St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Newsletter — July 2021

St. Anthony of padua

Inside July 2021

Vacation

A Summer of

Bible School:

Fun and Learning for Students and Volunteers

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or children, when school lets out for the summer, it’s the ultimate break time. And while summer offers kids the chance to “recharge” for the upcoming school year, it doesn’t mean they have to stop learning. This summer at St. Anthony of Padua, our youth have a chance to learn about their faith while having plenty of fun at Vacation Bible School, or VBS. This year’s VBS program will take place August 2-6. All ages are invited to get involved in VBS! As there was no VBS last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program is all the more anticipated this year.

For the 2020 program, Director of Religious Education Bonnie Nytes sent home about 40 packets with lessons, crafts, and treats for an at-home VBS experience. While this helped ensure that our children and families remained safe during the pandemic, it could never completely replace the fun of gathering together to learn the faith.

Bonnie appreciates that VBS makes learning about the Catholic faith so much fun. In turn, the learning and fun aren’t just for the kids — the adults have a blast, too.

“Shouldn’t learning about how much God loves us be fun, after all?” continued on back cover

2 The Church, a Universal Family The Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul 3 The Challenge of Discipleship 4 Baptismal Preparation Program Fortifying Young Souls in the Catholic Faith 6

Remember When?

St. Anthony’s Picnic — the Tradition Continues

7 Funeral Dinners Ministry: Gratefully Serving as Stewards of Mercy

St. Anthony of padua

THE CHURCH, A UNIVERSAL FAMILY The Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

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very year on June 29, Catholics celebrate the feast of two of our Lord’s principal Apostles, foundational human cornerstones of the Church of Rome.

The first missal reading of this feast day tells us of the miraculous deliverance of Peter from prison. This illustrates the concrete fact that despite persecutions, Christ and His chosen followers will be triumphant in this world, and in the world to come.

The second is of Paul summarizing his own “pouring out” of his life as a libation.

The way in which he poured it out is overwhelmingly significant — he gave his life as a missionary to gather all nations into God’s unified Kingdom.

The Holy Gospel recounts Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

After this confession, the “keys to the Kingdom” were conferred onto him.

These “keys” became the fundamental building block supporting the ordained priesthood and episcopal government of the Church.

In his homily on June 29, 2005, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI shared: “The Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul is at the same time a grateful memorial of the great witnesses of Jesus Christ and a solemn confession for the Church — one, holy, catholic and apostolic. It is first and foremost a feast of catholicity.”

The celebration of our catholicity is a celebration of our unity in Christ.

This unity endures unto the end, as our strength and fortress in the face of evil and the trials of earthly life.

Sts. Peter and Paul remind us that our faith is founded on something much higher than ourselves, on an entity which raises horizons beyond our human frailties and imaginings. Our holy faith is founded upon the rock, Jesus Christ.

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Pope Emeritus Benedict described further: “When Peter and Paul came to Rome, the Lord on the Cross who had uttered the first line of that Psalm was risen; God’s victory now had to be proclaimed to all the nations...”

Let us embrace all of the graces which these beloved saints have won for us. Let us imitate their example, and follow Christ with unwavering resolution. As did the Blessed Virgin, let us persevere in serving the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church in all that we say and do.

Discipleship A Letter From Our Pastor

THE CHALLENGE OF Dear Parishioners,

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od calls us to give Him everything – our whole heart, our whole soul, and our whole mind. This is the challenge of discipleship – a lifelong process of more fully placing our lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

The reason that God can ask such complete service from us is that He made us. Everything we have belongs to Him! This includes our intelligence, our physical ability, our artistic talent, our family, our finances, our government – anything we may typically think of as “ours.”

It takes courage to recognize that we are not the masters of our possessions and ourselves.

Furthermore, as Christians, we believe that because everything we have is a gift from God, we are called to give Him thanks.

We express our thanks by using our gifts to further His kingdom on earth. This is the basis for our understanding of stewardship.

We refer to “time,” “talent,” and “treasure” in order to

differentiate between the various parts of our life that belong to God. “Time” is the duration of life that God has given us.

“Talent” includes the special gifts or strengths God has nurtured in us. “Treasure” is what we have earned through our time and talent.

Even though we identify these three aspects of stewardship, they are still part of the same Gospel-based concept. And even when we focus separately on these parts, it should not signal that one is more important than the other. Instead, focusing on each aspect one at a time helps us to better concentrate on that area in our lives.

Stewardship is, after all, an attitude. If our goal is to become better stewards, we must have a reason in our minds to do so. Here are the basics of a stewardship attitude: “God made everything!”

A wholehearted trust that God made all things is essential

to understanding stewardship.

Recognizing God as the Creator is one of the most basic, profound beliefs of Christianity.

“I am truly blessed!”

It takes humility in order to truly acknowledge God’s goodness. Every great triumph and every little pleasure is a blessing from above, and every strong character trait we possess is a gift from God. “I believe I am to use God’s gifts for His glory!”

What better way to thank God for His goodness than by using our personal gifts to glorify Him? We are not the owners of our time, talent or treasure.

But we are caretakers given the responsibility of spreading God’s kingdom on earth.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Tom Donovan Pastor

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St. Anthony of padua

B APTISMA L P R E PA R ATI O N P RO GRA M Fortifying

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he greatest gifts our Catholic Church has to offer come to us in the sacraments. With the Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation — we are welcomed into the Church, receiving the abundant graces of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. What a joyous occasion it is, then, each time we can witness an infant or young child

being brought into the Church with the Sacrament of Baptism!

“Baptism means that the child is cleansed of original sin, and it also imparts the unique graces that come along with the sacrament,” says Deacon Harry Cramer. “It also brings the child into the Church as a child of God, so we see that beautiful trifecta effect of Baptism. It’s such a beautiful sacrament.”

Deacon Harry, who leads the baptismal preparation classes here at St. Anthony of Padua, also recognizes the importance of a child’s Baptism in the faith life of the parents.

“I love preparing parents for the Baptism because I see it as an opportunity to do some catechesis for them, too,” he says. “We focus on what the sacrament means for the child being baptized, but we also spend time talking about what it means to parent a child in the Catholic faith. Your child is going to learn how to live God’s call to them by watching what you do. It goes beyond church attendance — your child is going to learn from you how to disagree, how to reach out to others that are hurting, how to forgive and ask forgiveness. As you prepare your child to be baptized, you have to take a look at the way you’re living your faith and whether there are any changes you need to make.”

"Your child is going to learn how to live God’s call to them by watching what you do. It goes beyond church attendance — your child is going to learn from you how to disagree, how to reach out to others that are hurting, how to forgive and ask forgiveness. As you prepare your child to be baptized, you have to take a look at the way you’re living your faith and whether there are any changes you need to make."

— DEACON HARRY CRAMER 4

g Young Souls in the Catholic Faith Baptismal preparation classes are held quarterly on a Monday evening. During a typical session, Deacon Harry begins with a brief discussion of a Scripture verse about the sacrament and then recites a baptismal prayer. Next, the group learns about the sacraments as expressions of God’s love and presence in our life. Deacon Harry emphasizes that children grow through parental involvement just as our adult faith continues to grow through our own involvement with God. Then he walks parents through the history, signs, and rituals of the sacrament so that they will know exactly what to expect at the Baptism.

Guidelines for selecting godparents are also reviewed during the baptismal preparation.

“Godparents have to be 16 years of age,” Deacon Harry says. “You only need one, but if you have two, they should be one male and one female.

A Christian of another faith can be a ‘Christian witness’ alongside a Catholic godparent.

“A godparent should be someone who is considered a

role model for the child,” he adds. “I think the godparents become an important reinforcement for the parents, to be there and support the faith development of the child.”

Deacon Harry greatly enjoys the opportunity to journey with parents as they prepare to have their children baptized in the Catholic Church. As a parish, we can all pray for these parents and children, as well as rejoice in the blessings that come with the many Baptisms performed in our parish each year.

“The child receives grace at the very beginning of their life to reinforce the parents’ teaching to avoid sin and treat their brothers and sisters as God wants them to — with love, dignity, and respect,” Deacon Harry says. “I think the graces of Baptism fortify the child’s soul very early on, and with the other Sacraments of Initiation, it builds. It’s a joy to see a child through the baptismal process.

It’s also a joy to meet the parents and talk to them and encourage them in their own faith. They are the first teachers of their child.”

Parents wishing to baptize an infant or very young child — up to about age 5 — for the first time are required to attend a baptismal preparation class. To learn when the next baptismal preparation class will take place at St. Anthony, please contact the parish office at 217-222-5996. If you have specific questions about the preparation, call Deacon Harry Cramer at 217-224-1160.

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St. Anthony of padua

REMEMBER WHEN?

St. Anthony’s Picnic — the Tradition Continues

O

n July 17, St. Anthony’s will once again gather for the annual parish picnic. This picnic has a long and rich history. There are no records of the first picnic, but it is known that one of the early picnics was held on June 15, 1875. In those days, the attendance was limited to parishioners. The annual event continued until 1917 when cash donations substituted for the picnic due to World War I. In 1925, the picnic tradition resumed much to everyone’s delight. Thanks to hard work and generous donations, the annual affair has survived with the exception of last year, 2020, due to the pandemic.

For some time, raffles have been a part of the picnic festivities. Whether a cash raffle, grocery baskets, quilts, needlework, country store prizes, or a variety of filled baskets, parishioners have graciously donated both treasure and talent.

Take a look at the raffle ticket prizes from 1933. Notice that many of the donors of that time are ancestors of our current parishioners. Yes, the same spirit of hard work and generosity is alive today as the great picnic tradition continues.

"Yes, the same spirit of hard work and generosity is alive today as the great picnic tradition continues!"

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FUNERAL DINNERS MINISTRY:

GRATEFULLY SERVING AS STEWARDS OF MERCY

W

hen Bonnie Grist joined St. Anthony’s nearly 40 years ago, the Funeral Dinners Ministry was already serving dinners for grieving faith community members and their family and friends. Sometimes they served over 200 people at a dinner.

“I worked with many wonderful women when I joined, and now I am working with their children and grandchildren,” Bonnie says.

“These dinners have helped parishioners see how much the parish cares for them.”

The Funeral Dinners Ministry serves those who mourn by helping the parish host a meal for them during this difficult time. The parish supplies the meat, the vegetable, and the potatoes, and ministry members provide additional dishes and support.

“Ordinarily we serve 75 to 125 people,” Bonnie says.

While during the pandemic, ministry members were unable to work together for some time, they usually gather in a big kitchen within the cafeteria in the school basement where the dinners take place.

“We always receive such gratitude from the families,” Bonnie says. “They can donate to the ministry if they wish, and many people do. That is so very much appreciated.”

Many families of St. Anthony have been in the parish for years, and when Bonnie first joined, she felt like an outsider. She first became involved in the Funeral Dinners Ministry because she wanted St. Anthony to be her parish too.

Now, she and Tawny Benz serve as coordinators of the ministry.

“It is my parish now,” Bonnie says. “The people are good, kind, and caring, and becoming part of the parish has been the biggest blessing for me.”

Though ministry members work hard to get everything done when they arrive, they also have

(From left) Tawny Benz and Bonnie Grist coordinate the Funeral Dinners Ministry.

breaks and moments for socializing and enjoying fellowship together. This provides the women with an opportunity to build friendships, and they are also glad that several men are giving their time to ministry as well.

“I’ve made so many friends over the years,” Bonnie says. “I am 81 now, and many of these friends have passed on, and today I am so grateful to serve with their families.”

Bonnie and Tawny are hoping others will become involved in the ministry, and Bonnie would like to underscore what a blessing it will be for people who do become involved in this corporal act of mercy.

“If anyone is interested in getting to know their fellow parishioners and becoming part of something that is really important, I would encourage them to get involved in the Funeral Dinners,” Bonnie says. “It has made such a difference to me and to others.”

If you would like to learn more about this ministry, please contact Tawny Benz at 217-257-0847 or rtbenz77@gmail.com, or Bonnie Grist at 217-222-7344.

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St. Anthony of padua

2223 St. Anthony Rd. | Quincy, IL 62305 217-222-5996 | www.stanthonypadua.org

Return Service Requested

St. Dominic School of St. Anthony of Padua Parish 4100 Columbus Road | Quincy, IL 62305 | 217-224-0041

DAILY MASS: Mon, Tue, & Thu: 7:30 a.m.

Saturday: 4:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Sunday: 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

CONFESSIONS: Saturday 5:15 - 6:15 p.m.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

continued from front cover

Bonnie says. “Volunteers have often shared that they have deepened their own faith by sharing this time of fun and learning with the children.”

VBS is divided into four stations — games, crafts, snacks, and a Bible and music area. Each session starts with a large group gathering to learn the lesson for the day. The week and all of the activities fall under a theme.

Bonnie believes it’s important for youth to have opportunities to grow in faith through activities that are specific to their age. Sparking their curiosity makes them want to learn, and of course, children naturally want to have fun.

Each year, they can enjoy learning about the faith while playing games, having a snack, and singing.

“We can’t expect our kids to just sit quietly at Mass and evolve into ‘good Catholics,’” Bonnie says. “We need to plant seeds of faith in them in ways that they can become engaged so

that they will begin to grow in their relationship with Jesus.”

Adult volunteers and those in sixth grade and older are needed to assist at VBS. Bonnie appreciates the youth who remain involved in VBS, from being attendees as children to volunteering in the program.

“Sharing our faith with our children is so important in the life of the church for the future of our family of God,” Bonnie says.

Registration forms will be placed in the bulletin and in the church office in July.

For more information, please contact the parish office at 217-222-5996.