Dear Friends,
Happy Feast Day! May Mary, Queen of Heaven, continue to watch over and pray for each of us and our parish family. May we learn from her example to open our lives more fully to God. Like her, too, may we carry the love of God in Jesus to the world.
This week, I have news from our bishops to share with you. Bishop Wilton Gregory, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has written to every diocese about the plight in Sudan, where for decades our brothers and sisters have experienced tremendous suffering because of war and hatred. I want to share with you some of his message.
At the present time, world leaders are calling the crisis in Sudan the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world.” Bishop John Ricard, Chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on International Policy, has been in touch with Bishop Gregory from Darfur, where he was visiting camps where tens of thousands of people were huddled under plastic sheets to protect themselves from the driving rains and wind. They are only a small fraction of millions of Sudanese who have been driven from their homes and brutalized by conflicts in this country. There are almost 50,000 who are dead.
Catholic Relief Services, working with the Church in Sudan and other Catholic agencies from around the world, is responding to this crisis but they need prayers and help. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people hang in the balance. Bishop Gregory has asked Catholics in every diocese to offer special prayers for our brothers and sisters in Sudan. He has also asked that parishes take up a special collection for the millions of Sudanese who are suffering. Our parish will have a special second collection on Labor Day weekend. Catholic Relief Services will ensure that these funds go to the Sudanese people who are most in need.
Bishop Gregory has asked that Catholics of our country pray for the intercession of St. Bakhita, native of Darfur and the first Sudanese saint, that the conflict might end and the rights and dignity of each and every person might be respected. Please share in this prayer written by Bishop Macram Max Grassi, of the El-Obeid Diocese of Sudan:
Prayer to Saint Josephine Bakhita
Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus Christ, through His suffering and death on the cross, gave Himself as a gift of love for the reconciliation and salvation of all peoples. He continues to express this love by giving us St. Josephine Bakhita. She too offered herself through her suffering in slavery. We humbly pray that through her intercession You may save her brothers and sisters in Sudan from slavery and persecution. May she obtain for her people and for the whole world the gift of justice and peace. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Next week, I will publish an informational sheet on Sudan which has been sent to us by the U.S. Bishops' Conference. Then, in two weeks, we will be taking up a collection to help end this terrible tragedy. As we pray to St. Josephine Bakhita, let us also pray to our patron Saint, Mary Queen of Heaven, asking for her intercession, too, on behalf of the children of God in Sudan.
I would like to share with you some good news related to our own bishop. This week, on August 26, the diocese will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Episcopal ordination of Bishop Joseph Imesch. There will be a special celebration at the Cathedral on that day. While only four people from each parish can attend (I have selected a Religious Education catechist, our Parish Pastoral Council Chair, one youth representative from our PPC, and the head of our St. Vincent de Paul Society), I invite each of you to offer special prayers on behalf of our bishop this week. Finally, a reminder of another special anniversary… Next Sunday, at the 10:15 Mass, we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ordination of Deacon John Maloney, the first deacon candidate for the Diocese of Joliet. I hope that all members of our parish will share in this celebration, being present for the liturgy or sending greetings of congratulations to him in care of the parish office. One of Mary Queen of Heaven's former pastors, Fr. Stanley Orlikiewicz, will be the presiding celebrant for this special Mass.
Mary Michele (Regina) Foley
MQH Help Opportunities For Parishioners This is a new feature that will be appearing from time to time in the bulletin. Parishioners may submit ads to MQHBulletin@aol.com for approval by the Pastoral Life Coordinator. No ads will be accepted for real estate or by those offering child care services (although those looking for child care providers may place an ad and screen candidates themselves). The parish accepts no responsibility for goods or services offered. The ads are a free service to parishioners. Part-Time Child Care Needed In My Home: Flexible 20+ hours per week (school hours 8:00-3:30), prefer Monday's, Tuesday's, Thursday's. Must love children, drive (my van or yours), speak English and be legal to work in United States. MQH and Emerson School family - two children in school full-time, two pre-schoolers. Call Elizabeth Dierksheide at 993-1931. Looking to purchase used car in good condition with good gas mileage. Please call Mary Foley at the parish office, 279-5700. The book, Francis of Assisi, translated by Fr. Benet Fonck, OFM, is available for purchase at the parish office for $25. Fr. Fonck will be happy to autograph copies of the book when he visits the parish. Nurses or retired nurses are needed for a few days in a pay period, either afternoon or night shift, in a cheerful and peaceful home for the aged where your skills are appreciated, working alongside the Little Sisters of the Poor. Contact Sr. Bernadette or Sylvia Maculitis at 847-358-5700. Parish Feast Day Mass & Fellowship this Sunday 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. Yet Another Plea for Help!!! You are probably all tired of reading about our “needs” in the RE program this year. It is rare that this far along in the summer, we still have some catechist's slots to fill. What has happened is that slots that were filled suddenly became empty because the individual's job or home situation has changed. So once again 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 still have just three slots to fill with catechists, but in one different grade level. One is for the fourth grade, which meets on Wednesday afternoons, and now we need one in seventh grade as well as one in the sixth grade, which meet in the evening. It is really getting down to the wire. 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, 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, six, and now seven because of a lack of a catechist. We look forward to hearing from you. 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 Pre-School 4-year olds andKindergarten is already full to capacity. Please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962 for more information. 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). 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 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, with some 60,000 in the United States. Are you aware that our parish is the only parish in Elmhurst that has a St. Vincent DePaul Society? The SVDP 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 SVDP 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. No special qualifications are required other than the desire to join with others to help those in need for the love of God. Picture Directories 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 at the Parish Office, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Friday. 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. Joliet Diocesan Council of Catholic Women “Embracing the Spirit” The 13th Biennial Convention October 15-17 at the 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. For further info. call: Mary Andrle at 630-574-7755. Deaf Ministry Religious Education The Joliet Diocesan Deaf Ministry is beginning a religious education program for deaf children, K-5th grade. It will begin in September. It will be at St. Raphael Parish in Naperville. For information or to register, please contact Jeanne by August 31 at 630-637-0455 (Voice or TTY) or e-mail jeannem@westrick.org. (Please put “deaf” on subject line.) Volunteers are welcome. Parish Picnic - September 12 MQH will be holding its annual picnic on , 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. 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 Anna Heffel 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 Anna Marie Raye 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 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. MQH Garden Club You've probably noticed the splashes of color around the MQH campus. We want to acknowledge those garden who planted and keep the flowers growing and blooming. It all started in April when the Club came out and helped clean up after the winter. Then there was planting day in May and each person/family taking a week of watering. Kudos to Joel and Diane Bernstein, Ron Cirone, Judy Conness, Ed Hayes, Jose Pizarro, Sheila Reiter, Rosemarie Rockquermore, Michelle Schneider, Ellen Walker, Mary White, and Rose Wilkes for their untiring help in keeping the flowers looking great. We will be looking for you to join us at the upcoming Ministry Fair! If you would like to know more about us, please call Sheila Reiter at 833-6657 or Rose Wilkes at 833-7238. Fall Grief Support Groups Workshops Offered Loyola University Medical Center, Center for Home Care and Hospice offers a variety of grief support groups and workshops for adults and children. Groups will begin in September. The groups are offered free of charge. For further information please call: Nancy Kirchman, Bereavement Coordinator, Center for Home Care and Hospice, 708-216-1646. 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 a.m. Sunday Mass. 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 Are We Lost? As a couple, have we lost our way? Are we more like ships passing in the night? Do we share that Joy we first had? Has the “busyness” of our lives pushed us apart? Go on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend and renew that lost love that you can rejoice in! Upcoming weekend dates are Sept. 10-12, Oct. 8-10 and Nov. 12-14. For more information, call: John & Kerri Lilienthal at 630-577-0778. Benedictine University Offers Class on “Sharing the Good News.” Professional ministers and lay people seeking to grow in their role as advocates of Christian values will benefit from “Making Disciples: Passing On the Values of Jesus,” an eight-week course offered by Benedictine University's Department of History, Philosophy and Religious Studies from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays beginning September 9. The role of Catholics is to “share the Good News” and pass on the faith. Parents make this promise at their child's baptism, and virtually every minister in the church is charged with this awesome responsibility. But how is this achieved? And what is meant by “the values of Jesus?” This class seeks to answer those questions. The course is the first in a series offered through Benedictine University geared toward the needs of professional ministers. Other upcoming courses will cover such topics as Liturgical Leadership and Public Prayer, Ministry and Meetings, and Dealing with Challenging Issues using Primary Sources. The courses can be taken either for full college credit or for Continuing Education Units For information, please contact Lois Strong in the Department of History, Philosophy and Religious Studies at 630-829-6250 or e-mail her at lstrong@ben.edu. Volunteer Opportunity: P.A.D.S. Our Parish is involved with P.A.D.S. (Public Action to Deliver Shelter). For more information please visit www.dupagepads.org. Our parishioners assist with preparing and serving dinner and breakfast and we man (or woman) the overnight shift (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.). We work with Bethel Church in Elmhurst. The location that we serve is St. Alexis in Bensenville. We are looking for volunteers for the 2004-2005 Season. We serve only once per month, on the 4th week-end of the month. We work the Saturday night to Sunday morning shift. We serve October through March. There is no experience necessary. Teens that need community service, parents, grandparents... all are welcome. Proverbs 11:24 and 25 says: “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” We all need a mission. Many times we are looking for others to help us. Here is a situation where we can help others that needs no training, only time. If you are interested or wish to volunteer, please call Steve Lindberg at 630-983-3392 (work) or 630-941-1355 (home). This is one of the drawings submitted by our parishioners. This one was sent to us by Nancy Driscoll. Thank you, Nancy The Queenship of Mary August 22, 2004 Join in the Celebration! Next Sunday at the 10:15 Mass, we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Deacon John Maloney, the first deacon candidate for the Diocese of Joliet. All are invited to this celebration, which will include other deacons from around the diocese. Fr. Stanley Orlikiewicz, one of the former pastors of Mary Queen of Heaven parish and a dear early mentor to Deacon John, will be the presiding celebrant. Please join fellow parishioners, along with Deacon John's friends and family for this special celebration. Fellowship will follow in Barrett Hall. Parenting Workshop Catholic Charities in Lombard is sponsoring “How To Talk So Kids Will Listen.” This program is for parents who want to improve communication and understanding in their home. In each session parents will learn how to deal with their children's strong emotions, engage their cooperation, learn more effective ways to discipline, encourage autonomy, and learn ways to praise and help build self-esteem. The 6-week program will be presented on Tuesday evenings, 7-9 p.m. beginning August 24. The cost per person is $50, or $70 per couple. Please contact Jim Gilligan at (630) 495-8008 to reserve your spot.