For the Virtue of Faith

Transcription

1 For the Virtue of Faith Jesus, Your faith was in the Heavenly Father, Your steadfastness being my living model! Kindly grant me the richness of such faith, to embrace Your Father as my true Provider, Having staunch belief in His eminent powers and to remain loyal to Him until my last day. If my faith shifts as temporary waves, Rush to my rescue without any hesitation, protecting others from my fleeting frailty. May your Presence always be lively enjoyed, Enabling me to shine as a flame of faith. My faith loyally reaches out to You! 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. Dan Flynn, 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 10:00 a.m. Traveling? Call or

2 E very Wednesday night in our church we have time for adoration. We elders can recall Benediction and adoration when we were kids. It was a common practice with benediction attached to some devotion such as the Miraculous Medal or 40 hours devotion. For folks of the Gen. X and Millennial generations adoration is probably something foreign. I mention all this because I would like to expand adoration at St. Louise. However, I don t mean to bring back the good old days. Benediction and adoration began at a time when people wouldn t go to communion because people felt unworthy to receive the Divine Lord into their sinful selves. We live in a different world now with a totally different understanding of our Lord and God so we need to rethink what this practice is about. Sadly, many Catholics today do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. They view the sacrament as only a symbol of Jesus presence with his people. That s not the faith of the Church. As Catholics we profess the belief that at the consecration of the Mass, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine we offer to the Father is actually changed into the Body, Blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ. This is not let s pretend or a symbol like the flag is a symbol of the nation. Jesus Christ is actually present in the consecrated bread and wine. Granted the physical body of Jesus of Nazareth is not there; the Risen One is present in the sacrament designed to feed us which we proceed to eat and drink at communion. In the Eucharist the Lord gives himself to us as food. Why? In order for humans to stay alive, we have to eat and drink. If we don t, we die. The Lord chose this method of being present to help us understand that if we wish to live eternal life, we need to eat his flesh and drink his blood just as we need to eat and drink to keep our bodies alive. When we celebrate the Eucharist (Mass) hearing his Word and receiving communion, the Lord lives in us and we in him. That s eternal life. For the past couple of months I have been urging our people to get to know the Lord. It s hard to know how to be a disciple if we don t know the Teacher. We are physical creatures who learn through our five senses. We need to see to be sure someone is really there. Adoration gives us exactly this: the presence of Jesus Christ in a physical form we can see. The Blessed Sacrament reminds us that Jesus is really here and we can get to know him. Spending time before the Blessed Sacrament is spending time with Jesus. It s a time of prayer whether we choose to use words or just sit in silence in his presence. In our modern world, silence is golden. Adoration has transformed lots of parishes around the country and the world. Many stories are told of parishes who are heavily involved in service to their locale. In practically all cases, those parishes have adoration. In our own archdiocese we have parishes who have adoration and have felt positive effects. (Some parish have adoration !) It makes sense, if you think about it. The more people come to recognize Jesus present among them, the more they become interested in what Jesus is all about. That leads to wanting to learn more about the Lord and what he taught, which leads in turn to discovering what the Lord is calling us to do with our lives. This is the same thing as Jesus calling Peter, Andrew, James and John and the other disciples. Adoration allows Jesus to call us to follow him. That is why I ve decided to expand our adoration not only to our parishioners but all folks living in our area Catholic and non Catholic. I have asked our Tech people to devise a message to put on our 31st sign inviting those driving by to stop for a few minutes before the Lord. Since most folks will see that sign as they drive home from work, I would like to hold adoration during rush hour. Sadly, these days we can t be sure someone won t walk off with the Blessed Sacrament. For the protection of the Blessed Sacrament a parishioner must be present all during that time. I need someone who would be willing to organize people who would be willing to sit for an hour before the Blessed Sacrament on a Tuesday afternoon from 3 to 6. If you feel called either to organize or to offer yourself for an hour, please contact the rectory leaving your name and a way to contact you. As disciples, we are called to bring Jesus to the world. This is one way we people of St. Louise can do just that. Father Denis Page 2

3 Monday, October 3 6:30pm Boy Scouts-C SLP-M Baptism Class-CH Tuesday, October 4 FSA-M Bible Study-R Wednesday, October 5 8:30am Mass Bless Firemen 2:15 Child. Choir-CH Adoration-CH Thursday, October 6 4:30pm SPRED-M/T 6:30pm Cub Scouts-C Friday, October 7 3:00pm Wall Weekend-PC/C 6:00pm Mom s Nite-M 6:30pm Dad/Son Nite-PC Saturday, October 8 9:00am Athletics-PC 12:00pm Wall Weekend-PC/C Sunday, October 9 7:30am Teen Choir-M 12:30pm Baptisms-CH 12:30pm Wall Weekend-PC/C 6:00pm BEDS-C 8:00pm Alcoholics Anonymous-R SPARE AN HOUR? This Sunday, October 2, the annual National Life Chain will stretch across our nation. Can you spare one hour to show your support for life? We meet at the corner of Prairie and Ogden, by the CVS from 2:30-3:30. Signs are non-graphic. Come on out you ll feel good afterwards. PRO-LIFE ROSARY A pro-life rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy will be prayed after the 5:00 Mass on Saturday, October 8. Please come and join us during this month of the rosary. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Men of the parish are invited to come to Eucharistic Adoration on the first Wednesday at 8 p.m. Spend time with our Lord in quiet prayer for a few minutes or entire hour. Come and pray for our families, our parish of St. Louise de Marillac and any special intentions you may have. Our monthly Food Drive in next weekend, October 8/9 at all the Masses. Nonperishable items are always needed. Your thoughtful generosity puts food on the tables of those who are having a difficult time feeding their families. Thank you. TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION In the mid-1960s, many religious congregations that had maintained a custom of assigning new names to their members allowed a return to baptismal names. The practice stems from the origins of monastic life, when a desire to flee the world and its enchantments caused a severe break with family life and commitments. A new name signified that the old person had died and a new one was coming to life. Some orders even spread funeral palls over their entrants and tolled the funeral bell. On a practical level, in a crowded monastery of a few hundred monks or nuns, it made sense not to have six Brother Alfrics or nine Sister Clares. The one name, one person rule worked well. In more recent times, a young woman entering the convent might be given her parents names as a way of honoring their generosity, so Hilda might become Sister Philip Margaret after her father and mother. A cherished name in the order might be bestowed on a newcomer so that there would always be a Brother Owen around, or a young person might adopt the name of a beloved saint. A handful of religious congregations, like Mother Barat s Religious of the Sacred Heart, always used family names. Many monasteries still bestow a new name at the end of probation. Other religious institutes have revived the custom of changing their candidates names at the end of novitiate, although for the most part religious who were around at the time of the Council were happy to get their baptismal names back. A few, of course, cherished their acquired names and have held on to them, so convents still hold the creativity badge for naming. Where else today can you find great names today like Madeleva, Siena, and Celestina? Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Page 3

4 HOLIDAY BAZAAR St. Louise is holding our annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, November 19. If you are a crafter or vendor and would be interested in displaying your product, contact Jane at 708/ for details. Our Bazaar is very popular and attended by hundreds of people from surrounding areas. Making Nazareth Academy Affordable On Tuesday, October 4, Nazareth s administration, business office, and current parents will discuss the scholarships, awards, financial aid and third party opportunities that can assist with Catholic high school tuition. After the presentation, representatives from Nazareth, as well as from Daniel Murphy and LINK, will be available to answer questions. We hope this effort will encourage Catholic families to keep their students in Catholic high schools. Parents of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students are invited to attend. Use west entrance. RSVP to Mrs. Kristen Stojetz at or kstojetz@nazarethacademy.com ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL 2016 Open House Dates Thursday, October 13, 6:00pm-8:00pm Sunday, November 6, 1:00pm-3:00pm Sunday, December 4, 1:00pm-3:00pm The purpose of Open House is for families to become familiar with the people and programs at our High School. Two brief general sessions provide information on the school s mission, academic and extra curricular programs, financial obligations. Families are given tours of the school with emphasis on core subjects and technology. Questions? call admissions Bible Study will resume on Thursday, October 6 in the rectory at 7:00p.m. We will discuss the book of Revelation. All are welcome. R.C.I.A: Adults who would like to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist, are invited to join the R.C.I.A. program. Our first session meets in the rectory on Wednesday, October 12 at 7:00p.m. Page 4

5 Teen Club Teen Club is on hiatus until after Haunted House. Come and help build a fun and scary Halloween experience! Haunted House Wall Weekend Next weekend is Wall Weekend, the biggest work time of our main fund raiser for youth ministry events. All parishioners in grades 7-12 as well as any Virtus trained adults are welcome to help. For more information, Karyn Miller, kmillerslm@yahoo.com. To sign up for work shifts, go to tinyurl.com/slmhh2016. Holy Fire Scholarship deadline has passed, but it s not too late to register for Holy Fire, the event for grades 6-9 cosponsored by the Archdiocese and the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. Want to go? contact Karyn Miller. Afraid you can t afford it? Think again we can help! Search youtube.com for the Holy Fire Chicago promo video3-you may see a church you recognize! Thank you...to Alice Sylvie and Hannah Mahay for helping with the Octoberfest Duck Pond and Lollipop Tree games, and to all those who helped make our first Family Mass of the school year a success: readers, gift bearers, escorts, and the choir and cantors. You were wonderful! High School Church League St. Louise Youth Ministry is again putting together a High School boys basketball team to participate in the local Church League basketball program. Teams will be coordinated by Terry Sexton. All High School boys who are not on the roster of their High School basketball team are eligible to participate. The league runs from December through March. Most games are played on Saturdays and some Sundays. If interested in play, contact Karyn Miller 9kmillerslm@yahoo.com) or Terry EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Men of the parish are invited to come to Eucharistic Adoration on the first Wednesday at 8 p.m. Spend time with our Lord in quiet prayer for a few minutes or entire hour. Pray for our families, our parish of St. Louise de Marillac and any special intentions you may have. LET GO AND LET GOD Many twelve-step programs use the phrase Let go and let God. In all their simplicity, these five words are the heart of today s readings. For people who struggle with addictive behavior, these words plainly remind us that we can t manage, control, or manipulate certain areas of our lives. How many times can we look back in our lives and find evidence of some plan at work other than our own? These are the moments when, for whatever reasons, we let someone greater than ourselves work the plan. We probably didn t even recognize at the time that we were letting go of anything, but in retrospect, we see God s hand and loving presence. It is our awareness of these moments that gives us the courage and initiative to let go again later on. It is this courage and initiative that are highlighted in today s readings. We come to call it faith. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. Men s Overnight Retreat Men of the parish are invited to an overnight retreat November 4-5, at St. Mary s Retreat House. The retreat will be lead by Deacon Dave Brencic. The theme is The Call. It will run from 7 p.m. Friday, November 4 to 3 p.m., Saturday, November 5 and includes time for prayer, three reflections, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Mass. St. Mary s includes beautiful grounds, an outside Stations of the Cross and an outside Rosary. The cost of the retreat is $45 and includes a social Friday evening. Breakfast and lunch. For more information, call Deacon Dave at Pope John Paul has said: We must not be afraid of the future: We must not be afraid of human nature It is not accident that we are here. Each and every human person has been created in the image and likeness of God, the origin of all that exits. Within us, we have the capacity for wisdom and virtue. With these gifts, with the help of God s grace, we can build the next century and in the next millennium a civilization worthy of the human persons, a true culture of freedom. We can and must do so! In doing so, we will see that tears of this century have prepared the ground for a new springtime of the human spirit. -American Catholic Hymnbook Page 5

6 October 3-9 Monday 8:30 - Jim & Irene Bartelson Tuesday, St. Francis of Assisi 8:30 - Ray Meath Wednesday 8:30 - Grace Fausher Thursday, St. Bruno 8:30 - Walter & Esther Bednarz Friday, Our Lady of the Rosary 8:30 - Leslie Russ, Sr. Saturday 5:00 - Mildred Kopack Sunday 7:30 - Eileen Wagner, Sharon Young 9:30 - Ceil Novi 11:00 - Saul Alvarez, Leonard Family, Antonio & Maria Rovella & Family Presiders October 8 October 9 Confessions - Fr. Denis 7:30 - Fr. Denis 5:00 - Fr. Denis 9:30 - Fr. Henry 11:00 - Fr. Henry Readers October 8 October 9 5:00 - C. Parisi 7:30-P. Szymczak 9:30-J. Brencic 11:00-P. Cuevas, Mi.Miller Eucharistic Ministers October 8 5:00 - P. Thorburn, S. Czarnik, P. Erickson, S. Young, P. Hammerschmitt, C. Sherman, R. Williams October 9 7:30-P. Libedinsky, R.Voss, M. Voss, E. Siuda, E. Szymczak 9:30 - B.&M. Garvey, S. Driscoll, D. Parcel, M. Sinde, G. Witkowski, Deacon Dave 11:00 S. Lifka, P. Cavaliere, A. Czerwien, J. Discipio, J. Hanson, T. Hilger, J. Zalig Altar Servers Mon., Wed, Fri., Oct. 3, 5, 7 8:30 - J. Steger, M. Flynn Tues, Thurs., Oct. 4, 6 8:30 - K. Keen, New Server Sat., Oct. 8 5:00 - G. Sventy, M. Hopkins Sun., Oct. 9 7:30 - A. Roussin, Z. Mazurkiewicz, M. Flynn 9:30 - M. Hanson, E. Kimmelman-Wyles, K. Keen 11:00 - M. Schaffer, H. Mahay Frank D onofrio and Kirstan Mahn 2016 Annual Catholic Appeal Pledge Report It is very important that pledges be paid so that our parish will reach and, hopefully, exceed our goal. One pledge payments have exceeded our goal, all additional funds are returned to our parish for use in our ministries. PARISH GOAL $34,865 AMOUNT PLEDGED $65,153 AMOUNT PAID $59,868 REMAINING BALANCE $5,286 ** REBATE AMOUNT $25,003 WEEKLY OFFERTORY September 25, 2016 Sunday Collection This Week $7,000 Last Year $8,500 Sunday Collection, Year-to-Date: This Year $115,900 Last Year $ 118,200 Year-to-Date Collection Budget $121,500 Envelopes Returned This Week 314 Last Year 346 Page 6

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