St. Anthony of padua
The SACRISTAN MINISTRY B lessed to Prepare the Altar for God, Our P riests and P arishioners
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any hands work together to make each Mass at St. Anthony possible. While some liturgical service is more visible — like that of altar serving or proclaiming the Word as a lector — there are lesser-known, but important roles happening behind the scenes, which you may or may not always notice. One of the more “hidden” ministries in our parish is the Sacristan Ministry. Members of this ministry team work hard to ensure the altar is prepared for Mass, along with ample wine and hosts, and the ongoing maintenance of items used for worship. “I have been involved with the Sacristan Ministry now for approximately five years,” says Dorothy Parn. “My role is to make sure that all the necessary tools, such as the water and wine in cruets, hosts, water pitcher for washing of the hands, towels and other necessary linens such as the purificator are placed on the side table on the altar, along with the key to the Tabernacle.” These tasks are necessary to every Mass, drawing on the importance of the ministry as a whole to the life of our parish. Without all the various preparations performed by our sacristans, it would be very difficult to ready the altar for Mass. The Sacristan Ministry has a very important role to play in the preparation for Mass, both on Sundays and during the week, for daily Mass. continued on page 5
Inside MAY 2022
2 The Rosary: Our Lady’s Lasso 3 The Month of Mary: A Time for Celebration and Joy 4 Meet Hope Glidewell, Our Coordinator of Faith Formation “Always Keeping Jesus at the Center” 6 The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima Feast Day: May 13 7 Celebrating the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation A Day Full of Blessings and Joy for Our Third-Graders
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The Rosary: Our Lady’s Lasso
here was a priest who once said, “It is no coincidence that rosaries look like lassos, as Our Lady wraps them around lost souls and pulls them out of the depths of hell.” This thought is comforting but provokes inquiry — what exactly is the Rosary, how does one pray it, and why should one pray it? Since May is the month of Mary, this is a great time to consider the theology behind this intense spiritual weapon. There are two putative origins of the Rosary. For many centuries, it was believed that the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Dominic and exhorted him to encourage the use of the Angelic Salutation — or Hail Mary — for the conversion of souls and comfort of the afflicted. Modern scholarship traces the Rosary back to Irish monasticism of the ninth century. Monks would pray all 150 psalms or “psalters” every day, a form of prayer too complicated for uneducated laypeople without access to copies of Scripture. So, many began reciting the Lord’s Prayer or the Angelic Salutation in response to each psalm, keeping count with pebbles or a knotted rope. Through many centuries, the Rosary evolved into three sets of five mysteries, each mystery consisting of 10 Angelic Salutations and one Lord’s Prayer recited while meditating upon the life, death or glory of Jesus Christ. In The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis de Montfort expounds the dynamics of the Rosary. The prayer consists of both vocal or exterior prayer, and meditative or interior prayer. The first vocal component of the Rosary, the Creed, is important because faith is “the foundation of all Christian virtues, of all eternal virtues, and also of all prayers that are pleasing to Almighty God.” The Lord’s Prayer is the “perfect prayer” to the God of heaven because it was authored by Christ, is free of all human limitations, and “contains all the duties we owe to God, the acts of all the virtues and the petitions for all our spiritual and corporal needs.” The Hail Mary blesses the name of Mary and her Divine Son and implores her powerful intercession as mediatrix of graces. But the Rosary is not simply a physical 2
incantation. Vocal prayer is accompanied by contemplation of the mysteries of Christ’s life and the virtues of the Virgin Mary. It is by lifting the incorporeal soul in prayer that one quiets the passions, tastes the peace of Christ, marvels at His loving plans and promises, and grows in the desire to emulate Him and His sinless mother. Because the soul animates the body, a strengthened soul means nobility of action and a will that is commensurate with the will of God. As St. Louis de Montfort says, “The Rosary is a blessed blending of mental and vocal prayer by which we honor and learn to imitate the mysteries and the virtues of the life, death, passion and glory of Jesus and Mary.” The Rosary’s emphasis on both vocal and meditative prayer caters to man’s nature as an embodied soul — one’s entire being, both physical and spiritual, cries out to God in praise, repentance, thanksgiving and supplication. Thus, it is no surprise that the magisterium and countless saints have encouraged devotion to the Rosary. Pope St. John Paul II said of the prayer, “The Rosary is my favorite prayer, marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.” The late pontiff also added five more “luminous” mysteries to the Rosary to help the faithful meditate upon significant moments in Christ’s earthly ministry.
The Month of Mary: A Letter From Our Pastor
A Time for Celebration and Joy Dear Parishioners, n the Catholic Church, we designate a particular devotion for each month — and May is when we honor our Blessed Mother Mary. This is a good time for us to think about and concentrate on our devotion to the Mother of God. Perhaps we can add a few more Marian prayers to our daily routine. Praying the Rosary might be even more important. Of course, that assumes that daily prayer is part of our daily routine — which it should be. Our Blessed Mother is important to our faith and our Church. Her willingness to serve in a way that allowed the Lord to take human form made our salvation possible. Because of her complete trust in God, she lived her life free from sin, and after her life, she was assumed into heaven by the power of God and crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth. She is, of course, not divine. We worship only our Lord Jesus Christ, but we honor Mary as a saint, and also in many other ways. We honor God when we remember the role of Mary in our salvation. Devotion to Mary always leads to Jesus Christ Himself. Mary was joyous when she said “yes” to God. That is the kind of joy we need to seek — and we,
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too, must say “yes” to the Lord. Let us be grateful to Mary for bringing us her Son. This is why we crown her on our Catholic version of Mother’s Day. Through Mary, we are given an invitation into the Catholic fold. Her feminine presence and the safety of her motherhood may help us grow. For most of us, this is a month of growth in relation to nature. It is difficult not to have May as one of our favorite months for so many reasons. May is a beautiful time. We are called to make it even more beautiful, and we can do that as we serve and love one another. I am deeply blessed to be your pastor. I may say that often, but it is true. My priesthood has been a blessing, and serving you all has made that blessing even more significant. I pray for you daily. Please pray for me. God bless you and keep you always. Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Tom Donovan Pastor
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meet
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ope Glidewell has always been deeply drawn to the Catholic faith even as an adolescent. “As a high school student, I would walk by the church and go in to sit there and be present with Christ in the Eucharist,” Hope says. “That was me. I knew I wanted to attend a Catholic college, and that was my next step.” Hope was coordinating the Music Ministry at Quincy University when she met Fr. Tom Donovan in the fall of 2018. “He came up to me and said, ‘I might have a job for you,’” Hope says. “The people at St. Anthony are so wonderful and generous. You just have to ask if you need help, and sometimes you don’t even have to ask.” Hope received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in the spring of 2019, registered as a parishioner at St. Anthony, and started teaching at St. Dominic School in the fall of 2019. “I taught for two years in seventh-grade language arts in the middle school, and this year
Hope Glidewell “Alw
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Hope Glidewell (far left) with her class from St. Dominic’s on the steps of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield
I started teaching eighth grade and science,” Hope says. “The eighth-graders are at this great stage where they’re getting the faith and understanding why we do what we do and that you can have a personal relationship with Jesus.” On July 1, 2021, Hope became St. Anthony’s new Coordinator of Faith Formation, and she has continued teaching full-time while taking on this new role.
“It’s a great experience for me, and I’m also currently completing my Masters in Catechetics and Evangelization through Franciscan University of Steubenville,” Hope says. “It’s nice to be able to take what I’m learning in my studies and to apply it and put it immediately into practice.” As Coordinator of Faith Formation, Hope oversees all the sacramental preparation for the continued on page 5
“I am finding a way to balance everything that I am doing while always keeping Jesus at the center of what I do. I do this by spending time listening in prayer with Him so that I don’t lose sight of the goal of helping people grow in holiness.” — HOPE GLIDEWELL, COORDINATOR OF FAITH FORMATION 4
Our Coordinator of Faith Formation ways Keeping Jesus at the Center” parish including curriculum and instruction. She also works with several people who lead religious enrichment courses for the school. “I would say that my vision for this coming year includes seeing more adult participation in the children’s faith formation,” Hope says. “I would love to implement more of a family model since the parents are the first educators of their children.” Hope would like to thank everyone for their prayers and patience as she begins her new position. She underscores that her door is always open and that she’s always ready to hear new ideas. “Personally, right now I am finding a way to balance everything that I am doing while always keeping Jesus at the center of what I do,” Hope says. “I do this by spending time listening in prayer with Him so that I don’t lose sight of the goal of helping people grow in holiness.”
THE SACRISTAN MINISTRY Dorothy joined our Sacristan Ministry looking for ways to spend time serving our parish after the loss of her husband. Her spiritual life has grown over these years of service, along with her devotion to daily Mass and personal morning prayer time. The initial pull towards helping out came from a desire to serve the parish family, but Dorothy says she has also grown in her spiritual life through this ministry. “The Sacristan Ministry has been a great blessing for me,” Dorothy says. “I come to church early, well before Mass time, and if it is my turn for these duties I can usually prepare everything prior to anyone else arriving. This keeps distractions to a minimum and does not interrupt our quiet time with Jesus.”
Hope Glidewell with her nieces and nephews upon graduating from Quincy University
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The Sacristan Ministry team welcomes any adults who are interested in joining. If you would like more information, or to get involved, please contact our parish office at 217-222-5996. 5
St. Anthony of padua
THE MIRACLE OF
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Our Lady of Fatima
hile World War I was raging, embroiling the globe in shattering conflict, the children of local farmers in central Portugal dutifully went about their family’s business and led their flocks out to graze each day. It was into this microcosm of ordinariness in the midst of turmoil that the supernatural occurred. It has been more than 100 years since the first Marian apparition at Fatima on May 13, 1917, and in our contemporary world rife with ever-present conflict and in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, Fatima’s hopeful message of penance, prayer and devotion rings with renewed relevance. The children chosen to receive the Marian apparitions — Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta — were prepared for this blessed privilege through catechesis. During the year 1916, the Angel of Portugal appeared to the children on three separate occasions to teach them to pray and to fortify them with the Eucharist. During the first visit, as the children sought shelter from the spring rains in a cave, the angel appeared and taught them a specific prayer: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You.” On the second visit, the angel chastised the children for not praying and offering sacrifices more diligently, and on the third, the angel again taught them to pray, and then they shared the Eucharist together. “It was in this way,” as explained by EWTN in the documentary, 100 Years of Fatima, “that catechized in prayer, reparative suffering, and the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, and strengthened by the Bread of Angels, that the children of Fatima were prepared for the visitation of the Queen of Portugal, the Immaculate Virgin Mary.” Eight months after the angel’s last visitation, as the Great War continued, the Blessed Virgin 6
Feast Day: May 13
first appeared to the children, asking if they would return to the same place outside of Fatima on the thirteenth of each month for six months to meet with her. In the first visit, the Virgin also asked them to pray the rosary for world peace. Over the next months, people increasingly gathered with the three visionaries at the time appointed for the Virgin’s apparitions. Mary repeatedly underscored her central message: to pray the rosary for peace, to make sacrifices for sinners, and to foster a devotion to her Immaculate Heart. As she had promised, on the day of her last appearance to the children, the Virgin performed a miracle “so that all may believe.” On Oct. 13, 1917, before a crowd of approximately 70,000 onlookers, Our Lady of the Rosary appeared, and the children and onlookers beheld two apparitions. In the first, they saw the Holy Family, and St. Joseph and the child Jesus gave a blessing. In the second, Our Lord and Our Lady of Sorrows appeared, and Our Lord also gave a blessing. Then, onlookers offered varying accounts of the sun “dancing,” expanding and spinning before them. This sixth Marian apparition marks the last time the three children saw Our Lady of the Rosary, though she would appear in 1920 only to Lucia. In this year, we commemorate the first Marian apparition, following the example of our Pope Francis, who on the centennial of this miraculous event in 2017, traversed to Fatima on May 13 and canonized Jacinta and Francisco during his visit. Now more than ever the importance of the message of Fatima reverberates throughout the faithful, as we consider the global and social conflicts unfolding before our families. Our Lady of the Rosary still calls us to pray and sacrifice for peace, to be a counterbalance to world chaos in our daily intentional actions.
CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENTS OF FIRST COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION A Day Full of Blessings and Joy for Our Third-Graders
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e love our building here at St. Anthony of Padua — it is an extraordinary place. Another unique place is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. It is vast, grand, and beautiful, and it is a real treat to celebrate Mass there. Third-graders from St. Dominic School and the Parish School of Religion (PSR) and their families enjoyed a special day at the cathedral on Palm Sunday. Twenty-one students received First Holy Communion and Confirmation. There were also third-graders from several other churches who celebrated that day. Meg Benner, who teaches third grade at St. Dominic, enjoyed leading her 10 students through the preparations for these special sacraments. They, along with the PSR students, have been preparing since the start of the school year. “I feel so blessed to lead them on their faith journey,” Mrs. Benner says. Celebrating the reception of First Communion on Palm Sunday At the 6:30 p.m. Mass on Sunday, April 10, the newly confirmed also moments of encounter as they receive the Body, celebrated here at St. Anthony of Padua. “Having it at a different place will really stand Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.” Each student chose a Confirmation saint and out for them as they look back,” Mrs. Benner says. “We loved celebrating with our parish family as sponsor. They spent time researching the saint well. I loved seeing them in that atmosphere at the and took that name at Confirmation. Their sponsor cathedral and the beauty of it. They were happy, needed to be a practicing Catholic who is part of their life. Three years ago, Confirmation and First excited, and reverent.” Hope Glidewell, who leads the PSR program, Holy Communion were combined — the Diocese of loved seeing our parish children celebrate these Springfield is one of the few dioceses in the United States that conducts it this way. special sacraments. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception “These two sacraments complete the process of Christian initiation begun in Baptism,” she provided a perfect backdrop to show the students says. “Confirmation will seal them in the Spirit that the Catholic Church is universal. Having and empower them to be disciples for Christ. This received these sacraments, they are part of the First Eucharist will hopefully be the first of many Catholic Church family. We welcome them! 7
St. Anthony of padua
2223 St. Anthony Rd. | Quincy, IL 62305 217-222-5996 | www.stanthonypadua.org
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St. Dominic School of St. Anthony of Padua Parish 4100 Columbus Rd. | 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.
UPCOMING EVENT S May 6 — Ladies Society Mother/Daughter Banquet, 6 p.m. (all ladies of the parish are invited along with their mothers and daughters) May 8 — HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY May 9 — Men’s Society, 7:30 p.m. (all men are invited to attend) May 18 — Eighth-Grade Graduation at St. Dominic May 21 — Holy Moments and Pizza Party, 6:30 p.m. for the kindergartners from St. Dominic May 30 — MEMORIAL DAY, Parish Office closed
