The Office of the Permanent Diaconate is currently recruiting married or single men between ages 32 and 58 for our next deacon formation class. Everyone is invited to attend one of the following information meetings on the Permanent Diaconate: - St. Mary, Marshalltown - Tuesday, January 14, 6:30 - 8:00 pm. - Blessed Sacrament, Waterloo - Tuesday, January 28, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. If you are not able to make any of these meetings or want more information about deacons and the formation process, contact Deacon John Stierman at 800-876-3546 x 252 or email dbqcpd@dbqarch.org.

We will be decorating our Church for Christmas on Sunday, December 22nd after 10:30 Mass. If you are gentle but strong with decorating our Church, please join us. Any and all are welcome to help. Thank you!

Sunday, December 15th, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Parish Center. Come and join us for an afternoon of crafts, snacks, and a visit with Santa! Don't forget your letter for Santa and camera! PTO will be providing cookies, snack mix, hot chocolate, juice and water.

Saturday, December 21st - 6:00 p.m., Scallon Hall, Queen of Peace Parish. This is a national day of remembrance for homeless persons who have died during the previous years. This local commemoration is sponsored by the Hospitality House and Cedat Valley Catholic Social Justice Network. Gather for a short memorial service and a light meal. To learn more, CLICK ON THE PICTURE.

December 8 - 14, 2019. "Let the Light Enter" is the theme for this year's online advent retreat for adults and young adults. Information and registration is available online by CLICKING ON THE PICTURE.

Saturday, December 7, 2019, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. at COR, 220 E. 4th St, Waterloo. Find out more about how and why Catholics celebrate the Sacrament of Penance. This session will address practical questions like when and how often Catholics go to confession, what formats are available, how to prepare, and what to say. No registration required. For more information, call 319.234.9912 or CLICK ON PICTURE.

Wednesday, December 4, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. at COR, 220 E. 4th St, Waterloo. The holidays are especially difficult for individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one, whether the loss was relatively recent or not. In this Community Forum discussion, grief counselors from Cedar Valley Hospice will share their professional and personal wisdom on how to remember our missing loved ones without surrendering to the pain of their absence. Free and open to the public.

Monday, December 9, 2019, 9:30 am. St. Matthews Room, St. Edward Parish. This preparation program is for first-time parents in the Waterloo parishes who are planning to baptize an infant or young child in the near future. To register, contact the Parish Office at 319.233.6179 or register online by CLICKING ON THE PICTURE.

On December 2nd at 7:00 p.m., the movie "Faustina: Love and Mercy" will have one showing only at both Marcus Theaters in Cedar Falls and Waterloo. This message of Divine Mercy that God loves all of us and wants us to know of His mercy, which is greater than our sins, is so important. St. John Paul II said the mercy of God is the answer to the problems of our times and the message of the third millenium. He beatified and canonized Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalski on April 18, 1993. Why not make this movie a part of you and your family's Advent preparation.

Poinsettias in memory of loved ones will be available this year at $12.00 per plant. Forms are available in the Gathering Space. Envelopes and completed order forms can be placed in the drop off box in the Gathering Space, placed in the offertory, or dropped off at the Rectory. Please have your Poinsettia memorial in by December 17th so your loved one's name will be included on the Memorial List.

Our parish is once again partnering with Hy-Vee Stores to support the needs of the hungry in our community by filling food bags for area families. Empty food bags, with list attached, are available in the Gathering Space. Fill and return by December 15. You may also purchase bags at the Hy-Vee on Ansborough Ave. Let the cashier know that you want to purchase a bag (or 2) and the Ansborough H-Vee will have the groceries delivered to Blessed Sacrament. Cost of the bags is approx. $18.00. Bag collection will continue through December 15th. Thank You.

THURSDAY - DEC 5th & TUESDAY - DEC 10th. Blessed Sacrament volunteers deliver pre-prepared noontime meals to people in Waterloo, Evansdale, Elk Run Heights and Washburn on the first Thursday and second Tuesday of each month. Routes average about 20 miles (round trip). Total time commitment is around 2 hours. To volunteer, please contact the Parish Office at 319.233.6179.

We all need to observe safety and the necessity of travel during the harsh winter months in Iowa. Therefore, daily weekday Masses will follow the school closing rules. Tuesday, 5:30 pm Masses will be cancelled if school has been dismissed or let out early for the day. If school has a late start or is cancelled in the morning, there will be no 8:00 am Mass for that day. Inclement weather does not apply to Funeral Masses.

Our cantors/song leaders provide a very valuable service to our music ministry. They lead, teach and improve all church singing. Various situations arise making it a bit difficult to have a cantor/song leader for each Mass due to illness, vacations, people moving, etc. Perhaps you're the person that has a talent for being a cantor/song leader. Training will be offered and no one is scheduled until they feel comfortable. Cantor/song leader schedules are fit to your request. For more information, please contact Deacon John Herman, Music Director at 319.233.7852 or email: herman1129@q.com.

Wednesday, October 30, 7:00 - 8:00 pm. This one-hour discussion is designed for Catholic adults and young adults who want to learn more or review how and why Catholics celebrate the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. The discussion will be conducted in a safe, non-threatening format and will include an opportunity for questions and discussions. Information at 319.233.0498 and online by CLICKING THE IMAGE.

Wednesday, Nov 20th - 7:00 pm at COR, 220 E. 4th St., Waterloo. The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo host this Listening Session for inactive, alienated, discouraged and former Catholics who wish to discuss their past, present or future relationship to the Catholic Church in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. For more information, contact Dave Cushing at 319.233.0498 or email dbqwcaf@dbqarch.org. LEARN MORE by clicking on the image.

The Our Call to Share Collection will be taken up this weekend (Oct 26/27). This collection supports the efforts of the Catholic University of America, The Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Archdiocesan Hispanic Ministry, Black and Indian Missions, Catholic Home Missions, and World Missions. Please be as generous as possible, using the envelope you received in the mail this week. If you forgot your envelope, please bring it next weekend or drop it off at the parish office. Thank you for your prayerful and financial support of these important efforts.

CLOW will resume at the 10:30 a.m. Masses in September. During CLOW time, young children are taught a simplified main message of the day's readings. Volunteers are needed for this ministry. Easy-to-use leader guides and training are provided. This is a great opportunity for adults and middle/high school students to help these young children learn the Word of the Lord. Contact the parish office if you are interested or have questions.

Sunday, October 20th, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. at Sidecar Coffee, 221 W. Jefferson St., Waterloo. New to the area? Starting college? Looking to get more involved in the parish or meet young adults? Come join us for a drink or snack on us at Sidecar anytime between 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Columbus High School students will be collecting monetary donations after all Masses on October 26th & 27th for the annual Food Drive. All money collected will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul to buy food from the NE Iowa Food Bank for their Christmas Food Basket Give Away. Thank you for helping us in this effort.