News

Feb. 22-23 Winter Storm Announcement (Updated)

HNOJ School is closed Feb. 22-23 due to the winter storm. All school activities, clubs and sports are also canceled. There is no School Aged Care (SAC).

Our church office is closed Feb. 22-23, but all of our Ash Wednesday Masses will be available. Our church staff will be working from home due to the winter weather. If you need to reach any of the staff, here is the staff directory link. Thank you.

We will have daily Mass at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, but the office remains closed. There will be no Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel during this time and the Gospels of Lent Bible Study will be canceled for this week.

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Why Is the Door Locked?

In recent weeks, you may have noticed some changes around Holy Name of Jesus aimed at enhancing our security measures. Some of these measures are invisible to most parishioners and maybe even staff. Others beg the question – Why?

Despite being located in a relatively safe neighborhood, Holy Name of Jesus faced a security incident several years ago when an attempted break-in occurred at our offices. In response, we installed cameras and upgraded certain locks, leading to fewer security incidents since then. However, with reports of crime in nearby areas, our leadership has taken proactive measures to further enhance the security of our facilities for the safety of our large parish family, especially during school hours and on Faith Formation nights when children are present.

Investing in Our Safety:

Controlled Access: Card readers have been installed at various entrances, allowing us to monitor and regulate who enters our facilities.
Automated Door Schedules: By implementing automated door schedules, a consistent level of security is maintained, even when personnel may not be readily available.
Video Intercom System: The newly installed video intercom system at the main entrance serves as an added security feature, enabling individuals to be verified before having access to our facilities. Should you find yourself arriving early on weekends to for a setup or running late to pick up your child during Faith Formation nights, we kindly ask that you utilize the intercom system located at Door 1. Rest assured; someone will be available to respond to your call until 9 p.m. Your safety and peace of mind are our top priorities.

These investments are just the beginning of HNOJ’s efforts to prioritize safety within the parish. As we continue to explore ways to enhance security, reduce risks and insurance premiums, we appreciate your help in maintaining a secure environment for all.

We understand that these changes may feel different from how things have always been done in the past. We value your feedback and encourage you to reach out to Janna Webskowski, Parish Administrator, or Jeff Ruchti, Facilities and Maintenance Manager, with any questions or concerns regarding our security measures. Together, we can work towards creating a safer and more secure environment for our entire parish community.

Clarification

As listed in Fr. Wratkowski's bulletin article from Jan. 14, 2024, below are the documents regarding pastoral blessings. You can read the bulletin article here.

Fiducia Supplicans Document: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231218_fiducia-supplicans_en.html
Clarificatory Press Release: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20240104_comunicato-fiducia-supplicans_en.html
Archbishop Hebda's Dec. 18, 2023 statement: https://www.archspm.org/statement-regarding-pastoral-blessings/

Exciting Renovations!

Fireside Construction Starting on Oct. 17, 2023, we're transforming the Fireside Meeting Room to create two new inviting rooms. This upgrade may temporarily affect access to Emmaus A, but don't worry, we're making it even better!

For any scheduled Fireside Room meetings, please check the main calendar for temporary room relocations as we make these changes.

We anticipate the work to be finished before Christmas. We appreciate your patience as we enhance our meeting spaces with this cost-effective solution!

Stay tuned for the exciting transformation!

Communion Outreach

The Eucharist is at the core of our celebration each Mass. The sacramental signs become the Body and Blood of Jesus we receive. At the Last Supper, sharing His Body and Blood with the disciples, Jesus said, "Do this in memory of Me" and so we do, through Holy Communion. The Eucharist not only brings us into communion with God, but with others as well.

For many, the bond of the Eucharist is felt and celebrated at Mass. But some members of the HNOJ community are not able to physically attend Mass. For this reason, HNOJ’s Communion Outreach team has dedicated volunteers who go out into the community to visit and bring the Eucharist to those who cannot get to Church due to their circumstances.

At Holy Name of Jesus it is our joy and honor to be able to provide this ministry through our Communion Outreach Team. If you or someone you know is homebound in our parish area and would like Communion brought to them, please contact the parish office at 763-745-3492. This ministry will be led by Steve Hayes and Maureen Laird-Hayes.

Share Your Photos and Short Videos

Do you take photos while you're at HNOJ that ought to be shared? Send them to us!

We love seeing photos and video taken by parishioners. It gives us a unique perspective on what you experience. It's especially helpful to have more photos and videos to use in our marketing materials such as social media, publications, our website and more.

In particular, the Stewardship Commission would like images or short videos that show your ministry!

Please make sure that all submitted photos and videos that depict people have the person(s) permission to share with HNOJ, and that they understand that HNOJ may publish these photos and videos in upcoming marketing materials, on our website, social media channels or any other medium.

Email photos and videos to [email protected]. Please call Sarah Reid at 763-746-8194 with questions.

Spam Texts

A few parishioners have received text or email messages from people pretending to be our pastor. These messages state pretty generically that he would like your help. When a person responds, they receive a reply requesting donations in the form of gift cards. Please know that text messages are fake and should not be responded to. Fr. Wratkowski will never text or email you for gift cards.

In all cases, we have found that the contact information was "skimmed" from our website. This is a very common practice among spammers and is seen in businesses of all types. To help reduce the possibility of emails being copied from the website, icons with links to the email are used instead. This is not effective with phone numbers as a desktop would not be able to call out.

HNOJ takes security and the confidentiality of your data very seriously. We have multiple systems in place to help keep us all as safe as possible. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Michelle Hudlow, Director of IT at [email protected] or 763-233-0250.

From the Archdiocese: Data Breech Notice

February 16, 2019

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis learned Thursday night that hackers outside of the United States compromised an Image-I-Nation Technologies (INT) database that contained personal information on some employees and volunteers in the Archdiocese. INT, a vendor used by the company that conducts our background checks advised that it is sending notifications to all persons whose information may have been accessed. We are sending this notice so that if you receive a letter from INT, you know that it is authentic. We will continue to follow up with INT and our vendor about this problem.

For more information on the data breach and how you may be affected, please contact Image-I-Nation at: 1-877-296-9970.

For other questions, please contact Joe Kueppers, Chancellor for Civil Affairs, Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis at: 651-291-4405.

https://www.archspm.org/data-breach-notice/

May News

Agreement to Resolve the Bankruptcy of the Archdiocese

On May 31, 2018, it was announced that an agreement has been reached to resolve the bankruptcy of the Archdiocese. The Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, forwarded a letter regarding the resolution of the bankruptcy and also a Q & A sheet. Both documents will be available in the gathering space this weekend.