St. Peter Catholic Church Newsletter — July 2021

JULY | 2021

CONTENT PAGE 2 Stewardship: A Need to Give PAGE 3 Stewardship Helps Us Endure the “Heat” PAGE 4 Catholic HEART Workcamp A Valuable Opportunity

for Students to Serve Others in Times of Difficulty

PAGE 6 What Does “Red, White, and Blue” Mean to You? PAGE 7 Broadcast Ministry Brings All into the

Celebration of Mass

MEET NEW BUSINESS MANAGER

KRISTI SMITH:

Helping Our Parish Grow in Stewardship

K

Kristi has a Bachelor of Arts risti Smith, our new St. Peter degree from William Woods Parish Business Manager, University in Fulton, Mo., plus is settling into her duties as she additional accounting coursework brings cheerful enthusiasm to — and lots of experience. She also serving the needs of our parish. She has been a member of the Quincy is a Quincy native and formerly was Service League which, among other Business Manager at Quincy Notre community projects, provides Dame High School before making scholarships and financial grants. the move to St. Peter.

Over the past months, Kristi has She officially began in October set her sights on helping our parish 2020, and despite the constraints grow in stewardship. from COVID-19, has been growing “With stewardship, I want to in her involvement in parish life. She be part of helping to get everyone serves on the Finance Committee excited about coming back to and attends the Stewardship church and being a part of the Committee meetings once a month.

Kristi Smith, our new St. Peter Her duties as Business Manager Parish Business Manager, brings community — building that sense include handling all the accounts cheerful enthusiasm to serving the of belonging,” Kristi says. needs of our parish.

Even though there were for the parish, meeting with families about school tuition, and overseeing the church pandemic restrictions, Kristi shares in the monetary deposits. In her spare time, Kristi enjoys excitement that our stewardship growth has spending time with her husband, John, and their been strong in that two new parishioner-driven ministries have been formed. The Soup With a two children, Hunter and Kaitlyn. continued on back cover

ST. PETER

CATHOLIC CHURCH

STEWARDSHIP A Need to Give W

hen the church needs a new roof or the local food bank needs donations, we jump at the chance to give for the sake of the need.

It’s part of our human nature — we identify a need, and we want to give of our time, talent and treasure to help.

But as a stewardship people, we are called to give of ourselves not simply because the Church has needs, but because each of us has a need to give. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states in its pastoral letter on stewardship, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, “We need to give our money to individuals and families in need, to the Church, and to other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving money is good for the soul and because we need to return thanks to a loving God for all of the many blessings each of us has received” (67).

As fellow members of the Body of Christ, created in God’s image, we should strive to go beyond simply co-existing with one another on earth. The life we live should be fueled by love for each other. This love should dictate how we live — by giving of ourselves.

Jesus Christ showed us the perfect example of this self-giving love when He died on the cross.

His death was a completely selfless act. He gave

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of Himself for our sake, offering us — through that gift — life everlasting.

As Christ’s disciples, we follow His example, and we give of ourselves for the sake of others, out of love and an inherent need to give.

That’s not to say that we gain nothing through our gifts. In fact, in His goodness, God sees to it that we do. Most of us have experienced what happens when we give of our time, talent or treasure. We feel as though we get more out of it than we give. If you speak to someone who serves at the soup kitchen or someone who has made it a regular practice to tithe to the Church, you are likely to find that he or she feels blessed to be able to give. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops points out, “To be a Christian disciple is a rewarding way of life, a way of companionship with Jesus, and the practice of stewardship as a part of it is itself a source of deep joy. Those who live this way are happy people who have found the meaning and purpose of living” (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 21).

Find out for yourself. Get involved in a ministry.

Make a commitment to put some money in the collection basket next Sunday. Don’t wait to find out if there is a need — give of yourself right now.

You will be richly blessed for doing so.

A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR

STEWARDSHIP HELPS US ENDURE THE “HEAT” Dear Parishioners,

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t is natural to think of July as a time for recharging. After all, isn’t July the month most Americans would associate with the word “vacation”?

Yes, Independence Day does provide a focus for the first part of the month, but then the rest of the month stretches ahead, seemingly empty of obligations for many of us.

The month of July also represents the relative sameness of a farmer’s growing season. Like a farmer raising crops — having a busy spring planting season and a hectic fall harvest, with a long summer growing season in between — so it is with our lives. In our professional lives, completing our education, starting our careers, getting married, and beginning a family corresponds with the planting season. Then, retirement, with the changes in our lives that come with it, is comparable to the harvest. But between the two lies 40 years of labor — for some people, these are years of exciting and fulfilling work, but for others, these are years of drudgery that seem to have no end. And just as the noonday sun of July shines the hottest, the “heat” of our working years can become overwhelming.

The same is sometimes true of our spiritual life. Most of us don’t remember our Christian beginnings because we were baptized as infants.

But all you have to do is see the joy and excitement in the faces of those to come into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. Their spirits have been planted in the rich soil of grace from God and begin to sprout. The harvest we have to look forward to is eternal life with God in heaven. But between our baptism and our arrival at heaven, there are years of Christian living. For most of us, there are peaks and valleys, high points of joy, and low points of sin, with long stretches of a spiritual plateau in between. And that’s when the “heat” of the noonday sun seems to weaken

our resolve to live for Christ.

The best way to deal with that difficulty in the spiritual life is through the practice of stewardship.

The commitments we make to devote some portion of our time, our talent, and our treasure to God guarantees that we come into contact with Him in regular worship and service. By maintaining our relationship with Him, we can grow in our trust in His love for us, so we do not need to fear “the scourge that lays waste” (Psalm 91) in the noon of our life’s demands.

May God bless you and protect you this summer from all scourges, physical and spiritual.

You’ll be more prepared to experience His grace if you’re at Mass each week.

In Christ,

Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow

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ST. PETER

CATHOLIC CHURCH

CATHOLIC

HEA

A Valuable Opportunity for Students

An important part of the Catholic HEART Workcamp experience is the gathering time in the evenings, when the students can attend Mass and adoration, and share and build their faith with other Catholic teens.

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lthough the pandemic meant that Catholic HEART Workcamp (CHWC) went on hiatus last summer, plans are underway this July for area high school students to travel to Kansas City to help struggling families with necessary home repairs.

College students conduct the camps that send students to various communities around the country.

“They serve various communities with Corporal Works of Mercy,” says Mike Young, local CHWC liaison and Director of Christian Formation at Quincy Notre Dame. “The programs provided by the CHWC teams are opportunities for them to grow in faith.”

The high school students will usually have the chance to choose what work they would like to do, and the camp will try to place them according to their interests. Sometimes the

students are placed with a social service agency, such as working with children, but most of the work targets individuals’ homes. The home tasks include interior and exterior painting, yard work, and even fence installation.

Ian Cawthon, a St. Peter parishioner and graduating senior from Quincy Notre Dame High School, has attended two Catholic HEART Workcamps and encourages other high schoolers to take part.

“My first year in Nebraska, we went to an older couple’s home and painted the interior,” he says.

“At Texas, we worked at a lady’s home putting in a ceiling fan, doing yard work, and organizing closets.”

Ian’s travels with CHWC have helped him understand how he and his fellow students can bring the love of Christ to others.

“You have opportunities to help here, but when

“You have opportunities to help here, but when you go to other communities you get to see how others are struggling. God uses you to help others in times of struggle.” — IAN CAWTHON 4

RT WORKCAMP to Serve Others in Times of Difficulty you go to other communities you get to see how others are struggling,” Ian says. “God uses you to help others in times of struggle.”

Not only are the campers bringing Christ’s love to those they are helping, but the campers also find themselves impacted by Christ’s love, as well.

In the evenings, the campers gather for Mass and adoration, as well as various programs presented by the college chaperones.

“This helps me grow,” Ian says of the evening sessions. “You see people from all over the country, all come together to pray as one Church. It really helps me grow.”

Ian’s involvement in campus ministry at Quincy Notre Dame has always been part of his Catholic faith, so when he learned about CHWC, he found that it also could help his spiritual growth.

“I’d always heard it was fun,” he says. “But I didn’t realize it would help me grow in faith as I helped people in need.”

Although the camp program accepts high school students, recent graduates are not usually included. However, once they are 21 years old, they may return as chaperones.

Ian recommends his schoolmates consider attending the camp.

“Get involved,” Ian says, “You don’t want to miss this experience. Get out there and serve.

We’ve been called to serve.”

Ian is aiming to have a life of service, with plans to attend St. Ambrose University and earn a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy while staying active in campus ministry. He ultimately wants to work with children with autism.

Sprucing up yards and landscape cleaning are among the tasks teen volunteers perform through Catholic HEART Workcamp. As they work with low-income families, they not only bring Christ to them, but find Christ among them.

If you would like more information about Catholic HEART Workcamp, please contact Mike Young at 217-617-6632.

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ST. PETER

CATHOLIC CHURCH

WHAT DOES

“Red, White, and Blue”

MEAN TO YOU?

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lthough our nation’s real independence began at the end of the Revolutionary War on Sept. 3, 1783, President John Adams originally thought that the anniversary would be marked on July 2, the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence from Great Britain. Ultimately, Americans chose to commemorate the birthday of the United States on July 4, the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted and approved.

What does this mean for us as Roman Catholics? The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity” (2239).

As a parish community, we are called by God to respond to this duty to the best of our ability. So, where do we start?

The Second Vatican Council document, Apostolicam Actuositatem, states that “In their patriotism and in their fidelity to their civic duties, Catholics will feel themselves bound to promote the true common good: they will make the weight of their convictions so influential that, as a result, civil authority will be justly exercised and laws will accord with moral precepts and the common good” (14).

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By living our lay vocation and permeating the secular world with Catholic values, we genuinely honor God and neighbor. As “lamps shining before men,” we need to let our moral convictions – no matter the courage it may take – shine forth to be a guiding light for the world, often left vulnerable in the darkness.

Our commitment to a rightly ordered Catholic patriotism begins with our commitment to the formation of our Christian conscience. We must enrich ourselves with the Church’s teachings on the value of human life, the sacred institution of family, Catholic social and moral teachings, Catholic civil duties, and anything that further pertains to the living out of our Catholic faith in our nation today.

Once we have done this, we will be able to act upon it. As St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Today, more than ever, we need to pray for the light to know the will of God, for the love to accept the will of God, for the way to do the will of God.” This year, let us give our hearts to carrying out this mission of authentic Catholic patriotism under God. Our nation was founded under God. Let us not allow this precious heritage, this source of true life and liberty, to be lost. Its preservation relies on each one of us.

BROADCAST MINISTRY Brings All into the Celebration of Mass

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our Mass offerings, beyond the elevision Masses have pandemic. been commonplace for “We wanted our parishioners many Catholic dioceses, to feel that they were still a across our country, for part of our parish and to have many years. Until the onset a connection with us, even of COVID-19, most of us though they were not able to probably hadn’t watched celebrate the Eucharist together them much at all, if just on as a community,” Monica says. an occasional Sunday.

For the initial setup of But when the COVID-19 the production equipment, pandemic left church doors a company called Music shuttered, a dedicated Makers was hired. The group at St. Peter jumped three-camera system, video in to be sure all of us could switcher, and audio mixing watch the weekend Mass systems were recommended celebrated in our parish. and, ultimately, purchased Beginning in March 2020, Bill Mays assists with the Broadcast Ministry. because they can all be a group of parishioners started recording daily and weekend Masses and operated by parishioners. Masses and events uploading them to the parish website, cospq.org. can be livestreamed or recorded to download Music Director Monica Scholz says that by July later.

Even after the threat of the pandemic has 2020, the team realized people enjoyed watching passed, the plan is to record one or two weekend Mass and they had a dedicated following.

“Fr. Leo proposed investing in a professional Masses, some school Masses, and some church broadcast system, enabling us to offer Mass events.

One unexpected result of the new Broadcast online not only during the pandemic but moving Ministry was the impact on new volunteers forward into the future,” Monica says.

— some who had never found a good fit to give The inability to attend Mass was particularly hard on some parishioners. Those who had been of their talents at St. Peter have volunteered attending daily Mass missed the connection with for this ministry. This ministry requires some others and, of course, the Eucharist. Seeing the training, and it can be very rewarding for those inside of St. Peter with Mass being offered was who are involved.

“It gives everyone a sense of pride to be able one way to help. And since some people remain to post something that is so meaningful to our cautious about gathering at Mass, this ministry is still important. This will continue to be a part of parish,” Monica says.

All are welcome in this ministry, and more volunteers are needed to make the broadcast Mass even more meaningful to parishioners. New volunteers go through training and learn alongside current ministry members. Those interested in finding out more about the St. Peter Broadcast Ministry may contact Monica Scholz at m.scholz@cospq.org or 217-214-0131.

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2600 Maine Street Quincy, Illinois 62301 www.cospq.org

MEET NEW BUSINESS MANAGER KRISTI SMITH

continued from front cover

Smile Ministry prepares and delivers homemade soup to those who are homebound for several reasons, such as recovering from illness or surgery, or childbirth.

The Sunshine Club is a group of parishioners who write letters of cheer and encouragement to others.

“These were parishioners who started the ministries and we see the outcome has been great,” Kristi says.

The transition from working at a high school

with young students to a parish has been a bit different, but Kristi is enjoying getting to meet with the other staffers, as well as parishioners.

“It’s been a great change!” she says.

She will also tell you that there hasn’t been one moment of boredom since taking her post.

“My door is always open,” she says. “I’m excited to be here, and I love working with Fr. Leo — he’s amazing!”

Let us all welcome Kristi to our St. Peter Parish staff!

“With stewardship, I want to be part of helping to get everyone excited about coming back to church and being a part of the community — building that sense of belonging.” — KRISTI SMITH MASS SCHEDULE Weekend Masses Saturday: 5:00 p.m., Sunday: 8:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Weekday Masses Mon-Sat: 8:00 a.m., except for Wednesdays: 8:30 a.m.

Reconciliation Saturday: 7:30-7:50 a.m., 3:30-4:30 p.m. or by appointment