Repent! John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!

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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 Repent! repent said John and people repented flocked to him were baptized took up a serious commitment a new way of life but of course they were serious sinners what have we to confess the occasional harsh word the skimpy donation unsaid prayers, forgotten promises such misbehavior hardly justifies the prophet s call John proclaimed a morally serious God source of all love and grace giver of life itself to creatures who can respond in freedom and gratitude who can recognize genuine sin when they look deeply, honestly, quietly beneath the surface of lives they have constructed admit what needs healing repent and re-commit to a baptismal way of being ~E.M. Jeep John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! ~ Matthew 3;1-2 D e c e m b e r 4, S e c o n d S u n d a y o f A d v e n t

2 MASS INTENTIONS Monday, December 5 6:30 am Anna Kaczmarek 8:00 am Norman and Ralph Carroll Tuesday, December 6 - St. Nicholas 6:30 am The Anderson and Froelich Family 8:00 am Mary Margaret Dahlstrom Wednesday, December 7 - St. Ambrose 6:30 am Connie Kelly Barsanti 8:00 am Sarina Conmy Thursday, December 8 - Immaculate Conception of the Bl. Virgin Mary 6:30 am The People of St. Luke Parish 8:00 am Special Intention 7:00 pam Brian Conmy Friday, December 9 - St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin 6:30 am Dr. Robert Lee Muldoon 8:00 am Thomas E. McCahill Saturday, December 10 8:00 am Joe Romano 5:00 pm Joe Romano Sunday, December 11 7:30 am The People of St. Luke Parish 9:00 am Frank Sepanski 10:30 am Mary Ann Haar 12:00 pm Dominick and Paula Margaret Novielli MINISTERS OF THE LITURGY Monday-Friday, December 5-9 8:00 am Servers J Wiktor, J Wiktor Thursday, December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception 7:00 pm Servers C Leavy, M Leavy, T Osga Lectors Y Hafner, T Roche Euch Min B Nickels, D Piper, W Piper Saturday, December 10 5:00 pm Servers M Kappe, M Jacobs, J Williams Lectors L Hogan, D Hopkinson Euch Min V Atkins, C Madden, J Megall, A Roche, D Ross, D Valenti, A Valenti Sunday, December 11 7:30 am Servers M Halloran, C Dooley, A Halloran Lectors K Began, J Lynch Euch Min B Halloran, K Heiss, MB Smedinghoff 9:00 am Servers B Kerstetter, I Flores, E Kerstetter Lectors T Graefe, CJ Kerstetter Euch Min P Brennan, S Brennan, LM Froelich, B Hosty, C Saunders, H Slowik, J Slowik 10:30 am Servers C Vlerick, A Delatorre, J Gleason Lectors N Brouilette, N O Malley Euch Min B Elwood, J Meek, B Nickels, MK Nickels, J O Hara, B Stumbris, J Stumbris 12:00 pm Servers J Wolinski, E Wolinski, S Goslin Lectors S Goethals, M Brown Euch Min M Frank, K Frank, L Goslin, M Goslin, E Maloney Cover Art: This is a detail from the fresco of The Preaching of St. John the Baptist by Domenico Ghirlandaio, circa , in Santa Maria Novella Church in Florence, Italy. The artwork was made available via Wikimedia Commons. 2 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL SCRIPTURE READINGS For Masses the week of December 4-11 Sunday: Is 11:1-10/Ps 72/Rom 15:4-9/Mt 3:1-12 Monday: Is 35:1-10/Ps 85/Lk 5:17-26 Tuesday: Is 40:1-11/Ps 96/Mt 18:12-14 Wednesday: Is 40:25-31/Ps 103/Mt 11:28-30 Thursday: Gn 3:9-15, 20/Ps 98/Eph 1:3-6, 11-12/ Lk 1:26-38 Friday: Is 48:17-19/Ps 1/Mt 11:16-19 Saturday: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11/Ps 80/Mt 17:9a, Next Sunday: Is 35:1-6a, 10/Ps 146/Jas 5:7-10/Mt 11:2-11 Liturgical Publications Inc PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK: Kimberly Bak, Fr. Bob Cross, Bill Darley, Steven DiBiase, Robert Gorman, Timothy Harnett, Fred Heiss, Kathy Ann Howard, Stephen Kehoe, Barry Koster, Frank Kurr, John Lennon, Jean Luchini, 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 ALL OUR DECEASED: Marion R. Mattucci and Eloise Yerkes, the mother of Michael Yerkes STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ~Matthew 3:10 Do you bear good fruit for Christ? Or do you spend your time, talent, and treasure constantly acquiring more toys, clutter, and junk. Our time, our talent, and our treasure are gifts that God has given us. What we do with them is our gift back to God. What gifts are you planning to give to the Lord during this upcoming Christmas season? Our Weekly Offerings From the weekend of November Weekly Budget $15, Actual Weekly Giving $ 4, Fiscal Year to Date (From 7/1/16) Budget to Date $330, Actual Weekly Giving $297, Difference to Date for Year +/(-) $(32,969.00) 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!

3 Kitti McSorley will lead a reflection for an Advent Service sponsored by St. Luke Women s Club this Monday, December 5, from 7:008:00 pm in church. All women in the parish are invited to join us in reflecting on The Reason for the Season to help center ourselves on the Incarnation of the Word of God in our lives. Advance reservations are appreciated. RSVP online at Prepare the way of the Lord and prepare yourself for the coming of Christ at a two-part talk on the Scriptures by Fr. James McIlhone the next two Wednesdays, December 7 and December 14, in the St. Luke School Gym. Each evening will begin with a reception at 5:45 pm, followed by the lecture at 6:30, and a question-andanswer session from 7:30-8:00 pm. Fr. McIlhone, director of biblical formation for the Archdiocese of Chicago, leads missions, seminars, radio programs, and days of renewal, along with evangelizing through his website WordMadeClear.net. All are welcome! Supervised childcare will be provided. December 10-11, 2016 The national collection will be taken up at all Masses next weekend. Please be generous in supporting all those who taught us and served our Church so well! All parishioners are invited to the St. Luke Men s Club s festive Breakfast with Santa next Sunday, December 11, in Waldron Hall. The party begins immediately following the 9:00 am Mass as Santa and his pancake-cooking elves will serve up great food and photos with St. Nick as well as gifts for all the children. All are welcome and encouraged to attend as guests of the Men s Club. This Thursday is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the six holy days of obligation for Catholics in the United States. The Blessed Mother is also patroness of our country under this title, which refers to her birth without the stain of Original Sin. In addition to the normal 6:30 and 8:00 am Masses, St. Luke will have Mass at 9:15 am with St. Luke School students and at 7:00 pm. Come say a prayer for our country! Look for St. Luke s Giving Tree at all of the Masses next weekend and help us make a wish come true for a refugee family who is trying to start a new life in a strange land our country! St. Luke s Peace and Justice Committee invites all parishioners to take a card from the tree with an items needed by a family in the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program. The majority of these newcomers originate from Iraq, Bhutan, Syria, Congo, Burma, Somalia, Egypt, and Cuba often fleeing war and persecution with just the clothes they escaped in. Bring the Wish gift (or a cash donation) to church on the following weekend, December All donations will be delivered to Catholic Charities to assist them in providing for refugees who are making Chicago their new home. It s a small but concrete way of sharing the Christmas spirit with others in need. DECEMBER 4, 2016 Second Sunday of Advent 3

4 4 Rev. John Szmyd, Pastor Rev. Steven Bauer, Associate Pastor Rev. Leroy Wickowski (Retired) Rev. Mr. Jim Doyle Rev. Mr. Paul Faherty (retired) Rev. Mr. Terry Norton Rev. Mr. Bob Slobig Lathrop Avenue, River Forest Agnes Komperda, Office Manager Glenn Wagner, Parish Business Manager Sheila Price, Director of Stewardship & Development Arlene Michna, Music Director Bradley Collins, Communications Coordinator Ashland Avenue, River Forest Timothy Wesley, Principal Ashland Avenue, River Forest Sr. Colleen Nolan, O.P., Director 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, and Saturday at 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. Rectory Office Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm To Register as a Parishioner or to Request a Sacrament If you are new to the area, please stop by the Rectory/Parish Office to introduce yourself and register or call us at You can also call the rectory to inquire about arrangements for Baptism, Matrimony, or for Communion Visits and Anointing of the Sick. WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL The Prime Timers are looking forward to the wonderful Misericordia Brunch next Sunday, December 11. This year it will be in the Lois Gates Courtyard Room. We will leave from the Hospitality House parking lot at 12:10 pm for our 1:30 brunch. There will be time for shopping before and after the brunch. We had an excellent response to this popular event, and 31 people will be attending. As we mark our journey towards Christmas each week by the lighting of Advent Wreath s candles at the beginning of each Sunday Mass, we invite all families to consider taking a turn lighting the candles on the wreath. It s a great way to get children involved in a way that helps the parish s faith, hope, and love grow brighter each week as we prepare to welcome the Baby Jesus. If you are interested, contact Agnes Komperda or Fr. Steven Bauer at or send an to sbauer@stlukeparish.org. Tis the season to gather and celebrate our blessings, and one of those ways is at the Sapphire & Gold Gala Underwriting Party. Kevin and Molly Hanley are hosting the event from 7:00-10:00 pm this Thursday, December 8, at their home as one of the ways to enhance the next Dinner Dance and Auction, which is scheduled for February 25. Doug and Kathy Kurtenbach are the honorees for the 2017 gala, which is St. Luke School s largest fund -raising event of the year. Come for an entertaining evening that will also help support our parish school. The St. Luke Athletic Committee congratulates the following winners of the 500 Club drawing: Aimee and Molly Morrissey Thank you to all who have purchased memberships in the Club, the proceeds of which go directly to fund the school s athletic programs.

5 Time Talent Treasure St. Luke Parish Stewardship Report Stewards of God s Gifts 2016

6 Letter From Our Pastor - Rev. John Szmyd Dear Members of St. Luke Parish, It is always exciting for me to write this letter because I m composing it right after we ve had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families and loved ones and look forward to the joys of Christmas that follow our Advent journey. Another type of thankfulness needs to be expressed within our parish family. This annual Stewardship Report is a way to sum up all for which we as Church, as parish and school, ought to be thankful. Here are some of the signs of God s goodness to us. Our devoted parish staff are people of great faith themselves who remain hopeful and positive in the impact they make in all our lives and the lives of our young people who are the Church of the future. St. Luke s School under the direction of our new principal, Timothy Wesley, continues to flourish. Our children are being formed in their Catholic identity, which centers their hearts in Christ, on the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, the scriptures and Gospel values, and prepares them for faithful discipleship and learning that will be a lifelong process. Strategic planning is underway to make the curriculum and the overall program even stronger. Our Religious Education Program, directed by Sister Colleen Nolan, O.P., continues to grow, and our catechists and fine teachers focus their energies on helping our children live a sacramental life, frequently receiving the sacraments and participating in the Mass. Our Youth Program, with its adult leaders under the guidance of Fr. Steven Bauer, prepares the monthly 5:00 pm Sunday Mass and provides opportunities for ministry, formation, recreation, and service opportunities for our young people beginning in junior high. Our young people participate in activities of the Archdiocese and service trips that transform and empower them in their faith. While the Archdiocese of Chicago begins a new initiative, Renew My Church, a team of devoted parishioners is implementing the initiatives from the Parish Transformation process started earlier in Meanwhile, improvements continue to be made to our parish and school facilities. So many of you have commented on the noticeable new look of the church facade and bell tower. In July, we took you to unprecedented heights in a YouTube video tour, which gave an insider s look at some details of our beautiful church that you cannot really appreciate from street level. The stained glass window at the front of the church was completely restored and is noticeably brighter. Now we look to our Parish Finance Council and Campaign committees to advise and prioritize future work inside the church and out. Additionally, it is evident how many members of our parish model good stewardship in offering their gifts of talent and energy to the parish in so many ways. May I encourage all who are able to make the sacrifice in giving back to others and helping to bring others to Christ? It s the task and mission entrusted to each one of us. St. Luke parishioners continue to live the Gospel mandate to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, to educate, and to help the homeless through a charitable outreach that runs throughout the entire year. In this age when our giving takes place in so many ways, consider symbolically, when the basket comes around each Sunday and during the holidays, the part you play in making St. Luke a vibrant place of faith and belief. Everyone s help is necessary to provide for the future and sustain our parish. May we always adhere to the basic principles and practices of our faith and realize that God s People come first those who compose the Body of Christ. The welcome we extend and the hospitality shown to those who join us for Sunday worship and who share Jesus Body and Blood with us does make a difference. Let us celebrate our Lord Jesus and worship Him! In Christ, Rev. John Szmyd, pastor

7 25% Over Together We Are... 1,424 Registered Families 386 Students enrolled in Parish School An Average of 820 People out of 4,782 attend MASS each weekend 61 Baptisms 60 6 RCIA 89 New Registered Families First Communions 289 Children Registered in Religious Education Ministries & Organizations 230 Participants in Youth Service Projects Families were provided Thanksgiving meals 15 Marriages Total Annual Sunday Collections: $730,931 Average Weekly Offertory Decreased by $13,487 of Sunday Collections come thru online giving Online Giving Increased By 22% over last year 81Confirmations 42 Funerals Total Families That Gave Any Gift 792 Out of 1,424 $1,927,997 in generous pledges and donations received for the 125th Anniversary Capital Campaign as of June 30, 2016

8 We Share Our Blessings... Annual Catholic Appeal - $88,587 Funds for the critical work of the Agencies and Ministries of the Archdiocese of Chicago Archdiocesan Collections - $57,245 Aid to Churches in Central & Eastern Europe Catholic Campaign for Human Development Catholic Charities Holy Land Latin America Missionary Appeal Nepal Earthquake Relief Operation Rice Bowl Peter s Pence Priest Retirement Fund Propagation of the Faith Religious Retirement Fund Seminary Support St. Luke School Tuition Assistance Fund - $83,608 Tuition assistance granted to St. Luke School families unable to pay full tuition and fees Parish Education Support - $9,554 Parish Maintenance and Building Improvements - $13,474 Parish Appeals - $10,088 John Clark Haitian Appeal Needy Persons Fund St. Agatha (Blessed Sacrament) Sharing Support $76,152 Connections /Adult Learning Center Food Pantry at Blessed Sacrament Tuition Assistance Program at St. Agatha Turkey Sunday Youth Center Advertising Support - $6,625 Amate House Fenwick High School Office of the Diaconate The Well Trinity High School Reasons to share. There is really only one reason why we should share of our time, talent and treasure and this is because God has been so generous to us. Laying out our numbers shows our financial picture and hearing about our ministries show all the good work that we are doing in our Parish community. But, at the end of the day, increasing our faith and trust in Jesus is the key to increasing generosity as disciples of Jesus. We are called to live out our discipleship. We encourage everyone to join us in sharing our gifts. There are many ways to do this and a few suggestions would be: Join a ministry Attend Mass regularly Say hello and welcome someone you don t know at Mass or one of our socials Attend a parish-hosted event Make Sunday contributions Sign up for online giving Pray and give thanks for all your blessings St. Luke parishioners are exceedingly generous and we are grateful for the sacrifices you make to support the mission, goals, and ministry of St. Luke Church. Weekly Family Contributions Thank you for your generosity!

9 Our Campaign Dollars at Work As we finish the fourth year of our 125 th Anniversary Capital Campaign to repair, preserve and maintain our beautiful buildings and grounds, there are visible signs of significant progress. So much has been accomplished, thanks to everyone s generous pledges of over $2,000,000. Take a look at the list of improvements below. To date, we have collected $1,965,841, and we expect to reach our $2,000,000 goal of collected pledges soon. We invite you to celebrate this accomplishment in 2017 with a Mass of Thanksgiving and Reception. Stay tuned for more details. Before St. Luke Church Estimated Cost Actual Cost Front Plaza and Stairs Restoration $ * $ 32,905 New Accessible Bathroom $ 39,200 $ 39,572 New Boiler Burners $ 31,000 $ 31,000 New Vacuum Tanks $ 48,000 $ 47,580 Flat Roof Repairs $ 9,000 $ 7,050 Church Gutters Repair $ 14,000 $ 13,615 Side Ramp/Railings Repairs $ 25,190 $ 22,785 Tuckpointing South/Bell Tower $ 736,930 $ 285,618 St. Luke Parish School Estimated Cost Actual Cost New Window Lifts/Balancers $ 17,825 $ 19,775 New Wheelchair Lift $ 43,000 $ 42,910 New Main Roof $ 138,000 $ 119,988 Gym Roof Repairs $ 13,000 $ 12,013 Window Well Curbing Raised $ 19,500 $ 14,930 New Sewage Ejector Pumps $ 15,000 $ 14,879 Walkway Repairs $ * $ 15,368 Roof Hatch $ 4,000 $ 3,000 Jesus & Children Statue Refinishing $ 2,400 $ 2,400 Tuckpointing/New Window Lintels $ 247,210 $ 250,430 After Other Facilities Estimated Cost Actual Cost Rectory Roof Repairs $ 3,100 $ 3,100 Rectory Garage Roof Repairs $ 2,800 $ 2,180 Convent Garage Roof Repairs $ 7,500 $ 7,345 Rectory Walks/Driveway Repairs $ * $ 8,900 Before After

10 Our Financial Information FINANCIAL STATEMENT Fiscal Year: July 1, June 30, 2016 Prior Fiscal Year Current Year Budget 6/30/2015 6/30/2016 6/30/2016 CHURCH INCOME Collections (Parish) $ 924,884 $ 936,096 $ 929,500 Collections (Arch/non-Parish) $ 146,588 $ 133,397 $ 138,100 Bequests & Memorials $ 915 $ 3,175 $ - Other (Incl. 125 th & Endowment) $ 528,631 $ 379,097 $ 305,675 Total Church Income $ 1,601,018 $ 1,451,765 $ 1,373,275 SCHOOL & RELIGIOUS ED INCOME Tuition $ 2,026,821 $ 2,121,631 $ 1,762,340 Fees $ 44,096 $ 95,896 $ 85,196 Food Services $ - $ - $ - Fundraising $ 398,460 $ 274,656 $ 362,000 Other Income $ 167,007 $ 139,791 $ 146,500 Total Education Income $ 2,636,384 $ 2,631,974 $ 2,356,036 TOTAL INCOME $ 4,237,402 $ 4,083,739 $ 3,729,311 CHURCH EXPENSE Salaries & Benefits $ 584,009 $ 596,679 $ 592,186 Administration $ 92,382 $ 102,158 $ 96,820 Maintenance & Utilities $ 113,357 $ 121,504 $ 110,400 Liturgy & Music (Incl. New Hymnals) $ 13,482 $ 15,956 $ 16,200 Other (Incl. 125 th Campaign) $ 819,477 $ 330,083 $ 362,143 Capital Improvements $ 45,046 $ 295,208 $ 200,000 Total Church Expense $ 1,667,753 $ 1,461,588 $ 1,377,749 SCHOOL & RELIGIOUS ED EXPENSE Salaries & Benefits $ 1,958,789 $ 1,919,239 $ 2,127,823 Administration $ 251,914 $ 195,331 $ 189,820 Maintenance & Utilities $ 145,105 $ 154,439 $ 160,500 Other $ 266,205 $ 317,225 $ 180,900 Total Education Expense $ 2,622,013 $ 2,586,234 $ 2,659,043 TOTAL EXPENSES $ 4,289,766 $ 4,047,822 $ 4,036,792 NET PARISH $ (52,364) $ 35,917 $ (307,481) Cash Balances: Parish Operating Account: $1,033,976 Parish Reserve Accounts: (Savings, Mass Stipends, Buildings & Maintenance, 125 th Capital Campaign, etc.) $679,506 School Activity Accounts: (Activities, Milk, etc.) $8,187 Parish Auxiliary Accounts: (Parish and School, etc.) $88,066 School Endowment Fund (Restricted Balance) $1,235,068 School Endowment Fund (Available as of 6/30/16) $786,472 Total Cash, Savings and Endowment Funds as of 6/30/16 $3,831,275 Financial Notes and Highlights Capital Campaign collection in line with expected receivables Fund-raising numbers down due to shortfall in Tuition Assistance and lower Youth Ministry Service Trip donations Prices on supplies increased Tuckpointing completion cost paid as of 6/30/16

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