JUNE 29, 2014 SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL

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1 JUNE 29, 2014 SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL From the Pastor s Desk Writing this final column for the Pastor s Desk feels like I m writing my last will and testament. Like St. Paul in this Sunday s second reading I can say, The time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:6). I was never a great athlete and so any race I ever entered I never expected to win the first prize. Just staying the course and crossing the finish line is always a good enough reason to be in the race. When Joseph Cardinal Bernardin who appointed me as pastor of St. Mary in January, 1996, I came to St. Mary-Fremont Center a month short of my 50 th birthday. There was enough youthful idealism in me to be caught up with enthusiasm for all the possibilities for St. Mary-Fremont Center. I spent the first year listening carefully to stories of the past, the joys and struggles of individuals and families in the present and hopes and dreams for the future. The stories I heard and the lessons I learned became the foundation upon which I would build my pastorate. Each year brought new insights as the listening continued and the stories of parishioners lives touched my heart and shaped my ministry. The greatest challenge was to build a new church. I knew from the beginning that this was meant to be more than a construction project. A church building is only a house and symbol for the living Church, built of living stones. Therefore with every stage of the building process I was consciously and deliberately dedicated to building up the community of the faithful who would eventually worship in the new church. Liturgy became my priority because I knew that if the community was not rooted in the liturgy, all else would eventually crumble. Teaching how to pray the liturgy, making sure we did our best with music, training liturgical ministers and celebrating our sacramental rituals with dignity and beauty eventually paid off. Today visitors often comment that they ve never been in a more prayerful community. Forming a pastoral staff in those first years was also critical. When I arrived in 1996 there was virtually no professional staff to work with, not even a full-time secretary. I knew I couldn t further the vision by myself. Soon there were multiple opportunities for adult education, leadership formation, faith development, and social ministries. As the design for the church began to materialize, parishioners had the opportunity to see that there was a reason for everything and a spiritual meaning behind every selection in the design process. Our five years of celebrating Mass in Diantha Hall remind me of a young family outgrowing their first home. It was often tight and uncomfortable in Diantha Hall, but we also learned how to be a church family as we rubbed elbows sitting side by side on folding chairs and taking them down after the last Mass. With the building process also came the inevitable capital campaigns. Raising money was not my forte, but at the same time it taught me how generous and self-sacrificing St. Mary s parishioners could be. I was truly edified by the spirit of Christian stewardship. The dedication of the new church by Francis Cardinal George in April 2002 ushered in a new period of history for St. (Continued on page 3)

2 Liturgical Ministers July 5 6, 2014 Mass Times Lectors Eucharistic Ministers 5:00PM 7:30AM 9:30AM 11:30AM E. Moser B. Machak Deacon D. Prezell M.Corpus T. Powell J. Powell P. Biel T. Kennedy M. Teehan E. Boyd J. Friello D. Fuller Deacon D. DeSalvo L. Zucco K. Aspegren S. Ratajczak M. Sikorski L. Bosshart P. & M Tekampe B. Slack C. Lutzow Deacon K. Franz I. Kennebeck J. Philbin L.M. Davis K. Pannhausen R. Fisher J. Fisher J. & M. Rutledge A. Truesdale K. Crotty S. Poletto Deacon M. Crutcher J. Ranchero Z. & L. Dela Cruz E. McPherson D. Ceglarek K. Job J. Ferrigan Monday, June 30, The first Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church 8:00AM Thomas Woon Sui Kut Tuesday, July 1, Blessed Junipero Serra, Priest 8:00AM Dorothy Reynolds req. Jack, Her Husband Wednesday, July 2 8:00AM Gene Pasciak, Sr. req. The Pasciak Family Audrey Englehart req. The Morelli Family Margaret Kalte req. Ellen Boyd Nicholas Lemmons Danny Hansen req. Brad & Carol Hansen Family Thursday, July 3, Saint Thomas, Apostle 8:00AM Barbara Granahan req. Phyllis Granahan Friday, July 4 9:00AM For the Parishioners of St. Mary of the Annunciation Saturday, July 5 5:00PM Mike & Sherry Schmidt req. Gene Schmidt Family Betty Theusch req. Bob & Nita Senour Ben Rudin req. Bob Samsel Fr. Patrick J. O Malley req. John Kroll Mike Nabasny req. Rita Nabasny Robert Clark req. Rosemarie Marsh Sunday, July 6 7:30AM Nicholas Lemmons req. Aunt Jean Alfred & Dorothy Regner req. The Regner Family LeRoy Hertel req. Irv & Lindy Hertel 9:30AM Rick & Cindy Gammel 23rd Wedding Anniversary req. Kathy Payette Sophia Kirn req. Jim Kirn & Family Rose DiPetro req. Beauvais Family Walter Wiater req. Barbara, His Wife Celia Flores req. Andara Flores Family Daniel Patrick Hansen req. Kathy Bonser & Tom Sivia Pam Goss req. Mike Goss, Her Husband 11:30AM For the Parishioners of St. Mary of the Annunciation Week Ahead Sunday, June 29 Farewell Reception for Fr. Ron 9:30AM Liturgy of the Word for Children Monday, June 30 8:00AM Mass 8:30AM Pray the Rosary Tuesday, July 1 8:00AM Mass 8:30AM Pray the Rosary 7:15PM Lectio Divina Bible Study Wednesday, July 2 8:00AM Mass 8:30AM Pray the Rosary Thursday, July 3 8:00AM Mass 8:30AM Pray the Rosary 9:00AM Lectio Divina Bible Study Friday, July 4 Independence Day Parish Office Closed 9:00AM Mass in New Church 10:00AM Pray the Rosary Saturday, July 5 5:00PM Liturgy of the Word for Children Sunday, July 6 9:30AM Liturgy of the Word for Children Parish Office Summer Hours Monday Thursday: 8:30AM 4:30 PM Friday: 8:30 12:00 PM Saturday & Sunday: closed

3 Mary. We finally had space to worship and meet. We began to expand our circle of lay leadership, our outreach to the poor, the expansion of our religious education programs for youth and adults, our faith-sharing groups during Lent and throughout the year with the Fellowship of St. Joseph, Mary s Circle, Lectio Divina, etc. Providing good Catholic education with a parish school brought many challenges, given the changes in demographics, the economy and the unforeseen county mandate to remove our mobile classrooms. The challenges we faced led to the founding of Frassati Catholic Academy, the first Catholic middle school of the Archdiocese. Ask our Frassati graduates about their experience and you re bound to hear rave reviews. The establishment of Frassati in turn led to the formation of the Catholic Consortium of Lake County, a collaborative educational ministry of three parishes which continues to evolve into a superb school. I am happy that I could be at St. Mary as we launched our Sesquicentennial. When Bishop Rassas joined us last October for the blessing of our bell tower, I saw in this event the ringing in of yet another new period in our life as a Catholic community. The call to mission was issued and many responded. More than fifty of our teens just returned from their mission in Cincinnati. Adults have gone on mission to Belize and Appalachia. Closer to home parishioners have served at Chicago s Pacific Garden Mission, efforts associated with our sharing parish, activities sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and our longstanding ministry with PADS. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, calls us to be missionary disciples. That s exactly what we are trying to do now at St. Mary. But mission is more than just going someplace for a week to lend a hand to those in need. Missionary disciples think differently. They are people committed to furthering Christ s influence on the world, not their own agendas. Missionary disciples put others before themselves. They try to understand the plight of others without judgment. They include the marginalized in their world view and are always growing to embrace a larger version of church and mission. Being a missionary parish is a gift because the more we think about others and reach out to include the wider society in our world view, the stronger we become a community of faith and discipleship. A missionary community draws others into their company because of the light and joy they emanate outward. It s hard to leave St. Mary, especially at this exciting time that is ripe for so much good. It must be God s way of telling me, You ve been teaching your people to be missionary in spirit. Now go and do the same. And so I leave St. Mary with tears for all that I must leave behind. But I am confident that with your prayers and all that you have taught me these past 18 years, God can use this simple servant of His as His instrument for the new mission to which He calls me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and trust, your cooperation and support. But most of all thank you for your faith that has inspired me and gives me the courage to serve the Church as a priest. I hope you will welcome your new pastor, Fr. Jerry Jacob, with warmth and charity and a true spirit of openness. He s a talented young man who will lead St. Mary into the future with confidence and faith. Trust him. Work with him. Pray for him. I will continue to serve as the local Dean which includes St. Mary of the Annunciation under my wing. I will also continue to exercise some responsibility for spiritual formation and mission in our Catholic Consortium of Lake County. In my new role as the Cardinal s Delegate for Parish Transformation, I will have the unique opportunity of overseeing St. Mary s participation in Parish Transformation, which will be one of Fr. Jacob s first responsibilities as he leads St. Mary into the future. I hope you will consider participating in Parish Transformation so that St. Mary can gain the most out of the process. I m not very good at saying good-bye because I can choke up quite easily and the words get lost. So if you don t hear me say the words I want to say, accept this humble last pastor s column as a testimony of my love for you and a heart full of gratitude. I wish I could write a note to each of you because you all have been a unique gift to me. Alas, taking the words of St. Paul in today s second reading to heart, I can only say, The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4: 17-18). With love and prayers for your good health and happiness, Fr. Ron Lewinski Fr. Ron s new addresses: St. Theresa Parish 455 N. Benton Palatine, IL Parish Transformation Archdiocese of Chicago Archbishop Quigley Center 835 N. Rush Street Chicago, IL 60611

4 Eucharistic Adoration in the Jubilee Year For the Well-being and Mission of the Parish Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Friday, July 11, 2014 The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration on Friday, June 27, 2014, after the 8:00am Mass continuing until 10:00 PM. Please note the benediction time. Adoration takes place in the Eucharistic Chapel. Stop at the books shelves by the West Chapel door and pick up meditations and spiritual books. All are welcome. The sign-up book is in the narthex. If you sign up and at the last minute cannot be there, please call the church office or Gretchen O Connor so we may reschedule and always have an adorer present during adoration. Even if you did not sign-up, stop and visit with our Lord. Stop in the Narthex and Chapel during adoration to enjoy the gifts of Eucharistic art and prayer the 4th graders of St. Mary's School have made for adoration. Emma s Prayer Most wonderful of all miracles, Have mercy on us. You died on the cross to save us from our sins. Have mercy on us. By dying on the cross You have saved the world. Amen. Seeking Funeral Ushers A sign of hospitality of a parish Our parish would like to expand our roster of funeral ushers. Duties are straightforward: ushers stand in the narthex before the funeral and are available to answer questions or guide persons to restrooms or drinking fountain; they light the altar candles and the charcoal for the incense; and they guide the flow of the Communion procession. One of the most appreciated aspects of ushering is the simplest of all: being present to visitors. We have often received compliments on how comforting it was to have lay ministers present both as witnesses to our Catholic faith and as representatives of our parish family, helping the grieving family return their deceased loved one back to the Lord. Funerals usually take place in the late morning, 10:00 or 11:00 AM, weekdays or Saturdays. One need not be available all days. Both women and men may be ushers. Interested persons should contact Fred Vipond at the parish office or via fvipond@stmota.org. St. Mary Seniors The next meeting and luncheon will be at 11:30AM on Monday, July 7, 2014 at the Lake House in Saddlebrook. The cost for members lunch is $6.00 and nonmembers $ Lunch will be served at 12:30pm. If you have any questions, please call Joyce Ladewig at Commemorative Parish History Books The commemorative Sesquicentennial parish history is now available in the parish office during normal business hours. "Nothing is Impossible with God: the Story of St. Mary of the Annunciation, Fremont Center, Illinois" commemorates our rich history and spiritual heritage from the very beginning of the Catholic community in Fremont Center to the events of our Sesquicentennial year. The richly illustrated narrative honors the faithful witness of generations and the abundant blessings our parish has enjoyed over the past 150 years and should inspire us to make our own contribution to the proud history of our parish and be faithful stewards of the sacred inheritance we have received from our ancestors in Christ. Available at the parish office, $ For anyone interested in a more extensive chronology of key events in the history of the parish and Fremont Center with a particular focus on the German families who pioneered the parish, "The Chronicle of St. Mary of the Annunciation" is also available. This exhaustively-researched volume features never-before-seen excerpts from the correspondence of early parishioners, land maps, newspaper clippings, photos and more and is available on a print-on-demand basis at: Both of these attractive volumes are a great addition to any parishioner s library and also make great gifts! Both books are brought to you by the Sesquicentennial History Committee. Happy reading! Living God s Word We believe that the fraternal love, faith, and work of these saints who died for Christ's church will not be in vain. The God who was faithful to them will be faithful to the church they loved, and preserve the faith and unity they worked so tirelessly to maintain. Copyright (c) 2012, World Library Publications. All rights reserved.

5 St. Mary of the Annunciation School Offers a Variety of Preschool Options: 4 Year Olds 3 days/week (MWF) Full or Half day 5 days/week (M-F) Full or Half day 3 Year Olds 2 days/week (TTh) Full or Half day 5 days/week (M-F) Full day Enroll now (847) or visit for more information. Consortium Seeks Participants in Forming Board of Specified Jurisdiction The Catholic Consortium of Lake County (CCLC) comprises three schools and three parishes: the schools are Frassati Catholic Academy, St. Mary of the Annunciation, and Transfiguration; the parishes are Santa Maria del Popolo, St. Mary of the Annunciation, and Transfiguration. A Board of Specified Jurisdiction is being developed for the CCLC to help with governance, specifically in the areas of: FINANCE AND FACILITIES, MARKETING AND ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, and ADVANCEMENT/FUNDRAISING. Participants are sought who bring experience in the above listed areas. The application form (2 pages), together with explanatory materials about the board, are available on the websites of the three schools and can also be accessed by using the following link: Vacation Bible School a Tropical Success! Diantha Hall was turned into a tropical paradise for this summer s Vacation Bible School, SonTreasure Island. Dozens of children learned more about Jesus in fun and vibrant ways. Here they get into the spirit of the week with song and movement. Many thanks to the volunteers who made VBS a grand success. Walk With Us in the Mundelein Days Parade! Our Sesquicentennial float is ready to roll and we need everybody to walk with it in the Mundelein Community Days parade on July 6. Come join our parish family as we share our pride of 150 years of faith in Mundelein! All ages welcome! Sunday, July 6 Wear blue, white and/or gold (our sesquicentennial colors) and comfortable shoes 1:00 PM find St. Mary s float in the line up on Hawley Ave. 2:00 PM parade begins, travels west on Hawley 2:30 PM parade concludes at Mundelein High School APPLICATIONS ARE TO BE RETURNED BY JULY 7, TO: Sister Judith Murphy, OSB jumurphy@archchicago.org or Office of Catholic Schools, P.O. Box 1979, Chicago, IL During our Sesquicentennial year the History Committee presents weekly selections from the treasure chest of our precious past. WEDDING BANNS Tamara Ravenscraft & Zachary Wolniak III Father George J. Stier guided the Pprish through three years of the Great Depression. To a large extent he was concerned with the financial burdens incurred before his appointment. Because of economic conditions it was almost impossible to do much to lower the church debt, and only minor and absolutely necessary repairs were made. On one occasion, he remarked to one of the congregation that he was becoming bald headed thinking about them.

6 cribes the Fr. Ron des q Fr. Ron Epiph pr tries to the anies tapes during a students s n o ti s ue school M eschool clas s ass The preschooler The presc h s learn about Zacc haeus and St. Pe regrine ool class w it h Fr. Ron and their teachers Fr. Ron, Thank you for 18 years of dedication, support, and love for St. Mary School! We will miss you, but will carry on the mission and love of Christ you taught us. We wish you all the best! St. Mary of the Annunciation School Students, Faculty and Staff Fr. Ron teac he The entire student body participated in Spartan Sports Day. s First Grade students ab out Baptism

7 Another Reason to Choose St. Mary School and Frassati Catholic Academy 100% 50% 0% 2013 Terra Nova: Archdiocese of Chicago Reading Language Math Science Social Studies National Average 3rd Grade 5th Grade 7th Grade All students in Archdiocese of Chicago Elementary Schools take Terra Nova Standardized Tests, developed by CTB/ McGraw Hill, in the spring of their 3rd, 5th, and 7th grade years. Millions of other students across the country take the same tests and, by comparing their scores, a national norm is established, which indicates the progress that students at different grade levels are making. This national norm is set at 50. Scores above 50 indicate that students are progressing more rapidly than the norm; scores below 50 indicate that they are progressing less rapidly. A score that is 7 or more points higher than the norm shows a significant difference in progress. As the graph above illustrates, students in Archdiocesan schools progressed at a significantly higher rate than the norm of all schools, and their scores generally continued to increase as they moved through the grades. Individual schools have their own scores and can share them with families who are interested. A Frequently Asked Question: Families often ask us why we don t use the same tests as the public schools in Illinois. They would like to be able to see test scores as an apples-to-apples comparison. We would like that as well and we have asked the Illinois State Board of Education to allow us to take the same tests they administer to public school students. So far, they have refused to let us do so. But we will continue to work toward that goal. Information provided by the Office of Catholic Schools St. Mary of the Annunciation Grief Support for Adults he program is open to adult men and women who have suffered the loss of a friend or relative through death. It will be run by archdiocesan trained facilitators who can help you in your own journey of life without your loved one. Please call to register or just come to see what this ministry offers. This will also be your chance to ask questions and get a registration form. If you are unable to attend, forms will also be in the office or you can fill one out at our first meeting. Our next grief support group will gather in the Hospitality Room on the following Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon: July 12th, and July 26th. You may also contact Betty Steiner at or blsteiner6@aol.com. Featured CD for June Born Again? Faith Alone? by Stephen Ray In one of his most focused talks to date, Stephen Ray discusses salvation, the authentic biblical understanding of being "born again," and how we are saved by faith, but not "faith alone." With great humor and doctrinal depth, he goes all the way back to Abraham to show that we are saved by faith and obedience to all that Christ demands of us. Feature CDs can be found at the wooden kiosk in the narthex. Please remember a $3 donation per CD is suggested to allow the parish to continue the program and offer new material. Feast Day of Mary The Immaculate Heart of Mary Please join us after the 8:00 AM, Monday, June 30th as we recite the rosary in the Eucharistic Chapel. Pray the Daily Rosary Please join other parishioners in the Eucharistic Chapel following the 8:00 AM Mass Monday through Thursday. Don t miss out! Register today, The Divine Mercy Novena & Chaplet The Divine Mercy Novena & Chaplet is prayed on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month, immediately following the 8:00 AM Mass in the Eucharistic Chapel. The Family Rosary Join us for Family Rosary Saturday Devotion, requested by Our Lady of Fatima, every First Saturday of the month at 4:30 PM.

8 Consider Online Electronic Giving As we approach the summer vacation season, you may wish to consider signing up for online electronic giving to ensure that your support for the parish continues uninterrupted despite trips and weekend getaways you may have planned. Scheduling your gifts to occur automatically (via your credit card or through direct debit from your checking or savings account) means that, amidst all of the other activities of summer life, you won t have to remember to catch up for those Sundays when you ve been away. The steady income also helps the parish to efficiently manage our financial affairs. To set up your electronic donations, please visit the St. Mary parish website. On the Welcome tab, click on the Stewardship/Donations link. From the Stewardship page, click on the Donate Now button and follow the online instructions. If you do not have internet access but would like to set up electronic giving, simply complete a sign-up form and we will set up your online account for you. Forms can be obtained from the Parish Office. Your financial gifts help us continue our ministries as a faith community and enable us to function as a parish 365 days a year. We are deeply grateful for every gift that is shared because each gift is critical to carrying on the mission Christ has entrusted to us. Thank you for all that you share with our parish family! Semi-Retired? Retired? Eager to give something back? The Ignatian Volunteer Corps may be for You! Members of this Catholic service program volunteer in materially poor and disenfranchised communities 2 days per week, September to June, and grow deeper in their Christian faith through a program of reflection and prayer. IVC members meet monthly with other IVC members to share their experiences in faith and service. Each IVC volunteer is paired with a spiritual reflector in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. IVC members serve as elementary and high school tutors, employment counselors, food pantry volunteers, elderly companions, hospital and prison ministry and much more! You must be 50 and older to apply; there is no upper age limit. Donors Needed! Help Hungry Children of Waukegan this Summer Seventy eight percent of children in Waukegan rely on free or reduced lunches throughout the school year. When summer comes, these children loose up to 10 meals per week. Help feed these hungry kids this summer by sponsoring a child at the BEA- CON PLACE LUNCH BUNCH AND BACKPACK PROGRAM! Each donation of $75 will sponsor one child for the 9 week lunch, day camp and backpack program. Children will enjoy a nutritious meal and stay for games, crafts, sports, water fun and more and every Thursday they will receive a backpack of food to take home for the weekend. Last year more than 450 different children attended these programs and were served nearly 3,000 lunches and left with backpacks filled with more than 12,000 meals. Many children in this community continue to go hungry and we expect the demand to be even higher in 2014 for these important programs. Please help us, feed hungry kids! Donations may be sent to: BEACON PLACE 603 S. McAlister Waukegan, IL Questions or want to volunteer? Through the support of our advertisers this bulletin is provided for our parish at no charge. Please patronize our advertisers. Come Experience Making a Difference with the Ignatian Volunteer Corps! Register for an Information Session at 2pm on Thursday, July 10 at Old St. Mary s Parish Center, 1500 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago. Please contact Jacqueline Fitzgerald at or jfitzgerald@ivcusa.org.

9 Mass Saturday 5:00 PM Sunday 7:30 AM 9:30 AM 11:30 AM Weekday Monday Friday 8:00 AM PARISH NUMBER Parish Emergency After Hours Parish Staff Rev. Ronald J. Lewinski Ext. 213 Pastor, Dean, Vicariate I-A Rev. Nate Payne Ext. 212 Associate Pastor Deacons Mike O Malley, Gary Kupsak Robert Poletto, Mike Alandy Mr. Fred Vipond Ext. 216 Director of Music & Liturgy Ms. Patricia Strang Ext. 310 Principal, St. Mary School Dr. Diane Vida Principal, Frassati Academy Ms. Sue Matousek Ext. 218 Director of Religious Education Mr. Ryan Rehkamp Ext. 230 Coordinator of Youth Ministry Mr. Howard Fischer Ext. 215 Director of Parish Operations Ms. Penny Elwood Ext. 217 Bookkeeper/Accountant Ms. Victoria Hansen Ext. 200 Administrative Assistant Mr. Richard Plage Ext. 210 Mr. William Zerwer Maintenance Trisha Zubert School Board President Rev. James Presta Weekend Associate W. Erhart Road Mundelein, Illinois parish@stmota.org Parish Fax number Pre K-5 School: Frassati Catholic Academy (Grades 6 8) Religious Education Program (REP) Emergency Number Parish Office Hours Monday Friday 8:30AM 4:00PM Sacrament of Penance Baptisms Adult Initiation Marriage Ministry of Care New parishioners Saturdays 4:00 4:40 PM, and by appointment Ordinarily during the Mass on the 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month and after the Mass on the other Sundays, outside of Lent. Parents are required to participate in a Baptismal Preparation class before scheduling a Baptism. Adults who wish to become Roman Catholics are enrolled in a formation process that includes prayer, dialogue, instruction, and introduction to the Church s life and values, rituals and tradition. Call the parish office for more information. St. Mary Parish rejoices with parishioners who are preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony. The Church requires at least four months time before the marriage for adequate preparation. A parish wedding information packet is available at the parish office. Ministers of Care visit the homes of the sick, homebound, or hospitalized and bring Holy Communion to them. Call the parish office when a pastoral visit is desired. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is administered by the parish priest upon request. We welcome new members who wish to worship with us and support the parish s work and mission. Please call the parish office to schedule a time to register. A complete listing of parish services and organizations is available at the parish office.