Update - Registration has now closed for all summer camps.
VBS Scuba June 3-5, 2024 & VBS Wilderness Adventure June 3-7, 2024
Lumen Christi - June 9-14, 2024
...Little Catholics Lake Mitchell Bible Camp - July 29-31, 2024
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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I get to write the article this week since Fr. Cesar is in his annual retreat. A fun fact, I used to do this for a living. My last job before religious life was writing for a small magazine. As a small-time journalist, my best articles were written when I learned to love what I was writing about. For example, once I had to write an article about jazz. I knew almost nothing about it so I studied and listened to jazz music to understand and like the genre. As a result, I was pleased with my article and had a lot of fun writing it. Knowing and understanding are part of the process of love.
In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus talks about this process. First He says we have to keep His commandments to remain in His love. The basic level of discipleship is keeping the commandments of our faith, especially the Ten Commandments. Jesus is talking about the state of grace. When we directly, intentionally, and knowingly go against the Ten Commandments, we reject the love that God has for us. We stop abiding in the love of God. If I say I am a disciple of Christ but rob a bank, I contradict myself, become a cause for scandal, and my action deserves punishment in this life and the next. Keeping the Ten Commandments assures me that I am living a decent life but also helps me to understand what is good and what is evil.
It is good that we remain in His love by keeping the commandments but He encourages us to aim higher: friendship with Him.
Jesus says more. It is good that we remain in His love by keeping the commandments but He encourages us to aim higher: friendship with Him. To explain, Jesus uses the analogies of a slave (also translated as servant) and a friend. A servant obeys his boss but ultimately is not the boss’ friend. On the other hand, friends do not mind doing favors for each other and enjoy spending time together. Friends know each other well and love each other.
Obeying God’s commandments is good and assures us of living according to His love. Befriending God is even better. It means we love Him back. The Ten Commandments have a lot of “thou shall nots” because they are basic rules, boundaries that prevent us from falling away from God’s love. Befriending God means I go the extra mile because love always seeks to grow.
During the next weeks, I especially encourage you to know God by studying and praying with each of the Ten Commandments. Pray and study one commandment each day. You can find them in Deuteronomy 5:6-21 or at the beginning of section two of part three of the Catechism. After praying and studying each, have a resolution that has to do with that commandment. For example, after you pray about the fourth commandment, call your parents just to thank them for being there for you. When we know God’s commandments, we know God. When we know God, we love God and live to the full.
In Corde Iesu,
Fr. Yamato Icochea, P.E.S
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I hope you are having a blessed Easter season. This Sunday, we enter into the 5th Sunday of Easter and are only three weeks away from Pentecost.
In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus using the image of the “Vine and the branches” to explain the relationship between the Father, Jesus, and his disciples. So, let’s pay attention to this analogy.
The vine represents Jesus, the vinedresser (gardener) represents God the Father and the branches are the disciples or followers of Jesus. Jesus tells us that there are two kinds of branches: fruitless ones and fruitful ones. When the branches do not produce fruit, they are cut off and thrown into the fire. But when the branches produce fruit, they are pruned so that they might bear more fruit. Knowing this then we need to ask ourselves two important questions: first, what do we need to do to be fruitful branches, and second, how does God prune us?
If we want to be fruitful branches, we need to “remain” in Christ. In other words, we need to live according to Jesus' words and to “remain” in His Church. The branches to be fruitful need the “sap” from the True Vine, that sap is the grace we receive through God’s word and his sacraments. So, every time we commit a grave sin, every time we reject Jesus’ teachings, we cut ourselves from the vine and render ourselves fruitless branches.
God’s pruning removes anything that is not necessary from our lives so that we might follow him more closely.
Now, how does God prune us? Jesus tells us that God does it through his word. The Word of God, if we put it into practice, takes away anything that is an obstacle for the divine sap of grace to make us fruitful. God’s pruning removes anything that is not necessary from our lives so that we might follow him more closely.
So, my dear family this week I invite you to examine what are the bad habits, sins, or customs that are not allowing you to abide in Jesus and stopping you from being the fruitful branch he wants you to be. I invite you to bring those into the Sacrament of Confession but also to pray in the quiet of your room or the Adoration Chapel and make a concrete plan to cut off from your life those sins.
In Christ, Fr. Cesar Valencia P.E.S
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I hope you are enjoying this blessed season. We are now on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd.” A good shepherd knows his sheep and what they need. This differs from a hireling who does not care about the sheep because they are not his own. A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, but a hireling abandons them at the first sight of danger. This is exactly what Jesus has done for us. He laid down his life for us, His sheep, to save us.
But the mission of Jesus did not end there. Even though He ascended into heaven, Jesus decided to continue His ministry of shepherding His people through His disciples, the first priests. We see this clearly in the first reading where Peter not only heals the cripple but also proclaims the Gospel to those that witness the miracle. Like the good shepherd, Peter shares in Jesus’ mission of saving souls. But again, this mission did not end with the death of the last apostle. Rather, it continues throughout generations because God keeps calling good men to become priests, to shepherd His flock. This is true even in our day and age.
Sometimes a lie enters into our mind that says, “God calls men to be priests, but not in our time, and not in our parish.” This is a lie. God still is calling men to be priests, to lay down their lives for the people of God. God is calling men in our parishes to be priests. Nevertheless, this call is hard to hear because we live in a day and age where becoming a priest is unthinkable. But our faith tells us that God is still alive, and still calling young men to be priests.
A survey of the recently ordained priests in the USA revealed that 90% of them considered the priesthood because someone else asked them.
One of the most important ways that men answer the call to be priests is through the encouragement of others. A survey of the recently ordained priests in the USA revealed that 90% of them considered the priesthood because someone else asked them. So, we can help promote vocations just by asking. So, this week, you are going to find handouts in the pews that describe the qualities of a good priest. Then, think who is a man in our parishes who has these qualities, and then write down his name. After that, hand that name in the collection basket as we would like to pray for these men and encourage them to discern the call to be a priest. Finally, I ask you to keep praying for the vocations that we need so that many young men will answer God’s call.
In Christ,
Fr. Cesar Valencia P.E.S
Mitchell Catholic Parishes in Mitchell, SD is seeking an individual to serve on the frontlines of sharing the Gospel and ministering to our parishes. Mitchell Catholic Parishes exist to celebrate the sacraments, form disciples, foster community, and serve those in need. This position would serve as Business Manager for the Mitchell Catholic Pastorate including Holy Family Catholic Church, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, and St. John Paul II School, within the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls.
The Business Manager, as a lifelong Catholic missionary disciple, will oversee all office and fiscal related matters to ensure the Pastorate is compliant with all Church, state and federal regulations by managing and maintaining accurate books, accounts payable and receivable, grant funding allocations, reconciliations and other various accounting tasks. Responsibilities will include incorporating your personal expression of the Bishop’s vision of being a lifelong Catholic missionary disciple through God’s love while advising the Pastor on investments and budgeting, working to be the best steward of the funds entrusted to the Pastorate. The Business Manager will be responsible for supervising staff and ensuring Diocesan policies are met for the whole Pastorate.
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
NOTE: Duties and responsibilities may evolve based on the candidate, staff structure, and pastorate needs. The duties and responsibilities listed include all foreseeable duties and responsibilities to our best knowledge.
Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable:
- Assist parish and school office staff with and oversee the following:
- Enter and reconcile cash, check, and credit card deposits, along with managing all aspects of deposits, including recording donations.
- Manage restricted donations and pass-through contributions.
- Process, print and mail checks to recipients.
- Ensure all payables have sufficient documentation and are properly taxed prior to payment.
- Ensure all payables follow Diocesan guidelines and policies for financial accountability in parishes.
- Record general ledger entries as necessary and close account periods within a reasonable amount of time (1-2 months).
- Create and process Shared Expense Reports where applicable.
- Maintain an accounting file according to the Diocesan Record Retention Policy.
Financial Reporting:
- Assist parish and school office staff with and oversee the following:
- Reconcile bank accounts monthly, reconcile investment and other cash accounts as frequently as possible.
- Prepare monthly financial reports for the Pastor and attend Finance Council meetings as requested by the Pastor to answer any questions.
- Create an annual budget for the Pastor and finance council to approve prior to the fiscal year end. Update and manage documentation to explain budget variations and activities throughout the year.
- Prepare and submit Diocesan annual report information on a timely basis.
- Prepare and file quarterly 941’s, Year-end W2’s and W3 in a timely fashion.
- Issue 1099’s and 1096’s at year end according to tax requirements.
Personnel:
- Assist the Pastor in hiring processes and decisions, using personal experience of the Bishop’s vision, through God’s love, to discern the needs of the Pastorate and the candidate’s gifts.
- Assist in the onboarding process of all new employees.
- Review and maintain the Employee Handbook and other HR policies as approved by the Pastor
- Responsible for payroll functions, ensuring accurate data entry, processing and compliance with the employee handbook policies.
- Support the Pastor to schedule timely employee evaluations.
- Train new employees on operational details, while articulating the Vision of the Diocese and Pastorate.
- Maintains personnel files according to the Diocesan Record Retention Policy
Administration:
- Maintain an inventory of emails, domain logins, and other items that have controlled access.
- Provide occasional program support for events as assigned.
- Able to articulate the Vision of the Diocese and the Pastorate and describe education and evangelization programs to the public.
- Work with Safe Environment coordinator to submit annual Safe Environment Audit, documenting staff and volunteer compliance with the Diocesan Safe Environment Policy.
- Attend Board and Committee meetings as assigned, including Finance Councils, Calvary Cemetery board meetings, and Education Committee.
- Prioritize and commit to ongoing participation in Diocesan and external training and continuing education opportunities.
Essential Qualifications:
Primary:
- Willingness and ability to effectively make known the Catholic Church’s teachings and the Bishop’s Diocesan Vision through the varied ministry activities expected of this position.
- Willingness and ability to act as a personal witness to the Catholic faith and religion by living both one’s professional and personal life in accordance with the doctrines and moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, as embodied in the various documents of the Roman Catholic Church, including, without limitation, the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church.
- Strong leadership skills.
- Good interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
- Strong computer skills.
- Ability to analyze current procedures to identify strengths and weaknesses and make improvements as necessary.
- Ability to create work schedules.
- Ability to create budgets and project budget needs for 5 and 10 year plans.
Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration is required.
Experience:
- At least 3 to 5 years of experience in business administration that includes accounting and financial aspects.
- Work experience that demonstrates leadership and managerial skills.
- Prior experience in staff management, goal setting and budget optimization.
Other Elements:
- Personable nature that is approachable and encourages staff to ask questions and give suggestions on improving job duties.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Must be a Catholic leader who believes, practices, supports all teachings of the Catholic Church, and committed to individual growth in their own discipleship journey.
- Must have advanced knowledge of budgeting principles and practices, accounting principles, investment and financial reporting methodologies.
- High level of ability to work independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment to think strategically, multitask, and conform to shifting priorities, demands and timelines.
- Excellent communication skills, and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals while maintaining strict confidentiality.
- Demonstrated leadership ability, team management and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to speak publicly in order to facilitate and participate in meetings representing the Pastorate on various committees.
Job Conditions/Physical Demands:
- Ability to perform high stress multitasking functions to meet various deadlines.
- Ability to push, pull, lift and carry items up to 30 pounds.
- Ability to sit, stand, bend, stoop, climb stairs, talk, hear, grasp, reach and perform repetitive motions of the fingers, hands and wrists.
- Ability to work in an office setting as well as various venues according to event or activity.
- Vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
- Available for periodic travel for Pastorate and Diocesan meetings.
- Work schedule of 40 hours per week is the norm with occasional nights and weekends or high volume projects.
Work Environment:
The work location will be at Holy Family Catholic Church, 222 N. Kimball Street, Mitchell, SD 57301 with the ability to work remotely when necessary with supervisory permission.
The employee will work in a climate controlled office setting with a large number of individuals, often requiring multitasking and working with deadlines and details to ensure all of the essential functions are performed in a timely and courteous manner.