A FUN WAY FOR YOUNG PARISHIONERS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR FAITH Totus Tuus One of the reasons Amanda Liesen-Miller is

Transcription

1 Monthly Newsletter A FUN WAY FOR YOUNG PARISHIONERS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR FAITH Totus Tuus One of the reasons Amanda Liesen-Miller is so passionate about coordinating the Totus Tuus Day Program is that she has seen what a great impact it has had on her children, Logan and Bryce, who are both entering the fourth grade in the fall, and Sierra, who is entering sixth grade. Months after my children went to Totus Tuus, I caught them acting out one of the skits from it at home, and singing the songs, Amanda says. I was amazed. I also noticed that after spending a week at Totus Tuus, they knew all the prayers they needed to have memorized for first grade. They were also more interested in the Mass, and more into their faith and excited about it. This is what made me want to start coordinating the Day Program. She has also noticed that it has made her children contemplate the Catholic faith in a more profound way. When my children would come home from Totus Tuus each day, they would ask me such indepth questions about Catholicism, she says. The program has really made an impression on them. Totus Tuus, a dynamic Catholic summer vacation program for grade school and high school May 2017 students, will be offered at our parish from July 9 through 14. The Day Program, which is open to children in grades first through sixth, runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Evening Program, which serves junior high and high school students, is offered from 7 to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Totus Tuus is organized with the help of a dedicated team trained by our diocese, made up of two college-age men continued on back cover

2 St. Peter Catholic Church What should we do when our prayers are answered? Is there anything left to do after we have sincerely thanked God for His favors? If God were a human peer, we would probably try to reciprocate by granting Him a favor in return. But the truth is that God cannot be made greater by anything that we do for Him. Instead, God receives our thanks and tells us to go and do likewise. That is, He tells us to share with others STEWARDSHIP Hannah, the Good Steward the good that He has bestowed on us. And in doing so, we are really sharing God Himself. That is the definition of stewardship! The Old Testament Book of Samuel contains one of the most poignant examples of stewardship in the entire Bible. The first chapter teaches us of an unhappy, barren woman named Hannah. Desperate in her barrenness, Hannah prays that God will give her a son, vowing that she will raise him to be a man of God. Imagine Hannah s elation when she was granted her prayer! When Samuel was born, her heart s desire had come true! Imagine further the pang of motherly sorrow, as Hannah kept her promise to God by taking Samuel at a young age to be the servant of Eli, the high priest. The Book of Samuel tells us that once Samuel became Eli s servant, Hannah saw her young son just once a year. Indeed, Hannah knew that Samuel was truly a gift from God an answered prayer. Hannah s response is that of the Good Steward with an attitude of both gratitude and sacrifice, she gave up her son to honor God. One imagines that Hannah probably struggled with this sacrifice during those first years. She probably did not know what God had in store for her son. Yet, through her faithfulness, God used him as a gift to an entire nation. Samuel would, in time, become one of the greatest prophets of Jewish history. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the sacrifices we make in the name of stewardship, while the results may just be impossible to miss! However, He asks that we continue to be faithful in either case. God has undoubtedly bestowed gifts on all of us at whatever the cost, we are to go and do likewise. 2

3 A Letter from Our Pastor WE CANNOT BE PART-TIME CHRISTIANS Dear Parishioners, May is traditionally celebrated in the Church as the month of Mary, our Blessed Mother. As the Mother of the Church, she provides us with an example of what it means to be a servant of God and our fellow humans, as well as how to obediently fulfill the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As Catholics, we are called to model the life of Jesus. That can be difficult, and there are certainly challenges to living as a disciple of Christ. But living stewardship and discipleship brings intense contentment and joy to those who take that risk. As we hear in St. Paul s letter to the Romans, All things work for good for those who love God. After Jesus Himself, we look to our Blessed Mother as an ideal steward and an example of what stewardship means. As the Mother of Christ, she lived her life and her ministry in a total spirit of faithfulness and service. She responded to the call to be a disciple. For us to be disciples, we also need to be good stewards of the gifts we have received. Our Church and our parish are gifts to us from God. At no point in Holy Scripture does Jesus tell us that following Him is easy. We know it is not always simple and effortless. It requires dedication and commitment. Pope Francis has said on more than one occasion, We cannot be parttime Christians and Catholics! We should seek to live our faith at every moment of every day. I suspect that is how Mary lived her life from that moment she turned it over to God and His Will. So, let us vow together during this month of Mary to follow her example, and seek to be the kinds of good stewards that will make our faith community even stronger and more effective. I pray that we all can find the strength to live and practice our faith as we should. This means being faithful to the sacraments and looking for ways to help and serve one another. We have a great parish let us make it even greater. As we hear in Holy Scripture, May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). Pray for me, as I pray for you. Sincerely in Christ, Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow Pastor 3

4 St. Peter Catholic Church When the Bertram family chose the verse Joshua 1:9 as their family motto, they had no idea how relevant it would be to their stewardship journey. The idea to choose a family verse came to them one year when Joseph (Joe) and Lori Bertram s two oldest children were still quite young. We wanted to do a Lenten project together, and we found these necklaces and shields that we all wore around our necks that Lent, Lori says. We even found a little pin that Tyler, the baby at the time, was able to wear. We had the verse throughout our home and had our kids memorize it, becoming a sort of family motto. The verse didn t take on a full meaning, however, until several years later when the company Joe worked for was bought out. Suddenly, the Bertrams were faced with leaving their beloved small town for the much larger city of Quincy, Ill. With their oldest now in seventh and eighth grade, the process of leaving all of their family and friends was overwhelming. All they could do was cling to one another and the promise of God s continual presence. I just remember us really holding onto that verse, especially the part at the end where it reminds us that wherever we go, God will be with us, Lori says. God did not disappoint them, leading them here to St. Peter s, where the family almost immediately received an outpouring of love. And in the process, the Bertrams were given a powerful witness of the true meaning of stewardship. The parish community just embraced us, Lori says. The Welcoming Committee contacted us almost right away and assigned us two amazing families who sent us cookies, arranged play dates with our children, told us about all the ministries, and just showered us with hospitality. They made us feel a part of the community WHEREVE The Bertram Family s I command you: be strong and steadfast! D your God, is with you wher A more recent family photo, where the four Bertram children maintain their tradition of climbing all over each other after a family photo shoot. long before we really were an active part, Joe adds. They truly taught us what stewardship is all about. Inspired by this early encounter, the Bertrams themselves began seeking ways to become involved and give back to the community which had so richly blessed them. Over the years, Lori has been part of numerous Bible studies, belongs to the Stewardship Committee, serves as a Eucharistic Minister for Mass, and has assisted with the Quest Team. Lori 4

5 R YOU GO Stewardship Journey o not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, ever you go. Joshua 1:9 also currently works as a first-grade teacher at St. Peter School. Joe, on the other hand, is the type of person who typically serves behind the scenes, eagerly giving up his seat to an elderly parishioner, stacking up all the chairs following a gathering, and helping out wherever he can at large events like the annual Parish Picnic. As a couple, the Bertrams have enjoyed participating in the Welcoming Committee, remaining committed adorers at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel, and recently becoming involved with the Pre-Cana program. Not only are these ministries an important way for the Bertrams to give back to God and his Church, but they re also a way for them to better model the faith to their four children. To us, stewardship means setting an example of service for our children, Lori says. When they see us making a habit of giving or our time, talent, and treasure, they take that in and follow it. We want our kids to see us making those sacrifices and embracing our stewardship calling. We feel that stewardship is less about what you say, and more about what you do. Seeing their children as gifts from God, the Bertrams have worked hard to continually direct their children back to Him and His truth. An important way of doing this has been through Catholic education. We always envisioned our kids having that foundation through Catholic school, Joe says. We just knew that through it, we were further helping to instill that faith foundation in them. There are things that we can teach them as their parents, but we wanted them to be surrounded by the faith. We know that we are their first teachers when it comes to having God in their life, Lori adds. But we wanted school to be an intricate part in that faith development. To see the effects of these decisions, one need only look at the Bertram children themselves who have each become actively involved in the faith community. All four of them have altar served at various times and either have or currently remain involved in the parish youth group. We ve had so many things that have happened where our children have surprised us with how vibrant their faith truly is, Joe says. I think every parent tries to lead their child down the right path and I think our kids, though not perfect, have been truly blessed to have Jesus in their lives. Looking back on the journey, the Bertrams feel blessed by God s continual hand in their life and the many blessings they have received from the St. Peter community. He truly has been with them wherever they ve gone. Their hope is to continue growing in the faith and to help bless others in the process, just as they were seven years ago. To us, stewardship means setting an example of service for our children. When they see us making a habit of giving or our time, talent, and treasure, they take that in and follow it. We want our kids to see us making those sacrifices and embracing our stewardship calling. We feel that stewardship is less about what you say, and more about what you do. Lori Bertram 5

6 St. Peter Catholic Church MY GOD, I BELIEVE, I ADORE, I HOPE AND I LOVE YOU The 100th Anniversary of Fatima While World War I was raging, embroiling the globe in shattering conflict, the children of local farmers in central Portugal dutifully went about their family s business and led their flocks out to graze each day. It was into this microcosm of ordinariness in the midst of turmoil that the supernatural occurred. This year marks the centennial of the first Marian apparition at Fatima on May 13, 2017, and in our contemporary world rife with ever-present conflict, Fatima s hopeful message of penance, prayer and devotion rings with renewed relevance. The children chosen to receive the Marian apparitions Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta were prepared for this blessed privilege through catechesis. During the year of 1916, the Angel of Portugal appeared to the children on three separate occasions to teach them to pray and to fortify them with the Eucharist. During the first visit, as the children sought shelter from the spring rains in a cave, the angel appeared and taught them a specific prayer: My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee. On the second visit, the angel chastised the children for not praying and offering sacrifices more diligently, and on the third, the angel again taught them to pray and then they shared the Eucharist together. As explained by EWTN in 100 Years of Fatima, It was in this way that catechized in prayer, reparative suffering, and the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, and strengthened by the Bread of Angels, that the children of Fatima were prepared for the visitation of the Queen of Portugal, the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Eight months after the angel s last visitation, as the Great War continued, the Blessed Virgin first appeared to the children, asking if they would return to the same place outside of Fatima on the 13th of each month for six months to meet with her. In the first visit, the Virgin also asked them to pray the Rosary for world peace. Over the next months, people increasingly gathered with the three visionaries at the time appointed for the Virgin s apparitions. Mary repeatedly underscored her central message to pray the Rosary for peace, to make sacrifices for sinners and to foster a devotion to her Immaculate Heart. As she had promised, on the day of her last appearance to the children, the Virgin performed a miracle so that all may believe. On Oct. 13, 1917, before a crowd of approximately 70,000 onlookers, Our Lady of the Rosary appeared, and the children and onlookers beheld two apparitions. In the first, they saw the Holy Family, and St. Joseph and the Child Jesus gave a blessing. In the second, Our Lord and Our Lady of Sorrows appeared, and Our Lord also gave a blessing. Then, onlookers offered varying accounts of the sun dancing, expanding and spinning before them. This sixth Marian apparition marks the last time the three children saw Our Lady of the Rosary, though she would appear in 1920 only to Lucia. In this year, we commemorate the first Marian apparition, following the example of our Pope Francis, who will traverse to Fatima on May 13 and will most likely canonize Jacinta and Francisco during his visit. Now more than ever, the importance of the message of Fatima reverberates throughout the faithful, as we consider the global and social conflicts unfolding before our families. Our Lady of the Rosary still calls us to pray and sacrifice for peace, to be a counterbalance to world chaos in our daily intentional actions. 6

7 PSR WRAPS UP YEAR OF GOOD DEEDS Our PSR Program is drawing to a close May 11 with Mass, and it has been a full, fun year for our students in the first through eighth grades! The group of about 60 students met each Wednesday from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. under the guidance of our dedicated teachers and the leadership of Mary Talken, PSR Coordinator, who is a Certified Catechist in the Diocese of Springfield. I m very appreciative of Msgr. Leo s input through the year, Mary says. He says Mass for us and hears confession twice a year. We do appreciate Monsignor for all he does, and the parents are very supportive, too. During the year, second-grade teacher Sandy Gallagher has been preparing her students for their First Communion, and Martha Rapp has been preparing her eighth- graders for Confirmation. Mary notes that children preparing for First Communion in second grade and Confirmation in eighth grade must have attended the previous grade in PSR. This year, we have three PSR children making their First Communion, Mary says. What happens is that a number of kids go from PSR to St. Peter School, and that s pretty good when that happens. The highlight of the school year has been the Good Samaritan Box. It s a big boot box, decorated with a picture of Jesus, and the saying, Between Jesus and me, Mary says. The focus was when the kids did a good deed, they d write it on a card and put it in the box, where it was between Jesus and themselves. Near the end of the term, Mary plans to draw a name from the box and award a prize. She Our PSR teachers are a dedicated group who teach our Catholic faith to the children in our parish who do not attend Catholic school. has hit on the idea of a cash challenge. The winner can use the cash for him or herself, or take the challenge of finding someone who can use it more, Mary says. The idea is since they were so good about performing a good deed, they can share with someone else. Looking ahead to the new school year, Mary says that the fifth-grade teacher, Gen Moore, is preparing to conduct Operation Shoebox. We ll have a shoebox in each room, Mary says. We won t do the Samaritan Box next year. But who knows whatever the Lord puts in my mind, I ll do. Mary taught fourth-grade PSR for 13 years, having answered a call in the church bulletin for a teacher with the requirement that you just have to love God. I was a mom, a grandmother, and now great-grandmother, and when you re those things, you know how to teach kids, she says. I just jumped in and I ve loved each minute of it. Questions about the PSR Program? Call the parish office at

8 St. Peter Catholic Church 2600 Maine Street Quincy, Illinois Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 105, Quincy, IL Return Service Requested MASS & RECONCILIATION SCHEDULE Sunday Masses Saturday: 5 p.m., Sunday: 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Weekday Masses Mon-Sat: 8:00 a.m., except for Wednesdays during the school year: 8:30 a.m. Reconciliation Saturday: 7:30-7:50 a.m., 3:30-4:30 p.m. or by appointment Totus Tuus continued from front cover and two college-age women. The team members spend their summer offering the Totus Tuus program to each parish in our diocese that has requested it. Each session of the Day Program is packed with incredible faith formation opportunities, highly entertaining and educational skits, inspiring songs, and outside free play and special outdoor activities. Fr. Leo offers Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the program, as well. One of the things I really appreciate about Totus Tuus is the amount of knowledge the kids gain from it, Amanda says. Throughout the program, they learn in a fun way that really sticks with them and helps them understand their faith better. The Evening Program, which is coordinated by Barb Hun and Jodi McDonald, is run differently from the Day Program. It features powerful discussions on faith topics pertinent to the daily life of teenagers, such as the importance of maintaining Catholic views on chastity. It also includes time for Eucharistic Adoration. At the end of each evening, the youth are invited to privately write down any questions they may have in a notebook, Amanda says. Later, the team members then write down responses to their questions. It helps the teens to open themselves up more. If you would like more information about how to sign up for this beautiful, life-changing program, please see future parish bulletins, starting in mid-may, or contact Amanda Liesen- Miller at The suggested donation is $20/child or $35/family. The deadline to reserves spots for St. Peter s parishioners is Friday, June 2, after which the children and teens will be registered on a first-come, first-serve basis.