426 N. West Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2171
Parish Office: 630/279-5700
Fax: 630/279-4667
Communication From the Bishop
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Because of the busy pace of life, it is easy to get caught up in our own
affairs and concerns. We can become so involved that we forget about the
needs of others. Jesus shakes us out of our complacency by some
startling words in today's Gospel. Twice He says, “But I tell you, if
you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”
Lent presents us with many opportunities for repentance. Showing
compassion and generosity to our needy brothers and sisters is one way of
expressing repentance. Knowing that we will be judged on how we cared
for others when they were hungry, thirsty, ill, without sufficient
clothing and imprisoned is a powerful incentive for action!
Through the generosity of Catholics in our country, Catholic Relief
Services has been caring for persons for more than 60 years. It has
assisted with food, tools, water purification tablets and water supply
systems, as well as reconstructing and repairing homes. Catholic Relief
Services continues to give hope to people in more than eighty countries
through its emergency relief and long-term development efforts.
This Lent we have an opportunity to express our compassion for others by
contributing to the efforts of Catholic Relief Services. You responded
so generously last year by giving a total of $275,000. May the Lord
bless you for your past generosity, and may you respond with a generous
heart again this year.
Sincerely in Christ,
(Signed)
Most Reverend Joseph L. Imesch
Bishop of Joliet
Answering the Call
Sr. Carla Heimer, nc, is a novice with the Cenacle Sisters at the
Cenacle Retreat House in Warrenville, IL. She was quite surprised at this
second career that God has given her, since it certainly wasn't the one
she had planned! Carla was a National Accounts Underwriter for a large
insurance company when God began raising the prospect of religious life
to her. She has been with the Cenacle since February of 2001 and reports
that it is amazing how well God used the time before entering to give her
tools useful in her new life.
For information regarding vocations visit www.vocations.com or call the
Diocesan Vocation Office at 815-834-4004.
Free Senior Home Inspection
Offered in Elmhurst!
Our Senior Home Inspection Program identifies areas in your home or
daily routine that may be unsafe. The inspection begins at your front
door and includes a review of all rooms and the outside of your home.
Upon completion, your inspector will indicate ways to reduce the risk of
fire, burglary, or injury. For further information or to schedule a home
inspection, contact the DuPage Senior Citizens Council (DSCC) at
630-620-0804.
DSCC also offers affordable Home Repair Services at a subsidized cost in
Elmhurst to seniors age 60 and over. Home repairs include electrical,
plumbing, carpentry, general maintenance and safety equipment
installation. Cost for home repairs is $40 per service hour (30 minutes
minimum per service call). Estimates are free.
Other free Home Maintenance services available to seniors in Elmhurst
include a Contractor Referral Service for larger home repair projects,
and a seasonal Chore Days Service available the first three weekends in
May and the first three weekends in October to assist with outdoor clean
up. For more information, please contact the Home Maintenance Department
at 630-620-0804.
Mentor Training
For Transitional Housing
4 Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m., starting April 14
At Catholic Charities in Lombard
The Daybreak and Shift Transitional Housing programs provide housing and
supportive services to homeless families while they work to return to
permanent housing and a quality of life that sustains their families'
needs. Trained volunteer mentors work directly with the families,
supporting them in their daily journey. Mentors are compassionate,
non-judgmental, respectful and sensitive to the confidentiality required
in order to preserve the dignity of the family.
Catholic Charities is sponsoring a 4-session Mentor Training series for
all who are interested in this ministry. If you would like more
information about mentoring or the Transitional Housing ministries, call
Robin Hallett at Catholic Charities at (630) 495-8008 ext. 14 or 15.
Parish Lenten Series 2004
The final session is Monday, March 22
7:30-9 p.m. in Barrett Hall
Guided Walks with God-Guided Imagery
by Mary Ann Reed
Conversations with Christ
by Milt Honel
We hope to bring you practical ways to enrich your prayer life and your
relationship with God. Refreshments will be served during break.
Men's Group
The Men's Group meets the 2nd Thursday of every month at 8:00 p.m. at
Crossroads Restaurant in Elmhurst.
The Men's Group is hosting a St. Patrick's Day Party on Saturday, March
20 from 7:00 p.m. until Midnight in Barrett Hall. The admission price
will be $25 per adult (over 21) and will include a catered buffet dinner,
beverages, live musical entertainment and a few surprises. Split-the-pot
raffle tickets will be on sale prior to the Party with the winners to be
announced at the Party. Admission will be on a first-come, first-serve
basis (120 people maximum), so get your tickets now!
For admission ticket information,
contact Bob Kevil at 279-4165 or 688-1875.
For raffle ticket information,
contact Mark Connelly at 782-7626 or 258-1648.
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross are held on the Friday evenings of Lent at 7:00
p.m. Perhaps you could make a special effort for the entire family to
attend. Please join us.
Fellowship Sunday - March 21
As many of you have probably noticed, we have several new parishioners
who have joined our Parish Family. All parishioners are invited to
WELCOME the new members of our Parish at a Special Fellowship in Barrett
Hall in their honor after the 10:30 a.m. mass on Sunday, March 21.
Members of the Religious Education Ministry will host this fellowship,
and we invite you and your family to stop in and introduce yourself,
visit awhile and enjoy some coffee, tea, juice and some goodies! We look
forward to seeing you!
Voices of Angels
We'd like to thank all our Angels who sang so beautifully at the
February Family Mass. And, we'd like to invite any interested young
people to join Voices of Angels for the last 2 Family Masses of the year.
Practices for the March 20 Mass will be at 6:30 p.m. on March 11 and 18.
Practices for the April 17 Mass will be at 6:30 p.m. on April 8 and 15.
If you have any questions, please give us a call.
Thank you.
Ruth Maple and Mary Jean Adkins
PADS Help Needed
Are you aware that our Men's Group works the overnight shifts for PADS
the 4th weekend of each month? PADS provides shelter for homeless
persons at various sites from October through April. The time our Men's
Group works is from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Our Men's Group has divided the time into two three-hour sessions: the
11-2 and the 2-5 shifts, using two men per shift. They need volunteers
to help out, especially the dates of March 27-28, and April 24-25.
During these shifts the men monitor the groups using the PADS facility
and prepare lunches for the following day. If you could give a night or
two, or more, to this worthy cause, please call Steve Lindberg at
941-1355 or e-mail him at steve@fallaw.com. If you would like more
information, he will be happy to answer your questions.
Deacon Applications
The Diocese of Joliet is accepting applications for its permanent deacon
program class of 2009. They will continue to accept these applications
through October 2004. If you are interested, please contact Father John
at the Mary Queen of Heaven rectory.
Joliet Diocese Catholic
Charismatic Healing Mass
Friday, March 19, Mass at 7:30 p.m.
Sacrament of Reconciliation - 6:30 p.m.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
St. Joseph Catholic Church
4801 Main Street, Downers Grove
Rev. Rick Simon, Presiding
Deacon John Freund, Assisting
For information, please call 630-964-0216
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.
Bill Brandt Pam Bonafide
John Brani Kathy Calzante
Betty Ciancio Cosmo Ciancio
Tom Janicke Brian Morley
Robert Schultz Roy Schultz
If you know someone who would like our prayers, please call Mary Alice
at 279-1159.
Market Day
Orders for March are due Monday, March 15, at noon. Turn in your order
form in the box at the back of church or at the rectory. Pickup on
Saturday, March 20, 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.
Annual Senior Health & Safety Fair
Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
York High School Commons (new Elmhurst location)
The fair, which is sponsored by the Elmhurst Senior Citizens Commission
and the city of Elmhurst, will include free blood pressure, vision,
hearing and glucose (diabetes) screenings.
Individuals who wish to participate in the $20 comprehensive cholesterol
screening (HDL, LDL and triglycerides) will need to fast for 12 hours
prior to the test and call CareMatch at 782-7878 to pre-register.
Osteoporosis screenings will be offered for a $5 charge. Call the Abbey
at 993-8989 to register. The fair will also include refreshments,
informative exhibits, timely presentations and information on volunteer
opportunities. Bring your used eyeglasses and hearing aids for donation
to the needy. For more details, watch for a flyer in your utility bill
or check local newspapers.
Voter Information
For Catholic voters , the respect for life is an important issue. Since
it is difficult for the average citizen to find accurate information
about the many candidates, Illinois Citizens for Life has prepared
non-partisan voter information based on survey, public statements, and/or
voting records. This guide is not an endorsement and may not be used to
advance the candidacy of any individual.
For information, access the ICL web site at www.pair.com/icl. Click on
“Candidate Info” (left side of the page). You can find your own
districts by clicking on “Find Your Legislative Representative” or by
checking your voter card. If you do not have internet access, call ICL
at 630-852-5448 and they will send you the information. Your vote
carries much more weight in a primary election, since so few people
bother to participate. Please take your responsibility to vote very
seriously.
Marriage Encounter
Best Advice We Ever Received
On our wedding day, our priest told us, “You have one wedding day, but
you have to get married every day, even on the days you don't like each
other very much.” On that day, those words seemed like a very easy thing
to do. Since then, we've had challenges and misunderstandings and many
of the days that he talked about. Recently, we went on a Marriage
Encounter Weekend which revitalized our marriage, and we discovered a way
of loving communication that made a wonderful impact on our lives.
The upcoming weekend dates are April 16-17, May 14-16, and July 16-18.
For more details or to register, call John & Kerri Lilienthal at
630-577-0778.
Rachel's Vineyard Retreats
For post-abortive men and women
Sponsored by the Joliet Diocesan Life Office
The next Retreat is scheduled for April 30-May 2 and will be held at the
St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center in Romeoville, Illinois
Confidentiality and privacy will be strictly observed.
To learn more about a Rachel's Vineyard Retreat or to register, contact
Kay Corcoran at 815-838-7171. For more information and a list of
retreats in other locations, visit the website at www.rachelsvineyard.org
or call the toll-free national hotline at 1-877-HOPE-4ME.
CCW Board Meeting
Tuesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m.
The Council of Catholic Women will hold their monthly board meeting at
the home of Phylis Twardowski, 461 N. West Ave. In addition to the CCW
board, all board meetings are open to anyone wishing to attend.
If you plan to come, please give Phylis a call at 279-6239 so that she
will be able to plan.
Women Have a Right to Know
How to live in their body without
dangerous drugs, messy devices, risky surgery, or fears.
The Billings Ovulation Method can help.
Learn now! Understand for Life & Live.
Healthy - Effective - Versatile.
Call 888-485-6635
Thank you Thank you Thank you
Thanks to all who donated toiletry items for the Confirmation project of
Michael and Vince! There were 25 bags of items donated. Everything
collected went to St. Matthew's homeless shelter/soup kitchen at 2108 W
21st Street in Chicago.
The shelter appreciated everything we gave them and they were very
grateful.
Thanks again for your support!
Michael Rudolph and Vince Colella
Worship Commission Notes
Meeting Date: February 29, 2004
(Next meeting: March 15, 2004)
The schedule of Masses for Easter Sunday is 8:30, 9:45, 11:00. Our Lady
of Lebanon will begin their Mass at 12:15. We will be exploring ways to
shorten these celebrations to accommodate the time.
We are looking into joining Our Lady of Lebanon for stations on April 2,
the night of the Simple Supper. Since their stations begin at 8 p.m., we
could begin simple supper around 6:30 to accommodate more people arriving
home from work.
Mary Alice Steck, RCIA Director, is making an effort to bring the
catechumens and candidates to gatherings before Easter, i.e., Simple
Supper.
Dates for your calendar:
Mondays, March 1, 8 and 22: talks on prayer forms
Tuesday, March 23: Lenten Penance Service
Friday, April 2: Simple Supper and Stations
Adoption … A Loving Option
Are you pregnant and confused? Do you need someone to talk to?
Catholic Charities is there to listen and offer support. We can provide
a variety of free services while you make the decision to parent or
adopt. We'll be with you every step of the way. To talk to a Maternity
Services Caseworker, call 630-495-8008. In an emergency, staff can be
paged at 815-532-2034.
A Vocation View
Each Lent should bring us closer to our God.
There is no failure, except that of no longer trying.
You can still follow Jesus more closely.
Jeremiah Day
For 7th, 8th, 9th, & 10th grade boys
Saturday, March 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Any interested young men are invited to attend Jeremiah Day at Mundelein
Seminary. This event is sponsored by the Vocation Office to introduce
boys to the idea of vocation and priesthood. Its name is taken from the
prophet Jeremiah who was called from his youth. The day will emphasize
that it is never too young to consider what God wants us to do with our
lives. It is an excellent and fun event to invite exemplary altar boys,
boy scouts, and youth group members to attend. Parents are also welcome
to attend. Brochures are available at
www.vocations.com/Joliet/JeremiahDay2004.pdf or from the Vocation Office
at 815-834-4004. If you have questions, please e-mail Father John Regan
at frjohnr@aol.com or call the Vocation Office.
Wings to Heaven News
Lock-in
This will be a fun, spiritual evening. The evening will be supervised by
adults and high school youth.
Lock-in is scheduled from 7 p.m. on Friday, April 30,
until 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 1.
All students must have
a signed permission slip to participate.
If you have any questions,
please call Kathleen Gusloff at 832-4348.
There will be a $10 fee to participate.
Saint Patrick Television Special
Sunday, March 14 at 9 p.m. on Hallmark Channel
Patrick's courage set him free. His faith called him back.
His vision transformed a nation.
The story of the real St. Patrick is part adventure and part spiritual
awakening, with the future saint rising from slave to liberator; learning
to forgive and ultimately love his enemies; taking up a cause no one
believed in; and finally lighting a fire that kept western civilization
alive.
Encountering God in the Second-half of Life
Strengthening spirituality as we grow older …
Saturday, March 27
At Mary Queen of Heaven Parish
At 9:00 a.m. until Noon
(Continental Breakfast begins at 9:00.)
Sister Mariette Kalbac will lead us in a morning of renewal for older
adults and those who minister to the spiritual and physical needs of
older adults. Sister is a Certified Chaplain and Graduate of the Johnson
Institute for Spiritual Gerontology. The day is sponsored by Mary Queen
of Heaven Parish, Elmhurst, and St. Alexander Parish, Villa Park.
There will be no charge for this day, however we will need a count in
order to provide the continental breakfast. To register, please call
Mary Alice Steck at 279-1159 by Friday, March 27.
Family Mass
Saturday, March 20
At 5:00 p.m. in Church
You a catechist? Why not?
This is the perfect time to start thinking if you are being called to be
a catechist in our Religious Education Program next school year. It's a
great time to come by on a Wednesday and see what goes on after the
children arrive. The only qualification is that you love children and
you want to share your faith with them. Everything else is provided.
The monetary payment is not terrific; in fact, it's non-existent. But
the perks are incredible
Each year we lose a few catechists due to moves, jobs, or maybe moving
on to another ministry in the parish. I'm sure this year will be no
exception. Our sessions currently meet on Wednesdays, at 3:15 to 4:30
for pre-school through grade 4, and 7 to 8:15 p.m. for grades 5 through
8. So if you like the little ones, or maybe the junior high is where
your interests lie, don't hesitate to call for more info. Your children
deserve the very best … You!
Lenten Project
This project has been so successful in the past; we are doing it again.
We are collecting items for Easter baskets, which will be donated to
Marillac House on Chicago's West Side. Each Wednesday during Lent, there
will be a “Basket” in the hall of the school for donations of candy,
small stuffed animals, grass, or other items appropriate for a child's
Easter basket. Sister Antoinette, who is on the staff at Marillac, is a
relative of the Klein family who are parishioners. Sister really looks
forward to our collections. Please be generous.
Mark Your Calendars!
On Saturday, March 20, we will be conducting our Confirmation Interviews
in the School from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Schedules will be mailed to our
8th grade families this week.
If you have questions or need more information, please call Mary Ann
Woods at the REO, 832-8962.