MARCH
2021
Stewardship The Wise Men’s Gifts Symbolize Our Lenten Obligations PAGE 2 A Month and Year to Honor St. Joseph PAGE 3 Scouting Programs at St. Anthony Teach Leadership, Teamwork and Faith PAGE 4 From the Catechism
What is Almsgiving?
ST. ANTHONY of PADUA
PAGE 6
Altar Linens Ministry: Honoring Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist PAGE 7
The Ladies of Charity of Quincy Meeting Important Needs in Our Community
F
or many of us, bedding, pots and pans, and clothes are within our means to purchase whenever needed. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for everyone. In Quincy, there is a group of men and women who volunteer their time so those in need have these necessities that we so often take for granted. The Ladies of Charity of Quincy has been around for more than 85 years. The group follows the Vincentian mission of prayer and service. As their website notes, the group has “consistently addressed the needs of the under-served, unemployed and underemployed people in the Quincy area, regardless of race, creed, color or country of origin.” The Ladies of Charity Center is set up like a thrift store, except there is no charge for anything. There is also a food pantry. People in need are not required to meet income specifications, but there is a limit on certain items per month or year, depending on the item. Cindi Soebbing works at the Center’s front desk. They give out donated items, from clothes and pillows to toys, diapers, and dishes. She says volunteering has opened her eyes to this vital need in our community. “Being involved in this organization has shown me we are all in this together,” Cindi says. “It is our responsibility to take care of each other.”
People come to the Center because they have had to suddenly take in their grandchildren. Others are just out of prison, trying to start a new life, and they have nothing, while others have lost their jobs. As Cindi notes, there are so many difficult situations. There are many volunteers, women, and men, who keep the Ladies of Charity Center running. There is a group that fixes toys and another that washes linens and makes sets, to name a few. Cindi says there is always a need for volunteers to work at the Center desk or behind the scenes. The Center also takes donations. Some of the nicer items are brought to the Ladies of Charity Thrift Store and sold. The money made at the Thrift Store funds the charitable work of the Center. “I have been so inspired by other volunteers who are willing to give of themselves,” Cindi says. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this work even more important. When the shutdown orders first went into effect, the building closed and boxes of food were being distributed. Eventually, they opened with fewer volunteers, shorter hours, and a limit on how many could be in the building. continued on back cover
Stewardship
The Wise Men’s Gifts Symbolize Our Lenten Obligations Gold, frankincense and myrrh were indeed valuable gifts for the wise men to present to the Child Jesus. When we look at their symbolism, we can see their relationship to the three notable duties of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. What gifts are we going to offer to Jesus this Lent?
W
e experience great joy when we celebrate the coming of the Magi at Epiphany each year. For many of us, it is the completion of Christmas. Yet, the gifts offered by the Magi — gold, frankincense and myrrh — can serve to guide us as we observe Lent this month. It may seem strange to connect the joyful celebration of Epiphany with the penitential season of Lent. Yet, our spiritual life should not be divided into separate bits having no connection with each other. In the same way, the Church’s liturgical year should also flow from one season to another. The different feasts and seasons certainly have different emphases, but they are intended to build on each other. So let’s see if we can connect what the Magi gave Jesus with what we’re going to offer Him this Lent. The basic ingredients for our Lenten rule normally come from what are termed the Three Notable Duties — prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These in turn come from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). How do we connect the wise men’s gifts with the notable duties? Actually, what the gifts symbolize matches up surprisingly well. Frankincense is the basic ingredient in the incense used in the worship of God, in the ancient world and in the Church today. Offering it to Jesus points out His divine nature, and so it symbolizes prayer. Our Lenten rule needs to include prayer and worship. Of course, we are bound to worship at Sunday Mass year-round. Maybe during Lent, we might add a weekday Mass. Perhaps we can increase the time we devote to private prayer at home or at adoration. Devotional reading from the Bible or another appropriate book can be added. In addition, don’t forget the possibility of adding family devotions during Lent, so that the whole family prays together. When we offer our gold to Christ to build His Church and to help His poor, we are engaged in almsgiving. While
2
giving from the treasure God has entrusted to us is a duty throughout the whole year, maybe this Lent we can practice being a little more generous than usual. If our giving is a thankful response to the gift of eternal life that God has given us, we will find that the giving is indeed a means of grace. For centuries, myrrh has been associated with fasting. Although myrrh comes from the same family of plants as frankincense, it has a more pungent scent and bitter taste. In the ancient world, it was regularly used in embalming. Generations of theological writers have seen the gift of myrrh as a foreshadowing of Christ’s sufferings. And fasting strengthens us in holiness and prepares us to come into God’s presence after our own deaths. St. Thomas Aquinas himself linked myrrh with repentance and fasting when he wrote that myrrh represents the penance by which we preserve our souls from the corruption of sin. Fasting may be the most difficult of the three notable duties for modern Americans. After all, most of the advertising and many of the magazine articles we see are devoted to making us more, not less, comfortable. We usually think of fasting only under the heading of dieting to lose weight. Instead, try to think of fasting as a way to become more spiritually fit. Body and spirit affect each other. The whole sacramental system is built on the truth that we can receive spiritual grace through material things and physical actions. Our specific requirements of fasting are limited — abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, and a reduction in the quantity of food we eat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. But discipline of our physical bodies for our spiritual wellbeing does not have to be limited to Lent! Gold, frankincense and myrrh were indeed valuable gifts for the wise men to present to the Child Jesus. When we look at their symbolism, we can see their relationship to the three notable duties of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. What gifts are we going to offer to Jesus this Lent?
ST. ANTHONY of PADUA a letter from our pastor
A Month and Year to Dear Parishioners,
O
ur Lord and Savior Jesus Christ chose to enter the world through the human family. He came as an infant born into the marriage and home of the two holiest human creatures who ever lived — Joseph and Mary. At a time when our world and our Church needs family and faithful disciples now more than ever, could there be a more fitting time to venerate the man who gave his life and his love to the Blessed Mother and the Son of God? Pope Francis has declared 2021 the Year of St. Joseph in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church. Our pope said he established the year so that “every member of the faithful, following his
Honor St. Joseph
example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.” As Christians, we are blessed to have Mary as our spiritual mother and Joseph as our spiritual father. Just as Mary guides us from heaven with loving devotion, St. Joseph also diligently provides for the needs of the family of God, the Holy Catholic Church. Because of his special role as foster-father of the Child Jesus, St. Joseph has merited singular privileges in heaven unmatched by any saint aside from the Blessed Virgin Mary. To give some modern-day perspective to the significance of this special year, Pope Francis has said the coronavirus pandemic heightened his desire to reflect on St. Joseph, as so many people during the pandemic have made hidden sacrifices to protect others, just as St. Joseph quietly protected and cared for Mary and Jesus. “Each of us can discover in Joseph — the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence — an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble,” the pope wrote. At the end of the First Vatican Council in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph the patron of the Universal Church. He is also the patron of carpenters, workers, fathers, and a happy death because he died in the presence of Mary and Jesus. The title of Joseph’s March 19 feast day is “Husband of Mary.” Pope Pius XII later
declared May 1 to be the feast of St. Joseph the Worker to counteract the Communist May Day holiday. As Catholics pray and reflect on the life of St. Joseph this year, they also have opportunities to gain a plenary indulgence or remission of all temporal punishment due to sin. An indulgence can be applied to oneself or to a soul in purgatory. An indulgence requires a specific act, defined by the Church, as well as sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, prayer for the pope’s intentions, and full detachment from sin. Special indulgences during the Year of St. Joseph can be received through various prayers and actions, including praying for the unemployed, entrusting one’s daily work to St. Joseph, performing a corporal or spiritual work of mercy, or meditating for at least 30 minutes on the Lord’s Prayer. As we devote 2021 to St. Joseph’s honor, we will undoubtedly unlock many special graces — not only for our parish, but for each of the faithful who increase their devotion to him during this special year. There is no greater model than St. Joseph from whom we can learn how to live virtuously in imitation of Jesus and Mary. Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Tom Donovan Pastor
3
Scouting Programs
at St. Anthony
“We think that youth develop best when they’re out there and being challenged in new and different ways. It’s pretty cool that it’s a system that’s been working for over a hundred years.” — Dr. Bill Dixon
W
e are blessed to have two organizations that encourage 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 (Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts) and Girl Scouts. Participating youth benefit from these programs as they learn outdoor and entrepreneurial skills, participate in community service projects and forge lasting friendships with their fellow scouts. Dr. Bill Dixon is the Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 76 here at St. Anthony. “The purpose of scouting is to help develop leaders, and to do that, you have to develop the whole child,” he says. “In the Boy Scouts, there is an emphasis on outdoor activities that work on confidence, self-sufficiency, and teamwork. We think that youth develop best when they’re out there and being challenged in new and different ways.
It’s pretty cool that it’s a system that’s been working for over a hundred years.” Cub Scouts is open to boys from kindergarten through fifth grade. In the spring of the fifth-grade year, many decide to “crossover” to the Boy Scout Troop. Fifth-graders — and any youth up to the age of 18 — who have not participated in Cub Scouts are also welcome to join Boy Scouts. As both a leader and a father, Dr. Dixon has a great appreciation for the many life lessons made available through the scouting program. “My son, Noah, is 16,” he says. “As the parent of a scout, I have seen in him the development of selfconfidence, dedication to others, teamwork, and social skills — the growing into a mature young man that puts others before himself.” 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 76, this last character trait — reverence — takes on a particularly Catholic component as the group begins each meeting with prayer. Also, the chaplain aide is one of the troop leadership roles available to the scouts. “When you talk to our boys and ask them what the main mission of scouting is, they know that the national answer is to produce leaders,” Dr. Dixon says. “But they also feel that Troop 76 encourages young men to become men of God.” Another way the scouts live out their faith together is through service. For example, they help with parish fish fry dinners and Members of Boy Scout Troop 76 on a high adventure trip to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. the Scouting for Food canned
4
Teach Leadership,
Teamwork and Faith food drive. Before the pandemic struck, they participated in the longestrunning service project in the country by wheeling veterans from the Veterans Home to Mass on Sundays. Community service is also a staple of the Girl Scouts program. Each year, our Girl Scout Troop 5674 chooses a project to complete together. This has included planting flowers, picking up trash, gathering sticks, and recycling. By serving others, the girls learn to put the Gospel call to “love thy neighbor” in action. Penny Weiman brought the Girl Scouts program to St. Dominic School when her oldest daughter, Elaina, was a kindergartner. Today, she continues in a leadership role as her daughter, Addison, participates in the program. Like the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts organization seeks to build strong character and develop future leaders. “The purpose of Girl Scouts is to prepare girls to empower themselves and promote compassion, courage, confidence, character, and leadership,” Penny says. “The Girl Scout program correlates with our faith as Catholics. As a leader, I have the freedom to integrate our Catholic faith with any badge. As the Girl Scouts complete each badge and learn these characteristics, Addison Weiman and Kamryn Pritchett we have fun.” bridging from Daisies to Brownies. Our school offers Girl Scout troops for girls in the first, second and third grades. However, it is easy to begin a group for any age, first through sixth grades. “As rewarding as this journey was for Elaina and the other girls, it was easy for me to become the leader of my other daughter’s troop,” Penny says. “I enjoy being a Girl Scout leader. We have a wonderful troop and wonderful parents showing Christ’s love to support the girls. It is simple to become a leader and to join the Girl Scouts community.”
Our Girl Scout Troop will be selling cookies through April!
Some of our parish Boy Scouts display the duck boxes they built for area wildlife preservation.
For more info on our Boy Scout Troop, please contact Dr. Bill Dixon at scoutmaster.troop76@gmail.com or 217-242-3421. For more info on the Quincy Girl Scouts or to become a Girl Scout leader, please call 217-494-1884.
5
From the Catechism
What is Almsgiving?
“G
iving alms to the poor is a witness to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2462). During the seasons of Advent and Lent, it is not uncommon to hear about fasting, prayer and almsgiving. Most of us are familiar with at least two of the three penitential practices — prayer and fasting. We engage in prayer each day, while fasting becomes a regular part of our Lenten routines. But what is almsgiving? It is simply giving to those less fortunate than ourselves. This can be through donations of canned goods to the local food pantry, spare change to the Salvation Army during the Christmas season, or even through person-to-person contact with the poor. This Lent, if your family has not regularly engaged in almsgiving, consider making a change. Search for opportunities to serve the poor and vulnerable, making their lives easier — even if in a small way.
Things to do with your family: Place a coffee can in a prominent place in your home, and commit to filling it with loose change throughout the week. Then, donate the money to a local charity.
The next time you shop for groceries, buy a few extra canned goods and donate them to a food pantry or food bank.
Research a charity that works with the poor, and make a commitment to regularly give to that organization.
Resolve to never judge those who are less fortunate, and teach your children the same.
Holy Week and Easter Schedule Thursday, April 1
Mass of the Lord’s Supper — 6:30 p.m., with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to follow
Friday, April 2
Liturgy of the Passion and Death of the Lord — 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 3
Easter Vigil — 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 4
Masses of Easter Sunday — 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. 6
ST. ANTHONY of PADUA Altar Linens Ministry: Honoring Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist
F
or volunteers like Carmel Akins, serving in the Altar Linens Ministry is not just about making the linens look beautiful. It is about loving, adoring, and honoring the Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist. “I like helping with this ministry because I have a particular devotion to the Eucharist, and it gives me a way I can do something directly for Jesus,” says Carmel, who coordinates the ministry. “I got involved with it years ago simply because there was a need, but now I enjoy doing it because it is something very connected to the altar and the Mass. It allows me to spend time alone with Jesus in the church. While I work on the linens, I pray and listen
to Catholic radio or classical music. It is a contemplative ministry if you don’t mind ironing!” Currently, five women take turns bringing the altar cloths home, cleaning them properly, and returning them before the following weekend Masses. They each cover one Sunday per month. “In my experience with this parish, there are so many people who will step up and do what needs to be done,” Carmel says. “There are a lot of hard-working people in our parish. These women are such a great example of this.” When the volunteers clean the linens, they soak them by hand and then place the water they used for this directly into the ground, making sure it does not go through any piping. After washing them, they iron them, making sure not to use fabric softener or starch when doing so, because they are genuine linen and need to be treated in an especially careful way. Interestingly, the use of linen for the altar is a longcherished Catholic tradition. Since the second century, the altar cloth has been seen as a symbol for the shroud of Jesus Christ — therefore it has become the custom to have it made of white linen. It is a sign of the reverence Christians show to the Most Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament, and the priestly celebrant, as well as a means to protect the altar and the sacred vessels. “I have worked with materials other than linen, and I notice a difference,” Carmel says. “Linen is so much easier to work with, and it looks much better, too.” Overall, this ministry presents a beautiful example of what it means to be a steward in a humble, yet influential way. “No one truly knows what is going on with the Altar Linen Ministry because it is a behind-the-scenes ministry,” Carmel says. “Yet, it is a very important stewardship effort. There are a lot of these types of behind-the-scenes efforts that go on at our parish.”
To help with the Altar Linens Ministry, contact Carmel Akins at 217-222-7855.
7
ST. ANTHONY of PADUA Return Service Requested
2223 St. Anthony Rd. Quincy, IL 62305 217-222-5996
www.stanthonypadua.org St. Dominic School of St. Anthony of Padua Parish 4100 Columbus Road Quincy, IL 62305 217-224-0041
The Ladies of Charity of Quincy “There is a lot of need out there,” Cindi says. “Many people, probably more in this past year, have a difficult time supporting their families and need a little assistance.” At St. Anthony of Padua, we have done several drives, from pots and pans to undergarments, for certain items needed at the Center. We also collect food each month. Announcements on drives can be found in the bulletin. Cindi and everyone at the Center are so thankful for all the items that are donated from our parish. She says St. Anthony parishioners have been so supportive of the Center and all the people they serve. “This is just a good way to recycle things, rather than throwing them away,” Cindi says. “Someone else may be able to use that item.”
continued from front cover
The Thrift Store (2325 Elm St., Quincy) and Center (510. S. 4th St., Quincy) both accept donations of clean, usable items. The Center also takes food donations. To volunteer, please call the Thrift Store at 217-222-3541, or the Center at 217-222-6359. Visit the website at ladiesofcharityquincy.org. Ladies of Charity Thrift Store Ladies of Charity Thrift Store, 24th and Elm, open regular hours and days Tuesday through Saturday — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations accepted on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ladies of Charity Center Open limited hours Monday and Friday — 9 a.m. to 12 noon only Donations accepted on Monday and Friday — 9 a.m. to 12 noon only Food Pantry at 4th and State, open for food distribution, Monday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon only
To learn more about stewardship at St. Anthony of Padua, please contact the Stewardship Committee at stewardship@stanthonypadua.org
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.