Saint Joseph Catholic Church

04/21/2026

Mark your calendars, ladies. St. Joseph Annual Mother and Daughter Tea is scheduled for May 9th and the speaker for this event is now official. All the ladies of the church are invited. Please see images for details.

For more on our speaker, please see ...
https://jamesmhahn.com/

04/20/2026

St. Joseph is in the process of updating the church directory. The church directory will not be complete without you. Please join us to celebrate Faith and Family with our new church family album.

Schedule your professional photography session when you stop by the sign-up table in Geiger Hall, or go on-line and follow the instructions:
www.ucdir.com. Code=OH2950 Password: Member-SJCC.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰.

Universal Church Directory will be completing the professional portraits at St. Joseph on May 13, 14, 15, from 2:00 pm to 8:30 pm and on May 16th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in Geiger Hall. Join us for this event, and be part of what God is doing at St. Joseph. Sorry for any inconvenience that this edit may have caused.

04/09/2026

The very way a lily grows is symbolic: From a dormant bulb buried in the earth, a beautiful and vibrantly alive flower emerges, mirroring the story of Jesus rising from the tomb.
(Source: Aleteia)

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ae9wdkzAH/

Did you know there's an incredible, and even supernatural, meaning behind the Easter Lily? Here's the ancient Christian symbolism behind this beautiful flower!

04/08/2026

On Good Friday, April 3, 2026, a parishioner of St. Joseph who wishes to remain anonymous, was praying just before the start of the Stations of the Cross and noticed an odd light near the top of a cross mounted on the wall next to the altar.

He had been struggling with a personal loss and in his prayer, he noted to the LORD that the altar and sanctuary was stripped for Good Friday and the tabernacle was open: "So they took You out?" At that moment he noticed the small light above the cross.

He quickly grabbed his phone and took a picture.

By the time the Stations was underway, the odd light disappeared.

Those of us familiar with the interior of our church know that there are not any windows near that cross or any lights that shine directly on it that would cause that strange light.

If our witness's story is to be believed, one might say this was a minor miracle. But your author does not think that there are any minor miracles, and that all miracles are meant to be shared to help the faith of others. To Jesus be the glory!

Even if Jesus is removed temporarily from the tabernacle, Emmanuel is still with us (Matthew 1:23). Emmanuel is not just a title. It is a promise that the LORD is beside us in every sorrow giving us strength to endure life's trials and tears.

Posted with permission.

04/07/2026

Easter Sunday 2026 memorialized as St. Joseph Church, Sugar Grove, enters her 173rd year.

Pictures courtesy of Debbie Lisecki.

04/05/2026

04/05/2026

Maybe you have heard it before ... the Catholic Church's practice of observing Easter and Christmas is derived from pagan influences.

It is a preposterous claim and also historically inaccurate. In 325 AD, the First Council of Nicaea established rules for the celebration of Easter, emphasizing its Christian significance and independence from pagan calendars. Pope Julius set the date of Christmas for Western Christians in the 4th century. The Church has been solemnly observing these liturgical seasons for more than 1600 years.

Christmas and Easter celebrations differ from pagan holidays primarily in their focus on the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ, rather than the worship of pagan deities or nature. While some customs may have been influenced by earlier pagan practices, they have been reinterpreted within a Christian context to celebrate significant events in Christianity. Red in the Christmas season celebrates deep love and the blood of Christ's sacrifice while the evergreen symbolizes eternal life He won for humanity. Easter's decorated eggs represent new life and rebirth associated with the resurrection of Christ. The origin of the Easter Bunny can be dated back to 13th century Germany which was a tradition that involved colored eggs and candy for children. Hares and rabbits sometimes appear in liturgical art in such fine examples like the Assumpion of Mary Magdalene (Pinacoteca Nazionale, Ferrara, Italy Provenance: Church of St. Andrew, Ferrara) and Christ Succoured by Angels in the Wilderness after the Temptation (16th century, National Trust, United Kingdom).

Worship requires sacrifice. Leviticus 1-7 details various types of sacrifices and their role in worship and Exodus 20:24 relates to instructions for altars and sacrifices as part of worship.
.. the Catechism asserts, “The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross, because it is a memorial and because it applies its fruit” (No. 1366).

Therefore, the actual sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the sacrifice of the Mass are inseparably united as one single sacrifice. The Council of Trent in response to Protestant objections decreed, “The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered Himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different,” and “In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered Himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and is offered in an unbloody manner.” For this reason, just as Christ washed away our sins with his blood on the altar of the cross, the sacrifice of the Mass is also truly propitiatory. The Lord grants grace and the gift of repentance. He pardons wrongdoings and sins. (cf. Council of Trent, “Doctrine on the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass”)

Catholics do not make sacrifices to Mary or the Saints but only to the Holy Trinity alone, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "Do this in memory of Me" (Luke 22:19).

It is unfortunate that the holy days of the Christmas and Easter seasons have been become increasingly secularized. But the upside of that is that the world is abundant with a myriad of ways now to participate and enjoy tomorrow with family and friends.

Tomorrow, on Easter Sunday, it is customary in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Luthern, Methodist and Presbyterian churches to give the Paschal Greeting: "He is risen!" and the response will be "He is risen indeed!"

Enjoy your egg hunts with the little ones, your chocolates and jelly beans, dinner and other Easter activities but above all, get your family to Easter Sunday Mass where Jesus waits to bless you. A joyous and blessed Easter to the beautiful area of Sugar Grove and the world that surrounds it and Happy Resurrection Day to all.+

04/03/2026

Good Friday 2026
The crucifix acts as a visual reminder of Jesus' passion and the significance of His sacrifice. It invites contemplation on the nature of suffering and the love that God has for humanity, making it a central element in Catholic worship. While some may question why Jesus is depicted on the cross when He has risen, Catholics believe that the crucifix does not diminish the resurrection. Instead, it underscores the importance of the cross in the narrative of salvation, illustrating that resurrection follows suffering.

It is Finished
The work of redemption is complete. The work of saving souls divinely earned by this gracious gift of His sacrifice goes on, one soul at a time.
.. "Christ’s sacrifice atones for all sins, but the Bible says this sacrifice can have no effect if we reject God through disobedience. That’s the point of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18.

In that story, a king graciously forgave a servant’s debt, which would mean the king would have to incur the cost himself. Even though the king essentially declared, “It is paid in full!” by forgiving the debt, the unforgiving servant threatened to jail another servant who failed to repay a much smaller debt. In response, the king revoked his payment and had the unforgiving servant imprisoned until he paid his debt" (which biblical scholars say was so large that it could never be repaid) (Source: Catholic Answers, Trent Horn, 2024).

May the blessings of Good Friday descend on your homes and families and remain with you forever.

03/29/2026

It's a win-win situation.

03/29/2026

Now begins the holiest week of the year.

Lord Jesus, as we journey with You this week, help us to understand more deeply the depth of Your sacrifice. May we, like the disciples, find strength in Your suffering and remain faithful to You, our humble King and Savior. Amen.

03/29/2026

" ... 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮’𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘵. 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 — 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 ..."

Discover deeply reflective Catholic prayers for Palm Sunday with traditional collects, Passion meditations, litanies, and family devotions. Enter Holy Week with intention as you journey from the blessing of palms to the reading of the Passion, embracing Christ’s humility, kingship, and saving sacr...

03/28/2026

FIFTH STATION
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His Cross
Pr.: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
(GENUFLECT)
All: Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the
world.
Pr.: And when they had mocked Jesus, they took the
purple cloak off and put His own clothes on Him,
and they led Him out to be crucified. Then they
forced a certain passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, coming
from the country, to take up His cross. They
brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, a name
meaning ‘the place of the skull.’ (Mk. 15, 20 to 22)

Have you ever wondered why the place where Jesus was crucified is called Golgotha—“The Place of the Skull”?

Beyond the common explanation that the hill may have resembled a skull, there is a beautiful and ancient Christian tradition that goes much deeper...

Early Church Fathers, including Origen (3rd century), Epiphanius, and others, recorded a longstanding belief—possibly rooted in even older Hebrew traditions—that Golgotha was the burial place of Adam, the first man. According to this sacred legend, Adam’s skull was buried on this very hill outside Jerusalem.

When Jesus, the Second Adam, was crucified there, a great earthquake shook the ground (Matthew 27:51), splitting the rock. Tradition tells us that the precious blood of our Lord flowed down the cross, seeped through the cracks in the stone, and dripped directly onto the skull of Adam.

In that divine moment, the blood of Christ — shed for the sins of the world — touched the very source of humanity’s fall. The One who knew no sin became sin for us, redeeming not only Adam but all his descendants. Where the first Adam brought death and separation from God through disobedience, the last Adam brought life and reconciliation through perfect obedience and sacrificial love.

As the Apostle Paul beautifully declares: “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”— 1 Corinthians 15:22

And again: “The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.”— 1 Corinthians 15:45

This tradition is why, in so many icons and crucifixes throughout Christian history, you will see a skull at the foot of the cross. It is a powerful visual reminder that Jesus’ victory over sin and death reaches back to the very beginning of our story. The cross stands as the tree of life planted right over the grave of the old humanity, bringing forgiveness, restoration, and new birth to all who believe.

What an amazing picture of God’s sovereign plan! From the Garden of Eden to the hill of Golgotha, and from the empty tomb to eternity, everything points to Jesus as our Redeemer.

Today, let this truth sink deep into your heart: No matter how far we have fallen, the blood of Jesus is more than enough. It covers our sins, heals our brokenness, and makes us alive in Him.

-------------------
Have you experienced the redeeming power of the cross in your own life?
What does this beautiful tradition stir in your spirit as we remember Christ’s sacrifice?

Let us worship the Lamb who was slain—the One who turned the place of the skull into the place of salvation. 🙏✝️

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son...” (John 3:16)