VOL. 55 NO. 18 – MAY 3rd, 2020 THEME FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER: God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah.

Through his wounds, we have been healed and have returned to our shepherd. Let us listen for his voice and follow him.

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC MASSES SAID HERE AT ST. AUGUSTINE’S. THE MASS INTENTIONS THAT WERE ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR SPECIFIC DATES, WILL BE

RESCHEDULED AS SOON AS WE CAN. FR. VON DEEKE PLANS TO SAY A PRIVATE MASS EACH DAY FOR ALL PEOPLE, LIVING AND DECEASED.

ST. AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY HECKER, ILLINOIS 62248

REV. VON C. DEEKE, PASTOR PARISH OFFICE 473-2217 FAX 473-9141

E-MAIL ADDRESS: staug@htc.net PARISH WEBSITE: https://www.staugustineofcanterburyhecker.com To contact Father Von when not in Parish Office, Cell #618/214-6852

St. Vincent de Paul Help Line 618/792-4059 House of Neighborly Service Help Line 618/939-8680

Confessions: are heard each Saturday night from 4 to 4:45 pm and each Sunday from 8 to 8:20 am. Parish Office Hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed from 12 noon to 1:00 pm for lunch.

Printed copies of bulletins placed in plastic bins each week…bins

located at the doors of church & Parish Office. The bulletins are also

posted on our website!!!

Fr. Von will be live streaming Masses at 5pm on Saturdays and

8:30am on Sundays. See St. Augustine’s Facebook Page.

If you wish to have your name added to our Parish Email List,

please let me know via staug@htc.net or 473-2217 & leave a

message.

OUR SACRIFICE MADE TO GOD: 4-26-2020 Sunday Envelopes (16) - $600.00

Scholarship Fund - $1,169.00

(Total Donated since 8/1/2019)

Thank you very much for your generosity!

Please pray for the following:

Darlene Frisch, Ellen Daniels, Maxine Linnertz, Alice Krysnoski, Jeanelle Dinan, Marge Abel, Cheryl Zanders, Madalyn Killebrew, Stephanie Amann Stosberg, June Valentine, Bill Cowell, Angie Parker, Wylma Wachtel, Dave Bruss, Ruth Cortner, Steve Davis, Aria Wagner, and Vickie Van de Riet Minden. Please call the Parish Office 473-2217 to submit names for the prayer list. We started a new list on January 12th, 2020.

Please save your CRS Rice Bowls that you might have taken at the beginning of Lent and bring back when we are able to

resume Masses at St. Augustine’s. Thank you!

Bishop’s Mass for Wedding Anniversaries June 7, 2020

On Sunday, June 7, 2020 at 1:30 PM Bishop Edward K. Braxton will celebrate a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter honoring the sacrament of Matrimony. All couples celebrating their Twenty-Fifth, Thirtieth, Fortieth, Fiftieth, as well as, all years from 60 on up, Wedding Anniversaries will be recognized. If your personal invitation does not arrive, or if you do not send the parish your names, you are still most welcome to attend. Family members and guests are welcome as well. The Cathedral is handicap accessible.

REMINDER – please make sure that all flowers at the St. Augustine Cemetery are attached to the monuments or are in vases attached during the upcoming mowing season (April to October). Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

DIOCESAN EVENTS

Please find below the link to Bishop-Elect McGovern’s parish website; you may watch videos of his Masses.

https://straphaelcatholic.org/

A Prayer for Our New Bishop

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,

look favorably on your servant,

whom you have set at the head

of your Church of Belleville as her shepherd;

grant, we pray, that by word and example

he may be of service to those over whom he

presides,

so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,

he may come to everlasting life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Roman Missal: “Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions,”

no. 3)

Today, May 3rd, is World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The purpose of the

World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord’s

instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest”

(Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). As a climax to a prayer that is continually offered

through the Church, it affirms the primacy of faith and grace in all that

concerns vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. While

appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates its attention this day on

vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), to the

Religious life in all its forms (male and female, contemplative and apostolic),

to societies of apostolic life, to secular institutes in their diversity of services

and membership, and to the missionary life, in particular sense of mission”

ad gentis (From the USCCB website)

HAVE YOU HEARD OF SERRA CLUB? The Serra Club of St. Clair County is an organization of

Catholic men and women, dedicated to foster and affirm vocations to the Priesthood and vowed

religious life. Our purpose is to inform our community of the need for all vocations. We honor

our religious with an annual Nuns Luncheon, a Deacon Dinner, a Priest Picnic and a new Priest

Dinner. We pray for our seminarians and help them celebrate their birthdays.

Our club meets every first and third Friday of the month at the Shrine of our Lady of the Snows.

There is a Mass at 11:45am, lunch, a brief meeting, and a guest speaker. You are welcome to

join us as our guest. For more information please contact Marvin Winkeler (402-214-1155) or

Mel Lucash (618-531-4244). PRAY FOR VOCATIONS!

The Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal 2020 …Blessed to receive, chosen to give

A most heartfelt thanks to all those who have responded with a gift to The 2020 Catholic

Service and Ministry Appeal; we are truly grateful. If you have not already done so, there’s

still plenty of time…one-time donations or pledges – in any amount – are needed Donations

can be made through your parish or online at www.diobelle.org. Please consider making

your gift today or at any time in the coming months. Thank you and may God bless you for

your generosity.

Our parish financial target is $4,721.00. Please be as generous as you are able. Pledges to Date: 27 $5,885.00 124% of Total Goal

St. Vincent de Paul Needs Blue Jeans and Food Donations

The Belleville Council Office of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul NEEDS YOUR

HELP in providing essentials to the poor they serve. At the present time there is a

desperate need for gently-used blue jeans – men’s, women’s and children’s – all sizes.

Also, SVDP’s Night-Time Drop-In Center has been operating at full capacity every

night, housing homeless men, women and children…many more people during the

current COVID19 pandemic. If you are able to help during this uncertain time – or

anytime in the future -- sack lunch items (individually packaged) are always needed:

cookies, fruit cups, tuna and chicken snack packs, chips, crackers, cheese sticks,

yogurt, cereal Pop Tarts, breakfast bars, soup or pasta in a cup bottled water;

luncheon meat/cheese for sandwiches is also appreciated.

Items can be dropped off at:

St. Vincent de Paul Office

13 Vieux Carre Drive, East St. Louis (across from the Save-A-Lot store on Hwy. 157)

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

or

SVDP Thrift Store/Soup Kitchen

3718 State Street, East St. Louis

Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m.-12 Noon

If you have questions or need additional information, please call the Council office at

618-394-0126.

YOUR DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE AND WILL BE A BLESSING

FOR SOMEONE IN NEED! THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Life in Christ Last week, we saw that we are called to happiness. We realize this. The greatest happiness that we can have is eternal life with God. Jesus Christ wants to lead us to this eternal life, this eternal happiness, by having us live our lives in union with him. Now let us see what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches about eternal happiness, eternal beatitude: 1720 The New Testament uses several expressions to characterize the beatitude to which God calls man: - the coming of the Kingdom of God; - the vision of God: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8) - entering into the joy of the Lord; - entering into God's rest: “There we shall rest and see, we shall see and love, we shall love and praise. Behold what will be at the end without end. For what other end do we have, if not to reach the kingdom which has no end?” (Saint Augustine of Hippo, died AD 430) 1721 God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise. Beatitude makes us "partakers of the divine nature" and of eternal life. (2 Peter 1:4) With beatitude, man enters into the glory of Christ and into the joy of the Trinitarian life. 1722 Such beatitude surpasses the understanding and powers of man. It comes from an entirely free gift of God: whence it is called supernatural, as is the grace that disposes man to enter into the divine joy. “‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ It is true, because of the greatness and inexpressible glory of God, that ‘man shall not see me and live,’ for the Father cannot be grasped. But because of God's love and goodness toward us, and because he can do all things, he goes so far as to grant those who love him the privilege of seeing him. . . . For ‘what is impossible for men is possible for God.’" (Saint Irenaeus, died circa AD 202) So, we see that, since God loves us, he calls us to know, love, and serve him now, in this life, so that we can live in love with him for eternity.

- Fr. Von Deeke

The First Letter of Saint Peter:

Here is chapter two of the First Letter of Saint Peter, from which our second reading is taken this Sunday, from the Good News Translation:

1 Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language. 2 Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it you may grow up and be saved. 3 As the scripture says, "You have found out for yourselves how kind the Lord is." 4 Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable. 5 Come as living stones, and let yourselves be used in building the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For the scripture says, "I chose a valuable stone, which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion; and whoever believes in him will never be disappointed." 7 This stone is of great value for you that believe; but for those who do not believe: "The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all." 8 And another scripture says, "This is the stone that will make people stumble, the rock that will make them fall." They stumbled because they did not believe in the word; such was God's will for them. 9 But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light. 10 At one time you were not God's people, but now you are his people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy. 11 I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. 12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming. 13 For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority, 14 and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good. 15 For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do. 16 Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God's slaves. 17 Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor. 18 You servants must submit yourselves to your masters and show them complete respect, not only to those who are kind and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will. 20 For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it. 21 It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. 23 When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. 24 Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. 25 You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls.

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation – Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission

Due to the Stay-At-Home and Social Distancing restrictions and that these restrictions have been extended until May 30th,

we will NOT hold the annual Memorial Day program at St. Augustine’s Cemetery this year.

We thank you for your support in previous years!

GRADUATION INFORMATION If you have a graduate in your family, please return the completed graduation information form -- as soon as possible –or you may call the Parish Office at 473-2217 on Mondays & Thursdays and submit the information over the phone. The form was included on our website. This information will be included in a special bulletin insert and all graduates will be recognized during the 8:30 am Mass on Sunday, May 31st, 2020 provided we are having Masses again.

If possible, please return the postcard mailed to you a few weeks ago regarding the quilts for the upcoming Kirchenfest in August. You may return via the USPS mail or put in the mail slot on the front door of the Parish Office or you may even email the Parish Office with your information…staug@htc.net. Thank you!!!!

The Fourth Glorious Mystery

THE ASSUMPTION

1. After the apostles have dispersed, the Blessed Mother goes to live

with John, the beloved disciple.

2. Mary lives many years on earth after the death of Christ.

3. She is a source of comfort, consolation and strength to the apostles.

4. As she had nourished the infant Jesus, so she nourishes spiritually

the infant Church.

5. Mary dies, not of bodily infirmity, but is wholly overcome in a

rapture of divine love.

6. Her body as well as her soul is taken up into heaven.

7. After her burial the apostles go to the tomb and find only fragrant

lilies.

8. Jesus does not permit the sinless body of His Mother to decay in the

grave.

9. Corruption of the body is an effect of original sin from which Mary

is totally exempted.

10. The bodies of all mankind, at the last judgment, will be brought

back and united again with their souls.

Spiritual Fruit: Let us pray that may the Risen Christ bring hope, faith and love

to all, especially those who have suffered any kind of loss during the Lenten

season.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Conference

We are a Catholic lay organization providing service to the needy and suffering. Our Conference includes the parishes of:

St. Augustine of Canterbury-Hecker

St. Mary-Valmeyer

St. Patrick-Tipton

Saints Peter & Paul-Waterloo Telephone numbers are 939-0605 and 618-792-4059 Mailing address is P.O. Box 443, Waterloo, IL 62298 Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at Adult Faith Formation House at 7:00 PM. New members are always welcome. NO MEETINGS HELD DURING THE STAY AT HOME ORDER.

SEXUAL ABUSE HOTLINE: Anyone wishing to report an allegation of sexual misconduct by a priest or other diocesan personnel please call the hotline:

800-640-3044.

Have The Messenger delivered to your door. Subscribe Today!

Call: 618-235-9601 Email: subscribe@belleville messenger.org Mail your request: The Messenger 2620 Lebanon Ave. Belleville, IL 62221

Meet us on the web: www.bellevillemessenger.org

Purchase SPPCS “Scrip Cards” for your shopping and gift giving needs!

Scrip cards make great gifts and in addition, consider purchasing “scrip cards” to use in place of cash, checks or

credit cards for purchases you make.

How does that help St. Augustine families? Each SPPS student

family is required to earn $250 each year in fund raising. Plus,

each student must pay $400 registration and book fees. Then the

tuition begins. At the end of each month the rebates from scrip

sales are tabulated and applied to the family’s account. You may

designate a particular family or St. Augustine students as a group

in which case it will be equally divided. Order forms are located in

magazine rack in front vestibule of church. Please consider trying

this program and perhaps add an item each month to help our

parish support the SPPS/St Aug. families with absolutely no cost to

you. Order forms may be returned in collection basket with check

or given to Betty or Annette Schreder or any SPPS student family.

Any questions may be directed to same people.

OPEN ACCESS DUE TO

SCHOOL CLOSURES The information below was shared with us from the Diocesan Vocation Office…please

feel free to use!

Dear Vocation Office, At the suggestion of the NCDVD, we are temporarily offering free access to Vocation Lessons, our

online curriculum that teaches students about marriage, priesthood, and religious life. As Catholic school children adapt to in-home learning over the next few weeks, this is a good

opportunity to use Vocation Lessons. Because the curriculum is 100% online, teachers can easily

assign students lessons and assessments. Please feel free to email principals and teachers in your diocese with these access codes:

Free access to vocations curriculum through May 8, 2020: www.VocationLessons.com

Teacher Login: vocations2020 Student Login: vocation2love

This is our way of supporting Vocation Offices whose efforts are greatly hampered during this time.

Our hope is that even in a period of upheaval, students can think and pray about how God is calling

them to serve the Church. Please know that we at Vianney Vocations continue our daily prayer for you and your diocese. Our hope is in the name of the Lord! St. Damien of Molokai, pray for us! Sam Alzheimer President, Vianney Vocations sam@vianneyvocations.com 877-585-1551

What Is Vocation Lessons?

Inspire Catholic Students Vocation Lessons is an online curriculum supplement that helps Catholic students open their hearts to

God's call. For Catholic schools, there's enough material for one week of Religion classes, for every grade, K-12: Lesson 1 - God Calls Lesson 2 - Marriage Lesson 3 - Priesthood Lesson 4 - Religious Life There is also an Assessment (homework) and a Family Feature to spark family discussion about

vocations. See an overview of every grade here: https://www.vocationlessons.com/overview/ Note that you can also print PDFs of every lesson, if desired.

www.VocationLessons.com

Created by Vianney Vocations