The mission of the Altar and Rosary Society (ARS) of St. Patrick is to enhance the spiritual growth of the parishioners by demonstrating care of the altar and church environment, promoting the praying of the rosary, and growing in community as Catholic women.
Gathering Overview
The Altar and Rosary Society meets in the St. Patrick Social Hall the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 PM (except for December, June, July, and August). Our goal this year is to live our mission statement through action, Adore Christ. Renew Faith. Serve Others. Through a mix of engaging programs, built-in social time and opportunities for service at the church and across our community, each meeting provides the grounds for enriching our faith while creating friendships and having fun.
Upcoming Events:
- All duties of caring for the altar and decorating the church throughout the year
- September 2026
- September: Kick off Membership Drive; announcement in the bulletin.
- September 17: Meeting at 6:30 PM after Mass; vote on proposed bylaws.
- September–October: Diaper and Formula Drive for Gabriel’s Corner.
- October 2026
- October 10: Rosary Rally at Bayliss Park at 12:00 PM.
- October 15: Quarterly Meeting and Rosary at 6:30 PM after Mass.
- Date TBD: Light-Up Rosary with Faith Formation students for the Month of the Rosary.
- Date TBD: Trunk or Treat.
- November 2026
- November 19: Rosary and fellowship at 6:30 PM after Mass.
- December 2026
- Date TBD: Decorating Party with chili and cinnamon rolls.
- January 2027
- January 21: Quarterly Meeting at 6:30 PM.
- February 2027
- February 18: “Pop-In for Prayer” Rosary and popcorn bar.
- Date TBD: Possible service project cleaning the Stations of the Cross.
- March 2027
- March 18: Lenten Light Rosary with purple lights in preparation for Holy Week.
- Date TBD: Decorate for Easter.
- April 2027
- April 15: Quarterly Meeting and Divine Mercy Light-Up Chaplet/Rosary at 6:30 PM.
- Date TBD: Light-Up Divine Mercy Chaplet with Faith Formation students.
- Date TBD: Installation of new members.
- May 2027
- May 20: Rosary and fellowship with a focus on Mary, Our Mother, in the Rosary Garden.
- June 2027
- June 17: Quarterly Meeting and Rosary at 6:30 PM after Mass in the Rosary Garden.
- July 2027
- Date TBD: Vacation Bible School — ARS will sponsor an activity for students.
- July 15: Rosary and fellowship at 6:30 PM after Mass.
- August 2027
- August 19: Rosary and fellowship; planning for the upcoming year.
Quarterly Meetings are listed above: After 6:00 pm Thursday mass to pray the Rosary at 6:30 pm and have fellowship with coffee and bars/cookies after. Anyone wanting to attend our quarterly meetings is welcome.
Women ages 18 and over are invited to join our meetings and become members. Looking forward to seeing you!
Church / Community Service Opportunities
Ongoing
- Friday Adoration Volunteers. Let's fill the Parish Sanctuary during eucharistic adoration to celebrate Christ between 9AM - 3PM, every Friday or any day/time in the Adoration Chapel!
- Funeral Hospitality. Help support our grieving families during their time of need to serve their funeral luncheon in the Parish Social Hall and cleanup afterwards. Contact Margie Graeve at 712-309-1119 for additional information.
Have questions or would like to join? Contact Petra Lincoln at 712-796-6572.
Governing Board
POSITION |
Board Member |
| President | Petra Lincoln |
| Vice President / Program Chair | Petra Lincoln |
| Secretary | Cindy Colpitts |
| Altar Chair | Amy Higginbotham |
| Rosary Chair | Jackie Brown |
| Publicity / Public Relations Chair | Jackie Brown |
| Finance / Membership Chair | Mindy Fleege |
| Hospitality Chair | Jacquie Avey |
| Immediate Past President | Kris Smith |
| Spiritual Advisor | Fr. Joel McNeil |
proposed by-law changes
The Altar & Rosary Society is proposing updates to its by-laws. Members and parishioners are invited to review the proposed changes prior to the Society’s September 17, 2026 meeting.
Review the documents below:
- Proposed By-law Changes – Marked Version
- Shows the current bylaws with proposed deletions and changes indicated.
- Proposed By-laws – Clean Version
- Shows how the bylaws would read if the proposed changes are approved.
By-laws
Resources
- Laudate App. The most popular, comprehensive and free Catholic application that offers daily mass readings, various rosaries/chaplets, stations of the cross, searchable prayers (some in Latin, too!), Catechisms of the Catholic Church and much more! To download click here.
- Pray More Novenas is a free service that was created to help you pray by sending you each novena prayer for 9 days. It has transformed the prayer life of thousands of people by bringing them closer to God in a consistent way and is also a great resource for learning more about novenas. To download click here.
