It was 30 years ago, sometime in the summer of 1983,when I bought this stole/vestment in the little town where Jesus was born. Many people go to Bethlehem and to the Holy Land to get closer to Jesus.

And today we celebrate Epiphany – the manifestation of Jesus – the making known to the world his presence and his identity as the Messiah. When I came to St. Francis Solanus Parish a little over 3 years ago, I came and found Jesus Christ manifest in you, the faithful Catholics of this parish.

This weekend I’m giving a “State of the Parish” Address at all the Masses to present a picture to you of where we are as a parish community and where we are headed. I believe that in all of this you will see, as I see, how Christ is manifest here in St. Francis Solanus Parish.

First some statistics -

• Baptisms: in 2012: 81 (10 more than in 2011)
• 1st Communion: in 2012: 49 (8 more than in 2011)
• Confirmations: in 2012: 74 (20 more than in 2011)
• Marriages: in 2012: 37 (4 more than in 2011)
• Deaths: in 2012: 57 (25 fewer than in 2011) – we’re trying to cut down on deaths. We discourage you from dying.
• Reconciliation – we don’t keep count, but during this past Advent – lots.
• Mass attendance is slightly up, whereas elsewhere it is falling.
• There are 20 more children in our school than there were last school year.
• More than ever are in RCIA this year – 18 people
• New folks registering in the parish – every month
• Returning Catholics coming back to practice their Catholic Faith
• 4 Giving Trees — 15 families were recipients – - great generosity – thanks!
• Our St. Vincent de Paul Society delivers food to over 300 families.

In all of this I see Christ made manifest. Secondly, in all of this we see that our parish is growing. Some people point to our growth after St. John’s and other parishes in Quincy closed. That growth was – what – six years ago or more? It’s done. We are growing, improving NOW in new ways that have nothing to do with the closing of those parishes.

A parish is not like a gas station where you come to fill up on Mass and sacraments and that’s it. Maintenance is not what we are doing here. Just as we, as Catholic Christians, are alive, so too a parish is a living organism. Our parish family is called to grow and blossom and bear fruit. A parish that remains static is going to decline and die. For nine years I traveled the Midwest giving parish missions, and I saw parishes that were dying. You don’t want to see that here. We need to grow, and we are growing and in more ways than those numbers I just quoted.

This is why we need a Parish Center. This parish is not the same as it was 50 years ago…or even 10 years ago. I’ve heard people say, “We didn’t need a Parish Center when I was young, and we don’t need it now.” That is simply not true. We also didn’t have power steering, color TV, microwaves, computers or cell phones when we were younger. Some might say we still don’t need them. If so, I dare you to give them all up. This parish is truly in need of a Parish Center, and we will build it with God’s help and your cooperation.

I’ve been highlighting the good things about the parish in the past year. One thing that is inadequate is our ministry with the youth of our parish. I’m sorry to say that there are protestant churches in Quincy that are luring our young people with interesting and engaging programs. We’re doing very well with our school and our PSR Program. But these are not enough. We need a youth program here at St. Francis, and we need a space for it to function. This is not just to be “preventive maintenance” – to prevent our young people from going elsewhere. It’s because our young people need to have their faith nurtured – to have it grow and deepen.

How many of you here have stopped learning about your faith when you graduated from grade school or maybe high school? Every Catholic needs and deserves to learn more about their faith on an adult level. So we’re talking about more than youth programs – we need adult programs too. We will be starting a Bible Study program this month. We had to shift it around to different days than originally planned because of conflicts in scheduling a room for this to happen. This parish needs to provide a facility for us to offer programs like this and much, much more.

Let me address a few misgivings:

- Some are objecting about opening a door in the rear of the church. The restrooms in this church are inadequate. A door in the rear of church will provide easy access to restrooms and other amenities of the Parish Center. Do you like the railings we’ve put up here in the sanctuary? They were designed to fit the decor of the church – to look like they belong. We will do the same with this doorway – to look like it was always there. The architecture of the Parish Center is planned to compliment the architecture of the church – to look like it belongs.

- A few have said that they didn’t get to “vote” on this. That was the purpose of the feasibility study. And we had excellent participation: normal is 25%, and we had over 40%. This was an excellent response and it was overwhelmingly positive about building. We will present final plans to you once we get to that stage.

- A few have said that they don’t want to contribute because of some objection they have about the building. We need to work together as a community of Catholic Christians. We cannot have a building committee of 4,000 parishioners. We have highly skilled architects and well qualified people on our building committee. They have been working hard to plan the best building we can build for the money we raise. We need to put our trust in them.

- A few are saying that they won’t contribute because they don’t think we need a Parish Center or because they don’t like certain elements of the plan. This is not the way a Christian community works together. We need to put aside personal issues and all contribute.

One other thing: As we know from recent news, we can no longer be complacent about the security of our school. This ought to be a wake-up call for all of us. We’ve been comforted that Quincy is a small and peaceful city. But I think we all realize that that is no guarantee of safety or security.

In case anyone is unaware of it, the security of our school is compromised every time we have a funeral luncheon and the door is open to whoever comes in. And occasionally there are other meetings and events that bring people in during the school day. For this reason alone we need a Parish Center that will allow our school to function exclusively and securely as what it is meant to be – a school.

Some are waiting to see what others will do. If we all waited to see, then we would see nothing happen. I urge you all to invest in the goodness and growth of St. Francis Parish – to contribute to the building of our Parish Center. There is no limit to what we can do if we all work together. Which brings me back to seeing Christ manifest here. Christ is here – in this parish community. We ALL need to recognize his presence. We ALL need to trust that he is working in us.

The Holy Father has proclaimed this as a “Year of Faith.” How timely for our project. Our faith is not in a distant God who is somehow disengaged and uncaring. We put our faith in a God who is present and active in our world – and that means in and through one another. Let’s put real faith in God working in us and through our efforts to make St. Francis Parish flourish and bloom and grow. Look at it this way: we’re not just building a building – we’re growing as a parish community.

St. Francis Solanus Parish is the biggest and strongest parish that the Franciscans of Sacred Heart Province operate. But we cannot stand on the laurels of the past. We need to build and grow into a future of life and Faith, Hope and Love. We need to be a beacon of Faith in a very troubled world. I hope you see as I do that Christ is made manifest here.

My friends, the time has come. It is no longer “if” we build a Parish Center. It’s when. We will build it. The emphasis is on WE. No individual can do something like this. But all of us together can and will make it happen. We need your help. If you haven’t made a pledge yet, if you’re waiting to see what will happen, I ask you to put your faith in action and make a pledge. Do it now. The time has come. It is absolutely necessary that we do this now and do it together. A letter with another pledge card is being sent this week to those who have not pledged so far.

In this Christmas Season we’ve been reminded that when Mary received the message from the angel, her life went into upheaval, but she still said “Fiat.” We are challenged to make some big sacrifices – for one another, for God. Will you give? In this Year of Faith let’s together put all our trust, all our faith in God.

I’ve been praying daily for this project, and I pray daily for you. I ask you to do the same. I want to conclude with a prayer:

God of love, Father of us all, we come to you as a parish family.
We thank you for the vibrant faith that is your gift to us,
which we see manifested here in St. Francis Solanus Parish.
We ask you to guide and inspire us.
We ask you to stimulate our generosity,
so that we may build a Parish Center,
for the glory of your name and the continued growth
of St. Francis Solanus Parish.
Help us to know that we are doing your will.
We believe that with your help we will accomplish this goal.
We make our prayer to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

————–

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Building Our Future Together

One hundred-fifty years ago, visionary and faith-filled people founded St. Francis Solanus Parish. Just twenty-five years later, they built the beautiful and awesome church we love so dearly. Many asked why they were building a church out in the prairie. Now, of course, our parish is right in the middle of the city of Quincy. We have those faith-filled people to thank for acting on their vision.

Since then, our parish has experienced significant growth. With the closing of three parishes in Quincy, St. Francis Solanus has increased its membership by hundreds of new households. Fortunately, our forebears built this church large enough to suit today’s needs. Parish life, meetings, and community-life suffer, however, due to a shortage of space. We need a Parish Hall. For example…

• Family funeral luncheons are presently served in our school building.
• Our Parish School of Religion (PSR) is currently held in our school building.
• The Food Pantry, a wonderful community ministry, must share space as well in our school building.
• Committees, parish organizations, ministries and various groups are constantly competing for the limited meeting space in the rectory or, again, must share space in our school building.

This is hardly ideal. While our forebears built a large and beautiful church for us, they could not have imagined either the size of our parish, the varied parish activities, the many people involved, or the organizational complexity of our church today. Nor could they have envisioned a world where the need for a protected, secure, and safe school environment would be a necessity. But everyone knows the need for this today. As a consequence, we have woefully inadequate space for what constitutes a major part of our parish life today.

What is the answer? Build a new Parish Center.

• A Parish Center would provide needed space for parish activities, events, meetings, and gatherings;
• Since the vision is to build this hall adjacent to the church, the Parish Hall would give us direct access to the church;
• The Parish Center would provide a covered drop-off canopy enabling parishioners to avoid inclement weather, step inside the Parish Hall and directly into the church itself;
• The Parish Center would have a large gathering space (vestibule) where parishioners could converse and mingle with each other, both before and after Masses;
• The Parish Center would provide a handicapped-entrance into the church, minimizing the walking distance to the church;
• The Parish Center would contain such rooms as a Parish Library, a Vestry, a Bride’s Dressing Room, a Choir Room, Quilters’ Room, and many other meeting places;
• The Parish Center would be the new home to Parish Offices and possibly house a walkout lower level that could be used for storage.

What would such a facility cost? According to Klingner and Associates, local architects and engineers whose consultation our Parish Hall Oversight Committee has engaged, the Parish Center is projected to cost between $2 and $3 million dollars.

Given the current economic conditions, does it make sense to consider something of this magnitude? Actually, this may be a great time to build. Construction costs are at historic lows. If we were to postpone this, hoping the economy would improve, construction costs would likely go up and the Parish Center would cost more to build. Also, there are other churches within our Diocese who have proceeded with recent building programs and have experienced remarkable success in spite of the economy. You are aware, for example, that St. Peter’s Parish recently completed a $4 million expansion of their campus and even exceeded their financial goals.

Many lay leaders in our parish have studied the question of a Parish Center for many months. They have concluded we need one. I agree. But, instead of rushing into this, I’d like to pause, pray, and hear from you.

Here’s what I’m asking:

• First, pray with me about the need for a Parish Center. Ask God for his wisdom and direction. Petition St. Francis Solanus and request that he intercede with the Holy Spirit to guide us to make the right decision.
• Second, complete a brief survey and share your heart with us. To facilitate this, we have retained Cargill Associates to conduct a confidential feasibility study. If you are invited to an interview with their representative, please come. If, however, you receive a questionnaire in the mail, follow the instructions, go on-line and complete it, or fill out the printed version, and return it in a self-addressed, stamped envelope that will accompany the questionnaire. Completing the survey online is preferable since it will save us the mailing expense. Whatever method works best for you, however, I am simply asking that you take the time to let your voice be heard. We are listening for God’s wisdom through you and the other parishioners of St. Francis.

Thank you for your participation in this important project. May God bless you and all of us as we seek to Build Our Future Together.

Fr. Don Blaeser, O.F.M.
Pastor

June 18 – 22, 2012

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Preschool through Fifth Grade

No matter who you are…trust God! No matter how you feel…trust God! No matter what people do…trust God! No matter what happens…trust God! No matter where you are…trust God!

Please register by June 10 $10 for 1 child. $25 for 3 or more children.

We need YOU to make our directory complete! To celebrate our church family and strengthen the bond within our congregation, we have made the commitment to produce a new parish pictorial directory.  A pictorial directory is our church family album.

We have selected Lifetouch Church Directories and Portraits for this important project. Lifetouch is providing the directory at no cost to our church. Plus, every family photographed receives a complimentary directory and an 8×10 portrait!

I encourage you to sign up for your portrait session now. Just click the image below to get started:

Access to online sign up will be available each week Monday – Friday

Paper sign-up sheets will be available at the weekend masses starting May 19^th

Our Photo Dates:

• Tuesday-Saturday, June 12-16, 2012
• Tuesday-Saturday, June 19-23, 2012
• Tuesday-Saturday, June 26-30, 2012
• Tuesday-Saturday, July 10-14, 2012

Our Photo Times

• Tuesday – Friday (2:30 – 9:00)
• Saturday (10:00 – 5:00)

For your convenience, all photography and portrait viewing will take place in school.  One pose will be selected for the directory. In addition to your complimentary 8xl0, you will have the opportunity to purchase additional portraits on the day of your portrait session.

Please allow one hour during which time you will check-in, be photographed and select your portraits.

I am encouraging 100% participation!

We are looking forward to seeing you in our directory!

- Fr. Don Blaeser, O.F.M., Pastor

Good Friday, April 6—6:00 p.m.
Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, April 7—8:00 p.m. Blessing of the Easter Fire, Liturgy of Readings, Baptism of the Catechumens, Profession of Faith of Candidates, Confirmation and First Communion of the Neophytes followed by a reception in the Tuesday Club Room.

Easter Sunday, April 8—Masses—6:30 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

• John and Cindy Mock (223-8979)
• Stephen and Amy Wiewel (257-6212)
• Jamie and Jayne Pieper (440-6908)
• Ginny Lease (779-4702)
• Saleem Mamdani (224-1240)
• Marty and Karen Wagner (257-5953)

The committee members will be contacting all those who marked the parish picnic on the stewardship form. It is great that a number of people have said they would be happy to work on the picnic in that way. However, if there are any parishioners who would like to volunteer in any capacity, please contact any of the members listed above and they will bring your willingness to the next meeting. More hands make less work for everyone.

We will keep you posted on the plans for the picnic as they develop. Right now the members are working on the details of the raffle and silent auction. We ask that any parishioners who are able to donate items for BINGO to please drop them off at the parish rectory. Items could include: dish towels, paper towels, 2-Liter Soda, toys, etc…

Now is the time to mark your calendars. The parish picnic is Saturday, June 9, from 5:00 to midnight. Once again, on the Saturday only, the Saturday vigil Mass will be celebrated at 4:00 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m.

Name of Couple:  ______________________________________

Date of Marriage (Month/Day/Year):  _______________________

Mass you will attend on Feb. 11 or 12:  _______________________

We have an exciting Parish Mission planned for this year.  Deacon Glenn Harmon will be coming here from California for the Mission that will run from Sunday, January 29 thru Wednesday, February 1, 2012.  Unfortunately, his wife Linda is unable to be with him.  Deacon Glenn has given over 400 Parish Missions, and promises to stir us deeply.  The title of the Mission is “The Road to Emmaus,” and will include such topics as Catholic Identity, Agape Love, God’s will for our lives, Unforgiveness to Forgiveness and Catholic discipleship.  Please be sure to put it on your calendars.  Don’t let anything else get in the way of attending this year’s Parish Mission.  We welcome everyone, including anyone who has been away from the Faith and all visitors to our church.

Once you are about 18 years old or older, it is time to register on your own as a member of St. Francis Parish.  This happens when you have either graduated from school, or have a job, or are out on your own.  We encounter this many times when dealing with couples who are engaged to be married and still haven’t established their own membership in the parish.  It will only take about 10 minutes to have you come in and register.  Just give us a call and we will be glad to welcome you as a registered parishioner.