Dear Friends,
I have been thinking a lot about family these days: my own family, my parish family, individual families in our parish. All of these are filled with the stuff of life: human relationships that can bring great joy, transform with great love, cause great hurt when anger or spite get in the way, and suffer great pain when there is serious injury or illness, death, or divorce. What we share in common is that all of us have some sense of what the best and worst of family life can be.
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity. This is a day in the church year when we celebrate the mystery of our God, whose very Being exists in relationship. I remember once hearing a priest say that Trinity Sunday is a preacher's nightmare. I suppose this would be true if one felt the need to try to explain something that can never be fully explained because it is, by its very nature, a great mystery. However, the relationship of three persons in one God is a mystery that invites us to enter deeply within itself.
There is a very famous icon of the Trinity that was painted centuries ago by the great Russian monk Andrei Rublev. In it, Rublev employs an often used symbol of the three angels who visited Abraham and Sarah to represent the three persons of the Holy Trinity. He places the three figures around a table with a great opening at the front of the picture. It is Rublev's way of showing us how God is always inviting us into relationship with the Holy Trinity, inviting us into deeper joy, inviting us into deeper love, a love that can restore what is divided and heal what is hurt. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed when human relationships fail but the divine relationship of the Holy Trinity can make things new again.
Sometimes it is hard for us to trust that God really has the power to restore and renew all things because our own best efforts seem to fail. And yet, God never stops trying to remind us of the divine love that is available to us. Each time a word of forgiveness opens a hardened heart, each time stiff-necked people (as are Moses' people in today's first reading) soften, each time some surprising seemingly-impossible things happen in our lives, these are occasions of grace, and reminders to us of our God who is always inviting us deeper into relationship with the Trinity and with one another in love
I am looking forward to time with my family this weekend, including my father and his wife who are coming in from Florida, my son Eric and his wife Jessica, who are traveling from California, along with some of my other children and a very large extended family who are already here. Some of you may have heard the announcement last weekend, but I want you to know that as a gift to my family and my parish family, I have arranged for a special concert to be given tonight at 7 pm in Barrett Hall. Our featured musician will be 17 year old Heather Styka, a very talented young parishioner who plays piano and guitar and has a lovely singing voice. She also has a gift for songwriting, and we will be listening to many of her own creations. I hope that it will be an enjoyable night for all the families who attend.
On this Trinity Sunday, I pray that all of us will be open to receiving the gifts and graces that God has to offer us. May we accept the invitation to be drawn more fully into the life of God, so that the perfect love of the Trinity may transform us in all the ways we need to be transformed. May we practice and celebrate, with the help of God, the best that family life can be. And where there may be trouble or pain in our relationships, let us trust that God can make a way for there to be healing, or make a way for something new to come.
With regard to our parish family, I wish to acknowledge the generosity of many people. First of all, last week, with heartfelt gratitude, I accepted a $20,000.00 check from a Mary Queen of Heaven parishioner who wishes to remain anonymous. She was exceedingly generous in her monetary gift and in her expression of love, support, and prayers. I am grateful to God for her
I would also like to thank those who have continued to maintain their pledges to our parish stewardship effort. Your gifts will help us move toward a balanced budget in the future. Also, I would like to thank all of those who have made contributions to the Diocesan Appeal. Our goal is $25, 207.00. Already, parishioners have been so generous that only $7,370 is needed to reach our goal. I will keep you posted on progress. In the meantime, thank you for all of the ways you share your time, talent, and treasure with the parish.
Mary Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
Exceptional People Touch Our Lives
Dorothy Day Movie to be shown at MQH
Wednesday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m.
In the weeks after Easter in the RCIA we seek to continue
to deepen our understanding of the Paschal Mystery. Part of our
responsibility as Eucharistic People is to serve others as Jesus
did. We will show a movie depicting the life of a modern-day
saint, Dorothy Day. The movie, called "Entertaining Angels,"
walks us through a day in New York City where all people, peasant
or king, are treated as angels.
The movie is rated PG-13 and tells of courage and
commitment to the Gospel way of life. It will be shown at 7:30
sharp in the Social Hall. All are welcome. The movie will be
followed by discussion, as time allows.
Fellowship Sunday, TODAY, May 22
A very special Day! Bring your family to Barrett Hall
after the 10:15 a.m. Mass for Fellowship hosted by our RCIA Team.
At this Fellowship we will be welcoming new families that have
registered in our parish since February 2005 and we invite
everyone to come and meet them. We are very happy they have
chosen to become members of our parish family.
At this fellowship, we especially honor Mary Alice Steck
and bid her farewell and best wishes as she and her husband Bill
move to Hennepin, Illinois. Mary Alice has been a member of Mary
Queen of Heaven since 1997, when she became our RCIA/RCIC
Coordinator. She also began our Bereavement Ministry.
Her husband, Bill, has always been there to support and
help her in whatever way possible. He will especially be missed
for his unending support at our Auction/Dinner Dance and with the
St. Vincent DePaul Society food collections and distributions.
We wish Mary Alice and Bill the best of luck with their new
home in Hennepin, Illinois, thank them for all they have done
here at Mary Queen, and let them know that they will always be
loved and missed!
Parish News
"Ladies Night Out" Dinner
The Council of Catholic Women is sponsoring a "Ladies Night
Out" on Tuesday, June 21st at 7:00 p.m. This is a wonderful
opportunity to relax and enjoy fellowship with your friends from
MQH. We will be honoring Diane Bernstein, our Woman of the Year,
for her dedication and work in our parish over the years.
The celebration will be held at Casey's Restaurant, 415
East North Avenue, Lombard. There will be a choice of three
entrees: Casey's Prime Rib, Broiled Breast of Chicken, and
Broiled Orange Roughy. Dinner will also include soup or salad,
coffee, soft drinks and dessert. A cash bar will also be
available. The cost for the evening will be $25.00 per person.
Please make checks payable to Mary Queen of Heaven CCW
The deadline for reservations is Sunday, June 12.
Registration forms are available in the church vestibule for your
convenience. Please take one and return it with payment as soon
as possible. It can be dropped in he collection basket or sent
to the rectory. For further information, please call Mary White
(833-9809) or Sheila Reiter (833-6657).
Religious Education News
RE Registrations
If you did not receive a registration for the 2005-2006 RE
year 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. Classes
are filling up fast.
Help Needed in the 2005-2006 term.
If you have ever thought that sharing your faith with the
young people of our parish might be where the Lord is calling
you, you are probably right. If you think you would like to find
out more about being involved in our Parish RE program, call the
REO.
If you cannot help on a weekly basis with the children,
please consider the following: We will be needing one or two
people to help coordinate our Market Day program. Market Day is
the 3rd Saturday morning of the month from September through June.
This takes only a few hours of your time, but it is a very
important part of our RE program. It is our only fundraiser and
with costs rising each year, our modest tuition barely covers
half. Our current coordinators will stay on a few months to show
you the ropes. Please call us at the REO if you can help.
If you have any questions or need more information, please
call Mary Ann Woods, REO, 832-8962.
Christian Education Commission
Volunteer Tutors Needed
Join the Sisters of St. Joseph of LaGrange in their Adult
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 Saturdays, June 18 and June
25, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the Motherhouse/Ministry Center,
1515 W. Ogden. LaGrange Park. You must attend one 2-day training
session. However, you do not need any prior second-language
skills.
For more information, call (708) 354-9200:
Sr. Marybeth at ext. 5060, Jeanie Pavich at ext. 5085, or Barbara
Bernhard at ext. 5037 .
Community News
MQH Help Opportunities
For Parishioners
Parishioners may submit ads to appear in the bulletin to
MQHBulletin@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.
* A parish family needs part-time childcare over the summer.
The job involves providing daytime care for 4 children in
their home on two days per week for 6-8 hours per day. There
is some limited in-town driving involved as well. Please call
John at 569-0489.
* Urgent need for gently used household furniture!Sharing
Connections, a local non-profit located in Downers Grove and
serving all DuPage County town, accepts household furniture
and then redistributes to low-income families in need of these
items. Right now there are nearly 300 families in need of
such basic household items as a bed or table and chairs. If
you have gently used furniture that you would like to donate,
please contact Sharing Connections at 630-971-0565, ext. 300,
to schedule a truck pick-up. Or, bring your donations to 5111
Chase Avenue, just south of the Belmont train station. Open
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and Saturday 9-Noon. All
donations are tax deductible. By working together, we can
improve the lives of our neighbors.
Open Positions at CareNet
CareNet Pregnancy Services of DuPage has employment
opportunities for a full-time Church Development Coordinator and
part-time (36 hour) Special Event Manager. Individuals applying
for these positions should have excellent phone and people
skills, be detail oriented and self-motivated. If you are
interested in making a difference in the lives of DuPage County
women and their families and working in a fast-paced setting,
please send your resume to cpsdupage@core.com.
Tony Melendez
In concert at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 27 Saturday May 28
St. Joseph Parish Mt. Carmel Parish
Addison Joliet
630-279-6553 (815) 727-7187
It was an unforgettable moment when, on Sept. 15, 1987,
Tony Melendez played his guitar for Pope John Paul II in Los
Angeles. Born without arms, he performed a touching song
entitled "Never Be the Same" on the guitar with his feet. When
the Pope, deeply moved by Tony's musical gift, came down and said
to him, "Tony, Tony, Tony, you are a courageous young man, a very
courageous young man. My wish for you is to bring hope to all of
the people."
Tickets: $10 (Advance), $12 (Door), $5 Child under 12
For tickets and directions, contact the parishes.
A Memorial Day Mass
will be celebrated on
Monday, May 30, at 9:00 a.m.
in the Assumption Cemetery Chapel Mausoleum located at
1S510 Winfield Rd., in Wheaton.
Benedictine University, Lisle
Adult Accelerated Degree Programs
Benedictine University provides an alternative in education
for working adults. These include many undergraduate programs,
as well as programs for certified teachers in reading and
literacy, curriculum instruction, and a type 75 leadership and
administration degree.
Four business degrees are offered in an accelerated, cohort
format, in which a group of students progresses as a team through
all of the courses. Information sessions will be held on
Wednesday, May 25 at 4:30 p.m. in Lisle, and on Thursday, May 26
at 5:30 p.m. in Chicago. For more information, call 630-829-
2277.
Parenting Programs
Catholic Charities will offer the following parenting
programs at Catholic Charities, in Lombard:
Effective Choices, Effective Parenting, a one day workshop
that helps parents build on existing strengths for better
relationships with their children. Saturday, June 18, 1-4 PM.
Cost $20/per person; $25/per couple.
All About Attention Deficit Disorder, a video-based program
of four 90-minute sessions that enables parents to interact more
effectively with children who are suspected to have symptoms of
ADD or have been diagnosed with ADD. Classes on four consecutive
weeks, June 7-28, at 7:00 PM. Cost $50/per person; $70 per
couple.
For more information or to pre-register, please contact Jim
Gilligan, Parenting Instructor, at 630-710-8226.
Diocesan News
Job Opening - Diocese of Joliet
Title: Office Manager
Status: Full Time with Benefits
Location: Religious Education Office, Joliet IL
The Office Manager provides assistance with office business
functions, acting as a steward of physical, financial and
personnel resources of the Religious Education Office. The
Office Manager is the primary administrative support person to
the Director.
For more information or to apply, please contact Mike
Svach, Director of Personnel, at (815) 834-4077, or visit our
website at www.dioceseofjoliet.org and click the link for "Jobs."
Jewel Shop and Share Days to benefit the
Elmhurst Walk-In Ministry
Monday-Wednesday, May 23, 24 and 25
By shopping at Jewel on any of these days, 5% of your total
purchases will be donated to the Elmhurst Walk-In Ministry by the
store. Every slip turned in counts!
All you need to do is present the identification slip, with
your signature, to the checkout person. There is absolutely no
extra cost to you. The slips are accepted at all Jewel
locations. Thank you for supporting this wonderful ministry!
St. Vincent de Paul
Spring Clothing Drive
Mary Queen of Heaven Parish St. Vincent de Paul Society is
sponsoring a Spring Clothing Drive on Saturday and Sunday, June
4/5. The St. Vincent de Paul truck will be in the parking lot
from about 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning until approximately 1:00
p.m. on Sunday.
Last spring our parish held a clothing drive and it was a
huge success! We filled the truck with items to benefit the
needy. This seems like the perfect time to do it again. Pick
out those things you have been holding on to. Someone else can
use them right now. People are in need of clean, gently used
items: clothing, shoes, purses, linens, bedding, house wares,
books, small working appliances, knick-knacks, toys, etc. There
is a special need for clothing for children. Donation bags will
be available after all masses on the weekend of May 21/22.
For pickup of furniture and heavy items, please call 630-
231-4658. Tax receipts are gladly given.
"Thank You for Helping Us to Help People"
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 Peggy Delbeke
Trudi Dolato John Doyle
Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt
Tom Huwalt Pat Holmes
Maureen James Tom Janicke
Albert P. Kabat Bill Kevil
Irene Kmieciak Bernadette Kohn
Baby Emma Ann Lynde
Nancy Maloney
Robert Manion Bobbi Nannini
Vincent Scilluffo Eileen Shea
Jeff Smith Joe Tinnerello
Cathy Ward
Rest in Peace
Maryann Fuimefreddo
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.
Christian Worship Commission
Food Drive News
I thought that it would be really difficult to top last
year's total of 1600 pounds. Well, the kids certainly outdid
themselves this year. Between the kids' donations and the
neighborhood collections, we totaled...drum roll please...2600
pounds! Previous to this our five-year total was 5500 pounds, so
in one night we increased that by 50 percent! That means our
six-year total is four tons!
The People's Resource Center was extremely grateful.
Thanks to all who supported this drive. Julie Mc Govern
Garden Club Planting
Calling all Garden Club Members, any teen, and male or
female adult who could volunteer a few hours on Saturday, May 28th
at 9:30 a.m. to help beautify our parish grounds by planting
annuals in the flower beds around the Church, school building and
parish office.
Bring your garden gloves, diggers, shovels and a smile.
The more people we have helping the faster we will be able to
accomplish what we have planned. Many hands make the work
lighter and it's an opportunity to meet and converse with fellow
parishioners.
Should the weather be inclement, the rain date will be June
4th. Please call either Rose Wilkes (833-7238) or Sheila Reiter
(833-6657) and let them know if you are planning to help out..
St. Camillus Alumni
As has been reported, St. Camillus School, located near
Midway Airport in Chicago, will officially close at the end of
this school year. Therefore, on Sunday, June 26, at 12:30 p.m.,
a special Mass of Thanksgiving will be offered at St. Camillus
Church, 55th Street and Lockwood Avenue, followed by a banquet at
the Mayfield Banquet Hall beginning at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available for $25 per person, which includes a
buffet dinner. All alumni, parents, teachers and benefactors are
encouraged to attend. For information or tickets, please contact
Dolores (Pencak) Kaczmarski at 733-585-0865 or Carol (Kurzawski)
Frencl at 708-532-9030. This event needs the support of those
who have cared about St. Camillus School and Catholic education.
We cannot permit 80 years to pass without notice.
A Vocation View
Each of us experiences a story of God's self-revelation in
a unique way. Tell your story. Add to the beautiful mosaic of
God's life in this world by the story of your life.
Men's Group Meets
2nd Thursday of each month at 8 p.m.
At the Odeum in Villa Park
Please contact Tom Gusloff at 832-4248
for further information