A Note from
Fr. Christopher Pisut
Friday, January 15, 2021
Dear Parishioners,
Now that Christmas Season is over with, we begin Ordinary Time. While it does not have the overt character of Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter and may seem uneventful by comparison it is in fact our time to “walk with the Lord.” Just as the Gospel during the weeks of Ordinary Time recount Jesus’ earthly ministry as he gathered followers around him so too do we follow Jesus in the ordinariness of our daily lives. While not as exciting as the other liturgical seasons it is just as important because it is in the ordinariness of our daily lives that we live the Christian Faith.
I mentioned last Sunday at Mass that this past Thursday, January 14, is the Feast of the Infant of Prague. His statue graces the wall between the ambo/pulpit and the statue of our Blessed Mother. It is not uncommon to find statues of him in older churches like ours. In fact, I have grown up with him at my home parish of St. Anthony, my last parish of Sacred Heart in Chariton and he was also present at my Dad’s home parish of SS. Cyril and Methodius Slovak parish in Joliet, Illinois and his image blessed my grandparents house as well. Sadly, devotion to him seems to have somewhat fallen out of favor in recent decades but it is part of our rich Catholic cultural heritage as well as part of the make up of our lovely church of St. Augustin. I urge you to read about him in this week’s bulletin or look him up online and make him part of your spiritual life. Please stop by and light a candle to him and ask his intercession for your special prayers. He has been a great comfort to me I am sure he will be to you as well.
Also, this Sunday, January 17 is the Feast of St. Agnes, one of the great female virgin martyr saints of the early Church. The saints are always a great reminder and example of how to live the Christian Faith and Agnes is no exception. Martyred under the Emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th century just a decade before Christianity would finally become legal in the Roman Empire, Agnes teaches us the importance of staying steadfast in the Faith as well as the Christian virtue of Chastity and Purity, something which many Christian sadly do not even think is necessary today. Read about her in the bulletin and look her up online as well.
Several weeks ago, we began the process of restoring/renovating the sacristy. This long overdue project is being made possible by the generosity of parishioners who have given funds specifically for this purpose. As with any projects at St. Augustin we try to restore as much as we can to how the things originally were or when we add something new, we seek to make it blend as seamlessly as possible with its surrounding to seem like it was always part of the church. While we need facilities that work for us today, we also seek to respect the architectural and liturgical integrity of the Catholic Church’s tradition, the parish of St. Augustin itself and our ancestors in the Faith who gave us this beautiful church.
Lastly, believe it or not our long-awaited parish directories are in. We are sorry that it has taken so long to bring these to you. The wait was partially due to the COVID-19 shut down which has affected so much of the daily rhythm of our lives. No doubt you will see that many have changed much since the pictures were taken. And who is that strange looking large hirsute man who was the pastor back then? If you had your photo included, please contact or stop by the parish office to pick up your directory.
Fr. Pisut
