Saint Peter Catholic Church Inside 2 Stewardship: The Four Pillars 3 Make Prayer and Hospitality Pillars of Your Lenten Journey 4 Simple Acts of Service Helps Keep St. Peter s in Bloom 6 The Easter Triduum: The Great Week and the Feast of Feasts 7 It Enriched the Relationship I Now Have With God The RCIA Process at St. Peter March 2016 Friendships Founded Upon the Truth While many of us seek friendships with peers of a similar age, the St. Peter s Tuesday Morning Bible Study offers camaraderie and growth to women of all ages in the parish. Connecting through the everlasting truths of the Catholic faith, this ministry reveals that we all have gifts to share with one another, no matter how young or old. Jennifer Dyer, facilitator of the group, notes how the ministry has helped break down barriers, fostering a true spirit of fellowship among participants. I have truly benefited from this ministry because we have women of all ages participating, says Jennifer, who facilitates the ministry. We ve had women in their 90s, college students, and then of course, there is everyone in between. You learn so much from both the wisdom of the older ladies and the freshness of the younger ones. No matter their stage of life, these women gather together each Tuesday, giving of their time in order to discover Christ s truth. Using Catholic biblical and historical studies, this ministry seeks to help women fall more deeply in love with Christ and His Church, reinvigorating their faith lives. At different times in your life and faith walk, you learn in different ways, Jennifer says. It is such a blessing to re-learn these things, applying them to where you are in life now. Oftentimes, we learn things that we probably were taught before, but just might not remember. The result, adds Jennifer, is a new excitement as women come to better appreciate and understand elements of their faith. Although the subject material of the study is continuously changing, a constant factor of the ministry is the fellowship and support garnered from the Bible Study. Jennifer says the ministry has enabled participants to develop deep bonds, sharing intimate details of their lives and supporting one another through life s journey. It s spurred friendships outside of the classroom, helping to facilitate bonds that would not have occurred otherwise, were it not for the class, Jennifer says. This combination of formation and fellowship provided by the Bible Study has had a ripple effect on life here at St. Peter s. It begins with the ladies being inspired through the stories they are reading, the lessons they are learning and, finally, the example they are both providing and given through each other. continued on page 5 Parishioner Jennifer Dyer (with her husband, Jeremy) has been serving as the Bible Study facilitator for the past several years. St. Peter Parish is a Catholic community of faith bringing the light of Christ to all by serving others
St. Peter Catholic Church 2 Stewardship The Four Pillars You ve heard about the three Ts of stewardship, but what about the four Ps? The three Ts time, talent and treasure describe the personal gifts we offer to the Church. The four Ps are the four pillars of parish stewardship described by the renowned pastor Msgr. Thomas McGread. They are the hallmark of a stewardship parish hospitality, prayer, formation and service. Let s take a look at each of them to understand how we can improve in each area. Hospitality Christian Kindness When I was a stranger, you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35). The Gospel teaches that whenever we welcome the least of our brothers or sisters, we welcome Christ himself. That is why the first mark of a stewardship parish is hospitality. Being friendly is one of the first ways we can be Christ-like toward others. Modern Catholic parishes are often so large and have so many Masses that many parishioners don t know one another. To create a sense of community, be sure to smile and greet others as you enter and exit the Church. Let s try harder than ever to be a welcoming community. Prayer Heart-to-Heart with God Do not become so involved in the work of the Lord that you forget the Lord of the work, a seminary professor once taught. In other words, don t get so caught up with parish projects and outreach efforts that you forget to draw aside to spend time with God in prayer. Every great saint has taught that prayer is the most essential component in the life of the Christian. Through prayer, we nurture our most important relationship the one that will last for all eternity. A healthy prayer life should include communal prayer such as Mass, as well as personal prayer and family prayer. The two biggest obstacles to prayer are lack of time and lack of understanding of how to pray. We have to schedule time for prayer just as we would for an important appointment. And we have to learn how to pray from other people. Many saints have written spiritual books that describe different methods of prayer. Formation Continuous Conversion Pope John Paul II always emphasized ongoing conversion. From childhood through adulthood, our whole life must be a process of drawing closer to God. He never stops calling us forward to learn more and to examine ourselves more deeply. Very often our society values material things more than interior virtues. But as personal experience shows, when we finally acquire the car or house or toy that we wanted so badly, it doesn t really satisfy. On the other hand, we don t tend to desire spiritual virtues with the same kind of longing, but when we actually have them, we find them far more rewarding than material things. Service Love in Action Amen I say to you, whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40). This Scripture was one of Mother Teresa s favorites. Each time she picked up a poor and hungry child, she knew she was ministering to Christ. While we may not view ourselves as saints, we too are called to such heroic service right within our own community. As Mother Teresa said, To be a saint is not the privilege of a few, but the duty of everyone. We have many service opportunities right here within our own parish. If you have the willingness to serve and take the initiative to find where you are needed, you ll find that there is no end to the families and individuals who truly need help. How can you reach out to them in love? 1 2 3 4
March 2016 A Letter from Our Pastor Make Prayer and Hospitality Pillars of Your Lenten Journey Dear Parishioners, In the coming weeks, we will conclude our Lenten observance, experience Holy Week, and celebrate the joy of Easter. Of course, I hope that you have made some effort to make this Lenten season special and significant, but if you have not, it is never too late to accomplish that goal. With thoughts of Lent, Easter and the Year of Mercy at the top of my mind, I offer a couple suggestions to help carry you to the end of your Lenten journey. As you know, prayer is foundational to stewardship, as it is one of the Four Pillars of a stewardship parish along with hospitality, formation and service. With this in mind, here are some suggestions on how you might make your prayers even more consequential. Pick someone to pray for, perhaps even someone you don t get along with. Just pray for them. You do not have to tell them you are praying for them, but the exercise is good for you, and for them, as well. If possible, find a time this month to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, especially if this is something you do not normally do. Pray every morning shortly after you get up, and again each evening before you turn in. It does not have to be a long prayer, but it does need to be done consistently. In terms of the pillar of hospitality, there is also much we can do in this area, both as a parish and as individuals and families. Here is a suggestion that involves hospitality one that is also connected to gratitude and even the Year of Mercy. Many of us spend time at a computer. It is a way for us to stay connected to those who are close to us, and to the world around us. Why not begin and end each week emailing someone a note of thanksgiving? Again, it does not have to be lengthy, but when we think about it, each of our lives is filled with people to whom we should be grateful. Just send that someone a note thanking them for something specifically, or in general. By starting and ending each week like that, our minds are in the right place for prayer and for having the attitude that Christ asks us to have. I thank you for all you do, for our parish, for the Church, for one another, and for me personally. I am blessed. Like most, I may not express it often enough. I pray for you, and I ask you to pray for me during this holy time. Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow Pastor 3
St. Peter Catholic Church We just got more involved and it really became our parish. It s had an impact spiritually. We just kept getting more involved. The church and the people are great and it makes it all worthwhile. Harold Ellerbrock Simple Acts of Helps Keep St. When we talk about the idea of service, it can be easy to assume that the idea itself requires us to give a lot of our often-scarce time and energy. But when we give out of the love within our hearts, even the simplest act of service can mean so much to our parish. Harold Ellerbrock and his wife, Pat, have been parishioners at St. Peter for about 35 years. For a while, as Harold describes it, their visits to the church meant going to Mass and then heading home. Then, in response to our parish s annual stewardship renewal a few years ago, Harold made his commitment of time and talent to take on the care and keeping of the nearly 40 rose bushes that make the parish grounds shine. The roses needed to be trimmed, so I talked to another parishioner, Roger Frankenhoff, and he guided me on what to do with them, Harold says. I m not a professional, I just talked to him and he showed me what he was doing at his house and we went from there. He helps in the spring and we kind of work together to get this job done. For those among us without a green thumb, roses require nearly year-round maintenance. Roses are cut back in the fall to help them rest during winter. In spring, the dead wood is cut out of each plant and fertilizer is applied. Buds appear and then blooms last for about 10 days. Then I ll go in and trim those dead blooms off where they re starting to look a little dry, and then we start over, Harold says. It s a constant. I do that through the summer to keep them looking fresh. When you can keep the dead blooms off of them, it really makes them beautiful all summer long, but it depends on the sun. We started in April, and we went clear until November with them. There were still some beautiful blooms on there in November. It was hard to cut them off. 4
March 2016 Service Peter s in Bloom Just like our spirits require perpetual care and maintenance trimming away the bad to make sure the good can flourish Harold says he and his wife s efforts to get involved at St. Peter have enriched their experience of being part of the parish. They had the stewardship renewal, and my wife and I weren t really too much involved in the church, he says. We went to Mass and we left. We didn t participate. We got involved with the coffee and donuts on the first Sunday of the month every month. We took that over and got people to help us, then we got involved with funeral dinners. We just got more involved and it really became our parish, Harold concludes. It s had an impact spiritually. We just kept getting more involved. The church and the people are great and it makes it all worthwhile. Are you interested in getting involved in your own simple way? If so, simply contact the parish office at 217-222-3155 to find out how! Friendships Founded Upon the Truth continued from front cover Ladies from the Tuesday Morning Bible Study gather together in order to share and discuss their EPIC Bible study, exploring Church history. We inspire each other to do more in our parish, Jennifer says. I personally see the things that the older ladies are doing in the parish and it either makes me excited to do those things as well when it is my season, or it pushes me to become more involved now. The ripple then continues, positively influencing the ladies in their vocations as wife, mother and grandmother. Excited by their encounters with God s truth, participants are often eager to share their newfound knowledge with loved ones. Many ladies are so excited about what we are learning that they will take the video that we watched or their notes home to share with their husbands and family, Jennifer says. It has inspired my entire family to want to learn more. Gatherings occur Tuesday mornings from 9-10:45 a.m. in the Martha Jane Room. Currently, the ladies are concluding a study on Church History, but in mid-march, a new session will begin this time, the Tuesday Morning Bible Study will revisit a past study, which is yet to be determined. We are going to bring one back by popular demand, Jennifer says. We haven t voted on it yet, but we know that for those of us who did it before, we will learn just as much as we did the first time. Just like how we listen to the same Gospels Sunday after Sunday, year after year, we can always pull from the richness of a past study. Details for the new session will be advertised through the parish bulletin. In addition, childcare is provided, enabling mothers with young children to attend. For more information on this ministry, please contact Jennifer Dyer at 2jdyers@gmail.com or 217-440-9766. 5
St. Peter Catholic Church The Easter Triduum: The Great Week and the Feast of Feasts Each year, three days merge liturgically into one. This is the single event or prayer that commemorates the heart of the Gospel message by dying He destroyed our death; by rising He restored our life. Though Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical calendar, the culmination of this calendar is in the Easter or Paschal Triduum, which is its own liturgical season. Around the world, the communion of the faithful are united in celebration of the Triduum with liturgies for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil rich with tradition and symbolism. Both the word Passover and the word Paschal have roots in the Hebrew pesach meaning a passing over. In the Jewish tradition, Passover recalls when the Israelites were saved from slavery as the angel of death passed over the chosen people. In gathering for the Feast of Passover, Christ and the apostles celebrated the Last Supper, the beginning of the Paschal Triduum when Christ passed through His passion, death and resurrection. The Triduum, from the Latin for three days, begins at dusk on Holy Thursday with the Mass of Our Lord s Supper. As the apostles and Christ gathered to celebrate the Passover, we gather on Holy Thursday and commemorate the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood and the new commandment to love one another as I have loved you ( John 13:34-35). In many churches, in imitation of Christ s action of humility and service, the celebrant washes the feet of several of the faithful. Christ and His disciples went from the Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane. In a similar tradition, Holy Thursday concludes with a solemn procession to a place set aside for the repose of the Eucharist. Here, we adore the Blessed Sacrament as Christ asked His disciples to stay and keep watch with Him when His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow (Matthew 26: 38). The liturgy ends without a closing rite, and the altar is stripped. Beginning without an introductory rite, the Good Friday service commemorates Christ s passion from His condemnation to His crucifixion and death. Though the Mass itself is not celebrated, we read from John of the Lord s passion, death and burial. We offer prayers of petition and venerate the cross before receiving Communion. Again, the liturgy ends without a closing rite as the celebrant departs in silence. At this time around the world, the doors of the tabernacle are left open as we mourn the death of Christ. Without an introductory rite, the Easter Vigil the Feast of Feasts on Holy Saturday evening begins in darkness and continues the same holy event or prayer begun on Holy Thursday. This is the night when we celebrate Christ s triumph over death! This is the night when the Alleluia is sung for the first time since the beginning of Lent. This is the night when we welcome new members into full communion with the Church. After the procession of the Paschal Candle, representing Christ Himself as the light of the world, we hear the story of our salvation history from Genesis to the Resurrection. We then welcome the Elect into the Church, and together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist and conclude Mass with the triumphant double Alleluia. While three days are set aside annually to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, we, the communion of the faithful, continue meditating on the salvific passion, death and resurrection of Christ throughout all our lives. For Christ, as we hear in the Easter Proclamation, has ransomed us with His blood, and paid for us the price of Adam s sin to our eternal Father! 6
March 2016 RCIA It Enriched the Relationship I Now Have With God The RCIA Process at St. Peter Education particularly when it comes to our faith isn t necessarily about sitting quietly in a chair and taking notes. In fact, it is truly a journey towards knowledge of the faith, and towards community with fellow Catholics. This is most certainly the case with the RCIA process, or Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, here at St. Peter. I thought RCIA was going to be like going to school, but it is really more about discovery, says a recent participant in the RCIA process. I felt like I was on a journey with fellow pilgrims. I was and am a part of a community. Surrounding me were my fellow pilgrims, the team, the sponsors, and the whole parish. They were all guiding me with love. I am blessed to be a part of RCIA here at St. Peter. It is amazing what happens to a total group of strangers, the candidates in the RCIA process. They bond like a family. It is a beautiful experience for me and for the others on the team. Sr. Alicia Drone, ASC The communal aspect of RCIA combined with prayer and the adult learning style helped me to not only become Catholic, but it enriched the relationship I now have with God, adds another participant. Sr. Alicia Drone, ASC, is responsible for RCIA here at St. Peter. As she notes, the candidates and catechumens who have been part of the process since early last fall will culminate their journeys at the Easter Vigil Mass on March 26. RCIA is primarily a journey of faith, Sr. Alicia says. It is a restoration of the ancient practice of initiation in the Church. It is focused on conversion, whereby the candidates enter into an extended period of formation and conversion through prayer and reflection on the Gospels. It is also a communal journey in which our St. Peter Church community ritually celebrates conversion at various points during the journey. The RCIA is not a program, but a sacramental process in which candidates are fully initiated into the Catholic faith. For the past year, the participants have met on a weekly basis with the RCIA team and their individual sponsors have met for sharing, prayer, presentations, and the breaking open of the Word. The sponsors are an important part of the process they are like trusted friends to the candidates (baptized adults) and the catechumens (unbaptized adults), and they share their RCIA journeys with them. Sr. Alicia is enthusiastic about the RCIA history and process, calling it continued on back cover 7
St. Peter Catholic Church 2600 Maine Street Quincy, Illinois 62301 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 105, Quincy, IL 62301 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 The RCIA Process at St. Peter continued from page 7 one of the greatest blessings to come out of the Second Vatican Council. I am blessed to be a part of RCIA here at St. Peter, she says. It is amazing what happens to a total group of strangers, the candidates in the RCIA process. They bond like a family. It is a beautiful experience for me and for the others on the team. Sister also cites the fact that those who come out of the process tend to become very active and involved members of the parish. These people really grasp what stewardship means, she says. They understand exactly what it means to be a part of the Church, the Body of Christ. Not only are they engaged in the life of the parish, but many also have assumed leadership roles in the parish. The team, our pastor, the sponsors are all incredibly supportive. Even the school plays a factor, in that often, the parents of St. Peter School children, but are not full communicants in the Church, become a part of RCIA to accomplish that. If you or someone you know might be interested in the RCIA process, or if you are already a member of the parish and think you might like to be involved with RCIA, please contact Sr. Alicia Drone, ASC, at 217-222-3155.