Catholic Churches of NCC includes: Saint Patrick Parish Seneca WI; Saint Philip Parish Rolling Ground WI; Saint Mary Parish Gays Mills WI; St James Cemetery Rising Sun WI; Kneeland Cemetery Seneca WI catholicchurchesofncc.com

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ  King of the Universe

November 23^rd, 2025

St. Mary, St. Patrick, St. Philip Parishes

Mail address for all three parishes:  PO Box 35, Seneca WI 54654

Website: https://www.catholicchurchesofncc.com

Confessions: Normally, 30 minutes before every

Mass and by appointment.

Normal Monthly Eucharistic Adoration:

St. Patrick: First Friday after the 8:30 AM Mass

St. Philip: First Sunday after the 10:30 AM Mass

Mass Intentions This Week

Pastor: Fr. Tom Huff – Rectory 608-734-3252 frtomhuff@gmail.com

Bookkeepers: Angie Martin - 608-734-3931 stpatricks.seneca.bookkeeper@gmail.com

Kevin Murray – 608-391-0434 secretary@cnn.diolcparish.org

Bulletin/Mass Intentions/Membership:

Yvonne Hady -- 608 485-2109 hadyy@mwt.net

Kevin Murray – 608-391-0434 secretary@cnn.diolcparish.org

Bulletin Information Deadline: Tuesdays at 4:00 PM. Bulletin is posted on our website.

UPCOMING PARISH EVENTS

Saturday, November 22^nd Hunter's Mass 7pm at St. Philip’s

Usual Mass at St. Patrick’s

Tuesday, November 25th No Adult Faith Study at St. Mary’s

Thanksgiving Day Masses

Thursday, November 27^th 8:30 am at St. Patrick’s

Thursday, November 27^th 8:30 am at St. Phillip’s

Please keep in your prayers Mr. Kevin Guenther, the father of Father Brandon Guenther (Pastor Of Holy Family Parish in PDC), who passed away on Sunday, November 18, 2025.

From the Priest’s Corner:

The Solemnity of Christ the King Homily

There is a quote which says: If there is nothing above us, we will be consumed by all that is around us. Our nation’s Founding Fathers recognized the truth of these words when they wrote: That all are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Our human dignity, our rights and freedoms do not come to us from our President or our Congress or our Supreme Court; they come to us from above, from God our Creator.

Over the centuries people have lived under rulers who claimed absolute power over their subjects. And sadly, even today some modern governments and even some politicians in our own country, reject the idea that people have inherent rights and dignity that come from God. Instead, they see themselves as the highest authority. In 1925 Pope Pius XI saw this attempt by various governments to reject the divine rights and dignity given by God to the human person and so he established the Solemnity of Christ the King.

As Catholics we are not called to escape our world nor are we to be enslaved by it; but we are called to sanctify it by our lives and by the choices we make. The only way Christ’s kingdom can be revealed here on earth, is through us by the way we live in our daily lives.

This coming Thursday we as a nation celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Let us be most thankful that God has so loved us that He sent His only Son into our world to redeem us and to restore us as His children. Let us be thankful that our inherent rights and dignity come from a loving Father. May the knowledge of this great truth guide us and give us the courage to live our lives for our good, the good of others, and for God’s glory!

Income from Last Week

2026 Donation Envelopes are available now. If you do not receive envelopes currently and would like to, please contact Kevin Murray 608-391-0434 secretary@cnn.diolcparish.org

St. Patrick’s Announcements:

St. Philip Announcements:

St. Philip Candles: Contact Bonnie Murphy. The cost is $5 per candle.

Food Pantry items are needed. Please leave any gift at the rear of the Church.

St. Mary Announcements:

Rosary – 30 minutes before Mass -- St. Mary’s Church is open each day from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM (winter hours). You are welcome to stop in to pray and/or light a candle for your special intention.

First Sunday Potluck brunch after Mass each first Sunday of the month. All are welcome, dish to share is appreciated, but not required. Next potluck is Sunday, Dec. 7^th.

Food Pantry Donations can be left in the basket in the rear of the Church.

Tri-Parish Announcements:

Share and Care Christmas gifts must be returned to all churches by Dec. 7^th. For further information please contact Amy Murphy, Pat Dearth, Judy Geyer or Yvonne Hady.

All Souls Day Intentions: Please turn in your All Souls Intentions by the end of November. There are special envelopes in your offering boxes, or you can place them in a regular envelope marked “All Souls.” Any money donated will be combined to determine the number of All Souls Masses for the next year; you do not have to donate any specific amount. Checks should be made out to “Stipend Account.” Please include the names of any deceased that you would like to have remembered.

As of Sunday November 30^th, Kevin Murray will be handling the Bookkeeping, Mass Intentions, & Bulletin Announcements. Please make all email request & inquiries to secretary@ncc.diolc.org or call 608-391-0434. We would like to thank Yvonne Hady & Angie Martin for their years of excellent and dedicated service to our parishes!

Other Announcements:

Knights of Columbus poster contest. All kindergarten through 8th grade students are encouraged to participate in our local poster contest. Posters can be any size but approximately 11” x 17” is suggested. The theme is “Keep Christ in Christmas” so subject matter should relate to Christ coming into the world. Entry forms are available in the back of church. Judging will be based on: 30 points for how well art relates to theme, 30 points for how well art conveys message, 40 points for overall visual impact and quality. Entries must be turned in by December 7, 2025. For more information or an entry form contact Bill Schultz at: 608 306 0622

ST. MARY'S Coon Valley, ANNUAL CRAFT SHOW Saturday, December 6, 2025. Join us for St. Mary's Annual Craft Show and discover unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for the holiday season! Shop from a variety of talented local vendors and crafters. 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM Coon Valley Village Hall, 108 Roosevelt St. Enjoy delicious concessions available throughout the day. Admission is free, so bring your family and friends for a fun day of shopping and community spirit! For more information, visit www.stmarycv.org/craft-show or contact Nancy Peters at 608-790-6034 or Peters@mwt.net.

Tri-Parish Prayer List – We want to pray for the ill and others in our parishes who need ongoing prayer. To be placed on or to place someone on our prayer list, please call: Sue Peterson 608-735-4865, Bonnie Murphy 608-386-4954, or Ica Boylen 608-734-3287.

THANKSGIVING DAY, A DEEPLY CATHOLIC HOLIDAY

For most Americans, Thanksgiving Day is a special day, where we celebrate family unity. In fact, families get together on Thanksgiving more often than on any other holiday, including Christmas, and according to retailers’ statistics, this is the day when the most food is consumed in the country.

But besides the traditional family get-together and the big meal, there is also the religious meaning of this holiday, that is present since its origins. According to tradition, the pilgrims celebrated the first meal of thanksgiving in 1621, together with a group of natives to give thanks to God for the abundance of the harvests in the new world.

With time, this celebration became a national event, finally sanctioned by President George Washington himself. Today, we Catholics, celebrate Thanksgiving not only as a national holiday, but also as an authentically Catholic holiday.

I say that this is a truly Catholic celebration because even before the “first” Thanksgiving celebration on U.S. soil in 1621, on April 30, 1598, in Texas, Don Juan de Oñate had already declared officially a “Day of Thanksgiving,” commemorated with the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Oñate did what is essentially Catholic: to celebrate the Eucharist, a word which comes from the Greek term Eukaristein, and which means, precisely, “thanksgiving.” In fact the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that we should be, “living in thanksgiving since everything we are and have comes from him." (CCC 224).

This is the reason why, although Thanksgiving is not a day of obligation on the Catholic calendar, the liturgical calendar of the church in the United States celebrates it with the solemnity of two readings — one from the Old and another from the New Testament — and with a symbolic reading of the Gospel of Luke: the passage of the “Magnificat” proclaimed by the Most Holy Virgin Mary, in which she recites one of the most beautiful and profound thanksgivings to the infinite love of God: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness… The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” (Lk 1:41-55)

Although the Virgin Mary experienced it in a unique and privileged way, we can offer our thanksgiving to God, because He has given us more than we imagine or deserve, simply because, as our Holy Mother tells us, He has done great things for us, and holy is His name.

That is why we Catholics should not only celebrate Thanksgiving with a deep sense of prayer, gratitude and joy, but the celebration this day should lead us to remember that our lives as Catholics are a constant act of thanksgiving, through our daily activities, all of which should give glory to God, especially through the celebration of the Eucharist, which, as the Catechism says, “The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption and sanctification. Eucharist means first of all ‘thanksgiving.’” (CCC 1360)

In two weeks we begin the special season of Advent. Through it, we prepare to receive the supreme gift from God: His own Son, who became one of us to reconcile humanity. May our Mother, who was always grateful to the Lord, help fill our hearts with thankfulness this Thanksgiving for all the blessings we have received and continue to receive throughout our lives.

A blessed and happy Thanksgiving to all!