Saint Clement Parish Guide To Our Parish Anchors Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20) In 2011, nearly 1000 parishioners completed a survey to measure their sense of engagement with Saint Clement Parish. Respondents expressed the need to understand what Saint Clement expects of them as parishioners, and what they can expect from the parish. After numerous discussions with new and existing parishioners, Saint Clement has prepared a one-page document entitled Our Parish Anchors" to describe those expectations. This Guide is designed to provide background information to support Our Parish Anchors, including a brief discussion of the reasons why those expectations matter, and a practical list of parish resources for parishioners who wish to develop a stronger sense of engagement with Saint Clement Parish. Everyone current parishioners and others wishing to become a part of Saint Clement Parish is invited to embraceour Parish Anchors and incorporate it into their daily faith life at the parish. Acceptance of the five Anchors is not a formal precondition to membership in Saint Clement, nor is it intended to impose a burdensome set of duties or obligations. To the contrary,our Parish Anchors is designed to give you the opportunity to freely make a personal commitment to the parish, and to understand Saint Clement s commitment to you. In this way, Our Parish Anchors provides a realistic framework for parishioners to explore and grow their Catholic faith at Saint Clement Parish. Our Parish Anchors also expresses Saint Clement s commitment to parishioners in a spirit consistent with our Parish Mission and vision. As individual parishioners and as Saint Clement Parish, we seek deeper holiness, greater communion and wider service. Rooted in our Catholic tradition, empowered by the liturgy, and grateful to God for our blessings, we strive to live and grow our faith together in the following ways: Belonging, Praying, Serving, Giving and Learning
Belonging For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. 1 Corinthians 12:13-14 The Archdiocese of Chicago describes a parish as an active community of the faithful providing full sacramental and liturgical services. What does it mean to belong to the active community of Catholics at Saint Clement Parish? It means we each depend on one another to support and grow our faith, just as all parts of our body depend on the other parts of our body to enable us to perform at our best. Saint Clement Parish is committed to creating an environment that encourages us to work together and socialize together as we discover how best to live as faithful Catholics. As individual parishioners, belonging to Saint Clement Parish calls us to: invite fellow parishioners and non-parishioners to participate with us in worship, to learn about our Catholic faith and how to make it part of our daily life, to actively communicate with one another and our parish about our faith life, and to support Saint Clement on its journey to serve its core Mission; welcome others to join our community in a spirit of openness and hospitality, without precondition or judgment; and engage with one another in parish ministries and events to build a vibrant community committed to the fulfillment of our Catholic faith. Real-world testimonies from parishioners of what it means to belong to Saint Clement can be found on our parish website at http://clement.org/belong/welcome/why-i-come. Opportunities to belong to parish ministries or affinity groups at Saint Clement are almost too numerous to mention. A few examples include: Become an ambassador of Saint Clement s by welcoming fellow parishioners and visitors informally or formally by serving as a Hospitality minister. Participate in a parish life group such as Clement Couples, Clement Moms, Clement Dads, Divorced and Separated Catholics Group, God Squad (youth group), Human Concerns Commission, and Young Adult Community. A listing of major parish ministries and groups and their current leaders is attached to this Guide. Please contact the listed leaders if any group appeals to your talents or interests. I will engage with our community in prayer and a spirit of open invitation as we support each other on our faith journey. Saint Clement Parish will open its doors to welcome each member of our parish as we build a Catholic community of faith, nurtured with care and compassion.
Praying Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Catholics are called by our faith to form a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God in prayer. What is prayer? St. Thérèse of Lisieux describes it beautifully: For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. 1 Prayer is at the center of the life and growth of our individual faith as well as the parish s overall message of stewardship. In recognition of the importance of prayer, Saint Clement Parish is committed to helping parishioners form a personal ethos of prayer. Saint Clement will also work to make prayer come to life as we celebrate the liturgy, worship, and the sacraments as a community. Inspired by this support, individual parishioners are called to: devote a meaningful amount of time each day to develop a personal relationship with God through personal prayer in a spirit of adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving or praise; commi to attend and participate actively in Sunday Mass on a regular basis; and join and participate in one or more of the many other opportunities for regular, seasonal or individual worship offered by Saint Clement Parish. Specific opportunities to make personal and community prayer an important part of your faith life abound at Saint Clement Parish. A few examples include: Participate in daily and weekly liturgy, the sacraments, and other worship services. Participate in Children s Liturgy of the Word, Clement faith communities, Men s Communio, Focus on Sunday Scripture, Eucharistic Adoration, Centering Prayer, Mother s Rosary, and others. Attend the parish s annual Retreat Day and integrate personal prayer into your life. I will gather with our community in weekly Sunday Mass, participate fully with our parish in worship and the Sacraments, and seek to make personal daily prayer an integral part of my individual faith life. Saint Clement Parish will help to form and inspire our prayer life and will bring God s word to life in the liturgy, worship and the Sacraments. 1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2d ed., No 2558, quoting St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Manuscrits autobiographiques, C 25r.
Serving As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God s varied grace. 1 Peter 3:10 Service to our parish community as well as social justice is an essential part of parish life. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Our parish communities are measured by how they serve "the least of these" in our parish and beyond its boundaries... We cannot be called truly Catholic unless we hear and heed the Church's call to serve those in need and work for justice and peace. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus unless we take up his mission of bringing good news to the poor, liberty to captives, and new sight to the blind. (cf. Lk 4:18). 2 Saint Clement Parish has a long tradition of service in our parish and beyond its boundaries. Service is the bedrock of our parish commitment to stewardship. As Individuals and as community, from the abundance we have received from God, we have been called to: discern the talents and skills God has given us and how we can utilize them in service to others in need; and commi the time and energy to make a meaningful contribution to our parish, our community and the world. We can fulfill our call to service in many ways through personal commitment, Saint Clement or other outside sponsoring organizations. As a parish, Saint Clement offers a myriad of opportunities to serve. For example: Participate in a Strengths For The Journey small group to identify the talents and strengths God gave you and help you explore how to bring them to service. Work with a liturgical ministry such as altar servers, arts and environment, bread bakers, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, liturgical dance, sacristans, thurifers and ushers, or join one or more of the many other parish ministries or committees and become part of parish lay leadership (see the addendum attached to this Guide). Participate in Saint Clement s annual Service Day or reach out and volunteer in the community and the world with the Human Concerns Commission, Donate-A-Day program, or many other parish service organizations. I will freely volunteer my time, God-given talents and gifts to the ministries of Saint Clement Parish and in service to others in Chicago and beyond. Saint Clement Parish will guide us in discovering o our individual talents and gifts and how we can use them to put our Catholic faith into action. 2 Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish, NCCB/USCCB (1993).
Giving Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return. Luke 6:38 As disciples of Christ, Catholics are called to be generous stewards, giving freely of their time, talent, and treasure. Consider this, Paul says, addressing not only the Christians of Corinth but all of us. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.... God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:6-7). 3 Saint Clement Parish and its parishioners are blessed by God with abundance. With that abundance, our Catholic faith teaches us to give back to our Church and our world in a spirit of generosity and gratitude. Saint Clement s commitment to this teaching is best exemplified in the Clement Commits program, through which the parish donates 10% of its collections to meet specific needs in our community and the world. Saint Clement is also committed to carefully stewarding the gifts it receives from parishioners with transparency and openness. As individual parishioners, we are called to: discern with gratitude how our lives have been blessed by God with abundance; commi to give back to Saint Clement and beyond, not just a share of our excess, but a meaningful part of the first fruits of our abundance. Saint Clement offers many opportunities for parishioners to give in the true spirit of a Christian steward, including: Make and fulfill an annual pledge to the Sunday Giving Commitment, the parish s principal source of annual operating income (and Clement Commits). Contribute to other parish giving opportunities, including Community of Shepherds for our capital needs, Anchor Ball, the School Annual Fund and Tuition Assistance Program. Make a legacy gift to support our church or school. I will contribute a share of the first fruits of my resources with gratitude and generosity to support the mission of Saint Clement Parish and the broader needs of our community and the world. Saint Clement Parish will responsibly and transparently steward our resources in the spirit of our Catholic faith. 3 Adapted from Stewardship, A Disciple s Response: A Pastoral Letter on Stewardship. USCCB (2002).
Learning Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 One of the most important roles of Saint Clement is to teach parishioners about our Catholic faith. Learning about our faith is not simply an academic exercise for schoolchildren; it can and should be a deeply transformative and spiritual experience for singles, parents and children alike. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has explained, Catechesis leads people to enter the mystery of Christ, to encounter him and to discover themselves and the meaning of their lives in him. 4 Saint Clement Parish has a long and rich heritage of teaching. In our school and in our church, young and old members of our community have been learning about their faith at Saint Clement since 1906. Together we are committed to understanding the genius of our Catholic faith and how we can live and grow our faith in the face of challenging demands from our secular world. Individual parishioners are called to: commi the time to studying the Scripture to learn the foundation of our faith; expand our understanding of Catholicism by taking advantage of the many faith learning opportunities and resources available at Saint Clement; suppor the mission of our school and our religious education programs for catechumens and Catholic adults and children. Opportunities to learn about our faith abound at Saint Clement. For example: Enroll your children at Saint Clement School or in our Religious Education program to ensure that our youngest parishioners learn and grow in our faith. For those seeking full participation in our Catholic sacraments, join our RCIA program. Participate in our adult formation programs, including small faith groups, Theology on Tap, Theology on the Rocks, and many other special faith education programs. I will seek to grow in knowledge and understanding of my Catholic faith and how to integrate it into my daily life and my encounters with others. Saint Clement Parish will provide opportunities through which parishioners of all ages can learn, believe and live our Catholic faith. 4 National Directory for Catechesis, USCCB (2005).
Ministry List & Contact Information Ministries Name Email Adult Faith Formation, RCIA, Adult Confirmation Christina Bax cbax@clement.org Edda Hackl eddahackl@aol.com Centering Prayer Claire Epperly cp-epperly@comcast.net Child Care Ministry Maggie Hanley mhanley@clement.org Children s & Family Catechesis Mary DuQuaine mduquaine@clement.org Clement Couples Amanda & Griffin Lothrop amanda.lothrop@gmail.com Clement Dads Shawn Vaughn Dan Stahlschmidt shawn.m.vaughn@gmail.com dan.stahlschmidt@gmail.com Clement Moms Jessica Bargnes Sarah Basken jessica.bargnes@gmail.com bryar12@yahoo.com Donate-a-Day Ministry Maggie Hanley mhanley@clement.org Eucharistic Adoration Angela Lapid angelalapid@sbcglobal.net Finance Council Mark Hoffmeister mark.hoffmeister@prudential.com Focus on Sunday Scripture Edda Hackl eddahackl@aol.com Human Concerns Commission Allen Wesolowski acwesolowski@martin-karcazes.com Liturgical Ministries Flo Merkl-Deutsch fmd@clement.org Liturgy of the Word for Children Chris Keller chrisandjoo@rcn.com Ministry of Care Fr. Rex Pillai rpillai@clement.org Music Ministries Paul Nicholson Patrick Sinozich pnicholson@clement.org psinozich@clement.org Parish Engagement Committee Carol Fowler clfowler@rcn.com Pastoral Council Cynthia Patti thepattis@rcn.com Dina Wolf dina_l_wolf@yahoo.com Prayer Yoga Ali Niederkorn aniederkorn@hotmail.com Pre-Cana Paula Quinn pdsmith99@gmail.com Respect Life Committee Dr. Maria Munoz burchdoc@aol.com Saint Clement Men s Communio Jim Perry jperry@mdcp.com Saint Clement Parents Association Julia Keller chrisandjoo@rcn.com School Board Rhonda Swanson rws@robbins-assoc.com Stewardship Council Heather Kracik hkracik@clement.org Welcome & Hospitality Committee Sherry Frick sherrydstl@yahoo.com Young Adult Community Tom Keefe Liz Kovalak Kim Riley tkeefe43@gmail.com lizkovalak@gmail.com kkrile05@gmail.com