St. Peter Catholic Church Newsletter — May 2021

MAY | 2021

CONTENT PAGE 2 This Month, We Reflect on Mothers

and Stewardship

PAGE 3 Pentecost: The “Birth” of Stewardship PAGE 4 Scouting Programs at St. Peter Teach

Leadership, Teamwork and Faith

PAGE 6 The May Crowning Celebrating the

Coronation of Mary

PAGE 7 Cantors Lead Us in Song and Prayer

as We Lift Our Hearts to God

MEET JUDY LIESEN AND JULIA O’NEILL: Living out the Blessed Mother’s Example

T

he month of May — it’s one of the most beautiful times of the year, and it provides us with the perfect opportunity to celebrate the important women who have blessed our lives, most especially our Blessed Mother.

Parishioners Judy Liesen and her daughter, Julia O’Neill, share a devotion to Our Lady and a desire to grow in faith.

“Catholics have a special devotion to the Blessed Mother because she said ‘yes’ to God when asked to be the Mother of Jesus, without hesitation,” Judy says.

“She serves as a model of how we can best live our lives.

“She can certainly help us get closer to Jesus by interceding for us,” she adds. “We can talk to her about our needs and she will speak to God on our behalf.”

Both women, though currently in very different stages of their motherhood, find themselves turning to the Blessed Mother, for inspiration and intercession.

“I try to be devoted to my children, listening to them and helping them when possible, just as Mary was a great mother to Jesus,” says Judy, who, along with her husband, John, has three adult children and 13 grandchildren, all under the age of 10.

“Mary has taught me to trust fully and completely in the Lord,” says Julia, her daughter, who is in the midst of raising five young children, with her husband, Tim. “Mary has inspired me to say ‘yes’ in the many dayto-day joys and sorrows of motherhood.”

In addition to the role that the Blessed Mother has played in her life, Julia is also grateful for Julia O’Neill and her mother, the way that her own Judy Liesen, with Theodore O’Neill, Julia’s youngest earthly mother, Judy, has child and Judy’s youngest encouraged her in her grandchild relationship with God. “My own mother is the ultimate example of embracing one’s faith and having a relationship with the Blessed Mother,” Julia says. “She has shown me through suffering, sacrifice, trust and guidance what it means to live the faith.” continued on back cover

ST. PETER

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Mothers and Stewardship THIS MONTH, WE REFLECT ON

W

e celebrate the month of Mary during May, and during this month, we also celebrate Mother’s Day. It seems fitting that we honor our mothers during May, since Mary is given to us by God as the example of true Christian motherhood.

Those who are called to be mothers have been blessed by God and called to fulfill a very important responsibility. Mothers are the vehicle through which God brings new life into this world.

When we talk about Christian stewardship, we talk about sacrificially returning to God what we have been given. What can more clearly be a demonstration of complete sacrifice than the relationship between mother and child during the nine months of growth in the womb? During these nine months, the child’s life depends on the actions of the mother as her energy and nourishment goes directly to the growing baby.

Although this relationship may change to some extent after the child is born, a mother’s sacrifice for her child is far from over after the birth. The role of the mother is critical in the

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child’s development — both spiritually and physically — throughout life. Mothers provide the comfort, nurture and support necessary for their children to become productive citizens and responsible Christians.

The job of a mother is not an easy one. This is a fact that Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew very well. She worried when her young Son appeared to be lost, only to find Him later in His Father’s house. She was probably concerned as Jesus began His public ministry — not knowing what difficulties and rejections He would encounter along the way. And, Mary must have experienced great anguish as she watched her Son’s body being crucified to a cross.

May all mothers look to Mary as their model for motherhood and ask her intercession as they strive to fulfill their God-given role in their children’s lives. During the month of May, let us all take some time to express our appreciation to our mothers for allowing us to come into this world, for loving us, and for serving as an example of what it means to be a steward for life.

A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR

PENTECOST: The “Birth” of Stewardship Dear Parishioners,

A

s we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost on May 23, which is one of the most significant events in the life of the Church, I can’t help but relate the outpouring of the gift of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples as “the birth of stewardship.”

As a stewardship parish, we have come to understand it in our personal lives and our parish life as the work of the Holy Spirit, active and inspiring us to be the disciples Jesus called us to be, just as He did those very first disciples. It just makes sense to once again realize and acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in our decisions to be authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.

As every parent knows, birth brings new life to every family, and the “birth of stewardship” here in our parish has brought new life to us, personally and communally, and continues to do so. We had a “Pentecost event” when the message of stewardship was first brought to our parish, and it hasn’t been the same since. Many curious people of our parish and from around the country ask the question, “How did all of this begin?” The only answer is, “moved by conversion, we knew stewardship was going to be the ‘plan’ for our future as disciples and as a parish.” It makes sense.

For some, like me, it took a conversion of sorts to move us from unbelievers to believers, and from fear or suspicion to courage and confidence in the values and ideals of stewardship. Reading the accounts of the Acts of the Apostles, it wasn’t much different for them. Their experience is our experience and continues to encourage us to be open to the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. That “Spirit” renews the “Pentecost event” in each of us, as we practice discipleship as we know it through the stewardship way of life.

Also, as with each new birth, the life that begins needs to be nourished, nurtured and loved.

Through our understanding of the four pillars

of parish stewardship — hospitality, prayer, formation and service — we each are called to nourish, nurture and love our parish family with the gifts we bring to each other. And without ever really knowing how much of an impact we have on each other’s spiritual lives, we trust the Holy Spirit to continue the “good work of faithful stewardship” in each of us and to those around us.

Isn’t that what the first Pentecost event started, and isn’t that what you see in our parish, especially since our own “birth of stewardship”?

God has blessed our parish family and continues to do so, as the Holy Spirit continues to pour out gifts upon us and send us forth to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. As we grow and mature in our stewardship efforts, how fortunate we are that the stewardship way of life has become our way of life. May we always give thanks to God for the Holy Spirit’s gift to each of us — for, when we do, it seems only natural to be inspired to live discipleship as it was intended to be lived in the first disciples and in each of us.

In Christ,

Rev. Msgr. Leo J. Enlow

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ST. PETER

CATHOLIC CHURCH

SCOUTING PROGRAMS AT ST. PETE H

ere at St. Peter, we are blessed to have an organization that encourages independence in some of our youngest parishioners while providing their parents with a wonderful resource for helping their children and teenagers grow in character and virtue — the Scouts BSA, represented in our parish by Cub Scout Pack 5 and Boy Scout Troop 5. Participating boys benefit from these programs as they learn outdoor survival skills, participate in community service projects, and forge lasting friendships with their fellow scouts.

Jeff Wilson is the Scoutmaster for Troop 5 and father of Eagle Scout Louis Wilson. As both a leader and a father, Jeff has a great appreciation for the many life lessons made available through the Boy Scouts.

“We basically try to teach them life skills and things that will make them upstanding citizens,” he says. “It’s especially important in this day and

age when the boys seem to gravitate toward video games and that sort of thing. Our troop in normal times typically does a monthly camp out, where we go out on Friday night and come back Sunday morning. It’s great just getting them off their devices, outside and learning skills like cooking and how to clean up after themselves and be more self-sufficient. As they get older, by doing all the different merit badges, they might even find things that interest them later in life.”

According to the Scout Law recited at the beginning of all meetings, a scout strives to be “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” In Boy Scout Troop 5, this last character trait — reverence — takes on a particularly Catholic component. In addition to praying together as a troop, the scouts may earn special religious medals.

“We do the Catholic religious medal program

Camp Jayhawk Summer Camp, July 2020. (From left) Evan Krohn, Rohan Dighe, Louis Wilson, Matthew Boudreau, Kyle Krohn, Ben Brown, Peter Damm, and Jeff Wilson.

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ER TEACH LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK AND FAITH in the Troop every other year for the new kids,” Jeff says. “They put in 40 hours to get the Ad Altare Dei Catholic award. When we do campouts, we try to get back in time for the 11 o’clock Mass on Sundays, and when we go to summer camp, we go as a troop to Mass before we go to camp.”

Another way the scouts live out their faith together is through service. They volunteer with the Parish Picnic each year, and many of the boys are altar servers at St. Peter. Before the onset of the pandemic, they participated regularly in a local service project by wheeling veterans from the Veterans Home to Mass on Sundays.

Having witnessed firsthand how much the Boy Scouts mature during their time in the program, Jeff views the benefits of his son’s participation in scouting to be truly priceless. Because the Boy Scouts are boy-led, the scouts teach and lead one another. Those who make it through to earn the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, especially, grow in leaps and bounds during their time in the program.

“I was a scout way back, and for me, it’s been a lot of fun watching Louis grow,” Jeff says. “We started out with Cub Scouts and it’s been great watching him go from third grade to a freshman in high school earning Eagle rank. It’s fun to see all the boys go from these scrawny little guys who can’t walk from camp to the bathroom to young men at summer camp going here, there, and everywhere. It’s been pretty amazing to watch them grow up and turn into young men.”

Boy Scout Troop 5 is grateful to our parishioners for all the amazing generosity they have shown our scouts over the years. Thank you for supporting these boys as they make the journey from childhood to men of faith!

October 2020 Camping at Siloam Springs State Park. (From left) Ryan Bergman, Alex Stegner, Cameron Gill, Lucas Ohnemus, Peter Damm, Evan Krohn, Gavin Frese, Louis Wilson, Devin Bradfield, Christopher Gill and Austin Haskins. The bridge was built by Gavin Frese as his Eagle Scout project in 2019.

First weekly meeting of fall 2020 at the newly completed GaGa Ball Pit that Louis Wilson constructed in South Park, Quincy, for his Eagle Scout project.

Are you interested in finding out more about Boy Scout Troop 5?

Please contact Jeff Wilson at 217-653-9256 for more information.

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ST. PETER

CATHOLIC CHURCH

THE MAY CROWNING

Celebrating the Coronation of Mary F

or many Catholics, May Crownings of statues or icons of the Blessed Mother have become rites of spring. Like flowers blooming or Mother’s Day, this annual Marian devotion reminds us that the cold of winter is behind us, and it ushers in a month during which the Catholic Church pays special homage to Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. Generally taking place during the first weekend of the month, May Crownings bring children — often, recent First Communicants — out in their Sunday best to participate in processions and adorn statues of the Blessed Mother with crowns of flowers or actual gold crowns. Additionally, the children often place roses at her feet, and Catholics carry out similar practices in their homes by placing roses around statues of the Blessed Virgin, or even adding ornamentation to images of Mary. But where did this practice come from, and how did it develop into the tradition that we currently know and love?

The Coronation of Mary had been a popular subject in European art and literature for centuries, but the tradition of the May Crowning can be most accurately traced back to the late 16th century. Perhaps inspired by the practice

of adding ornamentation to Marian icons that had been carried out by some Eastern churches, Pope Clement VIII added two crowns to the icon of Mary with the Infant Jesus in the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. The crowns were eventually lost, but were replaced by Gregory XVI in 1837 in a rite that was to become the standard practice for crowning.

While the May Crowning is not an official liturgical celebration on the Church calendar, it is an important practice in honoring Mary as the Queen of the Universe, and its imagery is especially influential in the faith formation of children. As Liz Kelly writes in May Crowning, Mass, and Merton and Other Reasons I Love Being Catholic, “One of the defining aspects of being Catholic is devotion to Mary. I favor no Marian celebration more highly than May Crowning, the feast that recognizes Mary as queen of heaven and earth. To a person of any age, this is a mighty big title, but to a child of five or six or seven, it expands to enchanting, magical proportions.

How many queens does one get a chance to meet in a lifetime, much less crown?”

This year, make a special effort to honor the coronation of Mary through participation in a personal or public May Crowning devotion.

Bring Flowers of the Rarest

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Bring flow’rs of the fairest, Bring flow’rs of the rarest, From garden and woodland And hillside and vale; Our full hearts are swelling, Our glad voices telling The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale.

O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May, O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

CANTORS LEAD US IN SONG AND PRAYER AS WE LIFT OUR HEARTS TO GOD

“T

o sing is to pray twice,” is a saying often attributed to St. Augustine. Our parish cantors are certainly praying twice when they fill St. Peter’s with beautiful music. Director of Music Monica Scholz coordinates the Cantor Ministry and says this is such an important ministry to the life of our parish. As she points out, whenever the Sunday Responsorial Psalm pops into our heads and we reflect upon it during the week, we can thank a cantor for that.

“Our cantors know the words we sing matter,” she says.

Cantors not only chant or lead the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation, but he or she also leads the congregational singing for the rest of the music at liturgy. They also manage announcements and teach the congregation new music, when necessary.

“Our cantors are excellent leaders in this way,” Monica says. “They help lead us through the music of the Mass.”

Each cantor sings once or twice per month.

Cantors should be talented vocalists with an understanding of the liturgy. Currently, we have about 20 cantors who sing for weekend and Holy Day liturgies. Some are even as young as upper elementary and junior high school. Monica says several students in the student choir will soon begin as cantors, and they do a great job.

It is preferred that cantors also participate in one of our choirs. Most of the cantors are part of the adult choir — this group rehearses on Wednesday nights. Monica says most of the cantors have had some kind of outside training on music and the liturgy.

“I am proud that every one of our ministry

Megan Peters serves as a cantor at St. Peter.

leaders is a person of faith,” Monica says. “They have a commitment to the work of the Church and seek to find ways to deepen their knowledge of church teaching and liturgy, and share that faith commitment with our congregation.”

In a survey of cantors and choir members last year, most ranked “growing in faith and fellowship” as the main reasons for their participation in music ministry.

“Participating in the music ministry of your parish can be one of the most rewarding acts of service you can do for your parish,” Monica says. “As leaders of song, cantors have a unique opportunity to work in tandem with the priest and accompanist to create something prayerful and life-giving for our congregations.”

If you would like to get involved as a cantor or choir member, or to learn more, please contact Director of Music Monica Scholz at m.scholz@cospq.org.

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

MEET JUDY LIESEN AND JULIA O’NEILL

continued from front cover

Julia encourages her fellow parishioners to take time to grow in relationship with the Blessed Mother — through prayer, asking her intercession and following her example, as the first follower of Jesus.

“Mary is the ultimate example of our faith,” Julia says. “As Catholics, who better to lead us in faith? We have a special devotion to her because no other human is closer to Christ than she. She is the Mother of our Church. Who better to ask for help than our Mother?”

Practically speaking, the mother and daughter offer suggestions of how other mothers or those in maternal roles might support their children and imitate the Blessed Mother.

“I would encourage all mothers to pray with their children daily and let them see you praying,” Judy says. “Listen to the Catholic radio station, Catholic podcasts, and surround yourself with

supportive women who share the same struggles and values. I often discuss with my children what special readings I am doing, and ask what they are doing. My daughter attends a weekly prayer group and I help by babysitting her children, so she can attend.”

“I ask for the intercession of the Blessed Mother daily,” Julia says. “I intercede for my own children by praying for them, helping them learn and grow in their faith, and teaching them how to live their faith.

“Find a group of moms to walk the journey of motherhood with you,” she adds. “And, most importantly, take the time to pray.”

Thank you to all of the women in our parish who give so generously in maternal service to others. We ask the Blessed Mother’s intercession for you in a special way this month!

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