St. Francis of Assisi Parish – Teutopolis, Illinois page 2

Parish Office 203 E. Main St., P.O. Box 730, Teutopolis, IL 62467-0730 Office Hours: Mon. -Fri. – 9:00 am -4:30 pm Phone.................................................... (217) 857-6404 Fax........................................................ (217) 857-1031 Parish E-mail ....................stfrancischurch@mchsi.com Parish website: stfrancischurch.com Submit written bulletin notices by noon Monday. Diocesan website: www.dio.org

Congratulations to our RCIA members who joined us as a faith community by receiving the Sac-raments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucha-rist on Holy Saturday at the Vigil Mass. We welcome them and continue to pray as they seek strong roots in our faith.

Newest Members of our faith community From left to right: Matthew Walter Beck, Brittany Nicole

Klein, Brandon Blake Nice, Melissa Jo Habing and Molly Jane Elizabeth Ann Brummer

Divine Mercy Sunday Acts 4:32-35

Consider an elderly gentleman facing surgery, terrified of what might happen if he doesn’t survive the procedure. He has practiced his faith his whole life, and yet he still can’t believe that Jesus would welcome him home. Wouldn’t you want to encourage this man with the good news of God’s mercy? What about those who have distanced themselves from God and indulged in sin and rebellion? Could there be mercy for them? Should they dare to trust after living such a self-destructive life? Ab-solutely! Today we celebrate Jesus’ loving kindness. On this day, one week after Easter, we are reminded why Jesus rose from the dead: to shower the world with divine mercy. Now, unless we reject him outright, he will never deny us. As Peter walked through the streets of Jerusalem, many people brought their sick friends and relatives to him “in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on one or another of them. . . . And they were all cured” (Acts 5:15, 16). It was such a simple act, taking a friend to the side of the road, but it resulted in amazing miracles. Jesus didn’t wait for them to drum up heroic faith. All they needed was to take one small step, and he came running to them. This is the message that God gave St. Faustina. “The graces of mercy,” Jesus once told her, “are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive.” Or to put it another say: Everyone who trusts—receives! God has so much in store for us! If we simply go to meet him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we will find the divine mercy that we so deeply need. Jesus isn’t waiting for us to drum up heroic courage. All he needs is for us to take one step toward him, and he will rush in with his forgiveness, his healing, and his strength. “Jesus, your love is beyond words. For the sake of your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” The Word Among Us

WHY CATHOLIC? evaluations should be completed sometime within the next couple weeks. If anyone needs an evaluation form, they can be found on the round table outside the parish office. They may be returned to Sr. Pierre via round table, collection basket or drop off at the office. Thank you.

Save this date. The diocese is sponsoring a day of prayer on Eucharist by Fr. Nieli, Passionist. We will host the event here at St. Francis on Thursday, May 7th from 6:30-9:00. It is open to all parishioners whether or not you were part of “Why Catholic?.” Fr. Nieli, ordained in 1973, was the founding director of the Center for Spiritual Development of the Archdiocese of New York. He has extensive experience in the area of Catholic evangelization. His reputation as an entertaining and informative speaker promises to make the evening unforgettable.

Liturgy Schedule 2nd Week of Easter

April 20-26 Monday, Mass at 6:30 am

Tuesday, St. Anselm Mass at 6:30 & 8:05 am

Wednesday, Mass at 6:30 & 8:05 am

Thursday, St. George; St. Adalbert Mass at 6:30 am

Friday, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen Mass at 6:30 & 8:05 am

Saturday, St. Mark Mass at 5:30 pm

Sunday, 3rd Sunday of Easter Mass at 7:00, 8:45, 10:30 am

Confession Schedule Saturday, April 25 - 3:30-4:30 pm

Liturgy of the Hours with Friars

Monday-Friday -- 11:45 am & 4:45 pm

Stewardship of Treasure Sunday Total Fiscal 4/12/2009 Year 385 Adult envelopes $10,672.50 $321,213.50 Other 1,389.32 23,230.33 TOTAL $12,061.82 $344,443.83 GOAL $9,300.00 $381,300.00 Seminarians $2,085.00 Holy Land/Good Friday $2,500.27

April 19, 2009 ♦ Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday page 3

Pray for the Sick

Ministers to the Homebound

Monday, April 20 • CCW Salad Supper, 6:30 pm, Grade School

Auditorium • Picnic Chairmen mtg., 7:30 pm, St. Clare • DeColores Board mtg., 7:30 pm Museum

Meeting Room Tuesday, April 21 • Secular Franciscans meet, 6:00 pm, St. Clare and

7:00 pm in Church Wednesday, April 22 • Children’s Choir, 3:30-4:30 pm • Youth Choir, 6:00-7:00 pm • Young Adult Choir, 8:30-9:30 pm • Jr. High and High School Religion, 7:20 pm Thursday, April 23 • Adult Choir, 7:00-8:30 pm • Finance Council mtg., 6:00 pm, St. Clare • Parish Council mtg., 7:00 pm, St. Clare Saturday, April 25 • First Communion, student only, practice, 9:00-

11:00 am • Confessions, 3:30-4:30 pm • Water for Life collection Sunday, April 26 • KC Father/Son Mass/Breakfast, 7:00 am • Pre-School/Kindergarten closing program after

10:30 am Mass, with refreshments following in St. Clare Hall

• Water for Life collection

Parish Calendar

Anointing of the Sick The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be cele-brated on Tuesday, April 28th at 2:00 pm. This is a time for those of any age with serious illnesses to receive the Lord’s healing in body, mind and spirit. Come and join us as we pray together for strength and good health.

Please remember in your prayers those who are sick, especially: Sidney Horn, Kris Gouchenour, Rebekah Volk, Sr. Clara Esker, Laurie Shook, Sue Esker, Jerry Niebrugge, Marilyn Smith, Jodi Waymoth, Esther Pruemer, Rosie & Bill Myers, Evelyn Krone, Agnes Kremer, Tiffany Campbell

Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to the Homebound for Sunday, April 26th are: Theresa Funne-man 857-3816, Barbara Pals 857-3039, Marianne Buenerkemper 857-3686, Carlene Rauch 857-6296

Question of the Week Where have you experienced love or the fruits of love in this parish community? Acts 4:32-35 I Jn 5:1-6 John 20:19-31

Attention Picnic Chairmen There will be a meeting for all chairmen on Monday, April 20th at 7:30 pm in St. Clare Hall. Please plan to attend.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish – Teutopolis, Illinois page 4

Position Available Catholic Charities in Effingham has a part-time case aid position available. 8 hours per week, transporting chil-dren to/from parent/child visits and supervising those vis-its. High school diploma or equivalent required. Send resume to Foster Care Supervisor, PO Box 1017, Effingham, IL 62401.

Parishioners, Please Note! It has come to the attention of Catholic Charities in Effingham that person/persons may be soliciting dona-tions from individuals in the name of Catholic Charities. With exception of donations to our fundraisers, we do not solicit individual donations by phone. If you are con-tacted and have a concern that it is not a legitimate call, please get the person’s name and number and call Catholic Charities immediately at 857-1458.

Religious Education News Grade School—All families have received one is-sue of Catholic Digest magazine. There are articles on prayer, saints, church history, lived faith, sacra-ments, and other informative topics. Take the time to read at least one article a week and become better informed about your faith! Grade 2—First Communion practice for child only this Saturday, April 25 from 9:00 to 11:00. Child should be there about 5 to 10 minutes early in church. Following the practice children will be receiving the Seating Charts for Guests. Chapel seating is avail-able Junior High –Classes take place on Wednesday, April 22, at the usual time in the Junior High Build-ing. Parents are encouraged to meet in the cafeteria for a special showing of “Having Great Kids by Fri-day!” At 8:10, parents will leave the cafeteria to meet in their child’s classroom to view materials cov-ered this year. Wednesday, April 29, is the closing Mass in Church at 7:20 p.m. Grade 8 Parish Recognition of the 8th grade graduates takes place Sunday, May 24, at the 8:45 Mass. Pre/Kdgn- Sunday classes take place during the 10:30 Mass in the grade school cafeteria area. We are practicing for the closing program which is next Sunday, April 26 after the 10:30 Mass in Church. HS Religious Ed This Wednesday is our last formal class for the year. We will close our high school religious ed school year with a Mass of Thanksgiving on Wednesday, April 29 at 7:20. Students are expected to check in with their teacher at St. Clare Hall and sit with their class for Mass. We’ll have refreshments following Mass. Thanks to all who have made this a great year! Seniors will NOT have class on April 22 because of the school’s Senior Trip. Graduation Information: Congratulations to our parish seniors who will be graduating from High School! The parish would like to recognize you with Mass & a brunch on May 31. Join us for the 8:45 am Mass and then you and your guests are welcome to a brunch at the grade school. You will be receiving information this week regard-ing the brunch. We look forward to the great things each of you & God will do together!

MOTHER’S DAY & GRADUATION are coming UP! Give Mom a gift card to get her car washed or for a nice dinner! SCRIP CARDS will be for sale fol-lowing Masses this weekend & next weekend. Purchase a Scrip gift card to local places like IGA, Wal-Mart, Joe’s, Pizza Man, Niemerg’s, Splash & Dash Car Wash. Other cards can be ordered and then picked up the following Saturday morning at the entrance to the parish office. Thanks for your continued support of our youth pro-grams!

Thank You Thanks to all of the musicians for participating in the lit-urgies during Holy Week. Thanks also, to those who volunteered to have your foot washed on Holy Thursday, those who worked with our servers and helped in all the “behind the scenes” work that keeps everything running smoothly. All the volunteers worked extremely hard and put forth a tremendous effort to make our Holy Week services very special. Their dedication and gifts have blessed us all.

Special Collection Next weekend we will have the collection for Catholic Home Missions Appeal. This appeal supports religious education and seminary training to bring increased pas-toral care to our home mission parishes. Please give gen-erously and use the envelope included with your set. Thank you.

Easter Bake Sale Thank You Thanks so much to all who donated and bought baked goods and crafts from our bake sale. It was a great suc-cess!!! We made $1,495.00. Following is a list of the raffle winners: Rosie Hoelscher (door prize), Sandy Hodge, Doris Deters, Jane Ruholl, Maggie Overbeck, Betty Buscher, Gretta Beckman, Linda Hemmen, Rita Pals, Doris Probst, Lauren Hemmen, Amy Oseland, Megan Weichman, Norman Koester, Joan Smith, Alyssa Tipton, Susie Brummer, Bailey Buehnerkemper.

CCW News Mother/Daughter Banquet We invite all of you to the St. Francis Council of Catholi c Women’s Annual Mother/Daughter Banquet on Monday, April 20th at 6:30 pm at the Grade School Auditorium. Please being a salad (table service & drinks provided). Our guest speaker will be from Heartland Greenhouse. We will also have induction of new members of the par-ish at this time. Following is a list of workers to report at 5:45 pm: Michelle Pals, Norma Deters, Kim Deters, Pat Posten, Mary Lynn Hartke, Lori Willenborg, Bernice Matteson. Sharon Bummer, Angie Sheehan, Jodi Hoene, Karlene Brumleve, Annette Schnabel, Jane Heuerman, Lisa Posten, Jennifer Deters, Kris Zerrusen, Joan Brumleve. If you cannot work because of health reasons, please call Karen Brumleve @ 857-3971. Thank you.

Water For Life Sunday Next Sunday, April 26th the Ladies’ councils of each par-ish of the Effingham Deanery will be sponsoring “Water For Life” Sunday. This fundraiser for people in 3rd world countries is a joint effort of Catholic Relief Services and National Council of Catholic Women. We will be having a second collection for “Water For Life.” Thank you.

K of C News April 26th, Father/Son breakfast, 7:00 am Mass at St. Francis Church with breakfast following at the K of C Hall. April 28th, Religious Education Dinner, 6:30 pm at the K of C Hall with dinner served at 7:00 pm.

Prayer Vigil for Life Christ the King Church, Greenup, will host the April 20th Prayer Vigil for Life. The Scriptural Rosary will begin at 6:00 pm, followed with Mass and a business meeting at 7:30 pm.

40 Days for Life Thanks to all who prayed, fasted, kept vigil at an abortion clinic, or stood up for Life in any way this past Lent. This spring’s campaign in 135 cities has reported a total of 384 verified babies saved from abortion! Several cities are continuing a vigil at abortion clinics in hopes that these clinics will continue to have reduced hours of operation. We look forward to the fall national 40 Days for Life campaign beginning September 23rd! “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:4-5) Prayer: “Father, you are the God of hope. Your word fills us with the vision of the world to come, when every tear will be wiped away, and death will be no more. Fa-ther, how we need that hope, how we are strengthened by that vision! Keep our hearts focused on heaven, and dili-gent in the labors of earth. As we struggle against the culture of death, root our souls in the assurance of victory. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.” Fr. Frank Pavone

April 19, 2009 - Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday Page 4

Sing Along St. Francis Singers and Friends, 4th Thursday, April 23rd at Lakeland Nursing Center at 10:30 am. The folks appreciate and enjoy our visit. All are welcome.

Put ‘em out of work! That’s right! We want to be put out of work. PLEASE, we plead, we beg, separate recyclable items and put them in the proper bins. Some days “dumpster diving” gets very aggravating, even disgusting, when we open a bag and find all sorts of trash mixed with recyclable items. The Management Gary Deters & Fr. Vernon

Considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life? Please contact the Diocesan Vocation Of-fice at 217-698-8500, ext. 182 or email voca-tions@dio.org. We will be happy to assist you in discern-ing your vocation!

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,

His love is everlasting.

Nurses Scholarship Fund The Effingham American Legion will host a pancake and sausage breakfast to benefit the Nurses Scholarship Fund. Serving on Sunday, April 26th, 7:00 am till 12:00 noon at the Effingham American Legion. Adults $5.00 and under 12 years $3.00.

St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Teutopolis, Illinois Page 5

Divine Mercy Sunday—April 19, 2009 The Feast of Divine Mercy will be celebrated on Sunday, April 19th, 2 pm at Blessed Sacrament Church, 1725 S. Walnut Street, Springfield, Ill. Bishop George J. Lucas will preside over a Prayer Service that will include: Expo-sition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Scriptural Readings, Recitation of the Chaplet and Benediction. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be made available until 4:30 pm. All are welcome. Catholic Charities Beach Party

Want to have a great time? Want to hear some Jimmy Buffet tunes or one of the award winning original tunes from Dave Rudolf? Want to see your kids (or yourself) Limbo, Hula hoop, do a Conga Line, or tons of other fun interactive activities while listening to great Music? Then come join us for a Beach Party presented by Dave Rudolf this Sunday, April 19th, 5:00 pm, at the Rosebud Theatre. Tickets will be available at the door.

1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed. 2. Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: 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. 3. On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades). 4. Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. "I saw a great radiance, in the midst of it, God the Father. Between this radiance and the earth I saw Jesus, nailed to the Cross and in such a way that when God wanted to look at the earth, He had to look through the wounds of Jesus. And I understood that it was for the sake of Jesus that God blesses the earth." (Diary 60)

A Little History on Divine Mercy On February 22, 1931, a young Polish nun, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, saw a vision of Jesus with rays of mercy streaming from the area of His Heart. He told her to have an image painted to represent this vision and to sign it, “Jesus, I trust in You!” “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory.” “My gaze from this image is like my gaze from the cross.” Our Lord taught Sister Faustina a special prayer — the Divine Chaplet. “Encourage souls to say the Chap-let...Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy...Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.”

How to Say the Divine Chaplet Building Stronger Marriages Workshops The Office for Marriage and Family Life invites married couples to strengthen their marriages by attending a semi-nar which includes workshops entitled Financial Peace University, Good News About Sex & Marriage, and Building your Foundation on the Rock. They will be held at St. Paul Parish in Highland on May 2-3, 2009. The cost is $75. Questions? Call 217-698-8500, ext. 121. Register online at http://www.dio.org/familylife.

Volunteers to Be Honored Catholic Charities will be honoring our volunteers with a Continental Breakfast on Thursday, April 30th, 7:30 to 10:00 am. It will be held in the Conference Room at Catholic Charities. Please stop by before work or on your way out for the day. We will have some fresh baked goodies for you to enjoy! Hope to see you! Please RSVP to 857-1458 or 857-1482 by April 27th.

Holy Humor…Bulletin Bloopers • Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items

to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children. • Please place your donation in the envelope along with the

deceased person you want remembered. • The church will host an evening of fine dining, super enter-

tainment and gracious hostility. • Potluck supper Sunday at 5 pm. Prayer and medication to

follow. • The audience is asked to remain seated until the end of the

recession. • The outreach committee has enlisted twenty-five visitors to

make calls on people who are not afflicted with any church.

• Ushers will eat latecomers.

April 19, 2009 ♦ Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday page 7

“Meet & Greet C.A.S.A.” C.A.S.A. What does it stand for? What does a CASA do? C.A.S.A., which is an acronym for Court Appointed Special Advocate, is a non-profit organization which trains volunteers from the community to advocate in court for abused and neglected children in our community who have been removed from their homes and now reside in foster care. You are invited to attend our “Meet and Greet C.A.S.A.” on Friday, May 1, 2009 at the Effing-ham County Government Building, 120 W. Jefferson, Effingham, from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. CASA Board of Directors will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about our program. CASA Volunteers donate their time to help abused and neglected children who, through no fault of their own, are in scary, uncertain situations.

Longaberger Basket Bingo Sunday, April 26 at Holy Cross Parish Center, Wendelin. Doors open at 12:30 pm, games begin at 1:30 pm. Dob-bers and refreshments available. Advance tickets — $15; Tickets at the door—$18. Everyone is welcome.

Lost & Found A navy blue umbrella was found after the Will funeral. A girl’s black (size 5) jacket/blouse was found after 10:30 Sunday Mass on April 5th. Please come to the parish office to claim.

Breakfast Sacred Heart PTA Pig-Out Breakfast, Sunday, April 19th, at the parish center. Whole hog sausage, pancakes, bis-cuits & gravy, eggs, fruit, homemade rolls and breads, and beverages served from 7 am until noon. There will also be a raffle and a Mystery Box stand. Everyone is invited.

Auditions “FACE” (Fine Arts County of Effingham) is holding auditions for our summer musical “Oklahoma” by Rogers and Hammerstein, on Monday and Tuesday, May 11 & 12 at St. Anthony High School Enlow Center. There is a need for 11 men & 8 women, plus crew. These are all singing roles, and while most roles are for younger people, (late teens or twenties with some older roles) any-one is encouraged to audition. Anyone wishing to audi-tion should prepare a short vocal (1-2 minutes) to demon-strate their singing range and volume. In addition, there will be cold readings from the script.

Celebrate EARTH DAY April 22, 2009