426 N. West Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2171
Parish Office: 630/279-5700
Fax: 630/279-4667
Mary's Corner
Greetings, Friends! What a privilege it is for me to be here with you. As many of you already know, I have been appointed by Bishop Joseph Imesch to serve as Pastoral Life Coordinator of Mary Queen of Heaven, the first such appointment for the Diocese of Joliet. As Bishop Imesch's letter of appointment stated:
The role of Pastoral Life Coordinator will be to provide overall pastoral and organizational leadership for the parish and to empower the people of the faith community to carry out the mission of the Church. All of the things that a pastor normally provides for a parish, with the exception of sacramental matters, the Pastoral Life Coordinator will provide for Mary Queen.
I am very grateful for the welcome I have already received from many of you. My thanks to those who attended the prayer service held on Sunday evening, which members of the parish council and I led together as a way of beginning this new ministry. As we enter into Holy Week today, I would like to share with you some of my reflections on the Gospel reading from that prayer service, taken from the 17th chapter of the Gospel of John.
This passage brings us the last words of Jesus before he goes off to the garden and is betrayed by Judas. Here we hear the prayer of Jesus for us, before He entered into His Passion. Jesus prayed for his circle of disciples but he also prayed for those who would come to believe in him through them. He prayed for us, for each of us here at Mary Queen of Heaven. And not only for us, but Jesus even prayed that night for those who will come to believe in him because of us.
That is why we gathered in prayer last Sunday evening as we began this new ministry for our church. To be reminded of who we are and why we are here. Jesus prayed to the Father that night: As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. Each of us are called and sent by God. I am grateful with all of my heart for the privilege of serving with you here as Pastoral Life Coordinator. As the bishop's letter of appointment stated, I am responsible to provide overall pastoral and organizational leadership for the parish. But that is not all. I am charged with empowering the faith community to carry out the mission of the church.
In this prayer of Jesus before his Passion, we are all commissioned to that mission. We are to take Jesus' place in the world, preaching with our lives the good news of God's love. This isn't mushy romanticism. Jesus gave that commission to us knowing that his betrayal and execution were before him. Loving as Jesus did, speaking the truth which is the Word of God, will bring the cross into all of our lives in some way.
As we enter into Holy Week, let us remember the way that Jesus prayed for us before his Passion. He commissioned us to take his place in the world. He prayed that we would be united - with God and with one another. May that also be our prayer together as we begin this new ministry, that we may be united with God and with one another.
The other scripture reading we had that night was the story of Samuel and Eli, taken from the third chapter of Samuel. Like Samuel, God calls each one of us. I am here with you because I am like Eli: I want to help you to hear the Word of God in your lives; I want to journey with you as you respond to the ways that God is calling you. But I am also like Samuel, who learned long ago to listen to God with the help of others in the community of faith. May we be united in our desire to be servants of our Lord and together be able to say, Speak Lord, for your servant church of Mary Queen of Heaven is listening. And may we be united in our mission to be Jesus in our world, loving God and one another. We will teach others about the love of God by the ways we love each other.
At Sunday evening's prayer service, parishioners who were present wrote their own prayers and brought them forward to the altar. I collected them at the end of the service and have been reading them at home in these early days. I must say that I have been deeply touched by the prayers of the community that have been shared with me. If you were not there on Sunday evening, I encourage you to drop me a note or send me an E-mail (MMRFoley@aol.com) and share your prayers with me. I look forward to getting to know you and to making myself available to you. You will be in my prayers each day. May God bless you and our parish family.
Mary Michele (Regina) Foley
MINISTRY SCHEDULE THURSDAY, APRIL 8 - SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2004 Holy Thurs. April 8 7:30 PM Fr. John Good Friday April 9 7:30 PM Fr. Tom Easter Vigil April 10 7:45 PM Fr. John Easter Sunday April 11 8:30 AM 9:45 AM 11:00 AM Fr. John Fr. Tom Fr. John March Celebrations We welcome into the Mary Queen of Heaven Parish Family the following who were baptized in March: Jacqueline Paige Kraft Siobhan Eilis O'Connor 2004 Diocesan Annual Appeal Diocese of Joliet Pledge Weekend, April 24/25 Seeds of Hope Very soon at all the Masses we will be discussing the importance of the 2004 Diocesan Annual Appeal. It is an annual effort that allows us, as part of the diocesan family, to share our gifts with others through the charities, ministries and services offered through the Diocese of Joliet. Please be generous when asked to pledge. All pledge cards should be returned to the parish for forwarding to the diocese. By doing this, all pledges will be recorded and everyone will receive proper acknowledgement. Wings to Heaven Lock-in Date Change 7 p.m. on Friday, May 14, until 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 15. Each child is asked to bring a sleeping bag & pillow, tooth brush and anything else they need to sleep with. Please do not bring any walkmans or portable cd, mp3 players. Snacks and breakfast will be provided. We will have adult and high school supervision. This promises to be a fun and spiritual event. The high school students are very excited to be working on this event, and we all know the students that participate will have a very rewarding time. We ask that each child pay $10 to help cover the cost of this event. If you have any questions or want to reserve a spot, please call Kathleen Gusloff at 832-4348. 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 John Brani Kathy Calzante Betty Ciancio Cosmo Ciancio Maureen James Tom Janicke Lisa Langler Brian Morley Anne Marie Raye Therese Shaheen Robert Schultz Roy Schultz If you know someone who would like our prayers, please call Mary Alice at 279-1159. M.O.M.S Moms Offering Moms Support is a social organization that provides an opportunity for mothers of young children to meet other mothers. It is a time to relax over coffee and snacks while learning and discussing issues of interest. There are no membership fees, nor are there any requirements to join the group. On Thursday, April 8, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., we will meet at the Elmhurst Extended Care Center, 200E. Lake St. Our annual Spring Tea is only a few weeks away, and we need everyone's help to get ready! There is a nominal fee. Join us at an Easter egg Hunt! We'll visit with the residents, collect our eggs, and create a small Easter project. Don't forget to bring a basket. For information, call Katie Gallagher at 941-8755. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about being a catechist for 2004/2005 school year. As always we will be losing some of our wonderful catechists for one reason or another. Reasons vary from moves to children growing up, to getting involved in other ministries. In particular it looks like next fall we will be in need of several catechists in the afternoon session. If you are available in the afternoon, please consider giving a few hours of your time each Wednesday. If you enjoy working with younger children or know someone who might be, let us know. Remember you don't have to be a theologian, just someone who loves children, loves your faith and wants to share it. We will help you with the rest. Our last Family Mass of the year is Saturday, April 17th at 5:00 p.m. Please make plans to attend. All children are asked to gather in the vestibule of Barrett Hall before Mass. Our Voices of Angels choir will sing and our children will carry up the gifts and dress the altar. Many thanks to all who have supported our family masses throughout the year. Let's fill the church to capacity as we end our RE year. Registrations for the 2004/2005 RE year have been mailed. Please be sure to return them ASAP. Remember classes fill up fast, especially for Pre-School and Kindergarten, as class size is limited at those grade levels. If you did not receive a registration or are new to the parish or know someone who is, please call the office and we will mail one to you. It is very helpful to us in planning for next fall to have the registrations returned early. Remember tuition does not have to accompany the registration. Mark your calendars: Wednesday, April 7: class resumes at the regular times. Friday, April 9: Good Friday Living Stations Presentation. Please note the change. Saturday, April 17: Family Mass at 5PM. Tuesday, April 20: Confirmation Practice at 6PM in Church. Wednesday, April 21: Last regular RE class, Annual Food Collection in the PM session. Saturday, April 24: Celebration of Confirmation at 5PM If you have questions or need more information, please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962. Wine Tasting Event! Come one! Come all! On Tuesday, April 20, the Council of Catholic Women is sponsoring a Wine Tasting event at 7:30 p.m. in Barrett Hall. Invite your relatives, neighbors and friends to join us in a relaxing evening, learning more about the art and taste of different wines, teas, and chocolates. Plenty of cheese and other snacks will be available, too! Spring Clean up Time!!!!! Calling all Garden Club Members: the time is here once again to begin cleaning up the Parish Grounds and preparing the flower beds for planting. Please mark your calendars. On Saturday, April 17, at 10:00 a.m. we will gather on the south side of Church with our shovels, rakes, hoes, and don't forget gloves. Aside from 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. Should the weather be inclement, the rain date will be Saturday, May 15, at 10:00 a.m. For further info or questions, please call Rose Wilkes at 833-7238 or Sheila Reiter at 833-6657. Thanks For Your Generous Donations This Easter, the parish family of Mary Queen of Heaven supplied Easter Food Baskets to 14 needy families in our parish and surrounding area. In addition, each child in a family received an Easter Basket filled with goodies Thank you to everyone who donated to our food and Easter Basket goodies, to those who helped prepare the family food baskets and Easter Baskets for the children, and to all who gave monetary donations or food vouchers for hams, etc. As usual our parish families' generosity is abundant. May God Bless all of you! MQH St. Vincent DePaul Society. It's Never Too Late! Voices of Angels is saving space for a few (or many) good Angels! If you're 3rd Grade or older, come practice with us Thursday, April 15, at 6:30-7:30 p.m. and help lead the Church in song at the last Family Mass of the season on Saturday, April 17. All are welcome! Come and have fun with friends, learn some new songs, and help us make a joyful noise. For info, call: Mrs. Maple at 279-5612 or Mrs. Adkins at 530-0823. Worship Commission Meeting Meeting Date: March 15th (Next meeting: April 19, 2004) Due to time constraints at the 10:30 Mass, the scrutinies for the elect will not be done on the 4th and 5th Sundays of Lent. There was discussion on how the Sunday morning Mass schedule could be adjusted to insure that both faith communities, Mary Queen and Our Lady of Lebanon, have sufficient time for the proper celebration of Mass. The schedule for Holy Week has been set for both MQH and OLL. During the Easter Season our focus will be, See, I make all things new. Ecumenical Good Friday Walk The annual Walk will take place on Good Friday, April 9, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at St. Alexander Church, 300 S. Cornell, in Villa Park. Participants will visit ten local stations, various churches and public places in Villa Park, remembering the sufferings and death of Christ and the sufferings of the poor and oppressed in today's world. The distance covered will be approximately 2 miles. Transportation will be provided for anyone unable to manage the distance. The Walk will end at St. Alexander Parish, followed by a simple soup and bread lunch at St. Alexander's Church hall. The Friday Walk is sponsored by local parish Partners for Peace and Justice. For more information, call Sr. Mary Lou Henderson, Ministry of Care Coordinator at St. Alexander Parish, 833-7711. or Tom Goebel 530-8515. Good Friday Collection For The Holy Land Every day young families in the Holy Land try to live Christian Lives as you do. These Christians living where Christ walked and taught, lived and died, still live in a land of war, death and destruction. The work of the Franciscan Friars for these native Christians depends greatly on your generous support. Please be as generous as you can to the people of the Holy Land and the Friars who preserve the Shrines and Holy Places. Congratulations!! Congratulations to Amy Consolazio an Carly Greco, MQH parishioners, and members of the Immaculate Conception High School Spirit Squad which recently claimed a Varsity Pom state championship. Parenting Workshop Siblings Without Rivalry Catholic Charities is sponsoring Siblings Without Rivalry. This program is for parents with children from 4 to about 13 years of age who want to effectively manage sibling conflicts, help siblings deal with their feelings about each other, note their uniqueness and help them to solve their own problems. The 6-week program will be presented on Tuesday evenings, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, beginning April 13, 2004 The cost per person is $50 or $70 per couple. Please contact Jim Gilligan at 630-495-8008 ext. 53 to register. Come Walk With Christ The Sacred Triduum'' Today we have celebrated the journey of Christ into Jerusalem. We have also heard a piece of the Passion which our Lord experienced. But, that is not the whole story. Today we enter into the holiest week of our liturgical year as we prepare for our highest holy day, Easter. On the first day of the Sacred Triduum we celebrate the Last Supper. Come be with Christ as we remember the first Eucharist. This was Jesus' last opportunity to explain to us His, and our, mission on earth. This mission of service to others is celebrated in the Washing of the Feet. This year we once again open it to the whole community to experience, and we invite you to participate in this meaningful ritual. On Good Friday, we walk with Christ to the Cross. We hear in it's entirety the Passion of our Savior, endured for us. We contemplate and venerate the cross upon which Jesus died for us and it's meaning in our lives. On Easter Vigil we celebrate our renewal. We walk to, and wait at the tomb as we anticipate Christ's resurrection and receive new members into our community. So, come and walk with us as we both end and begin our most sacred journey, our journey with Christ. Easter Sunday, the culmination of our Savior's resurrection, is the most celebrated of our holy days. Due to our tight Mass schedule, we know there are concerns about parking and would like to remind you that additional parking is available in the Emerson School Lot. St. Augustine Enters RCIA Journey In the year 387 Did you know that in February of 387, at the age of 33, St. Augustine became a Catechumen seeking to be Baptized? Throughout lent Augustine and his son, Godsend, joined with others in prayer and study about our faith, they wore penitential hairskins and were assigned a special place in church. Also, during this period the Elect were presented with the Creed and with our most treasured prayer, the Our Father. During the past weeks our RCIA elect and candidates have been on a more reflective part of their journey as they look toward receiving the Easter Sacraments. Our Elect too, have been presented with our Creed and with the Our Father. At our Easter Vigil service on the evening of April 10, we will gather to celebrate the greatest mysteries of our faith: Jesus' Death and Resurrection. Through our own baptism we have already been born into this life and death of Jesus. Through the Journey of Christian Initiation this past year ten others have asked to participate more fully in the life of the church by receiving the Sacraments of Initiation. Won't you please join us on that evening to recommit your own baptismal promises and to celebrate and welcome our new members. Receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist: Aleksey, Mark, Martin, Steven, Thomas, and Arthur. Receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist: Tom, Tom, Jeannette and Tiffany. The Liturgy of the Easter Vigil is longer than others. It must mean there is something very special going on. Please come. Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus at 537 S. York Road are hosting a PANCAKE BREAKFAST on Sunday April 4th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the PARTIPILO family from St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Bensenville. Frank Partipilo died suddenly February 18th and leaves behind a wife and two young sons. Tickets are $5.00 and $3.00 for children 8 years and under. Please join the Seventh Grade Religious Education Students as they present The Living Stations Good Friday April 9 at 3:00 p.m. (Please note the time change) Divine Mercy Sunday, April 18 Visitation Church, Elmhurst Divine Mercy Sunday reminds us of why Jesus died. Love and Mercy were His weapons against the forces of sin and death. His Resurrection brought an avalanche of Mercy upon our world. Visitation Parish invites you to share in the extraordinary graces of the first worldwide celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday. In his homily at St. Faustina's canonization, the Holy Father called her a gift of God to our time. She is the great Apostle of Divine Mercy. Devotions: 1:30 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation 3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet 3:45 p.m. Celebration of Mass Holy Communion should be received on the Feast of Mercy. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available throughout the afternoon, although it is preferable during Lent. For more info, call Anna Marie White at 530-1212. Feed the Poor Drop Off Used Printer Cartridges Mary Queen of Heaven Men's Group continues to collect empty inkjet and toner cartridges to help the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. With the non-profit organization, Food for the Poor, empty cartridges are recycled and the cash received is used to supply food the needy. Please look for the special Food for the Poor box in the vestibule of church. For more information call Russ DiOrio at 630-617-8844 FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST! All are invited to join in a special celebration to honor the ministry of Father John Barrett. His retirement party will be held on Sunday, April 25, in Barrett Hall after the 10:30 Mass. This is also his birthday weekend - so as he celebrates a new year of life, let us celebrate with him in thanksgiving for his loving years of service to this parish. Installation of New Pastoral Life Coordinator Bishop Joseph Imesch will formally install Mary Foley as Pastoral Life Coordinator at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish at the 10:30 Mass on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9. All members of the parish are invited to share in this celebration, along with Mary's family and guests. A reception will follow in Barrett Hall.