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.