... whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. ~ Luke 18:14

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1 5 2 8 L a t h r o p A v e n u e R i v e r F o r e s t, I l l i n o i s w w w. s t l u k e p a r i s h. o r g... whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. ~ Luke 18:14 O c t o b e r 2 3, T h i r t i e t h S u n d a y i n O r d i n a r y T i m e

2 MASS INTENTIONS Monday, October 24 - St. Anthony Mary Claret 6:30 am John Spillane 8:00 am Johnny Lattner Tuesday, October 25 6:30 am Louis Doering 8:00 am Mary K. White Wednesday, October 26 6:30 am Bernard and Suzanne Hanley 8:00 am Robert Grimes Thursday, October 27 6:30 am Mrs. Mary P. Finlen 8:00 am Dr. Gregory and Mary K. White Friday, October 28 - Ss. Simon and Jude 6:30 am The Clark and Daley Families 8:00 am Angela Devereux Ebzery Saturday, October 29 8:00 am Elizabeth K. Morgan 5:00 pm James T. Brennan Sunday, October 30 7:30 am The People of St. Luke Parish 9:00 am Jean McCormack Gneuhs 10:30 am Lawrence and Marian Smith 12:00 pm John T. Cusack MINISTERS OF THE LITURGY Monday-Friday, October :00 am Servers E Halfpenny, M Harnett Saturday, October 29 5:00 pm Servers M Keith, M Jacobs, J McAllister Lectors M Aspiras, D Hopkinson Euch Min J Bresnahan, C Madden, T Ogba, A Valenti, D Valenti, J Winikates, L Winikates Sunday, October 30 7:30 am Servers A Vazquez, A Halloran, A Vazquez Lectors J Lynch, T Roche Euch Min J Duszynski, B Halloran, MB Smedinghoff 9:00 am Servers M Hoey, P Hicks, W Hoey Lectors T Graefe, T Hicks Euch Min M Martinez, C Saunders, D Slepicka, K Slepicka, KJ Slepicka, H Slowik, J Slowik 10:30 am Servers M Kappe, E Smith, D Westerman Lectors E Kincanon, J Mannix Euch Min P Brennan, S Brennan, D Kurtenbach, B Nickels, MK Nickels, J O Hara, D Ross 12:00 pm Servers C Dawson, L Lazos, A Lazos Lectors N Brouillette, M Brown Euch Min L Amison, K Frank, M Frank, L Ortiz-Lazos, A Roche 2 Cover Art: This scene of the The Pharisee and the Publican is one of 350 paintings by French artist James Tissot ( ) in the Life of Christ Collection at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL FROM THE PASTOR Having just celebrated our patron saint on October 18, the Feast of St. Luke, and Lukefest last weekend, I feel inspired to focus on this saintly physician, this evangelist, who radically shifted his attention from being a physician of the body to becoming a doctor of the soul. On Tuesday during the St. Luke School Mass, Fr. Steven in his wonderful homily complete with a wonderful visual (ask him to see it) referred to how St. Luke painted a new, most vivid message in his Gospel a message that directs our attention to the poor and those in need of healing. It s a message of profound mercy and compassion about which our world needs to hear again and again. Our Parish Transformation Action Plan, which many devoted parishioners are working on behind the scenes, engages this message and related concerns. Some are looking at ways to make our parish a place of greater welcome and hospitality. This certainly includes our openness to people with disabilities and the aged. The loose chairs at the front of church have been removed, so the first pews, once renovated, will better accommodate open seating for people who require the use of a cane, walker, or wheelchair to get around. Keep in mind, that at all Masses, those requiring assistance should make use of the first pews on the lectern/pulpit side. Holy Communion is brought to those in the first bench, and all Extraordinary Ministers are also trained to be aware of those sitting in this area. In this way we can be more aware of our brothers and sisters who may require assistance from time to time. Other disabilities are internal and we may not observe them unless we pay special attention. Some of us who may appear to be in good health have an invisible affliction or disability we carry within us. Several people, for instance, come to church faithfully week in and week out with spouses or caregivers and cannot hear. Many more cannot see or experience rapid decline in their vision. To this point, I wish to share with you some of my own struggles with vision. Three years ago I was diagnosed with a hereditary degenerative eye disease known as retinitis pigmentosa (R.P.) With this disease, the rod cells on the retina that assist us with night vision and light adaption, black/white vision, and peripheral vision deteriorate. There are no available treatments or therapies at this time for this disease. One only hopes the deterioration is not too rapid. (Continued on page 5)

3 After a hiatus of several years, Lukefest returned on October 15, starting at the 5:00 Mass with a blessing over medical workers and continuing with an art-themed reception in the school gym highlighted by a couple of caricature artists. Participants were asked to describe what St. Luke means to them, and here are a few responses: St. Luke is a place where everybody comes together a place where we gather in God s love. a spiritual home. memories of friends, fun, and learning. A wonderful school! a reminder to never give up on our dreams. a great place to make great friends, worship, work, and grow as a Catholic! See all the pictures on our parish Facebook Page at OCTOBER 23, 2016 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 3

4 4 Today is World Mission Sunday! In announcing this a Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said, I have often thought how the Church might make clear its mission of being a witness to mercy. Supporting young, struggling churches throughout the world with your prayers and generous gift to today s collection is indeed a merciful witness of this mission. Today s collection will enable religious and lay missionaries to offer the poor in Third World nations practical help that s a sign of God s mercy. If you forgot your envelope, please remember to bring it next week and place it in the collection basket. Share your faith and blessings with those in most need! St. Luke Religious Ed Fall Family Fest Sunday, November 6 11:30 am - 1:30 pm in Waldron Hall Fun for the WHOLE Family! Delicious Lunch Games Crafts Cupcake Walk Kids Prizes Grand-Prize Raffle! $500 Cash Prize Wonderful silent auction items: Cubs, Bulls, and ND Football Tickets, Circus Tickets, Gifts from Elan Salon, ifly Indoor Skydiving, The Irish Shop, and much more! $15 Adults $5 Seniors $5 Children in 6th Grade & Under Children Under 2 Free! $40 Max per Family For more information and advance reservations, pick up a flyer in church or call WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL PRE-ORDER LARGE SIZES NOW! The St. Luke Respect Life Committee will hold its annual Christmas Wreath Sale after Masses on the weekend of December 3-4. The popular 24-inch wreaths will be available for sale in the church vestibule after all of the Masses that weekend. 24" Mixed Wreaths - $ " Balsam Wreaths - $20.00 Larger wreaths are also available, but you must pre-order the following sizes by November 1: 36" Wreaths - $ " Wreaths - $ " Wreaths - $45.00 Please place your pre-orders for the large wreaths by contacting Mary Yerkes at or yerkes8@sbcglobal.net. The large wreaths will be available for pickup after the Masses on December 3-4. Anyone who will be away that weekend can arrange with Mary to have their wreath dropped off in their back yard. Thank you for your continued support of the Culture of Life. Proceeds from the wreaths are used for pro-life ministries such as Aid For Women Crisis Pregnancy Centers and residential program for unwed mothers. The Respect Life Committee wishes you and your family a blessed Christmas and joyful New Year! Thanks to everyone who took a baby bottle for Respect Life Sunday and are filling it with loose change during October, which is Respect Life Month. St. Luke s Respect Life Committee will collect the bottles at the Masses next weekend, October Your gracious generosity will help the Aid for Women organization to continue its outreach and services to expectant mothers to empower them to choose life for themselves and their babies.

5 MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT: EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF COMMUNION ABOUT: It is truly a privilege to bring Christ to your fellow parishioners. The Extraordinary Minister of Communion (which is sometimes informally shortened to Eucharistic Minister) gives lay people the opportunity to assist the priest and deacon in distributing Holy Communion at Mass. WHAT WE DO: Extraordinary Ministers of Communion bring the Body and Blood of Christ out to the people at Mass and then help prepare the vessels to be used at the next scheduled Mass. REQUIREMENTS: All ministers must be baptized and confirmed Roman Catholics who regularly share in and are devoted to the Eucharist. They must also show a commitment to their faith and demonstrate an interest and involvement in our parish community life. Teens, beginning in their sophomore year of high school, are also eligible. TIME COMMITMENT: Training on the distribution of Communion and rituals of the Mass is provided. Ministers are scheduled to serve three to six times each calendar quarter, taking into account everyone s Mass preference, vacations, and holiday plans. ARE YOU INTERESTED? If you d like to be considered for this special ministry, contact Bill or Debbie Piper at or call the Parish Office. When my son KJ was preparing to make his First Holy Communion, I decided to recommit myself to the parish. The training and experience were both enlightening and moving to my spirit. I have since encouraged my husband Ken and both of my children, Lia and KJ, to also serve as Extraordinary Ministers. We now serve as a family. We are still honored and moved each time we step up. ~Donna Slepicka Four hundred years ago a French archbishop named Francois Fenelon said, Time spent in prayer is never wasted. In that spirit we invite everyone to spend a worthwhile hour, this Wednesday evening, October 26, learning about prayer. Why do we pray? How should we pray? Is there a right way, a wrong way? And, most of all, what good can it do? Deacon Bob Slobig will share his thoughts about prayer from 6:30-7:30 pm in Waldron Hall. All adult parishioners (and friends) are warmly invited. If you re a parent dropping a child off for religious education classes, it s the perfect time to park the car and come inside! Join a group of thoughtful adults for one hour that just might change everything in your prayer life. Everyone is invited to a special Mass at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, November 2, to remember all of our parish members who have died over the past 12 months. The families and friends of these recently deceased parishioners find great consolation in having our entire community join them in celebrating the lives of all those who have gone on to eternal life with Christ. Please join us in praying for the gift of these loved ones and for their friends and family. FROM THE PASTOR, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 In my case, you may notice that when I m among a group of people, I may need to scan the crowd to recognize people, or I may bump into things. Sometimes if you are outside of or below my field of vision, or outside my limited peripheral vision, I may not immediately recognize you. Please know that I am not ignoring you I simply cannot see you! So I ask for your understanding and your prayers. My prayer is: Lord, I want to see! In the meantime, however, I certainly empathize with all who suffer the chronic afflictions that come into our lives. Peace to you! St. Luke our patron, evangelist, healer, and physician PRAY FOR US ALL! ~Fr. Szmyd OCTOBER 23, 2016 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 5

6 SCRIPTURE READINGS For Masses the week of October Sunday: Sir 35:12-14, 16-18/Ps 34:2-3, 17-19, 23/ 2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18/Lk 18:9-14 Monday: Eph 4:32 5:8/Ps 1:1-4, 6/Lk 13:10-17 Tuesday: Eph 5:21-33 or 5:2a, 25-32/Ps 128:1-5/ Lk 13:18-21 Wednesday: Eph 6:1-9/Ps 145:10-14/Lk 13:22-30 Thursday: Eph 6:10-20/Ps 144:1-2, 9-10/Lk 13:31-35 Friday: Eph 2:19-22/Ps 19:2-5/Lk 6:12-16 Saturday: Phil 1:18b-26/Ps 42:2-3, 5/Lk 14:1, 7-11 Next Sunday: Wis 11:22 12:2/Ps 145: 1-2, 8-11, 13-14/ 2 Thes 1:11 2:2/Lk 19:1-10 Liturgical Publications Inc PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK: Kimberly Bak, Fr. Bob Cross, Bill Darley, Kathleen Foley, Fred Heiss, James Hickey, Laura Hogan, Kathy Ann Howard, Stephen Kehoe, Barry Koster, Frank Kurr, John Lennon, Lillian Njoku, Kevin Nolan, Paul Novak, Kelly Petersen, Geraldine Redmond, Fr. Paul Reicher, Clayton Rice, Jonathan Saucedo, Patti Sheehan, Tom Trankina, Michael Gerard White, and Ann Marie Wojcik AND FOR OUR DECEASED: John Gorman, father of Bob Gorman, and John McGrail 6 STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. ~Luke 18:14 Pride and ego is the root cause of most of our sins. Thinking your time is so valuable, your talent is better than anyone else and your money gives you status is another way of making those things gods before God. Remember all those gifts were God-given. Instead we should be humbled by God s abundant generosity and our hearts should be filled with gratitude. Our Weekly Offerings From the weekend of October Weekly Budget $15, Actual Weekly Giving $ 8, Fiscal Year to Date (From 7/1/16) Budget to Date $240, Actual Weekly Giving $204, Difference to Date for Year +/(-) $(24,343.00) We are always very grateful for the sacrifices you make to support the mission, goals, and ministry of St. Luke Church. Thank you for your generosity! WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL If you re nimble with a thimble and a needle, St. Luke Parish s Amen Stitching Group invites you to make a special contribution of your talent to the parish. The group plans to produce a white Baptismal garment to give to each child for their Baptismal ceremony. We have developed a pattern available for our unique design, which will be made and embroidered by St. Luke parishioners. These will be a unique memento of this special day for each family. With about 50 Baptisms each year, the Amen Stitching Group needs additional hands! Join us as a member we meet for two hours of companionable stitching in the Hospitality House every month. You also can work on Baptism garments in your own home. If you are interested, please contact Betsy Maloney at Each week in the bulletin, there is a report under the title of Stewardship of Treasure (at left) that shows the Sunday Collections received during the previous week. The Collections versus Budget is also noted for both the past week and the Fiscal Year to Date. These numbers are reviewed by the Parish Finance Council each month; if there is a shortfall, the Council discusses options with the pastor. What you may not realize is that the Sunday Collection is the source of funding for the day-to-day expenses required to run the parish. Expenses include items such as utilities, staff salaries and benefits, liturgical supplies, office supplies, technology, maintenance of the interior and exterior of the campus, and insurance. These expenses are managed as tightly as possible but these and similar costs are part of running the parish. You will note that St. Luke School is not listed as an expense item. The parish maintains the physical campus, but the operations of the school are not funded by the parish. Tuition and special fund-raising events for the school help meet those expenses. Also, you will note that there are no special charitable or mission-related expenses noted. These, too, are funded by the special collections noted on your offertory envelopes and on Give Central. As you consider your regular and special contributions to St. Luke Parish, remember that there are many needs in the parish that depend on all of us to contribute our proportionate share.

7 Everyone was a winner at the Fall Ladies Night Out hosted by the St. Luke Women s Club October 14! See all the pictures on our parish Facebook Page at Join Us for Today s Second Annual Domestic Violence Outreach Ministry Walk for Awareness A Two-Mile Community Walk to Raise Awareness of Domestic Violence and Show Support for Victims Today, October 23rd Keystone Park, 7851 West Lake Street, River Forest Registration & Check-in: 1:30 pm Walk Start: promptly at 2:00 pm There is no charge to participate, but all walkers must sign a waiver before joining in the walk. The Domestic Violence Outreach Ministries (DVOM) of Oak Park/River Forest is composed of volunteers from St. Luke, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Giles, St. Edmund, and Ascension parishes. For more info on this issue and local resources, visit OCTOBER 23, 2016 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 7

8 Tomorrow (Monday) is Bridge day for the Prime Timers. We will meet in the Hospitality House at noon and play until 2:30 pm. Newcomers are always welcome. Time is getting short to register for the Christmas Brunch at Misericordia-Heart of Mercy. Although our outing is not until Sunday, December 11, all payments have to reach Beth McBride by this Wednesday, October 26. Call Beth at to reserve a place and then send a check made out to Misericordia for $60 right away. We usually have great attendance at this champagne brunch with holiday entertainment by the residents. It is a great opportunity to support a wonderful caring place that serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. There is also the opportunity to shop for some unique Christmas gifts and delicious goodies from their bakery. Below is a shot of some of the participants who joined our last trip to see the gangster homes in the Oak Park- River Forest area. Many thanks to our terrific tour guide and fellow St. Luke parishioner John Binder (standing on the far right of the picture). Come hear about the indigenous Catholics of Chiapas from 8:30 to 9:30 am next Saturday, October 29, at LaGrange Park Center, 1515 W. Ogden in LaGrange Park. Sister Mary Jo Curtsinger, CSJ, traveled to the southern Mexican state of Chiapas in January to learn how the local diocese has become a model of solidarity and inclusion of the local indigenous poor. She will narrate her story with slides of the people, places, practices, and the people s beloved pastor, Bishop Samuel Ruiz-Garcia, who led in a remarkably humble and collegial way. No need to RSVP. This is a drop-in event that s open to the public. For questions, contact Karen at or khermandemuro@csjoseph.org. Archbishop Blase Cupich will preside at the first Archdiocesan Mass for Domestic Violence Awareness and Outreach at 5:15 pm next Saturday, October 29, at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. All are welcome to attend, especially any victims of domestic violence, their children, and families. A reception will follow the Mass. The Mass is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Violence Outreach, which has organized local ministries serving victims of domestic violence in more than 75 parishes; including St. Luke. October is traditionally known as the Month of the Rosary. Each weekday, Monday through Saturday, the rosary is prayed in church immediately after the 8:00 am Mass. Everyone is cordially invited to join in this beautiful Marian devotion during this month and beyond. The Archdiocese of Chicago invites everyone to this annual Mass as part of the healing process for victims-survivors of child and youth sexual abuse and their families. It is also serves as a reminder to the Catholic community to honor Christ s mandate to protect the dignity and sanctity of all of God s children and young people. This Mass will also recognize the 5 th anniversary of the Archdiocese s Healing Garden. 8 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL

9 The 3 rd grade students at St. Luke School are taking advantage of a one-to-one ipad program. The two 3 rd -grade classrooms each have an ipad cart for easy access throughout the school day. Over the course of the year, the students will use the ipads across all subject areas. The students will use the ipads to practice math skills, travel the world in Social Studies, complete research projects for Science, make books on the Rosary, as well as read about current events online. They also use the ipads to practice reading fluency, as well as to make videos to show what they have learned. This will be another great year with technology! St. Luke s Youth Ministry is growing! So we re developing separate groups for the high school teens and the middle school youth, each with their own events and activities so that everyone can have the best sense of friendship and fun with their peers! Upcoming Events: Saturday, November 5 Service day at Mission Our Lady of the Angels, distributing food to needy families at a giant mobile food pantry. November Our Fall Stock Sale to raise funds for our next Summer Service Trip which means we will soon be starting discussions about when and where to go next year! Sunday, November 20 the next Youth Mass and Youth Groups Meeting! and other things later on, including a trip to an Archdiocesan Youth Rally for Life on January 15. Meanwhile, keep up with our growing Youth groups on our Facebook page at The 3 rd graders are also having a great time in STEM this year! Students in grades 1 5 have the opportunity to experience STEM, which stands for Science-Technology-Engineering-Math, once a week. So far, the 3 rd graders have designed buildings using a budget, observed and measured sunflowers, and made catapults with grapes as test subjects. This week they are designing a box to carry apples, while maintaining a budget. We are looking forward to a great year with STEM! OCTOBER 23, 2016 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 9

10 The St. Luke Athletic Committee congratulates the winner of this week s 500 Club drawing: Lois Bonaccorsi Thank you to all who have purchased memberships in the Club, the proceeds of which go directly to fund the school s athletic programs. The following people were killed in the city of Chicago between October 7-15: Julia Martin, age 28 Danny Darling, age 58 Jacory Jones, age 20 Raheem Dismukes, age 22 Kewon Vilella, age 22 Martrell Rhodes, age 30 Maurice Hilliard, age 25 Victor Sanjuanero, age 25 Lyndell Hodges, age 24 Rolando Gamino, age 30 Aaron Jackson, age 25 Carlos Ocampo, age 20 Aaron Smith, age 36 Devante Norwood, age 22 May we keep their families and others touched by violence in our prayers. May we also pray for the perpetrators and the impact the violence will have on their lives as well. Help is right around the corner! 24-Hour Crisis Line: S T A F F D I R E C T O R Y Rev. John Szmyd, Pastor jszmyd@stlukeparish.org Rev. Steven Bauer, Associate Pastor sbauer@stlukeparish.org Rev. Leroy Wickowski (Retired) lwickowski@stlukeparish.org Rev. Mr. Jim Doyle deacondoyle@gmail.com Rev. Mr. Paul Faherty (retired) pfaherty00@aol.com Rev. Mr. Terry Norton reneeterrynorton@gmail.com Rev. Mr. Bob Slobig bobslobig@comcast.net Lathrop Avenue, River Forest stlukeparish@stlukeparish.org Agnes Komperda, Office Manager akomperda@stlukeparish.org Glenn Wagner, Parish Business Manager gwagner@stlukeparish.org Sheila Price, Director of Stewardship & Development sprice@stlukeparish.org Arlene Michna, Music Director amichna@stlukeparish.org Bradley Collins, Communications Coordinator bcollins@stlukeparish.org Ashland Avenue, River Forest jschwarzbeck@stlukeparish.org Timothy Wesley, Principal twesley@stlukeparish.org Ashland Avenue, River Forest religiouseducation@stlukeparish.org Sr. Colleen Nolan, O.P., Director cnolan@stlukeparish.org Ashland Avenue, River Forest Sr. Mary Ann Mueninghoff, OP Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil (anticipated) Mass 5:00 pm, and Sunday 7:30, 9:00, and 10 : 30 am, and 12:00 noon Weekdays: Monday-Friday, 6:30 & 8:00 am, Saturday 8:00 am Confessions The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is offered after 6:30 and 8:00 am weekday Masses and by appointment. Call the rectory to schedule a time. Adoration and Benediction Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament occurs every first Saturday after the 8:00 am Mass and rosary. Rectory Office Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Interested in Learning More About the Catholic Faith? Anyone wishing to complete their sacraments or learn more about the Catholic faith may inquire about our adult faith formation program (RCIA) by calling the rectory for more information. 10 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL New Parishioners If you re new to the community or just new to our church, please stop by the rectory to introduce yourself and register so we can welcome you into the full life of our parish. Communion Visits and Ministry of Care A parish priest or Minister of Care will be happy to visit those who are sick or homebound. Please call the rectory to make arrangements. Baptism Baptisms take place on the first and third Sundays of each month. Preparation meetings are held on the first Monday of every month for the parents of children who will be baptized. Arrangements can be made by calling the rectory. Marriage Couples wishing to be married should call the rectory to set up an appointment with one of the parish priests at least six months in advance of the desired wedding date. Anointing of the Sick Elderly parishioners, those in poor health or who are anticipating surgery can call the rectory to arrange to receive the sacrament of anointing.

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