Faithful can subscribe to the notes by contacting the parish office and providing their e-mail address. Thanks for your support of our border town parishes!!!

Please remember - Fr. Pete does not send out text messages, e-mails or social media posts to solicit

funds for himself or any organizations outside of the parishes he serves. Fr. Pete's emergency phone

number is (815) 685-1359 and his e-mail addresses

are either pjankowski@yahoo.com or pjankowski@stfrancis.edu.

Please do not trust any correspondences that

utilize any other phone number or e-mail address.

Our Website will experience a Major Upgrade in December 2023!

Feel free to contact Fr. Pete at email pjankowski@yahoo.com. If you have an emergency, please contact Fr. Pete at (815) 685-1359

Thanksgiving Masses at the Border Town Parishes

St. Anne's Church in St. Anne, IL

(230 N. 6th Ave.) at 8:00 a.m.

St. Patrick's Churchy in Momence, IL

(119 N. Market St.) at 9:15 a.m.

First of all, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Please make it a safe and holy one – we take for granted way too much in life, whether it be our family, our community, our Church… and even God! In last week’s bulletin, we included Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Declaration of 1863, which cited our Lord as the source of all goodness. Good luck with our civil leaders referencing God in that way again!

We really are blessed with each other. So much GOOD has taken place during our time at the parishes. When all of us work together and treat each other as brothers and sisters, then we live the gospel message and good things result. Hopefully we can remember that when we PUT GOD FIRST on the day that we honor our Lord… hint hint…

In next week’s notes, we will talk about all kinds of things that will happen at our parishes, from our RA Brass Quintet / St. Nicholas Day / Coffee and Donut Event after our 9:00 a.m. Mass at Anne’s and our 10:30 a.m. Mass at Pat’s. We will talk about our Angel Tree gifts and our Centro Vilaseca Toy/Coat Drive and our supporting the Veterans at the Manteno Home. We will talk about our Las Posadas celebrations and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena from December 4-12 (this year, we add a Las Mañanitas Mass at St. Patrick’s at 6:00 a.m.). For now, though, I present one illustration of “thanks” from one group of people who really made a difference to the underprivileged this week.

Over at St. Patrick’s, Joanne Hermann and so many good ladies from our Council of Catholic Women have been knitting blankets from grocery bags, enough so that Joanne asked if I could take these blankets (along with mittens and scarves that Joanne made) to the El Centro Vilaseca Daycare Center in Joliet. In the past, we have discussed how so many good institutions (including the St. Anne Food Pantry) has benefitted from these items that provide warmth to those in need during the winter months.

Sr. Araceli Perez (pictured above), her sister (Sr. Judy Perez) and the other sisters in that house have worked in Joliet for over forty years… and have not one vocation that has come from their efforts. Still, the good sisters continue to work with the poor and needy in the area.

Sr. Araceli very much thanked the St. Pat’s CCW for the kindness afforded the kids in her daycare center. The help for the under-privileged has not been plentiful in recent years so anything they receive is a blessing.



The St. Pat’s CCW is one of so many groups that have helped the needy in our area – the CCW just happened to be the group on which we focused this week. Thanks to all who help the needy; thanks to all who support the Church. Thanks to EACH OF YOU for being you!!! Have a blessed Thanksgiving weekend; know we will be praying for you!!! – Fr. Pete

AND FINALLY… Many businesses in our area offered services to St. Patrick’s as part of a “Service Raffle” at our Parish Picnic on September 24. As the Service Raffle was not announced at the picnic (this is what happens when the priest gets COVID and cannot attend his own picnic!), we are offering these services in this week’s bulletin. If anyone wishes to utilize these services, St. Patrick’s receives the money from each project to help the parish with its debt and projects. Please call the office if you are interested in utilizing these services (we will only accept the first caller to utilize these services).

From September 6-15, Pilgrims from the Border Town Parishes Visited Marian Shrines in Medjugorje, Fatima and Lourdes. Below are the four homilies that Fr. Pete preached at these holy sites. Included with the homilies are video highlights of the holy sites the pilgrims visited.

Also because of the power outage, we realize the reason why both halls are so important to our small communities. The governments from the county, state and federal levels offer Grant Money for small towns like ours to upgrade and preserve what we have. Both parish halls could benefit from free-standing generators, parking lots and air conditioning. One industrious parishioner wrote me the following for our consideration…

I went to the website you provided for the USDA Grants and Loan program. I found that our gym at St. Patrick’s may qualify for a grant because it is a Community Center. In addition, the Hall at St. Anne’s may qualify for funds as well because the facility is being used for a food pantry. The information states that funding priorities are for communities with a population of 5,500 or less also that individuals should contact their State Director to apply and discuss their particular situation: Each state has their own individual office to contact.

Writing grants is a specialized skill; I can do this for the parishes but if anyone knows of a person who has experience with this particular discipline, please contact our office.

ONLINE VIDEOS THIS WEEK

Mass for the Solemnity of Christ the King

Celebrated at St. Anne's Church - St. Anne, IL

On this last Sunday of our Liturgical Year, this week's homily is a summary of all that we have been taught these last 52 weeks according to Matthew's gospel, using Chapter 25 as a type of "Final Exam" that shows us whether we are living as good or bad shepherds in the world of faith.

BONUS MASS for Thanksgiving

Celebrated at St. Anne's Chapel - St. Anne, IL

So many of those whom have gone before us serve as a wonderful inspiration for us in today's age, including St. Anne's Parishioner Lucy Houk (1943-2023), St. Patrick's Parishioner and the Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and wonderful supporter of our local Hispanic Community (especially at Camino y Esperanza Retreat House) Most. Rev. John Manz (1946-2023). Each of them (and us) pale infinitely in comparison to our Lord, who died and rose so that we have a chance for salvation. This is the message for which we REALLY give thanks on this special national holiday.

For Catholic Daily Reflections (based on the scripture readings of the day),

CLICK HERE!!!

CLICK HERE for the Readings for This Weekend!

One of our seniors has taken it upon themself to take courses on writing grants. The US Government offers millions of dollars of grants that are accessible for those who apply for them. Since both parish halls are seen as "Community and Emergency Centers" by our respective cities, we need help in getting generators and internet on our properties to help the cities... and us!!! ... in our efforts to serve the people of our area.

1973 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

1981 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

1986 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

1993 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

2004 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

2006 St. Patrick's Academy 100th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet

2010 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

2016 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

2023 St. Patrick's Church Photo Directory

1960s St. Anne’s Church Photo Directory

1970s St. Anne’s Church Photo Directory

1989 St. Anne’s Church Photo Directory

1998-2004 St. Anne’s

Church Photo Directory

2023 St. Anne's Church Photo Directory

For weddings and such, Fr. Pete offers a special blessing on the first Sunday weekend of each month and is willing to purchase an Apostolic Blessing for anyone who asks (and if he can afford it... since he pays out of pocket!!!).

If you are interested in receiving an Apostolic Blessing, you can do so by clicking the link below or by calling the parish offices.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR OWN APOSTOLIC BLESSING!!!

Fr. Pete offers the anointing of the sick at both parishes at the First Friday Masses every month (St. Patrick’s at 9:15 a.m. and St. Anne’s at 5:00 p.m. (English) and 7:00 p.m. (Spanish).

1. Silvia Tejada, has now made herself available for Spanish Adult Education Classes in the church during the children's religious education classes in St. Pat's Church Basement.
2. We continue our “December Drawing” at St. Pat’s at St. Pat’s – 1000 tickets at $20 a piece. Please check the bulletin for further information.
3. Christmas Inc. once again will be offering complementary Christmas lunches in the Church's Community Hall for those who RSVP for the event. The lunch will take place on December 25 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at St. Anne Hall. David O'Connell is looking for volunteers to work one hour shirfts for the event (11-12 or 12-1). If you can help, please contact the office or him.

1.             2024 Parish Calendars (in English & Spanish) are available in church to take home.

2.             Silvia Tejada has now made herself available for Spanish Adult Education Classes in the church during St. Pat’s children’s religious education classes in St. Pat’s Church Basement.

§  Silvia serves the faithful of St. Anne’s on Mondays from 1:00 – 6:00. If you have any needs, please stop by.

§  Silvia serves the faithful of St. Patrick’s on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 6:00. If you have any needs, please stop by.

1. 3.             Christmas Inc. once again will be offering complementary Christmas lunches in the Church’s Community Hall for those who RSVP for the event. The lunch will take place on December 25 from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at St. Anne Hall. David O’Connell is looking for volunteers to work one-hour shirts for the event (11-12 or 12-1). If you can help, please contact the office or him.

To View St. Patrick's Bulletin for

November 26, 2023



CLICK HERE!

To View St. Anne's Bulletin for

November 26, 2023



CLICK HERE!

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK: Mary Kay Blankestyn, Ashley & Jesse Childress, Guadalupe Maria De Leon, Austin Fuhrmann, Ron Gall, Joel Hart, Karen Hensa, Joanne McCracken, Marilyn Peterson, Joanne Prather, Evelyn Provost, Ruth Sparenberg, Cynthia Vickery, Gary Witherall... and all those on our sick list.

At St. Anne's... Eva Bell, Paula Bertrand, Lola Billings, Duane Blanchette, Cheryl Boswell, Patrick Burns, Cindy Capriotti, Jesse & Ashley Childress, Abraham Daily, Tom Dandurand, Aria Dionne, Carol Futcher, Raelynn Garrett, Jack Houk, Val Lagacy, Bentley Lottinville, Linda Miramontes and John Wojnowski.

At St. Patrick's... P. Anderson, N. Atkinson, R. Bailey, D. Barth, Beedle Family, D. Brown, W. Bukowski, B & E. Coffman, S. Conner, M & D Cousin, M. Cruz, A. Delaney, D. Demack, M. Dionne, J. Dobbins, E. Duke, D. Dunlap, G. Field, C. Fritz, R. Gall, J. Grill, R. Harper, J. Hibbs, D. Hiller, C. Jones, L. Kane, R. Kazee, A. Kijewski, L. Lee, L. Leranth, E. Lopez, B. Love, J. Marcotte, W. Marten, L. McNulty, L. Mercado, R & V Morse, C. Ortman, D. Petronio, M. Peterson, C. Piec, C. Provost, E. Provost, R. Rehmer, P. Reising, D. Roberts, B. Ryan, A. Schaff, J. Schopf. Schmied, K. Simpson, B. Siwicki, B. Spagnola, M. Tolbert, M. Tolmer, H. Tousignant, M. Velazquez, C. Vickery, M. Williams, M. Witherspoon, S. Young, A. Zimmerman, M & L Zink and G. Zokal.

CLICK HERE TO READ

ALL OF FR. PETE'S HOMILIES!

Click Here for the Parish

Registration Form in English

Click Here for the Religious Education Registration Forms FOR BOTH PARISHES

Click Here to Register for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

Click Here for the Time

& Talent Form in English

Click Here for the Link to All the Parish Forms

Help support our parishes buy purchasing copies of Fr. Pete’s Homiletic Books! You can purchase them at the parishes or online at Amazon.com!

Cycle A Homilies - Cycle B Homilies

Cycle C Homilies