Mary's Corner
Greetings, Friends!
Last night, on my way out of the rectory around 9 p.m., I spotted a man quietly sitting on the parish lawn, near the playground. I couldn't see who he was, but I know there are a number of people who pray outdoors on the parish grounds and this was a beautiful night to be outside. I chose not to disturb him. I arrived at my car, opened the door to put my things inside, and just as I was about to get in, the man called my name. I began to walk over to him, asking his name. While I still couldn't see him in the dark, I recognized his name immediately as a parishioner, and I continued to make my way toward him.
We talked for quite a while. He was someone who had grown up here, and this was a favorite place of his to pray and reflect. It was a privilege to be invited into conversation with him and listen to some of his thoughts on prayer and life. Several things struck me. One was his discovery of what it means to pray in faith, without fear. Another was hearing his reflection of what it was like to sit this night on the grounds, being able to see what Mary Queen has been, remembering the playground and trees around which he played as a child; what it looks like now with the changes that have taken place around the property, with new construction around it; and having some sense of its future, presumably with changes in ministerial leadership and new life in our parish. Through it all there is still Mary Queen at the heart of it, a community he treasures and hopes to continue to share with others in his life.
As I listened to him, I, too, felt connected to the past, present, and future of our parish. This is a community of faith with a life-giving spirit. I have known this in the welcome I have received from many here as this parish entered into a new model of ministerial leadership. I have known this in the stories I have heard from long-time parishioners. I have known this in the ways that we care for the children of our faith community. I have known this in the way that members of our parish have drawn together to support families who have suffered tragedy and loss in recent weeks. I have known this at times like last Sunday, when I saw several parishioners present at Mass who have received remarkable physical healing in recent months. I have known this in hearing from people who have called or E-mailed me with stories of how they have been touched by their experience sharing in worship here, many of whom have decided to join our parish family. May this parish continue to be a place of welcome and love. Thanks be to God and to you for helping to make it so.
I want to share some announcements with you. First of all, I have appointed two youth members to our Parish Pastoral Council for the coming year. During the course of this year, we will be developing more of a discernment process for both youth and adult nominees for the PPC. I did not wish to delay in having youth representation, however, so I chose to go ahead with appointments for this year, deciding to have one high school representative and one eight grader. In this way, we would have representatives who would be able to make connections with each of our youth groups. However, both of these new representatives know that they are to represent the young people of our parish, whether or not they are members of the youth groups.
The first representative I appointed was high school student Rebecca McGovern. I chose Rebecca after hearing from our Religious Ed staff that Rebecca had come to them after the PPC elections. She wanted to know why you had to be 16 years old to vote in the PPC election. She said that she had been confirmed and was a fully initiated Catholic Christian and she wanted to know why she did not have a vote. I must say that I do not yet know what voting procedures we will have in the future. But I chose Rebecca because she stood up in faith for what she believed in. This is the kind of leadership I want to encourage and I invited Rebecca to become our first youth representative for this year's PPC. The second youth representative is Stephanie Japczyk. I had asked our youth ministry leader, Kathleen Gusloff, for a recommendation of an eight grader for this second slot. She gave me Stephanie's name and Stephanie accepted the invitation.
One final announcement: Catholic Relief Services recently wrote to Bishop Imesch, asking for financial help in the wake of devastating flooding in Haiti recently. Whole villages have been lost, and the disaster has destroyed community infrastructure, disrupting basic human services. Anyone wishing to help the people of Haiti may write a check to CRS and we will forward it to the Chancery office.
A Parish Contest! Attention all artists young and old! We are looking for a parish logo that can be used for business cards and other printed materials, something that can come to be recognized as symbolizing Mary Queen of Heaven Parish. You are invited to submit line drawings (that would be useful even in small dimension) for consideration as our parish logo. We have some business card examples that can be viewed at the rectory. Examples of drawings could be: a representation of the Mary statue that stands in Mary's Gathering Space, or the outline of our church building. Other creative ideas are also welcome. There will be two categories for this contest - an adult category (the winner of which will probably be used for parish stationery) and a child category (this winning drawing will be incorporated into our Religious Education materials). Contest deadline is August 1. Winning entries will be awarded a prize, and we will publish as many entries as we can in the parish bulletin. So, get those pens and pencils and creative juices going! Please send your contest entries to the parish. Mary Michele (Regina) Foley Theology on Tap! Sundays at I. C., Elmhurst The Northeast DuPage Young Adult Ministry and Immaculate Conception Parish in Elmhurst will be hosting a special program for adults in their 20's and 30's. It's called THEOLOGY ON TAP, a four-week speaker and discussion series directed to the needs and experiences of adults, college age and older, married or single. Please join other adults for a great experience. July 18th From Willow Creek to Catholic Steve Smith July 25th The Songs We Sing: Music in Our Prayer Annie Waugh and Kevin O'Donnell August 1st Joy in the Journey: Finding God in Our Lives Nancy McKnight Each session starts with socializing and gathering at 6:15 p.m. and the speaker at 6:30 p.m. The evenings will be held at the Immaculate Conception Parish Administration Center, 134 Arthur Street in Elmhurst. Please call Kristin Kramer at 630-530-3482 for more information. 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 Brennan John Brennan Kathleen Bryers Kathy Calzante Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt Pat Holmes Michelle Humann Maureen James Tom Janicke Kenneth Kabat Irene Kmieciak Tom Kwiatkowski Dick Martin Bobbie Nannini Michaelene Parrilli Dan Scanlon Therese Shaheen Mary Alice Sapien 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. Summer Parish Prayer Service 7:00 p.m. in the Church Wednesday, July 21 Monday, July 26 Please join the Pastoral Life Coordinator for prayer, reflection, and fellowship together this summer. Each evening prayer service will be held in Church from 7-7:30 p.m. This will be followed by fellowship and conversation in Barrett Hall, with the evening concluding around 8:15 p.m. Church of the Holy Ghost Council of Catholic Women Stage Right Productions and Church of the Holy Ghost Council of Catholic Women present Joe DiPietro's comic drama Over the River and Through the Woods. This play centers on a tight knit Italian-American family - a funny and heartbreaking story that will make you laugh and cry. Place: Wood Dale Junior High School Center for Performing Arts 655 N. Wood Dale Road, Wood Dale Dates: August 12 through August 22 Thursday, Friday & Saturday-8:00 p.m. Sunday.-.2:00 p.m. Tickets: $15.00 For more information, call 630-455-1599. Praise Jesus Fest Saturday, July 24 A free outdoor Christian Concert will be held on the prairie path near Park & Ardmore Avenue in Villa Park, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. It is meant both as an outreach to those who don't know the Lord Jesus personally and as an enjoyable time of music & praise to those who do. Please pray that God will use this event any way He chooses. If you have any questions, please call Paul Ellingsen at 935-0765 or e-mail paul@PBforJ.jcom. You may check our website at www/piaiseJesusfest.org. Catholic Charities Emergency Services Every year in December, the DuPage County Catholic Charities office receives donations from the DuPage parishes to purchase food certificates and gift certificates from the local grocery stores. These certificates are given to needy families who come to our office for assistance and to supplement the food they receive from local food pantries and walk-in ministries. Each month our Emergency Services group receives hundreds of requests for varying assistance. Due to stronger than usual demand, our supply of food gift certificates is running extremely low. If you are able to help our Catholic Charities Emergency Services group with a cash donation or grocery gift certificate, we thank you profusely. Please make any checks payable to Catholic Charities and in the memo section of your check please write North Area food/gift certificate purchase. The mailing address is: Catholic Charities, c/o Annie Laven, 26 W. St. Charles Road, Lombard, IL 60148. If you have any questions, please contact Anne Laven at 630-495-8008. Local Service & Solidarity Opportunity Catholic Construction Corps The CCC will be assisting needy homeowners in the repair and rebuilding of homes in Pembroke Township, one of the most impoverished areas of the United States in the Joliet Diocese. Skilled and unskilled volunteers are needed. Scheduled workdays are: Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6. Some weekday opportunities may be available. Please contact Art Sheridan or Margie Parks at 815-834-4028. The CCC is sponsored by the Joliet Diocese Peace and Social Justice Ministry. Sacred Heart Parish 37th Annual German Fest Sacred Heart Parish is having their 37th Annual German Fest on July 22-25, 2004 at 114 S. Elizabeth in Lombard. There will be Rides, Entertainment, Casino Gambling, Bingo, Free Kids Bingo, Food Games and fun for All. A grand Prize drawing for $10,000.00 along with many other prizes will be raffled. All ride wrist bands are available Thursday 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Check out our web site www.sacredheartlombard.com for more details. 2004 Diocesan Annual Appeal Diocese of Joliet Seeds of Hope This is just a reminder to send your Appeal coupon with payment to the Diocesan Appeal Office by the 15th of each month. Thank you. 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. 'A Pilgrimage of Peace to the Holy Land.' November 29 - December 10, 2004 This past May, Pope John Paul II encouraged pilgrimages of peace to the Holy Land as a sign of solidarity, a witness to peace, and an opportunity for economic support of the beleaguered Palestinian Christian community. In his address to the general assembly of the Italian bishops' conference, the Pope applauded the initiative adopted last year by Italian dioceses to promote pilgrimages of peace to the Holy Land. Co-sponsored by Catholic Relief Services and the Joliet Diocese Peace and Social Justice Ministry along with Koinonia Retreats, this pilgrimage responds to the Pope's call and the example of the Italian bishops. Our pilgrimage will include visits to the Holy Places important to the People of God, walking where Jesus walked. We will also take time to visit God's Holy People, the Palestinian Christians who live in Israel, the descendants of the people with whom Jesus walked. Each day will be steeped in scripture reflections, prayer times, and liturgy. We will also have an opportunity to hear from the oppressed of the land, to witness efforts to bring justice and peace through development and empowerment, to learn from peacemakers and Middle-east issue experts. This will not be a tourist trip, but a pilgrimage of prayer, solidarity, and the quest for peace. Please contact Deacon Tom Goebel at 630-530-8515 for complete information. Wilder Park's 3rd annual Art & Craft Show August 7 & 8 Saturday, August 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, August 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Collage Hill & Church Street, in Elmhurst. For information, call 630-739-1071. Emmaus Day Retreat For Young Men (Sophomore-Senior) This year's retreat is Tuesday, August 3 to Wednesday, August 4, at LaSalle Manor in Plano. This leadership retreat is intended to help high school young men reflect more carefully on life as a vocation, as a response to God's call. The presentations focus on meeting the Risen Christ today, recognizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and different ways of praying in our Catholic tradition. While there is one presentation focused on religious lifestyles, the retreat is intended for all young Catholic men who want to make a difference with their lives. The Emmaus Days Olympics always proves to be a fun part of this annual retreat. Eucharist and Reconciliation are also a part of the retreat days. The retreat is sponsored by the Joliet Diocese Vocation Office, the Augustinians, the Benedictines of St. Procopius Abbey, the Carmelites, and the DeLaSalle Christian Brothers. A brochure for the Emmaus Days Retreat is available online at: www.vocations.com/Joliet/emmaus2004.pdf. If you have any questions, contact Father John Regan at 815-834-4002 or frjohnr@aol.com. Worship Commission Meeting Notes June 21, 2004 Though we are moving into Ordinary time in the Church calendar, the readings are anything but ordinary with their emphasis on how we live out our calling to be friends and followers of Jesus. The invitation to celebrate baptism during Mass will be extended to parents who wish to have their children baptized, while Sunday afternoon baptisms will also continue. Several items are being discussed by the Liturgy Committee of the Worship Commission, i.e., flags in the sanctuary, hymnals, ministry banners, the August outdoor Mass. Their next meeting is July 12. Date for your calendar: Parish outdoor Mass at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, August 22. The next meeting of the Worship Commission is July 19 at 7:00 PM. Parish Picnic - September 12 Mark your calendars today! MQH will be holding our annual picnic on Sunday, September 12, running from 12:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Entertainment and activities include a band, moon jump, tug-o-war, volleyball, popcorn, cotton candy, bingo and more. A large tent will again be provided, so come rain or shine. For more information or to volunteer to run an activity, contact Steve Rhea or Mike Funk. CareNet Update Thanks to your generosity, we were able to present CareNet with $2,438.94. This money will be used to help moms and babies in the DuPage area. Once again, it proved that we are a small parish with a big heart. Thank you and God bless you. If you still have bottles, please return them to church so we can give them back to CareNet, or call Diane Bernstein at 279-7252. Wedding Nostalgia Mary Queen of Heaven Council of Catholic Women is planning a Wedding Nostalgia Fashion Show and Luncheon on Sunday, September 26, in Barrett Hall. We are looking for wedding dresses dating back as far as the early 1900's. Perhaps you have your own wedding dress, or a wedding dress worn by your great-grandmother, great-aunt, grandmother, aunt, mother or another relative or friend that could be worn in this fashion show. We will also need parishioners to model the dresses in the fashion show. Pease call Sheila Reiter (833-6657), Phylis Twardowski (279-6239), Diane Bernstein (279-7252), or Mary White (833-9809) if you have a dress we could borrow, if you would be willing to model a dress, or if you can help in any other way with the show. Be sure and mark Sunday, September 26, on your calendar and spend a nostalgic afternoon with your friends enjoying a delicious luncheon, the beautiful dresses and models. Watch for more information in future bulletins. Cenacle Retreat House A Spiritual Workshop, The Artist as Seeker: Envisioning the Divine Feminine will be presented by author and artist Meinrad Craighead on August 6-8. After watching slides of her work, the work of others and hearing her stories, Meinrad will supervise retreatants' own creative explorations into the expressions of the Divine Feminine. Please bring your own art supplies. Participants may also choose to write, compose music or create a work of art in any other medium. The cost is $275 for a single room/$260 for a double room or $175 for commuters. Ms. Craighead will also conduct a lecture with slides and have a book signing for her latest publication, Crow Mother and Dog God, a retrospective of her work, on Saturday, August 7 at 7:00 p.m. For further information or to register, please call 630-393-1231. Benedictine University schedules open house for transfer students Students planning to transfer from community colleges or other four-year colleges or universities will have the opportunity to learn more about Benedictine University at a Tribute to Transfers from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 22nd in Birck Hall, Room 112. The evening begins with registration and refreshments in Birck Hall followed by a presentation by faculty and members of the Admissions staff. Transfer students can also meet with representatives from financial aid, student accounts, career services, the academic resource center and student housing. An optional tour of campus is available beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, please call the undergraduate admissions office at 630-839-6300 or visit Benedictine University on the Web at www.ben.edu. A Vocation View. How enjoyable to sit and talk with a friend. How vocational to sit and talk with your friend Jesus. Take time just to BE WITH Jesus. The Worship Commission respectfully requests that parishioners remember their parish with financial support even though they may be away on vacation. Are you called to be a Catechist?? Are you aware that at your Baptism, all Christians are commissioned to do the work of Jesus? Did you know that all Catholics are called to further the teaching mission of Jesus? Have you heard that by sharing your faith with children, you deepen your own faith in the process? Do you know that without our volunteer catechists, we do not have a Religious Education Program? Please consider joining our team of dedicated men and women who weekly share their Faith with the young people of the parish. We still have a few slots to fill. Help our children to get to know our God. If you can help, please call the REO today. Our 2004/2005 year begins on September 8th. Have you registered yet? Registrations are still being taken in the REO for the coming year. Our opening event is September 8th. It will be here before we know it. If you have not registered, please do so ASAP. Pass the work to your friends and neighbors. Classes are filling up. Please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962 for more information.