NOTES FOR OCTOBER 1, 2026 | | Faithful can subscribe to the notes by contacting the parish office and providing their e-mail address. Thanks for your support of our border town parishes!!! | |
Please remember - Fr. Pete does not send out text messages, e-mails or social media posts to solicit
funds for himself or any organizations outside of the parishes he serves. Fr. Pete's emergency phone
number is (815) 685-1359 and his e-mail addresses
are either pjankowski@yahoo.com or pjankowski@stfrancis.edu.
Please do not trust any correspondences that
utilize any other phone number or e-mail address.
THE TERM FOR THIS SCAM IS "PHISHING,"
IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH
| | Please support our parishes by clicking the ONLINE GIVING picture - these are your local homes where God is present! Let's share this grace with those of the next generation! | | PLEASE REMEMBER... In order to keep our parishes open and serving the needy, we need to average $3,000 a week at St. Patrick's and $2,000 a week at St. Anne's. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. | | |
News & Notes with Fr. Pete Jankowski
OUR BENEDICTINE PRESENCE AT ST. ANNE'S!
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Fr. Pete was "gifted" this week with two toy Benedictine Monks among the bagloads of stuffed toys donated from the Potempa Family from Homer Glen, IL for our Rummage Sale this week. The family instructed Fr. Pete to hold on to the "Benedictine" Monks and asked him to help serve as chaplain at Benet Academy High School in Lisle... a little bit of a distance from the Border Town Parishes!!!
Feel free to contact Fr. Pete at email pjankowski@yahoo.com. If you have an emergency, please contact Fr. Pete at (815) 685-1359
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Way back on September 24, my journeys took me to various parts of the diocese and states in order to minister to those in need and collect another truckload of items for the St. Anne Rummage Sale (which takes place from October 1-3 this week). The start of my day began St. Anne’s Church, where at 5:00 a.m. I drove to Minooka, IL for a 7:00 a.m. Mass in Latin for the Poor Clares in the Extraordinary Form I very much care about the Poor Clares – not only did they help me during my times of trial but they have helped so many good souls in the area I serve with truckloads of food and supplies for the needy.
Following the 7:00 a.m. Mass, I then drove back to Momence, IL for the 9:15 a.m. service for our own parishioners.
After Mass, I headed over to South Bend, IN for a meeting at noon (1 pm EST) and then back to Momence, IL to pick up a ten-foot U-Haul truck so we could load it with nice things for St. Anne’s Rummage Sale.
As I drove the U-Haul up north, I stopped in Homer Glen, IL to pick up a whole lot of nice items from one family and then over to Crest Hill, IL to pick up a final set of items from a woman whom I have known since the beginning of my priesthood in 1996. The woman living in Crest Hill is named Marlene Gura.
When I started working at St. Paul’s Church & School in Joliet back in 1997, Marlene was the sixth-grade teacher at the school and later the eighth-grade teacher. Marlene has since retired and is now moving to a senior facility to enjoy the next phase of her life. She and her family were nice enough to ask me to pick up these items for the good souls east of Kankakee.
By the time I got back to St. Anne in the darkness of the night, a whole slew of good souls helped unload the truck in preparation for what takes place this week. We are so blessed the next generation of parishioners “picked up the baton” and continued a sale that many in the area very much wanted. To be honest… I think we got much more at this Rummage Sale than in the town three times their size!!! Way to go folks of St. Anne!
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Meanwhile, Scott Crawford and his workers from Suburban Sealcoat completed the laying of asphalt on the St. Anne Parking Lot prior to the storms that came into the area. On his own, Scott is going to lay gravel on the adjoining section of the lot for our benefit and will stripe the lot when the weather clears. Nevertheless, the lot is now ready for us to show off during our Rummage Sale and Annual Pumpkin Fest at St. Anne’s that takes place this weekend!
We also were blessed that two wonderful souls donated over $5,500 TOTAL for the Parking Lot Project, bringing our $60,000 to the 85% mark! More good news is to come on parking lot front… stay tuned!
That is THREE parking lots we have done in our area in just over a year! What wonderful communities we have!
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Hello everyone! St. Patrick’s parishioner Joanne Hermann felt so blessed that her Granddaughter Hannah Hermann was entering the convent that she asked if there was something special we could do for her. As a result, we created a card for her to thank her for her call to this vocation. (Hannah was blessed enough to attend the Beatitification Mass for Blessed Fulton Sheen last week!)
One of the parishioners in the Hispanic community at St. Patrick’s asked we do the same for former Secretary Ema Elvir, who left with her family to Mexico last year at this time to be with her mother.
Attached are the cards and the sentiments of the faithful at St. Patrick’s on behalf of Hannah and Ema!
| We also wish to thank St. Patrick’s Parishioner Phyllis Burwell, who quietly has led our 4-H Group for years at the parish! Ever since we completed the second-floor gym renovations (converting a shower room into a meeting place), Phyllis has been holding meetings for these young ladies in the gym. The kids decided to write a “thank you” card to the parish for allowing them to meet on our campus! | | |
FINALLY... THE STORY OF NINE YEARS WITH A CRAZY BASSETT...
On September 29, 2017 (the Feast of the Archangels), Fr. Pete Jankowski travelled to southern Illinois to receive a special gift born on August 7. As Gabby celebrates nine years of parish ministry today, we look back on many of her “paw-lights” through the years…
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Thanks to Business Manager Debby Absher and the members of the Finance Committees from Both Parishes, we have been able to take all monies from whatever “side accounts” we have and move them into a central account so that both parishioners and the diocese would be guaranteed of “Financial Transparency” – through a central computer processing system, the diocese now can see every cent that is put into our accounts and every cent taken out (no monies have been hidden and I certainly have taken none – my staff childes me for giving “everything” I earn away to the parishes the best I can, as God instructed me to do in Mt 19: 21.
As I stated in previous notes, the diocesan insurance office gave both of our parishes a 100% rating concerning maintenance. Below are the letters our respective Finance Committees are sharing with the diocese and parishioners, as required by diocesan policy; these letters can be found in our bulletins this weekend, both here Online and In-Church:
CLICK HERE to View the Letter about the 2025-26 Financial Status of St. Patrick’s Church
CLICK HERE to View the Letter about the 2025-26 Financial Status of St. Anne’s Church
ALSO... The University of St. Francis is at it again! The leaders of the university asked me to teach yet another Online Course for the students in Vietnam, this time in the realm of the Philosophy of Religion. As I have done with the other courses I teach, I will provide for you the Video Lectures and Activity Sheets (with Answer Keys) with the Notes this semester.
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As my birthday gift to you, I spent $1,800 out of pocket to purchase what is called the “Formed” Adult Education Program for your consideration. As summarized by AI, FORMED is an online digital platform created by the Augustine Institute that provides Catholic movies, video courses, audio talks, study programs, and e-books. Often called a "Catholic Netflix," it is designed to help individuals learn about and practice their Catholic faith. THIS SERVICE PROVIDES ONLINE CATECHESIS IN BOTH ENGLISH & SPANISH!
Key Features of FORMED
- Content Library: Features thousands of hours of content on Scripture, the sacraments, the lives of the saints, and church history.
- Trusted Partners: Includes resources produced by the Augustine Institute alongside materials from Ignatius Press, the St. Paul Center, Word on Fire, and Lighthouse Catholic Media.
- Access Options: Available via individual subscriptions or through local parish accounts that often provide free access to parishioners.
- Compatibility: Streamed through web browsers, mobile phones, tablets, and TV devices like Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire Stick.
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Second, Campus Projects and the Capital Improvement Accounts
This week at St. Patrick’s, our air conditioning system went out… again! One of my predecesors went on the cheap with the last system – when it is working, few can hear the lectors or priest at mass because the system is so loud and many of the units are leaking or have stopped working altogether. We spent $40,000 last winter on replacing the church boiler that broke down; generous donors came forward to install generators on our property (hopefully this will get done by the end of the summer) and creating two parking lots that I personally thought would never get addressed.
Over at St. Anne’s water damage has corroded one wall in the church from what I was told had been at least ten years in the making. The repairs to the outer wall will run just under $10,000. We used to have a parking lot across the hall which, due to neglect and lack of funds, caused the lot to become corroded. We might have a way to address a portion of the lot at little to no cost but we probably will need $60,000 to re-do one portion of the lot to make it nice.
Regardless, the Capital Improvement accounts at both parishes have taken a hit and we will need to replenish them if we wish to continue functioning as parishes. If you can help us with any or all of these projects, please contact the office.
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Because of THREE SNOWSTORMS which swept through our area this winter, this has wreaked havoc on our finances, since we did not make up the finances in our collections needed to keep up afloat. Thanks to a couple of my "friends from the outside" who donated $3,000 total to help St. Anne's Church.
Please remember… the budgets that our Finance Committees established last June only work if St. Anne’s collects $2,000 a week in her collection and $3,000 a week at St. Patrick’s. We have been blessed that a couple major donors have assisted us in keeping the ships afloat but, if you can, please remember that the “Online Giving” Portal is always open Online and we continue to encourage you to remember St. Anne’s & St. Pat’s in your Will and Estate Planning. With a new bishop coming into the area later this year, a new bishop brings new and different ideas – let’s not let the bishop think about St. Patrick’s or St. Anne’s for a long time!
If any of our farmers might consider donating something “when the time comes” as part of an estate gift, if someone who attends our St. Anne Novena helps us maintain that Novena through a foundation gift, we would be well-served to allow the Lord to work through our communities to offer the same grace as has been offered since the 1850s.
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MASS FOR THE 27th SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME (OCT. 4, 2026)
To have Christian Charity in the world can be so difficult - sometimes what a good soul might offer does not receive a warm reception; sometimes the charitable act is rejected altogether. Yet, even though the world is the way it is, we cannot stop loving or giving - that is the gospel message on which we focus at this Online Mass.
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To help preserve our churches, we need to encourage the faithful to Fill the Pews!!! We need parishioners to get invested in parish life by helping with Time & Talent Forms, which will be distributed next weekend.
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Do you know of any adults who wish to receive the sacraments at Easter? The OCIA Process begins This Month. Information is available in the bulletin and brochures can be found in the Narthex of the Church.
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You are invited to include the names of your deceased loved ones in our Book of the Dead, which is located at the back of the Church, in remembrance of those who have died this last year. The Mass in Commemoration of All Souls will take place on Sunday, November 1st at St. Anne’s (9:00 p.m.) and St. Patrick’s (10:30 a.m. in English and 12:00 noon in Spanish). All names of our beloved deceased will be honored on November 01-02.
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St. Pat’s is sponsoring its “100 Bricks for Life!” Promotion, in honor of Rite to Life Month.
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We will sponsor a “Rosary for Life” on October 24 (10:00 a.m. at St. Anne’s and 12:00 noon at St. Patrick’s). all are invited to join us.
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ST. PATRICK'S / ST. ANNE'S
PHOTO DIRECTORIES
| | Thanks to Ruth Sparenberg, Anne Andrade & Joanne Hermann for assembling, scanning and editing the follow Photo Directories from the Church History of St. Patrick's and St. Anne's Churches! | | | THE COMPLETED CEMETERY PROJECTS FOR BOTH ST. ANNE'S AND ST. PATRICK'S CEMETERIES | | | | The Holy Father provides a wonderful opportunity to receive an Apostolic Blessing for Birthdays, Baptisms, Weddings and Anniversaries, First Communions, Confirmations, Religious Professions and Ordinations. | | |
Parish Hotline... If you know of someone who is sick and in need of the sacraments or if you know someone who wishes a visit at the hospital or care facility, please contact the parish office or Fr. Pete Jankowski at (815) 685-1359.
| | | Fr. Pete offers the Anointing of the Sick at both parishes at the First Friday Masses every month (St. Patrick’s at 9:15 a.m. and St. Anne’s at 5:00 p.m. (English) and 7:00 p.m. (Spanish). | | |
To View St. Patrick's Bulletin for
OCT. 4, 2026
CLICK HERE!
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To View St. Anne's Bulletin for
OCT. 4, 2026
CLICK HERE!
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PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK: Rick Blanchette, William Brown, Mike, Ashley & Jesse Childress, Mike Cronk, Maria DeLeon, Dave Fieramosca, Herve Gomichon, Linda Goodman, Don Hout, Gustavo Lopez, Jesus Ariel Lopez, Bernardo & Linda Miramontes, Evelyn Provost, Art Schmidt, Frank & Louise Shainauskas, Ruth Sparenberg, Cynthia Vickery, Joe Wielgus and all those on our sick list.
At St. Anne's... Eva Bell, Paula Bertrand, Lola Billings, Duane Blanchette, Sue Bonvallet, Cheryl Boswell, June Burns, Cindy Capriotti, Ashley & Jesse Childress, Abraham Daily, Aria Dionne, Carol Futcher, Raelynn Garrett, Val Lagacy, Pam & Bentley Lottinville, Linda Miramontes, Josh Odelson, Ruth Sparenberg and John Wojnowski.
At St. Patrick's... P. Anderson, N. Atkinson, R. Bailey, D. Barth, Beedle Family, D. Brown, M. Cárdenas, P. Caro, B & E. Coffman, S. Conner, M & D Cousin, M. Cruz, A. Delaney, M. Dionne, J. Dobbins, E. Duke, D. Dunlap, G. Field, C. Fritz, A. Fuhrmann, Judy & Ron Gall, Tony & Adrianne Gallinaro, J. Grill, R. Harper, K. Hensa, J. Hibbs, D. Hiller, C. Jones, L. Kane, R. Kazee, A. Kijewski, Joe Kraus, L. Lee, L. Leranth, E. Lopez, B. Love, J. Marcotte, W. Marten, J. McCracken, L. Mercado, R & V Morse, C. Ortman, C. Piec, J. Prather, C. Provost, E. Provost, P. Reising, D. Roberts, M. Saldaña A. Schaff, J. Schopf. D. Schmied, K. Simpson, B. Siwicki, B. Spagnola, M. Tolbert, M. Tolmer, H. Tousignant, M. Velazquez, M. Williams, Gary Witherell, M. Witherspoon, S. Young, J. L. Zagal, A. Zimmerman, M & L Zink and G. Zokal.
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Fr. Pete Jankowski posts his homilies online at the parish website for those who wish to keep up with the gospel message each week.
| | | PARISH REGISTRATION FORMS | | CLICK HERE to watch Fr. Pete’s Twelve Part Series “Stories on the Journey,” Broadcast on Shalom World TV! | | | ITEMS FOR PURCHASE / DONATION TO HELP OUR PARISHES!!! | | Call the Offices at (815) 472-2864 or (815) 427-8265 for more information... | | Since 2019, We Have Raised Over $250,000 in Pew Donations!!! | | |
For only $100, you can dedicate a brick to someone special at St. Patrick's Outdoor Grotto (where the Our Lady of Lourdes Outdoor Masses are celebrated)!!!
(815) 472-2864
| |  | For only $25, you can dedicate a Journeysongs Pew Book from either parish. Please call (815) 472-2864 (St. Patrick's) or (815) 427-8265 (St. Anne's) for more information! | | |
St. Patrick's T-Shirts
$10 Each or
Three for $20
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St. Patrick's or St. Anne's Blessed Water / Oil $2 a Bottle
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Greeting Cards of These Images are Now Available for Purchase in the Parish Office.
$25 for Books of Twenty...
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St. Patrick's or St. Anne's Mugs
$10 Each or Three for $20
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LINKS TO CATHOLIC WEBSITES
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ACCESS SITE
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