St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin
January 11, 1998

Pastor's Column

We bring to a close the Christmas Season today with this feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In celebrating this feast we acknowledge three realities:
1. Jesus' own awareness of his life and mission as Messiah and Lord when he hears, "You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests" (Lk 3:22);
2. Our acceptance of Christ's saving work on our behalf: "God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good works and healing all who were in the grip of the devil, and God was with him" (Acts 10:38).
3. Our willingness to take on this same responsibility "to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness" (Is 42:7) because of our baptism when we were grafted onto the Lord Jesus and were given a share in his life and mission.
What, then, do these realities imply for our everyday practice of religion?
Let's first keep in mind the theme of this feast today and the weeks to come: "How do we enflesh or manifest or make plain-and-clear in our life today the Word, Jesus Christ, Son of the Father?"
We start with owning our mission, just as Jesus himself accepted his responsibility as Messiah and Lord. In other words, we say "Yes and Amen!" to the fact that faith is not passive ("pray, pay, and obey") but an active commitment to carry on Jesus' work.
Secondly, we take the initiative to find ways to bring about the liberation mentioned by the prophet Isaiah above and we implement those ways at home, at work, in the neighborhood, in the parish.
Finally, we take seriously the awareness that we achieve holiness not merely by acquiring grace or receiving indulgences, but especially by consciously and conscientiously modeling Jesus' own teaching and example in our lives.
The Baptism of the Lord is the renewal of our own sharing in the life and work of the Word-made- flesh here and now which, in turn, is our way of revealing and realizing Jesus' presence and power to others with conviction and credibility.
--Father Benet OFM
(I will be in San Francisco January 15-22 for the meeting of the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants for the SFO.)

Offering

New Years Day (Envelopes only) $1,336.92
Epiphany, January 3-4:
Envelopes $3,914.00
Loose Collection $ 630.00
Children's Envelopes $ 12.50
TOTAL: $5,893.42
COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET:

This Week Cumulative
(1/4/98): (Week #27):
$ 5,453.06 $ 147,241.62
$ 5,893.42 $ 138,064.88
$+ 440.36 $- 9,176.74
"I formed you and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations" (Is 42:6). Through our baptism, we express our belief in God and commit ourselves to continue the mission of the Church. We continue Jesus' mission through our daily acts of stewardship.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY...

About Baptism
...Baptism is an extraordinary event. It starts our Christian life ... It is our "christening" by which we "put on Christ," receiving a share in God's own life. We become a new creature. This baptism is preeminently the sacrament of LIFE. It is our initiation rite into the Christian community; by it we enter Christ's Church. But baptism is not a one-time event of the past; our whole life is meant to be a living out of what God gave us in baptism and our baptismal promises and commitment.
...Our word baptism comes from the Greek baptizo, "I plunge." The ritual of plunging or immersing a person in water symbolizes dying with Christ to all our past sins; coming out of the water symbolizes both Christ emerging from the tomb, resplendent with risen life, and our own new Christ-life ... The Christian Church from the very beginning made the water ritual of baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus the means of obtaining divine life and of entering the Christian community.
Joseph F. Eagan. Restoration and Renewal.
--compiled by Brother Richard OFM

THE ST. LOUIS REVIEW keep you in touch with the Church in St. Louis, across the nation, and around the world. For $16.00 you receive 50 issues of our archdiocesan newspaper. Please use the special envelope provided for your subscription and return it in the Sunday collection next weekend.

Parish News

"PARENTS AS FIRST CHURCH" PROGRAM will be introduced after the 4:30, 8:00, and 10:30 Masses this weekend of the Baptism of the Lord, January 10-11, in the West Meeting Room of the Meramec Building. This is a program to show parents how to share the faith with their children at home. School parents with small children, parents of newly baptized, and grandparents of toddlers are especially invited. Stop by out of curiosity if for no other reason!

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP: The next grief support evening meeting will be Tuesday, January 13, at 6:30pm in the sacristy meeting room. The next morning group will meet on Tuesday, January 20, at 10:30am in the same place. For information, call Kate or Barb at 353-7470.

IMPORTANT PICNIC MEETING: The first planning meeting for the Parish Picnic will be held on Wednesday, January 21, at 7:00pm in St. Anthony Hall. Besides interested individuals, a representative of every parish organization is asked to attend. The success of this biggest fund-raiser of the year depends on YOU!

SCHEDULING A BAR-B-QUE: Any organization at St. Anthony's that in interested in sponsoring a Bar-B-Que during 1998 must attend a meeting on Monday, January 26 at 7:00pm in St. Anthony Hall. Failure to attend means forfeiture of a scheduled Bar-B-Que.

RETURN TO TEEN TOWN!!! The St. Anthony Youth Commission will present "RETURN TO TEEN TOWN" with Bob Kuban on Saturday, February 7, 1998, in the gym from 8:00am to midnight. Tickets: $15.00 per person. Beer and set-ups included. Must be 21 or over. Paid reservations only. For information and tickets call Jane or Mike Stone at 832-5235. This fund-raiser benefits the youth programs of the parish.

PARISH MANAGER: Applications are still be accepted for the position of parish manager at St. Anthony's. Contact Father Benet. Job description available upon request.

VIDEO ON FIRE AND REBUILDING is still available at the parish office ; call 353-7470.

We Need Your Help

After the 10:30 Mass today (January 11) we will be dismantling and removing the Christmas decorations from the church. We need as many volunteers possible to make this work easy and quick. Refreshments will be available. Please come help us!

NEWS ABOUT PARISHIONERS

RESTING IN PEACE: In your mercy pray for Tina Gaffney, 37, buried Jan. 5, 1998; Rosalie Knoten, 86, buried Jan. 5, 1998; John Folk, 84, buried Jan. 8, 1998.
SANCTUARY LAMP: The two sanctuary lamps were lit last week in prayerful remember of Brother George F. Molecek SM and Rosemary D. Hauri, both at the request of Geraldine Molecek. One will be lit this week as a memorial prayer for the Krutewicz-Cummings Family by Paul and Pauline Krutewicz.

Thanks

Dear Parishioners:
As your pastor I am grateful for so many things here at St. Anthony's. This week I want to highlight a few more of my reasons for my gratitude:
The donation for Christmas flowers was almost $2,200 ($2,175 to be exact). It was your generosity and the work of the volunteer decorators that made the church so beautiful for another year, just as in years past. Thanks!
Your concern for the school has already brought in $12,067 during the month of December in response to my special appeal. Thanks so much!
I appreciate so much the efforts of our parish commissions to head into uncharted waters and to achieve new possibilities with dialogue and collaboration.
I am deeply gratified by the volunteer ventures of so many who actually form the living "skeleton" of this Body of Christ called St. Anthony's.

--Father Benet OFM

(tlv) left inside A.D. 2000: To celebrate the Second Year of Preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 under the title 1998: The Holy Spirit, all are invited to join Archbishop Justin Rigali for Solemn Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday, January 11, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, beginning at 7:30pm at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE

ANNUAL PTA TRIVIA NIGHT of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish will be held on Saturday, January 24. For reservations call 481-4336.
"MARDI GRAS", a fund-raising dinner dance to benefit the Precious Blood Sisters will be held on Friday, February 20, at "The Columns" (711 Fairlane, St. Charles) with doors opening at 6:00pm; for information and tickets call 240-3420.
ARCHDIOCESAN YOUTH CONFERENCE: Handing on your faith is one of the best gifts you can give. You can support our youth with a Scholarship Donation for the Archdiocesan Youth Conference. On February 22 700 high school students will gather for a day of prayer, celebration, and renewal. Your contribution can help a young person stay connected to the Church. Call 371-0121 to support our youth.

LETTER FROM OUR ARCHBISHOP

Dear Friends in Christ,
From Sunday January 18 to Sunday January 25 we will again celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This annual octave brings Christians together from different churches and ecclesial communities to witness to unity in Christ through common prayer and worship.
The Second Vatican Council regarded prayer as the "soul" of the ecumenical movement and the basis of "spiritual ecumenism," and "a very effective means of petitioning for the grace of unity."
For many years the observance of the Week of Prayer has been a valuable resource to Catholics and other Christians in services throughout the Archdiocese.
This year's theme, "Be Led by the Spirit in Hope" (Rom 8:14-27), is especially appropriate in this second year of preparation for the Millennium dedicated to the Holy Spirit by our Holy Father.
I especially encourage you to make Christian Unity a particular focus of prayer in 1998.
I invite you to a special Mass I will celebrate for Christian Unity on Tuesday, January 20, at 12:05pm at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.
Let us remember that prayer for unity is not limited to the Week of Prayer, but should be a continual petition throughout the year, especially as we prepare for the Jubilee.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Justin Rigali
Archbishop of St. Louis

Mass Intentions for the Week

Monday, January 12, Bernard of Corleone (Cap.)
6:30 Emil Jurcic
8:00 Pauline Rothweiler
Tuesday, January 13, St. Hilary
6:30 Norman Vaughn Family
8:00 Ed Windler
Wednesday, January 14, Odoric of Pordenone (OFM)
6:30 For Vocations
8:00 Estelle Lebert
Thursday, January 15, Weekday
6:30 Henrietta Gansmann
8:00 Harold Holtz
Friday, January 16, Berard & Comp. (Fran. Martyrs)
6:30 Mathilda M. Holdener
8:00 Walter Krutewicz, Sr.
Saturday, January 17, St. Anthony, Abbot
6:30 Marie A. Fox
8:00 Virginia Cummings
Sunday, January 18, SECOND IN ORDINARY TIME
4:30 (Saturday) For the Parishioners
6:00 Cecilia Clever (Anniv.)
8:00 Melba Gregory
10:30 Melba Gregory

Liturgical Assistants

Week of January 12-18

LECTORS:
6:30 Weekdays, Jan. 12-17: Georgia Berry
8:00 Weekdays, Jan. 12-17: Sr. Virginia
Sunday, January 17-18:
4:30 Alured McNulty, Jared Degenhart
6:00 Ken Dames
8:00 Gene Rombach, Karen Morgan
10:30 Steve Derickson, Alberta Stackle
6:30 Weekdays, Jan. 19-24: Alberta Stackle
8:00 Weekdays, Jan. 19-24: Georgia Berry

EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS:
4:30 Hosts: Valerie & Sue Geldmacher
Cups: Arch Rutherfurd, Philipa Krueger, Jackie Kappler, Janice Leicht
6:00 Pat Behnen
8:00 Hosts: Betty Marton, Dave Bergfeld
Cups: Mike Mount, Linda Kohne, Marie Mergel, Debbie Williams
10:30 (SFO Mass)
Hosts: Betty Krull SFO, Anne Weiss SFO
Cups: Jay Doolittle SFO, Phyllis Morrison (cand.), Doris Eagan SFO, Theresa Mayer, Bev Ruzicka, Mary Ann Schmidt

This Coming Week

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25
(Opening of "Catholic School Week")
9:00 a.m. - R.C.I.A. (S)
10:30 a.m. - Family Mass
2:00 p.m. - SFO Meeting
MONDAY, JANUARY 26
7:00 p.m. - Bar-B-Que Meeting (L)
7:30 p.m. - Prayer Group (E)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27
6:30 p.m. - Bingo
7:30 p.m. - Al-Anon Meeting (F)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28
11:00 a.m. - A.A. Meeting (W)
12:30 p.m. - Wednesday Club (L)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29
7:00 p.m. - Pastoral Council Meeting (S)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30
3:00 p.m. - Holy Hour (Ch)
8:00 p.m. - A.A. Meeting (F)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31
1:00 p.m. - Olsen/Gifford Wedding
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1
9:00 a.m. - R.C.I.A. (S)
10:30 a.m. - Scout Mass

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St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin January 11, 1998