Saint Peter C a t h o l i c C h u r c h Inside 2 Protecting Religious Liberties for All Americans 3 Reaching Out in Service World Beyond Our Walls Team 4 Providing Faith Enrichment for Our Youngest Parishioners Totus Tuus 6 The Christian Steward 7 Lawn Care Group Takes Pride in Unique Service to the Parish A Letter from Our Pastor Take Vacations from Work or School, Not from God Dear Parishioners, June 2012 Regardless of whether we have school-aged children at home or not, most Americans mentally operate on a school-year calendar. As the calendar turns to June, school is out, and the spirit of summertime fun takes over. The pools are open, hammocks are hung in shady backyards, and family vacations have many of us teeming with excitement. The arrival of summer means life slows down a bit and gives most of us a time to relax. But even as we unwind during our vacation time, we need to remember that summer is no time to take a vacation from God. In fact, summer can serve as the perfect opportunity to grow our relationship with God, especially since most of us have considerably more free time. Whether or not we re involved with schools as students, teachers, or parents we find that the school year calendar impacts our lives at work, at church, and in our leisure time. Many of our groups have fewer meetings during the summer or none at all. And although some people are on vacation at any time of year, summer retains its place in our minds as the vacation season. Vacations, no matter when we take them, provide us with an opportunity to refresh our lives by following a totally different daily pattern. Whether it s a trip to the beach or to the mountains, an excursion to a big city or to a dude ranch, a visit to relatives, or a cruise, a vacation offers a break from our daily routines. We get to continued on back cover St. Peter Parish is a Catholic community of faith bringing the light of Christ to all by ser ving others
St. Peter Catholic Church Protecting Religious Liberties for All Americans Much has been made in recent months about the struggle between the Catholic Church in the United States and political leaders in Washington, D.C., over provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would require employers to subsidize insurance plans that include services that may violate their religious convictions. And depending on what newspaper you pick up, what television channel your remote lands on, or what radio station you tune into, chances are you re hearing a variety of conflicting messages and commentaries regarding the debate. But, upon casting all of the political rhetoric aside and focusing on the facts, one conclusion becomes clear: the provisions in question provide threats to the religious liberty and conscience rights of all insurers in the United States. The controversy primarily stems from a rule that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first issued in August of 2011, and reaffirmed on Jan. 20, 2012. The rule, a part of the health care act, states that virtually all private health care plans must cover sterilization, abortifacients, and contraception. The rule does provide for an exemption for religious employers, but the terms of the exemption are so narrow that they fail to cover the vast majority of faith-based organizations including Catholic hospitals, universities, and charities that help millions every year. On Feb. 10, the HHS made this rule final without change ; delayed enforcement for a year against religious nonprofits that were still not exempted (charities, hospitals, and academic institutions); and promised to develop more regulations to accommodate them by the end of that additional year. But the impact of these additional rules will not be felt until after November s election, eliminating an important incentive for HHS to provide the best protection for religious liberty. Further complicating the issue is the fact that non-religious employers with religious convictions against covering these types of services will not qualify for the already limited accommodations. Accordingly, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has vigorously spoken out against these provisions since their inception last August. In a March 14 statement on religious freedom, the USCCB condemned the HHS rule as an unwarranted government definition of religion, a mandate against our teachings, and a violation of personal civil rights. The bishops went on to say that, this is not a matter of opposition to universal health care, which has been a concern of the Bishops Conference since 1919, and that we will continue to pursue legislation to restore the same level of religious freedom we have enjoyed until just recently. And we will continue to explore our options for relief from the courts, under the U.S. Constitution and other federal laws that protect religious freedom. What does all of this mean for us as Catholics, living our lives as disciples of Christ to the best of our abilities on a daily basis? First, it means we must continue to focus on cultivating healthy prayer lives. Dedicate some of your prayer time each day to our bishops, our political leaders, and all people of faith throughout our country in their efforts to restore religious freedom and conscience protections. Additionally, we can support legislation that would correct the mandate s threats to religious liberty and conscience rights. The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act has been introduced in Congress (H.R. 1179, S. 1467) to ensure that those who participate in the market for health insurance retain the right to provide, purchase, or enroll in health coverage that is consistent with their religious beliefs and moral convictions. For the latest developments on the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, or to find out more about writing your local representative, please visit www.usccb.org/conscience. 2
June 2012 Reaching Out in Service World Beyond Our Walls Team Serving others, especially the poor and those less fortunate than us, is a core piece of Christ s call for each of us to be His disciples. That is why we have the World Beyond Our Walls Team. Part of being a Christian and a Catholic, besides prayer and participating in the Mass and the sacraments and learning more about their faith through the Bible and other readings, it also is important to serve others in the community, says Sharon Mays, a member of the World Beyond Our Walls Team. This ministry allows them that avenue to serve others. The World Beyond Our Walls Team is a part of the Pastoral Council. The members of this group work to provide opportunities for St. Peter parishioners to serve others in the community, and to learn about Christian service and the needs that exist beyond our community. The World Beyond Our Walls tries to bring an awareness to our parishioners of what s going on outside the parish community, Sharon says. We do that with different activities we get involved in, either with money support or different things that we contribute. One of the events in which the group is involved is the Back to School Fair, a community event that St. Peter participates in with several other groups to provide clothing for less fortunate children in the area. The team also contributes time and support to Horizons Quincy Soup Kitchen. Members of our parish volunteer at the kitchen three times a month, along with members of several other community churches. In supporting these organizations and events, the World Beyond Our Walls Team strives to enlighten our parish family about all the ways we can help those in need in the surrounding community. Our St. Peter s community can be surprised at the needs of other people in our city, Sharon says. They ve seen that at the soup kitchen, they ve seen it at the Back to School Fair, they ve seen it in certain specific cases and specific events that they attend. It s brought a big awareness to our parish. There are other people out there besides us that need help and can have way bigger issues than we ve had to deal with. There are always people in need around us that we can help, and there are always opportunities for us to help them. All we have to do is take the first step and decide to do so. And when we do, we get a lot out of it. I ve learned a lot about the needs of others and realized that even if there s economic differences, we all share a love of God and need to love one another, too, Sharon says. This is one way to do that. Parishioners can find out more about the World Beyond Our Walls Team and how to get involved by calling Sharon Mays at 217-224-5169, or call the parish office at 217-222-3155. The World Beyond Our Walls tries to bring an awareness to our parishioners of what s going on outside the parish community, Sharon says. We do that with different activities we get involved in, either with money support or different things that we contribute. 3
St. Peter Catholic Church Providing Faith Enrichment Totus Four years ago, Pastoral Associate Martha Rapp and a group of parish volunteers were discussing ideas for a new summer faith formation program for the youth of St. Peter Parish. The parish had facilitated a Vacation Bible School program for several years, but Martha and the planning team had a desire to implement a ministry that went beyond Sacred Scripture and formed young parishioners in all aspects of the Catholic Faith. Catholicism has so much richness to it, and it was not being included in some of the VBS programs we had done in the past, Martha recalls. We felt very strongly as a parish that we needed to be offering a program that reflected the true richness, beauty, and depth of Catholicism, and while obviously our Catholic religion is based on scripture, the reality is that it is built on a lot more, too. There was an oral tradition in all religions before there was even written scripture, so our goal was to find a program that would really educate our children in the richness of the Catholic Faith. Out of those initial meetings, the Totus Tuus ministry was born, and it has since become an indelible part of St. Peter s mission to pass the Catholic Faith down to future generations. Latin for Totally Yours, Totus Tuus is a diocesan-based program that offers young people opportunities for scripture study, celebration of the sacraments, and fellowship in a fun and educational environment. The diocese recruits and trains teams that include faith-filled, Catholic college students and seminarians, and these groups undergo fairly extensive training in the curriculum for the summer, Martha explains. They are then assigned to spend one week at participating parishes throughout the diocese. For Jodi McDonald, a member of the Totus Tuus Leadership Team and the mother of two sons who currently participate in the program, it is these instructors young people who are enthusiastic about their faith, and to whom the children can relate and look up that sets Totus Tuus apart from similar ministries. I love the fact that the four people that come to teach every year are college-age students, and some of them are discerning vocations, she says. I just think it s awesome that these college-age people are on fire for their faith, and can be role models to our kids that being Catholic and being bold about your faith can be cool. Especially for my son, I just think it s aw college-age peop their faith, and ca to our kids that b being bold about cool. - Jod 4
June 2012 for Our Youngest Parishioners Tuus who is going to be 13, some of these guys are only six or seven years older than him, and they re just great role models for what I hope my kids will be like when they are that age. Barb Hun has been involved with the Totus Tuus ministry on the Leadership Team since its inception at the parish. This team of hardworking volunteers coordinates all aspects of the program, from finding host families for the volunteer catechists, to providing snacks and lunches for the kids, to helping out in the classrooms. But for Barb, the most fulfilling part of being involved with Totus Tuus is the learning and spiritual growth that she herself experiences each year while helping our young parishioners grow in their faith. I learn a lot, too, she says. It s amazing when you sit in those classes how much you really learn. The teachers are all so knowledgeable and they know so much, so its nice to sit in there and listen to them, and it s amazing what you pick up and what you learn. St. Peter s Totus Tuus program includes two parts. The parish offers a junior-senior high faith experience for students entering the seventh grade through the 12th grade, and this five-night program meets from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., from a Sunday to the following Thursday. St. Peter also offers a Catholic day camp for children entering first grade through the sixth grade that meets Monday through Friday of Totus Tuus week from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. It s our responsibility as parents and as a parish to help to broker a relationship between our children and Jesus Christ, Martha says. It s hard to love God if we don t get to know God, and the Catholic Church offers a life-giving path for its members. We offer fullness of the Christian Faith, and we offer the best opportunity for people to actually live a life of contentment and joy in relationships. And we offer a wonderful spiritual path to people, which means that we have an obligation to teach people. Parishioners who are interested in participating in the Totus Tuus program are asked to register their children, and there are also many volunteer opportunities available for adults as well as students preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. For more information on the Totus Tuus program, to register, or to volunteer, please call the parish office at 222-3155. esome that these le are on fire for n be role models eing Catholic and your faith can be i McDonald 5
St. Peter Catholic Church 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. Only by serving with a joyful spirit will stewards fully reap the rewards of their service, both in this life and the next. 6
June 2012 Lawn Care Group Takes Pride in Unique Service to the Parish If you stop by the parish on a warm and sunny Wednesday morning this summer, you might notice a group of men mowing and trimming the parish lawns. Given the beautiful work they are doing, you will be tempted to think they are professionals, but they re not. One of the beautiful things about stewardship is the variety of forms it can take on. Years ago they used to have kids from Notre Dame High School mow the lawn, but a few years back they put an ad in the bulletin asking for volunteers, says Herb Steinkamp, who leads a crew of lawn care volunteers. It would cost the parish quite a lot of money to pay someone to do it all year and there s no reason that we can t do it. Herb and six other retired men from the parish spend every Wednesday morning from around 8:30 a.m. to noon cutting the grass and edging along all the driveways, walkways, and flowerbeds. During the summer they get the added help of two teachers from the school as well. We have push mowers, riding mowers and edgers and we all work together, Herb says. Merle Hellake, who used to lead our group is a great tool guy, so he keeps all of our tools running well. He takes them home over the winter and changes the oil and gets them all cleaned up. In addition to mowing, edging and raking leaves, the crew also does odd jobs around the parish grounds, such as tree trimming. It gives us a good feeling, helping the parish out. Everybody does something around here, whether it s this ministry or that, inside, outside, or on the roof! We re just doing our part. - Herb Steinkamp We pulled a dead tree out last year and sewed some new grass seed in its place, Herb says. And Merl brought his tractor and loader and we got all the tree branches trimmed that were hanging over the road. Just about anything outside, we do it. Even on hot days, Herb and the crew always have fun working together and visiting over refreshments. They have water, coffee and soda for us, so we take a break and shoot the breeze for a while, Herb says. I ve got a really good bunch of guys, and obviously I couldn t do it without them. We really enjoy the work and it looks nice when we get done we get some pretty good compliments. Sharing their time and talents by keeping the parish grounds looking good is a gift that Herb and the guys are happy to give. It gives us a good feeling, helping the parish out, he says. Everybody does something around here, whether it s this ministry or that, inside, outside, or on the roof! We re just doing our part. The group can always use an extra pair of hands. So, if you are a lawn care enthusiast and your Wednesday mornings are free, give Herb a call! 7
St. Peter Catholic Church 2600 Maine Street Quincy, Illinois 62301 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 105, Quincy, IL 62301 New 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 Take Vacations from Work or School, Not from God continued from front cover spend our time the way we choose, not the way someone tells us to. A vacation also provides a good opportunity for us to make some permanent changes in our use of time. When we re free from the demands of everyday life, this is a perfect opportunity to try something that is not part of our regular routine, such as spending a few minutes a day in prayer or meditation. Try it; you ll like it! as the old commercial said. It may have some lasting results in a stronger spiritual life. And remember we may take a vacation from work, but we don t have a vacation from God. Be sure to worship at Mass wherever you are each Sunday. You ll come back from vacation refreshed both emotionally and spiritually. Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow Pastor Be sure to worship at Mass wherever you are each Sunday. You ll come back from vacation refreshed both emotionally and spiritually.