Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Letter to Catholics from Iowa Bishops to protect religious freedom
March 20, 2012
Fellow Catholics in Iowa:
As the Catholic bishops of Iowa, we are strongly united in our ongoing efforts to protect religious freedom. Regrettably, a Health and Human Services mandate announced last year will require many Catholic and other religious institutions to cover medical services that are in opposition to their religious beliefs. The president’s announced accommodation still makes an unacceptable distinction between our houses of worship and our ministries, and still requires all non?exempt employers to facilitate the objectionable coverage.
The mandate represents government coercion of religious people and groups to violate their most deeply held convictions. We believe this dispute is not about access to contraceptives but about the government’s forcing the Church to provide them. At a minimum, any federal regulation should fully respect religious freedom and freedom of conscience as enshrined in our Constitution and in particular, the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
During this time of Lent, as a community of faith let us commit ourselves to prayer and action. As you know, during the Fridays of Lent, the faithful are obliged to abstain from eating meat. Recognizing the necessity of our dependence on God, we, the Bishops of Iowa, request that all Catholics dedicate the regular Lenten Friday practice of prayer and abstinence as well as the practice of fasting on Friday, March 30, to the preservation of religious liberty. Pray for your Church and political leaders that together we can find a solution that respects our respective roles in society.
Please watch www.usccb.org/conscience and www.iowacatholicconference.org for updated information.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Jerome Hanus, OSB: Archbishop of Dubuque
Most Rev. R. Walker Nickless: Bishop of Sioux City
Most Rev. Martin Amos: Bishop of Davenport
Most Rev. Richard Pates: Bishop of Des Moines
PRAY FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY!
STOP HHS
JOIN THE FIGHT!
Call
U.S. Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121
Iowa Senate: 515-281-3371
Email Congress through USCCB DOT ORG
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JEANNE WELLS WEATHER
Today: Partly Cloudy – High of 75
Tomorrow: Clear – High of 75
Monday: Thunderstorms later in day – High of 74
PSALM OF THE DAY
O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge
GOSPEL
Jn 7:40-53
Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is truly the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.” So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” Then each went to his own house.
SAINT OF THE DAY
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March 24: St. Catherine of Genoa
MISSIONARY IMAGE OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Today: 10am–4pm @ St. Francis of Assisi Parish’s 40 Days for Life prayer vigil outside Planned Parenthood, 1000 East Army Post Road, Des Moines
Today: 6pm–10pm @ Basilica of St. John, 1915 University Ave., Des Moines, Spanish Mass at 6 p.m., veneration until 10 p.m.
SATURDAY MASS TIMES
8a
St. Augustin (Des Moines)
St. Pius X (Urbandale)
8:30a
St. Anthony (Des Moines)
9a
Basilica of Saint John (Des Moines)
4p
All Saints (Des Moines)
Basilica of Saint John (Des Moines)
Our Lady of the Americas (Des Moines)
Sacred Heart (West Des Moines)
St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines)
4:30p
Holy Trinity (Beaverdale)
St. Anthony (Des Moines)
St. Francis of Assisi (West Des Moines)
St. John’s (Adel)
St. Theresa (Des Moines)
4:45p
St. Thomas Aquinas (Ames)
5p
Assumption (Granger)
Christ the King (Des Moines)
Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart (Ankeny)
St. Augustin (Des Moines)
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Student Center (Des Moines)
St Cecilia (Ames)
St. Elizabeth Seton (Carlisle)
St. Joseph (Des Moines)
St. John the Apostle (Norwalk)
St. Mary of Nazareth (Des Moines)
St. Mary/Holy Cross (St. Mary)
5:30p
SS. John and Paul (Altoona)
St. Boniface (Waukee)
St. Thomas Aquinas (Indianola) @ St Thomas
6:30p
Our Lady of the Americas (Des Moines) – Spanish Mass
RECONCILIATION
8:30a
Christ the King (Des Moines)
St. Pius X (Urbandale)
St. Theresa (Des Moines) 2nd & 4th Saturday
9a
St. Anthony (Des Moines)
3p
All Saints (Des Moines)
St. Theresa (Des Moines) 1st, 3rd & 5th Saturday
3:15p
St. Pius X (Urbandale)
3:30p
St. Anthony (Des Moines)
St. Augustin (Des Moines)
St. Cecilia (Ames)
St. John’s (Adel)
St. Mary of Nazareth (Des Moines)
St. Thomas Aquinas (Ames)
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1150 KWKY CATHOLIC RADIO PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You commanded your followers to go out and preach the Gospel to all creation. Your servant Blessed Pope John Paul II proclaimed that “radio offers perhaps the closest equivalent today of what Jesus was able to do with large groups through His preaching.”
We ask your guidance for the ministry of 1150 KWKY Catholic Radio that we may affectively and consistently convey your message to Iowa as well as the Diocese of Des Moines and remain faithful to the teachings and values of the Catholic Church. Empower the 1150 KWKY Catholic radio staff to walk with you and to labor beside you in their efforts.
Inspire all listeners today through the grace of your Holy Spirit to understand more fully your desire for them and through the ministry of Catholic radio, touch their hearts and change their lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
