Some News For You

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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.

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 Collin (and cc Jon) to add the event to the “News” page of our website.

  3. Flocknote - request Collin (and cc Jon) that the event be highlighted in the weekly Flocknote message.

  4. Facebook - request Collin (and cc 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.

2024 Annual Diocesan Appeal

  • The theme of this year’s ADA is “Do Everything for the Glory of God!” ADA supports the various ministries that work beyond any single parish but across the diocese as a whole. Each of us are members of the Body of Christ - as individuals, as a parish family, as a diocese under our bishop, and as the entire world-wide Catholic Church. Please prayerfully consider making a pledge using the cards in the pews or via the letters you will soon be receiving to help enable our diocese to continue to bring the love of Christ through the many hands of our parishes to our communities. For more information, click here.

February

KoC Tom Costello Superbowl Breakfast

  • Sunday, February 9th from 8:30-10:30am in St. Brigid Hall

  • Join us for the Knights of Columbus’s Annual Tom Costello Superbowl Breakfast! Featuring over a dozen items to choose from including our favorites like Breakfast Casseroles, Pancakes, French Toast Sticks, Sliced Ham, Biscuits & Gravy, Fruit Cups, Bacon, Sausage, Shredded Potatoes, Pastries, and much, much more! Meal prices are $10 for children, $15 for adults, or only $35 for a family!

Able Group Meeting

  • Sunday, February 16th after the 10am Mass in St. Brigid Hall

  • Come together all those with disabilities, family members of those with disabilities, and those who want to serve the disability community.

Vincent O. Greene Applications

  • Ongoing, Due by 5pm on February 17th

  • To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be a graduating high school senior or a full-time college student, and must be actively practicing their Catholic faith by attending weekly Mass, and be accepted as a student by the college-level educational institution for which the student seeks a scholarship, and at least one parent or legal guardian must be a registered member of St. Patrick’s Parish in good standing for at least two (2) years. To fill out the electronic application, please go to https://www.stpaturbana.org/scholarship-application. If you have any questions, please email us at vincentogreenescholarship@stpaturbana.org.

Spalding Scholarship for Diocesan and Parish Assistance for K-12 Catholic School Students

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 

Easter Message From Bishop Tylka
Vision of St. Patrick

Help Ukraine
Please consider donating to the Knights of Columbus Ukrainian Relief Fund to help those displaced by the current conflict.

Pro-Life Resources

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

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 mary parishioners at St. Patrick. Please take the time to learn more and see if you qualify for financial assistance.  

Mandle Design