Join our new Seminarian Intern, Jacob Francois, for an 8-week study on the Story of Divine Mercy, St. John Paul II, and St. Faustina. Jacob studied in Krakow, Poland, for two years before studying at Mundelein Seminary. He will provide personal insights and testimony to Fr. Michael Gaitley's study entitled, "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told." Begins May 28th and will meet weekly on Tuesday evenings around 6:00pm (following 5:30 Mass). The last session will meet on July 30th. You can register for this study through our parish website or by signing up in the Gathering Space.

Join us in giving our new Summer Seminarian Intern Jacob Francois a warm Blessed Sacrament welcome! Jacob is a native of Cedar Rapids and comes from a large Catholic family. He is the oldest of 6 kids and graduated from Xavier High School in 2016. He studied theology and philosophy at Loras & Benedictine College where he graduated in 2019. Jacob has had previous experience teaching as the department head of theology at Don Bosco in Gilbertville and as the director of youth and young adult ministry at St. Patrick's in Cedar Rapids. Jacob received a master's and a licentiate degree in Krakow, Poland where he studied theology and philosophy at the Pontifical University of St. John Paul II in 2022. Jacob is now a theologian studying at Mundelein Seminary for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. His hobbies include hiking, skiing, fishing, canoeing, coffee, and traveling.

SEPTEMBER 3 - 13, 2024: Explore the vibrant cities of Athens and Corinth, where St. Paul wrote some of his most powerful letters that continue to inspire and guide us today. Cruise to the enchanting city of Ephesus in Turkey, where tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary spent her last days on earth. Step onto the sacred grounds of Patmos, where the Apostle John wrote the book of Revelations, and walk in the very footsteps of St. Paul and his disciples as they traveled to Greece to share the Good News! $5,500 Package includes: 11 days / 9 nights; 4-star hotels (rated by standards of country); double occupancy; 2 meals per day; Admission to all sites; Air Condition/WiFi on buses; Catholic tour guide; All gratuities. There is still space to fill on this trip. To guarantee the $5,500 price, you need to REGISTER BY JUNE 6! Contact Eddie Abufarha at 800-867-0306 to learn more.

Calling all those Green Thumbs out there who are interested in helping feed the needy in the Cedar Valley. Our Blessed Sacrament raised garden beds have helped the Queen of Peace kitchen reach out to our local community to help provide a meal every Tuesday night. We have provided the kitchen with homegrown vegetables for the last four years! We need people like yourself, willing to sacrifice a little time with the watering, the weeding, and the harvesting of these wonderful vegetables. Please contact Deacon Mike Knipp at 319-610-3202. We look to plant by Monday, May 13th.

Please consider being a part of our newly formed Social Concerns Committee! We are a group that is focused on outreach in our local community. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 4, at 6L:00 pm in Putz Hall. Just come and see what we are up to. I think you will see what a fun and heartfelt experience it can be to help those around us who only need to feel that others care. Fort questions, please call Deacon Mike Knipp at 319-610-3202.

This year we have two elected Pastoral Council positions opening up and we have wo candidates willing to serve in this capacity. Next weekend, we will have an election and might note that we have one candidate for each of the available positions. This means we will have an election by acclamation at each Mass rather than a paper ballot vote.

Are you interested in joining a bus trip to the National Eucharistic Congress NEXT year? Waterloo Catholic Parishes are considering sponsoring a bus to the Congress, which will be held July 17-21, 2024 in Indianapolis, but we need to know if a sufficient number of people are interested. Participation is limited to 50 persons and priority will be given to members of the Waterloo parishes prior to January 1, 2024. To learn more, simply CLICK on this article.