St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church — Oct/Nov 2021

St. Francis Solanus

m o n t h l y n e w s l e tt e r

Inside This Issue: 3 A Letter From Our Pastor: Feeding Our

Spiritual Hunger 4

The Prayer Partners New Ministry Offers and Shares the Power of Prayer

6 The Principles of

Catholic Social Teaching 7

Meet David and Lydia Spillman “Prayer is an Essential Pillar of Our Relationship”

O C T / N OV 2 0 2 1

CELEBRATING THE ORDINATION OF

Deacon Dennis Holbrook:

I

A Generous “Yes” to God’s Call

t was at a parish mission years ago that Deacon Dennis Holbrook received a call to the diaconate.

“Other deacons had encouraged me to pray about it and discern God’s call,” Deacon Dennis says. “Then, at the mission, I heard God speak to me. I was in the church, kneeling down and praying. Apparently, I did seek Him with all my heart — and found Him.” Deacon Dennis took a leap of faith and committed to a lengthy six-year process of prayer, discernment, and study. He spent one weekend per month — 10 months out of the year — attending classes in Springfield, IL, through St. Meinrad Seminary. The course load included philosophy, early church history, Old Testament studies, the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John, pastoral care continued on page 2

Deacon Dennis Holbrook took a leap of faith and committed to a lengthy six-year process of prayer, discernment and study.

He was blessed to complete the requirements and receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders on June 26, 2021.

St. Francis Solanus Celebrating the Ordination of Deacon Dennis Holbrook continued from front cover

and counseling, ecclesiology, moral theology, canon law, and the sacraments.

“Growing up, I was the kid that didn’t care for school,” Deacon Dennis says. “And here, I was in Springfield, IL attending classes through St. Meinrad Seminary, having to study and do master’s-level theology work. It was a lot and our plate was full for five years, but God gave me the grace to do it.”

In addition to intense course work, the diaconate training included months of liturgical practicum alongside assignments to serve at different parishes in the diocese. Deacon Dennis spent two years at Blessed Sacrament Parish and three years at St. Anthony’s Parish. The assignments broadened his pastoral experience.

“It gave me experience with other pastors, priests, and deacons,” he says. “I’ve learned so much from all of them.”

Deacon Dennis was blessed to complete the requirements and receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders on June 26, 2021. This sacrament, similar to the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, left an indelible mark on his soul that cannot be changed. Deacon Dennis was transformed into a model of Christ the Servant. This process of formation, therefore, was more than

an education. It involved not only academic studies, but also his prayer life, values, daily witness, self-understanding, and ministry.

“Oh, my goodness, I have received so much more than I expected!” Deacon Dennis says.

“Ever since my ordination, I have felt a change about me. It has been nothing but pure joy. It is not labor, but love, and the Holy Spirit has given me the power to bring others to Christ.

From here, I just want to live my life as a servant of Christ, to do His work, and keep moving forward.”

Deacon Dennis admits that he wouldn’t have been able to complete the coursework without the support of his wife, Pat. “I call her my Ruth, because of the quote from Ruth 1:16, ‘Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay,’” Deacon Dennis says. “For what we go through in formation, there has to be a good wife alongside us.”

We are thrilled to welcome Deacon Dennis and Pat back to St. Francis Solanus and are blessed by their willing “yes” to the Lord’s call.

Your presence, witness, and prayerful spirit will undoubtedly bear great fruit amongst our parish family for years to come!

“Oh, my goodness, I have received so much more than I expected! Ever since my ordination, I have felt a change about me. It has been nothing but pure joy. It is not labor, but love and the Holy Spirit has given me the power to bring others to Christ. From here, I just want to live my life as a servant of Christ, to do His work, and keep moving forward.”

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— DEACON DENNIS HOLBROOK

a l e tt e r f r o m o u r p a s t o r

Feeding Our Spiritual Hunger Dear Parishioners,

H

ave you ever been hungry — really hungry? When asked that question, most of us probably think of a time when we had pangs of hunger because we were fasting, we were on a diet to lose weight, we had saved up for a big dinner, or we just decided not to indulge in what we wanted.

However, there are people right here in our own community who go to bed at night with real hunger. And that hunger is not without real pain.

If we expand that to our diocese, our country, and the world, untold numbers of people go to bed hungry every night. Yet, while Jesus instructed us to “feed the hungry,” He did not want us to stop at satiating simply physical hunger.

All around us, there is spiritual hunger. We all know people who have plenty to fill their stomachs but are not sure exactly what they want in life, living unsatisfied. Some of these people are our siblings, our children, our parents, or even our spouses.

Although so many are spiritually hungry, it may not be as apparent to us as physical hunger, because the spirit is within us and we are weakened more slowly. Life goes on when we are spiritually hungry — but truly addressing that need is just as important for us as a Church as physically feeding the hungry. Spiritual malnourishment can be just as

devastating as physical famine.

While we are aware of the reality that we, as a faith community, cannot completely eradicate physical hunger, we must do what we can to feed those around us. Both physically and spiritually, we have opportunities every day to reach out to those in need. Sometimes, it may be as simple as praying for someone. Or it may mean giving of our time, talent or treasure to those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Yet, we always have an opportunity to share the greatest gift with others that alone can satiate the human heart — the love of Christ. There is no time better than today to begin. Will you reach out in love to those in need by sharing the love Christ has poured into you?

Blessed Mother Teresa advised us, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

Let each of us vow to find that one, and feed him or her, whether physically, spiritually, or both.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Steven Arisman, Pastor

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St. Francis Solanus

The Prayer Partners T

wo parishioners each had the same idea to help us here at St. Francis Solanus, and thanks to the foundation of stewardship, we now have a Prayer Partners Ministry.

Cindy Reichert and Prudy Patterson independently saw the benefit of having a ministry to offer prayers for various intentions and were looking for a way to make it a reality. Our Stewardship Chair, Marcia Steinkamp, brought the two together, and now the Prayer Partners Ministry is beginning its mission.

“I have always wanted to do this at St. Francis,” Cindy says. “When I have attended other churches, I noticed that they had prayer requests listed in their bulletins. I thought that was so nice to give parishioners a chance to pray for a member of their parish family! I found out from a mutual friend that Prudy was interested in starting a prayer ministry also at St. Francis. So, we met and realized that we both were passionate about prayer. I feel truly blessed to have Prudy as a CoChair for this Ministry!”

“I have a close friend who’s a Methodist,” Prudy says. “Her church has been doing it, and a few times when I asked her to pray for intentions special to me, she always said ‘yes.’ I like the idea, and I thought we can do this at St. Francis.”

The ministry currently has more than a dozen members, and both coordinators expect it to grow.

Although no set meeting has yet been determined, Cindy and Prudy are considering having the group meet once a month, most likely at 3:15 p.m. before the Wednesday adoration held before the 5:30 p.m. Mass.

Anyone with a prayer request may contact either Cindy or Prudy. If the intention is to be confidential, this request will be honored, and

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will be given as “a special intention.” The ministry members then are contacted through texts, emails, or phone calls with the prayer requests, and they offer the prayers on their own.

Cindy and Prudy worked to make this ministry possible because they both strongly believe in the power of prayer.

“The way the world is, we all need prayers,” Prudy says. “To me, prayer is the way of talking to God from your heart. Prayer is so important to me in relation with others. With this group, we show people we care about them and are compassionate towards them and their problems.”

“This prayer ministry is so important to our St. Francis Parish because it will bring us together as a parish family, by showing others that we care and will always lift them and their loved ones up in prayer whenever they need us,” Cindy says.

Not only did stewardship bring about this new

O F F E R S A N D S H A R E S T H E P O W E R O F P R AY E R ministry, but it also serves as a way to practice stewardship of time.

“This ministry is a great way to practice stewardship of time because you are making time to be a servant to others through prayer — not only at St. Francis, but our other parishes in our community,” Cindy says. “A week ago, I received a call from a parishioner at St. Anthony’s, and she belonged to the Prayer Ministry there. She was reaching out to all the parishes requesting prayers for a couple from their parish. I felt so blessed to be able to pass this on to our Prayer Partners. We are all one family, and it feels good to pray for all those in need.”

“This most definitely is a way to practice stewardship of time because you can pray anywhere or

any time,” Prudy says. “If you are having a long day, you can offer a short prayer. This is what I like about it — say, if you’re traveling, you can still pray.”

Even in its early days, the ministry has had an impact on the members in varying ways.

For Prudy, she recently received the good news that a prayer intention has seen a positive outcome, and this news has brought her joy.

“It makes you happy to help someone,” Prudy says.

Cindy believes that while she cannot comment yet on how the other prayer partners feel, it has deeply affected her faith in prayer and service for others.

“You always grow closer to Christ through prayer!” Cindy says.

Anyone in the parish can be a Prayer Partner by contacting either Cindy Reichert at 217-257-1627 or cindyr0814@yahoo.com, or Prudy Patterson at 217-257-1177 or at Patterson0550@sbcglobal.net.

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St. Francis Solanus

THE PRINCIPLES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

W

hat makes being Catholic, well, “Catholic”?

Things like the Mass, the Rosary and the Seven Sacraments come to mind.

But there is also an element of Church teaching that’s often overlooked and sometimes misunderstood — Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching guides Catholics on how to apply the faith to all aspects of life, and lays the framework for the Church’s teachings on the dignity and sacredness of human life.

Catholic Social Teaching can be explained with 10 key points.

These 10 principles demonstrate the depth of the Church’s teaching on social justice, and they call Catholics to take an active role in shaping the world in which we live. Catholic Social Teaching, when taken to heart, can become the catalyst that causes positive change in a world that desperately needs it. Consider these principles and strive to apply them in your own life.

Human Dignity Human dignity is the fundamental principle within the Church’s teaching on social justice. A firm understanding of this principle is required so that the rest of Catholic Social Teaching can be viewed from the appropriate perspective. God created us in His image and likeness, so we all are worthy of respect.

Respect for Human Life Whether unborn or seconds away from death, no life deserves to be prematurely ended. The Church sees this principle as crucial to the health of any society.

Association Association holds that social relationships must be developed so that all people may reach their fullest potential. The Church teaches that the family is the basic unit upon which all other elements of society rest. We must uphold the sacredness of the family, and foster the growth of other societal organizations that preserve the well-being of all people.

Participation

All people deserve the right to work and to participate in God’s creation. The joy of accomplishing a task and performing honest labor should be made available to all people.

Protection for the Poor and Vulnerable Society exists in a balance between those with power, and those without it. The vulnerable — those with disabilities — and the poor must be protected from those with power who choose to wield it in an unjust manner.

Solidarity “Love your neighbor as yourself” — this commandment extends beyond the boundaries of any town, state or country. The principle of solidarity encourages all people to reach out to their brothers and sisters in need and to help them, even if they live halfway around the world.

Stewardship Everything we have — even our own lives — is a gift from God. Our talents, our time and our financial resources are not our own, but God’s. The same goes for the natural resources we so often take for granted.

Responsibilities and Limits of Government Governments, while created for the common good, sometimes overstep their boundaries. The Church teaches that all governments should seek to operate at the lowest level of organization possible — striving to solve problems at the source, with those who understand them best, and not through oppressive force.

Human Equality God made all humans equal, including those of different ethnicity and race, and in different stages of life. No one person is of more value than another.

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Common Good It is especially important in our society to promote the common good — the social well-being and development of the “human group.” If we consider the entire human race as one family, the common good urges us to support our brothers and sisters so that they may reach their full potential.

MEET

David and Lydia Spillman

“Prayer is an Essential Pillar of Our Relationship”

D

avid and Lydia Spillman first crossed the threshold of St. Francis Solanus when they were freshmen at Quincy University. It was a time of remodeling and scaffolding for the church.

“Our experiences were different, but we were both in awe about how beautiful it was,” David says.

“We had never been to a Franciscan parish before.

While we were students, we would go to Mass there whenever we couldn’t go to the chapel, and once we got married, we decided to stay in Quincy and make St. Francis our parish.”

Over five years ago, Lydia and David first met through campus ministry at Quincy University, and today prayer has now become a pillar of their relationship. It was a night prayer group that brought them together with others every night at 10 p.m. to pray the Liturgy of the Hours.

“We knew each other for about a year through that, and there were maybe 25 of us who went pret-

ty consistently,” Lydia says. “Then we both did Totus Tuus in the summer after freshman year. We came back and realized what a big part the faith played in our lives. We bonded over those experiences.”

The couple started nurturing a shared prayer life by praying for 10 minutes in the chapel every day, and then they slowly added reading a chapter from the Bible every day.

“It took a while to make the faith truly a central part of our relationship together, but now I would say prayer is an essential pillar in our life,” David says.

On May 29, 2021, Lydia and David were married in the Quincy University chapel across the street from St. Francis, but their involvement in parish life began while they were still students as they attended daily Mass at St. Francis once or twice a week and then joined the Rosary Group.

“During my freshmen year of college, I still didn’t know how to pray the Rosary, and in my continued on back cover

Lydia (front right corner) and David Spillman (middle of group) take a walk on Bob Mays trail with members of the Quincy University Students for Life after participating in the Dogwood parade, May 2018.

David (center, red coat) and Lydia Spillman (center, blue hat) gather with members of Quincy University, who traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the January 2019 March for Life.

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St. Francis Solanus 1721 College Avenue Quincy, IL 62301 (217) 222-2898 stfrancissolanus.com

Meet David and Lydia Spillman sophomore year I found out about this Monday night Rosary Group at the church,” David says. “I thought I should just try it.”

For David and Lydia, the first step in becoming more involved in the faith community was simply wanting to grow in their faith. They wanted to grow closer to Christ and “make it to heaven together.”

“Be courageous and try something out even if you don’t know anyone,” says Lydia, who now teaches theology at St. Francis School. “We didn’t know anyone when David started with the Rosary

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Group, and then we invited all of them to our wedding! We’ve found a lot of joy in the things we participate in at the parish.”

David and Lydia would like to thank the parishioners of St. Francis Solanus for their witness to living out the faith.

“We learned so much about what it means to live the faith,” David says. “Thank you also to the friars who watched over St. Francis for so long and who were so great in how they lived and preached the Gospel.”

“Be courageous and try something out even if you don’t know anyone.

We didn’t know anyone when David started with the Rosary Group, and then we invited all of them to our wedding! We’ve found a lot of joy in the things we participate in at the parish.” — LYDIA SPILLMAN LITURGY SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m. • Sunday: 7:00, 9:00, 11:00 a.m.

Weekday Mass: Monday - Thursday, 5:30 p.m. • Friday, 6:30 a.m. • Wednesday 8:35 a.m. (school children only) • Saturday, 8:00 a.m.

Confessions: Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. • Saturday 8:30 a.m., 3 - 4 p.m.; Adoration: Wednesday, 4:00 p.m.

Holy Days of Obligation: Vigil 5:30 p.m.; Holy Day: 6:30 a.m., 8:35 a.m. on school days, 5:30 p.m.