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On Wednesday, October 20, Deacon Greg Urban of St. Mary, Maple Park, will observe the 20th anniversary of his ordination to the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Rockford. We extend our congratulations to him and his wife Bev, and thank them (the deacon’s wife is an important part of his ministry to the Church) for the years of service and the blessings which have come to us through Deacon Greg’s ministry, which has been exercised on the parish, diocesan and national levels.

It has been traditional in the Catholic Church to view the origin of the diaconate in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles (6:2ff), where seven men were selected to help in works of charity. We also find the New Testament witnessing to the deacon’s position in the Church in St. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy.

One of the early Christian documents called “The Teaching of the Apostles” described a deacon as “the eyes and ears, the mouth, heart and soul of the bishop.” Around the year 100, St. Ignatius of Antioch said that deacons were “ministers of the Church of God,” and he mentioned two specific functions of deacons: [1] writing letters for the bishop and assisting him in the ministry of the Word, and [2] serving as the bishop’s legate from one local Church to another. Assistance to the poor and needy in the name of the bishop was another main task of the deacon.

The diaconate as one of the three ordained ministries in the Church began to decline around the Fourth Century for various reasons, and by the Seventh Century the diaconate in the Western Catholic Church (though not in the Eastern Catholic Church) was seen to be simply a step toward ordination as a priest.

Interestingly, it seems that the modern idea for a permanent diaconate was discussed by priests in Nazi concentration camps who thought deacons would have been able to do much good in their parishes. In 1957 Pope Pius XII spoke in favor of restoring the permanent diaconate, but thought “the time is not yet right.” The time “became right” during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.  Discussion during Vatican II led to the restoration of the permanent diaconate on September 29,1964. We are the generations who have since benefited from the restoration of this ordained ministry among us. Let us rejoice with our diocesan deacons!

Important Messages from Bishop David J. Malloy

Dispensation from Mass attendance ended July 1

Bishop David Malloy advised priests of the Diocese of Rockford in a June 11 letter, that the dispensation from the obligation of attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation would be lifted July 1, 2021. Both Bishop Malloy and St. Mary's ended live-streaming Masses on June 27. It's time to come back to Mass in church!

Read the Press Release Here

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Other News Items

• Latest COVID-19 Guidance - Effective immediately, masks are required at all Masses and inside parish buildings regardless of vaccination status. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation! To view the latest guidance given to us by Bishop Malloy, please visit the diocesan website at www.rockforddiocese.org.
• Daily Mass: Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM.

• Confessions: Tuesday 8:30-9:30 AM; Wednesday 11:00 AM-12:00 Noon; Saturday 11:00 AM-12:00 Noon.
• Year of St. Joseph - In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St. Joseph.”  It is a wonderful opportunity to increase our love for St. Joseph and knowledge, “to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal" (Patris Corde). Fr. Ariel has assembled a prayer aid and we encourage you to download it here and use it during the year. You may also pick-up a printed copy at church.

 

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Fall Festival is Back Virtually!

Date: November 21, 2021. Time: 5:00pm. Where: Find us on the “Sts. Peter & Paul Church Virgil, IL” Facebook page. Raffles: Turkeys, Hams, Pork Loins, Gift Cards, Cash & Gift Baskets. Tickets: $50 each with multiple chances to win! Mail your check with your phone number to SS Peter & Paul, 5N939 Meredith Rd, Virgil, IL 60151. 50/50 Raffle: $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. More can be purchased through the parish office. Help support the parish by Donating gift cards, Donating cash to purchase items (gift cards, turkeys, hams, pork loins), Purchasing raffle ticket, Purchasing 50/50 tickets. 

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Religious Education

CLASSES ARE UNDERWAY, Sundays, 9:15-10:30 AM, in the St. Mary's Novak Center. Download the RE Calendar and Combined Registration Form here, or pick up a form in the back of church or in the Novak Center.

If you have questions, please call our RE Coordinator Leila Rivers at 815-827-3205 x3.

Celebration of the Eucharist

Sunday Masses -
Saturday 4:00 PM
Sunday 9:30 AM
 
Weekday Masses -
Monday through Friday 8:00 AM
 
Confessions- 
Saturdays: 11:00 AM-12:00 (Noon)
Tuesday: 8:30-9:30 AM during Adoration
Wednesday 11:00 AM-12:00 (Noon)

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