News - April 2020 RSS Feed

St. Mary’s Altar & Rosary would have started their campaign for donations for the Fulton County Humane Society in the month of May. However, with the continuation of the “shelter in place” order, we can be creative in how we could still donate. In these difficult times, we are sure they could use our assistance. Therefore, those of you who would like to donate could send a check to the Fulton County Humane Society. Please enclose a note with the check that states: It is donated on behalf of Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Lewistown. Their mailing address is: Fulton County Humane Society 22988 Il-9 Canton, Illinois 61520. St Mary's Altar & Rosary Society appreciates everyone's participation.

Flocknote is a parish program that enables Father David to send important mass texts to all our parishioners. To sign up: type 84576 in the phone number area of the text message. Then type 3Trinity in the text message area of your phone and hit send. If you do not have a phone that receives text messages you can still signup online to get them via email using the sheep at the top of this page. Current Flocknotes are on the Worship at Home Page but you will have to read them from bottom to top.

For your convenience online giving is always available under the individual parishes in the “About Us” tab on 3fortheTrinity.org. It can be used just like weekly envelopes or set up for easy automatic giving that you can view and control from the online portal. The portal is your log-in page that is private and confidential. Instructions are available on the “News & Events” page of the website for both Online Giving & Donor Portal Setup/Access as well as on the Online Giving Page for each individual parish. If you have any difficulty in setting this up please call Elizabeth Forrest on her cell phone (309-338-1561) and she will help you get it set up

In this time of calamity, the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception invite you (and so do I) to participate in a simple but incredible act of faith. To protect you and your family we urge you to post an Image of the Divine Mercy on your front door (like the Israelites who put the blood of the pascal lamb on their doorposts). The image represents the Lord, the Lamb sacrificed for us, from whose Heart flows Blood and Water, the streams of God’s mercy upon the whole world. The Lord promises us through St. Faustina: “that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.” The Lord also said: “When chastisements for sins come upon the world and your own country will experience utter degradation, the only refuge will be trust in My mercy. I will protect the cities and homes in which the Divine Mercy Image is found; I will protect the persons who will venerate this Image. The only refuge will be trust in My mercy. . . Let everyone procure for their homes this Image because there will yet come trials. And those homes, and entire families, and everyone individually who will hold this image of mercy in deep reverence, I will preserve from every sort of misfortune. The time will come when all those who do so will give witness to the miraculous efficacy and to the special protection of mercy flowing from this Image.” If you are in need of a blessed Image please contact Elizabeth Forrest (309-338-1561) and she will mail one to you to post on your front door

The eighth day of the octave of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. It is on this day above all days that the Lord pours out His superabundant Mercy upon the whole world. So especially upon this day, “Let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy” (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus told St. Faustina: “On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy . . . On that day are open all the divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary, #699). Please take the time to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet this Sunday at 3:00pm asking the Lord to look with mercy upon our world which so desperately is in need of His grace.

My family and I would like to extend our appreciation and thank you’s for all the prayers, messages, the angel/cross yard statue and monetary donations at the passing of our daughter, sister, mother and niece, Rikki. Your kindness is not taken lightly during this difficult time. We have learned to lean on God, family and friends in times of need. We also know this life can be difficult to journey, but with God’s help and our church family, we can travel the rough roads. We truly love and are humbled by your kindness. Love and Blessings ~ Julie Gale, Nick, Nate, Trace, and Camri.

Beginning this Sunday (Palm Sunday) we celebrate Holy Week, the most important week of the church year. We are invited this week to reflect on the last days of Our Lord’s earthly life including His Sacred Passion and Death and His Glorious Resurrection. Normally this is done with the help of all the beautiful liturgies at church, but as you know, this is not possible this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. This being so, I offer you two alternatives to making your Holy Week as special as possible. First, you may access a guide through our parish website called “Holy Week at Home” by Liturgical Press which gives you prayers, rituals, and meditations for each of these holy days. Second, Fr. David’s Masses will be filmed and uploaded to our website and to YouTube including the Palm Sunday Mass, Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday Service and Easter Sunday Mass for you to view at your convenience. A Flocknote will be sent out to remind you that these are ready and available to you. I hope you take advantage of both of these options and celebrate Holy Week in a special way with your family and friends in the intimacy of your own home. With the right attitude and disposition this could make Holy Week this year very special and meaningful. In addition, I encourage you all to continue to spend time in personal prayer with the rosary and the chaplet and to spend time in spiritual reading this week. This will be a Holy Week to remember for some time. God’s blessing on you all! ~ Fr. David

Fr. David will be offering drive through confession this week, meaning: he will be standing outside wearing a mask, you can drive up to him, roll down your window and go to confession. After absolution you just drive away (and don’t forget to do your penance at home). Times will be sent to you through Flocknote. If you need a refresher to prepare for confession please see the Guide and Examination of Conscience on this page or the Confession Times Page.