St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin
July 20, 1997

Pastor's Thoughts

As proud as I am to be your pastor, as blest as I feel to watch the growth of the four characteristics of liturgy, community, spiritual development, and evangelization which I mentioned last week -- I am still very much aware that we as a parish family have much room for improvement before we can consider ourselves a happy and healthy parish.

I know that a number of parishioners get upset with me when I say we are dying as a parish or when I indicate that there are major things wrong with our faith community.

I am also well aware that an important part of my role as priest and pastor is to be the "in-house prophet" to speak the truth, to shake people out of their complacency and denial, and to share my discerned vision for the future, so that we can honestly and effectively respond to God's call to holiness as a people, rebuild the Church as an assembly of people, and reflect God's goodness to others in a spirit of hope and thanksgiving.

When Father Frank left, the theme of the parish was the words spoken by Christ to St. Francis: "Go, rebuild my Church." We are still modeling this way of Francis even today as we continue this theme in our parish. Before Francis could realize how to rebuild internally, he rebuilt externally.

So have we. We have renovated the "house of God" which gives a home to that particular Body of Christ called St. Anthony of Padua Parish.

Now it is time to take that rebuilding to a new level -- from the inside out. This is a time of great renewal and profound change.

Unless we face squarely and positively the demands these changes place on us, we will not have the credibility nor the stamina to continue to exist. We can and must deal with change for the sake of God, for the sake of the Church, for the sake of ourselves.

Over the next few weeks, then, I plan to detail some of the changes I see necessary in the future in order to not only defend ourselves against fear and disease and death, but especially to brings ourselves to be fully alive as "one body, one spirit in Christ."

--Father Benet OFM

I will be in Brenham, Texas, July 21-30 to give a retreat to Poor Clare nuns and to take a few days of vacation.

Offering

Envelopes $4,190.49
Loose Collection 326.30
Children's Envelopes 7.85
TOTAL: 4,524.64

COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET:

This Week Cumulative
(7/13/97): (Week #2):
$5,453.06 $10,906.12
4,524.64 9,407.58
-928.42 -1,498.54

"As Jesus went to shore, He saw a great crowd and He had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things" (Mk 6:34). In today's gospel, Jesus had planned to slip away and rest. When He saw the people gathered, however, He put his needs aside to meet the needs of others. As stewards, we are called to do the same.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: What is Zion?
A: Zion, or Sion, was the name of the city David captured from the Jesubites during one of the constant wars taking place between the Israelites and their neighbors.
David made Sion the capital of his kingdom, and later that name came to signify the expanded city of Jerusalem, the city of God, who the Israelites see as the true ruler of their nation.
The name Zion has retained its sacred character ever since; throughout centuries of exile, Jews recalled the name of Zion in their daily prayers, remembering the beauty of God's city and expressing their desire to return home.
For us the term Zion is used to describe the reign of God, both here present but not yet in its fullness, and the longing of the human heart and of the faith community to be part of that reign.
--Brother Richard OFM

SANCTUARY LAMP: This week one of the sanctuary lamps will be lit to remember the Gyaky, Zarka, Wambach, & Seper Families at the request of Mary Margaret Gyaky. The other one will be lit for Francis Kern at the request of Joetta Kern.

QUILT WINNER: Al Kohne, 3453 Gasconade.

LETTER FROM OUR ARCHBISHOP

Dear Faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Louis,
Today, July 20, 1997, is a great day of rejoicing. As the local Church of St. Louis, we commemorate on this Sunday the 150th anniversary of the establishment of St. Louis as an Archdiocese by His Holiness Pope Pius IX.
We celebrate the Holy Eucharist especially on this day in profound Thanksgiving.
We are particularly mindful of all of the blessings that have been poured out upon us through fifteen decades of faithful work and witness by numerous men and women of faith.
I am most grateful to all of you who labor and pray so that his historic Archdiocese can continue to flourish well into the future.
As we approach the great jubilee that will mark the beginning of the Third Millennium of Christianity, may our heaven patron, St. Louis, continue to watch over us.
We also entrust the Archdiocese in a special way to Mary, Mother of the Church, as we observe this time of remembrance and rededication.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Archbishop Justin Rigali

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE
ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. LOUIS

The diocese was established on July 18, 1826; the archdiocese, July 20, 1847. When St. Louis was elevated to an archdiocese 150 years ago, Bishop Peter Richard Kenrick became its first archbishop.
Three years later the Archdiocese was reduced to the state of Missouri. Before his death in 1896, some 16 new sees had been erected out of the original Diocese of St. Louis.
In 1956 the archdiocesan boundaries were again adjusted, leaving only 10 counties surrounding the city of St. Louis within the archdiocese's territory.
At the same time, the diocesan boundaries were complete realigned, and the Diocese of Jefferson City was established.
At present the Archdiocese numbers 227 parishes and eight missions, with a total of 864 priests, including 383 religious; there are also 208 permanent deacons, 190 brothers, and 2416 sisters engaged in various works.
Also operating under Catholic auspices are 29 high schools and 155 elementary schools.
The Catholic population is 558,800.

STATEMENT OF PRIORITIES

On Saturday, June 21, 1997, some 20 representatives of the leaders of the councils, commissions, and organizations of the parish met to discern the priorities of the parish for the next year from July 1, 1997, to June 30, 1998. The following is the introduction to the statement summarizing their work (in the following three weeks we will examine the priorities themselves:
In order to live and share the Gospel, we, the people of God in St. Anthony of Padua Parish in St. Louis, are a community united by faith and common bonds and a cornerstone in a changing neighborhood, but we still find ourselves to be lacking in openness, reconciliation, respect, love, and support because of the fear of changes to our parish, our community, and our neighborhood.
After examining the parish's Mission Statement, the various "wish lists" collected over the year, and the new Strategic Plan issued by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the participants of the Leadership Day recognized that the two areas which most strongly and most positively characterize our identity as a parish were "community" and "cornerstone."
This idea of "community" means that we are kept together and form ourselves into a living organism called St. Anthony Parish because of two special factors: our Catholic faith and our "common bonds" (which no longer are those of race or color or ethnic origin, but rather are those of human dignity and worth, the common good, and the promotion of peace and justice).
The idea of "cornerstone" in a changing neighborhood acknowledges that we are changing economically, demographically, ethnically, etc. and that the parish provides a real experience of solidarity, continuity, and stability in the midst of that change and a positive opportunity for diversity to become unity.
The participants of the Leadership Day also discerned our weakness as a parish community: a fear of change which harbors a lack of openness, reconciliation, respect, love, and support. This weakness can act as a death-dealing cancer if it is not eradicated. It is this fear of change that expresses itself as greed, violence, and self-absorption.
With this awareness of our strengths and weakness, the leaders chose three priorities which we will discuss in the next three weeks.
--Father Benet OFM

VOLUNTEERS RECOGNIZED

Archbishop Rigali honored volunteers at an ADA Appreciation Mass on Saturday, July 19, at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.
Charlie Diehl and Gerry Sippel have served as ADA volunteers for at leave five years since 1988 and were invited to this special Mass.
Archbishop Rigali called ADA volunteers "the lifeblood of the most important annual charitable undertaking of the Archdiocese."
The 1997 ADA campaign started April 12, and the results will be announced in late August.
Helping people every day of every year since 1949, this year's campaign will provide benefits to over one-half million men, women, and children throughout the Archdiocese's ten deaneries.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

1. Position of Communications Director available at Missouri Catholic Conference in Jefferson City. The MCC is a leading organization in public policy development in the state. The position involves writing for diocesan newspapers and other publications. For information call 1-800-456-1679.
2. Employment Opportunities Listing in the City of St. Louis, call the Job Hot-Line at 992-0996.

AIR CONDITIONERS NEEDED

EnergyCare still needs donations of working, 110-volt window air conditions for the ill, disabled, or elderly. Call 773-5900 if you have an air conditioner to donate.

Socials

1. OLD FASHIONED COUNTRY PICNIC at Holy Family Church (at Port Hudson near New Haven MO), Sunday, July 27; chicken and beef dinners from 11:30am to 6:00pm.
2. FLEA MARKET at St. Mary Magdalen Parish Center, Saturday, August 9, 8:00am-2:00pm; call 353-8911 for information and rental.
3. ANNUAL HOMECOMING of St. Mary's Parish (Bridgeton), Saturday, August 9, 4:00pm to midnight.
4. POLISH AMERICAN CELEBRATION at the amphitheater of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Saturday, August 16, Social at 7:00pm, Liturgy at 7:30pm, Rosary at 8:30pm, Polka Music at 9:00pm; call 241-3400 for details.

Mass Intentions for the Week

Monday, July 21, St. Lawrence of Brindisi (Cap.)
6:30 Helen & Herman Hartlieb
8:15 Angie Mantia
Tuesday, July 22, St. Mary Magdalene
6:30 Souls in Purgatory
8:15 Lawrence O'Donnell
Wednesday, July 23, Bl. Cunegunda (OSC)
6:30 Robert Borgers
8:15 John P. Kane
Thursday, July 24, Bl. Louise of Savoy (OSC)
6:30 Cecilia Lechner Berner
8:15 Agnes Szydlowski
Friday, July 25, ST. JAMES, APOSTLE
6:30 Ronald Thompson
8:15 Elizabeth Wetteroth
10:30 Catherine Jacko
Saturday, July 26, Sts. Joachim and Anne
6:30 Anne Kelley
8:00 Helen Winkelmann
Sunday, July 27, 17TH IN ORDINARY TIME
4:30 (Saturday) Victor Gutting
6:00 For the Parishioners
8:00 Francis Kern
10:30 Janice Krus

Liturgical Assistants

Sunday, July 26-27, 17th in Ordinary Time
LECTORS:
6:30 Weekdays, July 21-26: Volunteer
4:30 Steve and Sue Geldmacher
6:00 Georgia Berry
8:00 Bob and Karen Morgan
10:30 George and Mary Ann Schmidt
6:30 Weekdays, July 28-August 2: Alberta Stackle
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS:
4:30 Hosts: Valerie Geldmacher, Robert Donahue
Cups: Janice Leicht, Alured McNulty, Phyllis Morrison, Arch Rutherford
6:00 Richard Stegar
8:00 Hosts: Mike Mount, Sr. Virginia
Cups: Betty Marton, Gene Rombach, Debbie Williams, Linda Kohne
10:30 Hosts: Anne Weiss SFO, Betty Krull SFO
Cups: Jay Doolittle SFO, Doris Eagen SFO, Marie Serafin SFO, Julie Brown, Ruth Brown, Brenda Boyer

Date to be Corrected: August 3, 1997

This Coming Week

(The Gym will be closed until mid-August.)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 18TH IN ORDINARY TIME
MONDAY, AUGUST 4
7:00 p.m. - AA Meeting (Spanish) (F)
7:30 p.m. - Prayer Group (E)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5
6:30 p.m. - Bingo (L)
7:30 p.m. - Al-Alon Meeting (F)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6
11:00 a.m. - AA Meeting (W)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8
9:00 a.m. - Exercise (L)
3:00 p.m. - Holy Hour (Ch)
8:00 p.m. - AA Meeting (F)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9
11am - 6pm - Bar-B-Que
1:00 p.m. - AA Meeting (W)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 19TH IN ORDINARY TIME
8:00 a.m. - Ladies' Sodality Mass

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St. Anthony of Padua Bulletin July 20, 1997