We welcome Kelleryn Rauzi as our new Pastoral Minister for the Sick and Homebound. Kelleryn is originally from Manhattan, IL and is a 2013 graduate of Loras College with a degree in Philosophy/Religious Studies. After graduation, Kelleryn married her husband, Brett, whom she had met at Loras and they moved to Cedar Rapids where she worked at St. Jude Parish as the Pastoral Minister for the Sick and Homebound and Funeral/Bereavement Ministry. After two years, she came to the Cedar Valley to work for the four Waterloo parishes coordinating K-12 Religious Education. Kelleryn left that position in 2018 to focus her time and energies on her growing family of three: Elizabeth (8), Rosalie (6), and Matthias (3).

Aldred & Grace Salsa, natives of Bethlehem in the Holy Land, wi0ll be with us next weekend, Sept 27 - 28, with a beautiful collection of handmade olive wood religious artifacts made by the Christian community in Bethlehem. Please stop by their display in the Gathering Space after all masses, as you will see a beautiful selection for your home or as gifts for loved ones, especially Christmas gifts! Thank you for your support and God bless!

Online registration for Religious Education and Sacrament Class for 2025-2026 school year is now open. Register at waterloocatholics.org. This program is for students in grades 2-8 who attend public school. Cost is $95 for one student; $165 for 2 students; and, $210 for 3 or more students. Please plan to attend a Parent Orientation Meeting to learn more about this new program! Children do not need to attend this informational meeting. September 3 @ Blessed Sacrament Parish Center from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM or September 4 @ St. Edward from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM (ONLINE). This preparation program is for first-time parents in the Waterloo parishes who are planning to baptize an infant or young child in the near future. Parents should be registered members of a parish and may either register at the class or coordinate registration soon. To register for the baptism class, CLICK ON THIS ARTICLE. To register with Blessed Sacrament Parish, please contact Maggie in the office: [email protected] or 319-233-6179.

Fr. Tony invites you to join him on pilgrimage to Southern Italy from October 27 - November 6, 2025. Tucked within the picturesque landscapes of the Amalfi coast are numerous revered churches, shrines, and other sacred sites. From the charming streets of Positano to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, pilgrims will delight in the beauty and charm of the most visited country in the world, Italy! Trips to San Giovanni Rotondo, Mone Sant'Angelo, and Rome! $5,500 package includes: 11 days/9 nights; round-trip airfare, ground transportation, Catholic Tour Guide, 4-Star Hotels, Daily Mass, all admission fees, and more! This trip is through Trinity Tour Travels. For more info, visit: www.trinitytourtravels.com/fr-tony-kruse-1-1.

Youth in grade 1 - 12 for the 2025 - 2026 school year are invited to be part of this totally Catholic summer program. It's for ALL youth in ANY school OR parish! Totus Tuus is a Latin phrase meaning "totally yours". The program hopes to help young people give themselves totally to Jesus through our Blessed Mother. For more info and registration, visit: waterloocatholics.org/totustuus

The Waterloo Parishes will offer summer religious education classes for public school youth entering grades K-8 for the 2025-2026 school year. Class dates are the weeks of June 23 and 30 (last class day is July 2). Classes will take place at St. Edward Elementary School from 9am - Noon. Note: Summer classes do NOT include any sacramental preparation (sacrament prep takes place during the school year and more information will be shared this Fall). Registration for Summer RE is now open online: waterloocatholics.org/reregistration. For more info, contact Annie Zeets: [email protected].

DID YOU KNOW that every Wednesday from 4pm to 8pm, we have Eucharistic Exposition (Adoration) here in our parish? While we have at least one person per hour serving as guardian, we would love to have more committed adorers (guardians) for each hour. Now that the weather is getting nicer and the daylight is longer, would you consider becoming a regular Wednesday adorer for just one hour? Please contact Maggie in the office if you would like to sign up for the 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, or 7pm hour.

Our Garage Sale Team is accepting donations for the Fall Sale. donation drop-offs must be scheduled through Margaret Klein (please do not drop items off outside the doors). To schedule a donation drop-off, PLEASE CONACT MARGARET KELIN AT 319-429-1907. Fall Garage Sale need: Does anyone have any unused pool noodles lying around? Our Garage Sale Team could use them for the sale. Believe it or not, pool noodles are used to display flowers in the Garage Sale's floral department. You can contact Margaret Klein, or simply drop off pool noodles to the Parish Office and we'll make sure that they get to where they need to be. THANK YOU!

On the weekend of May 17-18, we will hold our annual Pastoral Council election. This year we are looking to fill two vacancies. Serving on the Council is truly not as hard as one might think, and Fr. Tony makes it an enjoyable experience! To learn more, click on the image to the left of this article. If you are interested in running for one of the open spots, please contact Maggie England or Fr. Tony in the office or at 319.233.6179.

The Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition, which has been displayed at various parishes in the archdiocese, will once again be on display in the coming weeks at three nearby parishes: Immaculate Conception, Gilbertville - Sunday, April 27 from 9AM - 5PM; St. Athanasius, Jesup - Sunday, May 4 from 9AM - 5PM; and, St. Francis, Dunkerton - Sunday, May 11 from 8AM - 4PM. It is worth the short trip to see this wonderful exhibition!

All are invited to observe this Divine Mercy Sunday (April 27) at St, Patrick Church in Cedar Falls. Seven priests will be available to hear confessions. Confessions start at 2pm and will be available until 4pm. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be chanted by Blessed Sacrament's own Jim Roche at approximately 3pm.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 FROM 5PM - 7PM AT COLUMBUS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL. Take a night off from cooking! This free-will donation dinner will help support youth from the Waterloo parishes attending the National Catholic Youth Conference in November. Dine in or carry out! We are also looking for businesses to sponsor our NCYC group t-shirts. $150 gets your business name/logo on the back of our t-shirts. If you would like to support our youth but can't make the dinner, or to sponsor our shirts: please email Director of Youth Ministry Annie Zeets: [email protected].

Blessed Sacrament's Parishioner Appreciation Breakfast will be held on Sunday, April 27th from 8:00 AM to Noon in the Parish Center. Our annual breakfast, hosted by the Stewardship Committee and Men's Group is open to all parishioners and is our way of thanking all of you for your faithful contributions to our community of faith. And best of all: IT'S FREE! Hope to see you there!