Dear Friends,
I write to you on the day after the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI. Today's Chicago Tribune bears the headline, "Pope Benedict XVI: Church selects strict guardian of tradition." No doubt there will be other commentary in the days to come, with various people offering their opinions about him.
Last night, on the evening of the election, our parish, like all others in the Diocese of Joliet, held a prayer service in honor of the new Pope. You may not have known about this because notice was short and limited to E-mail. (Unfortunately, because I was sick last weekend, there was not an announcement about this in advance.) I do, however, want you to know that this parish gathering took place. I also want to share with you that many of our Confirmation candidates were present, since their Confirmation rehearsal was also held last night. I told these young people that this is truly a historic time for them, becoming fully initiated into the church just when our new Pope is assuming his office. They are going to be moving into the future together as leaders, each in their own way.
The new leader of our universal church needs our prayers. It is not an easy thing to be a leader in the church today and I believe that it takes a great deal of courage and faith to assume the office that he has. It is a good thing to have a Pope who will guard the tradition. This is the responsibility of all bishops, and priests and pastoral life coordinators share in this responsibility. While the Christian churches of the world have been growing closer since Vatican II (and Pope Benedict XVI has already promised that he will work toward even greater Christian unity), there are certain things about our Catholic identity that could be lost if everything is relativized. Some of these include the centrality of the Eucharist, apostolic succession, and our sacramental theology.
We guard a tradition, however, that is a living entity, something we believe is both human and divine, and ultimately directed by the Holy Spirit. Any living entity changes over time as it grows and develops. This does not mean that its essential character is lost, but that some of its characteristics might change. This can be seen in the natural world, with the growth of plants and animals and human life. It also happens in the life of the church. This is what we saw happen with the implementation of the reforms of Vatican II, for example. Some people feel that the church has changed too much already. I think this is often because change can be so unsettling, and it is harder for some people than others. Also, some people might not really understand that change is a part of the life of the church, just as it is part of their own lives. It can be easy to think that things should be the way we've always known them.
There are other people, of course, who believe that the church needs to change even more to be in line with modernity (or the "signs of the times," in Vatican II language). Sometimes, I feel this way. But I also know full well that the universal church is not an American church, and things that are of concern to some people in the United States are not the same concerns as those of people in other parts of the world who deal with poverty, disease, and violence daily in ways that we do not.
This does not mean that the church in every part of the world should not be able to express its hopes and its desires. However, I do believe that the Holy Spirit is still alive and present within the church, and that God gives the church what it needs at every time in history. The church needs those who challenge it to grow. The church also needs the leaders that God gives us here and now.
No leader is free of faults. But hopefully, if he or she is faithful, they will work at becoming better servants of God's people, better able to listen, better able to embrace differences, better able to understand, and better able to love those they serve. Sometimes, people have the expectation that just because someone is a leader, he or she should be able to perfectly handle any difficulty, or seem perfectly holy all of the time. If this were the case, they would not be human beings. I can assure you that God has always chosen imperfect human beings to be leaders of this church. Cardinal Ratzinger was well aware of this. When he accepted the call to become Pope Benedict XVI, he responded with these words:
Dear brothers and sisters, after the great Pope John Paul II, the cardinals have elected me - a simple, humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord. The fact that the Lord can work and act even with insufficient means consoles me, and above all, I entrust myself to your prayers.
Please join with those who gathered in church last night to pray for our new Pope. Please pray for all the leaders of our church, that we may become the people that God is calling us to be.
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. Parish News "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. 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 follows: 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. Please consider attending this event and return the reservation form in last week's bulletin by Monday, May 2nd. For further information, please call Sr. Marlene at the parish office (279- 5700). Spring Clean Up Time!!! Calling all Garden Club Members, it's time once again to begin cleaning up the parish grounds and preparing the flower beds for planting. Please mark your calendars for Saturday, April 30. At 10:00 a.m., we will gather on the south side of Church with shovels, rakes, hoes, and don't forget gloves. In addition to our regular Garden Club crew, we would appreciate help from other men, women and teens in the parish who could give us a few hours of their time. For further information or questions, please call Rose Wilkes at 833-7238 or Sheila Reiter at 833-6657 Religious Education News RE Registrations Registrations for the 2005-2006 RE year have been mailed. If you did not receive a registration or know of someone who did not, please call the office. Remember all families must register every year. It is not necessary to include a check with your form at this time. But it is important to get your registration in before June 1st. Congratulations to all of our 8th graders who celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation this weekend with Bishop Schlarman. Their names will be in next week's bulletin. Mark your Calendars: Wednesday, April 27. Last RE class of the year. Food drive in the evening session. Saturday, April 30. First Communion Practice, 10 a.m. to noon in church. Small Group Practice at Noon in Church Sunday, May 1. Small Group Celebration of First Communion at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, May 7. Large Group Celebration of First Communion at 11:00 a.m. Help Needed in the 2005-2006 Term The RE program here at Mary Queen is very blessed with a large group of volunteers. Their duties range from classroom catechist, aide, office helpers, hall monitors, to those who help our children safely navigate the traffic-congested parking lot on Wednesday afternoons. To all of these almost 60 dedicated women and men, we are deeply grateful. As this RE year comes to a close, we have to start thinking about our needs for next fall. Next fall we are adding a third session of classes on Wednesdays from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. We will have one class of every grade level from Pre-School through Gr. 8. This will necessitate the need for at least twenty more catechists. Put that together with those who are leaving because of moves or changes and the number grows even higher. We will need people to fill non-classroom positions as well. Please consider volunteering a few hours a week working with our children. Our children are our most important assets; it is our obligation to pass on our Faith to them with love, dignity and safety. Only the best will do. If you think you would like to find out more about being involved in our Parish RE program, call the REO office This week we focus on Tom Gusloff. Tom and Kathleen are the parents of three children. Many of you know them from their ministry with both our elementary and high school youth groups. You may not know that Tom is also one of the founding members of the Men's group. He and Kathleen have also been catechists in our Confirmation program for several years. As busy as he is, he still finds the time. Let him tell you why. Why Me? I volunteer to serve the youth as a catechist to help them in the process of making the Catholic Faith come alive in their lives. It is actually somewhat of a privilege to work with young adults in helping them to discover and realize: * There is a responsibility and benefit of belonging to a faith community * There are benefits to being in service to others * Their faith/beliefs can help guide them in the complex situations and decisions of daily life. I get to aid youth on their journey to Choose Christ for themselves and hopefully instill the desire to continue their participation in the church. What I give is: time, enthusiasm, patience and understanding, and a willingness to share. What I get is a powerful satisfaction in knowing I have helped shape a young adult in launching their own faith. In the process, I have learned more about my own faith - children can be very amazing! I guess I volunteer as my own service/payback for the gifts and blessings in my life and also because I CAN'T SING! May Meetings Come join us for breakfast and learn about Destiny our high school youth group, Sunday, May 22. We meet in the school building at 8:30 a.m. Wings to Heaven will have their annual Welcome ice cream social Sunday, May 22, from 6-8 p.m. in Barrett Hall. This is for all 4th-8th grade students. Come and meet other students that are in the group and learn about what we do. It is guaranteed to be a fun evening!. Adult Education and Spirituality The Adult Education and Spirituality Committee will be meeting in the Rectory basement on Sunday, April 24, at 4 p.m. The Committee is charged with encouraging and coordinating educational and spiritual activities for adults in the parish. Since forming last fall, the Committee has sponsored the Lenten Vatican II series and the Bible Study program. We are planning an even more active role in the 2005/2006 year. If you have an interest in adult education and spirituality, please consider attending the meeting to learn more. Contact Dick Reed, 834-4840, for more information. Diocesan News 2005 Diocesan Annual Appeal Diocese of Joliet Living our Faith 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. 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, alone or as a family. Thank you. Pam Bondfide Heather Marie Brennan Kathleen Bryers Rose Caffarelli Kathy Calzante Jim Clynch Paul Cirone Trudi Dolato John Doyle Dan Focht Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt Pat Holmes Maureen James Tom Janicke Irene Kmieciak Colleen Luckey Baby Emma Ann Lynde Nancy Maloney Robert Manion Loretta Mazgaj Bobbi Nannini Vincent Scilluffo Eileen Shea Jeff Smith Joe Tinnerello Tyler Vincer Cathy Ward Rest in Peace Florence Collins 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. Bereavement Ministry Calls for Empathetic Listeners * Could it be possible that God is calling you to new possibilities in the Bereavement Ministry? * Do you have a patient heart that can hear the needs of another? * Do have a sensitive mind that can listen between the lines in helping to prepare a meaningful funeral liturgy? * Do you have a humble spirit that can be present to another without needing to "solve" another's problems? * Do you have a deep respect for the story of another with the ability to listen without needing to tell your own story? * Do you have a loving trust that God is present with you and the grieving family as you walk together? * Do you have a sense of your own needs and limitations? If you feel comfortable reading the items on this list then you may want to consider joining the Bereavement Ministry; a ministry of compassionate journeying with another. At Mary Queen of Heaven when a family experiences the death of one of its members, a Bereavement Minister will spend some time with the family getting to "know" the one who has died by listening to the sharing of the family story. The Bereavement Minister may do some amount of follow up with families such as a call, a card, or a visit. Our diocese holds training and certification classes regularly that you would be asked to attend and the Bereavement Ministers of Mary Queen meet once each month to share stories, to pray for those who have died and to plan for the celebration of All Soul's Day Mass on November 2. If you are interested please call our Bereavement Coordinator, Mary Alice Steck at 279-1159. A Vocation View The new ministry of "Deacon" is mentioned in today's Scripture. Perhaps the Lord is calling you to assist with the charitable, educational or liturgical needs of the Lord's People today. Christian Service Commission Christian Service Commission MQH's Peace and Justice Committee Invites you to our First S.T.E.P. Hunger Walk Event (Steps Toward Eliminating Poverty) Sunday, May 1, 2005 This is an all-ages event which will be held at and around the Immaculate Conception Parish Church. Registration is noon, and the walk starts at 12:30 p.m. The walk will take about 2-3 hours with a sampling of food afterwards. There will be activities for children at several of the stops. What is S.T.E.P.? S.T.E.P., unlike other "walks" includes opportunities for prayer, education, advocacy and cultural awareness. We will learn about global, national and local poverty issues as we walk to...The Elmhurst Walk-In Ministry, St. Peter's Children's Clothing Closet, First Methodist's People's Resource Center, I.C.'s Food Pantry, and The Elmhurst Public Library. We will learn how we (children and adults) can become proactive in battling poverty and related issues. And through music, food, art, videos and displays, we will learn about people in various cultures living in poverty, and promote awareness that we (all of us and them) are created in "oneness" and in Christ. Fundraising (optional): There is no charge to participate in this event. However, if you would like to make a donation or solicit sponsors, you are more than welcome to do so. 75% of the funds raised at the event will be given to Catholic Relief Services for Tsunami victims. 25% of the funds raised will be donated to the Elmhurst Walk-In-Ministry which provides food, clothing and other support services to over 1,000 families a year. Registration forms will be available in the foyer (narthex) of church on this weekend and at MQH's rectory. If you have any questions, feel free to call Colette Borland at 833-0524 or Nora Hipskind (IC parishioner and S.T.E.P Committee Chair) at 279- 1002. This event is sponsored by the Peace and Justice ministries of MQH, I.C. and Visitation. CCW Sponsors Plant Sale The Council of Catholic Women is sponsoring a Spring Pant Sale on Saturday, May 14, at 10:00 a.m. in the church parking lot. All plants must be pre-ordered and paid for before the day of the sale. If paying by check, please make it payable to Mary Queen of Heaven CCW. The deadline for placing orders is Sunday, May 1. Order forms are in today's bulletin. They can be turned in with payment to the parish office, placed in the collection basket, or at the table in the vestibule of church after Mass. The plants are ordered from Autumn Leaf Nursery in Willow Springs. Bedding flats of Ageratum, Alyssum, Begonias, Celosia, Coleus, Dahlias, Dianthus, Dusty Miller, Impatiens, Marigolds, Moss Roses, Pansies, Petunias, Salvia, Snapdragons, Verbena and Vinca will be available at $12.00 per flat. Also available will be 3-1/2" pots of Hybrid Geraniums at $1.50 per pot, and New Guinea Impatiens, Non-stop Begonias, Spikes, Asparagus Fern, Vinca Vine, Trailing Petunias, Fuchsia and Ivy Geraniums at $1.75 per pot. If you are looking for hanging baskets to decorate your deck or house or hang on Shepherd's Hooks in your yard, perhaps you would be interested in the $10 Hanging Baskets ranging in price from $9 to $12. 12" diameter planted pots are available too at $15 each. For information or questions regarding the sale, please call Sheila Reiter 833-6657 or Mary White at 833-9809. CCW Mother's Day Tribute MQH Respect Life Committee is selling carnations to honor the nurturing women in our lives (mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, friends). The carnations will be placed at Mary's statue in the Gathering Place for Mother's Day, May 8th. Carnations can be purchased for $1.00 each. Order sheets are available in this week's bulletin (April 23-24) and should be returned by May 1. A member of our Respect Life Committee will be in the church vestibule after all the Masses to accept orders. The names of all those being honored will be published in an insert in our parish bulletin the weekend of May 7/8. Proceeds will benefit Illinois Citizens For Life. St. Vincent dePaul Meeting Our monthly meeting will be held on Thursday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. in Mary's Gathering Space. All interested in working with this ministry are invited to attend. For more information, please call Sheila Reiter at 833-6657. What kind of people make up our catechetical staff? They are people just like you. For the next few weeks, we will profile some of them. Why do they do what they do? We've asked them to tell you in their own words. Yoga Class In Barrett Hall April 27, May 4, May 25, June 1 and June 8 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. Class fee ranges from $16 to $30. All monies will be donated to Mary Queen. Call Debbie Styka at 941-7224 for more info.