St. Theresa’s

St. Patrick’s

Immaculate Conception

www.iccmonmouth.org

This Issue:▪ Msgr Tom Article▪ Preach With Your Life▪ Courage to Go to Jesus▪ Expressions of Prayer▪ Special Updates▪ ICC Confirmation 2015▪ St. Pat’s Confirmation

It is a beautiful fall day as I write this article for the newsletter. I love the fallseason and harvest time. Our three Confirmation Masses are now done and I would like to thank,again, the parents of all of our Confirmation students for the help in preparing yoursons and daughters. Thanks also to the religion teachers at ICS, and our CCD teachersat both Immaculate Conception and St. Patrick’s. Thanks to Mr. Frakes, Rita Selby andMary Perrilles for their support of the students. Thanks to the women at St. Patrick’sfor all the homemade cookies and brownies they made for the Confirmation retreatday----they were VERY well received by the students and the Brothers and Sisters ofthe Community of St. John. The Holy Day of the Feast of All Saints is fast approaching, and shortly aftercomes Thanksgiving Day. The day for all of us to take time to say thanks to God forHis many blessings, large and small, and thanks for allowing us to live in the bestcountry in the world! On October 19th, we celebrate the feast day of the North American Martyrs.The North American Martyrs were a group of French priests and laymen who workedamong the Native American tribes in southern Canada and the northeastern part ofthe United States in the early days of the settling of the colonies along and near theSt. Lawrence River. They brought to the native people the word of the Gospel and theLove of Jesus for them. They were martyred at different times and in differentlocations in the US and Canada while ministering the Word of Jesus. The two mostfamous of the martyrs were St. Isaac Jogues and St. John de Brebeuf. There are a couple of reasons I want us to remember them and their fellowmartyrs as we approach All Saints Day and Thanksgiving Day. First, in the back altar atImmaculate Conception there are relics of some of the North American martyrs,including St. John de Brebeuf. Second, we need to always remember how importantit is that we live in a country that allows religious freedom. It is a freedom that weshould not take lightly. We are so blessed, in this country, that to let this freedom slipaway or be weakened in anyway should make us hang our heads and weep. We needto remember the people, like many of our ancestors, who came to this New Worldbecause here they could find freedom of worship after experiencing persecution intheir native lands. Happy All Saints Day and an early Happy Thanksgiving with all your families!

Msgr Tom

United in Faith Monthly Newsletter November 2015

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Special UpdatesBaptisms:Immaculate ConceptionIsaac Richard Guerrettaz - son of Aaron & EmilyGuerrettaz (October 18, 2015)

St. Patrick’sWyatt Rider - son of Justin & Crystal Rider(October 10, 2015)

Wedding:Kyle Lee Gugeler & Elizabeth Twomey(October 3, 2015)

Deaths:John Darnell (Abingdon) September 27, 2015Margaret Ray (Monmouth) October 15, 2015

St. Patrick Community Center is shown abovewith a new roof. The center will be closed

after the annual smorgasbord on November1st for remodeling of the inside.

Preach With Your Life“Let us all remember this: one cannot proclaim thegospel of Jesus without the tangible witness of one’slife. Those who listen to us and observe us must beable to see in our actions what they hear from our lipsand so give glory to God! I am thinking now of someadvice that St. Francis of Assisi gave to his brothers:preach the gospel and if necessary, use words. Preachwith your life, with your witness.”

~ Pope Francis Speaks to Our Hearts

The Courage to Go to Jesus “This is important: the courage to trust inJesus’ mercy, to trust in His patience, to seek refugealways in the wounds of his love…… Maybe someone among us here is thinking: mysin is so great, I am as far from God as the younger sonin the parable; my unbelief is like that of Thomas. Idon’t have the courage to go back, to believe that Godcan welcome me and that He is waiting for me, of allpeople. But God is indeed waiting for you; He asks ofyou only the courage to go to Him. How many times in my pastoral ministry have Iheard it said, “Father, I have many sins,” and I havealways pleaded, “Don’t be afraid; go to Him; He iswaiting for you; He will take care of everything.” Wehear many offers from the world around us, but let ustake up God’s offer instead: His is a caress of love.

~ Pope Francis Speaks to Our Hearts

Expressions of Prayer

Vocal (lips)

Meditative (mind)

Contemplative (heart)

“Non-Catholics who occasionally attend Massare often intrigued by what we Catholics “do”there. In particular, they often want to know,“what’s that thing you do right before theGospel?” when they see us quickly move ourthumbs from our forehead, to our mouth, toour chest. They are fascinated to learn that weare making the Sign of the Cross over our fore-head, lips and heart, while silently praying,“May the word of God be in my mind, on mylips, and in my heart.” Mind, lips, and heart--these are the three “venues,” so to speak, ofprayer.”

~ A Well-Built Faith by Joe Paprocki

United in Faith Monthly Newsletter November 2015

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October 10, 2015 at 6:00 pmRow 1 – Bottom Row (Left to Right): Andrea Avalos, Stephanie Lopez, Msgr. Mark J. Merdian (Celebrant from Rock Island), MelissaHerrera, Santiago MirandaRow 2: Alexander Mendez, Michelle Hernandez, Allison Juarez, Iratze Aceves, Emi Martinez, Alejandra Salgado, Kayla Pinedo,Jovanni VazquezRow 3: Rodolfo Palma, Katherine Guerrero, Dailenis Vera, Joanna Hernandez, Margarita Meza, Maria Mora, Emilio HernandezRow 4: Richard Saavedra, Diego Godina, Nikolas Barry, Leonardo Aguilera, Michael TluangRow 5 - Top Row: Fidencio Avalos, Steven Meza, Martin Arteaga, Miguel Osorio, Leslie Hernández (Not pictured)

Confirmation 2015 - Immaculate Conception

October 10, 2015 at 11:00 amRow 1 – Bottom Row (Left to Right): Giovanni Godina, Cristian Perez, Jack Krieger, AlecThompson, Sullivan Huston, Santina Alfano, Domenico Alfano, Abigail Shaeffer, Keisha Wilson–Bahun, Msgr. Richard A. Pricco (Celebrant from Macomb)Row 2: Carlos Alcala, Daniel Cisneros, Nathan Lewis-Bresnahan, Max Martin, Regan Trego,Toby Turnquist, Tanner Bryan, Rosalia Lentini, Cade WhitsittRow 3: Declan Flynn, Patricia Arteaga, Shalyn Lucas, Ryley Huston, Catherine Fuller, AndrewFuller, Jack Thompson, Johnathan Denison, Dareann PettisRow 4 - Top Row: Danilo Fernandez, Dylan Cheline, Carly Gillen, Delaney Woodard, BlakeCunningham, Cullen Vickroy, Dylan Diaz, Kevin Jurado, Carlos Serrato

“Baptism, the Eucharist,and the sacrament ofConfirmation togetherconstitute the "sacramentsof Christian initiation,"whose unity must besafeguarded. It must beexplained to the faithfulthat the reception of thesacrament of Confirmationis necessary for thecompletion of baptismalgrace. For "by thesacrament ofConfirmation, [thebaptized] are moreperfectly bound to theChurch and are enrichedwith a special strength ofthe Holy Spirit. Hence theyare, as true witnesses ofChrist, more strictlyobliged to spread anddefend the faith by wordand deed."~ Catechism of the CatholicChurch 1285

Immaculate Conception Church210 West Broadway

Monmouth, IL 61462

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Non-ProfitU.S. Postage

PAIDMonmouth, ILPermit No. 27

"Give thanks to the Lord, who is good, whosemercy endures forever.”

~ Psalms 106:1

October 11, 2015 at 11:00 amBack row: Jensen Bowman, ShailaCampbell, Eric Rathbone, NicholasTorrance, Leah JorgensenFront row: Carter Russell, Reese Kane,Bridget Brokaw, Molly Parsons, AmeliaPerrilles

Confirmation 2015 ~ St. Patrick’s Church

Joe Crum, Kyle Campbell, Will Kane,Nicholas Brokaw, John Kane, Casey

Crum and Alan Rodgers