AUG
2020
Stewardship: The Four Pillars PAGE 2
Circling Back to the Basics of Stewardship PAGE 3 Ladies Society Diamond Dinner Honors Parish Elders PAGE 4
A Word From Our Youth St. Hannah the Good Steward
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ST. ANTHONY of PADUA
St. Dominic students — the reason why our school board continues to work so hard to ensure the success of our parish school.
Our School Advisory Board
Making Plans for the Future of St. Dominic School
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s parents, parishioners, and community professionals, School Advisory Board members are able to bring a unique perspective to the table when it comes to school leadership. “It’s hugely valuable in guiding our next steps for improvement and helping us celebrate the schools’ current strengths,” St. Dominic School principal Carol Frericks says. “When people are beginning on a school board, you want them to help in evaluating where we are now, so that from their perspective, we can really take stock of our strengths and make
plans for our next steps. They have experiences as parents and community members and bring a rich perspective to the table.” As a relatively new principal, Mrs. Frericks says the School Board’s guidance and perspective has been invaluable in shaping her understanding of and overall plans for the future of St. Dominic School. It’s enabled her to gain a far deeper appreciation for the many good things being accomplished by our school while also providing her with needed insight on how to continue moving forward with both vision and purpose.
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Stewardship
The Four Pillars
You’ve heard about the three Ts of stewardship, but what about the Four Pillars?
The three Ts — time, talent and treasure — describe the personal gifts we offer to the Church. The “Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship” was first described by the late Msgr. Thomas McGread, a priest in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, who is considered one of the founding fathers of stewardship in the United States. The Four Pillars are the hallmark of a stewardship parish — hospitality, prayer, formation and service. Let’s take a look at each of them to understand how we can improve in each area.
Hospitality
Christian Kindness “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). The Gospel teaches that whenever we welcome the least of our brothers or sisters, we welcome Christ himself. That is why the first mark of a stewardship parish is hospitality. Being friendly is one of the first ways we can be Christ-like toward others. Modern Catholic parishes are often so large and have so many Masses that many parishioners don’t know one another. To create a sense of community, be sure to smile and greet others as you enter and exit the Church. Let’s try harder than ever to be a welcoming community.
Prayer
Formation
“Do not become so involved in the work of the Lord that you forget the Lord of the work,” a seminary professor once taught. In other words, don’t get so caught up with parish projects and outreach efforts that you forget to draw aside to spend time with God in prayer. Every great saint has taught that prayer is the most essential component in the life of the Christian. Through prayer, we nurture our most important relationship — the one that will last for all eternity.
St. Pope John Paul II always emphasized ongoing conversion. From childhood through adulthood, our whole life must be a process of drawing closer to God. He never stops calling us forward to learn more and to examine ourselves more deeply.
A Heart-to-Heart Talk with God
A healthy prayer life should include communal prayer such as Mass, as well as personal prayer and family prayer. The two biggest obstacles to prayer are lack of time and lack of understanding of how to pray. We have to schedule time for prayer just as we would for an important appointment. And we have to learn how to pray from other people. Many saints have written spiritual books that describe different methods of prayer.
Continuous Conversion
Very often our society values material things more than interior virtues. But as personal experience shows, when we finally acquire the car or house or “toy” that we wanted so badly, it doesn’t really satisfy. On the other hand, we don’t tend to desire spiritual virtues with the same kind of longing, but when we actually have them, we find them far more rewarding than material things.
Service
Love in Action “Amen I say to you, whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). This Scripture was one of Mother Teresa’s favorites. Each time she picked up a poor and hungry child, she knew she was ministering to Christ. While we may not view ourselves as saints, we too are called to such heroic service right within our own community. As Mother Teresa said, “To be a saint is not the privilege of a few, but the duty of everyone.” We have many service opportunities right here within our own parish. If you have the willingness to serve and take the initiative to find where you are needed, you’ll find that there is no end to the families and individuals who truly need help. How can you reach out to them in love?
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ST. ANTHONY of PADUA
a letter from our pastor
Circling Back to the Basics Dear Parishioners,
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of Stewardship
ur parish has been committed to living Stewardship as a Way of Life for several years now, and I thought this might be a good time to circle back to the basics. Perhaps some of you hear the word “stewardship” and are still not sure what to think. Wherever you fall in your understanding of stewardship, you may find yourself wondering why you even need to participate in the first place, or how you can possibly give more of yourself to God when you are already pressed for time, energy and money. As you try to answer these questions, the first thing to remember is that God is the source of the “three Ts” of stewardship — our time, talents and treasure. If it were not for God, we would not have any of these. The second key element is to consider how you are receiving His gifts. Do you feel entitled to all He has given you, and perhaps demand even more from Him? Or do you thank Him for His abundant generosity, and as a sign of your gratefulness, return a portion back to Him? God, in His infinite love and mercy for us, grants us these gifts during our time on Earth, even though we do not deserve them. As a sign of appreciation, we can give Him a return on His investment. If God gives you a free Saturday afternoon, you could take your kids to Confession instead of watching TV. If God gives you cooking skills, you could prepare a
meal for a family with a newborn baby instead of going shopping. Financial choices are applicable to stewards, as well. Do you waste your financial resources or take them for granted? Do you carefully think what portion you should return to God? However deep your understanding of stewardship, remember that it is not a rule or mandate — it is an invitation. No one is “forced” to live the life of a good steward. Our realization that God has blessed us — wherever we are in our faith journey — should drive our yearning to give back of our time, talent and treasure. Out of love for our Creator — and to continue to grow in His love — we should desire to give stewardship, as a way of life, a try. Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. Tom Donovan Pastor
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The Ladies Society provides a close sense of camaraderie among the women of the parish while also enabling them to live out their stewardship calling.
Ladies Society Diamond Dinner Honors Parish Elders “We feel the honorees are the people who have made our church, parish, and school what it is. If not for them, we might not be here today.” — Debbie Davis, chair of the Ladies Society Diamond Dinner Committee
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he long-standing tradition of the Ladies Society Diamond Dinner will once again honor our parishioners over the age of 75 during the event set for noon, Nov. 1 in our church hall. “We feel the honorees are the people who have made our church, parish, and school what it is,” says Debbie Davis, dinner chair. “If not for them, we might not be here today.” Invitations will be mailed to the honorees. If the honoree is married, the spouse is invited. And those who are single are welcome to bring a guest. “Each year we try to do something a little different,” Debbie says. “One year we had a picnic theme, and last year we showcased St. Dominic School. We had our students color place mats for the people, and we served the dinner on trays from the school. We try to give them a nice, sit down meal.” After the meal, Debbie leads the group in a game, such as asking who has the most grandchildren, or the newest grandchild. “They like that,” Debbie says. “They get to catch up with what has been going on during the year. Usually people like to sit and visit. They can stay as long as they want to. It’s a good chance for the older parishioners to get together.” The younger generation in our parish also has the opportunity to meet their elders during the dinner, as the Girl continued on page 5
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ST. ANTHONY of PADUA Ladies Society Diamond Dinner continued from page 4
Scouts and Boy Scouts from St. Dominic School help with the dinner by serving the drinks, clearing the tables, and washing and drying the dishes. “We get a lot of compliments about the dinner,” Debbie says. “Usually we have some new attendees each year, and they are pretty amazed by what they see. And this is all free to them. We don’t charge anything.”
School Advisory Board
Debbie, in turn, is most appreciative of the Ladies Society members who volunteer for the dinner. The organization pays for the dinner and the members help set everything up. “There is a lot of work involved,” Debbie says. “I am so grateful for everyone who gives their time to make this happen.”
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“Through their help and guidance, we were able to take a quick assessment of our school right at the beginning of the year,” Mrs. Frericks says. “To look at where we are now, look at the previous long-range plan that was in place, and then get ready to start an entirely new strategic plan. Our goal was to develop a comprehensive vision of what our school would look like five years from now.” One of the many graces that has come from this experience is to see how closely aligned the Board and teaching staff truly are; to know that everyone is on the same page in terms of our school’s strengths, such as its rich curriculum, strong Catholic identity, and substantial School board members consists of parents, grandparents, and parishioner technological offerings. From there, Mrs. Frericks says the volunteers, all using their particular gifts and experiences to help St. focus naturally shifts to how we can make those strengths Dominic School move forward with vision and purpose. even stronger while also growing in new areas. “We have a lot of great technology, but this year we had. They are also able to make plans for the school, which discussed the need to continue both monitoring and will have a lasting impact not only on their own children but improving in that area,” Mrs. Frericks says. “How is it on many generations to come. “They have a much deeper understanding of what goes impacting the students and their overall engagement? How is it impacting the parents’ perspective of the school? on in running the school than perhaps they were even aware Another area that both the teachers and School Board of previously,” Mrs. Frericks says. “They also really enjoy members felt needed some improvement is the actual use making plans for the things that need to happen during a of the assessments that we do for the diocese. We take the school year. When you contribute to what happens here at assessments and are aware of the results, but how can we St. Dominic School, you know that it is making the difference in the life of a child. It is making a difference in the school use them to create more meaningful instruction?” By giving of their time and talents in this way, School culture and the support system that we provide for families. Board members gain a far deeper understanding of the Your time and talent to enrich the Catholic education school and its operations than they might previously have opportunity for our parish.”
For more info on School Advisory Board, what it entails and how to get involved, contact Principal Carol Frericks at 217-224-0041 or cfrericks@stdominicquincy.org. 5
A Word From Our Youth
Levi Blickhan
Name: Levi Blickhan • Age: 12 School: St. Dominic • Grade: Seventh
This month, we speak with Levi Blickhan. Age: 12 Grade: Seventh
Tell us a little about your family. My dad works for Medtronic and my mom is a decorator. I have two sisters, Adley and Vivian. We have a dog named Ralphie and a new kitten named Ashley. What is something unique about you? I like to play chess and euchre along with woodworking. What are some of your hobbies? Baseball, soccer, football, hunting and riding my dirt bike. How do you get involved with stewardship at St. Anthony Parish and/or your school? I help at the fish frys and St. Dominic Junefest. What is one of your favorite things about St. Anthony Parish? One of my favorite things is going there every Sunday for church. How has St. Anthony Parish helped shape your life? By believing in Jesus and being a good Catholic.
POPE ST. PIUS X, A MODERN TRADITIONALIST:
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t. Pius X — Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto — was born as one of eight children into an impoverished peasant family. He pursued God’s call on him to the priesthood from an early age. Even as a young priest, he possessed great personal and pastoral skills. In addition to his deep holiness and virtue, St. Pius had a passion for defending and preserving the truth of the faith. Already in Europe, secular governments, social institutions, and the mass media were driving the faith out of public life and education, all the while upholding individual freedom – understood as unlimited license — as the ultimate good. Worst of all, these philosophies had made their way into the minds of many clergy and Catholic laity, who claimed that modern science had discredited many dogmas of the Church. They proposed a new Christianity based what they called the “religious experience,” a continually changing and evolving human experience that would in turn continually transform the meaning of Catholic teachings. The problem was that the new teachings proposed by these modernists contradicted the very foundations of the faith established by Jesus Christ.
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Feast Day, August 21
Fortunately, the Holy Father saw through the modern theories immediately and exposed the false doctrines, all the while acting with extreme discretion and pastoral charity. Pope Pius X reminded us that God, the Author of both faith and reason, and in Whom there is no contradiction, cannot allow science and true religion to contradict. Moreover, he declared that all the essential teachings of the Catholic faith and of Scripture could be defended rationally, and he encouraged the faithful to study the faith and read the Scriptures daily. While Pius X spent much of his pontificate defending Catholic dogma from the threat of Modernism, he recognized the need for legitimate modern reforms within the Church. For instance, he initiated the codification of Canon Law, because the laws of the Church had little organization up to that time. He reformed the administrative offices of the Church. He also reformed the Liturgical Calendar, giving precedence back to the Sunday liturgies, which were too often being trumped by celebration of the daily saint’s feast. Pius X initiated a renewal in liturgical music, as well, bringing back Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony to their primary place within the liturgy.
ST. ANTHONY of PADUA St. Hannah the Good Steward W hat should we do when our prayers are answered? Is there anything left to do after we have sincerely thanked God for His favors? If God were a human peer, we would probably try to reciprocate by granting Him a favor in return. But the truth is that God cannot be made greater by anything that we do for Him. Instead, God receives our thanks and tells us to “go and do likewise.” That is, He tells us to share with others the good that He has bestowed on us. And in doing so, we are really sharing God Himself. That is the definition of stewardship! The Old Testament Book of Samuel contains one of the most poignant examples of stewardship in the entire Bible. The first chapter teaches us of an unhappy, barren woman named Hannah. Desperate in her barrenness, Hannah prays that God will give her a son, vowing that she will raise him to be a man of God. Imagine Hannah’s elation when she was granted her prayer! When Samuel was born, her heart’s desire had come true! Imagine further the pang of motherly sorrow, as Hannah kept her promise to
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The Old Testament Book of Samuel contains one of the most poignant examples of stewardship in the entire Bible. The first chapter teaches us of an unhappy, barren woman named Hannah. Desperate in her barrenness, Hannah prays that God will give her a son, vowing that she will raise him to be a man of God. 7
ST. ANTHONY of PADUA 2223 St. Anthony Rd. Quincy, IL 62305 217-222-5996
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www.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.
To learn more about stewardship at St. Anthony of Padua, please contact the Stewardship Committee at stewardship@stanthonypadua.org
St. Hannah the Good Steward God by taking Samuel at a young age to be the servant of Eli, the high priest. The Book of Samuel tells us that once Samuel became Eli’s servant, Hannah saw her young son just once a year. Indeed, Hannah knew that Samuel was truly a gift from God – an answered prayer. Hannah’s response is that of the Good Steward – with an attitude of both gratitude and sacrifice, she gave up her son to honor God. One imagines that Hannah probably struggled with this sacrifice during those first years. She probably did not know what God
had in store for her son. Yet, through her faithfulness, God used him as a gift to an entire nation. Samuel would, in time, become one of the greatest prophets of Jewish history. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the sacrifices we make in the name of stewardship, while the results may just be impossible to miss! However, He asks that we continue to be faithful in either case. God has undoubtedly bestowed gifts on all of us – at whatever the cost, we are to “go and do likewise.”
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