Pastoral Staff Rev. Denis Condon. Deacon Mr. Dave Brencic, School Principal & Faith Formation Coordinator Ms.

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1 Pastoral Staff Pastor Rev. Denis Condon Associate Pastor Rev. Henry Kricek Pastor Emeritus Rev. John Hergenrother Deacon Mr. Dave Brencic, School Principal & Faith Formation Coordinator Ms. AnnMarie Mahay Youth Minister Mrs. Karyn Miller Business Manager Ms. Lynn Waterloo Music Director Mr. Jim Harrold, Secretary/Bulletin Editor Ms. Maureen Johnson, Spiritual Companion Mrs. Jane Kucera, Parish Council Chair Mr. John Derus, Rectory 1144 Harrison Ave., FAX School 1125 Harrison, LaGrange Park, Faith Formation Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday Evening: 5:00 p.m.; Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 a.m. Weekday: Monday thru Friday 8:30 a.m. Sacraments and Ministries Reconciliation/Confessions Saturdays 4:00 4:30 p.m. or on request. Baptisms Second Sunday: 12:30 p.m. A baptismal class is necessary prior to scheduling a Baptism. Marriage Contact the rectory six months prior to wedding. Home Communion Visits Contact the Rectory Parish Nurses, Hours as posted in church. New Parishioners Register at the rectory or online Website parishoffice@slmparish.org Bulletin Deadline-Mondays at 10:00am Traveling? Call or

2 We have embarked on a Quest! I know that sounds Medieval but that era s stories of the Knights on a Quest best fits this time of Lent. Yes, this has not been the way we are used to thinking about Lent, but,if you think about it, this penitential season has always been about disruption. Only one day of the entire year are we willing to go about in public with a black smudge in the middle of our forehead. And we re proud to be smudged! Tell me this doesn t disrupt our normal way of acting. We give up things for Lent. Isn t this a disruption of our normal pattern of life? We are asked by the Church to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Isn t this a disruption? And the whole Friday abstinence from meat is a total disruption of everyday life. We do all this supposedly to turn our soul topsy-turvy so we can take a good look at ourselves and beat our breast for being so bad. And after all this, have we changed one iota? Perhaps using another metaphor than scourging ourselves for not being perfect (which is impossible) will help bring this season alive and accomplish in part what it s truly supposed to do. Lent has always been seen as preparation for celebrating the resurrection at Easter. Put another way, we are to prepare ourselves to meet the Risen Christ. This is a quest. Medieval knights set themselves a task of either doing something heroic or finding something hard to attain like finding the Holy Grail. Lent has both of these qualities. Giving alms, fasting and prayer in our day is heroic. So is finding the Risen One in our day-to-day lives. The story goes something like this. Sir Galant publicly proclaims he will go on a quest and sets off on his journey. He immediately encounters a major obstacle - the forest. To achieve his goal our brave knight must go through the forest to the other side. Medieval forests were nothing like our forest preserves or most any forest most of us have seen. Sir Gallant faces miles in all directions of dark, deep, unknown and spooky from tall trees, shrubs and God only know what else. Many who entered such a forest were never seen again. what you might encounter and realizing you may never come out. For most of us, that description is a bit over the top. But the basics hold. We begin Lent by announcing we are going on a quest (ash smudge) and encounter a major obstacle - do we really want to find Christ? It s frightening to encounter the Lord because we know he will challenge us to change and, if we re honest, most of us don t want to change anything. Do we enter the forest or not? Do we really want to meet Jesus? Entering this forest takes courage. The ultimate question is, do we trust in a loving God or not. No one likes to change and the older we get the less we like change. Do we see Christ as a stern taskmaster to be feared or as a one who wants only the best for us? Do we trust him? If we choose to enter the forest, we find we are facing ourselves, the truth about ourselves. This is the struggle: to find our way to accepting the truth about ourselves and choosing to change. We may encounter something small like a bad habit, or we may find something serious like a bias against people of color, homosexuals, or Muslims. Change is tough and not easy to do. If we can t succeed in giving up candy for 6 weeks, how can we expect to change our behavior? In the Medieval quest story there s always a wise person or animal to guide the questing knight. The same holds for us. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and support our entire journey. The Spirit will guide us through the Scriptures of this season, the 3 Lenten Mission talks as well as individually as we make our journey to find the truth about ourselves. The loving God will give us the strength and power to fulfill our quest. We never walk alone. Finding the Risen Lord is more than finding the One who rose from the dead. It means finding my new life in Christ, that is, the changes I make because of this year s quest. Father Denis Tales of horror were told about what lived in those dark and dank places. It took real guts to go in not knowing Page 2

3 Cardinal Cupich's message for Lent Give yourself a gift this Lent, silence Daily Mass-Monday thru Friday at 8:30am Confessions-Saturday from 4:00 to 4:30pm Extended Confessions-April 8, 3:00-4:30pm Rosary-Monday thru Friday at 8:00 am Adoration-Tuesdays from 3-6:30pm and Wednesdays from 7-9pm Bible Study-Tuesdays, 7:00pm,Rectory Way of the Cross-Fridays, 2:15 and 7:00pm Living Stations of the Cross, April 7, 2:15 & 7:00pm Lenten Faith Group Wednesdays,7:00pm, through April 12, Marillac Rm. SPECIAL LENTEN SERVICES Parish Communal Reconciliation: March 28, 7:00pm Palm Sunday Family Mass: April 9, 9:30am Three-Parish Lenten Mission: March14, 7:00pm,St. Barbara Parish March 21, 7:00pm, Divine Infant Parish April 4, 7;00pm, St. Louise de Marillac Parish LENTEN FAITH GROUP Small group sessions are very important part of the parish s spiritual growth and development process. They provide opportunities for us, to share our faith, listen closely to the Holy Spirit, and to witness that God has called us. Our Faith Group, led by Pat Thorburn, meets during Lent on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm, thru April 12 in the Marillac Room. We welcome you to be part of our journey. Bulletin of March 19 due now; Bulletin of April 9 is due March 14. NO EXCEPTIONS. The noise pollution of modern society grows harsher every year. We are bombarded by noise from traffic, aircraft, office equipment, home appliances, TVs and cell phone conversations. Oddly enough, we rarely seem to notice the increased noise because we have learned to live with it or just block it out. However, we pay a price for all of the increasing decibels in the modern age. In addition to the immediate danger of hearing loss due to long-term exposure to high levels of noise, we also suffer from an increase of stress and irritability from this overstimulation. Lent is the season of silence. It is a time to enter into the desert, as Jesus did for 40 days. Admittedly, silence can make us feel uneasy. Perhaps it is because silence forces us to think, to feel, to be in touch with those deep areas of our lives where a sense of emptiness or meaninglessness may be lurking in our hearts. Throughout the Gospels Jesus is portrayed as going off alone in silence to pray. The evangelists repeatedly recorded such retreats from the noise of the world not just to tell us something about Jesus, but also about those who followed him. They, too, discovered that silence takes us into the divine presence. Meister Eckhart, a 14th-century German Dominican, said it so well: "Nothing in all creation is so like God as silence." This Lent I have asked our pastors to invite their communities to take extra time for silence during Mass, especially after Communion. In fact, the church recognizes the value of silence at certain moments of the Mass as a way of quietly absorbing the great mysteries we celebrate. Taking time for silence after Communion can be a special grace for each of us individually and for us as a worshipping community. We actively pray to God for our needs and raise our voices in songs of prayer. Yet, we need this silent time to allow God to speak to us. That means quieting ourselves even from saying prayers and just being aware of what Jesus tells us: we abide in God and God in us. I especially invite you to enter into silence during these 40 days, not as a place of fear, but as the place where you encounter the living God who wants to speak to you. Give yourself the gift of silence this Lent. You will discover what Eckhart did centuries ago: "Nothing in all of creation is so like God as silence." Page 3

4 THREE-PARISH LENTEN MISSION This Lent the parishes of St. Barbara, Divine Infant and St. Louise de Marillac are joining to host a Three- Parish Lenten mission. Different speakers will give mission talks at each of the three churches. The schedule is as follows: Tuesday, March 14, at 7 p.m. at St. Barbara Church, 4008 Prairie Ave., Brookfield. Fr. Mike Ahlstrom will talk on the Spiritual Tools of Jesus: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving how 21 st century Catholics can use the traditional Lenten disciples in a positive way. Fr. Mike is Vicar emeritus for the deacons of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a former spiritual director at Mundelein Seminary. Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Divine Infant Church, 1601 Newcastle Ave., Westchester. Fr. Bill Zavaski will reflect on 12 Characteristics of Discipleship Today Jesus has a lot of admirers but not so many followers. One of the real challenges for Renew My Church in the archdiocese is to encourage all parishioners to take the challenge of following Jesus seriously. This presentation will cover 12 unique and important ideas we should try to emulate to follow Jesus today as contemporary Catholics. As a disciple and follower of Jesus, we also need to pay special attention to the gospel mandate presented by Matthew, especially the 5th and 6th chapters. Being a follower of Jesus today takes courage and commitment and this presentation will try and show why and how. Fr. Bill Zavaski is currently the retired pastor from St. James in Arlington Heights. He has served at St. James and St. Zachary's as an associate. In 1979, he became the pastor of his home parish in Waukegan, St. Bartholomew s, and served there for 11 years. He then moved to Wauconda to pastor Transfiguration parish and finally came back to St. James in 1995 as pastor. He has been the dean of Lake County and the northwest suburbs and is currently a member of the priests retirement and mutual aid board and is working with new and recently ordained priests. He has been doing parish missions focusing on discipleship for the last 35 years. Tuesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. at St. Louise de Marillac Church, 1144 Harrison Ave., LaGrange Park. Deacon Allen Tatara will speak on How to Listen for God s Voice in an EarBud Wearing World we all love listening to music. In fact, 80% of us agree that music is an important part of our lives for it defines who we are and helps us tune out the rest of the world. And there is the problem: we are using our earbuds to tune out the rest of the world. This talk will help you understand why you may not be able to hear God s voice and provide you with steps you can follow to hear God speaking to you. Deacon Allen is a preacher, speaker, storyteller, musician and evangelizer. He blends storytelling, humor, audience participation, music, and deep-seeded spirituality. Deacon Allen serves at St. Hubert Parish in Hoffman Estates. He has been involved with teens and young adults for more than 25 years, and works alongside his wife, Stephanie, as Youth Ministry Coordinators at the parish. Please make an effort to attend all three talks. Parishioners are encouraged to invite their family, friends and neighbors. BREAKFAST FOR VETERANS St. Barbara s Missionary Spirit Team is looking for volunteers to prepare breakfast for veterans and their families on Saturday, March 18, at the Fisher House at Hines VA Hospital in Maywood. Volunteers will carpool from St. Barbara s parking lot at 7:30 a.m. and return about 10:30 a.m. A donation of $5 per volunteer is requested to cover the cost of the groceries. The service opportunity is open to everyone, but children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent. Teens are welcome with a permission slip. For more information, call Noel at 708/ or MissionarySpirit@StBarbaraBrookfield.org. Help Sponsor A Teen for Appalachian Service Project Due to extenuating circumstances, we have a teen who needs financial assistance to finish paying the Appalachian Service Project registration fee for our upcoming summer service trip to Kentucky. The registration fee is $300 to attend. If you wish to help sponsor this teen, either partially or fully, donations may be dropped off at the rectory or school office. Any amount is helpful and very much appreciated! Page 4

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6 HATS OFF TO FASHION Monday, March 13 2:45pm Girl Scouts-C 6:30pm Boy Scouts-C 6:30pm Play Pract.-PC 7:00pm PPC-M Tuesday, March 14 3:00pm Adoration-CH 5:00pm Athletics-PC 7:00pm Bible Study-R 7:00pm Mission Talk-St. Barbara Wednesday, March 15 5:00pm Athletics-PC 5:00pm Faith Formation 7:00 Renew-M 7:00pm Adoration-CH Thursday, March 16 All Day St. Joe S/up-K 4:30pm SPRED-M/T 5:00pm Athletics-PC 7:00pm Boy Scouts Cmt.-M Friday, March 17 St. Patrick s Day 2:pm St. Joe Table S/up-C/K 5:00pm Athletics-PC 8:00pm Play/ Build.-PC Saturday, March 18 All Day St. Joe Table S/up-C/K Sunday, March 19 12:00-4pm St. Joe Table-C/K 6:00 BEDS-C\ 8:00pm Alcoholics Anonymous-R Plan to join the CWOat their annual Fashion Show and Luncheon, Hats Off to Fashion, held on Saturday, April 8, from noon to 3p.m. at Maggiano s in Oak Brook. Bring a friend and enjoy a family style Italian meal, bag raffles and fashions from Chico s and Hanna Anderson, Oak Brook. Tickets: $40 adult and $17 child aged Children 3 and under are free. Donations of new items for the raffle are appreciated and made by contacting Lynette at 708/ or Denise at 708/ Tickets available at all Masses on the weekends of March and March 31-April 1. SUBURBAN CATHOLIC SINGLES GROUP For Singles in their 40 s & 50 s Join us on Saturday, March 18, 6:00pm for Dinner and Live Music. (Kickin Jimmy) at Palmer s, 56 LaGrange Rd., LaGrange. Cost is your dinner. Please RSVP by March 16. (Event is subject to change.) Contact: singlesadmin@gmail.com. Defend Every Human Life Let s pray for life and let s work to defend life from conception to natural death. Especially the lives of those who are weak and most vulnerable the elderly, the sick, the handicapped, the child in the womb, the hunger and the poor. -Most Rev. Jose Gomez, Truly Present-The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Come face to face with Him at Adoration. The Holy Hour is to encourage deep personal encounter with Christ. Adoration is on Tuesdays from 3-6:30p.m. and Wednesdays from 7-9p.m. NEW HYMNALS~~We have replaced hymnals thanks to a few very generous donations. If you have made a memorial donation to the older set of hymnals and would like to keep the hymnal with the memorial inscription, see Music Director Jim Harrold after a weekend Mass. You have until Sunday March 26 to claim your hymnal. We have donated the hymnals without memorials to St. Gertrude s Parish in Franklin Park. They were in need of hymnals and they send their thanks and gratitude for the donation. The choir begins rehearsals for Holy Week and Easter on Thursdays at 7:00pm in church. All are welcome to join us. If you have questions, contact Jim Harrold at 201/ Page 6

7 High School Teen Club: No High School Teen Club until Friday, April 22 from 7:30-10pm. Open gym begins at 8:00. Must have current high school ID and a contact form signed by a parent. Contact form is on line at slmteenclub.weebly.com.. Youth Ministry Board Meeting: Friday, March 17, 6:30-8:00pm in Teen Room. Dinner provided. Agenda: Spring Lock-in, service project ideas, finalize trivia night. Palm Sunday Passion Youth in grades 7-12 are invited to participate in the presentation of the Passion on April 9, Palm Sunday, at the 9:30 Mass. There will be a rehearsal following the Living Stations of the Cross on Friday, April 7, and at noon on April 8. Contact Karyn Miller if you would like to participate. Bible Breakfast Leaders Discussion leaders are needed for the next Bible Breakfast on Sunday, April 2, following the 9:30 Mass. Contact Karyn Miller if interested. Coming-Watch For More Information ~Jr. High Trivia Night! May 5-Details to follow ~Holy Fire-October 20 & 21, 2017 ~National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), ~November , 2017, Indianapolis, IN. IT S BACK Trivia Returneth Saturday, April 22! Save the date and watch the bulletin for more details. Page 7

8 March Monday 8:30 - Matheson Family, David Kawiecki, Frank Saran Tuesday 8:30 - Leslie Russ, Sr. Wednesday 8:30 - Wladyslaw & Genowefa Tuzim, Fred Garcia Thursday 8:30 - Steve Massura Friday, St. Patrick 8:30 - Joseph Smuda Saturday 5:00 - Phillis Forslund Sunday 7:30 - Joseph Voldan 9:30 - John & Lois Brom, Jamilla Burian, Blanche Moste 11:00 - John Gerberi, Frank Zalac Altar Servers Mon. Wed., Fri., March 13, 15, 17 8:30 - J. Steger, J. Thomas, Tues., Thurs., March 14, 16 8:30 - H. Mahay, N. Spielman Sat., March 18 5:00 - Z. Mazurkiewicz, M. Hopkins, J. Hopkins Sun., March 19 7:30 - E. Kimmelman-Wyles, H. Mahay 9:30 - A. Roussin, N. Spielman, J. Thomas 11:00 - I. Rios, A. Porras, A. Sylvie Our Sympathy to the Family of Phyllis Forslund Presiders March 18 March 19 Confessions - Fr. Denis 7:30 - Fr. Henry 5:00 - Fr. Denis 9:30 - Fr. Henry 11:00 - Fr. Denis Readers March 18 March 19 5:00 - S. Young 7:30-E. Keegan 9:30-B. Prack 11:00-M. Miller/P. Cuevas Eucharistic Ministers March 18 5:00 - M. Gyorke, D. DeSanto, S. Cipolletta, M. Gibson, P. Hammerschmitt, T. Nedvar, T. Popernik March 19 7:30 - R. Voss, M. Voss, A. Porras, E. Siuda, Deacon Dave 9:30 - B.&M. Garvey, P.&M. Golden, S. Driscoll, K. Krajniak, G. Witkowski 11:00 - S. Lifka, R.&L. Valdez, A. Czerwien, J. Discipio, C. Lemkau WEEKLY OFFERTORY March 5, 2017 Sunday Collection, this Week: This Year $ 10,500 Last Year $ 11,900 Sunday Collection, Year-to-Date: This Year $ 324,200 Last Year $330,300 Year-to-Date Collection Budget $ 336,700 Envelopes Returned, this Week: This Year 347 Last Year 386 Page 8

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