Dear Friends,
Last Sunday, an older gentleman walked over to talk with me outside of church. He had a wonderful smile on his face as he came from morning Mass. He said that he was a widower, that his wife had died a number of years ago. With a look of discovery on his face, he told me that he realized he was now ready to get married again.
What a blessing it was to see the Easter story lived out before my eyes in that moment! What a tribute to our community's celebration of the Eucharist, and what a testimony to the grace of God. It was as if through encountering the risen Jesus that morning, this man, once saddened by death, was now alive again. How much this reminded me of the stories of disciples who were depressed and shaken until the risen Jesus brought them back to life.
I believe that our entire Catholic Church is also experiencing an Easter event that reveals the real power of God present in the resurrection story. We have been in the midst of mourning the loss of our Holy Father, a man who had great impact on the world for the last 26 years. We lament the loss of a charismatic leader who was able to relate so well to all different sorts of people, one who dedicated himself to fostering unity and peace. Over and over again, we hear the words of church and world leaders who say that there could never be anyone exactly like John Paul II. There has been a palpable sense of sadness and loss all around.
And yet, there has been something new breaking through this veil of sorrow. Day by Day, the airwaves are full of stories of the goodness of the pope's life as leader of the Church. More people than ever before are learning about what it means to be Catholic. I heard on television a Cardinal and a news anchor promise prayers for each other. The renewed interest in the Church is incredible. People are fascinated by how this man engaged the world and b y how Catholics all over the world are bound together in the event of his death. Easter is being lived out in our midst. The Pope has died but through his death, new life has come. We are witnesses to the miracle of resurrection.
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Some people have asked me about who I think the next Pope should be. The truth is, I do not know. People have come to me with names of Cardinals about whom they have been reading and they have wanted to know what I think. Mostly what I think is how amazing it is that there is such renewed interest in the Church! It is also fas- cinating to me to realize how much things are different at this point in history. Members of the College of Cardinals now have at their disposal the internet and mass media to help them learn about each other. We too, have the same opportunity to learn more about the papabiles, or those most likely to be considered for the next papacy.
There is a book I could recommend if you are interested in learning more about some of the men who will be gathering in conclave soon. The book is called Conclave, and it was written a couple of years ago by John Allen, who is Rome correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and also for CNN.
I can also share with you that I met one of the men that John Allen thought might be the next Pope. His name is Cardinal Walter Kasper. Cardinal Kasper (affectionately known as Kasper, the Friendly Cardinal), is the highest ranking ecumenical officer in the Church. He is President of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and he also oversees the committee for relations between Catholics and Jews. Originally a bishop from Germany, Kasper has been serving in Rome since appointed to this office by Pope John Paul II.
When I started work on my doctoral thesis, I wrote to Cardinal Kasper at the Vatican and requested an interview with him. Much to my surprise, I was granted one. I will never forget meeting him at his office at the Vatican two years ago. He welcomed me and graciously invited me to sit next to him as we talked for an hour. He seemed as comfortable with me as if I had been his sister. It was a remarkable visit and he is a remarkable man.
The last thing I said to Cardinal Kasper before leaving his office was that there are some people who think he would be a good Pope. His response to me was to say that he is very happy with what he is doing now, something I thought was a very good sign! It is interesting to think that this man I sat next to and talked with for an hour might be our next Pope. However, I think there may be a number of good candidates and I do believe that the College of Cardinals will be seeking the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in their deliberations. Our parish church will be kept open longer while the Cardinals are in conclave. May John Paul join with us and the entire Church in prayer for them and for the man who will be our next Pope.
March Celebrations
We welcomed into the Mary Queen of Heaven Parish Family:
Jennifer Therese Manion,
who was baptized at the Easter Vigil.
Also welcomed into Full Communion with the Catholic Church at
the Easter Vigil were:
Megan Holmes Michael Holmes
Molly Holmes Robert Murphy
Edgar Prado Michelle Pringle
Jackie Sinks Michelle Sinks
Mary Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
"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.
St. Vincent dePaul Society
The St. Vincent dePaul Society is looking for volunteers to
help parishioners who have recently been released from the
hospital, are elderly and no longer drive, have doctors'
appointments, need medicine picked up, or other circumstances
which require transportation.
Do you have a few hours now and then to help out? If so,
we certainly welcome your assistance. If you would like to
volunteer, please call Sheila Reiter at 833-6657. We will use
the utmost discretion when you are called to help a fellow
parishioners. Thank you for considering volunteering. We can
assure you that the benefits you receive from helping will be
most rewarding.
Market Day
Orders for April are due Monday, April 18, at noon. Turn
in your order form in the box at the back of church or at the
rectory. Pickup on Saturday, April 23, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. in
the Social Hall.
If you have questions or would like to place an order,
please call Mary at 832-8263 or Karen at 279-4108.
Religious Education News
RE Registrations
Registrations for the 2005-2006 RE year have been mailed
this week. Please call the office if you are new to the Parish
or are new to our program and would like to receive a
registration form. It is very important that you return your
form ASAP to the RE Office in order to insure your first choice
of time session for your child.
Catechists Needed
As this RE year begins to wind down, we are thinking about
our needs for next fall. With the addition of a third class
session for the coming year, our need for catechists has
increased dramatically. There will be openings at almost every
grade level. Please call the office if you would like to help.
Although next September seems very far away, it will be here
before you know it. Now is the time to come by and see for
yourself what wonderful things go on in our RE classes on
Wednesdays. Remember you don't have to be a theologian, you just
have to be someone who loves your Faith and would enjoy sharing
it with our children. Call the REO for more info.
Attention Parents of Confirmation Candidates.
Mark your Calendars for the following:
Tuesday, April 19. We will have Confirmation Practice for our
Candidates (no sponsors) in Church from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.. Since
this is the only practice, it is mandatory that all be present.
Saturday, April 23. Our celebration of Confirmation will take
place at the regularly scheduled 5:00 p.m. Mass in Church with
Bishop Stanley Schlarman presiding.
If you have questions or need more information, please call
Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962.
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
Paul Cirone Jenie Colletti
Trudi Dolato John Doyle
Dan Focht Anna Heffel
Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt
Pat Holmes Maureen James
Tom Janicke Bud Jensen
Irene Kmieciak Baby Emma Ann Lynde
Nancy Maloney Robert Manion
Loretta Mazgaj Bobbi Nannini
Jeff Smith Joe Tinnerello
Tyler Vincer
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.
Men of the Parish:
Deacon Tom Goebel
to Speak on Male Spirituality
The Men's Group is proud to sponsor a talk by Deacon Tom
Goebel from IC Parish on Male Spirituality on Tuesday, April 12,
at 7:30 p.m. in Barrett Hall.
Deacon Tom will reflect on how we can be more Christ-like
in our daily lives as husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers, and
in our business dealings. All men of the parish are invited to
share in this thought-provoking and inspirational evening.
For more info., please call Dick Reed at 834-4840.
2005 Diocesan Annual Appeal
Diocese of Joliet
Pledge Weekend, April 9/10
Living our Faith
This is Pledge Weekend for the 2005 Diocesan Annual Appeal.
Your gift will make a difference in the lives of children in our
schools and religious education programs, in our Catholic
Charities Outreach, in he ministry and services offered each day
through the diocese. Please be generous and make your pledge
today.
Please return pledge cards to the parish for forwarding to
the diocese. By doing this, all pledges will be recorded and
everyone will receive proper acknowledgement.
Parish Library Selections
The parish library has a wide selection of books and
magazines available on topics involving religion and spiritual
life. The subjects covered range from Biblical affairs to
relationships, and from biography to spirituality.
Among the works in the library are John McGreevy's
Catholicism and American freedom; Jaroslav Pelican (ed.)'s World
Treasury of Modern Religious Thought; John Paul II's Crossing the
Threshold of Hope; Peter Steinfels' A People Adrift; and Eugene
Kennedy's Cardinal Bernardin.. The library also has George
Weigel's widely acclaimed John Paul II; Witness to Hope; William
O'Malley's Why Be A Catholic?; Romulo Guardini's The Art of
Praying, and Joseph Girzone's Joshua and the Children.
The library is open each weekend from 5:30 pm. to 6:30 p.m.
on Saturdays, and from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Sundays.
Council of Catholic Women
Who are we? We are an organization within Mary Queen of
Heaven Parish, affiliated with the Joliet Diocese and the
National Council of Catholic Women. Membership is open to all
women in our parish. Our annual dues, beginning June 1st through
the end of May, are $5.00; however, every woman in our parish is
automatically considered a member of The Council whether dues are
paid or not. Board meetings are held monthly and programs or
social events take place several times during the year.
The CCW at Mary Queen of Heaven has sponsored many programs
and activities, some of which are: Candlelight Bowl (co-
sponsored by the Men's Group), Mother's Day Right to Life Flower
Sale , Annual Seniors' Christmas Party, Nostalgic Wedding Fashion
Show, Days of Recollection. Flower Sale, Antique Shows, Special
programs for the holidays, Women's Spirituality Series, May
Crowning, Parish Woman of the Year, and "Ladies Night Out."
Our purpose:
* To provide service, help and assistance wherever and whenever
needed in our parish.
* To provide a medium for Catholic women to speak and act with
one voice upon matters of common interest in Church and
society.
* To support social justice issues and the protection of human
life at all stages.
* To promote Catholic spirituality and prayer.
* To help Catholic women to become leaders in Church and
society.
How do I benefit from being an active member?
* You will have the opportunity to use your gifts and talents as
you offer assistance to our parish and the organization which
are all vital to our growing as a spiritual group of women
dedicated to spreading the work of Christ in all our actions.
* Your faith life and spiritual enrichment will be enhanced.
* You will have opportunities to use your gifts and talents and
to participate in various areas of interest.
* You will enjoy the company of other women who are interested
in helping our parish to be a vibrant, flourishing, faith-
filled community.
Perhaps you would be interested in volunteering to work on
the CCW Board. We would welcome any parishioner who could give
of her time and bring new ideas to our organization. If you have
any questions about CCW or would like to help out by being an
active member of the board, please contact Mary White (833-9809)
or Sheila Reiter (833-6657.
CCW SPRING INSTITUTE
The Eastern DuPage Deanery of The Council of Catholic Women
will hold their Spring Institute at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish
on Tuesday, May 10, 2005. Women from all the parishes in Eastern
DuPage have been invited to attend, and at this time we are
cordially inviting ALL THE LADIES OF MARY QUEEN to join us. The
theme for the Spring Institute is "Nourished By the Eucharist."
Please mark this date on your calendar and invite your friends to
come.
The evening schedule will be as follow:
5:30 P.M. Registration
6:00 P.M. Dinner (Barrett Hall)
7:15 P.M. General Meeting followed by
Commission Workshops
8:30 P.M. Mass (concludes the evening)
The donation for the evening is $10 per person and
reservation forms will be available in next week's bulletin. The
deadline for reservations is May 4th. For further information,
please call Sr. Marlene at the parish office (279-5700).
Fellowship Sunday
April 17th
Please join us for fellowship after the 10:15 a.m. Mass on
Sunday, April 17th in Barrett Hall. Stop in after Mass for some
pastries and a cup of coffee or juice and the opportunity to talk
with friends and fellow parishioners and their families.
Peace and Justice Ministry News
Last August many MQH parishioners came together for a
series of discussions designed to help identify ways the MQH
Peace and Justice Ministry could serve our parish. The
predominant message we heard during these discussions was "teach
us about peace and social justice issues."
This spring, the Peace and Justice ministry invites you and
your family to join us as MQH begins on a journey to discover how
peace and justice issues an the Seven Social Catholic Teachings
play a role in our daily lives and in the lives of others
throughout the world.
S. T. E. P. - Steps Toward Eliminating Poverty
An all-ages event/walk is scheduled for Sunday, May 1st.
It is designed to create greater awareness about local and global
poverty issues and the various ways we (children to adults) can
make a difference. STEP participants will gather at Immaculate
Conception Church. This event is sponsored by the Peace and
Justice ministries at MQH, IC and Visitation. Details will
appear in the near future.
Catholic Social Teaching Lecture Series
Is the Catholic Church Conservative or Liberal? Overcoming
the great Divide: An Advanced Introduction to Catholic Social
Teaching will be presented by Msgr. Stuart Swetland on Wednesday,
May 18 at 7:00 p.m. in Barrett Hall. More details will follow in
upcoming bulletins.
Men's Group Meeting
Thursday, April 14th at the Odeum in Villa Park.
Christian Service Commission
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Our sincere "thanks to everyone who helped to make our
Easter Liturgy Celebration at Mary Queen blessed and beautiful.
A special "thank you" to all especially Mary Foley, our Parish
Life Coordinator, Fr. Tom, Fr. Brad, Fr. Benet, Deacon Tom Nolan,
our Worship Commission, the R.C.I.A. Team, proclaimers, ushers,
Eucharistic Ministers, sacristans, choir director and choir
members for their beautiful music, and all those wonderful people
who helped to decorate with the Art and Environment Committee
during Holy Week and for Easter Sunday.
Once again, the St. Vincent DePaul Society with the help of
our parish, provided Jewel Food Certificates, Easter Food
Baskets, and Easter Baskets full of goodies for the children of
twelve needy families in our area. Thanks again for the
continued generosity of our parishioners. It's wonderful to be
such a "Giving Parish."
A Vocation View
We can feel the Lord's call at the strangest places and
times. The call can haunt us and pursue us until we say, "Lord,
what will you have me do?"
St. Pius X Parish Mission/Retreat
You are invited to join St. Pius X Parish for our
Mission/Retreat. The theme is "Do this in Memory of Me!"...The
meaning of and purpose of the Eucharist in our daily lives, in
the life of the parish and world. Fr. Chuck Faso, O.F.M., will
lead the Mission. It starts on Monday, April 18th through
Thursday, April 21st. The services will begin each morning at
9:15 (after the 8:30 Mass) with a duplication at 7 PM that night.
Fr. Chuck Faso led a Mission at St. Pius two years ago and
is an excellent speaker. Fr. Chuck Faso will also preach the
weekend of April 16/17.
Yoga Class in Barrett Hall
We will have class the following dates:
April 27, May 4, May 25, June 1 and June 8.
8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Please call Debbie Styka at 941-7224
if you are interested and have not attended before.
Class fee ranges from $16 to $30.
All monies will be donated to Mary Queen.
Diocesan News
MQH Help Opportunities
For Parishioners
Parishioners may submit ads to appear in the bulletin to
MQH Bulletin@aol.com for approval by the Pastoral Life
Coordinator. No ads will be accepted for real estate or by those
offering child care services (although those looking for child
care providers may place an ad and screen candidates themselves).
The parish accepts no responsibility for goods or services
offered. The ads are a free service to parishioners.
* Family in parish seeks part-time companion care for elderly
person. Medical background not necessary. Please call 834-
2842.
Catholic Charities Positions:
* Transitional Housing Resource Specialist needed to work to
coordinate and secure apartments for lease/housing resources
for North Area Transitional & Permanent Supportive Housing
Program participants. Requires High School Diploma. Part
time position for 19 hours per week.
* Case Manager needed in our duPage County Transitional Housing
and Permanent Supportive Housing Programs to provide
screening, assessment, case planning and case management to
homeless families in transition or crisis. Requires a Masters
degree in Social work or other social science field + 1 year
related "field experience. Must have auto. Full time,
normally Monday thru Friday.
Mail/Fax/Email resume to Catholic Charities, Diocese of
Joliet, ATTN: CC-03-05,203 N. Ottawa Street, Joliet, IL 60432,
Fax: 815-724-0367, hr@cc-doj.org,www.cc-doj.org. EOE
Lost and Found
Two rings were found in our parish parking lot. If you
think they may be yours, please call the parish office (279-5700)
office to identify and claim them.