HAPPY BIRTHDAY FR. PRATAP!!
Thursday, July 2nd

Heron Lake Fire Department is having a pancake breakfast at the Heron Lake Elementary today, Sunday, March 30th, so let’s show them some support!

Weekly Words from The Rock:

2021 was a difficult year for my poor left shoulder. What happened? Let me get underway. On my parent’s home place, they planted a row of dogwoods on a portion of the north and east side of the premise. Its purpose was to add color to the farm site and catch any snow blowing into the yard. As we learned, not only was it good at catching snow, but it also served as a great “catcher” of chopped corn stalks and husks. My brother has a chopping corn head which grinds the entire corn stalk during the process of harvesting. What remains is very small, and with the right wind, can easily be blown for miles. Such is what happened. We had a strong wind and elements of the chopped corn stalks from the field around my parent’s home ended up in our rows of dogwood. Not a small amount either.

This was quite the dilemma. My mother tried to take a rake and hoe to remove the elements from the dogwood. The problem is dogwoods tend to grow close together. No hoe or rake was going to serve the purpose. Thus, my mother came up with another plan which would lead to my doom. She decided to burn them out. It worked; however, in the process, she also killed all the branches on the dogwoods from top to bottom. Enter yours truly. I took a lopper and cut each branch off as close to the ground as possible. During the endeavor, only two dogwoods were not affected by mom’s fateful decision. It was a hot summer day and I was pouring sweat by the time I finished lopping.

Once completed, I told my mother that I had done my share. I asked the family to rake up the branches, load them into the pickup, and take them to a different building site to be burned. Well, it didn’t happen that day or the next day. Finally, the night before my father was to go in for heart surgery, my sister was loading the branches all alone. I felt sorry for her so I pitched in to the help. We loaded the back of the pickup and headed for the aforementioned site.

Here is where problems evolved. I decided to lay on the branches in the back of the pickup and told my sister to drive very slowly. Everything was working just fine until the wind caught some of the branches hanging over the cab. I was in trouble. I was no match for the force of the wind. I was going out the back of the pickup. Realizing my predicament, I made a choice. I decided to jump, land on my feet, and run. Everything went fine until... Until what? I made the jump just fine and landed squarely on my feet. Great! Until I took two steps, at which time my life went dark. Literally. The next two hours of my life are a complete blank, total darkness. The family had to fill in the details.

Later, I was told, my sister kept driving until she came to the reality that I was no longer in the pickup. She turned around and saw me lying on the road, not moving. She drove up and started to shake me. I didn’t move for a time until finally I stirred. She went to get my brother. When my brother came, I was walking around and told him what had happened. However, I don’t remember any of it. My brother took me to his place which leads to the only event I can remember - my sister-in-law who had just come home saying something to me. What did she say? Beats me, I don’t know. I only remember being “out of the fog” for about five seconds.

At this point, things didn’t look too good for yours truly so it was decided I would be taken to the Emergency Room in Albert Lea. My brother drove me and it was during that drive that I finally came around, out of “my fog.”

When I finally came around, I told my brother I had come out of “my fog.” I remember asking about my phone which he had picked up on the gravel road where I had fallen. Luckily, it was unscathed. My glasses were a different story. They were in very rough shape. On the way to the hospital, I realized I was in some pain. The left side of my forehead was cut in several places. My entire left side under my arm had seen better days and had a cut on my left knee. However, what took the greatest blow was my left shoulder. It hurt and I couldn’t move it easily.

It was at this point that it dawned on me what had happened. After I had jumped from the pickup, landed upright and taken two steps, I was no longer able to stay upright. I fell on the gravel road with my left arm out exposing the left side of my body to the gravel and road. The left side of my head hit the gravel road which knocked me out. People to this day ask, “Father, did you have a concussion?” I tell them, “How am I supposed to know? You tell me.” Imagine for a moment, falling on a gravel road, landing on rocks of various sizes. If you want to try it, I leave that up to you; however, I wouldn’t recommend it. It leads to cuts and bruises in all kinds of locales.

Now we get to my poor left shoulder. Picture your arm out and the left side of your body landing directly on gravel with the brunt of the fall coming under your left armpit. Landing squarely on that region, my body came off the ground before coming to rest. I didn’t realize the severity for a day or two before I had tremendous pain in my shoulder. Fortunately, nothing was broken but to this day if I attempt to climb on monkey bars, the pain in my left shoulder is so great that I can’t remain on the monkey bars. I don’t know how much damage was done to my shoulder but even in my world, the reality is that it will never be the same.

I have a spiritual tie which I would like to make to this story but realize my space is limited. Keep this story embedded in your minds and I will come back to it next week.

Till next time!
Peace be to you!
Father Peter Schuster

Vocation View: Like the father in the Gospel, God welcomes us home in spite of our sinfulness, and calls us to a life of holiness. Where are you at home? Are you being called to life as a priest or religious? (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32)

There will be Confession available 1/2 hour before mass on Sundays.

Coffee and Rolls will be hosted by Carmen Rasche on Sunday, April 6th.

Stations of the Cross will not take place on April 2nd. There will be a Mass/adoration for Faith Formation students at 7 PM. All are invited to attend.

Chrism Mass: Sacred Heart Church in Heron Lake will be hosting the Chrism Mass this year on Monday, April 14th at 2 PM. We are looking for volunteers to help out with numerous responsibilities that day so if you are available to help please let the office know. THANK YOU!

Second Collection: Sunday, March 30th we will be taking up a second collection for Joseph Bartosh. Joseph is a member of Sacred Heart in Heron Lake and is attending Seminary. Donations for Joseph are accepted at any time. Please contact Melanie in the office for more information. Thank you for helping support our very own!

The family of Jim Stenzel would like to thank everyone for all the food that was brought to the house, the help, and the visits. Thanks to Carroll Freking for all the times he took Jim to Mankato for treatments and the numerous times I was taken to appointments by wonderful parishioners and friends since the funeral. It all means the world to us, just like Jim did. His smile, jokes, and big heart will never be forgotten. God Love You.
- Patricia Stenzel

This Weekend, March 29-30, There will be a second collection for Catholic Relief Services. This collection provides funding for CRS, the USCCB Offices of International Justice and Peace, Migration and Refugee Services and Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees; relief work of the Holy Father; and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. Or give at https://support.crs.org

An Eucharistic Missionary is any Catholic who, inspired by an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist and fueled by the Bread of Life, allows God to use them as an instrument of his grace "for the life of the world." Go forth!

Sacred Heart Church in Heron Lake will be hosting the Chrism Mass this year on Monday, April 14th at 2:00 PM. Please plan to attend. All ages are welcome.

The Catholic Ministries Appeal offers a unique opportunity for you to give back to the God of Love, from whom all things are given. Grow closer to Christ by doing your part to build up the Kingdom of God in southern Minnesota. This year’s theme is “ANSWERING GOD’S CALL”

You may also give online at: https://catholicfsmn.org

The Synod. Bishop Barron asks that parishioners participate in a survey during the season of Lent prior to holding regional gathering of parish delegates and appointed members from all over the Diocese. The survey is online and accessible via the QR code. You may also access the survey through the dowr.org webpage.

Two representatives from each parish are needed to serve on a Synod for Evangelization & Vocations that will be taking place in Mankato Aug 21 starting at 4pm - Aug 22, full day. You MUST be available during these days/ times. Limited hotel rooms are available. Please contact Dana: 507-836-8030 if you are interested in serving. Each church MUST have 2 representatives.

Please like and share our Facebook page. The page is intended to connect current parish members and members that have moved with the activities of Sacred Heart Heron Lake.

We welcome you into God’s family! If you are interested in learning more about our church, or would like to join, please stop in the Parish Office.

Please notify the Parish Office of any change of address.

Contact the priest 6 to 12 months in advance of the date of marriage to fill out the forms, to do FOCCUS Test and to attend Marriage Prep Mentoring sessions. Please contact your parish office, if interested.

Contact the parish office a month in advance to fill out the form and to attend Baptism Mentoring Sessions.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation still available by appointment for each Parish.

When booking a Quinceanera and needing a 1st Reconciliation and a 1st Holy Communion. There is a three month preparation time. Please schedule your Quinceanera 3 months in advance. Thank you. It is also required that the family is a member of the parish.