Farewell Fr. Secrist

It is with heavy hearts that we must say goodbye to our beloved Pastor. Fr. Jeremy Secist has been reassigned to St. Joseph Parish, Salisbury, St. Boniface Parish, Brunswick, and St. Mary of the Angels Parish, Wien effective on September 20, 2023.

Our farewell party for Fr. Secrist will be on Friday, September 8, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Broadway in front of Selinger Centre. We will have pulled pork, fish, baked beans, coleslaw, tea, and lemonade. Please feel free to bring your own food or beverages. Jack Kramer will provide the entertainment with his Karaoke. Parking will be available in the Selinger Centre lot and the Big Flat. We look forward to seeing everyone on Friday, September 9 as we bid farewell to our pastor!

Sept. 1st Dollar Dress Down Day for Maui

Please consider allowing your child(ren) to participate in a $1 Dress Down Day to benefit Sacred Hearts School in Lahina.  Let us stand together with the world in prayer for the loss of life and the destruction caused by the recent wildfires on the island of Maui.  Prayers are needed for all those affected by the wildfires, including the deceased, injured and displaced. Remember, too, the first responders and all those who offer aid, recovery and relief. 

Lahaina’s Catholic school, Sacred Hearts School, was impacted and other parish and school evaluations are ongoing. At this time, all who can are asked to contribute to either of the following efforts to provide recovery for our brothers and sisters:

• Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation (HCCF): https://tinyurl.com/MauiCatholic
• Sacred Hearts School, Lahaina: https://www.shsmaui.org/giving/

In a letter from the Most Reverend Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu, and Reverend Monsignor Terrence Watanabe, Vicar Forane of Maui-Lanai, we are asked to remember “the power of prayer” as we gather together acting as one body, called to love and serve Jesus.  

Maria Lanakila (Our Lady of Victory), pray for us!

Important: Please Read Regarding School Lunch Payments

When you go to your parent portal to add funds to your school lunch account, you will see a parent name listed as staff lunch. This is a program change that we can not fix this year. Please only add funds under your student's name. Feel free to email Kelley with any questions [email protected]

Little Saints Sunday School Care Program

Recognizing the need to provide assistance to parents with younger children on Sunday mornings, on September 3, St. Peter will begin offering a care program during the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass for children ages 2-5.  The program will be held in the current Preschool building.  Parents and grandparents will be invited to bring their little ones to the Preschool building starting at 8:45 a.m., and children will be picked up immediately after the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass.

Children will learn about God’s love, pray together, play, and have fun in a safe and creative environment.   All Little Saints Care Program volunteers will undergo a screening interview, have a criminal background check, read and sign the Code of Conduct, and be certified in “Protecting God’s Children,” the diocesan safe environment training program. For more information, contact Gayle Trachsel at [email protected].

If you would like to help volunteer with this new program, please reach out to Gayle Trachsel via email at [email protected].

If participating in this new program, please fill out the attached registration form and return it to school/church or by email.

Little Saints Sunday School

Big Bucks

We are happy to announce that Diamond Pet Foods is again headlining

Big Bucks 2024: A Night at the Bluffs on April 12, 2024.

The Big Bucks committee has already begun reaching out for donations for the event. If you would like to help or donate please let us know. You can email us at [email protected] and/or please fill out the attached form.

We are still looking for volunteers to assist with committees so please contact Brad Shimmens at [email protected] or Abby Borberg at [email protected]. 

The next Big Bucks meeting is Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 5:30 PM in Fr. Ahrens room.

Donor Pledge Form Big Bucks 2024

Before School Care Needs

Before-school-care is in need of new or used items for the students who gather in the cafeteria daily from 7:00-7:35AM. If you have these items (in good condition) and are willing to part with them, or wish to buy them new and donate it to the program we appreciate it. Items include simple board games like: Chess ($8:16), Checkers ($7.91), Connect 4 ($9.84), Trouble ($9.97), Candy Land ($8.88), Chutes and Ladders ($8.97). Prices are from Wal-mart.com but can be purchased at other places. Card games like UNO ($5.97) and Playing Cards ($3.44) and Crayon 24 pack ($2.47). Items can be sent in and brought to Mr. Veit in the school office. Thank you very much.

Scrip News:

Scrip Orders need to be turned in by Monday at 10:30AM. I will try and send orders home with your child as soon as I can fill them. I am subbing in Preschool for the next 7 weeks, so orders might be a little slower coming home. Thanks for understanding.

Other Fundraising News:

Ready Popped Popcorn order forms went home last week. If you did not get one please let me know, and I will send one home with your child. These forms go home with the youngest child in the family. If you received 2 forms, please only return one form per family. All forms need to be turned in by September 08.

Ready Popped Popcorn 50% Profit ($5.00) $3.00 - family $2.00 to school.

The amounts have been adjusted to include the 10% tithe.

My name is Samantha Sekelsky and I'm the 4/5 PreK teacher. I've been teaching for 11 years total but I took a 7 year break in the middle to grow our family. My husband and I will be married for 15 years next summer and we are both turning 40 this year. Our kids are 11, 9, and 7 and all attend St. Peter. We have been in mid-Missouri most of our marriage with a short stint up near Kansas City. But our hearts are for Mid-Mo! I pour my heart into my classroom but in my free time I also enjoy weightlifting, crafting, baking, and organizing. I have a soft spot for a good organizer! My husband and I are in the stage of life where each kid has their own activities so during the week we can be found running one child or another to their various events. We try to keep our weekends open so that we can have family time together, and we feel that family dinners daily are very important. We have raised our kids in the Catholic faith even though I was not a Catholic at first. I became one when I was dating my husband. I have found so many answers through the faith and have grown to love the traditions we have now because of it. Our plans for the future include taking our kids to the beach for the very first time next summer. We have been on a few car trips with them in the past but this will be the first time any of them will see the ocean. I am so glad to be a part of my kids' school and I hope to continue helping students in my classroom grow and learn. And if you're curious, I'd never turn down a cold brew coffee and a good conversation!

Quick Reference Guide to the Diocese of Jefferson City Stewardship Model

Catholic Stewardship Renewal/Time and Talent Form

TO BE AN “ACTIVE” CATHOLIC STEWARD MEANS:

• To Pray: that is, attend Mass faithfully in the parish on weekends and Holy Days.
• To Participate: that is, to use one’s time and talents to strengthen the parish community and advance the Gospel.
• To Sacrificially Give: that is, pledge and remain current on a tithe of financial first fruits to support the life and ministries of the parish. The goal is 8% to the parish and 2% to other worthy charities.

St. Peter Catholic School

314 West High Street

Jefferson City, MO 65101