Welcome to St. Anthony's!
News from Fr Fred about his heart surgery
On Sunday evening I (Fr. Fred) received a phone call from my heart surgeon’s Assistant, that my surgery, scheduled for this Tuesday, needed to be postponed due to someone on the surgical team testing positive for Covid, and the surgeon deciding it be prudent to postpone the surgery. At this point I do not know when it will be scheduled for. In the meantime, I am very grateful for the prayers and support of our community, and trust in the plan of God.
Our scheduled Eucharistic exposition planned for his surgery will be postponed to his surgery date. Thank you for your continued prayers for Fr Fred.
Fr Fred's weekly letter-November 14, 2021
My Sisters and Brothers of St. Anthony Parish,
We are nearing the end of the liturgical year. Next week we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, and then it is time to start all over again with the first Sunday of Advent. It’s a bit scary how quickly time passes by, not only in the liturgical year, but more importantly in our own lives. The readings this weekend, passages we call the “eschatological discourses”, meaning the “final things”, can also be a bit scary. They talk about signs in the skies like “the sun will be darkened and the moon will not shed its light”—sounds like an eclipse to me; or “the stars will be falling from the skies”—we’ve all heard of falling stars; and other meteorological phenomena that could give us the idea the end is near. Well, it is, relatively speaking. These readings are not meant to scare us, but rather, to prepare us. Our lives here in this world are fleeting, and are but an instant compared with the gift of eternal life. No one really knows the day nor the hour, so the Lord calls us to always be prepared. It always cracks me up to hear people predicting the end of the world based on all sorts of “signs”. Jesus says only the Father knows for sure—neither
the angels nor even the Son. So, always be ready. This may be the day.
Thanksgiving Day is a week from Thursday. One of the best ways of making this day
most meaningful is by keeping the emphasis on “giving”. Next weekend we conclude the Heart of a Shepherd Campaign with our in-pew appeal for all those who have not had the chance to give to this important campaign for our diocese and our parish. Please try to do something. Only you and God know how blessed you are and the sacrifices you are willing to make. God doesn’t look at the amount you give (and neither do we), but rather, the amount of sacrifice.
I will be having open heart surgery this Tuesday at Lake West Hospital and will be out for a while. I trust God and rely on your prayers with tremendous gratitude. I won’t be seeing you for a few weeks of recovery, but you are always in my heart. Please know how much you are loved and appreciated. May God’s peace be upon us all.
In God’s love,
Fr. Fred
Fr Fred's weekly letter-November 7, 2021
My Sisters and Brothers of St. Anthony Parish,
Jesus is constantly trying to teach us how to live holy, wholesome lives, and lives that ultimately bring us an experience of joy, hope and fulfillment. In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us some very important lessons. In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus tells us not to seek artificial and external signs of success, and abandon the things that really matter—justice, service, and being a person for others as Jesus was. However, it is the second part that I believe is really important. When it would have been much easier to ignore or hide the action of the poor widow who put just two small coins into the treasury, Jesus used this example to teach a lesson to the others. It seems that even though some of those with substantial means tossed in much larger amounts of money--probably “pocket change” or money they really didn’t need. The lesson is that what God looks at is not the amount we give, but rather, the amount of sacrifice and priority in our giving. That is something only you and God can honestly judge. That is what real stewardship is all about.
We have some very significant opportunities coming up soon in November that I would like to invite you to share in. The first is our annual Blue Mass on Veterans’ Day, November 11 th (this Thursday), to honor, thank and support all our first responders, all those who serve or have served in the military, and all medical personnel—whatever role you serve. We ask all those in our community to do two things. First, come to Mass that evening and show your support and gratitude. Second, reach out and invite any of these great people who may not be getting this message. They need not belong to St. Gabriel Parish, and they may not even be Catholic. What is important is that they are true heroes in our time who often risk their lives for us to keep us safe and healthy. We need to show our respect and genuine support and gratitude for people who do so much for us and who are often taken for granted or treated badly.
The second thing I want to make you aware of is our annual Hope for the Holidays, which takes place here next Sunday, November 14 th , from 1:30 til 3:30. This rather short, but very helpful program is especially designed for people who are having a difficult time facing the holidays because of the loss of a loved one. Through prayer, sharing stories, and perhaps picking up some valuable strategies, we
find hope. Please sign up on our website or call the office so that we know you are coming.
Together we help each other get through tough times but trusting and relying on the grace of God. Regarding my health, once again plans have changed. So, I had the heart catherization this pastcMonday and it showed some blockages that need to be bypassed as well as the aortic valve thatcneeds to be replaced. What that means is open heart surgery on November 16 th , most likelycsome time in a rehab facility, and then more time to fully regain my strength. I am hoping to at least be able to experience a little bit of Christmas. Then when I am fully healed from the heartcsurgery we can finally plan for the back surgery. I know it will be a long road with a few unexpected turns, but I know God is leading me, and I trust Him with all my heart. Thanks for all your prayers.
Have a great week. Start getting ready for Thanksgiving. I don’t mean the big meal or all the festivities. I mean your heart. Have a grateful heart, and you will find true joy. Peace be with you.
In God’s love,
Fr. Fred
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PSR Registration Form 2021-2022 __________________ December Minister Schedule
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Check out our Parish's catechetical (PSR) program by clicking on the icon below. For more information contact Steve Biro at steve@stafh.org
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Fr Fred Pausche
St Anthony of Padua
Presbyteral Moderator
Deacon George Malec Parish Life Coordinator
Current Mass schedule
- Saturday (Vigil Mass) 4pm
- Sunday-8am and 10am
- Wednesday 8am
Eucharistic Adoration: Wednesdays 3pm-7pm
Please click on the online giving logo to be transported to the online giving page!
Upcoming Events
Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday from 3-7pm unless otherwise noted
Monday evenings (Aug 2-Nov 1, 2021) GriefShare ministry begins 7pm in Room 103 for those in need of support after losing a loved one
Sunday, September 19th- Commissioning of Catechists at 10am Mass
PSR begins on Sunday Sept 19 on Catechetical Sunday at 11am with PSR parent meeting and open house
*ALPHA faith formation focus group coming this September
RCIA will be offered at St Anthony's beginning in October . If you, someone you know or you are Catholic yourself and would like to know more about the Catholic faith please contact Steve Biro 440-354-4525 or steve@stafh.org
