Ministries

graphic representing the round window "rose" on the south face of the Basilica

Parish Life

About the Parish Family

Catholic parish is the single most important part of our Catholic Church. This is where we continue the mission of Jesus Christ. This is where we publicly express our faith, joining together with others to give proof of our communion with God and with one another.

The Basilica of St. John family is truly an expression of the communal character of Catholic Christian life and with over 900 families registered. The beauty of our family is in the diversity of races and the unity with which we love one another.

We are a vital and growing church in the heart of Des Moines If you decide to join, we can use your help in one of our many organizations and ministries.

Becoming a Parish Member

Contact our office, wither at 515-244-3101 or by e-mail at basilicadm@msn.com, and ask for a new member application form to be sent to you. You may return it in the postage paid envelope or drop it by our office during business hours (8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday).

If you have questions or nee additional assistance, please contact Barb Kean or Margaret Voss at 515-244-3101, extension 0.

Within a few weeks after we receive your complete application form you will be contacted by a member of our welcoming committee. Please spend some time with this person so that you and your family have a good understanding of the opportunities that are open to you as a member of our parish family. During this meeting you will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

Making the Commitment

Shortly after you register, you will receive a personalized envelopes for your parish donation. It is necessary for you to use your envelopes so that the amount of your donation can be recorded into a confidential database. If you need this information for tax purposes, we are then able to provide you with a statement of your contributions. Using your envelopes is an important way for us to know you are still an active member.

Together as a faith-filled Community of Catholic Christians, we are committed to supporting one another in our faith journey, by full participation in the prayer and liturgical events of the parish, as well as outreach opportunities to assist our needy brothers and sisters locally and throughout the world. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who forms us as a parish, and it is because of him that our parish activities are developed. Our growth in likeness to Jesus Christ is primary and it is to this that we are committed above all else. The sharing of our time, talent, and treasure with our brothers and sisters helps us to direct all our energies to manifesting the mind of Jesus and fulfilling God's will wherever our daily life takes us.

Why Should You Register

There are many reasons to register. The most important reason is that you desire a sense of belonging in your church community. You are making a commitment to practice your faith. This commitment should be a high priority in your life. You should be willing to give of your time, talent and treasure to your church community.

Our practical reasons include the fact that you must be a practicing Catholic in order to receive the Sacraments of Baptism (or a parent in the case of a child), First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, or Holy Matrimony. To be a Godparent or a Sponsor for Confirmation also requires that you receive a letter from you parish church stating that you practice your faith.

A practicing Catholic is one that attends Mass weekly and on holy days, and is in good standing with the Church. If you have children and want them to attend Holy Family School or Dowling High School, registered parishioners have priority when there are openings. For religious education instruction and Sacramental preparation, the families of those attending must also be registered parishioners.

Your decision to become a registered member of our parish family is an important decision involving all members of your immediate family. If we can do anything to help you, please contact us.

R.C.I.A. Program

Thinking about joining the Catholic Church,
or learning more about it?

Ask your self these questions:

Where is your journey of faith leading you?
Are you interested in knowing more about the Catholic faith?
Do you know someone who would like to draw closer to our faith?

Consider spending some time with the Basilica family and see if Christ is calling you to the Roman Catholic faith. • The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (R.C.I.A.) classes are held at Basilica of St. John Education Center, east of church. To register for the R.C.I.A. process, or for more information, call Rosemary today at 515-244-3101 ext 204.

• Many people feel called to consider if Roman Catholicism is their path to Christ and Christ's people. R.C.I.A. is a process not a program, your needs and personal journey are vital to the success of our time together. If you are interested, come and see what we are all about.

• We also hold classes for those who are already baptized Catholic who wish to complete their Sacraments of initiation, Confirmation and Eucharist.

There is no obligation to come and learn. Classes will begin Tuesday, September 4th, 2012. If you are interested or have questions, please call Rosemary Sloss 244-3101 ext. 204, or e-mail her at rosemarysloss@msn.com Please tell Rosemary that you saw this on the parish web site.

The Purpose of Continuing Formation

To do our part in sharing in the mission of Jesus Christ, adult Catholics must be mature in faith and well equipped to share the Gospel, promoting it in every family circle, in every church gathering, in every place of work, and in every public forum. We must be women and men of prayer whose faith is alive and vital, grounded in a deep commitment to the person and message of Christ.

We are entering a period of new vitality for the Church, a period in which adult Catholic laity will play a pivotal leadership role in fulfilling the Christian mission of evangelizing and transforming society. For us to fulfill our roles our faith must be lifelong, just as we must continue to learn to keep up in the changing world in our jobs, our families and our society.

The qualities of a mature and adult faith life and discipleship include:

Living Faith - a searching faith to find understanding (frequent reading of the Word of God, the writings of our tradition, involvement in our parish and diocesan life and the mission of the Church, participation in works of justice and service to the poor, and the fulfillment of our human obligations in family and society.
Explicit Faith - a faith rooted in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ lived in the Christian community, a faith entered into through dialogue with the gospel message as professed by the teaching of the Church and lived by the people of God.
Fruitful Faith - a faith which enjoys the fruits of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control ). Such fruits bear justice and compassion through active outreach to those in need, sharing the witness of Jesus to a world that is in need of love and justice.

Our goals are:

Invite and Enable Ongoing Conversion to Christ in Holiness of Life - help to develop an attitude of conversion.
Promote and Support Active Membership in the Parish Family - that our response to God's call to community cannot remain abstract and un-incarnated, but reveals itself concretely by a visible entry into a community of believers.
Call and Prepare Adults to Act as Disciples in Mission to the World - to study and understand, then share the the message of Christ to renew and to transform the social and temporal order.

Basilica of St. John Altar & Rosary Blog

January 12th and February 9th, 2013

ecause the December meeting is always cancelled for the Christmas Bazaar, and your correspondent has been ill the past two months, so I am combining January and February blogs . I am now here well and healthy and ready to tell you about our projects and discussion.

January meeting was hosted by Band #2. Mary decorated the tables in a lovely winter atmosphere, with plenty of juice, coffee, cinnamon rolls, breads, and donuts. We all ate our share.

President Jenifer welcomed the members and brought the meeting to order. Theresa T. led the Rosary and fourteen members were present. Sue J. gave the treasurer report and it was filed for audit

Correspondence--one thank you letter was sent to John for his donation of frozen cinnamon rolls for the Bazaar. Three thank you cards were received from the staff for their Christmas Presents.

Cheer and sympathy report---a sympathy card was sent to Father Albert because of the death of his sister, and also a get well card to Jose R. in the month of November. A sympathy card was sent to Lavonne V. for the passing of her husband Frank. A card shower was suggested to honor Helena S. 100th birthday on February 3rd. Chairs will call there bands and a notice will be put in the bulletin.

Christmas Bazaar---We had 22 vendors and one vendor gave a $35.00 donation. Evie provided a chart of the hall and a list of the vendors for the secretary records. A survey of the vendors concluded, that the numbers of days and times were adequate. Evie volunteered to chair this event next year. Marci reported for the bake sale, they they had plenty and everything looked pretty in their packaging. Various members stated the food line went very well. There was some discussion about pricing for the loose meat sandwiches. Some felt $3.50 was too much and $2.50 was too low. A discission was made made to price the sandwich and add potatoes chips to $3.00. It was also decided to advertise two weeks early for soup take home containers.

Jeanne reported that everyone was content with the quality of the cinnamon rolls and suggested we purchase the same dough next year.

White Elephant sale was quite successful and was kept open for the following two weeks bringing in extra revenue.

The quilt was won by Kate A. for the second year in a row.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.

February 9th blog 2013.

Band #3 hosted the meeting. Jean's band did a bang up job on decorations. White place mates and red valentine plates and red cups with pink napkins. The breakfast was various choices of coffee cakes and breads, juice and coffee. This put us in the mood to go home and make valentines.

The president called the meeting to order at 9:45 a.m. with seventeen members present. Jean led the rosary. There was approval of the January report and minutes.

Cheer and sympathy sent two get well cards to members who were quite sick. The card shower for Helena's 100th birthday was a success. Evie and Joe went to her house to present the cards. She was delighted.

A committee chosen to review the by-laws of Altar and Rosary gave their report and suggested changes. A discussion followed and a vote to adopt them carried.

A question was brought up weather to continue this blog or just use the A&R mission statement with pertinent dates. It was decided that all members will read this blog and decide whether to keep it or not.

Evie, speaking for our choir director asked Altar and Rosary to fund new robes for the choir members. A discussion followed and a vote was taken with two votes opposed.

Ann Cochran of Care Consultants will be our Guest speaker for our March meeting.

NEXT MEETING MARCH 9TH, 2013 - BAND #4 WILL HOST

Quote of the month: Be cheerful -- of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions about this blog please contact Beverly C. at ibchic@hotmail.com.

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