St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin
February 15, 1998

Pastor's Column

Once again, on this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Sacred Scripture shows us how we enflesh or manifest or make plain-and-clear the eternal Word, Jesus Christ, to others through our God-centered life-style.

How we live day in and day out displays what values are important to us and what goals we want to accomplish. Those values and goals illustrate how intensely our lives are oriented toward God.

The prophet Jeremiah says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in the Lord." One of the most persuasive signs that God is really important to us and that God makes a difference in our lives is our willingness to trust in his way for us, to "wear on our sleeves" our belief that God loves us so much that everything he does for us is for our best advantage, whether or not we accept it at the moment.

St. Paul says, "Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." An unmistakable and convincing sign of a true God-orientation is an active faith in the resurrection of Jesus in two senses: We live our life now so as to prepare for the life of resurrection in the Kingdom. We embrace Jesus' values here in our society that set us above and apart from the "lowest common denominator" of feel-good, majority-rule, self-gratifying behavior.

Jesus preaches, "Blessed are you poor, the reign of God is yours." When we free our lives from the suffocating clutter of material preoccupations, social standards, and selfish pursuits, we set ourselves on a course of being filled up with God and letting God be the primary focus of our lives. As Jesus says in another place, "Where your treasure is, there your heart is also." If our treasure is the things of this world, that's where our commitment really is. If our wealth is intimacy with God, this will be reflected in our life-style.
The bottom line: The way we live ordinary life every day -- with its attitudes and activities -- not only characterizes what we really think about practicing the faith but also makes God's presence -- or absence! -- apparent to others.

--Father Benet OF

Offering

Envelopes $4,185.00
Loose Collection $ 257.85
Children's Envelopes $ 9.02
TOTAL: $ 4,451.87
COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET:

This Week Cumulative
(2/8/98): (Week #32):
$ 5,453.06 $174,506.92
$ 4,451.87 $160,544.58
$-1,001.19 $-13,962.34
"Blest are you poor; the reign of God is yours" (Lk 6:20). We are all called to be persons of poverty. Each of us is challenged to share the gifts God has given. The day will come when we shall be accountable for these gifts.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY...

about the Letter of James

As we get closer to the Lenten season, our weekday readings move from Samuel to James, from the Old Testament to the New. While scholars debate over who actually wrote the letter, most agree that it was written near the close of the first century and is addressed to all Christians, as opposed to a specific Christian community. "James' main concerns are for perseverance in conversion to God and growth in the living of gospel morality. He sees the intimate relationship between faith in God and love of neighbor, for both are characteristic of covenant faith ... One cannot but be impressed by James' pastoral sense of the wholeness of Christian life, the maturity to which the gospel must grow in believers, and the active relation between religion and life. No part-time Christians in James' churches!" Neyrey, Collegeville Bible Commentary.

--compiled by Brother Richard OFM

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

SINGLE YOUNG ADULT MARDI GRAS DANCE on Saturday, February 21, beginning at 8:00pm at Immacolata, sponsored by the Catholic Alumni Club (995-5096).

ARCHDIOCESAN YOUTH CONFERENCE for all high school students on Sunday, February 22 at St. Mary's High School. For details call Karen Huckeby at 771-8136 or Greg Rohde at 371-0121.

SOUTHSIDE CATHOLIC SINGLE GROUP is devoted to bringing together single Catholics between the ages of 25 and 40 in a social, spiritual, and service-oriented environment. For more information call Chris at 544-5598

Thanks

SECOND COLLECTION: This weekend the Church is asking you to support the United States Mission Collection. Please be generous, for the sake of the missionaries and the people they serve. Our Franciscans working in Alaska benefit greatly from this sign of your generosity.

ENJOY A PIZZA! After all the Masses again this weekend you are able to place orders for Roma's Frozen Pizzas. This fund-raiser will help start up a new contemporary Christian music radio station in St. Louis to replace 104.9-FM. Thanks for your patronage.

GOOD GRIEF!!! The Good Grief Group will meet in the sacristy on Tuesday, February 17, at 6:30pm. Call our social worker Kate or our parish nurse Barb (353-7470) for details.

MEETING WITH POLICE: The First District of the St. Louis Police Department announces that its "Community Affairs Meeting" will be held on February 19 at 7:00pm in the Windsor Community Center, 4092 Robert Avenue.

SEARS' BUILDING DECISION: On February 21 at 10:00am at Resurrection Parish Hall there will be a meeting of involved citizens, churches, and neighborhood civic leaders to help decide the fate of the old Sears Building on Grand Avenue. Come to 3900 Meramec to share your vision and express your opinion!

EXPLORERS' BBQ: St. Anthony of Padua Explorer Post 2032 is having a BBQ on Saturday, February 21 on the Wal-Mart parking lot located at Telegraph and Highway 270. Pork steaks, chicken, and brat dinners are available for carry-out from 11:00am to 4:00pm.

HEALTH LECTURE: A free lecture entitled "Heart Failure: You Can Live with It," sponsored by the Alexian Brothers Hospital Cardiac and Pulmonary Care Departments, will be presented on Saturday, February 28, at 10:00am in the hospital's Peterson Auditorium.

PEWTER MEMORIAL PLATES: Remember the pewter memorial plates with the image of St. Anthony's which were offered for the parish's 125th anniversary? There are still a number of these available; they do no one any good just sitting in a box! Buy one as a memento or gift. Call Gerry at the parish office (353-7470)

NEWS ABOUT PARISHIONERS

RESTING IN PEACE: In your kindness please pray for Irma Donovan, 80, who was buried on Feb. 10, 1998.
CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Karey Patrick Kennedy who was baptized, confirmed, and received his First Communion on January 29th.
SANCTUARY LAMP: This week one sanctuary lamp is lit as a prayerful remembrance of the Gyaky, Zarka, Wambach, Horvath and Seper Families at the request of MMG. The other one is lit as a memorial prayer for Antoinette Malecek, requested by Geraldine Malecek.
QUILT WINNER FOR FEBRUARY 5: Janet Woods of 5225 Butler Hill Estates Drive

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Camp Don Bosco of the Catholic Youth Council announces a job opening for a live-in counselor position for Outdoor Education Resident camping program in Hillsboro, Missouri. Duties include teaching classes and general supervision of 6th and 7th graders. Position begins March 12 and can last until the first week of November. Applicants must be 18 years old, experience helpful but will train the right person. For an application please contact the camp office at 797-4364, Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. EOE M/F/D/V

PARISH MISSION:

In preparation for the Millennium we direct our attention this year to the Holy Spirit in a special way. A special part of our parish's observance of this Year of the Holy Spirit, will be our parish mission:
On the Thursdays of Lent, from March 5 to March 26, we will celebrate a Parish Mission at St. Anthony's with the Bishops of our Archdiocese; the theme will be the Working of the Holy Spirit. There will be Mass and a special homily each Thursday at 7:00pm.
On March 5 Archbishop Rigali will highlight the role of the Holy Spirit in calling us to a change of heart. On March 12 Bishop Braxton emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the Good News of salvation. On March 19 Bishop Sheridan will concentrate on the Spirit's action in teaching us how to pray. On March 26 Bishop Naumann will focus on the function of the Holy Spirit in building up the Body of Christ.

The mission will conclude on April 2 with a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Penance led by Fr. John Doctor OFM

LETTER FROM OUR ARCHBISHOP

Dear Friends in Christ,
A decade ago, when freedom seemed victorious over communism, Catholics around the world looked forward to the resurgence of the Church in Central and Eastern Europe.
Here in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and throughout the United States we have helped bring about changes. The funds you have contributed have trained catechists, supported the Catholic media, established social ministry programs, trained seminarians, and rebuilt convents and churches.
Challenges are still faced by many countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Bosnia is one of the countries in need. The damages from the war have touched every church, school, and medical facility.
I ask you to continue your efforts to build up the Catholic Church in Central and Eastern Europe. A collection will be taken up for this purpose in the Archdiocese of St. Louis the weekend of February 21-22.
Please be generous in sharing your blessings with our brothers and sisters who so long for them.
Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Justin Rigali
Archbishop of St. Louis

AROUND THE ARCHDIOCESE "MARDI GRAS", a fund-raising dinner-dance-auction to benefit the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood, will be held on Friday, February 20, at The Columns in St. Charles. Doors open at 6:00pm; tickets are $35. Call 240-3420 for reservations.

TRIVIA NIGHT at St. Mary Magdalen's will take place on Saturday, February 21; for time and reservations call Sheri at 752-1448 or Jeanne at 481-0558.

"AN EVENING WITH THE ANGELS," a dinner-auction to benefit St. Joseph's Academy, will be held at the Academy on Saturday, February 28; doors open at 5:00pm with dinner from 5:30 to 7:00; call for tickets at 965-7205.

"NIGHT AT THE RACES" at St. John the Baptist will take place on Saturday, February 28; doors open at 6:00pm, races begin at 7:00pm. For reservations call Ken at 352-5760.

TRIVIA NIGHT, sponsored by the Incarnate Word Academy Booster Club, will happen on Saturday, February 28. Call 725-5850, ext. 112, for details and reservations

Mass Intentions for the Week

Monday, February 16, Weekday
6:30 Carlyne M. Ries
8:00 Harold Holtz
Tuesday, February 17, Seven Servite Founders
6:30 Barbara Kadlez & Family
8:00 John Fugina
Wednesday, February 18, Weekday
6:30 Agnes Trigg
8:00 Jennifer Metherd
Thursday, February 19, Conrad of Piacenza (SFO)

6:30 Leo F. Schwald, Anniv.
8:00 Yanick Family
Friday, February 20, Weekday
6:30 Patricia Palermo
8:00 Mr. Feldman
Saturday, February 21, Peter Damian
6:30 Dorothy Paulis
8:00 Mary Krauska
Sunday, February 22, 7TH IN ORDINARY TIME
4:30 (Saturday) June Dye
6:00 Parishioners
8:00 Henry Bouchard
10:30 Helen Hallermann

Liturgical Assistants

Week of February 16-22

LECTORS:
Weekdays, Feb. 16-21:
6:30 Alberta Stackle
8:00 Georgia Berry
Sunday, February 21-22
4:30 Matt & Adam Halbauer
6:00 Georgia Berry
8:00 Bill Kamper, Debbie Williams
10:30 (SFO Mass)
Doris Eagan SFO, Rachel Binger
Weekdays, Feb. 23-28:
6:30 Georgia Berry
8:00 Sr. Virginia
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS:
Sunday, February 21-22
4:30 Hosts: Cheryl Degenhart*, Alured McNulty
Cups: Robert Donahue, Esther Ehlen, Sue & Valerie Geldmacher
6:00 Ken Dames
8:00 Hosts: Dave Bergfeld, Betty Marton
Cups: Linda Kohne, Sr. Virginia Bieg, Gene Rombach, Margaret Schodroski
10:30 (SFO Mass)
Hosts: Ruth Brown*, Phyllis Morrison (cand.)
Cups: Betty Krull SFO, Anne Weiss
SFO, Jay Doolittle SFO, Tom Moran, Philipa Krueger, Dorothy Schaefer, Janice Leicht**

The Coming Week

SUNDAY, MARCH 1
9:00 a.m. - R.C.I.A. (S)
10:30 a.m. - Scout Mass
6:00 p.m. - Lenten Evening Prayer
MONDAY, MARCH 2
6:00 p.m. - Lenten Evening Prayer
7:00 p.m. - Liturgy Planning Team (F)
7:30 p.m. - Prayer Group (E)
TUESDAY, MARCH 3
6:30 p.m. - Bingo (L)
7:00 p.m. - Lenten Home Masses
7:30 p.m. - Al-Anon Meeting (F)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
11:00 a.m. - A.A. Meeting (W)
2:15 p.m. - Stations of the Cross
THURSDAY, MARCH 5
7:00 p.m. - PARISH MISSION
FRIDAY, MARCH 6
3:00 p.m. - Holy Hour (Ch)
3:30-6:30p - Fish Fry (M)
7:00 p.m. - Stations of the Cross & Benediction

7:00 p.m. - Ladies' Sodality (M)
8:00 p.m. - A.A. Meeting (F)
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
5:30 p.m. - Soup 'n' Scripture
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
Pastoral Council Nominations at all Masses
8:00 a.m. - Ladies' Sodality Mass
9:00 a.m. - R.C.I.A. (S)
6:00 p.m. - Lenten Evening Prayer

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St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin February 15, 1998