St. Francis Solanus
m o n t h l y n e w s l e tt e r
Inside This Issue: 2 Highlights of Our 2021 Stewardship Renewal 3 All Things and All People Are Made New 4 Meet Parishioner Adam Liesen Working Towards the Rank of Eagle Scout and Serving a Need in Our Parish 6 Divine Mercy Sunday and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy 7 Meet the Kovachevich Family: Pillars of Our Parish Community
M A RC H / A P R I L 2 0 2 2
Healing After Loss:
A Safe Place to Process the Journey of Grief
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he loss of a loved one affects each person differently, and everyone has their own grief journey. One thing that can help is to have others alongside you during that difficult journey. The Healing After Loss Ministry is here to support those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. This relatively-new ministry at St. Francis Solanus is available to everyone — whether they lost a loved one last year or 20 years ago. The ministry follows the well-known Grief Share program. Deacon Dennis Holbrook and his wife, Pat, lost their 30-year-old daughter, Allison, to cancer on June 29, 2017. Deacon Dennis was studying for the diaconate at the time and Deacon Dennis and Pat Holbrook was placed at St. Anthony of Padua. Deacon Dennis and Pat were able to attend the Grief Share program there. “We vowed that wherever Dennis was placed, we would start the Grief Share program,” Pat says. The Grief Share website says the program “is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. You don’t have to go through the grieving process alone.” continued on back cover
St. Francis Solanus Highlights of Our
2021 Stewardship Renewal
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his past autumn, our St. Francis Solanus parish leadership conducted the 2021 Stewardship Renewal. The Stewardship Renewal gave our parish community the opportunity to discern how we are using our gifts of time, talent, and treasure in service to the parish and in return to God. This month, we are happy to share with you some of the highlights of the 2021 Stewardship Renewal. There were 385 commitment cards received from 37 percent of active households. There were 3,549 prayer commitments — the stewardship of time — from 96 percent of participating households. There were 1,729 ministry commitments — the stewardship of talent — from 88 percent of participating households. Of these, 353 were new ministry commitments, while 1,376 were recommitments to parish ministries. There were 299 offertory commitments — the stewardship of treasure — from 78 percent of participating households. The average pledge was $2,096. We thank all those who participated in our Stewardship Renewal. If you did not have the opportunity to fill out and return a commitment card, we invite you to consider the ways you may share your gifts of time, talent, and treasure with God and the parish community!
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a l e tt e r f r o m o u r p a s t o r
All Things and All People Are Made New Dear Parishioners,
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ith springtime — a time of new life and new beginnings — and Holy Scripture addresses this idea of newness many times. The Lord declares, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). This idea of being “new” is important to us as Catholics, and it is important to our parish. We need to strive to do this on a regular basis — even on a daily basis. Think of the fact that all was once new. Regardless of how you view the development of this earth and those of us who occupy it, all was once new. During this Easter season, we need to retain that idea of being “new.” And being “new” means conversion, and we have often pointed out that conversion is at the heart of a life of stewardship. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, “The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us the way to a new life” (654). In other words, Christ’s Resurrection is the source of our new life — our own future resurrection. St. Paul wrote about it to the Romans (Rom 6:5) — “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.” Hope for a new life beginning now and extending on into heaven is the result of Jesus’ Resurrection. What greater grounds for thanksgiving
can there be than this Easter hope? We should sing with joy about God’s promise to us, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). St. Paul also wrote (Col 3:1-2), “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” Jesus’ Resurrection and His promise of a new life for us mean that we need to live in conformity with our status as adopted children of God. How do we show our joy and our gratitude to God for this amazing gift He has given us? We join in worship and praise God by word and song. We share the Good News of Jesus’ victory over death with our family, friends, and neighbors. And we offer back to the Lord a portion of the time, talent, and treasure He has entrusted to us. Yes, the Easter message that we share in the benefits of Christ’s Resurrection indeed makes all things new — the ultimate foundation for all Christian stewardship. The Lord is risen, alleluia. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Steven Arisman, Pastor
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St. Francis Solanus
Meet Parishioner A
Working Towards the Rank of Eagle Sc
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An Eagle Scout project must benefit the community and involve an element of leadership for the individual completing it.
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While Adam spearheaded the project, he had help from some of his fellow scouts.
f you’ve recently visited the backyard of the St. Francis rectory, you may have noticed a change. Our statue of St. Francis was placed in a different location atop a new pillar. We may thank two people in particular for this effort — Fr. Arisman and parishioner Adam Liesen. “The physical project is complete,” Adam says. “I also planted some shrubbery around the pillar and touched up the paint on the statue a bit to make it look nice.” Fr. Arisman requested the project to commemorate the 160 years of the Franciscans at St. Francis. Adam spearheaded the project as part of his efforts to attain Eagle Scout rank after many years with the Boy Scouts. The project will go through an approval process and, if it passes, Adam will be rewarded with the esteemed rank of Eagle Scout. “It’s a huge accomplishment to get done,” Adam says. “There are years of work you need to do to get to this point. Climbing the ranks takes a while and it’s not easy. Along the way, you grow and mature. By the time you get to Eagle Scout, you look back on how you were when you first came, you’ll be in disbelief how different you are.” An Eagle Scout project is essentially the final component of a scout’s journey through the ranks — the highest honor in the Boy Scouts of America. Not every scout will ultimately reach Eagle Scout, so it is no small feat. “To earn the rank of Eagle requires hard work and dedication,” says John Hamann, Adam’s scoutmaster. “A fraction of the scouts ever make it to Eagle.” An Eagle Scout project must benefit the community and involve an element of leadership for the individual completing it.
Adam Liesen
cout and Serving a Need in Our Parish “It’s quite in-depth,” John says. “There’s a local council of volunteers that decides whether these projects are accepted — a lot are not accepted and the kids have to go back to the drawing board. It’s quite the process.” While Adam spearheaded the project, he had help from some of his fellow scouts. He also recruited the companies that would do more of the heavy-lifting components. For Adam, seeing the whole thing come together was truly a highlight. “Through the summer when I was waiting for construction, I remember every week after church, I’d go back and see how far they got on it, see the pillar built piece by piece,” he says. Adam started in Troop 22 of the Scouting program when he was in first grade. Although initially reluctant, Adam has grown to appreciate the opportunities he has had to take responsibility and learn about being a leader. “It has really helped me communicate with people my age, learn to lead and guide others younger than me,” he says.
If you are interested in learning more about the Boy Scouts of America, or to join Troup 22, please visit www.scouting22.com.
Seeing the whole project come together was truly a highlight.
“Climbing the ranks takes a while and it’s not easy. Along the way, you grow and mature. By the time you get to Eagle Scout, you look back on how you were when you first came, you’ll be in disbelief how different you are.” — ADAM LIESEN
The project will go through an approval process and, if it passes, Adam will be rewarded with the esteemed rank of Eagle Scout.
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St. Francis Solanus Divine Mercy Sunday and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
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n the 1930s, Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Sister of Our Lady of Mercy, received a message from the Lord that she was to live her life as a model of Christ’s merciful love and spread Christ’s mercy throughout the world. She proceeded to offer up all of her personal sufferings in atonement for the sins of others. She kept a diary in which she wrote of God’s mercy, as well as about her special devotion to Mary Immaculate and to the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, which gave her strength. Sr. Faustina’s diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, serves as the handbook for the devotion to the Divine Mercy. In it, we read of the message of mercy that she received from Christ. On April 30, 2000, Sr. Faustina Kowalska was canonized by Pope John Paul II. Then, on May 23, 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship decreed that “throughout the world, the second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that humankind will experience in the years to come.” On Divine Mercy Sunday — occurring this year on April 24 — all parishioners are encouraged to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, always remembering and practicing the essential “ABCs” of Divine Mercy: • • •
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Ask for mercy Be merciful to others Completely trust in Jesus
How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet “Chaplet” simply refers to the prayers counted on a rosary. The Lord said to St. Faustina, “You will recite this chaplet on the beads of the Rosary in the following Manner:” Begin with: One Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostle’s Creed On the “Our Father” beads, say: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. On the “Hail Mary” beads, say: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. In conclusion, three times recite these words: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. “I want the whole world to know my infinite mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in my mercy” (Diary, 687).
Meet the Kovachevich Family:
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Pillars of Our Parish Community
hroughout his life, Mark Kovachevich has found a true home at St. Francis Solanus Parish. Our church family has found a place in his heart, and the dedication he and his wife, Martha, have for our community is extraordinary. “I have gone to this parish my entire life, though I didn’t go to school here,” he says. “This church means an awful lot to me. Martha and I have been involved here ever since we were married. I really appreciate our parish community and how much everyone supports each other.” Over the years, Mark has seen our parish grow and change in wonderful ways. “I appreciate how dedicated the parishioners are here,” he says. “They really care about everything that goes on and are willing to help and contribute. I also like how St. Francis has a good blend of different people between its older parishioners and the new ones who are joining us. We have always had priests who did a great job, as well.” Mark and Martha truly enjoyed raising their children in our parish community and are grateful for how much it has enabled them to live out their vocation as Catholic parents. They have three children: their daughter, Abigail Marcuess (who married Tyler Marcuess at our parish last October); their son, Cy, will be graduating from Quincy University in May; their daughter, Emma, attends Quincy Notre Dame High School. All their children attended our parish school from kindergarten through the eighth grade. “The parish community’s support was very helpful in raising our children,” Mark says. “We are very happy with the Catholic education they received at our parish school. My children wouldn’t be where they are today without all they received there — especially from the good teachers they had. Good teachers are what makes a good school. Our parish school gave my children a great opportunity to
The Kovachevich family
prepare for a successful future.” Mark has worked full-time as our Parish Custodian for the past four years, and part-time in this position previously. He takes care of the school classrooms, kitchen, and cafeteria. He also tends to the parish and school grounds by trimming the grass and removing snow. Martha has been the cook at St. Francis Solanus Parish School for over 15 years. Furthermore, Cy disinfects the school due to the pandemic, while Emma vacuums the parish and does other cleaning jobs. They both help with snow removal, as well. “We have encouraged our children to be involved in our parish from a young age and be good stewards,” Mark says. “We teach them to work hard, be honest, do a good job with their education, and help others when they need it. For several years, our family has helped out with our Parish Picnic. It has raised a lot of money, and it is very good for the parish.” Finally, the Kovachevich family finds the strength, courage, and love they need to follow Christ by relying on the lifeline of prayer. “We enjoy praying as a family and do various devotions at different times of the year,” Mark says. “We also like going to extra Masses and church services.” 7
St. Francis Solanus 1721 College Avenue Quincy, IL 62301 (217) 222-2898 stfrancissolanus.com
Healing After Loss Ministry
continued from front cover
The group met this spring on Wednesday nights at 6:15 p.m. Another 13-week session will likely begin this fall. Other sessions may be planned, depending on the need. Participants are invited to bring a support person to meetings. Meetings include a video, conversation, and prayer. Each participant receives a workbook to go through during the week. Sessions end at about 8 p.m. “This is a safe place to talk through what you may be going through,” Pat says. “Everything is confidential.” Deacon Dennis and Pat found a lot of healing through Grief Share. They feel blessed to bring this program to others. They don’t consider themselves grief experts, but they are happy to share their experience if it helps someone else. “It helps you mourn when you can be with
others who are in a similar situation,” Pat says. “You can get strength from those who have been through things. They can help put words to what you are feeling.” “There’s no right or wrong time to go through this process,” Deacon Dennis adds. “We are there to listen and be a safe place. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.” Although Deacon Dennis and Pat wish Allison were still here, they know the Lord is using them to bring this ministry to others. “We know she is in the arms of God,” Deacon Dennis says. “Our faith never wavered. We know God is using us.” For more information on the Healing After Loss Ministry, please contact Deacon Dennis Holbrook at dholbrook@stfrancissolanus.com.
LITURGY SCHEDULE
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m. • Sunday: 7:00, 9:00, 11:00 a.m. Weekday Mass: Monday - Friday, 6:30 a.m. • Monday - Thursday, 5:30 p.m. • Wednesday, 8:35 a.m. • Saturday, 8:00 a.m. Confessions: Wednesday, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. • Saturday, 8:30 a.m., 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.; Exposition: Wednesday, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Holy Days of Obligation: Vigil 5:30 p.m.; Holy Day: 6:30 a.m., 8:35 a.m. on school days, 5:30 p.m.
