426 N. West Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2171
Parish Office: 630/279-5700
Fax: 630/279-4667
St. Patrick's Day Party The MQH Men's Group has scheduled a St. Patrick's Day Party on Saturday, March 20, from 7:00 p.m. until 12:00 Midnight in Barrett Hall. This adult event will include a catered dinner, beverages, entertainment, raffles and potentially, a silent auction on select items. More details will be announced within the next couple of weeks. Evening Under the Stars Friday, February 20, 2004 Need an evening of relaxation and fun? Plan on attending the 7th Annual Evening Under the Stars Auction and Dinner Dance being held on Friday, February 20, at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. Get your friends and relatives together and plan on reserving a table. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m., with a cash bar and an opportunity for all attendees to view the wonderful auction items that have been donated by our parishioners and businesses in our area. Tickets for this event will be available beginning this weekend, and the donation is $30 per person. For information, please contact Diane Bernstein at 279-7252. All parishioners should have received a letter from Mary Connelly and Teri Kevil requesting donations of articles, theater tickets, dinners, football games, special events, weekend trips, collectibles, children's items, donations of service, etc. We are counting on your help to make this year's auction/dinner dance as great as it has been in the past. So, give the girls a call and let them know when to pick up your donation. Because of the time needed to compose and print the Auction Program Book, we ask that all donations please be in by January 26. Of course, monetary donations are always acceptable to help purchase auction items or defray expenses. As in past years, we will be having a Raffle with many more great prizes, the top three prizes being Cash. Raffle Books will be mailed to your homes around the third week in January. Much help is needed. If you have a few free hours and would like to volunteer to help us with this event, give Sheila a call at 833-6657. Watch the bulletin for more information in the coming weeks. Bowlin' for Fun! January 24 The CCW and the Men's Group are sponsoring a Candlelight Bowl at Stardust Bowling Lanes in Addison. The evening will include dinner, three regular games of bowling, and one crazy game, prizes and raffles. The cost is $45 per couple. For reservations, call Mary White at 833-9809 or stop by the table in the vestibule of Church. If you are able to contribute door prizes, please give Jim Japczyk a call at 833-6853. Please mark your calendars: Confirmation Retreat for all 8th graders - Saturday, January 31, at 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in Barrett Hall First Communion Parent Meeting - Wednesday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m. in Barrett Hall 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. 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. Jack Brett Rose Caffarelli Betty Ciancio Cosmo Ciancio Adeline Gorski Art Heisen Tom Janicke Elizabeth Kubane John Kubane Kelly Peters Anne Marie Raye Patricia Sabel Robert Schultz Edward Stefaniak Patricia Staseck If you know someone who would like our prayers, please call Mary Alice at 279-1159. Rest In Peace Elizabeth DiIulio Patrick White, brother of Mary White Volunteer Tutors Needed Join the Sisters of St. Joseph of LaGrange in their 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 January 31 and February 14, from 9 a. m. until 2 p. m., at the Motherhouse/Ministry Center in LaGrange Park. You must attend both training sessions. No prior second language skills are required. For more information, call (708) 354-9200: Sr. Marybeth at ext. 5060, Jeanie Jadran at ext. 5085, or Barbara Bernhard at ext. 5037 . Host Families Sought for Children of Northern Ireland The Irish Children's Fund is seeking host families to welcome children from the troubled areas of Northern Ireland into their homes during the summer of 2004. This will be the 24th summer that the ICF has brought an equal number of Catholic and Protestant children to the Chicago area. During their visit, the children will participate in activities designed to foster the spirit of cooperation and friendship, breaking the barriers of mistrust they have been brought up with. Upon returning to Northern Ireland, the children have a follow-up program available to them through which they can continue to come together in ICF-sponsored activities and maintain the friendships formed in the United States. For additional information, call 630-833-1910. Sanctity of Human Life Sunday Today we celebrate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Thirty-one years ago on January 22, 1973 the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion for all nine months of a pregnancy. Since that time, 42 million children have lost their lives, and millions of women and men have been traumatized by their abortion decision. Care Net Pregnancy Services of DuPage provides support to women dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, as well as help to hurting people who have participated in an abortion decision. For more information on this ministry, call 630-455-0335. Let us work to support pregnant women in crisis and pray to end abortion in our country. Fireside Theology Immaculate Conception Parish, Elmhurst Saturdays Jan. 24-Feb. 7, at 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Suggested Donation: $10 This series will help us focus on finding balance and inner peace in our lives. We'll provide the hot cocoa and marshmallows (and a continental breakfast)! Call 630-530-3483 for more information. Saturday, January 24: Bringing Balance to Life: Harnessing Stress and Mastering Time Today more than ever, we are pulled in many directions. The demands of work, family life, and friendship are ever increasing. We are further stressed by the impact of living in a time of global unrest. There just don't seem to be enough hours in a day to meet obligations, let alone have time for oneself. How can we move out of living in the urgent mode? Presenter: Joan Zientek, marital and family therapist. Communication From the Bishop Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Each year a collection for the church in Latin America is held throughout our country. The proceeds from the collection are used to support the work of the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean. More and more, we in North America are becoming aware that we live in one hemisphere. Through your generosity 438 projects including catechetics and lay leadership, youth ministry, evangelization, as well as formation programs for religious, priests and deacons were supported. Monies from this collection provided support also for rebuilding efforts following a series of earthquakes in El Salvador. Our diocesan mission in Sucre, Bolivia continues to benefit from your generosity. Twice each year teams of medical personnel and construction teams go to Sucre to continue the work that was begun there ten years ago. The hospital that you helped build is serving thousands of poor people each year. A group of university students also journey to Sucre annually. Of the six mission dollars collected last year in the Untied States, the Diocese of Joliet contributed $252,000, the fifth largest amount given in our country. I am so proud of your generous response, not only to this special appeal, but to every national collection. I know that the Lord will never be outdone in generosity. I ask him to bless you and all of the people of Latin America. With every best wish, Sincerely in Christ, (Signed) Most Reverend Joseph L. Imesch Bishop of Joliet Diocesan Prayer Service for Life The Joliet Diocesan Life Office and the Knights of Columbus invite everyone to the Annual Diocesan Prayer Service for Life on Sunday, January 18, at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet. The Knights of Columbus will lead a candlelight procession, including the Children's Rosary, Rededication of our lives to the promotion of the Culture of Life, and Benediction and Homily by Bishop Roger Kaffer. A special blessing will be given to all who will be traveling to Washington for the March for Life. A reception will follow the Prayer Service. For info, call 815-838-1002. Diocese of Joliet Catholic Construction Corps Mission to the Navajo Reservation Please join us at the St. Charles Pastoral Center in Romeoville at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20 or Feb. 10, for an Information Night on the 3rd annual mission to the Navajo Reservation. The trip is planned for June 4-19, 2004 to repair/build homes for the poor of the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. This construction mission needs skilled and semi-skilled workers in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical, as well as men and women who are willing to assist in a variety of construction tasks. Opportunities to meet the people and to learn the local culture are part of this mission. For more information contact Art Sheridan, Missions Coordinator, at 815-834-4072 (asheridan@dioceseofjoliet.org) or contact (evenings) either Deacon Tom Goebel (630-782-9577) or Deacon Larry Lissak (630-629-9234). Thank You, Blood Donors! Congratulations to everyone, donors and volunteers, for a successful blood drive. Thanks to your efforts, we collected 27 pints of blood! Since every pint of blood can be used three ways, the results of our drive will help 81 people. And a big thank you to our Religious Education Confirmation students. They ensured the drive's success by taking appointments after Masses, putting up posters, making reminder calls and working the day of the drive. Way to go! Thank you again to everyone. What a wonderful way to give the gift of life! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your support and donations during the 2003 Christmas holidays. Through your hard work and generosity, Catholic Charities was able to provide Christmas gifts and food certificates for 3500 parents and their children. By easing the burden and stress that the holidays present, you have insured that our families might share in the peace and joy of Christmas. On behalf of Catholic Charities and the families who were served by the Holiday Outreach Program, please accept our gratitude. We hope that you had a happy holiday season and ask God to bless you in the New Year. Kitchen Items Needed The St. Vincent DePaul Society is looking for donations of clean house items in good condition to pass on to families in need. Dishes, Cookware, Knick-Knacks, Small Working Appliances and Miscellaneous house items are always appreciated. Please call the Society at 630-231-4658 to schedule the truck to come to your home. Tax receipts are gladly given. Cenacle Retreat House, Warrenville A new series, Thursdays with Teilhard: Readings in Spirituality, is offered Jan. 22 through May 20, 1:00-3:30 P.M. by Sr. Rita Anne Houlihan, r.c. Teilhard's The Divine Mileiu will be the first book to be discussed, and is available in the Cenacle bookstore. The cost is $15 per week or $60 for the series of 5 weeks.