Dear St. Philomena Parish Family,
One of my favorite greetings is hearing Archbishop Sheen say in that deep voice, “Peace be to you.” Many years ago when I was a seminarian, someone gave me a wonderful CD set of conferences by Archbishop Sheen where he speaks on a range of topics. Each of the conferences begins with the familiar: “Peace be to you.” As we are now in September and in the final preparations for the Beatification of Archbishop Sheen on September 24, I thought I would begin a series on Sheen to help us dive more deeply into his life and teaching. Msgr. Jason Gray, who is the Executive Director the Fulton Sheen Foundation, has prepared a wonderful review of Archbishop Sheen’s Autobiography: “Treasure in Clay.” In the coming weeks, we’ll work through Msgr. Gray’s book study, giving us a chance to learn more about Archbishop Sheen…and hopefully inspire us to live more and faithfully our own life in Christ.
Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen…Chapter 1
Msgr. Gray begins by asking us to read 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 and comment on the meaning of the title of the autobiography. “For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Christ. But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.” Msgr. Gray continues, “Reflect on an example of the differences between the way we are seen by others, the way we see ourselves, and the way God sees us.”
Answers: Sheen recognized that he was only the clay pot in which Christ the treasure was contained. The quote keeps Sheen grounded in humility, lest the..
Dear St. Philomena Parish Family, One of my favorite greetings is hearing Archbishop Sheen say in that deep voice, “Peace be to you.” Many years ago when I was a seminarian, someone gave me a... Read More
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St. Philomena Parish is a Catholic Church with a parochial elementary grade school in an established family neighborhood in the heart of Peoria, IL.
Our mission is to proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ through worship, sacraments, education and community life. Each parishioner is invited to understand, embrace, and communicate the truth of Catholic Christianity to our culture.
Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m.
Monday-Saturday: 8:00 a.m.
Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 7:30 p.m.
7:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 5 p.m.
Thursday: 8:30 a.m.
Saturday: 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.