Mary's Corner
Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Church
426 N. West Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2171
Parish Office: 630/279-5700
Fax: 630/279-4667
Market Day
Orders for December are due Monday, December 11, at noon.
Turn in your order form in the box in the back of church or at
the rectory. Pickup on Saturday, December 16, from 9:30 - 10:30
a.m. in the Social Hall.
If you have questions or would like to place an order,
please call Maria at 279-2238 or Karen at 279-4108.
A Vocation View
Christ is King, Creator and Comforter. We're asking for a
few good leaders who will give their lives in service to Christ
the King. Who are the Priests, Sisters, Deacons and Brothers of
Tomorrow? You?
Liturgy News
We are invited. At the Table of the Lord, we are invited
to bring and offer our gifts in thanksgiving. We stand before
the Lord in humility and gratefulness. Our actions should
reflect our intentions. As of the weekend December 2nd & 3rd, the
first week of Advent, the start of the new liturgical new year,
we will be standing as we are invited to offer our gifts to God.
This means a change in our prayer behavior. We will now
stand immediately after the gifts are brought forward and the
table is prepared, when the priest invites us to pray together
with him. Sanding at this time is the preferred posture as
stated by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal paragraph
#43. The Celebrant is asking us to join with him in our offering
and to stand with him before the Lord as we present our gifts to
Him.
Thank you for helping our liturgies to be prayerful
celebrations of our Faith.
50th Anniversary Cookbook Sale
Are you in need of a hostess gift for Thanksgiving Day or
thinking about what to give someone for Christmas? We have the
perfect gift, our 50th Anniversary Cookbook. The Cookbooks
contain recipes from current parishioners and previous members of
our parish and make especially great gifts for family members and
friends who love to bake. Cookbooks will be available for
purchase after all the Masses the weekend of December 9th & 10th.
The donation for each Cookbook is $15. Should you wish to
purchase additional cookbooks during the week, please call Mary
Nanak (530-4502) or Ellen Walker (279-4021).
Advent Reconciliation Service
Mary Queen of Heaven will hold its Advent Parish
Reconciliation Service on Tuesday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m.
All families of the parish are encouraged to attend this
celebration. We will have a communal prayer service and there
will be multiple priests here from different parishes to hear
individual confessions. Please join your parish family to
prepare for the coming of Christ more fully into our hears this
Advent Season.
Elmhurst Catholic M.O.M.S.
(Moms Offering Moms Support)
Elmhurst Catholic M.O.M.S. is a social and spiritual
organization that provides an opportunity for mothers of young
children from Elmhurst Catholic parishes to meet other mothers.
Bi-monthly meetings include one morning mother/child activity and
an evening activity just for moms. There are no membership fees
and everyone is welcome. M.O.M.S. meets in Msgr. Plunkett Hall,
lower level of the Immaculate Conception chapel, from 9:30 to
11:00 a.m., unless otherwise noted.
The Advent season is upon us. Before the frenzy of the
holidays takes hold, join us on Thursday, Nov. 30, in a
discussion of Advent traditions. There are many fun and creative
ways to help our families slow down and mark the time during this
holy season. Share your favorites or come to get some ideas on
how to make Advent more fun and meaningful for your family.
To RSVP and for time and location information, please
contact Daisy at dlakomiak@illinoisalumni.org or at 630-279-3670.
Christian Education Commission
Please continue to be very cautious in the parking lot
on Wednesday afternoons and evenings.
Religious Education News
Attention Parents of 2nd Graders
Our 2nd graders will be celebrating Reconciliation for the
first time on Saturday, December 9, at 10:30 a.m. in church.
This is a family celebration and all parents and/or guardians are
expected to attend.
Advent Service Projects:
This year we will again be collecting new unwrapped toys
for Marillac House on Chicago's West Side...not so very far from
Elmhurst. Sister Antoinette called us to tell us that they are
in great need. There will be a "toy box" in the hall of school
for donations on Wednesday, November 29, December 6, and 13
during class times. Toys for all ages are welcome...no violent
toys please. Please be generous.
Our children will also have the opportunity to add global
dimension to their acts of service. They will go to the "polls"
to vote for the animal of their choice to be sent to a 3rd world
country. The RE children are asked to come to class with a
donation of 50 cents that will be donated to Heifer
International. They can then "vote" for a pig, a sheep, or a
goat to be sent to a small village, which will drastically
improve the quality of life of its residents. Our "polls" will
be open on the first two Wednesdays of December. Over the years,
our children have really enjoyed this project.
For more info on any of the above, please call
Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962.
Advent Wreaths
And Replacement Candles
The Liturgy Committee will be having Advent Wreath sets and
replacement candles available for purchase at all the Masses this
weekend and December 2-3.
The donation for the Wreath Sets (includes a wreath, 4
candles and an Advent Prayer) is $10.00. The donation for a set
of replacement candles for wreaths you already have is $3.00.
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 Kathleen Bryers
Doresa Brugler Pat Caffarelli
Rose Caffarelli Kathy Calzante
Cosmore Ciancio Dennis Ciancio
Paul Cirone Margaret Conroy
Cynthia Catalano Family Ida Corriedo
Trudi Dolato Baby Dobrowolski
Virginia Feret Cecilia Garstki
Modesta Goggins Mary Hagerty
Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt
Tom Huwalt Michelle Humann
Maureen James Kathy Johnston
Irene Kmieciak Bernadette Kohn
Anne Kostas Tim Kowalski
Baby Emma Lynde Marie Mangano
Robert Manion Dennis McCabe
Raymond Mitchell Fred Moss
Geri Pstrzoch Baby Faith Reid
Robert Restivo Joaquina Scroppo
Jess Smith Mary Spierowski
Rachael Thompson
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.
All Kids
All Kids is an effort by the Illinois Department of
Healthcare and Family Services to ensure that all children, ages
18 or younger, have access to health care. All Kids pays for
doctor and hospital visits, dental and vision care, prescription
drugs, medical equipment, mental health services, etc.
Children who are age 18 or younger who live with their
families in Illinois and who need health insurance are eligible.
For more information about this program and how it can
benefit the children of your parish, please contact Ann Ridge at
312-793-3152 or ann.ridge@illinois.gov.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
RCIA will be hopping by the end of this month! On Nov. 25
at the 5:00 Mass we will have the Rite of Sending to the Bishop
for our candidates, Beth Wrobel and Jerry Cote. The next day,
along with their families, sponsors and RCIA team members, they
will travel to the Cathedral in Joliet to be formally presented
to Bishop Sartain.
It is an honor and pleasure to announce that Jack Kowalski
will complete his Sacraments of Initiation by receiving
Confirmation and Eucharist on Sunday, November 26, at the 10:30
Mass. There will be a reception for him following the Mass in the
Social Hall. Please come by for fellowship and to meet and
congratulate Jack!
Christmas Giving Tree
The St. Vincent DePaul "Giving Tree" is up and loaded with
ornaments. We are taking care of 25 families this year and also
providing gifts for the Elmhurst Extended Care Nursing Home
Please remember that after you purchase and wrap your gift,
the tag must be taped to the package with the written side of the
ornament facing up so that we will know to which family the gift
belongs. Every ornament is coded and this coding needs to be
visible. All gifts must be returned by Sunday, December 10th so
that they can be sorted and placed in boxes for the respective
families. If you have any questions, please Call Sheila Reiter
at 833-6657.
Eucharistic Adoration
The Worship Commission would like to thank all who have
signed up to watch one hour with Jesus at our monthly Eucharistic
Adoration with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament over the last
18 months. We began this time-honored prayer form here at Mary
Queen of Heaven in May of 2005 in response to Pope John Paul II's
declaration of 2004-2005 as the Year of the Eucharist. Following
are some further thoughts on the value of Eucharistic Adoration.
We hope and pray that you might be inspired to "come and worship"
with us on the first Monday of the month. Our next day of
adoration is Monday, December 4, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There
will be a sign-up sheet in the back of church with available
times for adoration.
Pope John Paul II in his first encyclical letter, Redemptor
Hominis (Redeemer of Man), says that Eucharistic adoration is the
most fundamental duty in the life of the Christian and that
liturgical celebration of the Eucharist and private worship of
the Eucharist complement each other. He states: "Our communal
worship at Mass must go together with our personal worship of
Jesus in Eucharistic adoration in order that our love may be
complete."
The following is from a wonderful book about the Eucharist
by Fr. Stefano M. Manelli, FI. "When one loves truly and loves
greatly, one begins to adore. Great love and adoration are two
distinct things; but, they form a whole. They become adoring love
and loving adoration. Jesus in the tabernacle is adored only by
those who truly love Him, and He is loved in an eminent manner by
whoever adores Him. The saints, the artists and experts of love,
were faithful, ardent adorers of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
...eucharistic adoration has always been considered the closest
likeness we have to the eternal adoration in which will consist
the whole of our Paradise. The difference lies only in the veil
that hides the vision of that Divine Reality of which faith gives
us unwavering certainty." (Jesus Our Eucharistic Lord) Jesus,
You are here. I adore You. I love You. Come into my heart.
Emmanuel
Tatiana, an internationally known concert artist, will
present EMMANUEL the Story of Christmas on Sunday, December 3, at
3:00 p.m. in St. Alexander Church, 300 S. Cornell, Villa Park.
More information is available at www.Idobelieve.com. Admission
is FREE!
We invite you to join us at this inspiring musical
preparation for the coming Feast of Christmas. Questions? Call
630-833-7730.
Festival of Lessons and Carols
Elmhurst College will welcome in the holiday season by
presenting its annual Festival of Lessons and Carols. This
popular event will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6,
in Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel (190 Prospect Avenue). The
festival is free and open to all.
An Elmhurst College tradition since 1961, the Festival of
Lessons and Carols consists of nine Scriptural readings telling
the story of the birth of the Messiah, interspersed with choral
music. The Elmhurst College Concert Choir will perform time-
honored songs to set the holiday mood and accompany the readers.
Following the service a festive reception will be held in the
Founders Lounge of the nearby Frick Center, where Santa Claus
will pose for photos with families.
By happy coincidence, this year's event falls squarely on
Elmhurst College's 135th birthday-the very day that, in 1871, saw
a small group of students and their leaders disembark at the
Elmhurst train station to launch a new school.
The Elmhurst College Festival of Lessons and Carols
welcomes the entire community to share in the holiday spirit and
open an enriching and joyful season.
The Compassionate Friends
Worldwide Candle Lighting
The Normandy Room,
Elmhurst American. Legion Hall,
Sunday, December 10, at 6:30 p.m.
In loving memory of all children who are no longer with us,
The Compassionate Friends extends an invitation for you, your
family, and friends to join tens of thousands of persons around
the globe for the ninth annual Worldwide Candle Lighting.
Christmas Food Collection
Our Annual Christmas Food Collection will take place the
weekend of December 9th and 10th.
We are collecting non-perishable items to make Christmas
food baskets for needy families. We expect to have 25 families.
Some of the items needed are: canned vegetables, cranberries,
dressing mix, potatoes, cereals, canned fruit, soup canned meats
and fish, peanut butter, jelly, Jell-O, boxed cake mixes, dish
soap, soap bars, deodorant, hair shampoo and paper products such
as Kleenex, toilet paper, and paper towels and napkins.
If you wish to donate a turkey, we ask that you please
purchase Jewel or Dominick certificates and put them in an
envelope indicating that they are for the purchase of a turkey.
The envelopes can be placed in the collection basket or turned in
at the parish house. These certificates, along with the food
baskets, will be given to the families we are taking care of.
Items can be brought to church until December 10. Baskets will
be provided.
We will be preparing the baskets for distribution on
Sunday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. in church. The more people we
have to help, the faster and easier the work. If you have an
hour free and would like to help, call Sheila Reiter at 833-6657.
Senior Citizen Christmas Party
Saturday, December 2
The CCW cordially invites all Senior Citizens to the Annual
Christmas party in Barrett Hall on Saturday, December 2,
immediately following 5:00 p.m. Mass. Please return these
reservation forms which were in last weeks bulletin as soon as
possible to the basket in the vestibule of church or to the
rectory. A Buffet Supper will be served and entertainment will
be provided by our Wings to Heaven Youth Group. Each year this
party is hosted by CCW with the help of our Religious Education
Moms and other ladies of the parish who generously donate food
and their time to let our seniors know how very special they are
to our parish.
If you are in need of a ride or special assistance to
attend the Mass and Party, please call Karen Vicary at 279-4108,
Mary White at 833-9809 or Sheila Reiter at 833-6657.
Craft Show
On Sunday, December 3, the Ladies Altar Society of Our Lady
of Lebanon in Lombard will hold their Third Annual Craft Show
after the 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. Liturgies. All the proceeds will go
toward the Church Altar Supplies and Vessels.
Please pass the word out and invite your family members,
friends and neighbors.
Parish Events
Next Weekend . . .
Saturday, December 2:
Bible Study Leader Training in Barrett Hall from 9:30 a.m.
until 11:30 a.m.
CCW Senior's Christmas Party, in Barrett Hall after the 5:00
p.m. Mass. Wings to Heaven Youth Group will perform.
Sunday, December 3:
Destiny Youth Group meeting in Class Room 1 from 8:30-10:30
a.m.
Fellowship in Barrett Hall after 10:30 a.m. Mass to honor Tom
Nanak and Karen Sutkus, who have completed the diocesan New
Wine program.
Baptisms in church at 2:00 p.m.
Children's Christmas Group organizational meeting in Barrett
Hall at 3:00 p.m.
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