In thanksgiving for the precious gift of life, St. Joseph Cares will be offering opportunities throughout the year to recognize and defend the most fundamental right that we all possess, the right to life. Our first opportunity will be the weekend before the national March for Life. On Saturday, January 18, right after the 5:00 p.m. Mass at St Joseph’s, we will be hosting a movie night and showing the movie “Unplanned”, the true story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee. Bring a comfortable chair to sit in. Popcorn and drinks will be provided. This event is free and no reservations are required. Please know that this movie deals with a very serious topic and so use your discretion in bringing younger children (to view a trailer visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBLWpKbC3ww). For more info., please contact Joe & Angi Daczko (216-272-1506 or jdaczko@roadrunner.com). Participants may also join the event through  https://www.facebook.com/events/752242575181443/. To learn more about the St. Joseph Cares organization, please visit https://stjosephmantua.com/st-joseph-cares.

Portage County Catholic Parish Ministers Association’s last in a four-part series of Dinner & Doctrine takes place on February 11, 6:00–8:00 p.m. at “The Overlook” (formerly Twin Lakes Country Club) in Twin Lakes. Tickets are available for $25.00 in the Parish Office. Included in the evening is a buffet dinner (cash bar) at 6:00 p.m. followed by the speaker's presentation at 7:00 p.m. Our speaker is Mrs. Whitney Daley who will talk about “Social Justice and the Family.” She will address a “Call to Family, Community, and Participation: Moving from Busyness to Intentionality". Mrs. Daley is involved in Campus Ministry and teaches theology at Gilmour Academy. She is also director of Mission integration at Gilmour and has presented to many parish organizations. The last day to make your reservations is Tuesday, February 4. For more information, please contact Sr. Joyce at the Parish Office (330-274-2253 or jschreiber@stjosephmantua.com).

In January, our PSR program transforms the Giving Tree to a Warm Hearts for Warm Homes collection tree. Formerly known as Keep the Kids Warm, this Catholic Charities campaign helps provide winter hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves to families in need. Our collection will conclude on January 12th. In the Diocese of Youngstown, 43% of households are unable to afford the basic necessities of life, including food, shelter, and heat during the cold winter months. In response to the needs of individuals and families in our community, Catholic Charities is sponsoring its annual Warm Hearts for Warm Homes campaign (formerly Keep the Kids Warm). This effort provides utility assistance to low-income individuals and families in our community. To make a donation to Warm Hearts for Warm Homes, visit Catholic Charities’ website at www.ccdoy.org, or mail your contribution to Catholic Charities, Warm Hearts for Warm Homes, 144 West Wood St., Youngstown, OH 44503.

If you know an outstanding high school junior or senior in our diocese, be sure to nominate him/her for the 2020 Eagle of the Cross Awards. Recipients will be honored at a Mass and Banquet on April 29 in Youngstown and all nominees receive a certificate of acknowledgement. The form has been posted at http://youngstownoyyam.weebly.com/eagle-of-cross-awards.html. Nominations are DUE by 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, February 14 (please mail by Feb. 12th). But now is the perfect time to complete and return nominations! DID YOU KNOW . . . St. Joseph Parish has had seven recipients of this award? Wendy Trares, Sarah Clapp, Austin Anderson, Caitlin Chartier, Alex DeHoff, Sean Fejes, and Becca Rowe have been honored. Check out the details at https://stjosephmantua.com/eagle-of-the-cross.

The Sisterhood of St. Joseph Church is sponsoring a Casino Bus Trip to The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, PA on Monday, February 17, (President's Day). Cost is $40.00 per person and will include $20.00 free play and a $5.00 food voucher. Contact Mary Ann Feddor (330-842-0505) to reserve your seat. The casino requires a Player's Card and a valid driver's license. Payment in advance is essential. The group will depart from St. Joseph Church at 9:00 a.m. and will return by 6:00 p.m. There are plenty of seats available at this time, but it's "first come, first served."   

During the summer of 2020, Fr. James-Peter Trares, OP will be moving to Rome to begin studies in the Fall at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (commonly known as "the Angelicum")! He'll be pursuing a Doctorate in Spirituality, which should take about four years, after which he'll be qualified to teach full time, to work in seminaries, to do spiritual counseling, and assist with the formation of the order's younger brothers. Since his ordination May 20, 2017, he has been assigned as a campus minister and theology professor at the University of St. Thomas based in the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN. He resides at St. Albert the Great Priory, 2833 32nd Ave., South, Minneapolis, MN  55406 with eight other Dominicans. We congratulate him and wish him well in his new adventure.

We would like everyone at St. Joseph’s to feel welcome as a part of our parish community family. Your assistance in keeping our records up-to-date helps to ensure that no one becomes “just a member. ” To be a registered member of a parish is to have a sense of belonging to a family. Registration is important when it comes to requesting the Sacraments or becoming involved in the life of the parish family. Please do not take for granted that you are registered just because you attend Mass here. Are you on our database? Do your receive envelopes? If not, you are most likely not registered as an active parishioner. To register or to update your information, please contact the Parish Office (330-274-2253 or ktrares@stjosephmantua.com). If you have started the process, but have yet to return the blue registration form, please do so ASAP.

Our new fundraiser that follows the Ohio 3-Digit Lottery evening drawing was so successful that we're doing it again in 2020! Tickets are $5.00 each, good for the entire month, and you may purchase the same number for the entire year. Winning tickets are worth $50.00 (payouts mailed weekly). Proceeds help with our church improvements.

Did you know that you can purchase tickets for this year's Main Raffle online? Simply visit our website's Ox Roast Raffle page (https://stjosephmantua.com/ox-raffles) & click on the link. First Prize is a 2020 Honda Pioneer 1000-5 Deluxe UTV, $18,199.00 MSRP (provided by Just For Fun Honda). Second Prize is $1,500.00 Cash and Third Prize is $500.00 Cash. Tickets: $10.00 ea., 3/$20.00, 10/$50.00, 30/$100.00 Checking/savings direct withdrawal, debit & credit cards are accepted. Tickets are also available after weekend Masses (5 p.m. Saturday & 9 a.m. Sunday). Tickets are also on sale in the Narthex after weekend Masses (parishioners are encouraged to pick up tickets to sell). Get your tickets today for these great prizes!

The Fundraising Committee is starting an easy way to generate some funds for parish improvements through recycling aluminum cans. Collect your clean cans in plastic bags, crushing if possible, and deposit in the designated containers in front of the church or in the All-Purpose Room. They will be picked up every weekend after Sunday Mass. Thank you in advance for your participation. If you would like to assist in any of our fundraisers, please contact John or Debbie Kruis (330-618-3604 or 330-221-0272).