Today is bulletin-writing day. It is Wednesday and I normally would have spent this morning in my room, thinking and praying and writing my column for the week. Instead, I come to this writing in the afternoon, having let the bulletin editor know that my article would be late today.
I was away from the office this morning. I just returned from the home of Laura Starzyk, who died this morning after battling lung cancer since last Thanksgiving. Four of her five children were there (the other is an airplane pilot who is still on his way home), along with some of their spouses and children, and some of Laura's friends. We prayed together at Laura's bedside the prayers of the church for someone who has died. We talked together about her life, about their lives together as family, and we made plans for her funeral Mass (which will be on Monday at 10 a.m.).
Ministry with families when someone dies is emotionally intense. There are countless circumstances in which death occurs. In Laura's case, it was to be expected after a long illness. Still, neither long illness nor length of years prepares us for the deaths of our parents. There are a myriad of ways and times that death comes, sometimes it is expected and sometimes not; sometimes it is the death of an older person, it could also be the death of a young adult or even a child. Ministry with families when someone dies is emotionally intense because of all of the feelings involved. For Laura's family, there were tears and sadness at her death. There was also happiness and laughter as her children remembered the past. There was joy, too, as Laura's children spoke to me of their own children.
It is a profound privilege for me to be with a person who is dying or with others after the death of a loved one. I am drawn deeply into the mystery of life with every single person. Sometimes, I feel that I come in touch with the soul of the one who has died in learning how their life was a gift to others. Sometimes, I witness love that is heartbroken with grief in those who remain behind. Sometimes, I encounter great faith; sometimes there is doubt or confusion. Sometimes there is peace, sometimes there is anguish.
Always, death changes things. Other traumas or tragedies can do this, too. Family and friends and life itself take on more importance. We have a heightened sense of what is of most value. We forgive past offenses, we build new bridges, we become more aware of the frailty of the human condition, we become more aware that all of us are connected to one another; we have a sense of our own vulnerability and dependence upon one another. Little things do not matter anymore; we want to focus on what is really important.
As Catholics, we live out the great mystery of life each time we gather for the Eucharist. We are drawn into the lives of God's people through the stories of scripture and into the life of Jesus through the proclamation of the Gospel. We re-enact the sacrifice of his life in his passion and death. We celebrate his resurrection and power over death, as well as his promise that we also are called to eternal life. We become part of the greatest story ever told and we are renewed in our communion with the saints and with one another. We who have been baptized into the life of Christ and into his death share in the sacrament of the Eucharist the food that will nourish us as we journey on to eternal life.
My reflection on this day of Laura Starzyk's death is this. Each time we celebrate Eucharist we should be changed. Each time we celebrate Eucharist, we should forgive past faults and give up enough of our own agendas to work for the good of everyone. Each time we celebrate Eucharist, we should become more focused on what is most important. Each time we celebrate Eucharist, we should grow closer in unity with God and one another.
We are all human beings and sometimes our lives with each other as a community of faith can become like life in families can become. We can have grand celebrations but there may be other times when people take one another for granted, or when pettyness or griping or arguments get in the way. We can let time go by without letting one another know just how much we love them. We can let life just go on, without working together to build a future that is different - for ourselves, for our church, for our world. We can become lazy or apathetic, unkind or indifferent, or we can just go off in our own direction with our own agenda, not caring or even thinking about our effect on others.
In our families, all of this can change when someone dies. We can begin to see better what is most important. We can live our lives differently or more fully. We can become more loving. We can build stronger families. We can become more truly who we are called to be in God's eyes because the stark ending of life on earth draws us to think of life in heaven.
As we move into this new week, Laura Starzyk's family and the families of all of those who have died recently will be different. They will be thinking about what is most important in life. They will have choices to make. Even in their grief, life can become new for them.
As we move into this new week, our lives, too, can be different. We can change. We can begin to better focus on what is really most important in life; we can make changes in our priorities, in our behaviors, and in our attitudes. The Eucharist we celebrate today draws us deeply into the love of God. May that love help us to become who we are called to be. May the communion we share give us the grace to love one another and to find joy in each day we have been given.
Mary M. Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
50th Anniversary Committee Update We are looking for as many volunteers as possible to help in many areas. Anyone interested in helping with the "Homecoming Weekend" (Dinner/Picnic) on September 16 & 17, or the Auction/Dinner Dance, please contact Sheila Reiter at 833-6657. Last call for Recipes for our 50th Anniversary Cookbook. Please take some time to go through your recipe files or books and submit some of those special items for our 50th Anniversary Cookbook. The Deadline for submitting your Recipes is Sunday, June 25. For information or questions please call Mary Nanak (530-4502) or Ellen Walker (279-4021). Paddle Wheel Riverboat Rides : Mark your calendars now! The 50th Anniversary Committee is sponsoring Paddle Wheel Riverboat Rides on the Fox River the weekend of July 15/16. The first ride will take place on Saturday, July 15, from 6-8 p.m., the second ride will take place on Sunday, afternoon. Further information will appear in the bulletin after our next meeting. The cruises will leave from Pottawatomie Park and last for two hours. During the cruise you will be served a buffet luncheon or dinner which will include Southern Pan-fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Hot Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, Rolls & Butter, Pickles & Olives, Cake & Ice Cream and Coffee or Lemonade. Aside from the beautiful scenery, music will be provided during the cruise. Parking is available for those taking the cruises. Tickets will be available for purchase at Church on the weekend of June 25. Adult Ticket: $30 per person; Seniors & Children's Ticket: $25 per person. (Children ages 2 and under are free). Each boat will accommodate 100 people, so the sooner you purchase a ticket the better! Parish News "Ladies Night Out" Dinner The Council of Catholic Women is sponsoring "Ladies Night Out" on Tuesday, June 20, at 7:00 p. m. This is a great opportunity to relax and enjoy fellowship with your friends from MQH. We will be honoring Mary Nanak, our Woman of the Year, for her dedication and work in our parish over the years. The celebration will be held at Francesca's Amici, 174 N. York Road, Elmhurst. Dinner will include salad, pasta, chicken entree, dessert, coffee and soft drinks. A cash bar will also be available. The cost for the evening will be $25.00 per person and checks should be make payable to Mary Queen of Heaven CCW. The deadline for reservations is Sunday, June 11, as we have to give the restaurant a one week's advance notice. A reservation form insert is in the bulletin. Please fill it out as soon as possible and return it to a CCW representative at the Sunday Masses, or drop it in the collection basket. For further information, call Mary Connelly (782-7626) or Mary White (833- 9809). Marriage Ministry Celebrating Fifty (or more) Years of Marriage Mary Queen Marriage Ministry is planning an anniversary Mass and celebration for all couples married 50 or more years in 2006. Our celebration will be in Barrett Hall on Saturday, June 24, after the 5:00 p.m. Mass. We will be serving cake, coffee and champagne. If you will be married 50 or more years, please come with your family and join us. Contact one of the Marriage Ministry Facilitators so we can include you in our celebration. The facilitators are: Don or Ellen Walker (279-4021) and Alex or Marie Grozik 9530-0503). Religious Education Attention Spring 2006 First Communion Parents: This past week we collected the remaining First Communion banners from the wall of Church. We will keep them in the RE office for the next couple of weeks before we dispose of them. If you want your child's banner, please call the REO at 832-8962 to make arrangements to claim it. Catechists are needed for next fall. At this time we are in need of Gr. 2 & 3 catechists at Session One. At Session Two, we have positions open at Grade 1, 3, and 5. And in the last session, we need help in Grade 6. The time slots are 3:15 - 4:30, 5:15 - 6:30, and 7:15 - 8:30 p.m., respectively. If you love children and you love your faith, we invite you to join our staff. We will help you with the rest. Our Religious Ed Program is one of the best in the area, which is reflected in our continually growing enrollment. But we cannot do it without you. Please call for more information to see how you can help. FYI: Just so you are aware, we are in the RE office during the summer. If you need to contact us for any reason, please feel free to call and leave a message. If you have any questions or need more information, please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962. Christian Education Commission Introduction to the Bible Week 4 - The Church and the Bible This week we will see how the Bible grew gradually out of a community of faith. The Hebrew people and the early Church slowly expressed their living tradition in writing. This study shows the essential connection between the Church and the Bible and how the Bible has formed the heart of the Church's life through the ages. Christian Worship Commission 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 Heather Brennan Kathy Brennan Kathleen Bryers Doresa Brugler Pat Caffarelli Rose Caffarelli KathyCalzante Cosmore Ciancio Dennis Ciancio Paul Cirone Cynthia Catalano Family Margaret Conroy Ida Corriedo Trudi Dolato Baby Dobrowolski Virginia Feret Modesta Goggins Mary Hagerty Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt Pat Holmes Michelle Humann Maureen James Tom Janicke Kathy Johnston Irene Kmieciak Bernadette Kohn Tim Kowalsk Baby Emma Lynde Robert Manion Raymond Mitchell Bobbi Nannini Phyllis O'Donnell Geri Pstrzoch Baby Faith Reid Joaquina Scroppo Jess Smith Karen Sutkus Ted Vecchio Cathy Ward Rest in Peace Laura Starzyk Patricia Williams 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. Our Lady of the New Millennium At St. Pius X Parish, Lombard From June 5th thru June 18th Schedule is on website www.peopleofpius.org. For more information please call Janet Lissak at 630-629- 9234 (after 6 p.m.). Effective Choices, Effective Parenting Building Effective Relationships With Our Young Children For parents of children ages 0-4 Tuesday, June 13, 7-9 p.m. This two-hour workshop assists parents of infants and toddlers in gaining a better understanding of their children's needs and behavior as they grow. In addition, it presents the well-researched and successful "Systematic Training for Effective Parenting Method" that enables parents to increase positive interaction with their children. Building Effective Relationships With Our Children For parents of children ages 0-19 Tuesday, June 20, 7-9 p.m.. This workshop helps parents build on their existing strengths in order to win greater cooperation with their children. Topics discussed include: increasing mutual respect, positive communication and trust in the parent/child relationship; understanding how parent's behavior affects child's response; developing disciplinary techniques that work; providing children with the tools they need to survive and thrive in today's society. $20 per person; $25 per couple. Pre-registration required. Instructor: James Gilligan, MSW, LSW Workshops held at Catholic Charities, in Lombard. For more information, please call-630-710-8226 or e-mail effectiveparenting@sbcglobal.net Community News Volunteer ESL Tutors Needed The Sisters of St. Joseph of LaGrange Park are in need of volunteers for its adult literacy program, School on Wheels. Summer school tutors are needed to teach one hour per week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3-9 p.m. in Woodridge, Hodgkins, Summit and Westmont. Training: Saturdays, June 17 & June 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. You must attend both training sessions. No prior second language skills are needed. For more information call 708-354- 9200 ext. 5060, 5085 or 5037. Christian Service Commission Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps Retired? Eager to "give something back"? The Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps is accepting new members (age 50+) to work with the materially poor in greater Chicago area two days weekly, and reflect and pray on that experience in the Ignatian tradition, beginning September 2006. For further information contact George Sullivan, 773-975-6871 or gsullivan@ilvc.org. Contact ILVC National Office at 888-831-4686 (toll-free), or visit www.ilve.org. First Meeting for Our 50th Anniversary Auction / Dinner Dance Wednesday, June 21, 7:30 p.m. In Barrett Hall The Anniversary Auction/Dinner Dance is scheduled for the first weekend in November. and much help will be needed. Anyone interested in helping with this event, please call Sheila Reiter at 833-6657. Thanks to your generosity, Catholic Charities were able to touch over 800,00 victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Read our 2005 Hurricane Relief Progress Report online at www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org We, at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet, are proud of the help provided to the Catholic Charities USA from our parishioners. We are especially grateful to the DuPage parishioners who continue to walk the walk with Jesus in their ongoing support of the fathers, mothers, individuals, and children who experience "mini-hurricanes" here in DuPage County day-in and day-out. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rosemary Echevaria, Sr. Development Officer in Lombard at 630-495-8008 x33. Thank You and God Bless You Donna A very special thank you to Donna Glick for her 12 years of service to our Wings to Heaven youth group. She has been an asset to our parish and will be missed by this group. She is truly a person that has given selflessly of her time and talent... and she is a treasure. These names were omitted from the list of Liturgical Ministers who were commissioned last weekend. Lectors Marie Grozik Rosemarie Rockquemore Nancy Stern Mary White Rose Wilkes Voices of Angels Jenna Berg Kate Berg Katie Converse Voices of Angels (Continued) Amaya Diaz Kaitlyn Dvorak Callie Fitzgerald Kristin Gleason Briana Hernandez Vicki Maple Cathleen McGovern Melissa Rohman Christine Swintek Molly Wilk Congratulations to David Gusloff, Colleen McGing & Derek Maple. They received the City of Elmhurst and Character Counts Service Award in recognition for their outstanding service to our youth groups at Mary Queen. Project Gabriel Respect Life News We will be starting a new ministry here in the Fall. Churches and pregnancy centers like Woman's Choice Services have sought ways to expand their embrace of women in crisis pregnancies. Now comes a way they can do so together - a way to combine the special power of prayer with a commitment to service: Project Gabriel! Regional Orientation/Training for Gabriel Angels is scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., at Visitation Parish. Please contact Woman's Choice Services at 630-261-9564 for more information or to register for the training. There will be another opportunity in the Fall for a training session, and we hope to have it here at MQH. Terri Kevil is currently working on Project Gabriel and is excited to be in charge of this project. Please spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. It is a training to be part of a 3 or more person Angel Team (with the backing of the Parish and the Woman's Choice Services) that will walk with a young expectant mother, giving her emotional, spiritual, and material assistance throughout her pregnancy and childbirth. If you think you might want to get involved in the Fall, you must also have Protecting God's children training. If you have any questions about Project Gabriel please contact Terri Kevil (630) 279-4165. Market Day Orders: Due by June 12; pickup on June 17, at 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Social Hall. Are you widowed? Do you know someone who is widowed? If you have been recently widowed and are still struggling with the loss, or if you have been widowed for some time and need something to get you "over the hump" because you seem stuck in one spot, this program is designed to help you move on with your life while treasuring your past and its precious memories. The Joyful Again! retreat is for both men and women (all ages) who have been widowed and are still trying to find hope and joy in their lives. All are invited. When: July 29 & 30 Where: Mary Queen of Heaven Parish, Elmhurst Donation: $75 includes meals (Adjusted if needed) Register by calling 708-354-7211 Diocesan News Get Ready for School ! Coordinated by Catholic Charities A one-stop shopping event of health and human services for families living on low incomes in DuPage County with children ages newborn to 18 years. Wednesday, August 9, 2006 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. DuPage County Fairgrounds 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton (2 blocks east of County Farm Road) School Supply Certificates Kid Care/All Kids Health Insurance Legal Needs Access DuPage Voter Registration Social Security Information Financial Needs Job Referrals Nutrition Education & Housing Child Development Shoe Vouchers by appointment only (407-6500) Health Services: Dental Screenings & School Dental Exams (required for K, 2nd & 6th grades) Vision Screenings (grades 1,3,4,5,6 & 7) Immunizations: 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Medicaid card or $12 fee per shot) School Physicals: A limited number are available by appointment for children entering grades K, 5 & 9. Please call (630)782-7878 to schedule an appointment after June 1. Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian in order to obtain a school physical. Parents, you must bring this information to the Fair: Proof of Income (recent pay stubs, tax return or Public Aid card) If you can not provide thisinformation, you must bring cash income verification (written letter from your employer, recent bank statements or a note from a caseworker) Proof of address: photo I.D., driver's license or State I.D., and a recent utility bill or lease Inentification for children: birth certificate or medical card Immunization Record if you are receiving health services A Vocation View God the Father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit. When we go out to make disciples of all nations we have a lot to tell. God is Lord in heaven above and on earth below. Having received the Spirit that make's you God's own children, you are called to proclaim "Glory to the Father, to the Son and the Holy Spirit: to God who is, who was and who is to come." Alleluia! Notice: Diamond Ring found A crumpled diamond ring was found in the parish parking lot. Please call Parish Office to identify