VOL. 55 NO. 50 – DECEMBER 13th, 2020 THEME FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT: John witnesses to one who is to come, one far mightier than he, one who will proclaim freedom and deliverance from sin and death. As we await his coming again in glory, let us join with Mary in singing the praises of God.

MASS INTENTIONS:

Sat. 12-12 5:00 pm -- For Our Parish at St. Augustine’s Sun. 12-13 8:30 am – Agnes & Cletus Gregson; John Rheinecker; and Phillip Rheinecker Sat. 12-19 5:00 pm -- For Our Parish at St. Augustine’s Sun. 12-20 8:30 am – Joe Jung; Wylma Wachtel; and Lucille Meeks

PARISH COUNT: 74 OUR SACRIFICE MADE TO GOD: 12-06-20 Sunday Envelopes (108) - $3,255.00 Loose – $8.00 Youth (2) - $5.00

Scholarship Fund - $435.00

(Total Donated since 8/1/2020)

Thank you very much for your generosity!

ST. AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY HECKER, ILLINOIS 62248

REV. LINUS UMOREN, ADMINISTRATOR PARISH OFFICE 473-2217 FAX 473-9141

E-MAIL ADDRESS: staug@htc.net PARISH WEBSITE: https://www.staugustineofcanterburyhecker.com

To contact Father Linus Umoren when not in Parish Office, Cell #618/666-2217

St. Vincent de Paul Help Line 618/792-4059 House of Neighborly Service Help Line 618/939-8680

Parish Office Hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed from 12 noon to 1:00 pm for lunch.

DON’T FORGET TO CALL 473-2217 OR EMAIL staug@htc.net

THE PARISH OFFICE NO LATER THAN 3PM ON THURSDAYS TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS FOR THE WEEKEND MASSES.

THIS SYSTEM WILL BE IN PLACE UNTIL FURTHER

NOTICE.

mailto:staug@htc.net

SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK Saturday, December 19th; 5:00p Sunday, December 20th; 8:30am Set Up: Donna Rheinecker Set Up: Sr. Joan Weiler Lector: Donna Rheinecker Lector: Ryan Grohmann Greeter: Annette Schreder Greeter: Haudrichs Usher: Scott Gregson Usher: Dale Haudrich

Sanitizers: Schreders Sanitizers: Fizers/Grohmanns

Please pray for the following:

Darlene Frisch, John & Ellen Daniels, Alice Krysnoski, Jeanelle Dinan, Marge Abel, Cheryl Zanders, Madalyn Killebrew, Stephanie Amann Stosberg, Bill Cowell, Dave Bruss, Ruth Cortner, Aria Wagner, Vickie Van de Riet Minden, Carol Grohmann, Joyce Koetting, Pat Smith, Mary Harbaugh Neisler, Jim Rader, Ed Weiler, Joe Gregson, Ryan Mueth, Lisa Davenport, Penny Hofstetter, Linda Lehmann, and Dylane & Julie Doerr.

Please call the Parish Office 473-2217 to submit names for the prayer list.

I AM NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR THE TWO CHRISTMAS EVE MASSES AND THE CHRISTMAS DAY MASS…please give me a call

473-2217 or send me an email to staug@htc.net to make your reservations.

First consideration will be given to our parishioners and their families.

I will be working on Monday, December 21st and Wednesday, December 23rd so your reservations must be made by 3pm on Wednesday,

December 23rd for the Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Each week on Thursday afternoons, I will put the bulletins inside the mailboxes & at the beginning of the month the Word Among Us will also be available.

St. Augustine’s will be live streaming Masses at 5pm on Saturdays and 8:30am on

Sundays. See St. Augustine’s Facebook Page.

mailto:staug@htc.net

Reflection for the Third Sunday of Advent

Little Jonny swallowed a nickel. The mother said to Jonny’s father, “Henry, call the doctor.” “No, I think we ought to call the minister quick, he can get money out of anybody.”

For the last two Sundays our attention has been directed toward the preparation of the coming of Christ. The third Sunday focuses our attention much more on the Lord already present among us. This weekend is known as 'Gaudete (Rejoice!) Sunday', and rose vestments are worn to signal the joy realized in our liturgy today. We light the rose-colored candle in the Advent wreath symbolizing our joy as we await the coming of our Savior. We rejoice because the day of salvation is nearby.

Today's Gospel presents John the Baptist again as a model disciple. He heralds the coming of Christ -- the good news that Christ is the word of God made flesh. The message of this season is that God is coming to us. If God is coming to us, we must not let the situation we find ourselves make us unable to find and celebrate him. Probably, we already have made up our minds that this year’s Christmas is not going to be as meaningful or as joyful as previous Christmases have been. There are some of us or someone whom we know who has lost a dear one to COVID-19. Consequently, they feel empty. There are some who will not be able to attend the Christmas mass and listen to the traditional Christmas carols because they do not want to compromise their health. They already feel a sense of emptiness and meaninglessness. How do we find joy in all these?

It’s no longer fun that we cannot safely celebrate our important feasts and share all the joys of the season. Although this is true, we must not presume that we have nothing to celebrate. We must not let the darkness of the world cover God’s light. The joy of Jesus and the joy of Christmas can only be ours to the extent that we discover what inner joy means. Inner joy is discovered in knowing the goodness of God. Thus, when a Christian looks at the world, and sees the love of God at work—not just the evil in the form of disease, violence, and poverty he radiates inner joy. When he sees God’s glory, His compassion, and His love shining through the darkness of our world, that Christian is ready to celebrate Christ whose coming into our history transforms the human story and experience.

FR. LINUS UMOREN, C.M.

HAS YOUR ADDRESS OR PHONE NUMBER CHANGED? ARE YOU JUST USING A CELL # NOW AND NEED TO ELIMINATE YOUR LANDLINE NUMBER? HAVE YOU HAD A CHILD RELOCATE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE? ARE YOU NOT ON OUR PARISH LIST & NEED TO REGISTER? The 2021 Parish List will be published early in 2021 and so the Office would appreciate any updates or changes as soon as possible. If you have any changes, please let us know by dropping a note in the collection basket, by calling 473-2217, or by sending email to staug@htc.net. Thank you very much!!! HAVE YOU SHARED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WITH THE PARISH OFFICE? We frequently send out group email messages…please submit if you are NOT receiving the emails and would like to!

Thank you to all who made a monetary contribution to the Hecker Emergency Fund at our annual Ecumenical Service. A total of $347.00 was deposited. We appreciate your thoughtfulness!!!!

Thank you to everyone who donated items,

gift cards, money, food etc. to our Adopted Family this Christmas. We are making this a special season for our family thanks to your

kindness and generosity!

A copy of the Fiscal Year Report ending June 30th,

2020 has been mailed to each registered

parishioner. If you have any questions, please call

the Parish Office at 473-2217 or send an email to

staug@htc.net. Thank you!

mailto:staug@htc.netmailto:staug@htc.net

2020 ADVENT & CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE & INFORMATION – PLEASE KEEP FOR REFERENCE

ST. AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

Requests may be made again this year for flowers “in memory of” or “in honor of” family members. Please use the designated envelope in your box and return to the Office at St. Augustine’s either by mail, by collection basket, or dropping off in person.

RECONCILIATION Partnership Advent Reconciliation Service

Monday, December 14th, 7pm & Friday, December 18th, 7pm Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Waterloo Reservations Required, call 939-6426

Fr. Linus will hear Confessions on Thursdays, Starting at 12 noon.

Please call the Parish Office to schedule a time.

THE CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE

CHRISTMAS EVE – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 Mass – 4:00 p.m. – HECKER COMMUNITY CENTER

CHRISTMAS EVE – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 Mass – 7:30 p.m. – HECKER COMMUNITY CENTER

CHRISTMAS DAY – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2020

Mass – 9:00 a.m. – ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH

THE NEW YEARS DAY SCHEDULE Mary Mother of God Vigil & Holy Day of Obligation

Friday, January 1st, 2021 – 9:00 am

St. Nick Visits SPPCS (Pic below) -- St. Nick visited our students last

week on Friday December 4th to celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas. He

delivered gold coins to all of our students.

Rootin' 4 Dugan (Pic below) -- Our students have participated in dress

down days to support our 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Dugan, through her

cancer treatments. We are Rootin' 4 Dugan!

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NEWS FROM GIBAULT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL… Virtual Band Concert -- You are invited to enjoy the sounds of the season at our virtual Christmas concert on Sunday, December 13, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. Featuring live-

stream performances by our concert band, jazz band, chorus, and Hawkapellas, our

event is sure to fill your home with holiday spirit. Live-stream available

at https://youtu.be/KeN8p2jynf4. Enrollment News -- Our placement exam for the Class of 2025 is rescheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. Please RSVP to Susan Mackin

at smackin@gibaulthawks.com. We are currently scheduling Private Tours for families who are interested in

Gibault. Private Tours include a tour of our campus and a meeting with our Director

of Enrollment, Kelly Day, to answer any questions you may have about life as a

Hawk. To schedule your tour, contact Kelly Day at 939-3883

or kday@gibaulthawks.com. Raffle-Mania Time! It's Gibault’s Raffle-Mania time! With a purchase of a $25 ticket, you are entered for: $100 Early Bird Christmas Drawing (ticket must be purchased by December 15 to

qualify); $30 Daily Drawings on Monday-Friday from January 1 - May 31, 2021; $100 Bonus Winner the last day of each month (January - April); GRAND PRIZES in May for $2,000, $1,000, $500, and $250! If your ticket is pulled for a prize, it goes right back in, so you have the chance to win again! You can buy your ticket online at www.GibaultRaffle.givesmart.comor contact the school office at

939-3883. We’re #gibaultproud of: our Engineering Hawks of Grace Busch (Sts. Peter &

Paul Parish), Maddie Davis (Sts. Peter & Paul Parish), Eli Garcia (Immaculate

Conception Parish), and Kunqi Guo (international student from China) who

placed third in the annual Gateway Arch Engineering Contest.

https://youtu.be/KeN8p2jynf4mailto:smackin@gibaulthawks.commailto:kday@gibaulthawks.comhttp://www.gibaultraffle.givesmart.com/

“Our vocation starts as an indwelling, with the quiet whisper of God’s

pull on our heart. It’s often personal and difficult to describe to others

and often takes much prayer and discernment to see clearly. Are we to

become another John the Baptist - that voice of one crying out in the

desert? St. Francis de Sales reflected on this individual nature of our

call, we all have a vocation. We believe that God has placed us in this

life to fill a special need that no one else can accomplish.

HAVE YOU HEARD OF SERRA CLUB? The Serra Club of St. Clair County is an organization of

Catholic men and women, dedicated to foster and affirm vocations to the Priesthood and vowed

religious life. Our purpose is to inform our community of the need for all vocations. We honor

our religious with an annual Nuns Luncheon, a Deacon Dinner, a Priest Picnic and a new Priest

Dinner. We pray for our seminarians and help them celebrate their birthdays. For more

information please contact Marvin Winkeler (402-214-1155) or Mel Lucash (618-531-4244).

PRAY FOR VOCATIONS!

St. Anthony's Parish, Lively Grove, is offering a monthly Quilt and Cash raffle from August 2020 thru July 2021. Each month a lucky winner will receive a hand stitched, queen-sized quilt or $300. Winning tickets will go back in the raffle and be eligible for all remaining raffles. Ticket cost is $40. Please contact Cheryl Hentges, clhentges@yahoo.com or at (618)824-6637 for tickets. Check out our Facebook page to see the quilts. St. Anthony’s is sponsoring this raffle as a way to help fill the financial void left by cancellation of our annual picnic due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“QUILT OF THE MONTH” – January –December 2021

Our Lady of Good Counsel, Renault $20 per ticket; drawing last Sunday of each Month

Winner need not be present to win

Visit their Facebook page to view the quilts Our Lady of Good Counsel@OLGC.Renault

Questions, contact 618-458-7710 If interested, some tickets are available in Parish Office at St. Augustine’s.

mailto:clhentges@yahoo.commailto:Counsel@OLGC.Renault

DIOCESAN EVENTS

RESPECT LIFE CORNER “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, Make straight the way of the Lord.” In John’s Gospel, we learn of the joy John the Baptist found in Christ. Even in his mother’s womb, the unborn Baptist leapt for joy at the nearness of the Messiah. John’s joy is manifested in his testimony to the Lord’s coming. Large groups of people gathered in the desert to hear John’s good news and his call to repentance and baptism in Christ’s name. John’s purpose and ministry was preparation for Christ as He began his public ministry. His enthusiasm and love for Christ brought joy to others and they wanted to feel that joy of Christ and never let it go. Learn, Act, Connect and Pray- Free of worldly trappings and pleasure, John rejoices in the only true happiness that exists, joy in Christ’s love for each one us. Let’s learn from John the virtue of joy and the humility he possessed by sharing our faith and really listening to one another. In a group setting, try “speaking fourth, not first.” Allowing others to speak first offers a place of honor and a chance to really listen before speaking. Our humility and joy can win souls for Christ. Without his love, the world is a dark and gloomy place. Let’s stay close to Christ in love and humility towards all those He places in our midst. DIOCESE OF BELLEVILLE LAUNCHES PROJECT RACHEL

Project Rachel is an active ministry in the Diocese of Belleville!!! While we have been home under our stay at home orders, Planned Parenthood has continued to see women (some report one woman every 20 minutes six days a week). It is so vital that we be there for these women to offer free and confidential help in their time of need. It is our hope to continue to foster a sense of compassion in our communities making them a safe place to welcome those who suffer after an abortion and encourage reconciliation and healing in Jesus Christ. Those in need of help and counseling can confidentially contact someone by phone or email. Here’s a link to Project Rachel on the diocesan website with additional information: https://www.diobelle.org/respectlife/project-rachel.

https://www.diobelle.org/respectlife/project-rachel

Over the next few bulletins, we will be including portions of the recent Encyclical Letter from Pope Francis…

ENCYCLICAL LETTER FRATELLI TUTTI OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON FRATERNITY AND SOCIAL FRIENDSHIP

20. This way of discarding others can take a variety of forms, such as an obsession with reducing labour costs with no concern for its grave consequences, since the unemployment that it directly generates leads to the expansion of poverty. [15] In addition, a readiness to discard others finds expression in vicious attitudes that we thought long past, such as racism, which retreats underground only to keep reemerging. Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed social progress is not as real or definitive as we think. 21. Some economic rules have proved effective for growth, but not for integral human development. [16] Wealth has increased, but together with inequality, with the result that “new forms of poverty are emerging”. [17] The claim that the modern world has reduced poverty is made by measuring poverty with criteria from the past that do not correspond to present-day realities. In other times, for example, lack of access to electric energy was not considered a sign of poverty, nor was it a source of hardship. Poverty must always be understood and gauged in the context of the actual opportunities available in each concrete historical period. Insufficiently universal human rights 22. It frequently becomes clear that, in practice, human rights are not equal for all. Respect for those rights “is the preliminary condition for a country’s social and economic development. When the dignity of the human person is respected, and his or her rights recognized and guaranteed, creativity and interdependence thrive, and the creativity of the human personality is released through actions that further the common good”. [18] Yet, “by closely observing our contemporary societies, we see numerous contradictions that lead us to wonder whether the equal dignity of all human beings, solemnly proclaimed seventy years ago, is truly recognized, respected, protected and promoted in every situation. In today’s world, many forms of injustice persist, fed by reduction anthropological visions and by a profit-based economic model that does not hesitate to exploit, discard and even kill human beings. While one part of humanity lives on opulence, another part sees its own dignity denied, scorned or trampled upon, and its fundamental rights discarded or violated”. [19] What does this tell us about the equality of rights grounded in innate human dignity? 23. Similarly, the organization of societies worldwide is still far from reflecting clearly that women possess the same dignity and identical rights as men. We say one thing with words, but our decisions and reality tell another story. Indeed, “doubly poor are those women who endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment and violence, since they are frequently less able to defend their rights”. [20]