St. John Neumann Catholic Community
Staffed by Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
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Current Mass Times
Saturday: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday:
7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am, 2:00pm(español), 5:00pm
Monday-Friday: 9:00am
(The 12:10pm Mass has gone on summer break. It returns on Wednesday, September 7)
Confession
Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (English)
Sunday: 3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. (español)
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Pastor's Perspective
August is a Great Time to Clean
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Dear Friends,
As we begin the month of August, I am writing this column on a warm, humid evening. Many of our students will return to school in just a few short weeks. In fact, many of our college-aged parishioners are already preparing for their departures. Yet, August has usually been a time to slow down and take stock of my life before the busyness of fall takes precedent. I believe the readings from this past weekend, the 18th Sunday in Ordinary time, can help us do this.
Growing up, early August in my household meant clearing out the garage and basement, which was always a hot and laborious task. Yet the good news, the end of August meant beach time before returning to school. Just as cleaning and clearing out parts of our home, we must also clear our heads and hearts. Another way to express this is from time to time; we need to take stock of our lives. The first reading from Ecclesiastes from the 18th Sunday (C)invites us to examine our lives, where we are investing our energies, and what dominates our attention.
There is an expression that I think is helpful. “If you want to know where your heart is, look over the stubs in your checkbook. Where your money goes, that’s where your heart is.” The same thing could probably be said of our calendars. Look over the last few months; how have we been spending our time? With whom? Doing what? Where? The reading from Ecclesiastes, as well as the Gospel passage, Luke 12: 13-21, is a wake-up call directing our attention away from the transitory towards what will last and be enriching for our families and us, and perhaps making some contribution towards a better world.
Happy cleaning and happy August!
Live Jesus,
Fr. Joe
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Catechetical Corner
Summers are for Reading
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By Jean Lupinacci
I am a voracious reader and have been since first grade. I keep track of the books I read on Goodreads and proudly report that I read fifty-six books in 2021! One of my fondest childhood memories is spending summer days lost in a book. Books can be a fantastic way to grow in your spiritual life. Or you may want to read for fun but want ideas of wholesome books with Christian themes. I have put together a list of a few of my favorite books.
For Fun and Light Reading
The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny! Louise is a Catholic author from Canada, and her series highlights the adventures of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. The inspector is a gentle soul who solves murder mysteries with grace and goodness in the quaint fictitious town of Three Pines in the Canadian province of Quebec. You do not have to read these books sequentially; my favorite is How the Light Gets In.
The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear! There are sixteen books in this series. It is about a female private detective in London after WW II. Maisie is a good listener and a kind and cultivated detective. She tries to go beyond solving the mystery to leave all involved in peace. No violence or darkness is involved in the books, but the focus is on finding solutions and mending. I recommend you start with the first book Maisie Dobbs.
Spiritual Reading
The Way of a Pilgrim by Anonymous, edited by Faith Annette Sand and translated by R. M. French. I read the kindle version of this small yet powerful book. It takes place in 19th century Russia and is the true story of a wandering religious pilgrim. We do not know the pilgrim’s identity – his manuscript came into the hands of a monk who made copies and published it in 1884. The pilgrim in the story decides to follow the words from St. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray without ceasing.” He starts by reciting the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me” three thousand times a day and builds up week by week until he is saying it constantly as a breath prayer.
The Story of a Soul: the autobiography of St. Therese de Lisieux is also available on Kindle. This book is another short, yet powerful real-life story as told by the saint herself and describes her “Little Way,” her simple path to holiness.
Family Reading
Saints Around the Word by Meg Hunter-Kilmer. The author wrote each of the one hundred saint stories with children in mind. She also writes about Saints from every continent and those with disabilities and unique problems or challenges that children can relate to.
Please feel free to stop by the Faith Formation Office to share a cup of coffee and discuss books! Here’s to the lazy, crazy days of summer!
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Staff Spotlight
Mykelle Laws
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Who is Mykelle and What is Her Role Here at SJN?
Mykelle is our Parish Bookkeeper. She has been with us for just over one and a half years. "My job is to monitor our expenditures, reconcile our books, and make sure we are spending our money in legal ways consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles." "Before joining SJN, I worked as their Human Resources officer and recruiter for Catholic Mission Trips, Inc. Before that, I was a homeschool mom, educating our four children."
When Not at Work What Hobbies or Other Activities do you Enjoy?
"I enjoy crafting, hiking, biking, and walking. I especially enjoy travel, and given that I'm married to a United Airlines Pilot, we do travel quite a bit."
Who is your favorite Saint, and Why?
"That's a hard question. You know, my faith journey started when I taught third grade Faith Formation (then called CCD), and it's really still an ongoing journey. Can I give you my top five?" "Let's see - The Blessed Virgin Mary, she is all-encompassing regarding my role model and who I strive to emulate." "St. Michael the Archangel for courage." "St. Ignatius of Loyola for his militant structure and zeal." St. Francis Xavier for his missionary work." "Finally, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, for her devotion to education and pioneering spirit."
What do you like most about SJN?
"Definitely the people, and how they get involved in all facets of the parish. I also like the liturgical calendar and how the parish is unique in its emphasis of Salesian Spirituality. We are so blessed to have so many churches in this diocese, each of which offers their own unique perspective on our faith."
If you stop by the Parish Office, be sure to say hi to Mykelle!
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Catholic Firsts
Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller
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By Duane Hyland
This piece is a new, occasional series for the newsletter. It will focus on Catholic religious and lay people who were the first to make significant, groundbreaking achievements in their fields of endeavor. This series' first "first" is Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller, Ph. D.
Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller, Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was the first woman in the world to earn a Ph. D. in Computer Science. Graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1965, her dissertation was entitled "Inductive Inference on Computer Generated Patterns," in which she "explored generalizations that can be made from analyzing patterns of change in computer-generated expressions." Oh, and the entire dissertation was "written in CDC Fortran 63," so not only did Sister Kenneth Keller write the dissertation, she programmed it as well. During her doctoral work, during her time at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, "she helped develop the BASIC language. BASIC was one of the biggest breakthroughs in computer science – before it, only people well versed in mathematics could write computer code. BASIC allowed everybody who learned the language to do it..." Essentially, Sister Kenneth Keller helped everyone harness the power of computing.
After earning her Doctorate, Sister Mary founded the Computer Sciences program at Clarke University, a Catholic university in Dubuque, Iowa. She remained a life-long advocate of accessible computing for all people.
Sister Mary's "first" showed us two things. First, religious orders members can serve God and make groundbreaking advances in STEM fields. And second, women belong in the technology field. This first point refutes a commonly held belief in our society. Sadly, even a passing survey of internet forums will confirm that many people believe that religious people can't be involved in STEM as if being religious means you can't believe in science, which is nonsense.
The second point addresses a sad fact about today's technology world. A glance around the internet, in technology columns, shows a persistent belief that women do not belong in the technology field, that it is, as the old song goes, "a man's world." Surveys of the industry demonstrate that this mistaken belief harms women and forms a barrier to their participation in technology. According to a March 14, 2022 article on Dataprot.net, only "24% of computing jobs" in today's workplaces "are held by women." The article also reveals that women comprise "only 19% of graduates" in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). And if those numbers aren't depressing enough, the survey also found that "women leave the tech industry at a rate 45% higher than male employees." A grim picture, indeed.
Those data points are why we must tell our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, etc., particularly those interested in vocations, STEM subjects, or both, about Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller, Ph.D. Sister Mary serves as a model for all who want to make a difference in her world, and I hope her "first" inspires you! Without her work, computing as we know it today would not be as far along as it is. Let's work together to lift our young women in their pursuits - be they in a vocation, the STEM fields, or both. Your support and guidance will make a difference.
The author obtained information for this article from:
Andrei, Mihia "She was the first woman to get PhD in Computer Science - and she was a nun" ZME Science. January 29, 2021. P .https://www.zmescience.com/science/woman-computer-science-phd/ and from
Ryan, Maeve. "Sister Mary Kenneth Keller (PhD, 1965): The first PhD in computer science in the US." University of Wisconsin Madison-Computing Science Department. March 28, 2019. P.https://www.cs.wisc.edu/2019/03/18/2759/#:~:text=She%20was%20a%20founder%20of,%2C%201913%20in%20Cleveland%2C%20Ohio.
Picture: Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1965
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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.”
John 15:1-2
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