Strengthen Your Hearts

How good is good enough? Do you have to be perfect to get to heaven? In the second reading this Sunday, Paul seems to think so when he tells us to be “blameless in holiness” (1 Thess 3:13.) In fact, he tells the Thessalonians who are pleasing God, to do even more. (4:1) Now Paul never considered himself as perfect: “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.” (2 Cor 12:7-9) But even with his weakness, Paul always did the best he could. So what should we strive for? Maybe we can take a hint from his phrase “strengthen your hearts.”

Think of athletes who try to do their best. A great ball player takes batting practice every day to improve his average. A tennis player will practice her serve to get more aces. A hockey player will keep skating during the summer to get faster. Good athletes are always looking for ways to improve themselves. The keep in shape so they can be stronger, faster, smarter. So what about good Christians? That same attitude is what Paul means by “strengthen your hearts.” And Advent is a good time to start.

As we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Lord, we can get ourselves in spiritual shape. Spiritual reading can give us a stronger prayer life. But like the athlete who can read about the rules or strategies of the sport, we get a stronger prayer life by actually praying. If our spiritual reading just makes us feel good, we may be wasting our time.

Hopefully, it will lead us to try praying more often and more seriously. Likewise, we can read about volunteering to feed the poor, but making the commitment and doing it is what strengthens the heart. And how can we be “blameless in holiness. . . at the coming of Our Lord?” Not by bragging about our goodness, but confessing what we have done wrong. Only God’s forgiveness can make us blameless.

Then as the Gospel says, we may have “the strength. . .to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 21:36)

Download This Week’s Bulletin

Weekly Links:

Bellville Diocese
Bishop Michael McGovern YouTube Channel
From the Desk of Pope Francis
Growing in Faith Newsletter
How to Pray the Rosary
Memorial Brick Order Form 
Parishioners Serving Schedule – November
Immac-Concep-Schedule – Oct-Dec
PSR Registration Form
US Conference of Catholic Bishops
YouTube Vatican Channel 

Sacred Heart news on Facebook

Can I name a person or group of people whom I now realize I have overlooked? How can I seek out Jesus in my neighbor?

MASS & INTENTIONS
Sacred Heart

Saturday, November 27 – Weekday
4:00 – 4:30 pm Confession
5:00 pm Mass Intention

• Emerenciana Calderron by The Calderon
• Family Jon Max Olinger by Betty & Brenda

Sunday, November 28
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
8:00 am Rosary
8:00 – 8:15 am Confession
8:30 am Mass Intention

• Ralph Hemmer by Sacred Heart Choir
• John Alongi by The Family
• Rita Harsy by Cyrilla & Family

Monday, November 29 – Advent Weekday
7:00 am Prayer Service

Tuesday, November 30 – Advent Weekday
SAINT ANDREW, APOSTLE
7:00 am Mass Intention

• Jenny Fronek by Betty & Brenda

Wednesday, December 1 – Advent Weekday
5:30 pm Mass Intention

• Anna Banico by The Calderon Family

• Thursday, December 2 – Advent Weekday
  7:00 am Mass Intention

• Val & Sally Fontana by The Fontana Children

Friday, December 3 – Advent Weekday
Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
7:00 am Mass Intention

• Francis McLuckie by Al & Sharon Martin

Saturday, December 4 – Advent Weekday
Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor of the Church
10:00 am – Noon – Confession
3:00 – 4:30 pm Confession
5:00 pm Mass Intention

• Vito Riggio

Sunday, December 5
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
8:00 am Rosary
8:00 – 8:15 am Confession
8:30 am Mass Intention

• Mary Lynn Szperra by Joe & Mary Beth Lane

CONFESSIONS:

Confessions are now being held in the Confessional at church. Please remember to wear a mask and leave the door slightly open.

PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS…

Sacred Heart Parish Council Elections are coming soon. On the weekend of November 27th & 28th please nominate people who you believe would be good advocates for the parishioners of Sacred Heart.

Then on December 18th & 19th we will have our parish council elections. The new members would take a seat on the council in January.

LITURGICAL MINISTERS
Sacred Heart

Ushers for month of December

Saturday: Harold Calderon, Allen Reaves, Tony Jones 
Sunday: Tim Cobin, Joe Lane, Rockne Berg

Saturday, December 4th
Lector: St. Bruno Sturdent
Extraordinary Ministers: Priest, Cyrilla Prusacki

Sunday, December 5th
Lector: Vianney Sanchez
Extraordinary Ministers: Priest, Henry Born

Saturday, November 27
PARISH COUNCIL NOMINATIONS
8:00 am HALOM/Tree of Life Cursillo meeting at hall
9:00 am – Noon St. Joseph Thrift Store open
9:00 am Music in Motion at Haffner Hall
9:30 am Pickleball in gym

Sunday, November 28
PARISH COUNCIL NOMINATIONS

Monday, November 29
8:00 am – noon Quilting at Haffner Hall
9-11 am & 5 – 7 pm drop off at St. Joseph Thrift Store
4-5 pm Movement to Music at Haffner Hall

Tuesday, November 30
8:00 am – 12:00 pm Quilting at Haffner Hall

Wednesday, December 1
7:00 am – 5:00 pm Eucharistic Adoration 8:30 am Pickleball at gym
6:00 – 7:30 pm PSR Class – Advent

Thursday, December 2

9:00 am – 4:00 pm St. Joseph Thrift Store open
4-5 pm Movement to Music at Haffner Hall 6:00 pm RCIA – Mary & The Saints
6:00 pm Choir

Friday, December 3
3:30 pm – Sacred Heart dessert drop off at American Legion Fish Fry – proceeds for the Clothes Closet

Saturday, December 4
Second Collection: Social Justice
8:00 am to 1:00 pm Salvation Army Bell Ringers
9:00 am Movement to Music at

Sunday, December 5
Second Collection: Social Justice

MASS & INTENTIONS
Immaculate Conception

Saturday, November 27 – Weekday

Sunday, November 28
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
10:00 am Mass Intention

• John Pestka by Randall & Luanne Waring

Monday, November 29 – Advent Weekday

Tuesday, November 30 – Advent Weekday
SAINT ANDREW, APOSTLE

Wednesday, December 1 – Advent Weekday

Thursday, December 2 – Advent Weekday

Friday, December 3 – Advent Weekday
Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

Saturday, December 4 – Advent Weekday

Sunday, December 5
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT 
Second Collection: Maintenance Collection
10:00 am Mass Intention

• Chris Kujawa by Don & Jania Hoffman
• Roman Rojek by The Family

Confession at Immaculate Conception

Confessions will be heard in the flower room west of the altar either before or after mass. Please wait in the room for Fr. Carl. If he does not see you, please alert him that you are there for confession.

LITURGICAL MINISTERS
Immaculate Conception

Ushers for the Month of December:

Jim Majewski & Steve Harris

Sunday, December 5th 
Lector: Tiffany Kujawa
Sweet Treats: Jamie Schrader

Wednesday, December 8th
Lector: Krista Piotrowski

IC  NEWS & EVENTS

1. Office Hours: Thursdays from 8AM to 2PM – When office is closed, please call 542-3423 (Sacred Heart) for assistance.

2. Planned Giving: Would you consider Immaculate Conception Church in your will or trust? Do you have an insurance policy that no longer fits your needs? You can donate it to Immaculate Conception Church and receive tax benefits as well as the satisfaction of helping the future of our parishes.

IC Parish Hall Rental Rates

RATE
$25/hr – Parishioner
$40/hr – Non-Parishioner
$100 deposit – returned after event if no damage.

Don’t miss Bishop McGovern’s inspiring column in every issue! Subscribe to The Messenger at 618-233- 8670. To subscribe online go to www.bellevillemessenger.org

THE NEW BREAKING BREAD MISSALS ARE IN THE PEWS. PLEASE LEAVE THEM IN THE PEWS. THANK YOU!

First Sunday of Advent
Advent – a time for hope

Advent has always been a happy time for most people, even in difficult times, because there is something about Christmas and the coming of the Messiah and the coming of the Lord, and the realization of all the promises that God has made to His people find their fulfillment in a stable, a little child, a poor young teenage mother and her gravely worried husband into whose care God had placed this most precious twosome.

There’s something that stirs great hope in us. And so Advent is really a time for hope. It’s a time when we put aside major worries in our life and realize that God is with us.

This year Pope Benedict wrote his second encyclical on hope. And it’s a beautiful, short but beautiful, document. And he says for a Christian to have hope means to know that we are definitely loved, and that, whatever happens to us, we are awaited by love.

CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Thank you for your generous support last week for the collection fo the Catholic Campaign for Human Development! This collection supports those on the margins who live in poverty in the United States. If you missed the collection, it’s not too late to give! Visit www.usccb.org/nationalcollections and click “How to Give” under “Resources.”

The Sacred Heart Capital Campaign (Keep The Faith Growing) is coming to a close at the end of the year. At that time there will be a full accounting and explanation. Please remember to honor your pledge.

Concert of “Thanksgiving and Hope”
Nov. 28, 2021

A free community concert of “Thanksgiving and Hope” will celebrate the “heroes” of the pandemic and pay tribute to all who lost their lives due to COVID-19. The Bach Society of St. Louis will present the concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28 at St. Clare of Assisi Church in O’Fallon, IL

The Most Reverend Michael McGovern, Bishop of Belleville, Kim and Jim Sabella of Wolfersberger Funeral Home, O’Fallon, Il, and St. Clare Parish are sponsoring this free concert as a gift to area communities.

Advanced registration for the free tickets is needed due to limited seating capacity. Please visit bachsociety.org/community21 for the free tickets. Seating is general admission, and doors open at 2:30 p.m. The church is wheelchair accessible.

HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE…

Are you looking for a way to grow in faith and further your devotion to Mary our Mother and Helper? A new ministry is forming at Sacred Heart/Immaculate Conception of making rosaries and sharing with those who can’t afford or in need of one. At this time we are focusing on teaching the PSR students how to make rosaries this year. Stay tuned for further information.

If you are interested in this ministry, please contact the parish office or Kathy Scaglione.

Du Bois Knights of Columbus Council #4476 Educational Scholarship Forms

– are available at the entrances to the church. Deadline to apply is December 9th. Return the application to the Du Bois KC Hall or through a member.

The 2021 Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal

Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do…

-John 14:12

On behalf of the ministries and programs funded by The Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal and those they serve, we thank you for your prayers and continued generosity to the 2021 campaign. May you and your families feel the warmth of God’s love and the comfort of His peace at Thanksgiving and always.

SALVATION ARMY RED KETTLE DRIVE

The Salvation Army Red Kettle Drive will again be located in front of the Du Quoin WalMart Store this Christmas season. Sacred Heart will be ringing the bells on Saturday, December 4th from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm and December 18th from 1 to 6 pm and we are looking for volunteers! Please call Henry Born at 542-3668 and get on the list to spread some joy!

Are you looking for that perfect Christmas gift?

How about remembering your loved one(s) with a personalized brick in Sacred Heart’s Remembrance Garden (located between the church and the school). It is a gift that will last more than a lifetime! Please contact Kelly at the rectory office for more details.

The 2021 Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal

Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do…

-John 14:12

The ministries and programs that rely on The Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal ensure the healing, teaching and redemptive presence of Jesus Christ for the people of our Belleville Diocese. Yet, their work cannot continue without YOUR help and support. We ask for your continued prayers for the success of The Appeal and, if you are able, please consider making a gift. No amount is too large or small and donations are accepted throughout the year. Thank you and God bless!

It is important to be registered in a parish so sacrament information can be logged and available for reference for any life event that occurs. Please pardon the oversight if you have not been receiving envelopes, or if there has been a life event (new to the parish, marriage, births, new addresses etc.) that we are unaware of. Give the office a call at 542-3423 and we will get you back on the registry and will answer any questions you may have

For those of you making plans for Christmas, here is this year’s Christmas schedule:

Holy Water

If you are in need of Holy Water, please contact the office for details on how you can receive some.

St. Bruno
Catholic School News

Learn more about St. Bruno Catholic School at www.stbrunoschool.com

Lunch Menus

Did you know that our monthly lunch menus are on our website? Just go to https://stbrunoschool.com/school-menu/ and click on the menu tab.

Mark your calendars! f

For our next restaurant fundraiser on Wednesday, December 8th at Pistol City in Coulterville, this one is all day, so order and pickup or dine in any time on December 8th and help our school! While in town, head on over to the Coulterville Holiday light display and check out the St. Bruno tree – ornaments will be made by our students – they won’t have an event that night since it is a week night, but still fun to stroll through the lights and check out our tree!
Coulterville Holiday Light DisplayPistol City Restaurant

SCRIP Cards available…

Lots of gift card bonuses available on popular cards through RaiseRight app this weekend! This is weekend 2 of 4 for added bonuses! Check back next week for new bonus offers!! https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/…/30567/bonus-fest-wk2

Vocation Corner November 28th

“I was raised in a loving Catholic family, yet it wasn’t until I joined the local parish youth group that my faith came alive. Led by our youth minister to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, I encountered a God who knew and love me intimately, and I dreamed about becoming his bride and serving him in the poor. In high school, my life was filled with studies, sports and friends. After graduating from Villanova University, I worked as an oncology nurse while also dating man I could see myself marrying. I seemed to have it all, but I couldn’t forget what God had placed deep in my heart as a 15-year-old. The immense joy and peace I experienced contemplating a religious vocations led me to leave everything and follow in our Lord’s footsteps. God’s dream for me came true on June 6, 2016 when I professed my final vows.

Sister Chara Rose Fedele; Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal; Columbia Magazine – April 2019

Diocese of Belleville
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

Gracious God
You have called us through Baptism to discipleship, believing in your Son, Jesus Christ, who has sent us to bring the Good News of salvation to the world.

We pray to you, asking that you grant us more priests and religious
who will help us build up your Church in the Diocese of Belleville and the world.

Stir up the grace of a religious vocation
in the hearts of many of our youth. Grant to them the willingness and generosity to give of themselves in service to our Lord Jesus and his people.

May a new generation
of priests, deacons, sisters and brothers be a sign of your presence among us.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Televised Sunday Mass

Televised Sunday Mass is now airing on ABC Family from 5:30 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. each Sunday morning. The Sunday Mass is produced by the Passionist Fathers and Brothers out of New York City and in available nationally on local affiliates. This is a special ministry, particularly for the elderly and the infirmed. It’s also available online:  http://thesundaymass.org

EWTN Global Catholic Network

Originally known as the Eternal Word Television Network, EWTN provides inspirational talk shows, original Catholic teaching series, animated programs for kids, live church coverage and documentaries. Tune in to channel 261 on DISH Network Satellite TV, channel 370 on DirecTV, and channel 94 for NewWave Communications for all EWTN has to offer or go to:  http://www.ewtn.com/tv

Parish Staff
for both Churches

Parish Staff
for both Churches

Fr. Carl Schrage
– Pastor of
Sacred Heart Church
Immaculate Conception

Kelly Paxton
– Secretary:
Sacred Heart
Immaculate Conception

Tony Kellerman
– Maintenance:
Sacred Heart
Immaculate Conception

Jeremy Cornett
– Parish Council President
Sacred Heart

Tiffany Kujawa
– Parish Council President
Immaculate Conception

TBA
– Coord. of Religious Education
Sacred Heart & Immaculate Conception

Krista Piotrowski
– Youth Minister
Sacred Heart & Immaculate Conception

Parish Contact Information
for both Churches

Rectory:
17 N. Walnut, Du Quoin, IL 62832
Rectory Phone – 618-542-3423
Rectory Fax – 618-542-5061

Email – sacredheartduquoin@gmail.com

Sacred Heart Catholic Church:
100 West Main St., Du Quoin, IL 62832
Phone – 618-542-3423
Haffner Hall rental – 618-542-3423

Haffner Hall Phone – 618-542-2285
16 N. Walnut, Du Quoin, IL 62832
Parish Council President – 618-542-6298

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
533 W 2nd North St, Tamaroa, IL 62888
Phone – 618-496-5867

Immaculate Conception Hall rental
– 618-496-5867
Parish Council President
– 618-559-1078

Parishioners Serving Schedule
– Lisa Mohr
lisamohr64@gmail.com

Webmaster:
– Suzanne McCrary
sannemc18@mediacombb.net