St. Francis Solanus
m o n t h l y n e w s l e tt e r
Inside This Issue: 2
Questions & Answers About Our Annual Stewardship Renewal
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As Summer Winds Down, Fall Back into Stewardship
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Bidding a Fond and Grateful Farewell to Our Retiring Teachers
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Women’s Saint Study: Sharing in the Walk of Those Who Followed God’s Plan
AU G / S E P T 2 0 2 1
New School Year Begins
with Heartfelt Goodbyes and Warm Welcomes
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s a new year begins at St. Francis Solanus School, Principal Lori Shepard wants to take an opportunity to say a heartfelt “goodbye” to three teachers who have devoted their careers to education — many of those years were spent at our school. Mrs. Maureen Makarewicz has been in education for 45 years and has taught both preschool and kindergarten at St. Francis Solanus — even teaching her grandchildren! Mrs. Makarewicz has enjoyed teaching next to her daughter at the school. Mrs. Carla Slough has been in “Maureen has always provided her students education for 36 years. with a solid foundation in their educational experience and made sure that they loved school,” Ms. Shepard says. Mrs. Carla Slough has been in education for 36 years and has also had the opportunity to teach her own grandchildren at St. Francis Solanus. She taught fourth grade and recently received the Golden Apple Award presented by WGEM Television. “Mrs. Slough is a real team player, and heads up various committees at the school to help provide our students with enriching experiences,” Ms. Shepard says. Mrs. Barb Peters has been a preschool aide for 26 years since the program began at St. Francis Solanus. Over the years, Mrs. Peters’ great sense of humor and sensitive personality have made her a great fit for this work. continued on back cover
St. Francis Solanus Questions & Answers About Our
Annual Stewardship Renewal My age or physical limitations prevent me from being active in the parish. Should I still turn in a Commitment Card? Yes! The first section of the card — Stewardship of Time — is the most important because it allows you to make commitments to prayer. Even if you can’t join a ministry or make it to Mass on Sunday, you can still pray for our parish. Your spiritual support has tremendous value in the eyes of God.
Belong
A PL AC E TO
a raise or bonus. The biggest reason many people don’t fulfill their pledge is that they attend Mass at another parish when they go on vacation, attend a wedding, etc. If you’re ST. FRAN CIS SOLA NUS out of town, just make up for the missed Sunday when you write your Every parish family receives a One time I turned in a card, but no one ever called next check to the parish. special “Stewardship Package” in me when I signed up for a ministry. Using your envelopes is the mail that further explains our parish’s vision of stewardship. It If this happened in the past, please forgive us! And a good way to see which includes a booklet that describes evdon’t give up on filling out your Commitment Card! Sundays you missed. ery ministry in the parish, as well as your Commitment Card. We have a very good plan to call every person inter- You can also give online ested in joining a new ministry. If for some reason the by visiting : ministry leader does not call you within four weeks of www.stfrancissolanus.com/giving. turning in your card, let the parish office know. I don’t even go to Mass very frequently. How much should I give? Why turn in a Commitment Card? Your gift is entirely dependent on how much God Because this is your chance to turn over a new has given you. At St. Francis Solanus, we ask that you leaf! Why not make a commitment to God to come to give five percent to our parish, one percent to the di- Mass every Sunday, and then write down that comocese, and four percent to other charities. Why a per- mitment? Even if that’s the only commitment you centage of income? First, because the tithe (10 percent) make, take a step forward. Jesus Himself is waiting is a scriptural benchmark that the Church has honored for you! for centuries (see Malachi 3:10). Secondly, we give a percentage of income because it is a common-sense What happens if I don’t return my Commitment standard by which everyone can equitably support Card? the parish. Most of all, we give because we believe We will mail you a reminder letter that includes God comes first in everything, even finances. an extra Commitment Card (in case you misplaced yours). Make every effort you can to participate. Our What if I can’t fulfill my financial pledge? Stewardship Renewal is a very important annual While our pledge is not a “contract,” we should all event in the life of our parish. You and your family are make a good-faith effort to fulfill it. Of course, if your part of what makes St. Francis Solanus a great comfinancial circumstances change — if you lose your munity! Most importantly, your commitments are acjob, for instance — then the amount of money you tually promises to Christ Himself. All of us are called give the Church will change, too. Likewise if you get to give back to God a portion of what He has given us. 2
2021 ST EW AR DS
HIP RE NE WA L
a l e tt e r f r o m o u r p a s t o r
Dear Parishioners,
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As Summer Winds Down, Fall Back into Stewardship
ugust used to be viewed as a summer month, sort of a continuation of July with a few differences — we knew harvest began for some crops, and back-to-school sales came at the end of the month. After all, school started right after Labor Day. But nowadays, due to the move to complete a whole semester before Christmas, many communities begin the school year in August. In some places, you’ll even find back-to-school sales in July. So is August still summer or the beginning of fall? I don’t have an answer as to how the month should be classified to reflect the changing social scene. On the other hand, I do know that it’s a time when we should be looking ahead to how we’re going to serve as Christian disciples and stewards once the fall routines begin. Let’s be honest — most Americans have a different mindset about the period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It may have been years since we’ve been in school, but that pattern of “summer vacation” has a stronghold on us. We may take a vacation in the fall to see the leaves, or vacation in winter for skiing or taking cruises, but we still think of the summer as the time for vacations. Many also have this preconceived notion that nothing really goes on in our parish over the summer. Of course, Mass is celebrated regularly, and there are weddings and funerals, but otherwise, the parish is a quieter place during the summer months. Isn’t it? That may once have been true, but it is most certainly not the case today. Some groups will suspend meetings during the summer, but there’s Vacation Bible School for the children, and all across America, youth groups are attending conferences
and sharing in service projects in areas of need. In addition, both our staff and our volunteers are busy during the summer. They are working to prepare for all the things that go on when our “normal” schedule resumes after Labor Day. That brings me to my main point — how are you preparing yourself this August for serving as a steward once Labor Day has passed? If you’re still relaxing by a pool, or even better, on the beach, have you thought of how you can best serve the Lord Jesus with the talent He has entrusted to you? Have you planned on how you can arrange your schedule to offer Him more of your time in prayer, worship, and study? Have you considered how your budget might be rearranged to share more of the treasure in your care? Maybe our Lord is inviting you to teach religious education, or to work with the youth, or to visit shut-ins, or to volunteer at a food bank, or to sing in the choir, or to attend weekday Mass or — well, you get the idea. While we suffer in the August heat and wait for summer to be completely over and for autumn to arrive, let’s use our time to evaluate how we can be better disciples, better stewards, better Christians this fall, and throughout the rest of our lives. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Steven Arisman, Pastor
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St. Francis Solanus
Bidding a Fond and Grateful Fa A
s the new school year gets underway, we extend our gratitude to our retiring St. Francis teachers. This month, we’ve asked our retiring teachers two questions regarding their experiences as educators: 1. How has being a Steward for Christ (in your giving and receiving) been reflected in your teaching career at St. Francis? 2. Share your story or something significant about teaching at St. Francis. We are happy to now share with you some of their reflections and memories of forming our children in education and faith. Carla Slough — retiring this year My teaching career at St. Francis and other Quincy Catholic schools has been a gift! While I was teaching and sharing my faith with my class (and faculty members at times), I was receiving so much more. Because of being immersed in this rich faith-based career, my faith has increased tremendously! Witnessing the innocence and faith of children has been a privilege. I thank God that He put this career in my path, and it never occurred to me to do anything else. I think that has been God’s way of telling me to teach, but also to teach in the Catholic School system. I felt it was my job not only to teach them, but to love them and take care of them every day. We are all a part of God’s family, and the children have been a daily reminder for me to grow in patience, understanding, compas-
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sion, and to look for Jesus in everyone. I hope I have been an example for my students to help them grow closer to Jesus. St. Francis is home. I was baptized in this parish and grew up here. I went from kindergarten through eighth grade in this very building. I have many wonderful memories of going to school here. I am teaching in what was once my fifth-grade classroom. My favorite teacher was Inez Neuser, who I had for fourth grade. She was a wonderful, faithfilled woman who could make you feel very special and loved. I have always hoped I could convey the same feelings to my students. Dennis, my husband, is my best friend. We have been married almost 44 years. Together, we have two grown children, Nathan and Erin. They are both married with families of their own, giving us five grandchildren. I am actually lucky enough to have taught my own children and three of my grandchildren! Besides so many wonderful children and families, I have made some very dear friends with fellow teachers. I will have taught 36 years in the Catholic schools in Quincy at the end of this school year. What a blessing this has been for me! It is a very bittersweet time now as I think of retiring. I’m excited to have the time to do the many things I could not do while teaching. However, it is a bit heart-wrenching to let go of a lifetime of working with God’s children and all the fun I have had teaching. Vicky Mitchell — retired last year For 43 years of my teaching career, being a steward for Christ was precisely the reason I chose to teach in a Catholic school. I could not imagine being in a school where prayer was not allowed, Mass was not an option, and religious activities were not a part of the curriculum. There were so
arewell to Our Retiring Teachers many meaningful things that I experienced while teaching at St. Francis for so many years of my life. I tried to give in as many ways that I could to contribute to the children’s faith life. Having played guitar since I was 10, I found many opportunities to use my talent every year. I played all the guitar Masses for the children weekly, as well as on Holy Days of Obligation. Stations of the Cross were also much more meaningful with music. For many years, I played for the graduation Masses as well as Reconciliation services, First Communion, and occasionally Confirmation. It was so gratifying to see the kids grow from year to year as they participated in the weekly Liturgies, sang in the choir that I did for a few years, and became leaders in our school. Teaching religion was one of the joys of my day. After I went on a Cursillo in 1992, it really lit a fire in me to share my own faith with my students. I did a special unit on the Old Testament every year called “Walk Through The Old Testament.” It used hand signs, coloring pages, and Bible stories to walk the kids through the historical books of the Bible. They loved my Bible stories. I introduced shared prayer, which they grew to love. I felt so good when a child would come in and ask me if we could pray for a special intention that morning. I so enjoyed sharing my own faith stories with them. Several children asked me to be their Confirmation sponsor over the years, which was so special. I was part of a family at St. Francis. Before I retired, I was teaching the children of the children that I had taught, which was so gratifying. I love the school and continue to play Masses and substitute, which makes me very happy. I graduated from Quincy College in 1978 with a double major in Physical Education and Elemen-
tary Education K-12. I taught a split 7/8 at St. Boniface my first year. I got the job at St. Francis the following year as a fifth-grade teacher and really found my niche. I enjoyed this age group so much that I stuck with that — along with some help with sixth and fourth-grade classes along the way. I had a four-year stint in the gym teaching PE, when they found out that they needed a PE teacher with an actual degree. I concluded in the fifth grade for my last five years. My children attended St. Francis and being a teacher allowed me to be with them on holidays and the entire summer. My grandson now attends. I had so much fun there and so many stories to share that I even wrote a book entitled Prisoner in Room 12: Confessions of a Catholic School Teacher (Kindle e-book) to share my experiences. Sure, there were trying days, but Jesus got me through it! It was the perfect job for me. I still have relationships with a lot of my former students who are now grown up with families of their own. Maureen Makarewicz — retiring this year Being a steward for Christ has been intertwined throughout my years of teaching. My faith is the center of my life and being able to share that faith with my students has been the most important part of my teaching. Faith can be shared in every subject matter and with any age group. Giving students an example of a faith life is so important. The job of teachers has become more challenging because there is so much competition with technology and social media. If you can live a good faith life and show that to the kids, you have done your job. One reward that I really treasure is continued on page 6 5
St. Francis Solanus Bidding a Fond and Grateful Farewell to Our Retiring Teachers continued from page 5 seeing former students, as adults, living a faithcentered life. Seeing those former students sending their children to a Catholic school is so rewarding too. Each generation living a faith-centered life will keep our church strong. I have taught school for 45 years and I am proud to say all 45 years have been spent at St. Francis Solanus School. I am a product of St. Francis School. My mother, my siblings, my children and now my grandsons have attended St. Francis. As far as I am concerned, St. Francis is home. I have taught from preschool to fourth grade, spending the bulk of my career teaching kindergarten. I truly believe that teaching in a Catholic school is a vocation. Being able to share my faith has been the most important part of my teaching. I have learned a lot about my faith through the eyes of my students. This has made my faith stronger. I have seen teaching change dramatically since I began in 1976. I started with chalk and a chalkboard and am ending my career with Smart Boards and iPads. Technology has made teaching so interesting. Having to teach remotely has been a challenge during the COVID situation. I am proud to say that my colleagues and I met the challenge without missing a beat. I will miss the daily interaction with the kids, but I know that St. Francis is in good hands. The tradition will continue. Barb Peters — retiring this year Being a steward for Christ for me at St. Francis School is reflected in my everyday interactions with all of the students, staff and faculty, not just my preschoolers. From the moment I walk in the door in the morning, I greet and smile at children in the hallways on their way to class. A kind word and a big smile makes them feel welcomed and loved. They feel like a part of 6
our school family. Teaching the children about God through learning, play, and showing love and kindness to each other on a daily basis becomes a calling, not a job. I am blessed to watch them grow in their learning and their faith through their eighth-grade years. Seeing former students come back and visit and send their children here tells me we are doing our jobs and spreading our faith. My 26 years of teaching preschool at St. Francis have been filled with many amazing memories. I was blessed to be able to work with my dad’s brother and my uncle, Fr. Eugene Middendorf. He was a priest there for a while and together we got to share our faith with many, many students. My family has sent five generations to St. Francis School — my grandfather, dad, me, my daughter, and now my grandsons. I had the pleasure of teaching my grandsons in preschool. One has graduated from there now and one will be entering seventh grade in the fall. This is a very proud moment for me. I get to be a role model, teacher, and a stand-in parent or grandma each day. I wear many hats and have been called mom, grandma, teacher, Mrs. Peters — but my favorite title was when a little boy called me St. Peter instead of Mrs. Peters. It was so cute, heartwarming, and humbling all at the same time. There have been so many priceless memories and cute things children have said and done. I may have to write them down and reflect on them through my years ahead. I feel by teaching my students about faith, academics, and loving and caring for them each day of their preschool days that I have served my God and my school. St. Francis School is more than just a school to me. It has been my second home and I just can’t walk away. I will volunteer when needed and hopefully get to sub and stay active with all the students and the school family that I love.
Women’s Saint Study: Sharing in the Walk of Those Who Followed God’s Plan “Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be”
— ST THERESE OF LISIEUX, PATRON SAINT OF THE WOMEN’S SAINT STUDY
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his new ministry began with the hope of creating a community echoing the words of St. Therese of Lisieux. St. Therese, also known as “The Little Flower,” was a French Carmelite nun who lived from 1873-1897. St. Therese is a doctor of the church known for her “little way.” Therese’s “little way” was a life of doing all deeds, no matter how “big” or “small,” with great love. St. Therese followed God’s will by living a life of abandonment to all joys and sufferings that came her way. She trusted that God will use it all when we unite it to Jesus on the Cross. St. Therese said, “My God, I choose all! I don’t want to be a saint by halves; I choose all that You will.” When we “get ourselves out of the way” through abandonment to His Holy Will, God gives us the grace of being what He wants us to be. When St. Therese of Lisieux died at the age of 24, she said, “My mission — to make God loved — will begin after my death. I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.” Our prayer is that this Woman’s Saint Study be a shower of her roses. May her intercession lead us in a life of abandonment and virtue. The goal of the Women’s Saint Study is to create an opportunity for women of all different walks of life to come together and help each other strive for more virtuous lives, looking to the saints as our example. We all know that it is common that the company we keep influences our lives. And so we hope that being in the company of the saints we
study will help influence us in living out lives of virtue. This ministry kicked off June 1 with an introduction to our first book, This Present Paradise by Claire Dwyer. This book is a spiritual journey with newly canonized St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. The guiding quote of the book is “let yourself be loved.” Like St. Therese, St. Elizabeth was a French Carmelite nun who lived from 18801906. She called herself a spiritual sister of St. Therese of Lisieux, feeling bonded in the way they understood God’s desire for mercy and intimacy with us. St. Elizabeth was delayed from entering the convent. In this delay, she learned how to live in union with Jesus in her everyday life. Her writings reflect this call to holiness for the laity. St. Elizabeth’s delay in entering the convent was not an obstacle to His plan, but part of His plan. She teaches us how to access the “inner cloister” of our hearts, even in the midst of the carpool or housework. St. Elizabeth’s motto is “Christ in me, I in Him.” No one is excluded from this intimacy with God. All are welcome to join us at any time in this walk together. We meet for book discussion, prayer, appetizers, and fellowship on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the parish hall. Bring a friend! An introductory meeting to our next book study, I Believe in Love by Fr. Jean C.J. d’Elbee — on the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux — will begin in January 2022. For more information, please contact Karen Weiman at 217-242-5513 or Kelli Lunt at 217-617-1566. 7
St. Francis Solanus 1721 College Avenue Quincy, IL 62301 (217) 222-2898 stfrancissolanus.com
New School Year Begins
continued from front cover
“Mrs. Peters is dedicated to her job, her students, and the school,” Ms. Shepard says. “She is sensitive and wants only the best for the children.” Ms. Shepard acknowledges that the 2020-2021 school year was stressful, but our students, faculty, and staff rose to the challenges. “Our students have been amazing all year and have lived up to every expectation that we have had for them,” Ms. Shepard says. “Our parents have been supportive and we couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with. Our teachers have worked so hard to provide the best education possible both to in-person students and their distance learners at the same time.” The commitment to Christ at St. Francis Solanus has made all the difference to students. “We are united in Christ,” she says. “For that, I am forever thankful. We will begin next year with a renewed spirit.” Mrs. Michelle Herman moves from the role of inter-
vention specialist to second-grade teacher. “She cares about her students with such passion and a big heart,” Ms. Shepard says. Mrs. Lydia Spillman will be teaching seventh and eighth-grade religion. She recently graduated with a theology degree from Quincy University. “She will be able to enrich the students’ faith lives and help to form them into strong, young members of the Catholic Church,” Ms. Shepard says. Mrs. Kelly Wheeler will be teaching fourth grade. She previously served on the school board for a short time. Ms. Shepard calls her a “tremendous” addition to the team. And Ms. Shepard looks forward to beginning her ninth year as Principal. “Faith has always been at the center of my career path,” she says. “I feel that the Lord has led me to serve in a variety of areas, and I have been blessed for each and every opportunity.”
If you would like more information about St. Francis Solanus School, please visit the school website at www.stfrancissolanus.com/school/ or call the school office at 217-222-4077.