St. Peter Catholic Church Newsletter — October 2021

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ST. peter C ath athoo lic li c CHu r ch Monthly Newsletter

Mass Refreshments Ministry

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Serving Hospitality and Belonging

ith Hospitality being one of the Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship, it is only natural that St. Peter Parish has established the Mass Refreshments Ministry to bring us all together in fellowship after weekend Masses once a month.

Debby Rye is coordinating the ministry that currently has 56 members serving.

“We look forward to having more join us as they fill out their Stewardship Renewal cards,” Debby says.

The ministry began in earnest in May, when it held Taco, Nacho, and Margaritas Members of the Mass Refreshments Ministry welcome parishioners Weekend. This event welcomed parishioners after the Sunday Mass during Stewardship Commitment Weekend. back to Mass after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Pastries and fruit were served after the 8 a.m. Mass, and tacos, nachos, and margaritas, along with other beverages, were served after the 4 p.m. Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses on Sunday.

Tables were set up in the courtyard, and thus far, the weekends have been held outdoors. Plans are still being made for the cooler months. There also are plans to organize “team” captains to take care of each Mass. continued on page 2

S t. pet er C atholiC Ch ur ch

MASS REFRESHMENTS MINISTRY The refreshment weekends have been an instant hit! In June, Mass Refreshments served hot dogs, chips, cookies, and a drink after the Saturday 4 p.m. Mass, and Sunday 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Masses.

After the 8 a.m. Sunday Mass, the ministry served yogurt, donut holes, and juice boxes. To observe Deacon Tony Shukei’s last weekend at St. Peter in July, it was a hot weekend, so the ministry celebrated his service with popsicles after all Masses.

To observe the Stewardship Renewal Weekend in August, the ministry served up pizza, pop, and beer after the Saturday Mass, and egg casseroles, fruit, and mimosas after the Sunday Masses.

Parishioners could also choose from water, coffee, and juice boxes for beverages.

There is no charge for the weekend refreshments, but free-will donation boxes are in place.

There is no doubt that everyone enjoys the food and beverages during the Mass Refreshments Weekends, but there is more to the ministry than physical sustenance.

“It makes you feel a sense of community, and you get to know people,” Debby says. “When you know others, you feel like you belong. Hospitality is a Pillar of Stewardship, and our Renewal slogan is ‘St. Peter — A Place to Belong.’ We want all to feel they belong and are welcome.

When people feel welcome, they want to be more involved and bring some of their gifts and talents to the church.”

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Young parishioners assisting the Mass Refreshments Ministry

It was a yummy treat for this young parishioner during the breakfast served on Stewardship Commitment Weekend in August.

Anyone who is interested in joining the Mass Refreshments Ministry may email Debby Rye at ryettes@aol.com.

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A Letter from Our Pastor

October: A

MONTH TO TURN TO OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

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ay by day, our heavenly Father provides spiritual food and graces to His beloved children, nourishing us on our earthly pilgrimage. October brings us the grace of the Holy Rosary, a prayer buried deeply in the heart of the Church, as one of its most precious treasures.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which takes place Oct. 7, is a commemorative feast established by St. Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto. The victory was attributed to the help of the Mother of God, whose aid was invoked by praying the Rosary.

This victory revealed the power of the Holy Rosary more than ever. Catholics who were open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit took with deep resolve the Rosary as their link to God. Pope St. John Paul II, in his 2002 Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, writes: “The Church has always attributed particular efficacy to this prayer, entrusting to the Rosary... the most difficult problems. At times when Christianity itself seemed under threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of this prayer, and Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation” (39).

Thus, not merely through the Rosary, but more significantly, through the woman behind the Rosary — the glorious Mother of our Savior, Christ the Lord — a wellspring of God’s love has been discovered.

Indeed, the Rosary is truly a way to discover Christ’s infinite love through the tender heart of His Mother.

“With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 1).

A great number of saints, such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who had a special concern for the preservation of the Christian family, sensed that its salvation would be through the Holy Rosary. And as Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “Today I willingly entrust to the power of this prayer... the cause of peace in the world and the cause of the family” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 39). Our Lady of Fatima, who pleaded with families to pray the daily Rosary, would agree with him!

Let us entrust everything to the Lord through the hands of our Mother Mary. As our hearts burn with hope, let us give to the Mother of God every concern that we bear, each cross we carry, piece by piece, worry by worry.

She will be there to offer everything to our Heavenly Father, whose care for each one of His children reaches beyond anything we could ever imagine.

In His Mercy,

Fr. Eric Clark, Pastor 3

S t. pet er C atholiC Ch ur ch

The

ALAR SERVE Faithfully Sharing Talents

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he sacrifice at the altar is the most important part of the Mass, as the Eucharist is at the center of the Catholic Faith. Since the Mass is of the utmost importance, altar servers play a key role. Of course, all of these young servers show reverence and respect for the Mass as they assist on the altar.

James Benes’ son, Joe, is an altar server, and his twin boys, Peter and Andrew, have expressed interest in serving when they are older. James assists at St. Peter Catholic Church by training new altar servers and preparing the school Mass server schedule. Bridget Paseka prepares the weekend Mass server calendar.

“This ministry is a great childhood and adolescent ministry for youth to grow in their Catholic faith and serve Christ’s Church in a unique way,” James says.

“To serve at the altar is a great honor and an important ministry to our parish.”

Fifth-grade CCD and St. Peter students are invited to get involved as altar servers by attending one of two October training sessions. The training covers the

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ER MINISTRY with

Our Lord and Parish

role of altar servers, why the Mass is important, how to prepare spiritually to serve, Mass setup and cleanup, and why serving is such an honor and privilege. The youth also learn about Mass attire and find the correct size of the surplice, the long robe servers wear at Mass. Joe takes this privilege seriously and enjoys the opportunity to serve with friends.

“I enjoy being close to Christ in the Eucharist,” Joe says. “I also know I am helping our parish.”

Altar servers also model reverence to the congregation during Mass. James says it’s also a way to foster vocations and for the youth to get to know local priests.

“I am very impressed and humbled by the faithfulness, respect, hard work, and responsibility I have witnessed throughout the years by our altar servers here at St. Peter Catholic Church,” James says.

James wants to thank all the parents who have supported their children as Altar Servers throughout the years.

If you would like to register a young person for an upcoming Altar Server training session, please call the parish office at 402-423-1239.

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S t. pet er C atholiC Ch ur ch 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 Pope St. 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 6

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?

Pope St. 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.

— Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae

NEW PAS TORAL AND LITURGICAL COUNCILS SET TO FULFILL OUR MISSION AS DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

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he mission of Jesus Christ is to make disciples by participating in His ministry as priest, prophet, and king.” As a faith community — the Body of Christ — we are also to fulfill that mission. The mission of “king” is fulfilled through our Stewardship and Finance Councils. So Fr. Eric Clark recently created the Pastoral Council, to fulfill the mission of “prophet,” and the Liturgical Council, to fulfill the mission of “priest.”

“John Henry Newman said, ‘To live is to change and to change often,’” Fr. Clark says. “Change is necessary to continue to stretch us to think of new ways of doing things.”

These councils meet in January and September to work together and share ideas, among other things. Each meeting begins with adoration and prayer. The main goal of the councils is not only to fulfill the mission but also to make our weekend Masses the best they can be.

“We are all on the same team,” Fr. Clark says. “We just all have different roles on the same team.

We want to be able to set some goals and work together toward them.”

The Pastoral Council is made up of the leaders of each ministry that falls under the mission of “prophet” — this includes any formation or catechesis. Examples of these ministries are CCD, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Marriage Preparation, to name a few. It also continued on back cover

Council members met at a Leadership Gathering in August.

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S t. pet er C atholiC Ch ur ch 4500 Duxhall Dr. │ Lincoln, NE 68516 402-423-1239 │ www.saintpeterslincoln.com

MASS SCHEDULE:

Saturday: 4:00 p.m.

Sunday: 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

DAILY MASS Monday-Friday: 6:30 a.m., 8:15 a.m.

Saturday: 8:15 a.m.

CONFESSION: Monday & Friday: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Saturday: 3:00-4:00 p.m.

NEW PAS TORAL AND LITURGICAL COUNCILS includes any ministry related to evangelization and missions, like the Legion of Mary and St. Vincent de Paul Society. The council members will work together if, for example, a new curriculum for CCD is being considered. They will work on an overarching plan regarding these ministries.

The Liturgical Council includes the leaders of ministries related to the Mass or sacraments. This group will work together to review numbers, like Mass attendance, and determine the goals on which they want to focus. They could make decisions on new hymnals, confession times, and dates for upcoming retreats, to name a few.

“We want the councils to work together toward shared goals,” Fr. Clark says. “We also want this to be a way to develop and train more leaders in our parish.”

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Between meetings, the council members will also go through a book or a FORMED.org program, as a form of catechesis. This helps to build a strong and cohesive team for each council.

“The Church has to emulate and look like what Christ’s mission was,” Fr. Clark says. “This is about giving more voices to the people, so I can get more input.”

“John Henry Newman said, ‘To live is to change and to change often.’ Change is necessary to continue to stretch us to think of new ways of doing things.”

— Fr. Eric Clark