2302 W. CHURCH ST. | JOHNSBURG, IL 60051 | (815) 385 -1477

Fax (815) 363 -3333 | www.s t johns johnsburg.org | f ind us on mypar ish app

A diocesan parish served by the Congregation of the Resurrection

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

Second Sunday of Easter A person was going through a very dark time, ques-tioning the meaning of life, not feeling very purpose-ful or worthwhile, and feeling disconnected and un-appreciated. Suddenly, they gazed up at the night sky, found themselves in awe of all the stars and con-stellations, and exclaimed, “I am here on purpose and I am loved!” Having been brought by God to this moment of intense connection and awareness, his life changed from that moment on. If we are always preoccupied with the challenges, obligations, and stuff of daily life, we can easily miss the wonderful opportunities when the resurrected Christ is knocking at our door. If we open ourselves to the fullness of experience, we will find ourselves listening and embracing all that is around us, being caught up in the magnificence of creation’s grandeur and knowing in our heart and soul that God is and I am. While that sounds like a simple, tell-me-something-I don’t-know kind of revelation, it is life changing when it takes root in the depth of a person’s soul. Stumbling upon this awesome truth and internalizing it doesn’t require an assent of the mind. It beckons for a claim on our soul. We find ourselves knowing something profound that cannot be explained or rea-soned, but purely is. When we are caught up in an experience and encounter the truth, it doesn’t mat-ter how all of the pieces got put together. Truth is simply truth. The “my Lord and my God” responses we utter are not evoked because all of the pieces of faith and life make reasonable sense. The “my Lord and my God” affirmations come when we are lifted up out of our preoccupations and silliness and are in the presence of mystery and mercy. God is mystery, one who is beyond our grasp but at the same time within our reach, knowable yet un-knowable. And when in the presence of mystery, there comes an intense experience of mercy. We know deep within the essence of ourselves — and in the very life of creation — this beating, uncondition-ally accepting, life-sustaining, profound, mysterious yet familiar presence of love. We have found our peace. “Peace be with you.” Breathe in and breathe out. Peace.

Gospel meditation

BAPTISMS: Parents must be registered parishioners. Parishioners call Fr. Jacek Junak, CR at (815) 385-1477, EXT. 202 for information, requirements, and scheduling for baptism preparation classes.

RCIA: Adults seeking baptism and/or entry into the Catholic Church are invited to participate in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Program. Please call Fr. Jacek Junak, CR for more information.

CEMETERY: Please call Annie in the parish office at (815) 385-1477, EXT. 203 to purchase cemetery plots and niches in columbarium.

MARRIAGES: Please call Fr. Jacek Junak, CR at (815) 385-1477, EXT. 202 for appointment, requirements, and a desired wedding date of at least 6 months in advance.

PRAYER LIST: Please call Anna Rose in the parish office at (815) 385-1477, EXT. 223 to be placed on the bulletin prayer list.

REGISTRATION: Please call Annie in the parish office (815) 385-1477, EXT. 203 to register as a parishioner.

Monday– Thursday: 8:30am– 4:30pm Friday: 8:30am– Noon

Pastor: Rev. Jacek Junak, CR, EXT. 202 Deacon: Mr. Jerry Giessinger Deacon: Mr. Dave Gillespie

CLERGY

Secretary: Annie Muich EXT. 203 stjohnjohnsburgsecretary@gmail.com Reception: Christine Marulewski EXT. 200 sjtbrecept@gmail.com Business Manager: Kasia Placek EXT. 204 stjohnbusinessmanager@gmail.com Religious Ed. Director: Stephanie Eldridge EXT. 201 stjohnreyouth@gmail.com Bulletin Editor: Anna Rose Zakrzewski EXT. 223 stjohnbulletin2302@gmail.com Music Ministry: Mary Jo Schwontkowski EXT. 200 mjschwontkowski@sbcglobal.net

PARISH STAFF

Principal: Mrs. Brenda Baldassano

2304 W. Church Street Johnsburg, IL 60051 (815) 385-3959 www.stjohnschool.com

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST SCHOOL

PA

RISH

PA

ST

OR

AL

CEN

TER

OFFIC

E

2 Welcome to St. John the Baptist, Johnsburg, IL

PARISH INFORMATION

BUSINESS HOURS

Sunday: Acts 2:42-47/Ps 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 [1]/1 Pt 1:3-9/Jn 20:19-31 Monday: Acts 4:23-31/Ps 2:1-3, 4-7a, 7b-9 [cf. 11d]/ Jn 3:1-8 Tuesday: Acts 4:32-37/Ps 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5 [1a]/Jn 3:7b-15 Wednesday: Acts 5:17-26/Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 [7a]/ Jn 3:16-21 Thursday: Acts 5:27-33/Ps 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20 [7a]/Jn 3:31-36 Friday: Acts 5:34-42/Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14 [cf. 4abc]/Jn 6:1-15 Saturday: 1 Pt 5:5b-14/Ps 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17 [2]/Mk 16:15-20 Next Sunday: Acts 2:14, 22-33/Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 [11a]/1 Pt 1:17-21/Lk 24:13-35

Weekly Readings - Year A

April 19, 2020 † Divine Mercy Sunday 3

Prayer Requests Mass Intentions

We will keep names on the list for eight weeks, and then remove. If you would like the name of your loved one to be on the list for

longer than eight weeks, please call to renew. Thank you for your understanding.

“One thing only I ask you, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord.” - St. Monica

Jakey Baldassano Ted Bierchen

Jim Blaney John & Kathy Braun Valerie Brunkhorst

Harriet Buerer Noelle Hoeh-Butski Carmelita Caifano

Jeanne Caifano Leonard Caifano

Serenity Carf Sabrina Cavanaugh

Shirley Cermak Mary Chambers

Georgianne Chromczak

Mike & Sharon Coyle

Dennis Decman John DeLay

Michele Dubois Paulette Elsey John Ferraro

Tina Fosnacht Shirley Freeland

Harold Gabel Terrance Galvin

Debbie Glen Carol Golemba

Patti Hoeh Michael Jonas

Greg Jurczynski Jerome Kehl

Judy King Don & Barb Klapperich

Darrell Kondritz Scot Kurek

Aaron Lafontaine Richard Laskowski Dean & Sandra Lenard

Darren Leonardi Ron Marulewski, Jr. Barbara & Nick

Mastillo Teegan Mazuer

Jeremiah McCauley Bob McPartlin

Sr. Carol Mecko Marge Moeller Jeanne Monaco

John Morris Irene Murphy

Charles Nielson Bruce Novak

Annette Orlos Charlotte Paoletti

Constanza Paredes Maury Pera

Cathrine Philbin Theresa Pigoni Marty Pritchard Tina Quintero

Sr. Rosemary Reier Wayne Rendak Valerie Robbins Nancy Roberts Sal & Roz Ruiz Mary Schoiber

Marie Scopa Dolores Sklodowski

Marge Stabla Arleene Thiel Carmen Tosto Cade Winters

John Wolf Kathleen Wurth Alice Zabawski

Diane Zyskowski

Our Beloved Deceased:

Maureen Wehrs

Saturday, Apr. 18th, Easter Saturday 4:00 PM † Deceased Members of the Thelen Family Sunday, Apr. 19th, Divine Mercy Sunday 7:00 AM Parishioners, Friends, & Benefactors of St. John the Baptist (Fr. Jacek, CR) 9:00 AM S.I. Jan & Nick Keller & Family (Nusser Govekar Family) 11:00 AM † Seligmann Family (Kipkowski Family) 3:00 PM Recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet Monday, Apr. 20th 8:00 AM † Bill Lundford (Ray & Felicia Kuna) Tuesday, Apr. 21st, St. Anselm 8:00 AM † Alfred Moscinski (Chamberlain Family) Wednesday, Apr. 22nd 8:00 AM † Terry Wolf (Karl & Margaret Anna) Thursday, Apr. 23rd, St. George; St Adalbert 8:00 AM † Jerry Idstein (Mary Idstein) Friday, Apr. 24th, St. Fidelis 9:00 AM † Martha Peters (John & Pat Colomer) Saturday, Apr. 25th, St. Mark 4:00 PM † Daniel & Kathleen Uhlir, Anniv. (Family) Sunday, Apr. 26th 7:00 AM S.I. Brian Keller, Birthday (Family) 9:00 AM S.I. Jim & Gloria Studnicka 50th Wedding Anniversary 11:00 AM S.I. 25th Anniversary of Fr. Jacek Priesthood

4 St. John the Baptist, Johnsburg, IL

Pope to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday in Rome church

This year, the feast of Divine Mercy, which is celebrated on the Sunday after Easter, turns 20. Pope Francis will mark it on Sunday with a Holy Mass at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Sassia, the centre of the devotion to Divine Mercy in Rome. By Robin Gomes

Some 200 meters from St. Peter’s Square is the Church of the Holy Spirit, the sanctuary and centre of the devo-tion to Divine Mercy in Rome, where Pope Francis will mark Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19. The Mass that will be streamed and televised live, will have only a handful of faithful because of the coronavirus lockdown in Italy and the Vatican.

Saints Faustina and John Paul II The devotion to Divine Mercy was pop-ularized by the 20th-century Polish nun, Saint Faustina Kowalska, as requested to her by Jesus in visions and conversa-tions.

Saint Pope John Paul II instituted Divine Mercy Sunday on the occasion of the canonization of St. Faustina, April 30, 2000, the Second Sunday after Easter, thus opening the devotion and the feast of Divine Mercy to the Universal Church.

From his early years, Pope John Paul II had an ardent devotion to Divine Mer-cy, as promoted by Sister Faustina, who died in 1938 at the age of 33 in Krakow, where Karol Wojtyla was to become archbishop, cardinal and was later elected Pope in 1978.

Pope John Paul II who beatified Sister Faustina on April 18, 1993, Sunday after Easter, died on April 2, 2005, the eve of the Sunday after Easter.

John Paul II himself was beatified on May 1, 2011, Divine Mercy Sunday, and declared a saint on April 27, 2014, also Divine Mercy Sunday.

In an Apostolic Letter issued on the oc-casion of Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7, 2002, Pope John Paul II granted indul-gences to Catholics who go to confes-sion, receive Communion and recite specific prayers on that day. Subse-quently, this was formally decreed by the Apostolic Penitentiary.

Popes John Paul II and Francis

During his general audience live-streamed on Wednesday, Pope Francis told Polish pilgrims that on Sunday, April 19, he will celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy, established by St. John Paul II, in response to the “the request of the Lord Jesus to St. Faustina”. “Jesus said: ‘I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls.’ Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My Mercy.”

The Holy Father urged that prayers be said with “confidence to Merciful Jesus for the Church and for all humanity, especially for those who suffer in this very difficult time”.

Divine Mercy is certainly a strong, com-mon bond between the Popes John Paul II and Francis. “Dives in Misericor-dia” (Rich in Mercy), the 1980 encyclical of the Polish Pope is often cited by Pope Francis, the hallmark of whose pontificate has been mercy.

In this regard, we particularly recall the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy that Pope Francis called from December 8, 2015, to November 20, 2016.

Both the pontiffs are known for their sensitivity to human dignity, poverty, disease and suffering, and the need to show mercy.

Pope Francis envisages the Church as a “field hospital” that particularly reaches out to the least, the lost and the last. On the eve of his election, he said that “the Church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographically, but also the exis-tential peripheries: the mystery of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference to religion, of intellectual currents, and of all forms of misery.” Today, the devotion to Divine Mercy is widespread across the world. Churches and shrines dedicated to Divine Mercy have sprung up across the world, most importantly the Divine Mercy Shrine in Krakow, which houses the remains of Saint Faustina. Built between 1999–2002, the sanctuary has been visited by 3 popes. Millions of pilgrims from around the world visit it every year. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-04/pope-francis-divine-mercy-sunday-20-years-holy-spirit-church.html

5 April 19, 2020 † Divine Mercy Sunday

How to pray the divine mercy chaplet

The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.

1. Make the Sign of the Cross In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. Optional Opening Prayers You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, en-velop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. (Repeat three times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!

3. Our Father Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

4. Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sin-ners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

5. The Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father al-mighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

6. The Eternal Father Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and

Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

7. On the 10 Small Beads of Each Decade For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

8. Repeat for the remaining decades Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times) Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

10. Optional Closing Prayer Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

6 St. John the Baptist, Johnsburg, IL

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY, THE CROWN OF OUR EASTER CELEBRATION

by Dr. Tom Neal, April 17, 2020 This Sunday is the final day of the Easter Octave, named Divine Mercy Sunday by Pope John Paul II in 2000, is a “hermeneutical crown” of the eight-day-long celebration of that eighth and final day of creation. Hermeneutical? The word simply means “interpretive,” or the science of discovering meaning. Hence, I mean that this feast of Mercy really gets to the core of Easter’s true meaning.

Eleison?

Mercy, as I intend it here, is love encountering evil and overcoming it, healing it, redeeming it and raising out of its ruins surpassing goods that could never have been apart from these evils. Though God never positively wills an evil, he permits it only in view of the greater goods he might draw from them. And it is mercy that sustains the mysterious logic of the felix culpa, the “happy fault” of Adam that we sing of in the Exultet at the Easter Vigil. The whole economy of God’s work in Jesus is at heart a work of mercy, with the Passion being the inner core of that heart. In the Resurrection, God the Father accepted his Son’s sacrifice as a new and eternal mode of God’s being God: in the heart of the eternal Trinity is forever the risen Body of Jesus ever-marked with the signs of the Passion. God now, only and for all ages, relates to creation through the open wounds of the Risen Christ. To me, this is utterly astonishing to ponder: God’s mode of being-God—etched in his flesh—is forged by mercy’s response to human hatred and cruelty. This is the message embedded in the icon of Divine Mercy revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska.

Eucharistic Chaplet

It’s also the meaning of the “Chaplet of Mercy” that St. Faustina received from God in a vision. The Chaplet is an offering of the Slain-Risen Lord to the Father—by his priestly people—asking the Father to be who he has shown himself to be in Christ: Mercy. As such, the Chaplet is an extension of the liturgical-sacramental offering of the same Slain-Risen Lord that is the holy sacrifice of the Mass. To see this, one need only reflect on the words of Eucharistic Prayer I that follow the Consecration: “We, your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty, from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.” In this sense, I have always found the Chaplet to be a superb way to prepare for, and extend forward, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist into life. It shapes in me a deeper awareness of my sharing in Christ’s royal priesthood through Baptism. This priesthood calls me to—at every moment—offer both my own life as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1) for the life of the world, and to offer the living sacrifice of Christ himself. A number of years ago, this insight—like lightning—flashed in my mind during the per ipsum at Mass. The per ipsum is the moment, at the end of the long Eucharistic prayer after the Consecration, when the priest lifts up the Host and Chalice to-ward the Father and prays,

Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.

7 April 19, 2020 † Divine Mercy Sunday

On behalf of all and for all, the priest offers up God to God, the Son to the Father, and the faithful, united to the Son in his self-offering, seal their co-offering by a solemn and oath-making “great Amen.” As we were singing thrice the great Amen, I understood with what seemed like absolute clarity this Amen was our co-pronouncing with Christ his tetelestai, consum-matum est, “It is finished” (John 19:30). I also saw in that moment that our “Amen” was also our consenting “we are able”:

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.” (Mark 10:38-39)

That “cup” and “baptism” are, of course, references to his Passion. Amen.

Offerimus

The Chaplet, as a para-liturgical devotion, sustains the moment of our liturgical “great Amen.” It affirms the staggering truth that in Christ we have the authority to—at any moment we choose—apply the infinite treasury of God’s mercy to the world. And the sobering truth that we are willing to join Jesus in his self-offering.

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

It causes me to tremble. May he who is Risen to forever intercede for us before his Father sustain us daily in fidelity by his grace.

https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/divine-mercy-sunday-the-crown-of-our-easter-celebration/27131/

8 St. John the Baptist, Johnsburg, IL

EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP

Give Yourself Completely The early days of the first Christian community were not easy by any measurement. Jesus had been exe-cuted, and his disciples had to be discreet so as not to meet a similar fate. Jesus was now risen, but the truth of his resurrection was not accepted by all. However, the depiction of that early community in Acts 2:42-47 would lead someone to believe it was the opposite situation. We are told of community life where people lean on each other and share great joy. They ate and prayed together, and many wonders and signs were occurring to lift the community and bear witness to the power of Jesus Christ. They were disciples living out their faith, and it was their strong sense of stewardship that made all this possible in the face of threatening Roman and Jewish powers.

Today, we find the Church in a new turmoil. Increas-ing secularism, abuse scandals, and a lack of true fidelity place us once again in a time that is not easy. A friend of mine likes to say that any challenge of sin we encounter in the Church has its origin in a lack or misunderstanding of the stewardship way of life. We create our burdens by not using our gifts wisely and by turning inward selfishly. Could we use the story in Acts of the early Church to help us today? If we begin with the decision to give of ourselves completely to God and His people, will we become agents of change? There is only one way to find out. —Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS

Please continue to keep the faculty, staff,

and students of St. John the Baptist Catholic School in

your prayers.

We are praying together daily for our

church and for the parishioners and

friends of our St. John’s Parish

Family.

This moment in history is “a time to choose

what matters in life and what passes away, a

time to separate what is necessary from

what is not. It is a time to get our lives back

on track with regard to you, Lord, and to

others.” - Pope Francis, March 27, 2020

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Life is uncertain during this time of Covid-19. The most important things are God, our marriage and family. Take the time to make your marriage great! It’s time to clean out the old and bring in new life into your marriage. Learn the techniques to let go of habits that are bringing down your marriage and learn how to keep your marriage a priority in your busy lives. Sign up today to attend one of the upcoming Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends on: June 26-28 in Rockford, IL; Sept. 11-13 in Geneva, IL or Oct. 16-18 in Brookfield, WI. Early registration is highly recommended. For more information visit our website at: alifetimeoflove.org or call (888) 574-5653.

9 April 19, 2020 † Divine Mercy Sunday

Ministry news and events

Until further notice, all church, school, ministry events and meetings have been cancelled or postponed.

For up-to-date Parish information and announcements, please visit the St. John the Baptist Church website at

https://stjohnsjohnsburg.org

or download the free MyParish App on your Smart Phone and enter 60051 or St. John the Baptist under Find a Parish.

Stewardship OF TREASURE Online Contributions……….…..………….….$ 2,215.00

Diocesan stewardship 2019

2019 Diocesan Stewardship Goal _ _ $82,921.00 Pledged to Date …..…….………………..…..…..$ 75,840.00 Paid to Date .…………...………………..………...$ 71,741.71 Difference between goal and payments $11,179.29

267 Families Contributed Out of 699 Registered Families

For pledging & payment: www.rockforddiocese.org/donate

See if your employer participates in a “Matching Gift Program” to double your gift.

Please remember St. John’s in your will. Thank you for your generous giving!

Church Finances

Give…

As we all continue to navigate through social distancing and a focus on staying healthy, the impacts reverberate throughout our own lives, our local communi-ty and our country. Many of us have been unable to work due to temporary business closures and/or our children being home from school. As we support our loved ones and friends through phone calls, social media contact and our prayers, you may wonder how you can also support others in our community. St. Vincent de Paul greatly appreciates your donations through GiveCentral; all donations go directly toward helping those in our community who are strug-gling with utility, housing, medical bills as well as with food shortages.

"Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor." Proverbs 22:9