• ALPHA is moving online. Details of how you can be a part of the ALPHA experience will be coming on Thursday.

• JPII Parish misses all of you - but as I said in my last email, our Mission is the same; only the methods will be different! To that end we will be offering 8-10 (or more) opportunities for you to grow in your faith while we remain unable to worship together in Church. We hope to unveil these on Thursday as well but here are a couple of the topics:
• Journeying with God through Turbulent Times: What can The Israelites, Joseph, Job and Lazarus teach us?
• Teachable Moments through Ted Talks: The Power of Story
• 5 Biblical Principles of Money: Does God Really Care about Your Balance Sheet?
• Praying the Rosary with Your Faith Family
• Praying with the Cenacles for Life. This prayer group usually met right after the 6:30pm Tuesday Mass. They will begin doing that digitally starting April 28. Details to follow.

•        Boxed cereal
•       Canned vegetables (except for green beans)
•        Peanut butter
•        Jelly
•        Kid--friendly pasta (macaroni & cheese box mixes, canned pasta eg.,Spaghetti O's, Ravioli)
•        Toilet paper
•        Hand sanitizer and wipes
•        Monetary donations to purchase perishable items may be sent to:
• Speed Memorial Church, 328 U.S. Highway 31 Speed, Indiana 47172
• Make checks payable to “Faith Kitchen”
• Help on Tuesdays – needed between the hours of 10am-1pm (masks, gloves and social distancing is maintained to protect volunteers)

• Facebook Live Stream Mass Schedule: Tuesday-6:30 p.m.; Wednesday & Thursday- 8:30 a.m.; Friday-Noon

• So far, 8 parishioners have accepted the “Stimulus Check Challenge.” Perhaps you will join us. Here is how it works. Some of us (myself included) who don’t “need” the stimulus check will be receiving one from the government. The Stimulus Check Challenge invites those who are able to pay it forward. You can do that in one of two ways: 1) You can simply send it to someone you know who has lost a job or is struggling financially because of the Covid-19 virus; or 2) you can contribute it to the parish Covid-19 Relief Fund. The parish will use the money for assistance to parishioners who are in need at this time.

• In the event that we collect more money than we have needs, we would create a fund that could assist parishioners in special circumstances. Let me share what I mean by that. In the last three years we have had three parish families that encountered medical needs that created extraordinary financial commitment beyond what insurance covered. In all three cases, this included out-of-state travel, temporary housing, food, etc. not covered by insurance. All three times, I found myself thinking I wish we could do more to help. Any money not used in the Covid-19 Relief Fund would be seed money for this type of emergency. We are also in the process of creating a committee to oversee the collection and distribution of this fund. These committee members will be drawn from our parish council, finance council and pastoral team.

• If you want to accept the Stimulus Check Challenge simply let us know who you are helping. We don’t need names, but you can say, “I’m sending my stimulus check to someone who was recently laid off.” Or you can send it the parish for the Covid-19 Relief fund.

• Thanks in advance to those who are willing and able to take the stimulus check challenge.

• Mark your calendars for the following:
• Final Early-Bird new car raffle drawing May 3, 2020
• Grand Prize New Car Raffle June 28, 2020 12:30 p.m. Details to follow.
• ALPHA has been rescheduled to begin Thursday, August 13. More info to follow.
• Parish Mission-September 13-15. Hope you can join us those evenings.