Take a moment and think as

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1 Saint Peter CATHOLIC CHURCH Inside 2 A Modern Model of Sainthood St. Teresa of Calcutta 3 Giving Thanks to God f the Gift of Time 4 Answering the Call Matt and Kristin Gege 6 A Look Back on Our 2016 Parish Picnic 7 Help Us Accomplish What Needs to Be Done Our St. Peter Catholic Church Ministry of Painting, Carpentry, Electricity, Plumbing, and Me Take a moment and think as far back as you can remember, to attending Mass every week. From the time that you were a young child, Sunday mnings always meant listening to the Wd of God and receiving the Eucharist. The parish community, in many ways, became your family as you sat in the same pew, week after week, developing relationships with those around you. Then, one Sunday, it was simply too much. Maybe it was an illness injury, maybe it was moving into a nursing home. But at some point, getting yourself to Mass on a Sunday mning was no longer possible. Imagine the sadness, to realize that you can no longer get to Mass and receive the Eucharist, which has been the Source of your strength f years. Imagine the loneliness of not being able to pray with your parish Bringing Jesus to Our Faith Family Members in Need community, keep up with the lives of those who always sat in the pews around you. F many of our parishioners, as they get older, the first part of this scenario is a reality. However, here at St. Peter s, we do everything we can to make sure that, as members of our parish family struggle with age illness, they are never alone. Each Sunday, Extradinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs), who are specifically designated, bring Holy Communion to our brothers and sisters who are homebound in nursing homes. These ministers seek to share God s love, through the Eucharist and suppt of their parish family, with those who are unable to be physically present at Mass, whether due to age even a sht-term illness. Margie Sinnock has been serving with this ministry f the past 20 years. November 2016 EMHCs bring Holy Communion to our parishioners who are homebound and in nursing homes. To be able to carry our precious Ld to people who are homebound because of their health infirmity is a great hon and privilege, Margie says. During the visits, the EMHCs usually spend some time chatting with the person and praying with them, befe giving them Holy Communion. continued on page 5 St. Peter Parish is a Catholic community of faith bringing the light of Christ to all by serving others

2 St. Peter Catholic Church A Modern Model of Sainthood St. Teresa of Calcutta In the dark final years of the Cold War, a small woman standing at barely five feet tall offered a living counternarrative to the inhibiting fear undergirding our daily lives and our feign affairs. Instead of living in fear, Mother Teresa acted out of love. Instead of withdrawing and isolating herself, she gave tirelessly to others. Many of us harb a personal connection to this saint, f we lived during the height of the media coverage of Mother Teresa s wk and her friendships with Pope St. John Paul II and the beloved Princess Diana. Long befe she received the name Mother Teresa and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was bn on Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, the crossroads of the Balkans. The youngest of three children, Mother Teresa was raised predominately by her mother after her father s death, when she was about 8 years old. Dranafile (Drana) Bojaxhiu, Mother Teresa s mother, undoubtedly became a strong influence on her daughter s vocation, since Drana herself was a devout Catholic and known f her prayer life and her charity. Agnes attended a Catholic primary school and, following the example of her mother, became active in their parish and sang in Sacred Heart s choir. As a young person, Agnes enjoyed reading the lives of the saints while immersing herself in the sties of these holy men and women, Agnes first felt the stirring call to become a missionary. At the age of 18, Agnes traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to join the Sisters of Leto. She became Sr. Mary Teresa, named after St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and began to learn English. Within a few months of arriving in Ireland, she left f India. In India, Sr. Mary Teresa lived at the Leto Entally community in Calcutta, where she served as an educat and taught at St. Mary s School. After her final profession, she became Mother Teresa and, a few years later, began serving as the school s principal. On an dinary day, Mother Teresa received an extradinary call. While on a train ride to her annual retreat, Mother Teresa felt what she would describe as Jesus thirst f souls. Soon, Jesus called her to found the Missionaries of Charity, an der devoted to serving the poest of the po. The der fmally began on Oct. 7, 1950, and has grown from one woman tending the sick and dying in the streets of Calcutta to over 4,500 religious sisters helping the po in over 130 countries around the wld. Additionally, the der grew to include the Missionaries of Charity Brothers, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers and the Lay Missionaries of Charity. Though externally Mother Teresa joyfully and indefatigably served the po f nearly 50 years, during the majity of this time, she experienced a dark night of the soul, an extensive period of not feeling God s presence hearing His voice. Other saints, notably St. John of the Cross, similarly experienced a dark night of the soul. Despite this spiritual struggle, Mother Teresa continued her wk joyfully throughout her sickness and until her death on Sept. 5, Pope St. John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa in Fittingly, this year, a pontiff who has undersced the imptance of social justice celebrated her canonization. On Sept. 4, 2016, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa, the Saint of the Gutters, at the Vatican. St. Teresa of Calcutta offers us an example of ceaseless prayer and selfless service. She is a modern model of sainthood that we can emulate in our daily lives starting with how we serve and treat the other members of our family, our faith community and all those with whom we interact on a daily basis. St. Teresa of Calcutta, Pray f Us! 2

3 November 2016 A Letter from Our Past Giving Thanks to God f the Gift of Time Dear Parishioners, The next several weeks are certainly a busy time f us as Catholics, good stewards, good citizens, and faithful members of the Church and our parish. There are celebrations and commemations both inside and outside the Church that are momentous in terms of faith, citizenship, and living as people of thanksgiving and gratitude. We celebrate Veterans Day to hon and thank all those men and women who served in the United States Armed Fces in one capacity another. Indicative of the imptance of this day, every year at 11 a.m. Eastern, the President of the United States lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. On Sunday, Nov. 20, we culminate the Jubilee Year of Mercy on the Feast of Christ the King. In this Jubilee Year, our Holy Father Pope Francis has invited us to love, be kind, be generous, and to fgive boundlessly. How have we done? We all understand this is what we are supposed to be doing every day and every year, but this year reminds us of that, and hopefully renews us all in that reality and that hope. We all understand that Americans celebrate a day of Thanksgiving on Nov. 24. What me can we say about this? It is a day that was faith-based from its very beginnings, and it is an indication of how much we have to thank God f in terms of the gifts we have received our lives, our families, our Church, our Ld and Savi everything we are and everything we have. No sooner are Thanksgiving Day celebrations concluded, than we begin that glious season called Advent on Sunday, Nov. 27. This prepares us f and leads to Christmas. Indeed, this is both a busy and extradinary time of year! There is, of course, much me on which we could focus and about which we could think, meditate and pray, but that is me than enough f us to consider and absb. From a stewardship perspective, I would like you to not only participate and focus on all the particular things that are about to happen, but also on one of our special gifts the gift of time. The gift of time, which we all receive from God in equal amount, is precious because it is a non-renewable resource. Although some of our time is committed because of family responsibilities, wk responsibilities simply personal needs, we have an element of freewill with how we spend a certain amount of it. We need to spend some of that time in prayer, in thanksgiving, in wship, and in wks of mercy and ministry. Our time is perhaps me precious than any material gifts we receive from the Ld. How are we doing with that gift? Sincerely in Christ, Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow Past 3

4 Answering Matt and Kr St. Peter Catholic Church Many of us have grown up listening to and singing the traditional hymn Here I Am, Ld. Throughout her life, parishioner Kristin Gege has been inspired by these wds, reminding her of the true meaning of stewardship. To me, that is what stewardship is all about I am here to do your will; just lead me, Kristin says. The talents we use f stewardship are all about God s grace. It all flows from Him. We all must recognize and give thanks f those talents, and then use them f God s will. Having grown up within St. Peter Parish, Kristin has been quite literally discovering, cultivating and utilizing her God-given gifts within our community throughout her whole life. Her husband, Matt, has followed suit, receiving continuous inspiration and motivation to strive to live as Christ would through is wife s example. Raised by a devout Presbyterian family, Matt like Kristin was blessed to have grown up in an environment that was centered on Christ. This greatly affected Matt in his fmation, showing him from an early age the imptance of having a strong faith. So, when Matt met and began dating Kristin later on in life, he knew this was something he wanted f his own children. Both of us are lucky to be part of families where faith was very much a part of life, Matt says. We want our kids to see the imptance of being actively part of church. This is why going back to the very beginning of our relationship, it was so imptant to Kristin as a strong Catholic that I be open to converting. We wanted to raise our children together under one faith. With this goal in mind, Matt prayerfully decided to attend RCIA classes and enter into the Catholic Church here at St. Peter s, where he and Kristin were married 10 years ago. Since then, the Geges have answered the Ld s call to serve in numerous ways, from assisting with Funeral Meals, subbing f the Adation Chapel, volunteering f the Parish Picnic, to simply being a helping hand at parish events. F us, stewardship has really come to mean involvement in the parish family sometimes through things directly connected with our family and other times through things that are me personal, Matt says. As a professional teacher, Kristin has been able to use her professional skills f God s gly in a wide variety of ways. She taught PSR f a number of years even running the program at one point has assisted with Children s Liturgy of Parishioners Matt and Kristin Gege with their two daughters, Campbell and Grace. the Wd and the Sunday School/Child Care Ministry, and helped facilitate the younger track of the Totus Tuus program this past summer. And, after staying home with her two daughters f several years, Kristin is now blessed to wk as a Pre-K 3 teacher at St. Peter School. Similarly, since his conversion, Matt has become increasingly involved in parish life, most notably by helping to oversee the school Chess Club. In the process, says Matt, the parish has become me like a home to him, allowing him to get to know parishioners better and to truly feel a part of the faith community. 4

5 November 2016 the Call istin Gege There are a lot of really good people in the church, and becoming involved gives me the chance to get to know them and to learn from them, Matt says. That has been really imptant f me, especially being a relatively new member to the community. Just as the wds of the song go I will go, Ld, if you lead me, both Matt and Kristin note that sharing of oneself whether through time, talent, treasure is only possible under God s guidance. Yet, oftentimes this guidance is given to us through others family members, friends, and even strangers. Bringing Jesus to Our Faith Family Members in Need continued from front cover Even though they are not able to be present with us at Mass, by our ministry they feel still a part of our parish family, Margie says. They look fward to our visits each Sunday. I hope they feel that the Ld knows they re there and they re being taken care of, and they feel part of the Church because they re able to receive Communion, says Anita Rakers, who has served with this ministry f eight years. Accding to Margie and Anita, the gratitude of those they serve is obvious. The people we serve are so very grateful to receive our Ld in Holy Communion, Margie says. [They] thank us over and over f bringing our Ld to them. The people are always so thankful, Anita adds. They all just appreciate it so much. Serving in this way has also helped them grow in their relationship with the Ld, as well as with other parishioners. By having the church as our community, providing that continuous suppt, we are reminded of how we should be living our lives, Matt says. That strengthens us to persevere on despite what is going on around us. We have been abundantly blessed to have had holy role models throughout our life that have demonstrated their commitment to the Church, Kristin says. So many people have paved the way f us to have a solid foundation on which to share our own talents. It s truly energizing when people come together to serve Christ. We have been abundantly blessed to have had holy role models throughout our life that have demonstrated their commitment to the Church. So many people have paved the way f us to have a solid foundation on which to share our own talents. It s truly energizing when people come together to serve Christ. Kristin Gege This ministry has strengthened my relationship with God, Margie says. We are to be the hands and feet of Christ. It is humbling to be part of this ministry. I give [my relationship with God] a lot me thought when I m carrying the Host, I feel like I m part of the Church and really doing something f somebody, Anita says. I was always active in the Church and now I m 80 years old. There are a lot of things I can t do anyme, but this is something I can do. I enjoy doing it and I feel like I m doing something f my church and those people who can t get out. Margie encourages others to consider serving the parish through this ministry. I would encourage anyone to become a minister of Holy Communion to the homebound, she says. Our fellow parishioners who are homebound need us to be Jesus f them. They need to have the healing Presence of our Ld brought to them in Holy Communion. If you someone you know is in need of having Holy Communion brought to them, either temparily long term, if you are interested in serving with this ministry, please call the parish office at and ask f Kathy Harman. 5

6 St. Peter Catholic Church A Look Back on Our 2016 Parish Picnic We thank all who attended and volunteered during this year s Parish Picnic on Aug. 27! 6

7 November 2016 Help Us Accomplish What Needs to Be Done Our St. Peter Catholic Church Ministry of Painting, Carpentry, Electricity, Plumbing, and Me A parish cannot survive and it certainly cannot thrive without the stewardship contributions of its members, especially in the areas of time and talent. In Stewardship: A Disciple s Response, their Pastal Letter on Stewardship, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said, Beginning in conversion, a change of mind and heart, one s stewardship commitment is expressed not in a single action, n even a number of actions over a period of time, but in an entire way of life. It means committing one s very self to the Ld. It is at the parish level that people most often live out and perfm acts of stewardship. A community like the Church of St. Peter could not have subsisted f these many years without the selfless gifts offered by its members. An example of what stewardship is and means is Al Kurk, who f many years ganized and oversaw a somewhat all-encompassing ministry called Painting, Carpentry, Electricity, Plumbing, and Me. The name of the ministry identifies the purpose and wk of the ministry. Recently, because of age and health, Al turned over the codination of the ministry to Tom Maas. As long as I have been a member of various Catholic churches, I have been volunteering in as many ways as I could, Tom says. I guess I am st of a jack of all trades, so there are a lot of things, as long as they are not too complex, that I can deal with. F some 40 years, I have approached being a part of a parish as a case of if something needs to be done, I try to do it. Essentially, this ministry makes an efft to use the skills parishioners may already have. I have a list of people and their skills that was passed on to me, Tom says. Father communicates with me on a regular basis. When a job comes up in the parish, I try to identify and recruit people who might be able to do it, and then get them ganized to actually do it. We have plumbers, electricians, carpenters and me who give of their time and of themselves and their skills. We are always looking f people who can do things, people who are responsible, and who can help us accomplish what needs to be done. As Tom points out, there are currently specific areas around the church that need to be addressed. F example, right now we have about ten stumps we need to grind and remove from church property, he says. I am looking f people who might have the knowledge and equipment to help us with that. Those kinds of things come up on a regular basis. The whole concept of Church, community and stewardship is based upon people wking together and sharing their gifts to make the community stronger and effective. Yes, what we may do is physical wk, but we also understand the spiritual side of it, Tom says. Spirituality is just as imptant when it comes to stewardship. I think the parish is on the right track there. And as Tom emphasizes, needs within our parish are constantly changing. They may volunteer, but we may not at that moment have things f them to do, he says. They do not always have to be skilled labers sometimes we just need people willing to wk. They have to be patient, though. We will eventually have things f them to do. If someone has a skill they would like to share, if they want me infmation, they can contact Tom Maas at Carolyn Tipton in 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 f Wednesdays during the school year: 8:30 a.m. Reconciliation Saturday: 7:30-7:50 a.m., 3:30-4:30 p.m. by appointment Don t Fget to Return Your Commitment Card! Please be sure to return your completed Commitment Card at any Mass on FULFILLING THE MISSION OF Mercy the weekend of Nov If you ve misplaced your Commitment Card did not receive one, please contact the parish office at Time Spending Time with God in Prayer Talent Using My Talents in Parish Ministries Treasure Making a Consistent Gift to the Offerty Electronic Tithing Fm Member Name(s) Home Address St. Peter Catholic Church 2016 COMMITMENT CARD My offering of Time, Talent & Treasure First & Last Name (One card per family) Street Address City State ZIP Telephone (Imptant) Please bring your completed card to Mass on November 12 13, mail to the parish office. Love the Ld your God with all your heart. In der to keep this commandment, we have to spend time in prayer, talking to the Person we love most. Below you can check off your commitments to make prayer a priity. Attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days Attend weekday Mass at least once a week Attend Adation f one hour Spend 15 minutes a day in personal prayer Pray together with my loved ones Read the Bible f one hour a week Pray the Rosary at least weekly, join others at the 7:30 a.m. Saturday Mning Rosary in the church Go to confession every other month Schedule time f a spiritual retreat Volunteer to bring up the gifts at Mass Other Love your neighb as yourself. Love requires that we act in the best interests of others. How can you serve others by your involvement in parish ministries? When you sign up f a ministry, the leader will call you to explain how to become involved. = Currently Involved = Interested in Joining Please clearly write the first name of interested family member on the line. WORSHIP Altar Server Church Decating Committee Extradinary Minister of Holy Communion Funeral Mass Server Liturgy of the Wd f Children Adult/Teen Volunteer Reader Sunday School and Childcare Volunteer Usher MUSIC Cant Chale Instrumentalist Jubilation (Parish Children s Choir) Resurrection Choir (Funerals) St. Peter Singers (11 a.m. Sunday Mass) FAITH FORMATION Bible Studies FOUND (7th-9th Grade Youth Group) Adult Volunteer continued on back panels F they gave accding to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will but first they gave themselves to the Ld (2nd C. 8:3-5). At St. Peter, we ask that each household give: 5% to St. Peter 1% to the diocese 4% to other charities % of Hshld Income: Household Income $30,000 $50,000 $70,000 $100,000 10% 5% 4% 1% Amount of Weekly Gift: $58 $29 $23 $ My offerty pledge to the Parish of St. Peter: F the Church Weekly gift $ x 52 = $ annually Twice Monthly gift $ x 24 = $ annually Monthly gift $ x 12 = $ annually Annual gift $ Date: F the School Weekly gift $ x 52 = $ annually Twice Monthly gift $ x 24 = $ annually Monthly gift $ x 12 = $ annually Annual gift $ Date: Electronic Tithing I would like to use electronic tithing f the amount above. (Please complete the fm to the right.) City State ZIP Home Telephone Check one of the following instructions regarding your Electronic Tithe: Start a new Electronic Tithe Stop my existing Tithe Change my existing Tithe F the Church Weekly (Monday of each week) Twice Monthly (15th and 30th of the month) Monthly (Please specify 15th 30th the month) 15th of the month 30th of the month One time on the following date: I wish $ to be transferred on the date(s) specified above f the Church. Choose date of funds transfer f the School Fund: Weekly (Monday of each week) Twice Monthly (15th and 30th of the month) Monthly (Please specify 15th 30th the month) 15th of the month 30th of the month One time on the following date: I wish $ to be transferred on the date(s) specified above f the St. Peter School Fund. PLEASE ATTACH A CANCELED CHECK f the account you wish to use. Please discontinue my monthly envelopes List date you want to start: Authized Account Holder Signature(s): I (we) hereby authize The Church of St. Peter to initiate the transaction to my account. Signature: Date: