426 N. West Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2171
Parish Office: 630/279-5700
Fax: 630/279-4667
Record of Parish Contributions If you would like to receive a record of your 2003 financial contributions, please call the parish office at 279-5700. Any 2003 contributions must be received no later than January 11th and clearly marked Christmas or 2003 in order to be included in our 2003 records. Home Maintenance for Seniors DuPage Senior Citizens Council (DSCC) offers affordable home repair services at a subsidized cost to seniors in Elmhurst, age 60 and over. Home repairs include electrical, plumbing, carpentry, general maintenance and safety equipment installation. Costs for home repairs in Elmhurst are $40 per service hour (billed in 15-minute increments, 30 minutes minimum per service call). There is no charge for estimates. Other no-cost home maintenance services available to seniors in Elmhurst include a home inspection to assure personal, home safety and weatherizing needs, and a contractor referral service. In addition, DSCC offers their Chore Days Program in the Spring and Fall to assist with seasonal outdoor clean up. For more information, please contact Hina at 630-620-0804. RE Sponsors Blood Drive January 11 On Sunday, January 11, the 8th graders in Mary Queen's Religious Education program will host a blood drive for the American Red Cross. Donations are sought from healthy individuals, ages 17 and older (16 with parental consent), with all blood types and who have not donated blood for the previous 56 days. If you are a regular donor, please note that November 16 was the last day you could have donated blood and still be eligible to donate at Mary Queen's drive on January 11. If you have a choice as to when to donate, we'd appreciate your support. A table to take appointments will be set up after Masses on the weekend of January 3 & 4. Also, you can contact: Julie McGovern at 834-1237, or e-mail jmcgovern@jwriter.net Prayer Requests To pray for the sick is an important responsibility of the Christian Community. We hope that you will pray for these persons every day, alone or as a family. Thank you. Rose Caffarelli Cosmo Ciancio Art Heisen Tom Janicke Kelly Peters Anne Marie Raye Patricia Sabel Edward Stefaniak Patricia Staseck Patrick White Marion Whitting If you know someone who would like our prayers, please call Mary Alice at 279-1159. Active Parenting Today A 6-Part Parenting Program Tuesdays, January 13 to February 17 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. At Catholic Charities, Lombard This parenting program is designed to help parents improve effective discipline and communication skills and develop skills that encourage our children and help build their self-esteem. The program is designed for parents who have children between the ages of 5 to 12. Cost: $50 per person or $70 for couples Instructor: James M. Gilligan, MSW Pre-registration is required. Call Catholic Charities at 630-495-9850 to register. As always please be very careful in the parking lot. 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. If you have questions or need more information, please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962. Market Day Orders for January are due Monday, January 19, at noon. Turn in your order form in the box at the back of church or at the rectory. Pickup on Saturday, January 24, 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. Communication Catholic Bishops' Update On Tuesday, January 6, a report will be released in Washington, D.C., which indicates how well dioceses are implementing the steps adopted by the Catholic Bishops of the United States in June, 2002, to address the problem of sexual abuse of children and young people by some clergy. The Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People provides a comprehensive framework to address allegations of abuse and to create safe environments for children and young people. The Charter has 17 articles, or statements of actions, that are divided into four main goals: To Promote the Healing and Reconciliation with Victims/Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse of Minors To Guarantee an Effective Response to Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors To Ensure the Accountability of the Charter's Procedures To Protect the Faithful in the Future Among the steps called for in the Charter are for dioceses: To employ a victim assistance coordinator; To set up a review board whose members are to advise the bishop on the diocese's overall sex abuse policy and on individual allegations; (Joliet Diocese has had a Review Committee since 1990.) To carefully screen candidates for Holy Orders and also other diocesan personnel with regular contact with children; To establish a safe environment program for children. Nationally, the bishops established an Office for Child and Youth Protection headed by a former top official of the FBI-Kathleen McChesney-with another former FBI official-Sheila Horan-as her deputy and an all lay National Review Board to monitor and assist the Office. The Office conducted the compliance audit of dioceses whose results will be released on Tuesday, January 6. The Bishops deeply regret past abuse and that they did not always deal with it effectively. But in the Charter they have offered the framework to respond to this terrible problem. They encourage all Catholics and the general public to become familiar with the Charter. The bishops ask our help in living up to the Charter's goals, and they invite us all to consider ways in which we can contribute to the protection of children and young people. Religious Education Classes will resume at the regular time on Wednesday, January 7. Feed the Poor Drop Off Used Printer Cartridges Thanks to your generous donation of used printer cartridges, over 10,000 starving children have received a potential life-saving meal. The response to this drive has been excellent! The Mary Queen of Heaven Men's Group will continue to collect empty inkjet and toner cartridges to help feed the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. With the non-profit organization, Food for the Poor, empty printer cartridges are recycled and the cash received used to supply food for the needy. One inkjet cartridge can feed a nutritious meal to 80 children! One toner cartridge will feed 300 children a nutritious meal! Of the estimated 300 million printer cartridges sold every year in the United states to businesses and individuals, only 2 percent, or 6 million cartridges, get recycled. The other 294 million cartridges, worth a minimum of $588 million, end up in the trash! Please look for the special Food for the Poor box in the vestibule after Sunday masses. Although most brands of inkjet and toner cartridges are accepted, a complete list of approved cartridges can be found at www.foodforthepoor.org/recycle. Thank you for your help and generosity. For more information call Russ DiOrio at 630-617-8844. MQH Eucharistic Minister Training Saturday, January 17, 2004 9:00 a.m. to noon in MQH Church All Eucharistic Minister trainees should attend this training session. In addition, anyone currently on the roster who would like a refresher, plus those who may be interested in learning more about this ministry, are encouraged to attend. Discussion will include some theology and history of the Eucharist, as well as practical instruction on the procedures. The facilitators will be Sister Sharon of the Office of Divine Worship and Deacon Tom Nolan. If you have any questions, please call Anne Hoey at 834-1783. Bowlin' for Fun! January 24 The CCW and the MQH Men's Group are sponsoring a Candlelight Bowl at Stardust Bowling Lanes, 27 E. Lorraine, in Addison. The evening will include dinner, three regular games of bowling, and one crazy game. The cost is $45 per couple. Prizes will be awarded, and raffles will be held. Call your relatives, neighbors and friends and invite them to join in the fun!! For reservations, call Mary White at 833-9809 or stop by the table in the vestibule of Church beginning the weekend of January 3/4.. If you are able to contribute door prizes, such as bottles of wine, gift certificates, etc., please give Jim Japczyk a call at 833-6853. Yoga Class by Debbie Styka For all ages - teenagers to senioragers This centuries-old art uses a series of postures that bring the mind, body and spirit into harmony. It creates community as we meet each other in class. It is scheduled right after Religious Education classes. A new class starts January 7 for 4 weeks Wednesdays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. 4 classes, $16 per person 4 classes $24 per family (ages 14 and older) Call Debbie 941-7224 Required:: Please bring a non-slip mat (can be purchased at Sport Authority, Target, etc/ for $13 to $20) Christopher Leadership Training Feeling a Little Stuck? Want to experience Clarity and Momentum during the New Year? Join a network of positive people and gain new Self Confidence; Presentation skills; A renewed sense of God-given purpose; Develop a momentum game-plan to accomplish great things with small steps; Share energy and encouragement with like-minded people who expect God's best in life. It's fun, interactive and a great place to meet new people...Three Saturday mornings, 8:30AM till 12 noon, January 10, 17, and 31, 2004. Dominican Priory, 7200 West Division (at Harlem), River Forest, IL 60305. Information/Registration call (312) 409-9549 or visit us at www.ChristopherLeadership.com. Fireside Theology Immaculate Conception Parish, Elmhurst 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Suggested Donation: $10 A winter companion to our popular summer program, this series will help us focus on finding balance and inner peace in our lives. Come spend some cold Saturday mornings with us. We'll provide the hot cocoa and marshmallows (and a continental breakfast)! Following are the dates and topics for discussion: Saturday, January 24: Bringing Balance to Life: Harnessing Stress and Mastering Time Saturday, January 31: The Dynamics of Power in Daily Living Saturday, February 7: Make Me a Channel of Your Peace Call 530-3483 for more information. Attention: Widows and Widowers Have you recently lost your spouse? Are you struggling with the loss? Have you been widowed for some time and sense the need for something to help you over the hump because you feel stuck in your grief? Then, Joyful Again! may be what you need. Joyful Again! is a weekend (Saturday & Sunday) program designed for both men and women of all ages who have been widowed and are seeking to renew hope and joy in their lives. When: Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8, 2004 Where: Mary Queen of Heaven church, in Elmhurst Donation: $75 usual donation, includes meals and handout materials. (Adjustments can be made if the cost presents a difficulty at this time.) The weekend is sponsored by St. Alexander & Mary Queen of Heaven parishes. For further information, call Joyful Again! at 354-7211.