From the Associate&

     We come to my last bulletin column for St. John's Catholic Church, and there is a sense of sadness. I will miss so many of you here at St. John's. Thank you for all of your patience, love, and encouragement over the past three years!!! I am so very happy for the next associate, and truth be told, I am   excited to enter the next phase of this most exciting journey with Jesus Christ, as Pastor of St. Michael's in St. Michael, Minnesota. I will, however, never forget you, who have been God's gift to me, and I will pray for your holiness, health, faith, hope, and charity.
     Once I was traveling through St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), Russia, on a guided tour for college exchange students. It was 1985, and the cold war was still in tact. We spent a couple of hours touring the Peter and Paul Cathedral, for which we had a special guide who knew its history and beauty. I never saw him, either before or after that day, but with a heart longing for solidarity with the West, he shared this poem by Henry Wadsworth            Longfellow, before saying good-bye:

THE ARROW AND THE SONG

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

Similarly, the duty of preaching God's Word has its unseen effects, but as Christians, we are all called to share in it, and as a priest, I wish to do so on every occasion, by both word or deed. Friendship with God, and with all of God's children comes not by simply being non-judgmental in a diverse and pluralistic culture and church, but through a supreme and very real power, namely the infilling of the Holy Spirit, Who inflames our hearts with the sweet gift of divine charity. By charity's menial and often heroic expression, we become saints, a longing God first placed within my own heart fifteen years ago. I rejoice with so many of you who share that vision. And confidently I know we shall meet again, whether in this life or the next, in God's time.
Fr. Michael Becker

Youth Newz&
Camp TNT meets Thursday, June 20. All registered participants  should plan to be at St. John's, by 9:00 am. Please dress appropriately for your work project. Wear closed toe shoes (do not wear sandals). If  you are unable to attend your scheduled session please notify Mark or Kathy, your camp TNT coordinators, so that they can reschedule your group accordingly. 763- 754-7666.

Parents of TNT campers  PLEASE  NOTE : Parent volunteers are needed to drive and supervise small groups of youth at service sites in the metro area. If you can  volunteer for any of the Thursday mornings, June 20, 27, July 11,18,25 or August 1, please call Kathy 763-754-7666. Thank you!

All youth should have received the June/July  of the Newzpaper.   You will not receive an issue in July, so please save this issue. It contains information about registration for the Valleyfair trip, August 8^th.

Congratulations to all the graduates of the class of 2002!

Browsing the "web"? Be sure to check out www.theyouthroom.com for photos of youth activities,  news of upcoming events, permission slips and more!

Adult Opportunities&
SEEKERS (Adult Theological Book Club)
We are seeking to form an adult faith.  We read a variety of books, and raise a variety of questions.  You are always welcome to join us.  The book for June is Adam, Eve and the Serpent by Elaine Pagels.  We will meet Thursday, June 27, 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the St. John Pastoral Center,     St. Vincent de Paul Room.  Explore your faith, expand your vision.