Every day is a blessing, another wonderful opportunity.

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1 Saint Peter CATHOLIC CHURCH Inside 2 Teaching By Example The Importance of Prayer in a Child s Life 3 Celebrating the Joy of Christ s Resurrection 5 This Is True Christian Stewardship St. Peter s Finance Council 6 Divine Mercy Sunday and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy 7 New Audio System a Sound Success! Let Our Light Shine Through The Catholic Identity Team at St. Peter April 2015 Every day is a blessing, another wonderful opportunity. Every day, we can progress our intimate relationship with Our Lord and share Him joyfully with others. Yet, first we must seek to know Him and our Catholic beliefs! Our team s mission is to send our Catholic identity into the homes and everyday lives of parishioners, says Mary Talken, Chairman of the Catholic Identity Team. It s up to each of us to profess and display our Catholic identity to those around us in everyday life. It s up to our example to let our light shine through. The Catholic Identity Team was formed in 2009 to help all parishioners learn more about their faith. The team is the faith formation and worship arm of the Pastoral Council that fosters understanding and love of the incarnational, communal and sacramental aspects of the Catholic faith. The Catholic Identity Team was originally composed of several members with Martha Rapp as chairperson, Mary says. The goals set by the team were to provide an array of Our Sunday Visitor pamphlets in the narthex, to look into providing some Lighthouse CDs, to set up a library of religious books, to evangelize, and to organize a parish mission. The Catholic Identity Team launched by ordering a large selection of Catholic materials for parishioners to avail themselves of, including pamphlets and CDs on topics from the Rosary to confession, annulments, forgiveness, Theology of the Body and many more. Over the years, many parishioners have enjoyed the many talented Catholic speakers, some listening to the CDs as they travel in their cars, Mary says. My husband, Larry, built a special walnut unit to display the CDs inside one of the beautiful cabinets created and donated to the parish by Galen Evans. Before the cabinets were available we provided a Table with donated religious items like nativity sets, angels prayer continued on back cover St. Peter Parish is a Catholic community of faith bringing the light of Christ to all by serving others

2 St. Peter Catholic Church Teaching By Example The Importance of Prayer in a Child s Life I I want to be just like Dad! want to be just like Mom! Perhaps nothing lifts a parent s heart like hearing these words. While certainly affirming, such words also remind us of the great responsibility that comes with parenthood. Children often examine the lives of their parents when making decisions that will affect their own lives. For example, a young boy may dream of becoming a physician one day, just like his father. Or a young girl may hope to become a veterinarian, just like her mother. Could the same be said about their parents faith lives? Just as children learn traits and values from their parents, they should also learn the importance and great joy of developing a personal relationship with Christ. And the foundation of such a relationship is prayer conversation with God. How should we go about teaching our children to pray? There are several methods, but none works as well as teaching by example. Begin teaching the importance of prayer by praying openly with your spouse. This teaches children that prayer is meaningful and important, and not just a ritual. Also, pray with your children in the morning and in the evening. Show your sons and daughters the importance of beginning and ending each day in prayer. While a fortunate dilemma, it s a dilemma nonetheless Catholics face the challenge of discerning which prayers to use, considering the thousands available. A good rule of thumb is to start simple maybe an Our Father or Hail Mary, and then move into something more complex Hail, Holy Queen or Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, among others. Begin with prayers your children can pick up fairly quickly. Not only will this show them that praying can be fun and easy, but shorter prayers are also usually easier to understand. Teach your children the importance of spontaneous prayer, rather than just prescribed prayers. Spontaneous prayer is any prayer that is created at the same time it is offered. Another way to think of spontaneous prayer is praying in your own words. Structure spontaneous prayers according to the ACTS acronym Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. In layman s terms, this means beginning each prayer with words of adoration, such as You are the Lord God Almighty. I love you. Move into a period of contrition, asking God s forgiveness for the sins you have committed. Then give words of thanksgiving, thanking God for the gifts He has given. Finally, spend time sharing with God your heart s desires. These intentions can be personal or on another s behalf. Following this format ensures that spontaneous prayer covers all the bases, and doesn t become just a mental wish list. While God wants to hear and grant our wishes, He also expects words of adoration, contrition and thankfulness. The best time to begin praying with your children is right now. The sooner they learn about prayer, the sooner they can begin cultivating their own relationship with Jesus. Many parents even pray with their children before birth, hoping their unborn son or daughter can hear their words in utero. Remember, there is no better way to teach one s children about the value of prayer than by example. 2

3 April 2015 A Letter from Our Pastor Celebrating the Joy of Dear Parishioners, There are many aspects of the Easter celebration that bring joy to the Christian. Not only do we rejoice in Christ s resurrection, as He conquered death, but we also rejoice because of the eternal reward we gain through it. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (654) puts it, The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life. This new life that we speak of is a life of abundance and freedom found not only in our current existence, but also in our eternal life in heaven with God. In a beautiful mystery, Christ s resurrection is the source of our own future resurrection. In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul wrote: For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection (Rom 6:5). When Christ overcame the grave, He opened the gates of heaven that had never been opened before. Through His resurrection, we have the opportunity to be united with God in eternal bliss and happiness. What greater grounds for thanksgiving can there be than this Easter hope? We should sing with joy about this promise from God! But how can we best express that joy? How can we thank God for the greatest gift that we could ever be given? We can join in worship, praising God in our words and deeds, and share the Good News of His victory with our family, friends and neighbors. Most importantly, we respond to His graciousness with a gift of our own a gift of our very self. When we give our time, talent and treasure to God and to others in service, we make a concrete gesture of thanksgiving in return to the One who is most deserving of our love. This Easter season, let us live out Jesus reassurance that In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world ( Jn 16:33). Despite the challenges of our daily lives and the struggles we may be going through, Christ has won for us eternal victory, giving us a hope for a better tomorrow and peace that will never end. That, my brothers and sisters, is reason to rejoice. Christ s Resurrection Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow Pastor 3

4 St. Peter Catholic Church July-Dec July-Dec (Over) or Month Month Under Actual Budget Budget Church Receipts Regular church support (Offertory) $ 701, , $ 89, Candles 4, , Funeral dinners 1, , Stole Fees 1, , (50.00) PSR 5, , (3,100.00) VBS Wedding Stoles 1, , Adult Education Bequests,Memorials, Donations 5, , , Misc , (7,226.86) Total Parish Receipts 723, , , Total Diocesan Collections 31, , , Total Investments 8, , , Total Income 762, , , Disbursements St. Peter Parish Financial Report July 2014-December 2014 Total Salaries & Benefits 167, , , Total Parish Disbursements 304, , , Diocesan Collections 21, , Payment on Principal - Money Invested w/diocese* * - (207,755.65) Total Principal & Int. 207, (207,755.65) Total Exp. 701, , (167,037.42) Excess (Deficency) of Receipts Over Disbursements $ 60, $ 120, $ (59,428.71) * Tuition money sent to diocese that will be reinvested in parish at a future date. ($200,000) St. Peter School Financial Report July 2014-December 2014 Current Current (Over) or Month Month Under Actual Budget Budget School Receipts Tuition $ 502, $ 398, $ 104, Annual fund drive 426, , , Rentals/Cell tower 10, , Miscellaneous (Daycare, Washington Tr 124, , , Total School Receipts 1,064, , , School Disbursements Total School Disbursements 1,146, , (161,408.53) Excess (Deficency) of Receipts Over Disbursements $ (82,799.98) $ (176,069.00) $ 93,

5 April 2015 This Is True Christian Stewardship St. Peter s Finance Council Something has changed at St. Peter something in the way we connect to our parish. And this new sense of ownership impacts everything we do. I truly believe that through the holistic approach of stewardship, people are starting to feel like they are a part of the parish, says Jodi McDonald, Finance Council member. There has been a mind-set change. This is not just about money. It is about giving of whatever you have and thanking God. This past year, the change was evident in the parish s ability to afford a new roof, a necessary and expensive endeavor. Indeed, in this new spirit of giving and thankfulness, the Finance Council now not only takes care of parish and school expenses, but also looks to give to others. The stewardship model is working! Jodi says. Before we were practicing stewardship, we had to make tough decisions about how to afford this or that. Now we re talking about how to best use our treasure to provide for the parish and for the community outside of St. Peter. Alongside the Parish Council, the Finance Council is one of the two councils in each parish mandated by the diocese and by Rome as a consultant body for the pastor. The Finance Council works with Msgr. Leo regarding making and approving financial decisions for the parish and the school, Jodi says. Monsignor also uses us to bounce ideas and to discuss issues that are more pastoral in nature. In addition to Msgr. Leo Enlow and Nancy Boone, parish Business Manager, nine parishioners of diverse backgrounds make up the Finance Council. The diversity of the council enhances our work and aids us in coming up with new ideas, Jodi says. Though most of us have some background in finance, some just have an interest. There is also a variety of ages, so we all know different people. The Finance Council meets once a month on the third Thursday during lunch hour. The agenda includes reviewing the budget, current projects and ideas that have been brought to the council and are always welcome. We go through the budget and address any monthly budget differences, Jodi says. Msgr. Leo has a running list of projects we are either considering or are in process. The school is the biggest ministry and expense. We discuss building and maintenance issues and new parish programs, as well. Though she has only been a member of the council for three years, Jodi feels that the experience has brought her closer to the church and broadened her perspective on the work done by the pastor and parish. You have to take an active interest in what is going on in all aspects of the parish and community, Jodi says. I never realized all the decisions a parish priest has to make and the amount of work that they have to do. As we look to the future of St. Peter and our community, we celebrate a new stage in our parish history that has sprung from a spirit of giving and thankfulness a spirit of stewardship. This is true Christian stewardship to be able to look outside ourselves and provide for others and think about where we can go from here, Jodi says. Thank you for your generosity to the parish, whether it is your time, treasure or talents! For more information about the Finance Council or if you have any ideas you would like brought before the council, please contact the parish office at The stewardship model is working! Before we were practicing stewardship, we had to make tough decisions about how to afford this or that. Now we re talking about how to best use our treasure to provide for the parish and for the community outside of St. Peter. Jodi McDonald 5

6 St. Peter Catholic Church Divine Mercy Sunday and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy History In the 1930s, Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Sister of Our Lady of Mercy, received a message from the Lord that she was to live her life as a model of Christ s merciful love and spread Christ s mercy throughout the world. She proceeded to offer up all of her personal sufferings in atonement for the sins of others. She kept a secret diary in which she wrote of God s mercy, as well as about her special devotion to Mary Immaculate and to the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, which gave her strength. Sr. Faustina s diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, serves as the handbook for the devotion to the Divine Mercy. In it, we read of the message of mercy that she received from Christ. On April 30, 2000, Sr. Faustina Kowalska was canonized by Pope John Paul II. Then, on May 23, 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship decreed that throughout the world, the second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that humankind will experience in the years to come. On Divine Mercy Sunday occurring this year on April 12 all parishioners are encouraged to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, always remembering and practicing the essential ABCs of Divine Mercy ask for mercy, be merciful to others, and completely trust in Jesus. Format of the Divine Mercy Chaplet Chaplet simply refers to the prayers counted on a rosary. The Lord said to St. Faustina, You will recite this chaplet on the beads of the Rosary in the following Manner: Begin with: One Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the I Believe in God. On the Our Father Beads say: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. On the Hail Mary Beads say: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. In conclusion, three times recite these words: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. I want the whole world to know my infinite mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in my mercy (Diary, 687). 6

7 April 2015 New Audio System a Sound Success! Msgr. Leo is so pleased with the new sound system in St. Peter that he d probably like to shout the news from the rooftops. But with the new sound system, he doesn t have to. Although everyone has likely noticed by now, the new sound system was put into operation right before Thanksgiving last year. It replaced a system that had been installed when the church was built in the late 1950s, and had been patched and repaired over the years. It has been hit and miss, with tries to update it, but it needed to be revamped, Monsignor says. In the narthex and gathering space, you couldn t hear, and it was very noisy. So we decided to redo the whole system. Now it s excellent to say Mass, and people have remarked that they ve never heard so well. That is probably one of the biggest pluses for the whole system. I ve very pleased with it. The project began in September 2014, when Msgr. Leo wrote a letter to Bishop Paprocki for permission to proceed. Representatives from Bose arrived and began assessing the church building itself for the audio needs. A device was used to capture and measure the audio qualities and careful measurements were made of the church interior. They reviewed the whole church, and it was quite a chore, Msgr. Leo says. They discovered a long list of things we didn t know. They took the device back to the Bose factory and they built a replica of the church, according to my understanding. They started figuring the acoustics, and whatever it was they did, I ve never had a speaker system work as well. The new system includes all new speakers, rewiring, and several microphones, as well as wireless microphones and transmitters. The cost for the new system was $60,758. Yet, the system has proven to be priceless. God s Word is more important than that, Monsignor says. It can t be confined to a cost. With the improved system, parishioners who had stopped attending Mass because they could not hear are returning. Things have changed, Msgr. Leo says. That s always a good sign. Monica Scholz, Music Director, also is very pleased with the new system. People can hear much better throughout the church, she says. The cantor can be heard and we can mic the piano nicely, we have the capability of balancing out the vocals and (From left) Msgr. Leo Enlow, Music Director Monica Scholz and Deacon Bob Lundberg at the control center for the new sound system installed late last year. we can balance the sound of the instrumentalists, especially the woodwinds. Monica is enthusiastic with the control the system offers, while providing the power needed for the church interior. It s a very flexible system, it s digital, and easy to control, she says. For example, with different musicians and singers taking part at the different Masses on Sunday, the system can be preset so the sound is correct for each Mass. The system also provides an app so the sound requirements can be changed remotely via an ipad from within the church. It s very cool! she says. But what really has Msgr. Leo pleased is that the purchase of the new system is the embodiment of stewardship in action at St. Peter s. As we re trying to live as a stewardship parish, this was a high priority we re dealing with the Word of God, he says. Through stewardship and additional financial help from the parish, the parish was able to purchase the new sound system with no outstanding debt. When stewardship works, I don t have to have fund raisers for priorities in the church, he says. This was especially evident in our new PA system. I am so proud of our parishioners, Msgr. Leo continues. They take stewardship to heart. It was so nice to do a project without doing a fundraiser. Our parish really came through. They didn t hesitate. I did put the need out there and the money was there. We ve been practicing stewardship all along! 7

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 Let Our Light Shine Through continued from front cover books, Bibles, holy cards, rosaries and other free objects for parishioners to take home. All these items reflected their Catholic Identity. Mary had handled the CDs for almost five years but has now turned that ministry over to three very competent ladies who are more than qualified to handle the task. The library was another goal of the Catholic Identity Team, says Mary. This collection of books has been a great blessing and many still take advantage of the outstanding authors. The lending library in the narthex is a great place to learn more and go deeper into the faith! It has over 100 Catholic books by authors ranging from doctors of the Church to Bishop Sheen, G.K. Chesterton, Scott and Kimberly Hahn, and more. Parishioners can both give to the library to expand its titles or borrow a text through the simple sign-out system of writing on a check-out sheet their name, the title of the book, their phone number, and the date the book is being taken. In April of last year, the Catholic Identity Team continued their goals of evangelization and the parish mission by securing a special guest speaker. Fr. Albert Haas, OFM, a relevant radio talk-show host, came to St. Peter s for a grace-filled three-day Parish Mission, Mary says. Fans of his from as far away as Jefferson City, Mo., and Decatur, Ill., came to Quincy to hear Fr. Haas. It was a total success and afforded special blessings on the parish! Over the years, the faith-filled resources and items offered by the Catholic Identity Team have entered hundreds of homes, furthering relationships with Christ rooted in the faith. Catholic identity should be of interest to every Catholic in the parish, Mary says. Anyone with new ideas for the Catholic Identity Team is welcome to contact us. If you have ideas about expanding the work of the Catholic Identity Team, call Mary Talken at