Pastor Fr. Peter A. Pilon
Parochial Vicar Fr. Jeff Windy
Pastoral Work Deacon Ray Fischer Deacon Jose Lopez Deacon Hector Diaz
Music Director Roy VanOpdorp
Director of Religious Education Brian R. Corrigan
Business Manager Lorraine Walter
Administrative Assistant Mary Lou Flahive
Ready, Set, Grow Extended Care Julie Winner - 815-538-7604 Offers Day Care for 3 years old to 12 years old.
Learning Lambs Pre-School 815-539-7003 3 year old and 4 year old sessions
1008 Jefferson St. Mendota, IL 61342 815-539-7003
Principal - Mike Struna
Mass Schedule Please check inside cover for all Mass times.
Confessions Wednesday - 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday - 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday - 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday - 30 minutes prior to 6:30 a.m. Mass
Our Lady of the Cenacle Adoration Chapel Monday through Friday Extended Adoration from 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. (Closed on funeral days and holidays)
Baptism Pre-baptismal instruction is required. Call the office for infor-mation and scheduling a date.
Weddings Before any other wedding arrangements are made, please con-tact the parish priest 6 - 8 months in advance.
Homebound and Hospital Visits Please call the office during times of illness and visits will be arranged.
Cemetery Lots Purchase Please call Steve Schmitt 815-538-5276
To help all persons live out and understand the relevance and priority of Jesus Christ and His Gospel in the Catholic faith.
1010 Jefferson Street • Mendota IL 61342 Phone 815-538-6151 • Fax 815-539-5014
HOLY CROSS CHURCH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021 MENDOTA, ILLINOIS
Sunday, November 14th 6:30 a.m. +Wes Doughty by Nancy Doughty & Family 8:00 a.m. @St. Theresa: +Jean Joerger by Albert Happ Family 9:00 a.m. @Ss. Peter & Paul: +Ethel Happ by Altar Society 10:30 a.m. +Brian Faber by Tom & Mary Heitmann 12:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish - +Alfredo Diaz por Familia Monday, November 15th St. Albert the Great 8:00 a.m. @St. Theresa: +Kevin Corrigan by Mrs. Judy Thomas 7:00 p.m. +James Hessenberger by Buck & Tomi Hessenberger Tuesday, November 16th St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude 7:00 a.m. +Irene Sondgeroth by Gary & Judy Winner 8:00 a.m. @St. Theresa: +Georgia Kelm by Konitzer Family 11:30 a.m. Mass at OSF St. Paul—+Special Intention Wednesday, November 17th St. Elizabeth of Hungary 7:00 a.m. @St. Theresa: +Cindy McCoy by Don & Cheryl King 8:00 a.m. +Living & Deceased Members of Leo & Julia Sondgeroth Family by Paul Yvonne Sondgeroth 12—1 p.m. Confessions Thursday, November 18th The Dedication of the Basilicas of Ss. Peter & Paul, and St. Rose Duchesne 7:00 a.m. +Steve Michel by Mahaffey & Setchell Families 8:00 a.m. @St. Theresa: +Clifford Sondgeroth by Family 5—6 p.m. Confessions Friday, November 19th 7:00 a.m. @St. Theresa: +Poor Souls in Purgatory 8:15 a.m. +Jean Joerger by Albert Happ Family Saturday, November 20th 2:30 p.m. Confessions 4:00 p.m. +Janet Schmidt by Family 5:00 p.m. @St. Theresa: +Cletus Lane by Barb Lane Sunday, November 21st Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe 6:30 a.m. +Clifford Sondgeroth by Family 8:00 a.m. @St. Theresa: +Bob Rave by Helen Rave 9:00 a.m. @Ss. Peter & Paul: +Clarence Sondgeroth by Family 10:30 a.m. +Gerry Shannon by Bruce & Jan Full 12:00 p.m. Mass in Spanish - +Petra Pérez por Familia
Fr. Pilon’s Masses will continue to be livestreamed via the Zoom connection we have been using.
Here is the link for the Zoom site:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9138050856?
pwd=RzZtRi8xNjJtNHg4dnhNb2MzNzBEUT09
Meeting ID: 913 805 0856
Password: 811195
Please help spread the word so all of our parishioners are aware of this new development. The link, ID, and Password are the same for all of the Masses. If there are any questions, Fr. Pilon may be reached by email
Lector’s Schedule
4:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20 N. Goble
6:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 R. Arteaga
10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 C. Fischer
4:00 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27 J. Norton
6:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 28 B. Corrigan
10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 28 G. Krenz
If you would like to be a Lector for our weekend Masses, please contact the parish office, or email
[email protected] or [email protected]
“God commands us to love Him, not as much as He
deserves, because He knows our capabilities and
therefore He does not ask us to do
what we cannot do. But He asks us
to love Him according to our
strength, with all our soul, all our
mind, and all our heart.”
~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Fr. Peter Pilon,
Pastor
Fr. Jeff Windy, Parochial Vicar
SUNDAY MASS AT STS. PETER & PAUL:
Sunday 10:00 a.m.
CONFESSIONS AT STS. PETER & PAUL: 9:30 a.m. Sunday
STS. PETER AND PAUL PARISH, PETERSTOWN
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PEORIA NOVEMBER 14TH, 2021
$$$ DAILY DOLLAR WINNERS $$$
Sun. Nov. 14 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m. Ethel Happ by Altar Society
Sun. Nov. 21 Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
9:00 a.m. Clarence Sondgeroth by Family
LITURGICAL MINISTER SCHEDULE
Lector Sun. Nov. 21 Tom Burke
Collection for November 7th, 2021
Sunday Collection: $1,281.00 Farm Collection: 50.00
All Saints Day: 40.00 Total: $1,376.00
2021 ANNUAL DIOCESAN APPEAL
Thanks to all who have made a pledge to the Annual
Diocesan Appeal. Currently, at Ss. Peter & Paul we have
pledges of $5,611.00 toward our goal of $13,108.00.
We have received pledge cards from 26 parishioners.
A gift to the ADA, no matter how great or small can go
a long way. A pledge of $10 or $20 a month can add
up. Even a one-time gift is helpful. To those who have
contributed, we are most grateful. If you have not yet
made a gift to the ADA, we invite you to do so today.
Every dollar raised to make our goal supports important
diocesan services and every dollar raised over our goal
will be kept in the parish.
Sat. Nov. 06 2288 50.00 Scott Borelli
Sun. Nov. 07 1593 50.00 Brad & Cathy Zomboracz
Mon. Nov. 08 1010 100.00 Kevin Aughenbaugh
Tue. Nov. 09 3177 50.00 Wilma Stillwell
Wed. Nov. 10 3096 50.00 Jerome O’Sadnick
Thur. Nov. 11 0953 50.00 James Foulk
Fri. Nov. 12 0091 50.00 Neal O’Brien
PARISH FARM ENVELOPE
Just a reminder that this envelope is for the expenses associated with the Peterstown farm. Farmers from Ss. Peter & Paul give of their time and equipment to farm the farm. This donation helps cover expenses like seed, fertilizer and insurance. Proceeds from the farm go toward tuition at Holy Cross School for Peterstown families. Please help to support the parish farm and in turn support the catholic education of our children.
ST THERESA, EARLVILLE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PEORIA
NOVEMBER 14TH, 2021
Fr. Peter Pilon,
Pastor
Fr. Jeff Windy, Parochial Vicar
Masses at St Theresa Saturday: 5:00 pm Sunday: 8:00 am Weekday Masses
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday : 8:00 am Wednesday & Friday: 7:00 am
Confessions: 4:00 to 4:45 on Saturday
Mass Intentions
Sun. Nov. 14 Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:00 a.m. +Jean Joerger by Albert Happ Family Mon. Nov. 15 St. Albert the Great 8:00 a.m. +Kevin Corrigan by Mrs. Judy Thomas Tues. Nov. 16 St. Margaret of Scotland & St. Gertrude
8:00 a.m. +Georgia Kelm by Konitzer Family Wed. Nov. 17 St. Elizabeth of Hungary 7:00 a.m. +Cindy McCoy by Don & Cheryl King Thur. Nov. 18 Dedication of the Basilicas of Ss. Peter & Paul, and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne 8:00 a.m. +Clifford Sondgeroth Fri. Nov. 19 7:00 a.m. +Poor Souls in Purgatory Sat. Nov. 20 5:00 p.m. +Cletus Lane by Barb Lane Sun. Nov. 21 Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe 8:00 a.m. +Bob Rave by Helen Rave
Lector & Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion Schedule
Saturday, November 20th Sunday, November 21st
Lector: Mary Corel Lector: Diego Vázquez
EMHC: Joe Stralka EMHC: Jack Cantlin
Collection for November 7th
Envelopes: Loose Cash:
Air Conditioner: Total:
Cemetery
$1,312.00 289.00
540.00 $2,140.00
$91.00
2021 ANNUAL DIOCESAN APPEAL
Thanks to all who have made a pledge to the Annual Diocesan Appeal. Currently, at St. Theresa we have pledges of $10,970.00 toward our goal of $17,822.00. We have received pledge cards from 27 parishioners.
A gift to the ADA, no matter how great or small can go a long way. A pledge of $10 or $20 a month can add up. Even a one-time gift is helpful. To those who have contributed, we are most grateful. If you have not yet made a gift to the ADA, we invite you to do so today. Every dollar raised to make our goal supports important diocesan services and every
The surest way to determine whether one possesses the love of God is to see whether he or she loves his or her neighbor. These two loves are never separated. Rest assured, the more you progress in love of neighbor the more your love of God will increase.
Teresa of Avila
Cemetery Update: Lots cost $800; Cremation $500; Full Body
Burial $1,000.
For Sale: Sm. window AC and upright freezer. Also, looking for
a refrigerator for the rectory. Call Bob Goodbred for more
information—815.252.9370
AC Project Update: Thank you to the 17 families that
contributed. This leaves us with approximately $6,000 to be
raised to pay for the kitchen and downstairs hall units. We
appreciate any and all donations.
Iglesia de la Santa Cruz
Diócesis Católica de Peoria 1010 Jefferson Street Mendota, Il. 61342
Tel. 815 538-6151 Fax: 815 539-5014
Párroco: Padre Pedro Pilon Diáconos: José López y Héctor Díaz 14 de Noviembre 2021
Trigésimo Tercer Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario
Pastor Fr Peter Pilón Vicario parroquial Fr Jeff Windy Diáconos: Ray Fisher José López, Héctor Diaz.
Bautismos, Bodas, o Quinceañeras Llamar a la Oficina Bodas antes de hacer preparaciones para una boda Llame a la oficina 6 a 8 meses antes de la boda Obligado a estar en casa si necesita que le llevemos la comunio n porque este enfermo por favor llame a la oficina
Grupos de Oración: +Renovacio n Carisma tica: jueves a las 6- 8 pm
Confesiones Sa bado – 2:30 pm—3:45 pm
Para Vocaciones Si le gustaría ser lector en la misa de los domingos Llame al Diacono Héctor Diaz O mándele un recado. [email protected]
Ministros de Comunión Lectores 11/14 Rau l Diaz 11/21 Evitelio y Leticia Guzma n 11/28 Estela Lo pez 12/05
Intenciones Domingo 11/14: 12 p.m. Alfredo Diaz
11/21: 12 p.m. Petra Pe rez
11/28: 12 p.m. A ngel y Marisol Diaz
por su Cumplean os
12/05: 12 p.m.
El Santí simo Sacramento Esta Expuesto Todos Los Dí as De La Semana, de 9 a.m. -10 pm Au n hay espacio si quiere tomar una hora
Hay una lista donde se expone el Santí simo Sacramento. Si desea tomarse una hora, ponga su nombre en la lista y llame a Karen Brandner para que lo agreguen al programa. 815.915.6635
‘Pero de ese día u hora, nadie sabe, ni los ángeles en
el cielo, ni el Hijo, sino solo el Padre.’
~ Marcos 13:32
Horario de las misas
Domingo: 6:30 a.m. Holy Cross. /8am Earlville/
9am Ss. Peter and Paul. /10:30 a.m. Holy Cross/(ingle s)
12 p.m (español)
Lunes: 8 a.m. Earlville 7 p.m. Holy Cross
Martes: 7 a.m. Holy Cross/ 8 a.m. Earlville 8 a.m.
Miércoles 7 a.m. Earlville/ 8 a.m. Holy Cross
Jueves 7 a.m. Holy Cross / 8 a.m. Earlville
Viernes 7 a.m. Earlville /8 a.m. Holy Cross
Sábado 4 p.m. Holy Cross / 5 p.m. Earlville
“Para todos, sea cual sea su estado - soltero, casado, viudo o sacerdote - la castidad es una afirmación triunfal del amor.”
~ San Josemaría Escrivá
$$$ DAILY DOLLAR WINNERS $$$
Sat. Nov. 06 2288 50.00 Scott Borelli
Sun. Nov. 07 1593 50.00 Brad & Cathy Zomboracz
Mon. Nov. 08 1010 100.00 Kevin Aughenbaugh
Tue. Nov. 09 3177 50.00 Wilma Stillwell
Wed. Nov. 10 3096 50.00 Jerome O’Sadnick
Thur. Nov. 11 0953 50.00 James Foulk
Fri. Nov. 12 0091 50.00 Neal O’Brien
Our Lady of the Cenacle Chapel
“Recognize in this bread what hung upon the cross, and in this chalice
what flowed from his side.”
~ Saint Augustine of Hippo
Please call Karen Brandner, Chapel Coordinator at 815.915.6635
to sign up for your Holy Hour.
SUPPORT YOUR GENEROUS ADVERTISERS!!!
We are now at: https://mendotacatholic.org/
THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
When disturbed by passions and misfortunes, may the sweet hope of His inexhaustible mercy sustain us. Let us hasten confidently to the tribunal of penance where He awaits us at ever instant with the anxiety of a father; and even though we are aware of our inability to repay Him, let us have no doubts about the solemn pardon pronounced over our errors. Let us place a tombstone over them, just as the Lord has done.
~ Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
THE SUNDAY COLLECTION Sunday School Food Pantry Youth Ministry CHD All Saints Day
Total
For the Week of
11/07/2021
$6,572.00 72.00
1225.00 35.00 70.00
340.00 $7,214.00
Give God what is just, not just what is left!
The Cantlin Law Firm
John L. Cantlin
Christina M. Cantlin
Timothy B. Cantlin
Joseph H. Cantlin
Megan K. Cantlin
Let Our Family Help Your Family
www.cantlinlaw.com (815) 433-4712
It seems, at the beginning of today’s Gospel that Jesus is
talking about the end of time, or of his Second Coming. That
is not the case, however. In this passage, he is actually talk-
ing about two different times and events. We will need to
distinguish between these two topics.
In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus is really talking about
the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem that
would indeed happen within one generation, i.e., forty years,
when the Temple walls would fall. “Amen, I say to you, this
generation will not pass away until all these things have
taken place” (Mk 13:30.)
If we open our Bibles and take a look at this thirteenth
chapter from the beginning, we will see that it plainly tells
us these prophetic words are about the destruction of the
Temple. It begins with a disciple telling Jesus, “Look, teach-
er, what stones and what buildings!” as they were leaving
the Temple area in Jerusalem. Jesus replies, “Do you see
these great buildings? There will not be one stone left
upon another that will not be thrown down” (Mk 13:2.)
Subsequently, when Jesus has placed himself on the
Mount of Olives opposite the Temple area, Peter, James,
John, and Andrew asked him privately “...when will this
happen? And what sign will there be when all these
things are about to come to an end?” (Mk 13:4)
Jesus tells them, “See that no one deceives you. Many
will come in my name saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will de-
ceive many. When you hear of wars and reports of wars
do not be alarmed; such things must happen but it will
not yet be the end. Nation will rise against nation and
kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes
from place to place and there will be famines. These are
the beginnings of the labor pains.” (Mk 13:5-8)
In the following verses Jesus tells these four disciples of
more tribulations that will take place before the end, that
they can expect to be handed over and tried before gover-
nors and kings, “But the gospel must first be preached to
all nations.” (Mk 13:10)
The next thing he tells them is “When they lead you away
and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what
you are to say. But say whatever will be given to you at
that hour. For it will not be you speaking, but the holy Spirit. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the
father his child; children will rise up against parents and
have them put to death. You will be hated by all because
of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will
be saved.”
“Like” us on at http://www.facebook.com/MendotaHolyCross November 14, 2021 by Brian Corrigan
and, “the branch of theology dealing with such matters.” Today’s readings—in keeping with the Church’s liturgical calen-dar—are dealing with such matters.
As we end one year, and begin another as we soon usher
in a new Advent season and new Church year. Our Gospel to-
day is an examination of the prophecy that Jesus gives re-
garding the end of time. Or is it? Unfortunately there is not
nearly enough room to go into the entirety of the passage,
and we would necessarily need to expand the passage to get
the full context of what is being taught and discussed. (Continued next page)
are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel? He answered them, “It is not for you to know the
times or seasons that the Father has established by his
own authority.” (Acts 1:7)
Pope Saint Gregory the Great, in writing around A.D. 600,
explained that Jesus, because he was the Divine Son of the
Father knew the hour and the day. To be divine is to be
omniscient (all-knowing), and we believe that Jesus is indeed
the Son of the Living God and so, also divine. Jesus is the only
person who ever lived who has two natures—it’s why we can
say he is true God and true man. Jesus, as man, is fully
endowed with a human nature just as you and I have; as the
Son of God, however, he is also endowed with a totally divine
nature. He is 100% human in nature and 100% divine in
nature, while still being only one man.
The Church teaches that everything that God wanted to
reveal of Himself to man, has been revealed in the person of
Jesus of Nazareth. Just as Jesus told his disciples in Acts it is
not for them to know the times or the seasons, it is not for us
to know the hour or the day when the Son of Man will return
on the clouds...
The Church teaches there are Four Last Things to which we
may look forward at the end of our earthly life, and that is
Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. (What, no Purgatory?) As we wrap up another liturgical year in the life of the
Church, we are reminded to take into account the state of our
own souls, because we know not the hour or the day. In the
Gospel today, Jesus gave the parable of the man traveling
abroad.
“It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and or-
ders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or
in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you
sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
This week Monsignor James Swaner passed away at the age of 85. I admired this good and holy man as a parish priest and
spiritual father. I didn’t know him well or closely, but what I
could see and literally everything I heard about him was good.
When I heard of his passing it was like a gut-punch to me. But
immediately after the initial shock of the news, I realized that
this man lived his life alert. He was on the watch not only for
himself, but for those under his charge. May it be so for all of us. May the soul of Msgr. Swaner, and all the souls of the
faithful departed, through the mercy of God, Rest in Peace.
“Like” us on at http://www.facebook.com/MendotaHolyCross November 14, 2021 by Brian Corrigan
All of this is what is being discussed, and we are still not
at the beginning of the Gospel for today. The final section be-
fore we do pick up with today’s Gospel continues to inform
these disciples about the coming of a great tribulation. All of
this is in reference to the destruction of the Temple (which
did take place in a great and vicious war between Rome and
Judea in A.D. 70). More than a million Jews were killed, and
the Romans were even crucifying 500 Jews each day outside
of the city. People were starving inside the city and even re-
sorted to eating their own children. It was an unprecedented
time because of the amount of bloodshed and horror and
death. All of this took place just as Jesus had prophesied in
the verses preceding today’s reading.
Now we can pick up from the beginning of today’s Gospel,
when Jesus said to his disciples, “But in those days after
that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon
will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from
the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the
clouds’ with great power and glory, and then he will send
out the angels and gather [his] elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.”
Here is where he begins the switch from talking about the
destruction of the Temple to the end times when he will
come again and give his final judgment. He says “in those
days after that tribulation…” There must be a time of tribu-
lation before the final destruction of the Temple.
Now is the time, he reminds us, to keep watch. Just as we
know summer is near when the trees’ branches become ten-
der with new shoots and buds begin to form indicating that
fruit will be ready in due season.
“Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass
away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels
in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be watchful!
Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”
Here, we might ask a critical question: If Jesus is the
Divine Son of the Father, then how can he not know the hour or
the day when he himself will return for that final judgment?
For a clue to the answer to that question we should look
back at beginning of the Acts of the Apostles.
New HCS Logo! Sports-N-Stuff would like to add to the 'fund-raiser' for the boys and girls basketball uniforms.
For the 'fans' shirts they will take 10% off any shirt that is purchased. The 2 color logo is $6.00 and we will donate $2.00 toward the uniform fund-raiser for each shirt sold.
Peterstown Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) is planning the first Girl’s TEC Weekend in two years and scheduled for December 4th to the 6th, 2021!
We are in need of several TEC volunteers to help us “reboot” Peterstown TEC. Mostly needed are a Kitchen Chairperson and a Lay Director.
Please pray about how God will use you to serve our young adults as they “Die, Rise, and Go Forth” on a TEC Weekend!
For more information please email Deacon Dan O’Connor [email protected] or Robin Santman [email protected]
As Deacon Vince would say…
“KEEP COMING BACK!”
Thanks to 4th Grade teacher Brooke Chapman for producing this video in honor of our veterans. We thank all of our veterans and ask God’s blessing to be upon them now, and forever.
Click on this link https://www.youube.com/watch?v=z1iAsqcQTfE&t=19s to see the video of the Holy Cross students expressing their gratitude to our veterans.
Fr. Jeff has undertaken a project with Karen Happ in which a QR Code is placed at each of our stained glass windows, and when scanned with your smartphone, an audio treatise with an explanation of each particular window can be heard. Want to give it a try? Just scan the QR Code at the first window that has been done—The Feast of All Saints—and listen to Father’s brief explanation and meditative prayer. (The entire recording is only 3-minutes.)
The text of Father’s recording can be found on page 11 of this bulletin.
• Saint Margaret of Scotland
The daughter of the Saxon king Edmund “the Exile,”
Margaret married King Malcolm III of Scotland around 1070.
She bore him eight children. Margaret was an instrument of
grace in both her marriage and her nation. She read aloud to
illiterate husband, encouraging in him a love of learning and
a spirit of prayer. “Whatever she refused, he refused also,” her
biographer tells us,
“whatever pleased
her, he also loved
for the love of her.”
King and country
followed the queen
in her works of
mercy on behalf of
the sick and the
impoverished.
Under Margaret
the churches were
adorned with art,
and monastic life
flourished.
Margaret died in
1093.
We celebrate her
Memorial on
November 16th.
Part-Time Position at Ready, Set, Grow Day Care
If interested, please contact Mrs. Julie Winner at 815-538-7604
Pray
for Vocations
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” How is Christ calling you to share His eternal words of salvation? Consider a vocation to the priesthood or the consecrated life. Call Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck at (309) 671-1550, or email: [email protected]
2021 ANNUAL DIOCESAN APPEAL
Thanks to all who have made a pledge to the Annual Diocesan Appeal. Currently, at Holy Cross we have pledges of $29,924.00 toward our goal of $53,309.00. We have received pledge cards from 119 parishioners.
A gift to the ADA, no matter how great or small, can go a long way. A pledge of $10 or $20 a month can add up. Even a one-time gift is helpful. To those who have contributed, we are most grateful. If you have not yet made a gift to the ADA, we invite you to do so today. Every dollar raised to make our goal supports important diocesan services and every dollar raised over our goal will be kept in the parish.
Zoom web address: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9138050856?
pwd=RzZtRi8xNjJtNHg4dnhNb2MzNzBEUT09
Zoom Meeting ID 913 805 0856 Password 811195 Sun: 6:30 a.m. Mass
8:00 a.m. Mass @ St. Theresa
9:00 a.m. Mass @ Ss. Peter & Paul
10:30 a.m. Mass
12:00 noon Mass in Spanish
Mon: 7:00 p.m. Mass
8:00 a.m. Mass @ St. Theresa
Tues: 7:00 a.m. Mass
8:00 a.m. Mass @ St. Theresa
Wed: 7:00 a.m. Mass @ St. Theresa
8:00 a.m. Mass
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Confession
Thur: 7:00 a.m. Mass
8:00 a.m. Mass @ St. Theresa
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Confession
Fri: 7:00 a.m. Mass @ St. Theresa
8:00 a.m. Mass (8:15 when school is in session)
11:30 a.m. Mass @ OSF St. Paul
Sat: 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Confession
4:00 p.m. Mass
4:00 p.m. Confession @ St. Theresa 5:00 p.m. Mass @ St. Theresa
How are we changed by the Our Father? † How can people “Father” to God if they have been tormented or
abandoned by their earthly father, or parents? Human fathers and mothers often distort the image of a kind, fatherly God. Our Father in heaven, however, is not the same as our experiences of human parents. We must purify our image of God from all our own ideas so as to be able to encounter him with unconditional trust. Even individuals who have been raped by their own father can learn to pray the Our Father. Often it is their task in life to allow themselves to experience a love that was cruelly refused them by others but that nevertheless exists in a marvelous way, beyond all human imagining.
† How are we changed by the Our Father? The Our Father allows us to discover joyfully that we are children of one Father. Our common vocation is to praise our Father and to live together as though "of one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32). Because God the Father loves each of his children with the same exclusive love, as though we were the only object of his devotion, we too must get along together in a completely new way: peacefully, full of consideration and love, so that each one can be the awe-inspiring miracle that he actually is in God's sight. (YOUCAT questions 516-517) Dig Deeper: CCC section (2787-2791) and other references here.
• Saint Albert the Great
Albert came from Bavaria in Germany. He entered the Order
of Preachers and distinguished himself as a scholar. In 1248
he was appointed to lead the house of studies in Cologne,
Germany, where he guided the young friar Thomas Aquinas
in the study of Aristotle. From 1260 to 1262, Albert served
Regensburg as bishop. Albert excelled in all areas of science,
philosophy, and theology, and
his sermons on Mary inspired
popular devotions among the
German-speaking peoples.
“The greater and more
persistent your confidence in
God,” he taught, “the more
abundantly you will receive
all that you ask.” He died in
1280.
We celebrate his Memorial
on November 15th.
A Catholic Answers Tract
T he claim that indulgences are not part of Church teaching today is false. This is proved by the Cat-echism of the Catholic Church, which states, “An
indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by vir-tue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins.” The Church does this not just to aid Christians, “but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity” (CCC 1478).
Indulgences are part of the Church’s infallible teaching. This means that no Catholic is at liberty to disbelieve in them. The Council of Trent stated that it
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gences are useless or that the Church does not have the power to grant them” (Trent, session 25, Decree on Indulgences). Trent’s anathema places indulgences in the realm of infallibly defined teaching.
The pious use of indulgences dates back into the early days of the Church, and the principles underlying indulgences extend back into the Bible itself. The princi-ples behind indulgences are as clear in Scripture as those behind more familiar doctrines, such as the Trini-ty.
Before looking at those principles more closely, we should define indulgences. In his apostolic constitution on indulgences, Pope Paul VI said: “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under cer-tain defined conditions through the Church’s help when, as a minister of redemption, she dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions won by Christ and the saints” (Indulgentiarum Doctrina 1).
This technical definition can be phrased more simp-ly as, “An indulgence is what we receive when the Church lessens the temporal (lasting only for a short time) penalties to which we may be subject even though our sins have been forgiven.” To understand this definition, we need to look at the biblical principles behind indulgences.
Principle 1: Sin Results in Guilt and PunishmentWhen a person sins, he acquires certain liabilities:
the liability of guilt and the liability of punishment. Scripture speaks of the former when it pictures guilt as clinging to our souls, making them discolored and un-clean before God: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isa. 1:18).
We incur not just guilt, but liability for punishment when we sin: “I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant and lay low the haughtiness of the ruth-less” (Is. 13:11). Judgment pertains even to the smallest sins: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14).
Principle 2: Punishments are Both Temporal and EternalThe Bible indicates some punishments are eternal,
lasting forever, but others are temporal. Eternal punish-
ment is mentioned in Daniel 12:2: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
We normally focus on the eternal penalties of sin, because they are the most important, but Scripture indicates that temporal penalties are real and go back to the first sin humans committed: “To the woman he said, ‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children” (Gen. 3:16).
Principle 3: Temporal Penalties May Remain When a Sin is Forgiven
When someone repents, God removes his guilt (Isa. 1:18) and any eternal punishment (Rom. 5:9), but tem-poral penalties may remain. One passage demonstrat-ing this is 2 Samuel 12, in which Nathan the prophet confronts David over his adultery:
“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan answered David: ‘The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin; you shall not die. But since you have utterly spurned the Lord by this deed, the child born to you must surely die’” (2 Sam. 12:13-14). God for-gave David but David still had to suffer the loss of his son as well as other temporal punishments (2 Sam. 12:7-12).
Protestants realize that, although Jesus paid the price for our sins before God, he did not relieve our ob-ligation to repair what we have done. They acknowledge that if you steal someone’s car, you have to give it back; it isn’t enough just to repent.
Protestants also admit the principle of temporal penalties for sin, in practice, when discussing death. Scripture says death entered the world through original sin (Gen. 3:22-24; Rom. 5:12). When we first come to God we are forgiven, and when we sin later we are able to be forgiven, yet that does not free us from the penal-ty of physical death. Even the forgiven die; a penalty re-mains after our sins are forgiven. This is a temporal penalty since physical death is temporary and we will be resurrected (Dan. 12:2).
Principle 4: God Blesses Some People as a Reward to Others
In Matthew 9:1-8, Jesus heals a paralytic and forgives his sins after seeing the faith of his friends. Paul also
for the sake of their forefathers” (Rom. 11:28). When God blesses one person as a reward to some-
one else, sometimes the specific blessing he gives is a reduction of the temporal penalties to which the first person is subject. For example, God promised Abraham that, if he could find a certain number of righteous men in Sodom, he was willing to defer the city’s temporal de-struction for the sake of the righteous (Gen. 18:16-33).
Principle 5: God Remits Temporal Punishments through the Church
God uses the Church when he removes temporal penalties. This is the essence of the doctrine of indul-gences. Earlier we defined indulgences as “what we re-ceive when the Church lessens the temporal penalties to which we may be subject even though our sins have been forgiven.” The members of the Church became aware of this principle through the sacrament of pen-ance. From the beginning, acts of penance were as-signed as part of the sacrament because the Church recognized that Christians must deal with temporal pen-alties, such as God’s discipline and the need to compen-sate those our sins have injured.
In the early Church, penances were sometimes se-vere. But the Church recognized that repentant sinners could shorten their penances by pleasing God through pious or charitable acts that expressed sorrow and a de-sire to make up for one’s sin.
The Church also recognized the duration of tem-poral punishments could be lessened through the in-volvement of other persons who had pleased God. Scripture tells us God gave the authority to forgive sins “to men” (Matt. 9:8) and to Christ’s ministers in particu-lar. Jesus told them, “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. . . . Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:21-23).
Christ also promised his Church the power to bind and loose on earth, saying, “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what-ever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heav-en” (Matt. 18:18). As the context makes clear, binding and loosing cover Church discipline, and Church disci-pline involves administering and removing temporal penalties (such as barring from and readmitting to the sacraments).
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Principle 6: God Blesses Dead Christians as a Reward to Living Christians
From the beginning the Church recognized the valid-ity of praying for the dead so that their transition into heaven (via purgatory) might be swift and smooth. This meant praying for the lessening or removal of temporal penalties holding them back from the full glory of heav-en. For this reason the Church teaches that “indulgences can always be applied to the dead by way of prayer” (Indulgentarium Doctrina 3).
The custom of praying for the dead is not restricted to the Catholic faith. In the Old Testament, Judah Macca-bee finds the bodies of soldiers who died wearing su-perstitious amulets during one of the Lord’s battles. Ju-dah and his men “turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out” (2 Macc. 12:42). Judah also “took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this . . . he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin” (2 Macc. 12:43, 46).
Thus, Judah not only prayed for the dead, but pro-vided for them the then-appropriate ecclesial action for lessening temporal penalties: a sin offering. Accordingly, we may take the now-appropriate ecclesial action for lessening temporal penalties— indulgences—and apply them to the dead by way of prayer.
These six principles, which we have seen to be thor-oughly biblical, are the underpinnings of indulgences. But, the question of expiation often remains. Can we ex-piate our sins—and what does “expiate” mean anyway?
Some criticize indulgences by saying they involve our making “expiation” for our sins, something that only Christ can do. This criticism is unfounded, and most who make it do not know what the word “expiation” means or how indulgences work.
Protestant Scripture scholar Leon Morris comments on the confusion around the word “expiate”: “Most of us . . . don’t understand ‘expiation’ very well. . . . Expiation is . . . making amends for a wrong.” (The Atonement [Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1983], 151). The Wycliff Bible Encyclopedia gives a similar definition: “The basic idea of expiation has to do with reparation for a wrong, the satisfaction of the demands of justice through paying a penalty.”
Certainly when it comes to the eternal effects of our sins, only Christ can make amends or reparation. We are completely unable to do so, not only because we are finite creatures incapable of making an infinite satisfac-tion, but because everything we have was given to us by God. For us to try to satisfy God’s eternal justice would be like using money we had borrowed from someone to repay what we had stolen from him. This does not mean we can’t make amends or reparation for the tem-poral effects of our sins. If someone steals an item, he can return it. If someone damages another’s reputation, he can publicly correct the slander. These are ways in which one can make at least partial amends (expiation) for what he has done.
An excellent biblical illustration of this principle is given in Proverbs 16:6, which states: “By loving kindness and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil” (cf. Lev. 6:1-7; Num. 5:5-8). Here we are told that a person makes temporal atone-ment (though never eternal atonement, of which only Christ is capable) for his sins through acts of loving kind-ness and faithfulness. NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors. Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004
IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827 permission to publish this work is hereby granted. +Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004 https://www.catholic.com/tract/primer-on-indulgences
The Word of God is not a word to apply in our
daily lives at some later date; it is a word to heal
us through, and in our listening, here and now.
The questions therefore are: How does God come
to me as I listen to the Word? Where do I discern
the healing hand of God touching me through the
Word? How is my sadness, my grief and my
mourning being transformed at this very moment?
Do I sense the fire of God’s love purifying my
heart and giving me new life? These questions
lead me to the sacrament of the Word, the sacred
place of God’s real presence.
~ Henri Nouwen
Patience is to Let Your Light Shine, even after Your Fuse Has Blown.
M E D I T A T I O N O F T H E D A Y
How to Receive More and More No one can be saved without divine light. Divine light causes us to begin and to make progress, and it leads us to the summit of perfection. Therefore if you want to begin and to receive this divine light, pray. If you have begun to make progress and want this light to be intensified within you, pray. And if you have reached the summit of perfection, and want to be illumined so as to remain in that state, pray. If you want faith, pray. If you want hope, pray. If you want charity, pray. If you want poverty, pray. If you want obedience, pray. If you want chastity, pray. If you want humility, pray. If you want meekness, pray. If you want fortitude, pray. If you want some virtue, pray. And pray in this fashion, namely, always reading the Book of Life, that is, the life of the God-man Jesus Christ, whose life consisted of poverty, pain, contempt, and true obedience. A soul thus exercised in cleansing itself goes with greater confidence to confession to have its sins washed away. And so that nothing impure may remain, it puts itself to a kind of scrutiny. It enters into prayer and examines the good and evil it has done. As a result, you begin to feel the presence of God more fully than usual because your palate is more disposed to savor God’s presence than before. It is through prayer, then, that one will be given the most powerful light to see God and self.
Saint Angela of Foligno
Saint Angela of Foligno († 1309) was a wife and mother who later became a Franciscan tertiary and an esteemed mystical writer.
Magnificat November 17, 2021, pages 259-260.
Always Ready for the Hour
Dearest Tonino: the other day my uncle, already sick for a long time, got worse. And today while I write I am so sad, and I need to write to you who, like me, trusts in the great goodness of the Lord …. Although stricken, my spirit is resigned only because of that faith which I learned from childhood and which I have strengthened through contact with all my friends. My uncle, who loves me so much was so moved to see me, that today I couldn’t approach his bed for fear of upsetting him too much, but now my task has been accomplished. Although unworthy, I was an instrument of divine providence, along with my good mother and the nun who lovingly cared for him, because I was able to get him to perform all his religious practices. Believe me that when he received the Sacred Host tears of joy mixed with those of sorrow streamed down my face. As soon as he received the Host, our merciful God soothed his pain and afterward my uncle made us call the parish priest of the village to tell him about his satisfaction in having received the Blessed Sacrament. In his infinite mercy God has surely not kept my innumerable sins in mind, but he has heard my prayers and the prayers of my family, and has given my uncle the great grace of receiving the last sacraments while fully conscious. I believe that life should be a continual preparation for the next life, because one doesn’t know the day nor the hour of our passing. Affect- ionate greetings in Jesus Christ. The peace of the Lord be with you.
BLESSED PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI — Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati († 1925), born in Turin, Italy, was on avid outdoorsman and friend to the poor and the needy. He died at the age of twenty-four and is a patron of young people.
Magnificat November 14, 2021, pages 186-187.
Great News! If you, or someone you know, is struggling with forming a daily prayer routine, look no further, because Hallow is here to help! You can add the app to your smart phone for free!
Use this code to access the full platform of all Hallow has to offer for a free three-month trial: https://hallow.com/share/RPEW5C *Note: this link works for account creation on a web browser only (as opposed to creating an account in the app)*
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“For everyone, whatever his state,
single, married, widowed, or
priest, chastity is a triumphant
affirmation of love.“
~ St. Josemaría Escriva
Founder of Opus Dei
Saint Who? Saints Who Worked Together
Saints Marcellinus and Peter Martyrs († 304) Feast: June 2
Two early martyrs whose names are mentioned in the canon of the Mass, Peter, an exorcist, and Mar-cellinus, a priest, were executed together in Rome in the year 304. Their traditional account tells how Peter, while imprisoned for his Catholic faith, con-verted his jailer, the jailer’s wife, and their daugh-ters. He then sent word to Marcellinus to baptize the family. When the authorities intercepted the message, Marcellinus was arrested as well. The two men were condemned to death. Brought to the Silva Nigra, or “Black Forest,” three miles out-side the city, Marcellinus and Peter were command-ed to clear the ground of brambles for their own graves—a task they embraced with evident joy. They were beheaded. Later, devout Christian women re-covered their bodies and moved them to the cata-combs, where they were re-interred. Pope Saint Damasus I, who was born around the same time these men died, told how he heard the story of their holy deaths from the man who execut-ed them. Damasus composed verses for their tombs. Marcellinus and Peter are greatly revered in Rome, where Constantine built a church over their tomb. His mother, Saint Helena, is buried there. Some of the saints’ relics lie today in Frankfurt—am—Main, Germany.
THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
In-Person Grief Groups The grief groups will be held at two OSF Hospitals:
OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center, in Ottawa, IL, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of every month.
OSF Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota, IL, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday of every month.
We will continue to maintain a safe 6’ distance and masks will be required to enter the hospital.
Anyone is allowed to come to any or all meetings they would like to.
If you have questions, contact Kathy Steinz, OSF HealthCare, Bereavement Coordinator/Grief Group Support, (815) 343-5891
Our Evangelization team is on the move! Our meetings have gone from Thursday afternoons to Tuesday evenings to (now) Tuesday afternoons. We pray the rosary in community before our meetings and any/all parishioners are welcome to join in!
Please feel free to join us in the church to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons in the church.
Adsumus, Sancte Spiritus
We stand before you, Holy Spirit,
as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us,
make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go
and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful;
do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path
nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity
so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth
and what is right.
All this we ask of You,
who are at work in every place and time
in the communion of the Father and the Son
forever and ever.
Amen.
Bishop Louis Tylka writes, “…the next several years
will be an opportunity for us to grow in our under-
standing of the centrality of the model of participa-
tive and shared co-responsibility in preaching the
Gospel.”
This prayer may be utilized by all throughout the dioce-
san phase of the Synodal Process.
Attributed to Saint Isidore of Seville (560—636). It has
been traditionally used at Councils and Synods for hun-
dreds of years. The version we have provided is specifi-
cally designed for the Church’s Synodal journey over
these next several years, from 2021 to 2023.
HOLY CROSS CHURCH SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021 MENDOTA, ILLINOIS
Even though the early bird pricing is expired, it is still possible to register online for $50. The price is $55 at the door. Only $15 for college students (and younger), and a mere $5 gets a deacon through the doors! This is a day well-spent in fellowship with brothers in faith, and concludes with Mass celebrated by Bishop David Maloy, the Ordinary of the Rockford Diocese.
OSF Medical Group - Family Medicine 1405 E 12th St. | Suite 600 1404 Washington Street Mendota, IL | (815) 538-7200 Mendota, IL | (815) 538-1825
Luke Dempsey
THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
We have had a wonderful response for our coming
event on Tuesday, November 16th. There are still seats
available, so give us a call at 815.414.1644 to make your
reservation no later than Sunday, November 14th. No
walk-ins will be accepted. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. at the
Mendota Civic Center. Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m.
Guests are welcome. We hope that you will join us!
Thank you very much!
Nancy Goble, President
Wasmer Funeral Home
2112 W. Main Street
Mendota, IL 61342
Phone: (815) 539-850