WELCOME FR. MICHAEL AHLSTROM OUR NEW PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

Transcription

1 WELCOME FR. MICHAEL AHLSTROM OUR NEW PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

2 A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR Dear Parishioners and Friends of Divine Infant Jesus Parish, I am Father Michael Ahlstrom, your new priest. Cardinal Cupich has appointed me to be your parish administrator until he is able to assign a permanent pastor. Let me tell you a little about me. I was ordained for the Archdiocese in 1969, the year before Father Winikate s ordination. I served as an associate pastor at St. Bernadette in Evergreen Park, St. Gertrude in Franklin Park, Mary Seat of Wisdom in Park Ridge, and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Chicago. In 1989 I was appointed pastor of St. Colette in Rolling Meadows. In 2003 Cardinal George appointed me as his vicar for the Diaconate Community of the Archdiocese, the largest in the world. He also assigned me as a resident priest at St. Barbara in Brookfield. In 2013, I became a senior priest after my 71 st birthday. Two weeks after my retirement party, I was asked to go to St. Benedict in Blue Island as administrator until their new pastor was released as an army chaplain. I came back to St. Barbara five months later. In 2014 I was asked to assist at Our Lady of Mercy on the northwest side of Chicago. I helped there for six months. In 2015 I was asked to be administrator at St. Nicholas Parish in Evanston. I spent one year there. I never viewed retirement as being free of priesthood. Rather I retired from a long-term assignment with all the added responsibilities that entails. As long as I am healthy and able to be of assistance, that is what I want to do. I love being a priest. I am glad to be relieved of long term responsibilities. My life is like a series of surprises God has in store for me. I do believe Holy Spirit is guiding my life. He wants me here with you at Divine Infant. When a new pastor is appointed to Divine Infant, I plan to return as priest in residence to St. Barbara. Because there is currently no place for me to move into, I will continue to stay at St. Barbara Parish House. Divine Infant rectory has a small guest room where I can stay when I have an early Mass. Otherwise I will commute. It is only a 12 minute drive. But be assured you will have 100% of my heart and energy devoted to you at Divine Infant. As I said in my inaugural homily, I see my mission to bring you some healing after your pastor s being removed so suddenly and unexpectedly. I want to help you prepare for a permanent pastor. As administrator, I will not be making any major changes or spending large sums of money. My role is pastoral. I love being a priest and I want to help you spiritually to be a vibrant parish. Besides your personal support, I especially need your prayers. I want to do God s work for you. I need his help. I also ask you to pray for Father Wanda and all involved in his life. We all live under the banner of Jesus. He is our Lord and Savior. He is everything. God bless you always! Peace and love always, Father Michael Ahlstrom HOLY HOUR THIS FRIDAY There will be a Holy Hour this Friday, April 7, at 7:30pm in the Church. Please join us in prayer. THE CROWN FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT April 2, 2017 EARLY BULLETIN SCHEDULE Articles for the April 16th bulletin must be in the office by Thursday, April 6th. Articles for the April 23rd bulletin must be in the office by Wednesday, April 12th.

3 THREE-PARISH LENTEN MISSION Tuesday, April 4, 7 p.m. St. Louise de Marillac 1144 Harrison Ave., LaGrange Park Deacon Allen Tatara: How to Listen for God s Voice in an EarBud Wearing World All are welcome. Come and join us. TO FR. MICHAEL We are all shocked and saddened by the recent events at Divine Infant Parish. Fr. Michael was a good priest and a good pastor during the almost 9 years he was here. He touched many lives by his ministry. If you would like to write him a note of appreciation and support, you are encouraged to do so. We cannot give you his address, but if you send or deliver it to the rectory, we will assure you that he will receive it. It would mean a lot to him to know of your appreciation and support. Thank you. Fr. Tom CALLED TO HEAL A few years back I introduced myself to Divine Infant Parish as your parish nurse. I also talked a bit about Healing Touch and I had the honor of performing Healing Touch on many of the parishioners at DI. Although some may think that Healing Touch is nonsense, it is actually well documented in many research articles that Healing Touch decreases pain perception, anxiety, depression, stress levels, etc. The Healthcare field is recognizing the positive effects of this complementary form of medicine. We all have the ability to do Healing Touch. It is all about setting an intention it is about the power of intentional prayer. With the recent news of our Pastor, I feel the need for all of us to gather in prayer. At this difficult time, we are all in need of healing. We can each send long distance healing to one another and to our Pastor with the intention for healing to take place in body, mind and spirit. We can all be God s healing grace (in the form of divine energy) and send intentions of healing, compassion and love to Fr. Michael and ourselves. We are all sinners. We all have our short-comings. More importantly, we are all human beings that struggle with life. There are no exceptions to the rule. So, please place your hands together in prayer. Perhaps you can place a crucifix in the palm of your hands. Set an intention for healing to be sent to our parish and to our Pastor. It is as simple as that It is a prayer in action! I will also be placing a white ribbon around my tree as a symbol of solidarity with Fr. Michael and DI. For me, the white represents re-birth. It represents resurrection. As the Easter Triduum approaches, let us all prepare ourselves for transformation. Let us remember that we are a people of compassion and forgiveness. My prayer is that Fr. Michael will feel our love and prayers at the Vigil during the Holy Night of Easter. Heal me Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. Jeremiah 17:14 Blessings, Jeannette Barczak Parish Nurse

4 LENTEN CALENDAR 2017 Please note the following opportunities for prayer and growth during this Holy Lenten season. April 1-2: Fifth Sunday of Lent Donations for St. Vincent de Paul: see article April 4, Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Three-parish Lenten Mission St. Louise de Marillac Church, LaGrange Park April 7, Friday 1:30 p.m. Living Stations of the Cross in Church presented by Divine Infant 8th grade students. 7:30 p.m. Monthly Holy Hour in Church April 8-9: Palm Sunday Donations for St. Vincent de Paul: see article April 11, Tuesday 6:30 p.m. Living Stations of the Cross in Church presented by Divine Infant 8th grade students. STEWARDSHIP FOR LENT HELPING ST. VINCENT DE PAUL The Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday describes the traditional three-part Lenten exercise: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Jesus instructs his followers to turn to God, to turn from self-interest and to deepen their relationship with the Lord in secret. He tells them in effect that a humble and quiet pattern of prayer, self-denial and reaching out to others is transforming and leads to a favorable outcome. What is our plan to turn ever closer to God in this Lenten season? Are we prepared to treat this season as a time to deepen our own relationship with the One who redeemed us? It has been a tradition at Divine Infant Jesus Parish to donate food, paper and cleaning products, and personal products to our St. Vincent de Paul society to distribute to members of our community in need. Below are specified items that may be donated during each week of Lent. These are merely suggestions and any food product, etc., is welcome at any time. Monetary donations are always appreciated as they are used to purchase gift cards and for emergencies. Our faith is reflected most strongly in our actions to help the most vulnerable, especially those who hunger. May God continue to bless your generous hearts. THE SACRED PASCHAL TRIDUUM April 13: Holy Thursday 8:00 a.m. Liturgy of the Hours: Lauds in Church 7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord s Supper 10:50 p.m. Compline (Night Prayer) April 14: Good Friday 8:00 a.m. Liturgy of the Hours: Lauds in Church 3:00 p.m. The Passion of the Lord 7:00 p.m. Solemn Stations of the Cross and Veneration of the Cross April 15: Holy Saturday 8:00 a.m. Liturgy of the Hours: Lauds in Church 1:00 p.m. Blessing of the First Foods of Easter 8:00 p.m. The Easter Vigil in The Holy Night April 16: Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord Masses at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Weekend of April 8-9: Pasta such as spaghetti, penne, etc., creamettes, mac and cheese; hand sanitizer, bandaids, antiseptic cream, etc. The shelves are particularly low on pasta sauces and toiletries.

5 April 2017 Dear Divine Infant Jesus Families and Friends, Our 26 th Annual Raffle Party and Silent Auction Fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. in Langan Hall. Our event will feature a live game show, karaoke, photo booth, open bar, sweets table and a Silent Auction featuring projects made by our pre-school through 8 th grade students. Our goal is to raise $40,000 that will be used to add to our Langan Scholarship Fund. In order to offset some of the cost of the event and allowing the funds raised to be used as intended, we are seeking sponsorships from local businesses and individuals such as yourself. By contributing to this annual event you ll be supporting Divine Infant Jesus School and helping us provide a quality Catholic education to our children. We ask that you will consider a sponsorship donation of $100 (Gold Level), $50 (Silver Level) or $25 (Bronze Level). Your sponsorship will be recognized in many ways including our ad book that will be distributed the night of the event. We hope that we can count on your help to support Divine Infant Jesus School. You will be contacted in the next several days. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please feel free to me. Thanks in advance for your consideration! Sincerely, Cathy Kuratko School Advisory Board ckuratko@comcast.net RESOURCE CENTER Looking to babysit your child/ren - full or parttime. Please call Galina WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Don t miss out on the upcoming enrichment for married couples and religious on April 7-9, 2017 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Elk Grove Village, IL. The enrichment begins with a private weekend experience including 11 presentations about practical tools for growing in loving relationships, and provides ongoing enrichments after the weekend from the Worldwide Marriage Encounter community. For information on applying, please go to wwmechicagoland.org

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7 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, 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 deepseeded 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. RELIGIOUS RETIREMENT Dear Pastor, Staff and Parishioners, On behalf of retired religious in the Archdiocese and across the nation, I extend my deepest gratitude to all of you who supported the Retirement Fund for Religious appeal in your parish in December. As of March 15, the fund has received $1,043, from 297 parishes and missions in the Archdiocese of Chicago. This is a wonderful tribute to the women and men who have served in your parish or impacted your lives in some way over the years. I join the many retired religious who benefit from your generosity as they remember you in their daily prayers. Your faithful support is received with profound and heartfelt gratitude. As we prepare for the Easter feast, may God s presence bless each of you with a sense of hope and promise. Gratefully, Sister Judith Zonsius, O.S.B. Retirement Fund for Religious Coordinator LOOK Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up. Anonymous JOIN THE MINISTRY OF CONSOLATION Each of us has experienced the loss of a loved one and understands how difficult that journey can be. We all need time to heal and to become whole once again. When a member of Christ s family dies, the Church intercedes, because we believe that death is not the end and our bond with our loved one is not broken. A little help in the form of a letter, article or telephone call can bring great comfort to someone and assure them they are not alone. The Ministry of Consolation is designed to walk along with people who are mourning the death of a loved one. Being a minister to the bereaved is very rewarding and can really help grieving members of our Divine Infant family. There is not a lot of work involved, and you can do this in the comfort of your own home. If you would like to help out in this ministry or want any information, please call Dr. Claudia Dado, Coordinator (708) , ext. 304.

8 LITURGY FOR THE WEEK SATURDAY, April 1 5:00 pm Forgotten souls in purgatory; Joe Ozark; Paul Sutherland; Gloria Onischuk; Nadine Trumbull SUNDAY, April 2 7:30 Jim Wilkin; David Kaiser; Thomas Smith; Gloria Bruno; Rick Yurkovich 9:30 Patricia Larkin 11:30 Lou, Val & Joe Greco; Patricia Grammas; Sandy Kasprzak; People of the Parish MONDAY, April 3 8:00 Mary McLeod; Virginia Wilkin; William C. Bylinski TUESDAY, April 4 8:00 Elmer F. Wujek; Joel Troppito WEDNESDAY, April 5 8:00 Walter & Mary Wanick; Thomas W. Parker; Thomas Smith THURSDAY, April 6 8:00 Laddie Wujek; Rachel Karlson FRIDAY, April 7 8:00 Thomas W. Parker; Dan & Gloria Onischuk (61st wedding anniversary) SATURDAY, April 8 8:00 All the faithful departed 5:00 pm Betty Fedler; Marge Mitchell; Martha Schroth; Joe Ozark; Frank & Lillian Henkel; Mary & Roman Majcen; Intentions of the Virgin Mary; Dee Mulvihill SUNDAY, April 9 7:30 Thomas Smith; Beatrice, Rudolph & Deborah Sandoval; Gloria Bruno; People of the Parish 9:30 Jeanette Namowicz 11:30 Roger Pona; Patricia Grammas; Marcella Sullivan PRAY FOR THE SICK OF THE PARISH Charles Anderson Dorothy Asher Jerry Benesh Arlene Buszkiewicz Carl Celestino, Sr. James J. Fergle Ron Huefner Arlene Kalisiak Fred W. Kirsch Jean Lidzbienski Rena Lizzadro Peter Lullo John Lytle Fran Mockler Johnny Mulligan Janine Nywood Rosemary Padula Dave Peloza Lisa Peloza Kathy Reed Trudy Tetzloff Sue Tracy Jacob Vincent Ceasar Vivo Bridget Walsh Loving God, give strength to all who struggle with illness. Grant them courage when they are afraid and comfort when they are in pain. Because of government regulations, hospitals and nursing homes are no longer allowed to notify us if you are admitted to either facility. If you or a family member would like to be visited in the hospital or nursing home, please call the rectory at If you or a family member are sick or homebound and would like to be added to our prayer list, visited, receive Holy Communion or be anointed, please call the rectory at MAY THEY REST IN PEACE Vince Palermo Geraldine Greco Sharlene Skorniak NEXT WEEKEND S MINISTERS CELEBRANT COMM. MINISTERS MUSIC LECTORS SERVERS SAT. 5:00 G. Pracz Teens S. Stiso J. Calcagno R. Smola SUN. 7:30 J. Saraceno G. Zangara M. Vent A. Natanek SUN. 9:30 M. Meyers Adult Choir w/ M. Lamothe N. Mihel Children s Choir M. Weber SUN. 11:30 V. Husak Strings of Faith A. Duff J. Shimizu w/di Singers J. Lemkau

9 SUNDAY, APRIL 2 CH 12:45 pm Baptismal Prep Class MONDAY, APRIL 3 RE NO Classes TUESDAY, APRIL 4 CH 3:00 pm Chimes PR 7:00 pm School Board Parish Mission 7:00 pm St. Louise de Marillac Church, LaGrange Park WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 CH 4:00 pm Music Dept. THURSDAY, APRIL 6 PR 7:00 pm Scripture Study FRIDAY, APRIL 7 CH 1:30 pm Living Station with DI 8th grade students CH 7:30 pm Holy Hour MONDAY, APRIL 10 RE Classes CR 7:00 pm Liturgy Meeting PR 7:00 pm Athletic Board PLEASE USE GiveCentral.org FOR ALL YOUR DONATIONS Divine Infant Jesus Parish depends on your generosity in order to carry out its ministry of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and teaching and healing in his name. We do not charge for anything. We rely solely on your Sunday and Holy Day donations. To make it easier for you to give your gifts to Divine Infant, we work with GiveCentral.org. When you sign up with GiveCentral.org, you can make all your Sunday, Holy Day, second collection, and every other donation that you make to the parish. Then you never have to use a parish envelope or put anything in the collection basket ever again! Please visit GiveCentral.org to create your personal and secure donations account. Thank you for your generosity! READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, [41c-62]; Ps 23:1-6; Jn 8:1-11 Tuesday: Nm 21:4-9; Ps 102:2-3, 16-21; Jn 8:21-30 Wednesday: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Dn 3:52-56; Jn 8:31-42 Thursday: Gn 17:3-9; Ps 105:4-9: Jn 8:51-59 Friday: Jer 20:10-13; Ps 18:2-7; Jn 10:31-42 Saturday: Ez 37:21-28; Jer 31:10, 11-13; Jn 11:45-56 Sunday: Mt 21:1-11 (procession); Is 50:4-7; Ps 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14 27:66 [27:11-54] PROTECTING CHILDREN At Divine Infant Jesus Parish and School, the protection of our children is of utmost importance, and we comply fully with the policies of the Archdiocese of Chicago and the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. To learn more, go to our website dnn.archchicago.org/divine infant and click on the tab Protecting Children at D.I. or visit archchicago.org and click on the button Protecting Children. If you do not have internet access and would like to learn more, please contact the rectory or call the Office for Protection of Children and Youth at WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE ALL PARISH MAILINGS ELECTRONCIALLY If you would like to receive parish mailings Christmas and Easter letters, statement of annual contributions, and yearly report by , please send an to the parish at d.infant@comcast.net. In the subject line write Parish , and then in the body of the write your name, street address and envelope number if you know it. This will help save the parish money in printing and postage. Thank you! SUNDAY OFFERING March 26, Average weekly expenses $15,655 This week s collection 8,568 Deficit ($ 7,087) When you are away for a weekend, we hope you will remember your offering to Divine Infant. Thank you. WELCOME... We are happy you have chosen to be with us. We hope your experience is warm and welcoming whether you are here to celebrate the Eucharist or spend time in quiet prayer. If you wish to learn more about Divine Infant and/or become a new member of our parish please take an envelope in the back of the Church. The envelope contains information about our parish. If you have any questions, call (708) Welcome to Divine Infant. We look forward to seeing you again!

10 CHARGER FEAST St. Joseph High School proudly presents its 6th Annual ChargerFEAST featuring a ChargerFiesta Cook-Off on Saturday, April 22, 2017! The evening will feature a ChargerFiesta cookoff, games of chance, split-the-pot, silent & special live auction, and more! ChargerFEAST is also home of the 2017 Super Raffle Drawing where $23,500 will be given away in cash prizes! The ChargerFeast event tickets are only $15! Food and drink tickets are available for purchase. Must be 21 or older to attend. All proceeds will be used as financial aid and scholarships for young men and women attending St. Joseph High School ChargerFEAST will take place on the SJHS South Gymnasium, West Cermak Street, Westchester, Illinois from 6:00 pm 12:00 am on April 22, For more information, /call Stephanie Morton, smorton@stjoeshs.org / SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHICAGO 9 th Annual Friends of the Poor Benefit Automobile Raffle Win a Buick Encore Valued at $25,000! $25 Per Ticket Proceeds will benefit the work of St. Vincent de Paul in the Archdiocese and Divine Infant Parish Drawing is Sunday, April 30, 2017 Winner does not need to be present Tickets for the raffle can be purchased on April 8th and 9th after all masses. If you are interested in attending the Benefit, the tickets are $75 per person, After April 17 th, $85 per person. To buy tickets for the raffle or the event contact Sue Cerny (Parishioner) at or Don Smith (Parishioner) at A CHANT ENCOUNTER presented by Edward Lally With Sarah Beatty, Lori Boyer, Ngaire Bull, Sarah Coffman and Katherine Keberlein Experience the musical richness of GREGORIAN CHANT. Discover a world without harmony, meter, timbre or instrumentation where more can be expressed with a single melodic line than with many. Discover the roots of this music, how it came into existence, what people were like who sang it and passed it through the centuries until it became the source of our own music. Hear the chant s fluidity of phrasing where the musical rhythm cleaves to the exigencies of the word. Hear its modal character and subtle emotion tending toward contemplation. Come and be enchanted Admission free 11:00 Saturday, April 8, 2017 St. Edward Church 4350 W. Sunnyside Chicago, IL A DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY INVITATION Visitation Parish 779 S. York Rd Elmhurst, IL Divine Mercy Sunday Prayer Service (April 23, 2017) 1:30 P.M. Confessions Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament Video Explanation of Divine Mercy 3:00 P.M. Gospel reading and Divine Mercy homily Divine Mercy Chaplet, Litany of Divine Mercy, Blessing with the Relic of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska Benediction 4:00 P.M. Holy Sacrifice of the Mass All are Welcome!

11 DIVINE INFANT PARISH NEWCASTLE AND CANTERBURY AVENUES WESTCHESTER, ILLINOIS Like us on Facebook REV. MICHAEL AHLSTROM, Administrator (ext. 203) REV. GERALD JOYCE, Pastor Emeritus (ext. 206) REV. THOMAS WINIKATES, Associate (ext. 204) DEACON JAMES SPONDER (ext. 306) MR. LEONARD GRAMAROSSA, School Principal SR. SUSAN MAJCEN, O.P., Director of Religious Education Website: divineinfant.archchicago.org Rectory: 1601 Newcastle Avenue, Fax number: School: 1640 Newcastle Avenue, & Office of Religious Education: Parish Nurse, Ms. Jeannette Barczak, BSN, HTP, Bereavement Ministry: Dr. Claudia Dado, MAL (ext. 304) Catechumenate: Dr. Claudia Dado, MAL (ext. 304) Music Director: Mrs. Janet Reif, (ext. 302) Assc. Mus. Dir: Mrs. Judy Schindler, or (ext 302) Business Manager: Mr. Jerry Priore, (ext. 209) Rectory Secretary: Mrs. Toni Podock, (ext. 201) SUNDAY MASSES: 7:30, 9:30 & SATURDAY EVENING: 5:00 pm WEEKDAY MASSES: 8:00 am SATURDAY MORNING: 8:00 am HOLY DAY MASSES: 6:30, 8:00, and 7:00 pm SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: (Confession) Saturday: In the Reconciliation Room 4:00 to 4:45 pm or by appointment. BAPTISMS: Baptisms are celebrated on the 2nd & 3rd Sundays of the month at 12:45 pm. By Archdiocesan regulation and parish policy, parents are required to attend a Baptismal Preparation session before the Baptism of their child. These sessions will usually be held on the first Sunday afternoon of the month. Call the secretary at the rectory ( ) to register for the session and schedule the Baptism. D.I.V.M. SERVICES: Communion to the sick, food shopping, necessary transportation, emergency meals, transportation to Mass. Resource information also available. If you need help from any of these services, please let us know as much in advance as possible so the chairpersons can make arrangements and the volunteers arrange their schedules. If you are able to volunteer to help provide these services to our parishioners, we can always use more help. Please call the rectory at WEDDINGS: Couples should contact the rectory and speak to a priest shortly after the engagement, but no less than four months before the desired wedding day. No date should be set (especially in reserving a hall) for your wedding until you have spoken to a priest. In this way, you will not be disappointed if the church has been previously reserved for another ceremony. Please keep in mind the times that are available for weddings at Divine Infant: SATURDAYS 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm WEEKDAYS Any reasonable hour

12 CHURCH NAME & NUMBER Divine Infant #9216 ADDRESS 1601 Newcastle, Westchester, Il PHONE CONTACT PERSON Toni Podock SOFTWARE Microsoft Publisher 2003 Windows XP Professional Adobe Acrobat 6.0 PRINTER HP Laserjet 5P NUMBER OF PAGES SENT Cover through 12 SUNDAY DATE OF BULLETIN April 2, 2017 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS