February Newsletter

February 2025

PARISH NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

A Note From Our Pastor

I pray this note finds you happy, healthy, and holy. As we have discussed, on the 22nd of this month, our two parishes of St. Patrick Church of Merna and St. Mary Church in Downs will merge to form the new Most Holy Eucharist Parish. This is an exciting time for our churches as we look to all the great things on the horizon for our new parish. We have been working to communicate and be transparent throughout this process in order to keep you informed, and that will continue throughout the merger. In a desire to provide greater clarity and understanding about the merger, our staff put together a flyer that can be viewed by clicking the button below. We hope you find it helpful.

Throughout all of this, our staff and transition team have been working diligently and yet there is much more work to be done. In fact, I foresee this time of transition not being fully wrapped up until the Fall. We appreciate your patience and understanding; change is never easy but with God’s grace, all will go smoothly and we will move into the future as a faithful, vibrant parish!

In Christ,

Fr. Schultz

View Merger Document Here

Parish News & Upcoming Events

Ash Wednesday will take place on March 5, 2025

American Red Cross Blood Drive

We will host a blood drive at St. Patrick Church of Merna on Monday, February 10th from 12:30-5:30pm in the Shamrock Hall. To make an appointment, click here or call 1-800-Red-Cross. Volunteer opportunities are also available to help with the canteen and check-in; sign up at the Welcome Center.

Mass Schedule Change

Due to all of our priests attending the opening Mass for the celebration of the Diocese of Peoria’s 150th anniversary, the 5:30pm Mass on Wednesday, February 12th at St. Mary Church in Downs is canceled. This Mass will return as scheduled on February 19th. Thank you for your understanding!

Also, please keep our children’s choirs in your prayers as they have been chosen to sing at this special Mass at the cathedral! It is a great honor and recognition of the hard work of the children and our Music Director, Lindsey Adams.

Sharing the Grief Journey

All those continuing to grieve the loss of a loved one are invited to attend a monthly gathering with other parishioners on a similar journey. Join us on Thursday, February 27th at 6:30pm in Room 6. These gatherings are designed to encourage healing through connection and shared experiences. This is open to all in our community. No registration is required. Contact Dianne Lerman or call the parish office with questions.

Rooted and Radiant Women’s Lenten Study

Through this Bible study on the New Testament book of Colossians, we dive into understanding who Jesus is and what that means for us. We learn how to abide in the wisdom of Christ to navigate the ever-increasing demands and messages of our culture. Two concurring 6-week sessions will be offered at St. Pat's on Tuesday evenings (begins March 4th) or Friday mornings (begins March 7th). Click the button below for all the details and to register.

March Encounter Night

Wednesday, March 5th; 7-8:30pm; St. Patrick Church of Merna

Join us for a night of rest, reflection, music, and prayer with Sister M. Clare O'Connor as we start the Lenten season.

Man Up! Upcoming Programs

Man Up! is inviting the men of the parish to join them each Friday at 5:45 am. Now is a great time to join as we have a new program about to start up in the coming weeks. On March 7th, we will start a Lenten study using Bishop Robert Barron's book, Lenten Gospel Reflections, to guide us through Lent. Please contact Phil Olinger or Kevin Cook for more information on joining these studies and to get added to the Man Up! e-mail list. A virtual option is available, too. For details, please contact Brian Claricoates.

Natural Family Planning Class

The next three-class Natural Family Planning series begins March 16th from 12:30-2:30pm in St. Patrick Church of Merna's conference room. This class series fulfills a marriage prep requirement, but married couples are also welcome and encouraged to attend! If you have any questions, please contact Bobby and Elizabeth Rariden. To register, go to Couple to Couple's website.

Grow in Faith

National Marriage Week 2025: February 7th-14th

To strengthen and celebrate your marriage this month, consider checking out the following:

Pray a simple 7-day at-home retreat for couples
Go through a Couple's Connection Plan together
Pursue some fun date ideas
Tune into livestreams at 7pm throughout the week
Listen to Marriage: Unique for a Reason’s Made for Love Podcast, which tells the stories of real people living out the call to love
Mark your calendars for our two final Foundations of Marriage events at Shamrock Hall:
Challenging Topics: April 4th 7:30pm-8:30pm
Creating Ritual & Meaning: May 2nd 7:30pm-8:30pm

Litany of Healing & Repentance

At the Eucharistic Congress this past summer, Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, led a powerful Litany of Healing and Repentance in front of Jesus in His Eucharistic Presence. To pray along, watch the video below.

Serving with the Heart of Christ

Thank you to all parishioners who have completed and submitted your Commitment Card to the church. Each and every one of you is a vital member of our parish community and we want to hear from you! This is an opportunity to reflect upon and renew your sacrificial commitment to support the mission of St. Patrick Church of Merna & St. Mary Church in Downs. For those who are able – there is also an opportunity to make a one-time gift to the parish. If you have any questions, please contact the church office.

Program Brochure

More Information

Online Giving

St. Patrick Church Of Merna

1001 N Towanda Barnes Rd.

Bloomington, IL 61705

(309) 662-7361

www.stpatrickmerna.org

St. Mary Church in Downs

108 E. Washington St.

Downs, IL 61736

(309) 662-7361

www.stmarysdowns.org