Walking together in community
Trending
Many Times-Republican readers are used to my commentary on government and public service from my roles as the former Marshall County Treasurer and current chairman of the Marshall County Board of Supervisors. Today's editorial remains with the theme of public service, but it comes from my new role as the Director of Financial Operations at St. Francis of Assisi Parish and Catholic School.
St. Francis of Assisi Parish is growing and vibrant as we are the largest parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Our community saw a piece of our vibrancy through our Eucharistic Procession on the Feast of Corpus Christi this past weekend.
There were nearly 400 Catholic parishioners taking it to the streets, boldly professing their faith in Jesus' true presence in our lives through the sacrament of the Eucharist. If Jesus is truly present in our lives, are we serving Him and our brothers and sisters in which He has called us to? Do we recognize Jesus in those walking beside us in our community?
This weekend's Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 9:36-10:8) focuses on Jesus being moved with pity for the crowds of people as they were troubled and abandoned. Jesus then summoned the twelve disciples to serve the troubled and abandoned. The disciples were just like us, imperfect people living in an imperfect world.
But just like the disciples, we are called to walk with one another and our community for the greater good and the Kingdom of God. How can we serve one another? Maybe we need to return to church or open the bible, help a neighbor in need, donate to a cause to benefit others, join a service club, or just offer a pleasant smile to people you pass to simply brighten their day. There are many ways we can be a blessing to our community, we just have to trust our faith in taking the first step in the walk to where the need is.
At St. Francis Catholic School, we have an amazing team of teachers, administrators and staff ready to walk with you through a model of elementary education focused on developing students to be successful in a competitive world but most importantly in service-learning as well. In years past, some families have been unable to attend St. Francis due to financial constraints. Fortunately, on Jan. 24, Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law the Students First Act. This legislation makes state funding available, in the form of Education Savings Accounts (ESA), for eligible families to help pay for tuition and other qualified expenses at accredited nonpublic K-12 schools in Iowa.
St. Francis is an accredited nonpublic school where qualified families can receive an ESA to aid in the cost to attend our school. We still have openings in 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th grades for this coming fall. The deadline to apply for an ESA is June 30. If you have interest in joining St. Francis, come check us out by the end of June by contacting our school office at (641) 753-7977. We would love to have your family, join our St. Francis family, in our faith and educational journey!
How are you being summoned? Start with a small step and watch your heavenly Father multiply the blessings to you, the people you walk with and our Marshalltown community. And if you don't know where to start, reach out to us as St. Francis of Assisi Parish and School and we will take your first steps together!
------
Jarret Heil is the director of financial operations
for the St. Francis of Assisi Parish and Catholic School.
He also serves as the chairman of the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.