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

2 Reuben the red mouse (all rights reserved) A frosty wind moaned through the bare crooked trees making Reuben s teeth chatter. Earlier the snow gently floated down, but now, blown by a strong wind, the snow stung the face. There d be some pretty high drifts thanks to this storm. Such a night! It s not fit for man nor mouse, Reuben muttered. He scurried back into the barn, grateful for a warm home out of the winter wind. The barn was no palace. The beams creaked and the wind whistled through small chinks in the walls. But the animals kept things warm and the straw was clean. Sweet smelling hay brought in to feed the animals scented the air throughout the whole place. Despite the whistling wind and creaking beams, it was quiet and cozy here, especially under the floor boards covering the root cellar where another mouse, Yoshi, shared a home with Reuben - Reuben the red mouse. When he was just a baby mouse Reuben nearly drowned when he fell into a vat of pickled beets. Though he survived, his fur had been dyed red from the beets and it never came out. None of the cats bothered Ruben because they weren t quite sure what he was. Mice just don t come in the color red. Except Reuben, of course. Ruben and Yoshi shared a small but comfortable little place, nice and snug. Ruben was looking forward to a long night s sleep with visions of the good things to come. Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights, was coming. That meant parties in the main house with lots of food dropped from the tables or left out until morning. Hanukkah would be a fun time with merry adults and giggling children scurrying around the house hunting for the hidden treats. And with this wind and snow, thought Reuben, we could use some fun. Ruben prepared his bed and changed into his night shirt and cap. After a long sleepy yawn and with eyes half closed, he blew out the candle and nestled in for the night. He hadn t been asleep long when a great stirring came from above. The barn door banged open to the blowing snow. Thumping of hooves and the muffled sounds of humans could be heard. So what s with all the noise at this time of night?!?! fussed the little mouse. How s a body to get any rest with such a racket? He could make out the voices of two men now in the far corner of the barn. They seemed to be moving lots of straw. There was another voice, a woman s voice. And the woman she didn t sound so good. Then, one of the men left, shutting the barn door. Soon the light upstairs went out and quiet once again descended on the rickety old barn. But not for long. (to be continued next week) ***************************************** Kudos to all who helped make this year s Giving Tree a great success! Your kindness has touched many lives and your actions have let all of us see a glimpse of Emanuel, God with us. I especially commend those who took tags for the adults, particularly the older adults. Buying for kids can be fun; shopping for an adult is a chore. However, I think those adult tags are doubly blessed just because of that. I believe these are the folks Jesus himself would take care of first. God bless you all and may he give to you as you have given to those in need. Fr. Denis Page 2

3 Monday, December 19 6:30p.m. Boy Scouts-C 6:30p.m. Play Pract.-PC/M Tuesday, December 20 6:30p.m. Bereavement-M 7:00p.m. Barb Wednesday, December 21 2:15p.m. Child. Choir-CH 2:45p.m. Christmas Program/PC Thursday, December 22 No Activities Friday, December 23 2:45p.m. Girl Scouts-M Saturday, December 24 No Activities Sunday, December 25 Merry Christmas 6:00p.m. Beds-C 8:00 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous-R Sacrament of Reconciliation Communal Reconciliation Service St. Barbara s Parish Tuesday, December 20, 7:00 p.m. Christmas Masses Saturday, December 24, Christmas Eve 3:45 p.m. Mass 5:30 p.m. Family Mass Children s Choir at 5:15 p.m. 10:30 p.m., Carols at 10:00 p.m. Sunday, December 25,Christmas Day 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. SUMMONED BY GOD As Christmas draws near, Advent s scriptures lure us into a world of dreams, signs, wonders, and the miracle of the virgin birth. Too often we allow the great stories of our faith, the ones that are most familiar, simply to wash over us. Today s Gospel account of the events leading up to the birth of the Lord reads like a present-day soap opera. Yet Joseph s courage, even in the midst of what must have been an incredibly confusing time, provides a model for us. Each week, we are summoned by God to embrace the way of goodness and truth through the proclamation of God s holy word. Like Joseph, we are called to do as the Lord commands us. As we stand at the threshold of Christmas, let us have the courage to be open to whatever it is that the Lord will require of us as we celebrate the miracle of Bethlehem. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co., Inc. In your prayer life, forget about thinking of Jesus as a baby. He lives now, glorious and powerful. Pray that the Father will send him to us again, that Christ the risen Lord will rule our lives, that God will be all in all. That s what Advent means. And that s what happens in the Eucharist, from age to age, from the rising to the setting of the sun. Parish Liturgy Magazine New Year s Eve & New Year s Day Saturday December 31-5:00 p.m. Sunday, January 1, :30 & 11 a.m. CAN YOU SPARE AN HOUR? In addition to Wednesday evenings, we would like to have Adoration on Tuesdays, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. While people can come and visit Jesus from a few minutes to several hours, at least one person has to be with Him at all times. Can you be that person? It can be once a week, twice a month, or even once a month. If you are willing, contact Marianne at or jmjswon@yahoo.com Page 3

4 TREASURES FROM OUR TRADITION By now, the first Christmas carols are heard in the home, but usually not yet in church. What is a carol anyway? Originally, a carol was any kind of communal song sung at a festival such as a harvest. By the thirteenth century or so, carols were associated with household celebrations. Carol comes from the Old French carula, meaning a circular dance. Carols weren t for church, since the language of liturgy was Latin and the carols were in the common language. Their characteristic sound comes from medieval chord patterns, and they often have strong refrains for everyone to sing. Even in the churches of the Reformation, carols didn t make it into church services until the 1870s or so, since there was a preference for psalms. Anglicans resisted popular carols; most of our beloved carols came via the Methodists, an offshoot of the Church of England. The Catholic Church generally didn t admit carols to liturgy either, but we didn t make laws against them. We are told that the beloved carol Silent Night comes from Catholic Austria and a harried parish music director. Joseph Mohr, the priest of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, had written the words in 1816, but offered them to his music director, Franz Gruber, when the church s organ broke. Mohr asked him to write a melody that could be played on guitar as a prelude to Mass. Gruber finished the tune just hours before midnight Mass in The people were shocked to hear a guitar in church, but were charmed by the sweet lullaby. The church was swept away by a flood in the 1990s and the village later relocated, but the townspeople have set up the Silent Night Memorial Chapel at the site. Today the carol is in print in some three hundred languages. How wonderful that the pipe organ broke on that night! Rev. James Field, Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. BREAKFAST WITH SANTA THANKS There are many thanks to be given for the marvelous success of the Breakfast with Santa. It was a great start to the holiday season! To all who attended, thank you for your support-we hope you enjoyed the morning! To Santa and Mrs. Claus, thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to visit with the families of St. Louise. To the Men s Club chefs, thank you for preparing the delicious pancake breakfast. To the Girl Scout and ASP teen helpers, thank you for all your work in the craft corner and serving the meal. And to all the ladies of the CWO who provided prizes and worked in various capacities planning or during the event, thank you for the gift of your time, talents and treasures. We wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas! Kate Brennan and Sue Buckley, Co-chairs. Father Henry s Review Dear Parishioners, As you may know, I have been participating in an annual review from the Archdiocese: 360 Catholic Leadership review. Part of the review, the Parish-wide survey, has not yet received enough responses to obtain a valid score. So I ask again, if you have not taken the survey, please participate now. The survey is easily accessed by going to the Archdiocese s web page, (Archchicago.org) and clicking on Departments on the upper left of the page, then scrolling to Ministerial Evaluation to access our web page. There, in the middle of the page, find 360 Catholic Leadership review for priests and click on your appropriate language. Finally, follow the instructions for anonymous participation. You may also access the Parish wide survey by smart phone. Thank you. Father Henry Advent Reconciliation Prepare your heart and soul for Christmas by receiving the gift of forgiveness. Our Advent Reconciliation service is Tuesday, December 20, 7:00p.m., at St. Barbara s Parish. One Cry awakened the earth. One Birth changed history. One Life made a difference. Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time. Laura Ingalls Wilder Page 4

5 High School Teen Club: There will be Teen Club from 7:30-10p.m. on Friday, December 30. Must have current high school ID and a contact form signed by a parent. Contact info available online at slmteenclub.weebly. Com. Christmas Lock-In: There will be a lock-in for youth in grades 7-12 on Wednesday night, December 28. Permission forms available at the rectory or the bulletin rack church entrance near the baptismal font, or from Karyn Zick Miller, Cost is $10. Fee and permission form due by December 23. Teen Choir: If you would like to sing with the Teen Choir for the Christmas Eve Mass, contact Karyn Zick Miller. We rehearse on Saturday, December 17, at 10:15 a.m. followed by rehearsal with the Children s Choir and pizza from Anyone in high school or college welcome. Coming Attraction: Chicago Wolves Faith and Fellowship Night, Saturday, February 5. Watch for more information. PARISH OFFICE CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE Open Saturday, December 24, 8:00 to Noon Closed Sunday, December 25 Closed Monday, December 26 Wishing you a blessed and holy Christmas. CHRISTMAS CHILDREN It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas. Charles Dickens Page 5

6 December Monday 8:30- Marian Robles Tuesday 8:30- Otto Weiler Wednesday 8:30- Walter & Esther Bednarz Thursday 8:30- Michael Czubik Friday, St. John of Kanty 8:30- A.J. Graf, Loretta Kaderabek, Phillip Kuharchuk Saturday 3:45-Wrobel & Bukowski Fams., Joseph & Elizabeth Smuda, Scott Richardson, Don Siuda 5:30-Carol Agrimonti, Barbara Matusiak, Rose Baumann, Gary Linka, Fritz Rochowiak 10:30-Kevin Reynolds, Julie Bates, Drew Myslicki Sunday 9:00-Otto & Rose Spevak, Donald Goldthwaite, Leslie Russ, Sr., Leonard & Mary Jakubowski 11:00-Edward & Irene Kasper, Eugene & Marie Chadwick, Jo Ann Immekus, Sukola & Zalac Fams. Altar Servers Mon.,Wed., Fri., Dec. 19, 21, 23 8:30 - N. Spielman, J. Steger Tues., Thurs., Dec. 20, 22 8:30 - see schedule Sat., Dec. 24 3:45-N. Spielman 5:30 - D. Hanson, M. Hanson, J. Thomas 10:30- A. Sylvie, Z. Mazurkiewicz Sun., Dec. 25 9:00 - see schedule 11:00 - see schedule Presiders December 24 December 25 3:45-Fr. Denis 9:00 - Fr. Henry 5:30 -Fr. Henry 11:00-Fr. Denis/Dcn. Dave 10:30-Fr. Henry Readers December 24 December 25 3:45-D.DeSantos 9:00-M. Koutek 5:30-tbd 11:00-M. Miller 10:30-S. Young Eucharistic Ministers Christmas Eve 3:45 - M.Sinde, S.Buckley, M. Gyorke, C. Korabik B. Kraus, B. Koll, E. Siuda, J. Skowronski, P. Thorburn 5:30-M.&P. Golden, S. Czarnik, P. Hammerschmitt, T. Hilger, J. Hanson, K. Krajniak, T. Nedvar, C. Sherman 10:30-C.&L. Lemkau, G.&M. Sapp, S. Cipolletta, D. Parcel, M. Gibson, A. Janacek Christmas Day 9:00 - L. Korenchan, M&B. Garvey, P. Cavaliere, J. Discipio, L. Mate, A. Porras, G. Witkowski 11:00 - M. Miller, S. Lifka, Jo.&Ja. Gaske, R. Kappeler, J. Lisiecki, W. Lisiecki, R.&L. Valdez, Deacon Dave For Unto Us a Child is Born Unto Us a Savior is Given Due to the early bulletin printing schedule, offertory collection totals are not available at this time. Page 6

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