sent to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and is the report for the archdiocesan family as well. The report summarizes the significant findings, conclusions and next steps in this work to build parish vibrancy. Also posted are detailed summaries from each section of the survey (including short answer questions), focus groups and copy of the survey used. This information will provide further details and support for the significant findings and conclusions found in the Synod Survey Report. It will also provide much insight into what the nearly 16,000 participants feel. Thank you to all who provided input to assist in this important planning process.
Totus Tuus is is a summer Catholic youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic Faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship. This year, Totus Tuus for Dubuque will be held at Nativity on July 25—29. The daytime session for children entering grades 1—6 is 8:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m. and is $50 for the first child and $25 for each additional child. The evening session for students entering grades 7—12 is 7:00—9:15 p.m. and the cost is $20 each. For more information and to register go to https://nativitydbq.org/totus-tuus-2022.
Join the Dubuque Area Youth Ministry on a bus trip to Six Flags Great America on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The cost for the trip is $85 which includes the bus travel, parking and ticket to the amusement park. Food is not included in the cost of this event. All 9th-12th grade students are invited to participate. Click on the event title link for more information and to download the registration form.
The St. Columbkille Knights will host a free will offering breakfast, 7:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., to support the Iowa K of C Ultrasound Initiative. These machines allow women in crisis pregnancies to see their child and choose life. The breakfast will include made-to-order omelets and all the fixings. We hope you will join us in helping SAVE THE BABIES. Click on the title link above for more information.
All are invited on Sunday, May 15, to an open house celebration of Fr. Tom McDermott’s 25th Anniversary of Ordination. Lunch will be served following the 10 a.m. Mass from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Presentation Hall. Please stop by to congratulate Fr. Tom and thank him for his 25 years of service in the priesthood!