This weekend, our 8th graders celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. As part of their preparation, the students write a letter to me, explaining why they want to be Confirmed. I thought I would share with you excerpts of some of the letters I received this year.
Congratulations to our 8th graders! May God bless you at Confirmation and all the days of your lives! Your lives and testimony are a blessing for us!
I'm really ready to be confirmed because I want to be closer to God. When I get older I will be able to get married in church. I think Confirmation means a lot to me because I'm one of God's children. When I get Confirmed my parent will be proud of me.
This is my first year at MQH. I really enjoy the church and my CCD class. I want to be confirmed because I want to be more active in church. I feel I'm old enough to make my own choices, like when to go to church and what to participate in...My relationship with God will be complete, but I understand that I will have to continue working at that relationship by praying and going to church...I have started praying more this year, and it truly has helped me. I know I will keep praying.
I want to be confirmed because I want to show I am proud of what I have done. I want to also show I have learned more about my religion. I am happy and stunned that I made it this far. I want to show people I can stick to what I do. Being in CCD...I learned more about God and Jesus. I would also like to thank you for having such a good clean school with such nice teachers. It also taught me saying hi can make a person's day. Just doing something little can change into something big like planting flowers for someone. It also taught me how much Jesus had to go through to spread our religion. Now I can say I've become more mature in my religion and take responsible actions to my future.
I am requesting to be confirmed. I want to be confirmed because I would like to be an adult in the church. I want to continue to be close to God, and want to be able to turn to God when I need advice or guidance. I want to raise my children to be Catholic when I am married. I really think I am ready to be confirmed and I am looking forward to a happy life with God.
I have really enjoyed Religious Education this past year....Being confirmed is very important to me. It was my decision and choice. I chose that I wanted to be confirmed because that would allow me to be a step closer to God. Also, in the eyes of the church you have become an adult which means the church has more faith in you to come to church and be the best person and most holy person you can be...I believe there are some responsibilities a confirmed Catholic Christian has. The confirmed should go to church every week, be the best person they can be, help others, and maintain the other responsibilities any other Catholic Christian has. Those responsibilities show you are a good person and believe in God. A confirmed person should try to help others bring up their level of faith and try to get Atheists to slowly come and believe in God as well. A perfect time of trying to do that would be when the person is down or having a bad day and is in need of someone to talk to or hand their problems to. When trying to live up to those responsibilities a person can simply go to church and read the Bible, and just be who they are inside because everyone is good whether you think they are or not.
I am ready to be confirmed. I feel like I know my faith well enough. Also, I believe in it...It would mean a lot to me to be confirmed. I have gone to Mary Queen of Heaven since fifth grade. I like it better than my old church and I would love to be confirmed in this church. After my confirmation I am going to help the community. My religious education isn't going to stop at this. I will go to church even if my parents can't make it...I take this seriously and I plan on taking advantage of my new position in the Catholic community.
I feel that I am ready to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. I am ready to become a full member of the church and to bring the Lord to others through my actions. God has found me and I am looking forward to living the rest of my life with him at my side, always looking out for me. It is a privilege and an honor to be Confirmed this year, and I plan to take full advantage of the opportunity.
I want to be confirmed because I want to become more active in our church. Also to be able to begin to understand God and his reasons for what he does. Also, once I am confirmed, I hope to use the gifts God will give me to be able to give more of myself to serving God and in doing so better myself and all the people around me.
Mary Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
Market Day Orders for May are due Monday, May 21, at noon. Turn in your order form in the box in the back of church or at the rectory. Pickup on Saturday, May 26, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. in the Social Hall. If you have questions or WISH to place an order, please call Maria at 279-2238 or Karen at 279-4108. Christian Education Commission Sign up for Psalms I Over the next two weekends, you will have an opportunity to sign up for our next Bible Study, Psalms I. A committee person will be available at the back of church after all the Masses on the weekends of May 5-6 and May 12-13. You can purchase the books ($12.00) and select the day you would like to attend. There are 2 evening and 2 daytime meetings. If you cannot sign up at any of these times, please call the Parish Office (279-5700). If you need assistance with the fee, please speak with Mary Foley. Come and join us. Catholic Charities Foster Care Open and Growing in Joliet Diocese Catholic Charities in the Joliet Diocese is alive and growing and will continue to serve 400 or more children in foster care. The agency is also currently looking for new foster parents. If you are interested or want more information, call toll-free 1-877-844-HOPE. Visit www.cc-doj.org Prayer Requests To pray for our sick is an important privilege of our parish family. We hope that you will pray for these persons every day. Natalie Baker Pam Bondfide Pat Caffarelli Rose Caffarelli Kathy Calzante Cosmore Ciancio Dennis Ciancio Geroge Cibula Paul Cirone Ida Corriedo Cynthia Catalano Family Deacon Bob Delbeke Trudi Dolato Baby Dobrowolski Virginia Feret Kathy Filipiak Cecilia Garstki Mary Goggins Mary Hagerty Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt Michelle Humann Maureen James Richard Jones Kathy Johnston Irene Kmieciak Bernadette Kohn Anne Kostas John Larkin Baby Emma Lynde Marie Mangano Robert Manion Dennis McCabe Mary Piszczor Raymond Mitchell Fred Moss Mary Sabel Oye Mary Sabel Oye Geri Pstrzoch Baby Faith Reid Robert Restivo Vera Rossiano Agnes Sabel Patricia Sabel Joaquina Scroppo Jess Smith Mary Spierowski Rachael Thompson, John Unger, Richard Vanni If you or a family member would like to be included in our prayers, please call the rectory at 279-5700. Also, please let us know when a name should be removed. Catholic Charities Fairway to Heaven Golf Invitational Mark your calendars and plan to attend Catholic Charities Fairway to Heaven Golf Invitational on Friday, May 18, at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club in Lemont. Morning and afternoon shot gun starts begin at 7:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Tickets are $250 each. For more information visit www.cc-doj.org or call Sue Kaiser at 815-723-3405, ext. 139. Catholic Charities hopes to see you on the Fairway to Heaven! Community News A Memorial Day Mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 28, at 9:00 a.m. In the Assumption Cemetery Chapel Mausoleum Located at 1S510 Winfield Rd, in Wheaton L.O.S.S. Support Group (Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide) Through the collaboration of Catholic Charities (the Diocese of Joliet and the Archdiocese of Chicago), support groups are in place for anyone who has lost a relative or friend to suicide. A trained facilitator and a mental health professional assist these groups. The groups meet from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. on either the third Wednesday or the fourth Tuesday of the month. The next meeting dates are as follows: May 16 - St. Paul the Apostle Activity Center 130 Woodlawn in Joliet May 22 - St. Daniel the Prophet Parish Center 101 West Loop Drive in Wheaton For more information, call 1-800-240-7011. Also visit Catholic Charities website at www.cc-doj.org LEAF (Loving Elmhurst Adoptive Families) is a social and support group of families living in Elmhurst who have built their families through adoption. The group provides families with the opportunity to socialize with other families of adoption, help educate parents and children and to provide support to one another. The group holds an annual Family Picnic, An Adoption Storytime at the library, outings and more. If you are interested in finding out more information, please email elmhurstadoptivefamilies@yahoo.com or call Tina Schacht at 630-782-5181. On Wednesday, June 13th LEAF will host a workshop called "Talking With Your Children About Adoption." The program will take place at the Elmhurst Public Library and will begin at 7:00 p.m. Those interested in attending, please email elmhurstadoptivefamilies@yahoo.com. Religious Education A special thank you to all who made our First Communion celebrations so wonderful the past two weekends. Thanks to our Grade 2 catechists, our music ministers, liturgy planners, parents, and most especially, our children. We are all very proud of you and hope to see you at the Lord's Table often. A very special thank you to Ruth Maple, the director of our Voices of Angels choir. She does a wonderful job with our little "voices" and our May 5th large group First Communion celebration was no exception. Thank you Ruth for all you do for us. RE Registrations June 1st will be here in a few weeks. If you want to register at the discounted fee, get those forms in to the office today. FYI - if you have a preschool or kindergarten child you would like to see in the program next fall, get your registration in today. Those classes fill up quickly and enrollment is limited at those grade levels. Catechists Needed We have had some folks respond to our request for help and we thank you. However, we are still in need of catechists at various grade levels at various session times. If you are a loving, welcoming, accepting, forgiving person of faith, you have the most important qualifications for being a catechist. You don't have to be a theologian, just someone who can help our children understand how the Gospel can be applied to their lives. Come share your Faith with the young people of Mary, Queen. Call for more info. If you have any questions or need more information, please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962. 2007 Confirmandi Congratulations to all those who were confirmed on May 12. Armengol, Sofia Arroyo, Stephanie Barnds, Will Blaszak, Elizabeth Bradbury, Laurel Cahill, Julia Calderone, Rebecca Caskey, Samantha Cicinelli, MaryKate Connelly, Daniel Converse, Katie Dambrogio, Jennifer DeBoni, Dana Egert, Jenny Fela, David Goelz, Shawn Guerrero, Daniel Helm, Matt Iovinelli, Alyssa Iverson, Emily Jankovec, Kevin Kent, Rya Kachiroubas, Alexander Kirk, Sarah Koczor, Amy Kuenstler, Drew Laskowski, Michelle Lewis, Victoria Lindberg, Jorgie Loresch, Donny Loresch, Luke MacKenzie, Jon Martinez, Gloria Martino, Joseph Mason, Paul Medina, Rebecca Meyer, David Moll, Annalise O'Brien, Joseph Ostojic, Erin Pulver, Kelsea Resing, Nate Rhea, Jimmy Rodriguez, Rachel Scalise, Lauren Schelberger, Kenny Scudder, Chris Sonney, Dale Stevens, Alissa Thompson, Cole Tomlinson, Andrew Varnas, Adam Villareal, Benjamin Villegas, Crystal Ward, Samantha Wise, Elizabeth Zielinski, Jacob Zur, Christine St. Vincent dePaul Clothing Drive Weekend of June 2 and 3 Spring cleaning?? Clear your home of all that extra clutter!! We are having a collection for The Society of St. Vincent dePaul. We're looking for clean gently used clothing, shoes, cookware, linens, dishes, toys, books, lamps, etc. Your donations will benefit the needy. St. Vincent dePaul bags will be available in the church next weekend. Please fill these bags, or your own bags and boxes with the items you are planning to donate and bring them to church the weekend of June 2/3. We would appreciate it if you would place your donations in the St. Vincent DePaul truck that will be in the Parking Lot. The truck will be here from 9:00 a.m. on June 2 to 1:00 p.m. on June 3. Receipts are always available for your donations If you have donations of large items, please call 630-231-4658 to schedule a pick up from your home. Thank you for Helping Us to Help People! MQH Garden Club News Spring Planting Time Calling all Garden Club Members and parishioners. Yes, it's that time again when we beautify our church grounds for the summer. We will be planting flowers around the parish office, south side of Church, in front of school and in the planter in front of Mary's Gathering Space on Saturday, May 26, at 9:30 a.m. If you can spare an hour or two, bring your gloves and digger and we will be delighted find something for you to do! Meet in front of Church. While experience helps, it's not necessary. We will train!! If you can help or have any questions, please call Rose Wilkes (833-7238) or Sheila Reiter (833-6657). St. Alexander Parish Council of Catholic Women Invites you to come and visit the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, May 17-23 Arrival: May 17, Ascension Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Mass followed by Procession to Adoration Chapel, 300 S. Cornell Ave., Villa Park. Events: May 19, 8:30 a.m. Mass followed by Peaceful Presence Anchor Health Clinic Roosevelt Rd. in Glen Ellyn. Evening Mass: 5:00 p.m. May 20th, Sunday Mass 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Procession to Adoration Chapel following the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Special Holy Hours in Chapel throughout the week. The Vatican Internation Exhibition Eucharistic Miracles of the World (126 Church Approved Miracles) Visitation Parish (Podesta Hall-Church Basement) 779 South York Road, Elmhurst. Sunday, June 2, 2007 Noon to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, June 3, 2007 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Yoga Classes Increase your flexibility, strength, & decrease your stress. Tuesdays, May 15, 22, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday, May 16 at 8:00 p.m. $4 per class or $6 for families Call Debbie Styka at 941-7224, email debbie@styka.com Recommended for ages 15 to 75 slip yoga mat and Comfortable clothing Fellowship Sunday Our monthly parish fellowship will be held on Sunday, May 20, after the 10:30 Mass. It is being sponsored by the Council of Catholic Women. This is an extra special fellowship as we are celebrating with Mary Foley who will receive her Doctor of Ministry degree from Catholic Theological Union of Chicago on May 17. Mary will bring champagne, sparkling grape juice, and cake to the fellowship and all are invited to celebrate with her. Hope to see there.