St. John the Baptist. The statistics are startling. It

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1 CATHOLIC CHURCH In this Issue: We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles Take Jesus Out Into the Neighborhood The Corpus Christi Procession The Traits of the Christian Steward Ask What You Can Do For Your Church The Harms Family Children Are Curious and Have Questions About the Faith Religious Education at The statistics are startling. It seems that a new study comes out almost every week, detailing the declining numbers of those who identify themselves as Christian especially youth. There is a battle for the hearts and minds of young people in a world that often seeks to tear them away from faith. Yet, as far back as the late 19 th century, St. John Bosco, the patron saint of young people, spoke to the need of providing formation to God s children. It seems to me that the words of the Gospel which speak to us of the Divine Savior coming down from heaven to gather together all of God s children could be applied literally to the young people of our times, he wrote in a letter to the Salesians in They constitute the most vulnerable, yet valuable section of human society. The Church places a special emphasis on the faith formation of young children, often through parish religious education programs for as St. John Bosco points out, it is essential to serve children, our most vulnerable, as they build an understanding of their faith. continued on page 2

2 Religious Education at continued from front cover Children need a basic foundation in their faith, says Carol Shelton, Director of Religious Education, who has been involved in the faith formation of children for the past 25 years. Our children are constantly challenged by society regarding their Catholic faith. When children do not have an understanding of their own faith they are easily swayed to believe what others have to say about Catholics and the Catholic faith. Children are curious and have questions about their faith, she continues. We want to help parents answer these questions. The Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children this is especially significant in regards to teaching them the faith. Our parish Religious Education program is designed to support and empower parents in this role, walking alongside them, and giving them the tools they need to succeed in inviting their children to share their faith. Some parents feel unprepared or inadequate when it comes to their Catholic faith, Carol says. Our Religious Education program is here to help them and their children. However, Carol encourages parents to take an active role in their children s faith formation. Although it can seem intimidating, it often begins with simply leading by example. Pray with them, attend Mass together, get involved in church activities and ministries, and receive the sacraments, Carol says. You may notice that not only do children often look like their parents, but they usually act like them, as well. Parents who love and practice their faith usually have children who do the same. s Religious Education program serves children from Pre-K through eighth grade, and our Youth Ministry program serves young people in high school. Both the elementary and high school programs include various age-appropriate activities, prayer time, media, and personal sharing from catechists who volunteer to share stories of their relationships with God. The children also have opportunities to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and pray before the Blessed Sacrament in Eucharistic Adoration throughout the year. Confirmed high school students will also have the opportunity to participate in a small-group style program called YDisciple, designed to help youth grow deeper in their faith and relationships with other young Catholics, while serving the world around them. For parents who want to enroll their children in Religious Education for the upcoming school year, it s as simple as returning the registration forms received in the mail to the parish office. Classes begin in September. Those interested in serving as catechists for Religious Education classes are also invited to contact Carol. For more information on the Religious Education program, please contact Carol Shelton at Children are curious and have questions about their faith. We want to help parents answer these questions. Carol Shelton, Director of Religious Education 2

3 A Letter From Our Parochial Administrator We Provide the Gifts, God Performs the Miracles Dear Parishioners, It is human nature to try to neatly place things into categories. If we categorize the miracles performed by Christ, the two largest groupings might fall under the headings Healing and Feeding. This is exactly what we are about here at St. John the Baptist. At the foundation of all our liturgies is the Eucharist, when we come together in communion with the Lord and with one another to be both fed and healed. Even one of Christ s most famous miracles the Feeding of the Multitude involved both healing and feeding from a spiritual and a literal perspective. The large crowd gathered because of Jesus reputation as a healer. He felt compassion for that crowd, which is another way of saying He loved them and felt sorry that they were hungry. They were willing to neglect their physical hunger all day to sit and listen to Him. Recognizing it was late in the day and that many of them had not eaten, Jesus literally fed them, satisfying their physical hunger. So, not only did Jesus heal their wounded hearts with His words of hope, He gave them something to appease their physical hunger, as well. That makes me think of the story of Christ taking a small amount of food and using it to feed thousands that we hear in all four Gospels. I find it very interesting in how Christ began that miracle. You might recall that it all started with one boy who was willing to share what little he had. It was because the boy made the gift of his fishes and loaves that the Lord was able to take it and multiply it many times over, nourishing so many more people than what that little bit initially could. Isn t that what we as a parish are called to do? We make gifts of our time, our talent, and our treasure as good stewards, and God takes those gifts and performs miracles with them, multiplying them. Our goal is to give what we have so that Christ might use it, multiplying it to feed, to heal, and to draw a multitude of people closer to Him. If we all came together to share our gifts, think about how much Our Lord could accomplish in our parish. That s what stewardship is all about. In Christ, Fr. Butler, Parochial Administrator 3

4 4 While we celebrate Mass indoors, one beautiful tradition brings Christ outdoors and into the larger community. The Corpus Christi procession takes the Blessed Sacrament out in a public way, says Sara Stutzman, Procession Committee Member. As each parish takes Jesus into the neighborhood, it represents what we need to do when we leave Mass! St. Juliana originally suggested the Feast of Corpus Christi, and in 1264 Pope Urban IV instituted the solemnity for the Church. St. Juliana received inspiration from Christ for the feast for four reasons, Sara says. They were to counter lukewarm faith, to increase faith, to make reparation for sacrilegious behavior, and to make a public statement. The Corpus Christi procession at took place on Saturday after the 5 p.m. Mass on June 6. We processed out of the church, and Father carried the monstrance under a beautiful canopy made by a parishioner, Sara says. The procession stopped at four altars sponsored by families and ministries. Before each, the procession paused for prayer and Scripture readings. The Knights of Columbus, our Boy Scouts and our Confirmation class participated, Sara says, naming just a few of the many individuals and groups who supported the procession. Our First Communion children processed in front of the canopy and dropped rose petals. Behind the canopy were the choir and parishioners. The Procession Committee would like to thank everyone who came together to bring this traditional celebration to. We are grateful for all the people who took on their parts to put it together! Sara says. Take Jesus Out Into The Corpus Ch Incense in the procession The Eucharistic procession The Eucharistic procession

5 the Neighborhood risti Procession The Procession Committee thanks all the individuals, families, ministries and groups that supported St. John the Baptist s Eucharistic Procession. We are grateful for you and your work! Master of Ceremonies: John Stutzman Canopy Ushers: Nick Cinfio, Rick Ramos, Chris Wegener and Nick Wegener Crossbearer: Parker Novey Canopy was hand-made by parishioner Anne Novey. Canopy Poles were hand-made by parishioner John Stutzman Original art for the poster was created by Eimi Certain Original chalk art on the church steps was created by Cathy Certain and Maureen O Neil Boylan Music led by Sr. Carol and members of the Adult Choir and Handbell Choir Altars were set up by: 1. Chuck and Cheryl Kessler with Rich and Janet Mitrenga 2. Dennis and Susan Clifford and their grandchildren Jacob, Thomas, Joseph, and Mary 3. Ray and Donna Antolik 4. Rosary Makers Ministry Chalk art on the church steps And a warm Thank You to all members of the faith community who came together to process on this Feast of Corpus Christi! 5

6 The Traits of the Christian Steward Each day, we strive to live stewardship in our lives, recognizing our roles as God s co-workers in His creative, redemptive and sanctifying work. But in our quest to live as disciples of Christ, many obstacles often arise. One of the most prevalent roadblocks in living stewardship is understanding the traits that make up a good Christian steward. Surely, it would be much more convenient if we had some sort of stewardship profiler who could lay out the necessary steps to becoming a good steward, like on one of those television crime dramas. Unfortunately, it more often feels like living stewardship is a lifelong journey that we will never fully comprehend. Fortunately, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops pastoral letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple s Response, gives some insight into the characteristics that make up a good Christian steward. It may not have the powers of a stewardship profiler or mentalist, but it certainly gives us some tangible things to think about. The Christian steward should display some of the following traits: Insight Before the disciples could live what we know as the stewardship way of life, they needed a flash of insight, or a certain way of viewing the world and their relationship to it in a fresh light. This divine grandeur, more than anything else, is often what sets people on the path to Christian stewardship (Stewardship: A Disciple s Response, 39). Conscientiousness Stewards are fully conscious of their accountability in sharing of their time, talent and treasure. As caretakers of the gifts that God has given them, they have the opportunity and responsibility to use them to their fullest potential to spread God s Kingdom on Earth (40). Generosity Christian stewards are generous out of love as well as duty. They should display a desire to share with and care for others based on the sacramental graces they have received. And they are also cognizant of the many warnings that the New Testament presents to those who fail in charity and authentic love (40). Joy Christian stewards are often presented with difficult obstacles, but they should remain joyful in the face of challenges to their lives of stewardship. Like Paul, the good steward is able to say, I am filled with encouragement, I am overflowing with joy all the more because of all our affliction (2 Cor. 7:4). Only by serving with a joyful spirit will stewards fully reap the rewards of their service, both in this life and the next. Indeed, living as a Christian steward is a lifelong journey with many ups and downs along the way. But if we strive to consciously incorporate each of these characteristics into our giving of time, talent and treasure, we will find that the profile of a good Christian steward will become much clearer with each experience of service. 6

7 Ask What You Can Do For Your Church The Harms Family Their oldest daughter was 11 years old when she had major back surgery. Long hours were spent in the hospital, but both Carrie and Brian Harms believe the hours would have been much longer without the loving prayers and support of s faith community. We have been blessed so much by the warm and giving people at, Carrie says. There were so many prayers offered for Michelle, and people sent cards or even came by. We would probably have been in the hospital much longer without them! Since joining in July of 1998, Brian, Carrie and their three children Michelle, 16; Becca, 13; and Joey, 6 have all found different ways to engage the three Ts of stewardship. Treasure is important, but I don t know if everyone understands that time and talent are just as important, if not more important to keep the church going! Brian says. I go back to one of my grandfather s favorite prayers that says, In giving we receive. When you give, it makes a difference in everything you do. Brian and Carrie met in college and were married a month before joining the parish, which is a mere mile from their home. When their oldest entered preschool, she began asking Carrie questions about the Mass. This encouraged Carrie to go through RCIA. It has been eight years since I converted to the Catholic faith, Carrie says. Brian and I have stepped up more since then. Now I have been teaching Religious Education for kindergarteners at St. John the Brian and Carrie Harms Baptist, which is what I first went to college to do to be a teacher. Shortly before Carrie joined the church, a little bird in the form of Brian s mother, a fellow St. John the Baptist parishioner, mentioned to Sr. Carol that Brian studied voice in college. I joined the choir at that time, and it has been a wonderful experience, Brian says. I also helped teach RCIA for three years after Carrie became Catholic. With the relationships I have built with people through choir and the Knights of Columbus, I know that I can count on them. We re all together in a common purpose. With their children, Carrie and Brian have tried to instill in them the desire to volunteer with the Church. Both Michelle and Becca are altar servers, and also give to others through their school, which recently sent support to Mongolia to help establish schools. continued on back cover Do whatever you think you can, and don t be afraid to ask what you can help with, Carrie says. Every little bit [that] each of us does even staying after church to help pick up and clean up the pews every little bit helps. Carrie Harms 7

8 320 S. Depot Street PO Box 276 Somonauk, IL Phone: Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Somonauk, IL Permit No. 25 Return Service Requested Mass Times Saturdays 5:00 PM Sundays 8:00 and 10:30 AM Weekdays: Tuesdays 6:30 PM M, W, Th, F 7:00 AM Sacrament of Reconciliation Tuesdays 5:00 PM Saturdays 4:00 PM or by appointment Adoration Tuesdays 5-6 PM and First Fridays 7:30 AM-6:00 PM with Benediction 6:00 PM The Harms Family continued from page 7 They see us doing it, so they respect volunteering and want to do the same, Carrie says. Michelle received her Confirmation this year and did volunteer hours. She was an aide for Religious Education with the first grade class. They both went to the food pantry and were very tired afterwards but wanted to keep helping! The Harms family is particularly grateful for how embracing the community has been with their youngest child, Joey, who has Down syndrome. Carrie and Brian are teaching Joey his prayers and affectionately call him the Ambassador for Communion since during Mass, he is towards the front of the church shaking hands with everyone as they approach the altar. Everybody is so accommodating, Brian says. They all know him, and Joey is there with a smile and hug for everyone. Fr. Butler is also so good with him. Brian and Carrie encourage others to consider how they can get involved and to tweak a familiar saying that President John The Harms children F. Kennedy once said in reference to our country Ask not what your Church can do for you, but what you can do for your Church. Do whatever you think you can, and don t be afraid to ask what you can help with. Every little bit [that] each of us does even staying after church to help pick up and clean up the pews every little bit helps.