The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Transcription

1 528 Lathrop Avenue River Forest, Illinois The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. ~ Matthew 23:11-12 No ve mb er 5, Thir ty - First S unda y in Ordinar y Time

2 MASS INTENTIONS Monday, November 6 6:30 am Edward Ozga 8:00 am Joseph Muffoletto Tuesday, November 7 6:30 am Edward Szmyd 8:00 am Don Donahue Wednesday, November 8 6:30 am Kathryn Froelich 8:15 am Patricia Corti Thursday, November 9 - The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 6:30 am Kathy Giunta 8:00 am Anna Muffoletto Friday, November 10 - St. Leo the Great 6:30 am Gene Brenneman 8:00 am Roberta and Mary Kurr Saturday, November 11 - St. Martin of Tours 8:00 am R.J. Sullivan 5:00 pm Helen and Raymond Schmid Sunday, November 12 7:30 am The People of St. Luke Parish 9:00 am The Poor Souls in Purgatory 11:00 am The Crowley and Cusack Families MINISTERS OF THE LITURGY Monday-Friday, November :00 am Servers M Harnett, M Keith Saturday, November 11 5:00 pm Servers J Gleason, B Hardy, P Hicks Lectors T Hicks, L Hogan Euch Min J Bresnahan, G Hardy, J Megall, M O Donoghue, A Roche, P Romano, R Romano Ushers J Fisher, M Nelson, R Nixon, J Pizzo Sunday, November 12 7:30 am Servers C Hanley, K Hanley, J Wiktor Lectors D Hopkinson, T Smedinghoff Euch Min E Maloney, MB Smedinghoff, L Zarate Ushers L Brettman, B Hickman, J Langton, C Maroon, M Oller 9:00 am Servers I Flores, B Riggs, A Vazquez Lectors T Graefe, D Ruggie Euch Min P Brennan, S Brennan, M Frank, M Martinez, C Saunders, J Winikates, L Winikates Ushers B Aquilino, P Driscoll, J Nowicki, J Spillane 11:00 am Servers M Kappe, J O Connor, C Vlerick Lectors M Brown, N Moore Euch Min J Mannix, M Moore, B Murray, S Murray, J O Hara, D Slepicka, KJ Slepicka, 1 Needed Ushers D Carey, C Devereux, J McInerney Cover Art: This mosaic of Jesus Among the Scribes can be found in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ascension in Jerusalem. FROM THE PASTOR This bulletin features our annual Parish Stewardship Report our primary communication to you, the supporters of St. Luke Church and School. We openly share with you how we all have served as good stewards of what has been entrusted to us, with integrity, transparency, and accountability. More relevant still is our accountability before God. There is so much need in our world for support of the poor and those who have lost their homes or loved ones in war or through natural disasters. We must not be concerned with only our bottom line. Instead, we all should be looking into the recesses of our hearts to consider: What have I given back to God, to Church, and to others out of the many blessings I have received? How do I share my faith with others and bring them to believe in the same Jesus I meet in His Gospel? This is what good stewards do. They realize that they came into the world with nothing and will leave with nothing. In the meantime, opportunities abound whereby they grow in faith, constantly learning, and serving God and neighbor. The charts and graphs and facts and figures you ll see here will give you a better picture of what is involved in all areas of our parish life and its programs and what they cost. Hopefully this will awaken in all of our hearts these questions: Have I done my fair share? What kind of steward have I been? In keeping with the two major parish initiatives we will be hearing more about in the near future To Teach Who Christ Is and Renew My Church we need to pay attention to caring for our wonderful facilities and buildings, but not to simply be in maintenance mode, but rather to plan strategically. In looking hopefully and optimistically to the future, we will set a course to promote a faith that is lived out, is dynamic, and is vibrant. The Lord Jesus was constantly welcoming and healing those in most need. He challenged people to accept the Gospel, to increase their faith, and to pour out their lives in generous service to others. We must do the same. ~Fr. Szmyd 2 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL

3 You still have a week to check your closets for any new or gentlyused adult winter coats that can be donated to the students at The Learning Center on Chicago s West Side. With the help of tutors from St. Luke and other parishes, the center provides free ESL and vocational instruction to help the adults improve their lives. Attendance is noticeably improved when the students can stay warm on their daily walk to and from the center. Children s coats are also much appreciate for family members of the students. Please bring your donations to any of the Masses next weekend and drop them in the collection boxes near the Lake Street entrance to church. Thank you for caring about our neighbors in need! To coin a well-worn phrase, it takes a village to make a parish, and many St. Luke parishioners contribute in large ways and small with their time, talent, and treasure. But every year the Archdiocese of Chicago gives parishes the chance to say Thanks for a job well done through the annual Christifideles Award. This year s honors for St. Luke went to Mike and Jamie Sullivan who have contributed to the parish in many ways, both individually and as a couple. Both have served as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion since the 1990s and also have helped many couples prepare for the Sacrament of Matrimony by guiding them through a marriage preparation program. Mike served a term on the Parish Pastoral Council, and Jamie most recently has been helping coordinate the Ministry of Care, which links volunteers with older parishioners who are homebound, hospitalized, or confined to a long-term care facility to keep them connected through prayer and Holy Communion. We have been parishioners at St. Luke for over 31 years, and we have been blessed to serve with so many hard-working and dedicated parishioners in various ministries. commented Jamie. We are humbled and honored to receive this award. The award was presented by Bishop John Manz, vicar of our local Vicariate IV, and Cardinal Blase Cupich at Holy Name Cathedral last Sunday. We add our own thanks to Mike and Jamie for all of their service and are proud that they received this recognition for helping to connect so many people to Christ through the sacraments over the years. The staff and students of St. Luke Parish School invite all parishioners who are veterans, widows and widowers of veterans, and those currently serving in the military to attend a special Veterans Day prayer service at 2:15 pm this coming Friday, November 10. This prayer service will honor all those in our school and parish community who have valiantly served and sacrificed so much for our country. Veterans are asked to RSVP to LMastrianni@stlukeparish.org and meet in the front of the church at 2:00 pm. We hope you will join us on this very reverent day! Throughout the month of November, we offer our prayers for all the faithful departed, that they may be quickly brought into the fullness of eternal life with God in heaven. Everyone is invited to write the names of relatives and friends who have died since last November in our Book of the Deceased, which will be kept in church all month. May this book be a visual reminder to keep all of our departed loved ones in our prayers. NOVEMBER 5, 2017 Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 3

4 SCRIPTURE READINGS For Masses the week of November 6-12 Mon: Rom 11:29-36/Ps 69:30-31, 33-34, 36/Lk 14:12-14 Tue: Rom 12:5-16b/Ps 131:1bcde-3/Lk 14:15-24 Wed: Rom 13:8-10/Ps 112:1b-2, 4-5, 9/Lk 14:25-33 Thu: Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12/Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9/1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17/Jn 2:13-22 Fri: Rom 15:14-21/Ps 98:1-4/Lk 16:1-8 Sat: Rom 16:3-9, 16, 22-27/Ps 145:2-5, 10-11/Lk 16: Next Sunday: Wis 6:12-16/Ps 63:2-8/1 Thes 4:13-18 or 4:13-14/Mt 25:1-13 PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR SICK: Kimberly Bak, Bill Darley, Jackson Davis, Robert Gorman, Delynn and Richard Henderson, Judith Henderson, James Hill, Kathy Ann Howard, Stephen Kehoe, Barry Koster, Frank Kurr, Michael Mazzone, Mazy Miller, Kevin Nolan, Paul Novak, Kevin O Donohue, Loretta O Dowd, Kelly Petersen, Geraldine Redmond, Fr. Paul Reicher, Herbert Reusch, Joel Rivera, Josefina Santos, Jonathan Saucedo, Patti Sheehan, John Tasch, and Tom Trankina AND FOR OUR DECEASED. WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL LPi STEWARDSHIP OF TREASURE Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. ~Matthew 23:12 Jesus gave His life to serve, not to be served. Putting others needs before our own is a sign of a mature disciple, of following Jesus example. Humility is really a sign of a strength. By putting other s needs first we declare to the world that we are putting our complete trust in God. When we align our thoughts and actions with God s plan for us, the result is joy and peace. Our Weekly Offerings From the weekend of October 28/29 Weekly Budget... $15,000 Actual In-Church Contributions... $ 7,739 Actual Online Contributions... $ 1,100 TOTAL Weekly Contributions... $ 8, Fiscal Year to Date (From 7/1/17) Budget to Date... $270,000 Actual Weekly Giving... $208,038 Difference to Date for Year +/(-)... $( 61,962) We greatly appreciate the sacrifices you make to support the mission and ministry of St. Luke Church. Thank you for your generosity. Here s a convenient way to support St. Luke Parish with payments from your bank or credit card account using your computer or smart phone. Try it today at GiveCentral.org. The Prime Timers have received an invitation from Ballet Légere to attend their presentation of the Nutcracker Ballet on Friday, December 8, at 10:00 am at Dominican University s Performing Arts Center. This exciting ballet with a cast of 120 is dressed with lavish costumes, beautiful scenery, special effects, and accomplished professional dancers. The discounted cost is $10 and must be prepaid. Please call Marilyn Shalloo at by Sunday, November 12 to RSVP. We will plan a lunch for our group following the performance. The St. Luke Athletic Committee congratulates the following winners of the 500 Club drawing: Chad and Kathy Tsitovich Thank you to all who have purchased memberships in the Club, the proceeds of which go directly to fund St. Luke Parish School s athletic programs. Our Youth Ministry will be looking for parishioners willing to invest in the future of our young people during our Fall Stock Sale after all of the Masses next weekend. The stocks help fund the Summer Service Trip, which gives our teens a chance to experience life in a struggling part of rural America as they help stock food pantries, repair homes, and learn what it means to put their faith into action. Thank you for your prayers and support as the YM group begins planning next summer s trip! Please note the following early deadlines for submission of articles due to the Thanksgiving holiday: November 19 bulletin (covers events from November 20-26): Due 9:00 am, Friday, November 10 November 26 bulletin (covers events from November 27-December 3): Due 9:00 am, Wednesday, November 15 December 3 bulletin (covers events from December 4-10): Due 9:00 am, Monday, November 27

5 St. Luke Parish Stewardship Report NOVEMBER 5, 2017 Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 5

6 46 New Registered Families 295 Religious Education Students 352 Parish School Students 62 Confirmations 50+ Ministries and Organizations 1,429 Registered Families 10 Marriages 51 Baptisms 21 Youth Services Participants 4,803 Registered Individuals 740 Average number of people attending weekly Mass 34 Funerals 76 First Communions 6 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL

7 Advisory Boards Parish Pastoral Council Parish Finance Council Board of Specified Jurisdiction Liturgical and Spiritual Life Altar Servers Altar Society Bereavement Ministry Children s Liturgy of the Word Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion Lectors Liturgical Environment Liturgical Music Cantors Chancel Choir Children s Choirs Contemporary Choir Resurrection Choir Handbell Choir Instrumentalists Liturgy Committee Ministers of Care Sacristans Ushers & Greeters Catholic Education Baptism Preparation Bible Study Marriage Preparation Initiation of Adults Initiation of Children Religious Education Catechists Religious Education Advisory Board Sacramental Life Baptism Preparation Confirmation Preparation Marriage Preparation Human Concerns & Outreach Domestic Violence Awareness Feed the Hungry Needy Persons Fund Peace & Justice Ministry Respect Life St. Agatha Tuition Assistance St. Luke Sharing St. Luke School Tuition Assistance Parish Life Amen Stitching Group Men s Discussion Group Prime Timers Ministry of Praise St. Luke Men s Club St. Luke Women s Club Youth Ministry Welcoming Committee Volunteer Opportunities (Within Parish) Athletic Committee Collection Counters Family School Association (FSA) Photography Playgroup Volunteer Opportunities (Outside Parish) The Learning Center Reading Tutors Housing Forward NOVEMBER 5, 2017 Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 7

8 Annual Catholic Appeal $80,017 Goal: $55,173 Pledged: $91,077 Returned to Parish: $35, donors contributed to this appeal that funds the work of agencies and ministries of the Archdiocese of Chicago National/Archdiocesan Collections $51,546 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 $118,649 Tuition Assistance granted to St. Luke School families unable to pay full tuition and fees Parish Education Support $36,754 Parish Maintenance and Building Improvements $16,354 Parish Appeals $9,593 St. Agatha/Bl. Sacrament Sharing Support $55,560 Adult Learning Center Food Pantry at Bl. Sacrament Tuition Assistance Program at St. Agatha Turkey Sunday Advertising Support $2,500 Fenwick High School Trinity High School Your support is needed As you can see from reading this report, we have a lot to be proud of! We are generous with our time, talent, and treasure. Hearing about our ministries and opportunities to participate as disciples shows all the good work we are doing in our parish and community. We are grateful for all of you who are already involved and we encourage everyone to join us in sharing our gifts. As disciples, we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, including the gifts of treasure. The chart to the right shows contributions by the families registered at St. Luke. This report shows that less than 55% of registered families contribute on a regular basis to our Sunday collection. To date, our Sunday collections are down by 20%! This is just not adequate to maintain, grow, and sustain our programs and mission. We need your support. This is your parish. It is important that you know about the need we have. If your means allow, we ask that you increase your Sunday offering. If you have not been contributing on a regular basis, or perhaps not at all, we ask you to pray and consider how important your faith, your parish, is to your life and the life of your family. We hope you will join the many families who already support the parish on a regular basis. If we all respond, we will be able to continue to offer and expand our vital mission. Your gift of time, talent, and treasure is a direct gift only you can give. Remember the words of St. Francis of Assisi: It is in giving that we receive. Thank you for sharing your gifts. We are very grateful for the sacrifices you make to support the mission, goals, and ministry of St. Luke Church. 8 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL

9 What is Renew My Church? Called by Jesus Christ we are making disciples, building communities and inspiring witness. Renew My Church is an ongoing Archdiocesan initiative that involves all of our parishes and their parishioners. The goal of Renew My Church is to make our parishes more vital and more sustainable long into the future. Such parishes must be vibrant communities that form missionary disciples of Jesus, but they also must be realistic about their limited human and material resources and evaluate how our present structures may need to be organized differently to keep pace with changing realities. A very important part of the process of Renew My Church are the parish groupings which will facilitate planning together for the future and discern where God is leading them. Local parishes will collaborate, gather information, and evaluate options for the pastoral needs of all within their grouping. There will be a structured and facilitated process by which waves of parishes will be sequenced into the planning process over the course of the next few years. Right now, all groupings have been asked to start building and strengthening relationships across the parishes and schools within their grouping. Additionally, everyone in the diocese is invited to pray for wisdom, discernment, and courage as we begin planning for the future through Renew My Church. To Teach Who Christ Is The To Teach Who Christ Is campaign hopes to ensure that all parishes within the Archdiocese of Chicago remain strong and vibrant communities that teach the faith and foster discipleship. Soon our parish will be participating in a fundraising campaign and will be assigned a fair share campaign target. St. Luke will retain 60% of all the funds we raise for our own strategic planning and needs. The remaining 40% will be shared with other parishes and ministries for the benefit of Catholics throughout the Archdiocese. Anything contributed in excess of our goal will remain in our parish. St. Luke Parish will be mobilizing its own plans, process, and steering committee to begin this campaign in the first quarter of Most parishes in the Archdiocese have already participated in the campaign and are in the pledge fulfillment phase. To date, the To Teach Who Christ Is campaign has raised more than $400 million in gifts and pledges. Stay tuned for more information on how you can help in reaching our campaign goal. NOVEMBER 5, 2017 Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 9

10 FINANCIAL STATEMENT Fiscal Year: July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017 CHURCH INCOME Sunday, Holy Day and Prior Fiscal Year Current Year 6/30/2016 6/30/2017 $ 747,470 $ 792,085 other Collections Christmas Collection $ 110,696 $ 127,907 Easter Collection $ 77,931 $ 77,570 Archdio & Non-Parish Collections $ 167,824 $ 135,451 Religious Education Tuition & Fees $ 87,655 $ 79,626 Donations, Net Fundraising, $ 161,369 $ 663,705 Endowment Miscellaneous Income $ 64,251 $ 57,794 TOTAL Church Income $ 1,417,195 $ 1,934,137 SCHOOL INCOME Net Tuition Income and Fees $ 2,046,094 $ 1,870,982 Net Fundraising $ 259,426 $ 359,428 Other Income $ 20,405 $ 74,327 TOTAL School Income $ 2,325,924 $ 2,304,737 TOTAL INCOME $ 3,743,120 $ 4,238,874 CHURCH EXPENSES Salaries & Benefits $ 653,713 $ 706,076 Maintenance & Utilities $ 122,262 $ 117,335 Insurance, Archdiocese Assessments $ 183,920 $ 180,971 Capital Improvements $ 295,508 $ 646,130 Administrative, Supplies $ 97,726 $ 82,343 Other Expenses $ 201,000 $ 182,644 TOTAL Church Expenses $ 1,554,129 $ 1,915,499 SCHOOL EXPENSES Salaries & Benefits $ 1,839,632 $ 2,012,362 Administration $ 70,253 $ 80,622 Maintenance & Utilities $ 153,681 $ 152,120 Insurance, OCG Assessment $ 57,520 $ 57,028 Capital Improvements $ 80,850 $ 0 Other Expenses $ 87,734 $ 70,953 TOTAL Education Expenses $ 2,289,669 $ 2,373,085 TOTAL EXPENSES $ 3,843,798 $ 4,288,584 Cash Balances: School Endowment Fund (Restricted Balance) $1,235,068 School Endowment Fund (Available as of 6/30/17) $1,021,162 Total Cash, Savings and Endowment Funds as of 6/30/17 $3,823,436 Financial Notes and Highlights Endowment interest increased significantly due to market conditions and receipt of a large one-time donation School fundraising increased due to a generous matching gift at the annual Dinner Dance & Auction Tuckpointing cost and stained glass restoration of the St. Luke Window St. Luke School was understaffed during the school year NET PARISH $ (100,678) $ (49,711) 10 WELCOME TO ST. LUKE River Forest, IL

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