St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Newsletter — October 2021

St. Anthony of padua

The Rosary Before Mass: A Valuable and Grace-Filled Opportunity to Spend T ime with Our Blessed Mother

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wenty minutes before our weekend Masses begin, our parishioners have a beautiful, grace-filled opportunity to grow closer to Mary through the Rosary.

“Praying the Rosary before Mass helps you have a better worship experience,” says Alice Rakers. “It motivates you to come early for Mass, take time to think about prayer, and focus your mind.”

Those who pray the Rosary before Mass also have a wonderful chance to grow closer to one another and share the profound fellowship that prayer in common can bring.

“It is great for the parish to come together in prayer,” Alice says. “A lot of people say they like Alice Rakers our parish because it feels like a family. The more that you do together as a parish, the more people feel a sense of belonging.”

Presently, the Rosary is prayed before every weekend Mass at our parish.

Alice schedules the Rosary leaders for three months at a time. She notifies each leader of the upcoming schedule by contacting them personally or through the mail.

By leading this prayer effort, Alice can help our parish family grow in its devotion to the Blessed Mother in amazing ways.

“I hope to help our parishioners grow in their friendship with Mary, and continued on page 5

Inside OCTOBER 2021

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Join the Ranks and Honor the Dignity of Life in October

3 A Letter From Our Pastor 4

Group Offers One-on-One Spiritual Support and Fellowship on the Cancer Journey

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Our History Remember When?

A Look Back at the Early Days of St. Anthony School

7 Meet Our Parish

Men's Society

Ensuring Church

and School Grounds

Maintained with Care

St. Anthony of padua

Join the Ranks and Honor the Dignity of Life in October

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ll Catholics are called to action — this month, and beyond.

October is Respect Life Month. And as we face the looming culture of death, we are all summoned to action. An apostolic exhortation by St. Pope John Paul II, titled Ecclesia in America, described this culture of death’s effects on the “powerless” within American society: “I am thinking here of unborn children, helpless victims of abortion; the elderly and incurably ill, subjected at times to euthanasia; and the many other people relegated to the margins of society by consumerism and materialism. Nor can I fail to mention the unnecessary recourse to the death penalty… Faced with this distressing reality, the Church community intends to commit itself all the more to the defense of the culture of life” (Ecclesia in America, 63).

Respect Life Month is the perfect time to prayerfully examine our consciences in light of these critical issues, which directly violate the dignity of the human person. This includes not only the evil of abortion, but also euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, capital punishment, and contraception — all of which are vital contributors to the pervasive culture of death.

So we must individually ask ourselves, “Do I, in my personal, day-to-day choices, respect life? If so, do I boldly proclaim this belief or merely stand idle?

Do I exercise my right to vote and support candidates who promote a culture of life? Am I known within my home, family, and/or workplace as someone that respects life?”

As with every movement of a Christian heart towards goodness, it is imperative that our efforts begin with a prayerful foundation. The work of the Holy Spirit allows us to receive the zeal necessary to promote the sanctity of human life, even in the face of suffering.

This October, please pray for a revitalization of the culture of life. Every night, as a family, meditate on the prayer from John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae. As you pray, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with apostolic boldness, and ask the Lord to guide your heart towards ways in which you can personally contribute to the culture of life.

The call is clear, the stakes are set, and all Catholics are summoned to action. How will you respond?

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St. Pope John Paul II’s Prayer for the Revitalization of the Culture of Life O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life: Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy.

Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time.

Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

—St. Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae

A Letter From Our Pastor

Let Us Share the Faith in Word and Action Dear Parishioners,

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s a faith community that is committed to living out stewardship, we all share in Christ’s ministry. And while we share our many gifts with God and His Church, we take the truths outlined in the readings from Scripture and apply them to present-day life. Of course, that’s what you are supposed to do when you share your faith with your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.

But what does it mean to “share our faith”?

Well, it is exactly what parents — as the “domestic church” — are supposed to do with their children. Furthermore, lay people act as catechists when they teach religion classes in Catholic schools or help with religious education programs in their parishes.

“Sharing the faith” also encompasses serving and helping those in need, both within and beyond the parish community, or bringing the Eucharist to the ill or homebound who cannot regularly attend Mass. In these ways and more, laypeople have many opportunities to participate directly in the ministry of the Church.

But as the Second Vatican Council reminded us, “An apostolate of this kind does not consist only in the witness of one’s way of life; a true apostle looks for opportunities to announce Christ by words addressed either to nonbelievers with a view to leading them to faith, or to the faithful with a view to instructing,

strengthening, and encouraging them to a more fervent life” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, 6).

In other words, we must proclaim our Christian faith through our actions and how we live our lives — and also be prepared to share it in words if we are given the opportunity.

With this in mind, we may each want to make a commitment of time to study the Scriptures and the Church’s teachings so that we may be better prepared to share the faith!

Of course, the month of October draws us a little closer to the end of the year — thus, we are soon approaching the celebration of Thanksgiving, and the Advent and Christmas seasons. In the next few months, we will each have so many opportunities to share our faith through words and actions. I ask you to prayerfully consider how you will take advantage of these opportunities, living as stewards carrying out His ministry every day, for the rest of this year and beyond.

May God grant you the grace to share richly as a disciple of Christ!

Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Tom Donovan Pastor

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St. Anthony of padua

Group Offers One-on-One Spiritual Support and

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any of us can say that we have been impacted by cancer in some way — whether it’s a diagnosis for a parent, neighbor, or friend, or if we have faced the disease ourselves. A cancer diagnosis is scary and, sadly, can be isolating for the person who must fight against the disease.

In 2019, Deacon Harry Cramer was regularly meeting with Janice McCleary, who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Deacon Harry was so good about talking to me, asking me questions, and praying with me through my journey,” Janice says. “Some days were rougher than others, mentally, and he was able to let me breathe and put things in perspective.”

Janice and Deacon Harry both decided that others in the parish could benefit from spiritual support, both throughout their cancer journey and after. They, along with Kim Peters, who is a nurse, decided to start a cancer support group that was based on a successful, peer-led model.

Kim is also a breast cancer survivor. However, after coordinating and advertising the meetings, the interest in a group gathering wasn’t there.

What Janice, Deacon Harry, and Kim soon found out is that, often, those being treated for cancer simply don’t have the energy to attend meetings, and must also take into consideration any potential risks to their immune system. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this concern even more apparent. So, the facilitators have now continued with a one-on-one model.

“Spiritual support can be a big part of cancer treatment,” Deacon Harry says. “There is so much fear with a cancer diagnosis.”

“I think that talking to other cancer survivors also shows us hope and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Janice says. “Every journey is so different and all we can do is just be there for each other.”

“Cancer survivors have been there,” Kim says.

“We know what it is like to hear the words ‘you have cancer.’ We know the thoughts, emotions, 4

Janice McCleary with husband, Dave, and their daughters, Madison and Emma

questions, and fears that come with those words.

It is so important to stay positive and focused on the goal of being cancer-free.”

Both Janice and Kim are in remission. They are happy to serve as a resource and listening ear for anyone impacted by a cancer diagnosis.

“These two are incredible women who are a great support for anyone who has cancer,” Deacon Harry says.

Deacon Harry believes this ministry is so

d Fellowship on the Cancer Journey

“A Way to Feel Safe and Supported”

important to the life of our parish. He lost his father to cancer, and many friends and family members have been impacted by cancer.

“This group helps to remind people there is someone there to support them,” Deacon Harry says. “This can be an outlet to be angry, sad, and scared and a way to feel safe and supported.”

“My faith was how I made it through this journey,” Janice says. “If someone wanted to reach out to Kim or me, we would be happy to

help them. We are really good listeners and really good about trying to find the positives in all situations.”

As Kim says, she would have been “lost” without her faith during her cancer journey.

“I always felt God was with me and had a peace that no matter what I had to go through, I would be all right,” she says. “I knew people were praying for me. I had my prayer shawl across my chest during the entire process, which comforted me.”

If you are impacted by cancer and would like to reach out, please call the parish office to connect with Janice McCleary or Kim Peters at 217-222-5996.

The Rosary Before Mass develop a real relationship with her,” she says. “It is really important to think of Mary and the different saints and pray to them. I believe that people should contact Mary and tell her to put in a good word for all of us!”

Since she was just a young child, Alice has loved praying the Rosary and making it an integral part of her life.

“Throughout the years, it has helped me grow in my faith and get through various struggles,” she says. “It is a very helpful way to keep your mind on spiritual things so you are not weighed down by everyday cares. Sometimes, I pick up a rosary and hold it when I go to bed because it helps me to fall asleep peacefully. If I wake up in the middle of the

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night, I often start praying the Rosary and it helps me fall back asleep again.”

These days, Alice and her husband, Rich, pray the Rosary nearly every day. They especially enjoy praying it along with the religious sisters on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

“They try to promote the Rosary on EWTN,” she says. “We enjoy the meditations and the pictures that accompany the Rosaries featured there, especially when they show it being prayed at Lourdes.”

St. Padre Pio, who was known to pray up to 50 rosaries every day, once said, “The Rosary is the weapon!” With his powerful words in mind, let us take up this “weapon” whenever we can, and fight for the triumph of the Kingdom of God.

More people are needed to bring others to the heart of Our Blessed Mother by leading the Rosary. Substitutes are available to fill in when needed, so no one should feel strictly committed to their assigned day. For further information, or to sign up to lead the Rosary at St. Anthony’s, please contact Alice Rakers at 217-222-4798.

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St. Anthony of padua

OUR HISTORY

REMEMBER WHEN?

A Look Back at the Early Days of St. Anthony School

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ith the 2021-22 school year approaching, our thoughts turn to the past. We remember the excitement and preparations for the new year.

In 1860, 161 years ago, the school institution looked quite different from today’s school.

Enrollment at the newly created St. Anthony School was only six students. By 1870, that number had jumped to forty, and by 1930, there was a walloping 91 children in attendance.

Keep in mind that in those early days, there was no bus or car transportation. So, the youngsters walked up to six miles to school. Hard work brings prosperity, and some students, including those who lived a greater distance away, began riding to school in a buggy or wagon pulled by a horse. In addition, some students arrived on horseback, with two, three, or even four on one horse.

School began for the young scholars at around age eight.

Instead of desks, the students sat on long benches and did their work on long tables. In 1860, Mr. Lier was the first teacher. He likely took great pride in the fact that one of his original six students, William Timpe, achieved the distinction of becoming a professor at Quincy College.

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Back then, the children did not complain of strict discipline, which sometimes included “switchings.” Usually, parents supported the decisions of the teacher and often reinforced that discipline at home.

The school week looked different as the students attended Monday through Saturday, with Thursday being a free day.

Unfortunately for the students, a “free day” from school meant more work around the farm or home.

As the years pressed on, the school flourished. By 1898, an

addition had been made to the structure, allowing four grades to be served. By the grace of God, our school continues to be a successful faith-filled and family-oriented community where our young people can grow and thrive.

The photo below was taken in 1930. Pictured are the three oldest children of George and Elizabeth (Peter) Huber.

Appearing ready for school are Henrietta (Huber) Benz, age 11, Wilfrid Huber, age 7, and Antonine (Huber) Lenz, age 8.

Meet Our Parish Men's Society

Ensuring Church and School Grounds Maintained with Care

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wo dedicated groups under the auspices of the St. Anthony Parish Men’s Society make sure the grass is cut, the snow is removed, and building exteriors are in good condition at both our church property and at St. Dominic School.

They offer their time and talents to make sure our parish and school are kept welcoming and attractive.

Elmer Maas has a team of between six to seven men who take care of the church grounds, and Ken Klauser leads a team of 11 who keep the school grounds tidy.

Elmer has been leading the mowing at the parish for the last 45 years and has taken care of the snow removal for the last 43 years.

The method for keeping the church grounds mowed involves each man taking a turn as the mowing is needed. In spring and early summer, the task usually is needed once a week — when the weather turns dry, the interval may be two weeks.

“When you get done when it’s your turn, you call the next person on the list,” Elmer says.

“And when you see it needs cut, you do it then.”

The St. Anthony mowing team members each purchase the gasoline for the mowers.

Those working on the larger field bring their own mowers — the men taking care of the lawns around the church itself use the parish machine.

When snow removal is needed, Elmer and the others use a truck equipped with a plow.

This work came about in 1978 when a parish trustee asked Elmer to take on the task.

Ken Klauser also has a schedule for the maintenance team taking care of the school grounds.

“I send out a notice in an email at the beginning of the mowing year, about April 1,” he says. “I thank them for their stewardship and ask if they’re willing to keep working. I’d say 99 percent say ‘yes.’”

After each man has taken his turn mowing continued on back cover

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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.

PARISH MEN'S SOCIET Y

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the school grounds, he will call Ken, who then contacts the next person on the list.

“Those who farm, I call to cut when they don’t have a harvest season,” he says.

Ken has been coordinating the school mowing for about eight years. The Men’s Society provides the mower and the men purchase the gasoline. The area to be cut at St. Dominic School is 11.6 acres.

“It takes about six hours and about 10 gallons of gas,” he says.

As for keeping the school grounds picked up, the principal will send notes home with the students about a workday. Parent volunteers will

join Ken’s team to clean up the ball diamond, gather leaves, trim shrubs, and so forth.

When there is work to be done, Ken finds that our parishioners respond in a spirit of stewardship.

“It is just tremendous,” he says. “People can see what stewardship does.”

Ken also works in coordination with the school principal for other tasks that must be done, such as painting on the school exterior, and power washing paved areas. If there is a special school event and the grass must be cut, the principal also will notify Ken.

Additional help is always welcome at both the church grounds and the school.

To volunteer at the church, please call Elmer Maas at 217-257-7775.

To volunteer at the school, please call Ken Klauser at 217-223-7182.