Some News For You

Click here to access the parish calendar.

Lenten and Holy Week Schedule

Stations of the Cross (every Friday during Lent)

  • 5:30 pm in the church

Lenten Fish Dinners (March 13th, 20th, and 27th)

  • 5:30 pm until 8:00 pm in St. Brigid Hall

Lenten Penance Services

  • Mon, March 23, 7:00 pm St Matthew, Champaign

  • Tues, March 24, 7:00 pm Holy Cross, Champaign

  • Wed, March 25, 5:30 pm St Patrick, Urbana (note the earlier time)

Holy Week Schedule (Thursday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 5th)

  • Holy Thursday Mass, 7:00 pm

  • Good Friday Stations of the Cross, 3:00 pm

  • Veneration of the Cross, Friday, 7:00 pm

  • Easter Vigil, Saturday at 7:30 pm

  • Easter Sunday (note mass time changes): 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am

March

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

  • March 17th

  • Mass at 5:15 pm in the church

  • Dinner afterwards in St. Brigid Hall

  • Please bring a dish to share

WSP Movie Day

  • The Two Popes

  • Sunday, March 22nd (1-3:30 pm in St. Brigid Hall)

Seder Meal

  • Saturday, March 28th from 5:15 pm until 8:00 pm

  • If you would like to join us for this year’s Seder meal, please send an RSVP email to jon.mccoy@stpaturbana.org ASAP

    April

    Laudato Si - Why Care?

  • Wednesday, April 22nd at 5:30 pm in St. Brigid Hall

  • Fr. Charles Klamut, who has a passion for God’s creation and our care for it, will discuss this encyclical (Laudato Si).

We met our ADA goal! Thank you to all who pledged to the Annual Diocesan Appeal. We have received the fourth report from the diocese. Thanks to the generosity of 194 families, who have donated this year, we have $146,917.00 pledged toward our ADA goal of $142,893. Thanks to your generosity, we have made and exceeded our goal, and $125,433.22 of the amount pledged has been paid. Your generosity will help give food to the hungry, train our seminarians, and give support to parishes. The ADA helps parishes support programs for forming children, such as Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Every dollar raised to make our goal supports important diocesan ministries, and every dollar raised over our goal will be kept in the parish to help us with our well-needed parish projects. Reminder: Our goal has been met based on what has been pledged, so if you are still paying on your pledge, please continue to do so.

Join Our Cub Scout Pack!

About Cub Scouts:

Cub Scouts is Scouting for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The program offers adventure, fun, and character formation through outdoor activities, community service, and religious study appropriate to each Scout’s personal faith. Pack 9 is a Catholic unit based at Holy Cross in Champaign.

No Deadline:

We are happy to welcome new members at any time and to answer any questions you have, whether about Cub Scouts or about the Scouts BSA program for older kids (6th grade-age 18).

Are You Concerned About Screen Time?

If you're worried about your child spending too much time indoors with screens, Scouting is the perfect antidote! Scouting gets kids active outside and socializing face-to-face while teaching them valuable skills.

Volunteers Needed:

We are also looking for volunteers to help with donut service at the Masses. If you're interested in helping, let us know! Some of our Scouts may also participate as an act of service.

Pack 9 Cubmaster Contact Information:

Nick Haggin Email: pack9cubmaster@gmail.com Phone: (217) 530-0034

 

Regional Catholic Cemetery

St. Mary Cemetery was established in 1866. Currently, it is cared for by the Knights of Columbus in our area in conjunction with St. Mary Catholic Church. It is a beautiful cemetery.  Please consider donating to help support this regional ministry.  


If you would like to purchase a Grave/Niche, below are the costs:


Traditional In Ground Interment $2,000

In Ground Cremation Interment $2,000

Columbarium Niche Cremation Interment $1,500

Child Grave (Children’s Section) $500


Additional Opening and Closing Costs:

Traditional In Ground Interment $1,050

In Ground Cremation Interment $650

Columbarium Niche Interment $750

Infant Ground Interment $650


For more details, go to www.stmarycu.org/stmarycemetery

Special Parish Offer for the Hallow Prayer App

A gift for you from Bishop Tylka

3 Months for $1

Click here for the offer

General Schedule

Mass Schedule

Weekends:

Sat. 4 pm (vigil)

Sun. 8 am, 10 am

Daily Mass:

Tues. – Fri. 12:10 p.m.

Reconciliation

Individual:

Wed., Thur. 11:00 am until noon

Fri. 10:30 am until noon

Sat. 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm

Adoration & Benediction

Fri. 11:00 am until noon

Ongoing

FAKE BISHOP LOU TYLKA ACCOUNT

There is a Facebook account posing as Bishop Lou’s personal page. For example, there is one labeled as Bishop Lou TyIka (with a capital “i" instead of an L in his last name).

We have contacted Facebook several times in hoping to get the fake one(s) removed. IN the meantime, please let people know that any and all messages received from these accounts should be ignored and reported. Bishop Lou would never reach out through Facebook to ask for personal information or money.

Also, be mindful that Fr. Anthony does not email or text parishioners for emergencies or money.

Protect Yourself from Phishing Scams

Cybersecurity threats, including phishing attempts, are on the rise, and staying vigilant is key to keeping our church, school, and personal information safe. Phishing is when cybercriminals use fraudulent emails, websites, or messages to trick you into providing sensitive information like passwords, financial data, or personal details.

Red Flags of Phishing Emails:

  • Suspicious Senders: Emails from unknown or unusual email addresses.

  • Example: A message that seems to be from "Fr. Smith" but comes from "john.smith987@randommail.com" instead of their actual work email address.

  • Urgent or Threatening Language: Messages pressuring you to act quickly.

  • Generic Greetings: Look out for "Dear Friend" instead of personalized greetings.

  • Unusual Requests: Asking for sensitive information like passwords or account details.

  • Misspellings and Poor Grammar: Legitimate organizations usually proofread their communications.

  • Unverified Links: Hover over links without clicking to see the actual URL. Unverified URL’s would be things like example.asdasdf.com


Watch Out for Impersonation Attempts:

Phishers often pose as coworkers, using email addresses or phone numbers that look similar to legitimate ones.

  • Example: You receive a text message from a number claiming to be your pastor or manager, asking you to purchase gift cards and send the codes urgently.

  • Always verify the sender by contacting them through a known, official channel.

How to Protect Yourself:

  • Verify Requests: If you're unsure about an email, contact the sender directly using known contact information.

  • Avoid Clicking Links: Type URLs into your browser instead of clicking links in emails.

  • Don’t Open/Download Attachments: Especially from unknown senders.

  • Use Strong Passwords: Regularly update and use unique passwords for different accounts.

  • Report Suspicious Emails: Report phishing emails, block the sender, and delete the email from your inbox.

Your awareness and quick action can prevent potential threats to our parishes, schools and ministries.

Parish Groups: Communication of Your Events

We want your events to be known by the parish, and we need your help. 

A few things to keep in mind:

  1. Fr. Anthony is not in charge of the communication of events. If you ask him to communicate your event, he will direct you to speak with the staff. 

  2. We avoid making announcements at Mass because it can be information overload for people.  

  3. We need the requests for communicating events to be made at least three weeks in advance to help the staff balance their workload, and because the bulletin is prepared many days in advance before it is sent to the publisher, printed, and mailed to the parish. 

  4. We highly recommend that members of your group personally call potential attendees and ask them to commit to your event.  The personal ask is the most relational means to invite someone and is proven to work. 

  5. Please make sure someone in your group does the following 5 things: 

  1. Bulletin - request Patricia to place the event in the parish a week or more in advance.

  2. Website - request Jon to add the event to the “News” page of our website. Reminder, at times, we are slow to add or remove old news.

  3. Flocknote - request that Jon highlight the event in the weekly Flocknote message.

  4. Facebook - request Jon.  You are welcome to request a “Facebook Blast” to extend the communication.  We ask that your group pay the small fee.

  5. Other Parishes - if your event is open to the public, simply email the other local parishes requesting that they advertise it in their bulletin.

Why are we doing Growing Disciples as a Diocese?

We are Growing Disciples. Bishop Tylka chose that title intentionally. The world is different and we have to find new ways of doing things. We have fewer priests. Fewer Catholics. Fewer children. People are moving. We have to reimagine the way we reach people with the Good News.

The Growing Disciples process is designed to provoke conversation, to gather data and receive feedback. No decision has been made – and Bishop Tylka will consider all of the data and your feedback as he discerns the future footprint of the Diocese of Peoria.

To see Bishop Tylka’s letter to the faithful regarding the final decisions for this part of the Growing Disciples program, click here.

Also, please click on the link below to see FAQ’s regarding the Growing Disciples program. https://www.growingdisciplescdop.org/faq

More on our Eucharistic Revival

The Eucharistic Revival Prayer

Dear God, thank you for calling each one of us to a deeper relationship with you. We ask that you bless the St. Patrick Eucharistic Revival. May we gather as a parish family around your table with hearts open to receive your grace. Show us each “There’s a Place for Me.” Amen.

Additional Resources

The Bishops’ Pastoral Letter on Stewardship

Servers Needed

You might have noticed that we do not have altar servers at this time. We have advertised in the past requesting servers but we have had little interest. In order to get the program going we need two things:

1) Kids interested to serve.

2) Server mentors that can instruct and correct them after each Sunday Mass.

Pray that our children will take advantage of this opportunity.

Religious Education at St. Patrick

Here at St. Patrick, we want to help you, the parents, by helping your children grow in their relationship with God and in their Catholic faith. That is why we offer religious education classes for all students PreK4 through 12th grade. For more information and to sign up for classes, please visit our Religious Education page. If you have any questions, please contact Jon McCoy at jon.mccoy@stpaturbana.org.

Calling All Parents!

Join the new St. Patrick’s Parents and Tots Group! Come for fun, solidarity, and prayer. Our vision is to create opportunities to make new friends, share our faith, and support each other! Contact here for questions and ideas: Anna.Kinskey@gmail.com

Dear friends, 

This week, we found a consecrated host on the floor of the church close to the vestibule doors.  I need your help. 

The training we are offering our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs) is to watch people place the Blessed Sacrament in their mouths.  They are responsible for the care of the Holy Eucharist from when they receive the ciborium on the altar until the person begins to consume Jesus. 

  • Allow us to see you consume Jesus

Some people make it hard for the EMHC to watch them consume.  They walk several paces away, and with their backs turned away, they place Jesus in their mouths.  Please help us out. When you receive, do a side step while facing the crucifix and then consume.

  • Notify an usher should you see a person holding a host in their pew

Nobody should have the Blessed Sacrament while in their pews.   If you see someone, ask an usher to help.  


Thank you all for your help!

God bless you, 

Fr. Anthony 

Donations Needed

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is in need of plastic grocery bags. Please consider recycling plastic shopping bags by dropping them off near the pantry door or in the food donation basket in the back of church. Thank you!

Sign-up for our Flocknote! Stay up to date on important announcements and the latest news through our texting resource. We send out weekly updates so you can stay connected to all the happenings around our parish! Be sure to sign-up today by texting the message URBANA to the number 84576

  • The St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry schedule is as follows: Food will be distributed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:00 pm at the south entrance of the parish center off Main St.

  • Coffee Shop: Coffee shop is now open every Sunday after the 8 am mass in St. Brigid Hall (main hall of the parish center). All items are $1.00. On the first Sunday of every month, Coffee shop is open after both the 8 am and 10 am masses and everything is free!

  • I love St. Joseph!

Camera Operators Needed

In the last year we have offered people almost daily meditations on the Word of God by streaming the Mass. We have also streamed weddings, funerals, and baptisms. As a result, so many people have been blessed. It amazes us every time we receive encouraging words about how it has helped individuals grow in their relationship with Jesus. We not only hear this from our parishioners viewing but also many people around the globe.

All of this is made possible because of the generous volunteers that give of their time and energy to operate the cameras in church. Most of our volunteers have never done anything like this in their lives. Most of them control the cameras off of their home computers.

At this time, we need more volunteers. The training is simple. You can control the cameras from a home computer or in the church. If you are interested, please contact the front desk. Thank you for considering this beautiful apostolate!

Need A Hospital Visit?

Suggestions: 

  1. Before your loved one gets to a hospital, contact the parish office for Fr. Anthony to offer the Sacraments. 

  2. Ask the hospital to verify that your loved one is designated as “Catholic.”  Sometimes this information doesn’t end up in the patient’s file and so a priest doesn’t come to visit. 

  3. Contact the parish to let us know of any sick parishioners so that the staff can pray for you all. 

Note:

  • Fr. Aloy visits Catholics on Sunday. You can reach him by asking your nurse at Carle.

  • Fr. Ohm visits Monday - Friday. You cannot reach him through Carle.

  • Fr. Anthony can visit upon request. You can reach him by calling the parish office.

Academic Scholarships! 

Many do not know of the various academic scholarships sponsored by our parish.  This is a beautiful example of the generosity of the many parishioners at St. Patrick. Please take the time to learn more and see if you qualify for financial assistance.  

Dear Parish Family,

My hope and prayer is that everyone knows they are most welcome at St. Patrick. This is a wonderful parish, and together we can help bring more and more of Jesus’ grace to our local community and beyond.

There are many things that set St. Patrick apart from other parishes. To name just a few:

  • We have a deep devotion to the Sacrament of Confession, offering 5–6 hours of confession publicly and privately each week, and we hope to offer even more.

  • Our parish is beautifully diverse, drawing people from across the globe (e.g., the Congo, Vietnam, and Brazil), from city and rural backgrounds, and even welcoming non-Catholics who worship with us each weekend.

  • We have a long-standing love for music and hospitality.

  • Our community is known for its commitment to Catholic education, the corporal works of mercy, and strong lay involvement.

We also have a constant influx of new parishioners thanks to the local university, job opportunities, and a growing interest in faith. With all of these backgrounds converging, I was asked to help clarify some of our basic goals for how we approach Mass together.

Our primary goal is to cultivate Eucharistic devotion. The Saints remind us to prepare our hearts for Mass at home and in the moments before it begins. They encourage us to enter every Mass as if it were our first, last, and only. You’ll hear more about this over time, but for now, here are three simple ways we can help each other pray more deeply at Mass:

  1. Avoid talking in church.
    Preparing our hearts for Mass takes focus. Some people only have a few quiet moments to be with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Even whispers can be distracting. When you see friends before or after Mass, a smile or a wave is welcome. Please save conversations for the vestibule so we can all help one another pray before and after Mass.

  2. Avoid walking during the Consecration.
    If you find you need to leave your pew during Mass, please remain in the vestibule from the offertory (the procession of gifts) until the “Our Father.” As an antsy little boy, my parents taught me that the Consecration is so sacred that everything should pause so we can adore the Lord. That lesson has stayed with me.

  3. Allow the minister to see you consume the Eucharist.
    Our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are taught that they are morally responsible for the Blessed Sacrament from the moment they receive the ciborium until the communicant consumes the Host. Sadly, we have occasionally found the Eucharist on the ground after Mass. If you receive on the hand, take a side step, look upon the crucifix, and reverently consume the Host. Otherwise, the minister may need to gently follow you to ensure the Eucharist has been received properly.

Of course, we’ll all forget these things from time to time, and that’s okay. I’ll continue offering reminders in the weeks to come (especially since not everyone reads the bulletin). But please know, whenever I speak about these practices, it’s all about helping each other pray more deeply for ourselves, for the Church, and the world.

God bless you,
Fr. Anthony 

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