The Church of St. Mary, followers of Christ, are inspired by our Catholic Faith to brough the Eucharist, Prayer, and Education, as the family of God, and with one another, we desire to live our faith in the world.

 

St. Mary's Church Elizabeth, IL

Special Announcement For Cemetery

The Parish Council and Finance Committee approved the updated Cemetery Rules and Regulations listed below at their meeting of Dec. 6 2023.  We ask for your assistance in keeping our cemetery as a safe and beautiful area not only for our visitors, but for the cemetery personnel.  Any questions or comments can be directed to any memeber of the Parish Council or Finance Committee.  Thank you.

 

Cemetery Rules and Regulations - effective 4/1/24

               (For the safety and efficiency of cemetery personnel)

  •       No planting of trees, shrubbery, or flowers 
  •       No glass or wire allowed
  •       Decorations - Flowers, shepherd's hooks, statues, solar lights, personal items, etc.
  •                   Up to 2 decorations allowed on the concrete base of the monument
  •                   One saddle arrangement allowed per monument
  •                   One additional decoration per grave allowed in the ground

                                           (does no include Veterans's markers)

  •          Any excess decorations will be removed by cemetery personnel

                              Families will be notified that the decorations were removed and will be 

                              told where they can pick them up

  •          All seasonal or damaged decorations will be removed prior to the semi-annual 

                  Clean-Ups on April 1st and October 1st of each year

 

 

Pastor Message and Prayer

3/17

                                                        EUCHARIST & PASSOVER (3)

Discover the connection in these rites of God's saving liberation

Passover is right now

An element common to both Jewish and Christian practice is the "now-ness" of God's Passover action.  Christians believe that in the Eucharist the life-giving death and resurrection of Jesus is actually made present for us to enter into.  It is not merely recalled or remembered as a past even.  Jews hold a similiar, though not identical point of view.  The Jewish Passover ritual state, 'It was not only our ancestors that the Holy One redeemed, but us as well did he redeem along with them" (see: Deuteronomy 5:3).

     Everyone's life is a great exodus: the passing through, the great rescue, the coming to new life, freedom, resurrection.  Without deprecating in any way the Jewish faith, Christian see the Exodus fulfilled in Jesus' exodus through death to resurrection.  The rites of Passover and Eucharist both represent God's saving liberation.

                                                            Passover/Seder and the Eucharist

                                                                            POINTS OF CONTACT

1. Both celebration an exodus, a delivery from bondage to freedom.  Passover celebrates the delivery of Jews from bondage in Egypt to the freedom to worship the God of Israel.  The Eucharist celebrates delivery by Jesus from the bondage of death, oppression, and sin to the freedom of the resurrection.

2. Both are ritual meals with prescribed procedures, blessings, and prayers.

3. Both are memorial celebrations.  In bibilical language and thought, "memorial" refers to liturgial celebrations that both celebrate and represent past mysteries of salvation so that they can be appropriated personally by those living in the present.

4. Both signify hope and the strenthening of the community.  Every Jewish Passover celebrates the hope of ultimate liberation from all forms of bondage.  Every Christian Eucharist also celebrates that hope.  It is an ongoing hope.  It is the hope for ultimate liberation from death, sin, and oppression, a hope for union with God. 

                                        

Fr. Joachim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Mary Mass Times

Weekend Mass Times
Saturday 6:00pm
Sunday 8:30am

Daily Mass Times
Wednesday 8:30am
Wednesday: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 9am-9:30am
Friday 8:30am
First Friday 8:30am Healing Mass and Adoration

Confession Times
Saturday from 5:30-5:50 or
by appointment by calling the Rectory at 815-858-3422

Ash Wednesday: March 2nd
St. Mary 8:30 A.M.
6:00 P.M.

St. John 4:00 P.M.

St. Mary Office Hours

Tuesday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Wednesday 8:30 am- 3:30 p.m.. by appointment
Thursday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

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