My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Warm and heartfelt greetings to each of you!

After a month away in India for vacation and several important family and religious events, I am truly happy to be back home with you. I return with a grateful heart, beautiful memories, and renewed energy to continue serving you.

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you for your prayers, love, and constant support during my time away. Even from a distance, I felt spiritually united with you. Your prayers accompanied me throughout my travels and responsibilities, and I am deeply grateful.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Fr. Sergio for generously and faithfully taking care of the pastoral duties in my absence. His availability and dedication ensured that parish life continued smoothly.

I also want to offer my heartfelt thanks to our office staff, the members of the pastoral council and finance council, the leaders of our various parish communities, and all those who quietly and faithfully took care of the many needs of our parish during my absence. Your sense of responsibility, teamwork, and love for the Church are truly inspiring. Because of your commitment, our parish continued to grow and function beautifully. I am deeply grateful for each one of you.

My time in India was a precious blessing. I was able to spend meaningful time with my dearly beloved mother and my family members. One of my sisters, who is a religious nun, was also home for vacation, and another two sisters their families also came from Spain and Mumbai. Being reunited together after some time was a great joy and consolation.

I was especially blessed to baptize the daughter of my niece — a grace-filled and emotional moment for our family. I also had the privilege of blessing the marriages of two of my cousins. These sacred celebrations reminded me once again of the beauty of faith lived within families.

I participated in the platinum jubilee celebration of the presence of the Pallottines in India — a historic and grace-filled milestone of 75 years of missionary service. I also successfully completed my R1 visa extension process at the U.S. Embassy, which allows me to continue my ministry here without any concern. I thank God that everything went well.

Another unforgettable moment was the feast of my home parish — a solemn joint celebration honoring Mother Mary, St. Sebastian, and St. Joseph, the patron of the parish. With nine days of novena followed by three days of vibrant celebration, it was a powerful witness of faith and devotion.

The days were filled with travel, visits, meetings, and many joyful reunions. They were beautiful, though quite full and demanding. Leaving my mother once again was not easy — it was heartbreaking for her and emotional for me. Yet I left with peace in my heart, knowing that I was returning to another family whom God has entrusted to my care.

I am back now — with you and for you — here in the United States. I come with renewed love, gratitude, and commitment to serve you wholeheartedly.

Thank you for being such a blessing in my life. Let us continue to walk together in faith, hope, and charity. May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly.

With affection, gratitude, and prayers,

Fr. Varghese Antony SAC

Every year, on the First Sunday of Lent the Church presents to us the Gospel of the temptation of Jesus in the desert, Matthew 4:1-11. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we hear how Jesus, after His baptism, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days. There He fasted, prayed, and faced temptation.

Why does the Church begin Lent with this scene? Because Lent is our desert experience.

The desert is a place of silence. A place where distractions are removed. A place where we encounter ourselves — and where we encounter God. But the desert is also a place of testing. Just as Jesus was tempted, we too experience temptation: the temptation to seek comfort over sacrifice, pleasure over discipline, power over humility, self over Go. Notice something important: Jesus does not avoid temptation. He faces it. And He overcomes it — not by argument, not by power, but by faithfulness to God’s Word. Let us ask ourselves today:

What is the “desert” I need to enter this Lent?

What temptation do I need God’s help to overcome?

What practical step will I take starting today?

Before Jesus began His public ministry, there was the desert. Before Easter joy, there is the Lenten journey. Yet we do not walk this path alone. The Spirit was with Jesus in the desert, and Christ walks with us today. If we embrace this season sincerely and prayerfully, Easter will not be just another celebration — it will be a personal experience of renewal and grace. May this holy season purify our hearts, strengthen our faith, and lead us to the joy of the Resurrection.

2026 SDCCW H S Girl Scholarship Letter to Graduate

2026 SDCCW HS Girl Scholarship Application

Dear Brothers and Sisters

As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, my heart overflows with gratitude for each of you. You are a blessing to our parish family—through your presence, your faith, your prayers, and your love for God. Every family, every individual, every child, every elder, every visitor, and every returning Catholic is important, valued, and welcomed here.

I want to assure you that I am here as your shepherd, walking with you in faith, joy, and hope. My prayer and my mission is to make our parish a place where all feel at home, where the lonely find friendship, the hurting find comfort, and the seeker finds Christ. Our parish is strongest when we stand united in Christ. Let us resist divisive thoughts, instead, let us build one another up in love, faith, and mission.

As St. Paul reminds us, “Let us pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another.” (Romans 14:19) Together, we can create a parish that truly welcomes everyone and reflects the love of Jesus. May your homes be filled with joy, peace, and gratitude this Thanksgiving, and may our parish continue to grow as a community of disciples who live, serve, and love as one family in Christ.

With prayerful gratitude and blessing,

Fr. Varghese Puthussery SAC

Beyond the Masks: Rediscovering the True Spirit of “Halloween”

Before the costumes and candy, Halloween was a night of holiness — a vigil of light before the Feast of All Saints. This year, let’s look beyond the shadows and reclaim its sacred meaning.

Each year, as October 31st approaches, our streets fill with costumes, candy, and carved pumpkins. For many, Halloween is a night of fun and fright — a time for spooky decorations and sweet treats. Yet few realize that this day has holy and ancient Christian roots. Behind the masks and marketing lies a story that calls us to rediscover the real meaning of Halloween and to celebrate it in a way that reflects its true spirit.

The Meaning of the Word: The name Halloween is actually a shortened form of “All Hallows’ Eve.” “Hallow” means holy or saint — as we say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Hallowed be Thy name.” “E’en” is an old term for evening. Put together, Halloween literally means “the evening of all the holy ones.” It is the vigil before one of the Church’s greatest feasts: All Saints’ Day on November 1st — the day we honor all the saints in heaven, both known and unknown.

The Origin of the Feast: From the early centuries of Christianity, believers have honored the memory of the martyrs and holy men and women who gave their lives for Christ. As their numbers grew, the Church set aside a single day to celebrate all who have reached heaven — the great family of the faithful who now live in God’s presence. By the eighth century, Pope Gregory III established November 1st as All Saints’ Day, and the evening before became known as All Hallows’ Eve. It was a time of prayer, reflection, and preparation — a vigil of hope before the great feast of light and glory.

How the Meaning Was Lost: Over time, as Christian Europe met different local customs and seasonal harvest traditions, some of the symbols of autumn and death became mixed with the Church’s holy vigil. In more recent times, especially in popular culture, Halloween has drifted far from its sacred roots. Instead of a night preparing to honor the saints, it often celebrates fear, darkness, and even things that mock the sacred. What began as a vigil of holiness has become for many a festival of horror — and, sadly, a highly commercialized one. The focus has shifted from honoring heaven’s glory to glorifying the eerie and grotesque.

A Call to Reclaim the Light: Yet this need not be the case. As Catholics, we are invited to reclaim Halloween and return to its true purpose — a time of joy, remembrance, and faith. Halloween, rightly understood, points us toward the victory of light over darkness, of life over death, of Christ over evil. We can restore the beauty of this feast by celebrating it in meaningful ways: Attend Mass or a vigil service for All Saints’ Day. Learn about and share stories of the saints, especially lesser-known ones. Host an All-Saints’ celebration where children can dress as their favorite saints or biblical figures. Pray for loved ones who have died, preparing also for All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. Light candles as symbols of Christ, the Light of the World, shining in the darkness. These practices remind us that Halloween is not about fear, but about faith — not about death’s power, but about the promise of eternal life.

Becoming Saints Ourselves: The true message of Halloween is one of hope. It calls us to remember that we are all made for heaven, and that sainthood is not reserved for a few — it is our universal call. As we honor the saints who have gone before us, we renew our own desire to follow their example of courage, charity, and holiness. So, this year, as pumpkins glow on porches and children laugh in the streets, let us also allow the light of faith to shine in our hearts. Let us celebrate All Hallows’ Eve as it was meant to be — a joyful vigil before the Feast of All Saints, a night when we look not into the shadows, but toward the radiant glory of God’s kingdom.

Fr. Varghese Puthussery SAC, St. Peter Church.

• St. Dominic in the 13th century is traditionally credited with receiving the rosary from the Blessed Virgin Mary as a weapon to combat heresy and bring people back to Christ. He preached it passionately, understanding the power of the rosary.
• Centuries later, St. Louis de Montfort said, “The Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God.”
• Padre Pio, a mystic and stigmatist. called Rosary “his weapon,” and would pray it more than 30 times a day.
• St. Mother Teresa prayed it constantly amidst the suffering she witnessed, calling it her daily lifeline.

• In Fatima (1917), Mary revealed herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary” and asked us to pray it daily for peace and the conversion of sinners.
• At Lourdes (1858), she held a Rosary and prayed it with Bernadette.
• In Akita (1973), she urged Sr. Agnes, “Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary.”

• It brings us closer to Jesus through Mary.
• It deepens our faith and trust in God.
• It offers peace, protection, and hope.
• It opens our hearts to grace and intercession.
• And it unites us with the Church across the world and throughout time.

PSR & Youth Group Registration is open! See our link on Facebook, petersburgcatholics.com and holyfamilyathens.com

Our PSR (Parish School Religion), aka Sunday School, meets most Sundays from 9:15 AM-10:15 AM at St. Peter Parish Center in Petersburg, IL. We serve Pre K (Ages 3-5) & K, 1^st Grade, 2^nd Grade (Reconciliation Sacrament), 3^rd Grade (Confirmation and First Communion Sacraments), and 4-6^th Grade in this program.

Our youth group serves grades 7^th -12^th and meets the 2^nd & 4^th Sundays of each month.

Please join us for our Kickoff Events:

Saturday September 6^th after 4:30 PM Mass at St. Peter – PSR Meet the Teacher Night at St. Peter Parish Center.

Sunday August 24^th – Youth Group kickoff party at St. Peter Parish Center.

If you are interested in volunteering, registering your child, or have any questions please reach out to Emily Wilson in the office.