We welcome Emily Schieltz as our new Ascension Parish Director.  For the past year she has served on the Parish Finance Board and I asked her to replace Gaylia Ostermeier who is ‘retiring’  as a long time parish director.  Gaylia has served as the parish director for St. Malachy Parish alongside Greg Grimm for several years and then continued on as St. Malachy, St. John and Sacred Heart churches formed one parish, Ascension Parish. Greg Grimm served as the  parish director for St. Malachy for several years, sacrificing his time on different projects and providing guidance forward.  Likewise, Rita Phillips served as Sacred Parish Director alongside Tom until the formation as one parish; presently she serves on our Finance Board, providing good insights as our Catholic Community continues to provide for parishioners and visitors alike.  For the past two years Gaylia has served alongside Tom Venner as our Ascension Parish Directors, guiding and aiding the challenging process of forming one parish from three churches.  I believe Emily—serving alongside Tom Venner as parish directors—will likewise continue the efforts to keep our one Catholic Parish of Boone County ‘viable’ and a welcoming place for all who seek to share in our prayers and Sacramental life.  Directors serve a term of three years with a contingency clause to serve another term, and longer.  Each parish is unique to itself with the terms their directors serve.  Presently one director is from Sacred Heart Church and one from St. Malachy church.  
Responsibilities of the Parish Directors include: an understanding and awareness of the parish finances, the balance sheet, expenditures, tithing and income.  Attend the monthly Finance Meetings, approve the yearly budget, acknowledge the work of the parish staff, the needs of the parish.  Consult with any Capital Campaign, development or stewardship drives, approve alongside the pastor of any significant parish building or refurbishing project, be attentive to the life of the parish.  Directors are appointed by the pastor and approved by the Bishop.  Tom Venner has served as Sacred Heart’s Director for the past several years, and has aided the process of the three churches in Boone County becoming one.  At present and in the past each of the three parishes have had dedicated, faithful individuals offering their time and hope for the continued presence and dignity of our Catholic Community.  We have been blessed through the years,  and continue to receive the good guidance of the parish directors.
A Holy Day of Obligation this Thursday, the fifteenth, often times is forgotten by many as it falls in the middle of summer with families taking in various activities and getting their children prepared for the start of a new school year.  Mary’s Assumption into heaven has been acknowledged and celebrated since the fifth century.  Not until November 1st, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the doctrine  of Mary’s Assumption—body and soul—into heaven.  Interestingly, the history of Mary’s death and corporate assumption harkens back to the fourth century with certain NT apocrypha texts in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Arabic, and Ethiopic record her death amidst miraculous circumstances, in some cases her body was assumed on the way to the burial, in others that she was raised after three days.  However the twists and turns of the recorded history of Mary’s Assumption it is by faith we believe in such, and the grace of the Holy Spirit upon Pope Pius XII as he defined the doctrine.  (Footnote: Apocrypha are biblical books received by the early church that were not accepted by all denominations.  Books of the Apocrypha were written anywhere from 200 BC to 100 AD.)
Whatever the background and footnotes alluding to Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, our recognition of her relevance and intercessory presence in our lives is best defined by Pope Benedict XVI: “While she lived on this earth she could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is close to us, actually, “within” all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God. Being in God and with God, she is close to each one of us, knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness and has been given to us, as the Lord said, precisely as a “mother” to whom we can turn at every moment.”
Please check the bulletin for Mass times for the Holy Day of Mary’s Assumption.
The weekend of the 24th & 25th at all the Masses we will have Ministry Sign Up sheets in the pews, with information about each.  We are always in need of parishioners sharing their faith and presence, their abilities and time for the hope of others.  Please consider how you can offer, or continue to offer your time and efforts and faith within the various ministries of our parish life.  You may also have other ideas or inspirations of ministries we are not involved with on the parish level, and we welcome your thoughts and ideas.  Our parish thrives on the stewardship of others, whether parishioners or visitors, young and old.  Most importantly, your presence and faith shared within our Sunday Eucharist—a blessing of community.  Please take a few moments or longer to ‘ponder’ what you can offer with your time and talent—always through the gift of faith.  Always, thank you.
God Bless, Fr. Tim
State Fair Quotes of participants:  “Take aim and win me a prize, baby!”  “You’re the cotton candy to my funnel cakes.”  “This rollercoaster reminds me of our relationship…”  “The state fair: Where you discover that goats are the G.O.A.T.”  “Reminder to self: Rides first, food later. You don’t want a repeat of last year.”