150Th Anniversary Edition
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St. Peter ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH VOLO, ILLINOIS 150th Anniversary Edition A Parish of the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius First and second church building at St. Peter JUNE 24, 2018 Page 2 Office 5 MISSION PASTORS OF ST. PETER (36 years) 27551 Volo Village Road St. John of Johnsburg Volo, IL 60073 1968 1883 15 yrs Father Hubert Fegers (815) 385-5496 1883 1884 1 yr. Father Otto Groenebaum 18841889 5 yrs. Father Henry Mehring Email address: [email protected] St. Mary of Freemont [email protected] 18891901 12 yrs. Father Joseph Rohde Website: www.stpetervolo.org 19011904 3 yrs. Father George Thiele 9 RESIDENT PASTORS Holy Mass 19041911 7 yrs. Father Joseph Rempe Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 19111913 2 yrs. Father Arthur A. Riss 6:15 a.m. Latin, 8:00 a.m. 19131916 3 yrs. Father Francis J. Epstein Wednesday 8:00 a.m., 6:30 p.m. Latin 19161959 43 yrs. Father George L. Schark SaturdayN8:00 a.m. Latin, 5:00 p.m. Vigil 19591973 14 yrs. Father Edmund L. Slingerland SundayN8:00, 9:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Latin, 1973 1983 10 yrs. Father Charles Heaney 1:00 p.m. Spanish 19831994 11 yrs. Father James Lyons 19941998 4 yrs. Father James P. Doyle Holydays (subject to change) 1998 2007 9 yrs. Father Donald Dietz, OMI 7:00 p.m. Vigil, 2007 2010 3 yrs. Father Dennis Kolinski, SJC 8:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. (Latin) 2010 2011 10 mos Father Eduardo Garcia 2011 2015 4 yrs. Father James Isaacson, SJC 2015 present Father Anthony Rice, SJC Confessions 6 GROUPS OF SCHOOL TEACHERS (68 years) Before weekend Masses and after 8 am Mass 18921910 18 yrs. Sisters of St. Francis M-F and before 8 am Mass Sat (when a priest is 19101915 5 yrs. Lay teachers 19151927 12 yrs. Sisters of St. Francis, Milw available) and by appointment. 1927 1951 24 yrs. Sisters of the Divine Savior, Milw 19511952 1 yr. Father Schark and SACRAMENTS housekeeper Louise Bloom To receive the sacraments of Baptism, First 19521960 8 yrs. Sisters of St. Casimir, Chicago Confession, First Communion, Confirmation, and/or Matrimony, it is necessary to be an active PRESENT BUILDINGS registered member of the parish for 6 months St. Peter Church 1926 St. Peter School 1926 before contacting the parish. Old Rectory, now office St. Therese House 1904 Baptisms take place Sat. at 1:00 p.m. Old St. Joseph House July 2000 made…. All Baptismal requests must be accompanied by Guardian Angel Parking Lot October 2001 an original Birth Certificate. St. Henry House donated by Henry Diedrich, Sacrament of Matrimony should be arranged at April 2001 least 6 months in advance. St. Mary House, current rectory, October 2003 St. Joseph House August 2010 Parish Staff and Contacts AGE OF PARISH As mission 18681904 (36 yrs) Pastor........................... Fr. Anthony Rice, SJC As parish with pastor 19042018 (114 yrs) Associate ................. .Fr. Nathan Caswell, SJC St. Peter Church 18682018 (150 yrs.) Office....................................... Jackie Gammel Catechism ........................... Connie Ballantine BELL BAPTISM & BLESSING Liturgical Music .................. .Stephanie Brune The old bell was found on the property and placed in a place of honor in front of the Church Spanish Contact ................... .Altagracia Reyes in December of 2004. Office Hours On May 15, 2018, the bell was baptized Mon., Wed., Thurs... ..... .8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Margaret and blessed by Bishop Joseph N. Perry. On June 5, 2018, the bell was hoisted up Tues., Fri………………………….8:30 a.m.—noon into the tower and put in place. VOLO VILLAGE & ST. PETER CHURCH There is nothing in the history of Volo like St. Peter Catholic Church. The village is officially 25 years old, St. Peter is 150 years old. Father James Lyons and Representative Al Salvi were main forces in rerouting Highway 120 from Volo Village Road and in forming the village officially. The Village which numbered 180 people in 2000 was poised for dramatic growth. Page 3 “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God; this is the Gate of Heaven.” Genesis 28:17 These words were spoken by the Patriarch Jacob after he had the dream of the stairway to Heaven. And so he names that place Bethel, the House of God. Why did he say those words and why did he name that place the House of God? Because in his dream he saw the presence of God standing above the place. In a more real and concrete way, all Catholic churches are truly, in the fullest sense of the word, the Domus Dei, the House of God. For in the Tabernacle is Jesus Christ Himself, the Real Presence of God, veiled under the appearance of bread. The House of God is also called the Porta Caeli, the Gate of Heaven. Once we have entered into the doors of the church, we have left the strife filled world outside and we have entered into a foretaste of Heaven. As Catholics we identify very closely with the church building itself. We go into the House of God and Gate of Heaven for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to receive the Sacraments, to pray, and to adore our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The shape of our parish church is a cross. It is here that Christ gathers us and speaks to us. It is here that our Lord nourishes us with His Sacred Body an Precious Blood. In this house there are images in the form of statues, paintings, and stained glass windows. High on the ceiling in the apse of the sanctuary is a painting of Jesus and the Four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Christ is portrayed as King, Priest, Prophet, and Lord in the Gospels symbolized by a man (Matthew) , a lion (Mark), an ox (Luke), and an eagle (John). The Son of God teaches us with His word. Above the high altar are windows showing the Agony in the Garden, The Scourging and Crowning with thorns, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. We are nourished with the Body of Blood of Christ and under the high altar is the scene of the Last Supper. On the altar is the Tabernacle with the Blessed Sacrament and above the Tabernacle is the altar crucifix. Jesus loved us at the Last Supper and on the Cross. Truly present in the Tabernacle, He continues to love us. On the altar rail or communion rail are images of the Paschal Lamb, a Host over a chalice, and a monstrance. The two side altars are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God, and to St. Joseph, the Virgin and Foster Father of Jesus. Above the altar of Mary is a painting of the Annunciation when Mary gave her “yes” to God and Jesus was conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nearby is a statue of the Pieta; Mary holding Jesus after He was taken down from the Cross. Above the altar of St. Joseph is the painting of him leading Jesus and Mary in the flight into Egypt. As Joseph protected and guarded and defended the Holy Family, so too does he protect, guard, and defend the Holy Catholic Church and our parish. Nearby is a statue of the Holy Death of St. Joseph. There are statues of angels in our parish church. The angels pray for us and with us; they protect us, they fight for and with us, and they guard us. St. Michael the Archangel leads us into battle and protects us from the wickedness and snares of the devil. Above the high altar are statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. St. Peter, the patron of our parish, has the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. St. Paul has the sword of God’s word to bring us to salvation. St. Anne, St. Anthony, and St. Therese teach us to be saints in our everyday lives. The angels and the saints are our intercessors and by their example, their prayers, and their love they help us on the path to holiness. There are stained glass windows. The window above the Pieta depicts the Crucifixion. Christ dies on the Cross to redeem us and to save us from evil and sin. The window above the Death of St. Joseph shows St. Peter in chains and being set free by an angel. The windows on the two sides of the church are devoted to different saints. On the side of Mary’s altar are St. George, St. Peter, St. Nicholas, and St. James. They represent the virtues of hope, faith, love and fortitude. On the side of Joseph’s altar are St. Matthew, St. Leo, St. Henry, and St. Anthony the abbot. They represent the virtues of humility, prudence, justice, and temperance. Along the walls in the nave of the church are the Stations of the Cross. Here we remember the Via Crucia, the Way of the Cross, while meditating on the suffering and Passion of Christ and we unite our sufferings with His. Jesus helps us to carry our crosses and He leads us to resurrection. In the vestibule of the church the baptistry is located to the right. Four windows are devoted to St. John the Baptist preaching, the Baptism of our Lord, Jesus baptizing some Apostles, and St. Peter baptizing a household. The baptismal font depicts Jesus being baptized by John. Through Baptism we are set free from original sin and we become children of God and heirs of Heaven; we become members of the Church.