Dear Friends,
The Little Parish Who Invited Everybody…
What a nice way to describe Mary Queen of Heaven! These words came from Cybele Japczyk, our Interim Facilities Coordinator, as we sat down last week to work on schedules for the coming year that had been submitted by all the ministries and groups connected to the parish. I found Cybele's description lovely. I think that there are a number of ways that “The Little Parish Who Invited Everybody” can be applied to Mary Queen.
Without question, we are a welcoming parish. This year, we will be even more actively engaged in welcoming others, especially through an expanded Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program, and through a new outreach ministry that is developing to welcome Catholics who are inactive or who have felt alienated from the church. There are also ways that we welcome others that all members of our parish may not even be aware of, through some relationships arranged even before my arrival. Many of you know that Mary Queen is also the worshipping home to Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church. You may have seen them gathering for Mass at 12:15 on Sundays. Perhaps you have participated in some sharing activities that began with Lent this year. You will have the opportunity to meet Father Alfred and members of OLL when they join us for our parish picnic. Next year, we hope to share more celebrations of the Stations of the Cross together during Lent. We have not only welcomed OLL to worship with us, but also to share in our parish life while they are with us, until their new church home is built.
There is another group that celebrates Eucharist here monthly. It is the Kerala Latin Catholic League, a group of Latin-rite (Roman Catholic) people from the state of Kerala, in India. These people worship weekly in their own Catholic parishes, but gather together once a month as a cultural group and celebrate the Eucharist together as part of their gathering each month at Mary Queen of Heaven. This arrangement is made even more interesting by the fact that they have a Syro-Malabar Rite priest from Kerala who is their presiding celebrant, an arrangement that has been approved by both Bishop Imesch of the Diocese of Joliet and the Syro-Malabar Rite Bishop of the United States. Who would ever think that in our parish of Mary Queen of Heaven here in Elmhurst that we would ever have the opportunity for sharing on such a grand scale some of the richness of the universal Catholic Church! Indeed, Cybele is so right - we are “The Little Parish Who Invited Everybody!”
Besides the variety of ways that we invite people to our church and welcome them to become part of the life of our parish, I am committed to inviting our own parishioners to become part of the visioning and long-range planning process for our parish. You may know that we recently held a Parish Leadership Day to begin this process. This was a day that gathered staff and leaders from our parish ministries in reflecting on our identity and values as a parish. We also began to look at the different areas of parish life and ministry, to evaluate where we are already doing well and where there are opportunities for development. The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) will now be working on the next stages of the process, articulating our parish vision, and beginning to set short and long-term goals for the parish. Over time, this process will involve all who are part of the Commission structure of the parish.
I want this process to be transparent to parishioners at large, also giving you an opportunity to offer input as time goes along. In today's bulletin, you will see one tool that the PPC is using at this stage of their work. The little booklet enclosed with this bulletin represents some of the input gained from parish Leadership Day. Please look it over and stay involved in this process. Please fell free to be in contact with me or members of the PPC with your comments, suggestions, and ideas.
Thank you for being the welcoming community that you are. Week by week, new people are registering to become part of our parish family, recognizing the sense of welcome here and perhaps also sensing that being a parish that invites everybody is a good model of who God wants Christian community to be.
This is a week for remembering Mary, the one for whom our parish is named. Today is the Feast of the Assumption. Next Sunday is our Patronal Feast day, when we celebrate the Queenship of Mary at our 10:15 Outdoor Mass. Let us gather next Sunday and celebrate, remembering the one who invited God completely into her life. Let us ask her prayers for us, that we may give God the same welcome into our lives, as individuals, and as a Catholic parish who invites everybody to be with us.
Mary Michele (Regina) Foley
What Happened to our Marriage? We started our marriage with such love, hope and joy, but after a few years...What happened? Plans, dreams, situations, they all change. Sit down with your spouse on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend and pull things back together. Allow Christ to strengthen and enrich your lives again, to complete your plans and return to more of that joy. Upcoming weekend dates are Sept. 10-12, Oct. 81-10 and Nov. 12-14. For more information, call: John & Kerri Lilienthal at 630-577-0778. 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 August 23, 24, 25, and 26 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., at the Motherhouse/Ministry Center in LaGrange Park. You must attend one 2-day training session. 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 . Announcing ... New Ministries And Initial Meeting Dates Peace and Justice Ministry You are invited to join us for an informational session and presentation, as we begin to develop the Peace and Justice Ministry of Mary Queen of Heaven. This meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 17, from 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. in Barrett Hall. Health Committee The first meeting of our new Health Committee, to which all are invited, will take place on Thursday, August 19, at 7 p.m. in the rectory. These meetings are open to all interested parishioners. Please contact Mary Foley at the rectory if you have any questions, or if you are interested in one of these ministries but are unable to attend the first meeting. Parish Ministry Fair We will once again be having a Ministry Fair to share with the parish all that is going on and being offered here at Mary Queen of Heaven. Please mark your calendar for September 18 & 19. All commissions will be contacted by Cybele Japczyk with further information on reserving a table. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending. A Plea for Help!!! First of all a huge thank you to the almost 50 volunteers who have stepped up to answer “His” call. If you have seen any other Church bulletins recently, you know how blessed we are here at Mary Queen. As of this week we now have just three slots to fill with catechists. Two are for the fourth grade which meets on Wednesday afternoons and the other is in the sixth grade which meets in the evening. Please consider joining our team of dedicated men and women just like you who weekly share their Faith with the young people of the parish. If you can help, please call the REO today. We really, really need you. Class begins in just a few weeks. Help our children to get to know our God. It would be a shame to have to delay the start of class for grades four and/or six because of a lack of catechists. Have you registered yet? Registrations are still being taken in the REO. 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 word to your friends and neighbors. Classes are filling up. Please note that Kindergarten is already full to capacity. Please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962 for more information. Parish Feast Day Mass & Fellowship This year, the feast day of Mary Queen of Heaven will be celebrated on Sunday, August 22, with an outdoor Mass at 10:15 a.m. Our Mass will be held between the church and school building, directly behind Barrett Hall. Should the weather be inclement, Mass will be held in the Church. Following Mass, MQH Men's Group will sponsor a fellowship in Barrett Hall. This is a great opportunity for our parish families to meet and become better acquainted with each other, while enjoying conversation and refreshments (coffee, tea, juice and sweets.). We look forward to seeing you and your family on this special occasion. Summer Parish Prayer Service 7:00 p.m. in the Church Wednesday, August 18 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. Do You Know the History of the St. Vincent DePaul Society? The Society of St. Vincent DePaul was founded in 1833 by Frederic Ozman, a 20-year-old student of the Sorbonne University in Paris. In answer to a challenge for Christians to “Practice what they preach,” Frederic Ozman and a group of fellow students started to seek out and visit the poor of Paris in their homes, taking them bread and clothes, their friendship and concern. This small group took as their Patron the great French Priest, who alerted the world to social problems, St. Vincent DePaul. Similar groups began in Paris, then in the rest of France, and eventually spread throughout the Christian world with the object of visiting, for the love of God those in need. Today the Society of SVDP is a worldwide lay organization of Catholic men and women, young and old, of whom some 60,000 are in the United States. Are you aware that our parish is the only parish in Elmhurst that has a St. Vincent DePaul Society? The St. Vincent DePaul Society has been a viable organization in our parish for 20 years, and we would like to embark on enlarging the scope of our commitment to “those in need.” So, on Thursday, August 26th, at 7:00 PM, we invite you to attend an informative meeting regarding the St. Vincent DePaul Society in Barrett Hall. What is required of you? The desire to help the needy, attendance at a regular monthly meeting lasting about an hour , respect for confidentiality, some visitation to needy peoples homes, understanding and prayers. Please consider joining us and taking an active part in the Mary Queen of Heaven SVDP conference. No special qualifications are required other than the desire to join with others to help those in need for the love of God. 2004 Man of the Year From the 11 men nominated by 43 parishioners, the Men's Group Awards Committee has selected 4 candidates: Joel Bernstein, Tom Gusloff, Jim Japczyk, and Scott Vicary. The men of the parish may vote for the 2004 Man of the Year at the Masses this weekend August 14/15. The 2004 Man of the Year will be announced at the Parish Picnic on September 12. Please contact Jim Bonfiglio at 782-0897 for more information. Parish Picnic - September 12 Mark your calendars today! MQH will be holding our annual picnic on Sunday, September 12 from 12:30 p.m. to 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 information or to volunteer to run an activity, contact Steve Rhea at 833-2592 or Mike Funk at 359-4051. Parishioner Assistance An older parishioner would like a ride to and from 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturdays. If you are interested in helping, please contact Mary Foley at the rectory. 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 William A. Brennan Kathleen Bryers Kathy Calzante Joe Colletti Rosemarie Colletti Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt Pat Holmes Michelle Humann Maureen James Tom Janicke Irene Kmieciak Tom Kwiatkowski Nancy Maloney Robert Manion Dick Martin Bobbie Nannini Michaelene Parrilli Faith Maxine Reid Dan Scanlon Therese Shaheen 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. Parish Library The Buildings and Grounds Committee is excited to announce the formation of a Parish Library. We are looking for any parishioners that are interested in being part of or heading up this group. We are also asking for book donations. Any Religious or Spiritual books you may want to donate would be appreciated. If you have any donations, please also leave a message at the rectory office. Medical Mission Team The Peace and Social Justice Ministry of the Diocese of Joliet announces the formation of a medical team to serve in Bago City on the Island of Negros in the Republic of the Philippines. This mission will leave on January 21, 2005 and return on February 5. This will be our first mission to this southeast Asian Nation. Physicians that will be needed include 2 surgeons, a gynecologist, an ophthalmologist, and a plastic surgeon. We will also need 5 anesthesia doctors and/or CRNA's, as well as 5 operating room nurses and a recovery room nurse. We also hope to be able to provide dental care. In addition to the people we need, we also need your prayers. Gifts of medical supplies are greatly appreciated. Applications are available now. Interested persons should call the Peace and Social Justice Ministry to ask for an application. Applications must be in no later than September 15, 2004. Our missions are faith based but non-denominational. Persons of all faiths are invited to apply. For further information, please call Helen Bills, RN at 815-834-4028 or e-mail hbills@dioceseofjoliet.org. Clothing & Equipment Sale Twin & Singleton Clothes Saturday, August 21, 8 a.m. - Noon DuPage County Fairgrounds Home Ec. Building, Wheaton Admission: $1 Sizes: Preemies, 0-14 Matching Outfits & Single Outfits Hosted by DuPage Doubles Mothers of Multiples Club. Any Questions? Call 630-585-3745. Joliet Diocesan Council Of Catholic Women Embracing the Spirit” The 13th Biennial Convention of the Joliet Diocese Council of Catholic Women October 15-17, 2004 Hyatt Hotel, Lisle Now is the time to plan on attending the Joliet Diocese Council of Catholic Women Convention. The 'Call to Convention' packet should be arriving in the mail soon and will contain complete convention information. In the past, several hundred women from the six- county diocese of Joliet have found the experience to be spiritual, educational, energizing and inspiring. We think you will enjoy it, too! For further info. call: Mary Andrle at 630-574-7755. A Vocation View The Assumption of the Virgin Mary Some days we'd like to be assumed into heaven with Mary. However, our vocation is still on this earth, saying as she said often: “Be it done unto me according to thy will.” Picture Directories Yes, they are finally ready! Anyone who had a photo taken and put in the directory, will receive a complimentary copy. We also have a limited number of additional copies available for $5.00 each. The Directories are available for pick up in Mary's Space after Masses this weekend, August 14-15. If you have any questions, call Donna Glick at 833-5725. Wedding Nostalgia” On Sunday, September 26th, the Council of Catholic Women's “Wedding Nostalgia” Fashion Show and Luncheon will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Barrett Hall. You, your family and friends are invited to attend and enjoy a wonderful afternoon featuring Wedding Gowns and Bridesmaids' Dresses from the early 1900's through the present time. It should be a special treat for all to see our own Mary Queen of Heaven models wearing gowns and dresses from our parishioners, escorted by some very handsome males. In addition to the delicious luncheon and fashion show, a special contest will be held for all who attend. Sounds like fun! Call your relatives and friends and invite them to attend. The donation is $20 per person and tickets will be available for purchase after all the Masses starting the weekend of August 28th and 29th. For further information, please call Sheila Reiter (833-6657) or Mary White (833-9809). CCW Dues As you know, all ladies of the parish are automatically members of our Council of Catholic Women (CCW). However, we encourage everyone to become a paid member. If you have not already paid your 2004-05 dues of $5.00, please consider doing so as soon as possible. You may use the pink dues envelope that you received, or if you do not have the pink envelope you may use another envelope marked “CCW Dues.” Please also include your name, address and telephone. If you have any questions, contact Mary White at 833-9809. Audio Visual Ministry We are expanding our Audio Visual Ministry. Our AV ministry helps to coordinate the sound system during weekend Masses. They also run the sound system and project screen in Barrett Hall for special occasions. Please consider becoming part of this ministry Here is what is involved: Monthly, 2-hour training sessions in September, October, November, December. Amount of monthly effort depends on the number of volunteers and volunteer skill levels. Nobody will be expected to support more than one Mass per weekend, preferably once every other week. Some functions other than Mass require support during the evenings or on Saturdays-such as the Senior Dinner, Men's Group and CCW functions, Youth Group activities. No previous experience is necessary, and, in general, volunteers should be 16 or older. Adults are also asked to volunteer, particularly for involvement with the 10:15 Sunday Mass. Volunteers must be responsible, meet commitments and communicate in a timely manner with the coordinator. If you are interested in working with this ministry, please contact Scott Vicary at 279-4108 or E-mail at scottv66@comcast.net