Dear Friends,
Yesterday, we had a meeting of our Bereavement Committee. At every meeting, we pray for those whose funerals have been celebrated at the parish in recent months. One of the names caught my eye and I thought about how I have been getting to know this family ever since the funeral. We have had dinner together; we have talked together about a number of things. Our lives came together at an important moment in the life of this family, and now things are different. There is no denying that life is different because someone in their family died. But other things are different, too. This family has become more involved in parish activities in recent months, enriching their lives and ours. My life has certainly been blessed by the friendship they have shared with me. This is why I love parish ministry so much. I have the opportunity, through the ministry to which I have been called, to see the mystery of God's love working all the time. The paschal mystery of life, death, and resurrection is not merely a theological concept for me; it is a reality in which I participate in privileged ways through pastoral ministry. It is how I know God, to whom my life has been committed in service.
Someday, I hope that we will all know each other better. It is not possible to share intensely personal or emotional moments with everyone (thank goodness!) but there will be ordinary ways that we can come to know each other more over time. This will be good because it will help us to grow together as a community of faith. When we know other people better, misunderstanding is not as likely. When we experience a real sense of connectedness to others, then it means our identity as a church becomes more real - to ourselves and to those who witness our lives of worship and service.
I am preparing to leave on vacation and would like to talk about a few things. We are trying to update our census (our records of the individuals and families of our parish). Those we have on record will be receiving forms to complete that will help us to make certain that our records are up to date. We will also have census forms in the back of church for the next couple of weekends for anyone new who would like to join the parish, or for anyone who did not receive forms in the mail. Parish registration is important for many reasons. It ensures that you will receive all the mailings of the parish. It helps the church to keep accurate records on the number of households we serve. Having parishioner information can also help at times when sacraments are administered or when there are funerals. Sometimes, people are hesitant to register in a parish because they do not want to receive collection envelopes. Using envelopes is the best way to have your contributions recorded by the parish. However, if you do not wish to receive envelopes, you can still register and make this request.
We are hoping to complete the updating of our census within the next couple of weeks because during Lent, we will have mailings going out to parishioners. Please complete a new census form for yourself or for your family and return it to the parish office as soon as possible. We would like to have this updating done by early February. You may also place completed census forms in the collection baskets at Mass.
Some of you have heard that the boiler in our school building went out last Sunday, causing the cancellation of Religious Education classes this week. At the time of this writing, I do not have the final answer but it looks like we may be able to replace parts and not the whole boiler. Still, this is an expensive project. Last night, I received a donation from a family in our parish who wanted to help with this expense. They felt that God had called them to share their blessings in this way and they presented me with a check for $2500.00 to help with the cost of fixing the boiler. I wish to thank this family, not only for the amount of money, which was very generous and far more than many people could afford. I want to thank them especially for the spirit in which their gift was given, a spirit of deep faith that moved them to share their blessings with others. This kind of spirituality is what is at the heart of real stewardship, something that we will be talking about more in coming months. I have thanked this family personally, and I ask you to say a prayer of thanks for them. I cannot ask you to thank them directly, because they wish to be anonymous. Their humility is also a gift they have shared with us.
I will be leaving later today for two weeks. I will be traveling to Germany to visit a priest friend whose ministry is at a diocesan seminary. From there, I will be traveling to Lourdes, France. This part of my trip is a pilgrimage and will be the heart of my time away. After spending time in a convent at Lourdes, I will be finishing my trip by traveling to Rome. I will stay in a convent there, too. These accommodations are not only inexpensive but very much to my liking in terms of spending prayerful time. I will be praying for all of you, especially at the holy sites of my trip. I look forward to returning to you, too. I will be back in the office on February 8. May God continue to bless you until we meet again.
- Mary Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
Joyful Again! Widowed and Wondering? Does it ever get better? - Yes, it does. Does anything help? - Yes, it does. Times Feb. 12-13, Holy Family Parish, Inverness Mar. 5-6, St. Charles Center, For more information about our program for widowed men and women, please call 708-354-7211. Host Families Sought for Children of Northern Ireland The Irish Children's Fund is seeking host families to welcome children from the troubled areas of Northern Ireland into their homes during the summer of 2005. This will be the 24th summer that the ICF has brought an equal number of Catholic and Protestant children to the Chicago area. During their visit, the children will participate in activities designed to foster the spirit of cooperation and friendship, breaking the barriers of mistrust they have been brought up with. Upon returning to Northern Ireland, the children have a follow-up program available to them through which they can continue to come together in ICF-sponsored activities and maintain the friendships formed in the United States. For additional information, call 630-833-1910. U. S. Catholic All work and no pray? Five ways to be a spiritual survivor. In the battle to stay on top of busy lives, time for prayer is often the first casualty. But there's no need to surrender your spiritual life, says David Liners, who offers practical advice from the front lines on maintaining your relationship with God. Check out the January issue of U.S.CATHOLIC on your parish reading rack to find out about this and many other stories. "Gather Books" You may have noticed that our "Gather" books are looking tattered and many of them have been lost. A new edition is now available. The cost for each hardcover book, engraved with our parish name, is $15. Replacing our books would be quite an expense to the parish, so we thought perhaps our parishioners would like to donate a book. Every book donated will have a donor bookplate with the words, "Gift Of" and your family name, or inscribed with the words "In Memory Of." These books are an important part of our liturgies. We hope to provide four "Gather" books at each end of our pews (8 per pew). There are forms available in the church vestibule. Please return the form with your check made out to Mary Queen of Heaven. Thank you for your generous contributions to our thriving parish. Help Others With Your Extras The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is collecting house wares that are clean and in good condition to help people in need. Check around your household. Do you have items that you just don't use anymore? Do you need a little space? There are people that would be delighted to receive your extras. The Society is looking for glassware, dishes, pots and pans, bake ware, utensils, small working appliances, lamps, knick-knacks, and miscellaneous household items. Please call 630-231-4658 for the society to send their truck to your home to pick up your donations. Clothing donations will be accepted along with your house wares. Receipts are always gladly given. St. Vincent de Paul Meeting Our monthly St. Vincent de Paul meeting will be held on Thursday, January 27, at 7:30 p.m. in Mary's Gathering Space. All who are interested in working with this ministry are invited to attend. For more information, please call Sheila Reiter at 833-6657. CCW Board Meeting The Council of Catholic Women Board will hold it's monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the parish social hall. All ladies are invited to share their ideas. For more information, please call Mary White at 833-9809. 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, alone or as a family. Thank you. Pam Bondfide Heather Marie Brennan Kathleen Bryers Rose Caffarelli Kathy Calzante Jim Clynch Jenie Colletti Trudi Dolato John Doyle Jeannette Elderkin Dan Focht Paul Francetic Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt Pat Holmes Maureen James Tom Janicke Irene Kmieciak Baby Emma Ann Lynde Nancy Maloney Robert Manion Bobbi Nannini Jeff Smith Tyler Vincer Myron Watry 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. Scripture Study Starting Soon: The Acts of the Apostles "Now when they [rulers, elders, and scribes] saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed..." Acts 4:13 We are looking for additional facilitators and co- facilitators for our Bible study groups, which will begin in the spring. Even if you are an "uneducated and ordinary man" (or woman), you would be amazed at how easy facilitating can be. Training and support will be provided, including four training sessions (on Saturday mornings in February) and facilitator materials. Each group will have a facilitator and a co-facilitator. If you would consider becoming a facilitator, please contact Lynn at 630-530-2523 or the Parish office at 630-279- 5700. A firm commitment does not need to be made until after the training sessions. Also, the facilitators get to select when the study group will meet! Religious Education News Mark Your Calendars: Saturday, January 29: Confirmation Retreat, for 8th grade candidates. 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. This year our candidates are ending their retreat day by gathering with the parish community to celebrate Eucharist at the 5:00 PM Mass. Please be very careful in the parking lot on Wednesday afternoons and evenings. Winter weather makes dropping off and picking up children a real challenge. Remember our children are precious, let's all strive to insure their safety. Thank you to all the parents who responded to our survey. The Education Commission is reviewing the results and will make a recommendation to the PPC in the next few weeks. For more information on any of the above, please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962 Volunteer Tutors Needed Join the Sisters of St. Joseph of LaGrange in their literacy/ESL program, School on Wheels. Volunteer tutors are needed to teach adults one hour/week at Berwyn, Hodgkins, Summit, Villa Park, Westmont, or Woodridge, weekday mornings, some late afternoons and/or evenings. Training will be provided on January 30 and February 5, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the Motherhouse/Ministry Center in LaGrange Park. You must attend one 2-day training session. No prior second language skills are required. For more information, call (708) 354-9200: Sr. Marybeth at ext. 5060, Jeanie Pavich at ext. 5085, or Barbara Bernhard at ext. 5037. Chicagoland Gam-Anon Meets every Saturday at 8:00 p.m. At Elmhurst Hospital Do you suspect you are living with a compulsive gambler? Is your family, your marriage, or your relationship being destroyed by the effects of a gambling addiction? There is hope and help available through GA for the gambler and Gam-Anon for the families and significant others. Attend one of our weekly meetings every Saturday at 8:00 p.m. at Elmhurst Hospital, Diecke Room, 200 Berteau Avenue in Elmhurst. For more information and other meeting times, go to: www.gam-anon.org or www.gamblersanonymous.org or call 708-802- 0105. Community News L.O.S.S. Support Group (Loving Outreach to Survivors of Suicide) Through the collaboration of Catholic Charities (from the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet), 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. The next meeting dates are: Jan. 25 St. Daniel the Prophet Parish Center, Wheaton Feb. 1 Catholic Charities Office, Kankakee Feb. 16 St. Paul the Apostle Activity Center, Joliet For further information, please call the L.O.S.S. Program Center at 312-655-7283. Blood Drive This Weekend This Sunday, January 23, is our parish blood drive, sponsored by the Religious Education program. Although many appointments have been made, the blood drive welcomes walk-ins, from 7:00 a.m. to noon. Donors must be in good health, be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent) and must not have donated blood since November 27. Worldwide Marriage Encounter The weekend is a powerful experience for couples who believe that their Sacrament of Matrimony is a sign of love in the world that hungers for stability and commitment. Do something different; call Tom & Mary Leonard at 630-577-0778. Upcoming weekend dates are: February 11-13, and April 8-10. M.O.M.S. Group I. C. Parish, Elmhurst M.O.M.S. (Moms Offering Moms Support) is social organization that provides an opportunity for mothers of young children to meet other mothers. It is a time to relax over coffee and snacks while learning and discussing issues of interest. There is no membership fee, nor are there any requirements to join the group. On Thursday, January 27, from 9:00-11:00 a.m., M.O.M.S. will meet in Plunkett Hall, the lower level of I.C. chapel. It's Church Bag Day! Are you the family in church that brought the loud toy by accident last week? Well, we have the project for you. Put together a "church bag" with your child. You and your child can decorate a special bag made just for church. There will be some religious oriented materials available to start filling your newly created masterpiece! For more information, call Jean Lawrence at 630-832-0757 or Melanie Schneider at 630-782-0868. Immaculate Conception H. S. Makeup Placement Test for Class of 2009 Saturday, February 5, at 9:00 a.m. The makeup placement exam is open to all 8th grade students who have not taken a private high school placement test yet. Pre-registration is required and there is a $25 fee. Please bring two #2 pencils. No calculators or dictionaries are allowed. To pre-register, please call the main office at 530-3460 by Thursday, February 3, or e-mail to ichighschool@icelmhurst.org. Attention Parents of 8th Graders: If your son/daughter has not turned in the permission form for the retreat, do it this week. Every student must have a permission form to attend. Remember to make plans to attend 5:00 PM Mass with your Confirmation candidate following the retreat. Also, please be sure to hand in all documents relating to Confirmation. If you are not sure what you still must hand in, call us at the REO or talk to your child's catechist. "Dust Thou Art and Unto Dust Thou Shalt Return." As in past years, we again plan to burn palms blessed last year for use in our upcoming Ash Wednesday services. If you have palms that you wish to return for burning, please do so by Wednesday, February 2nd. This ceremony will take place at the 8:30 and 10:15 a.m. Masses on Sunday, February 6. A box will be available in the vestibule of church for the palms. "Just Women" (Women of Justice) This is an opportunity for women to walk with Mary of Nazareth, pray with women in scripture, stand in solidarity with women who are suffering injustice throughout the world and within the United States, and share our own stories. When: Tuesday, February 1, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Friday, February 4, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. (The same program will be presented on Tuesday evening and on Friday morning, to accommodate participants' schedules.) Where: Barrett Hall Facilitator: Mary Ann Reed 834-4840 Registration is not required. However a courtesy phone call would be appreciated, so that we may know how many people to expect. Please call MaryAnn. Ice Skating at the "Y" The Men's Group is at it again!. We are sponsoring an Open Skate for the entire Parish, all families, children, grandchildren, etc....on Saturday, February 5th at 2;20 p.m. at the Elmhurst Family YMCA. This is a FREE event. Ice skates are available at no charge. We will have goodies and hot chocolate. If you have any questions, please call Steve Lindberg at: 630-941-1355. Thank You from India Dear Mary M. Foley, Thank you very much for you letter and for the enclosed check for USD 336.50 being the amount collected for the poor children in the Snehalaya homes in Guwahati, India. I appreciate very much the generosity of the Parishioners of Mary Queen of Heaven Parish. Needless to say, I am very grateful to you for encouraging the parish community to do this act of Charity which certainly is very pleasing to Mary, Queen of Heaven, and to her Divine Son, Jesus. I see the suffering face of Jesus in each of the traumatized kids that arrive in Snehalaya. We have now 125 children in our residential program which number is expected to rise to 175 by the end of the year. Once that number is reached we will plan out non-residential programmes which will benefit more children but in a less intense way. Be assured of my prayers for the Parishioners, and for you personally that the Lord may enable you ever effectively to lead God's people of Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in the path of fidelity to the Gospel. Do keep us all in Snehalaya in your personal and community prayers. Sincerely in the Lord Fr. Lukose Cheruvalel SDB Pre-Lenten Mission: Resolving Our Conflicts Growing in Care Immaculate Conception Parish, Elmhurst. Saturday, February 5 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Conflict seems to be a way of life. This day will offer constructive ways to explore conflicts, and grow in care. Tools to make our relationships more affirming and hopeful will be discussed. Father Michael Crosby is a nationally known speaker, and an annual presenter at Retreats International at Notre Dame University. He has written 15 books. Babysitting is provided. Suggested Donation of $15.00 includes continental breakfast and lunch. Space is limited, and reservations are recommended by February 1. Call 530-3483 for reservations. Youth Groups Reminder Meeting Dates: January 30, Feb. 13, and February 27