Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church 10600 S. Archer Avenue Lemont, Illinois 60439-9344 (Ph) 630.257.7000 (Fx) 630.257.7912 E-mail: stjames1833@att.net Website: www.historicstjames.org, Facebook: www.facebook.com/saintjamesatsagbridge Listen to The Winds of Change each day, 12:00 noon to 1:00pm on WNDZ AM 750. Fr. Koys substitutes for Fr. A. Bush usually every other Wednesday. You can listen live or podcast shows to listen at anytime. visit: windsofchangeshow.com. Fr. Koys email: unlikeothernations@gmail.com. ECEMBER 29, 2013 DECEMBER FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY Founded in 1833, St. James at Sag Bridge is a country parish of the Archdiocese of Chicago serving a growing community of Catholics who come together to worship God through the celebration of the Eucharist and traditional devotional activities within truly unique and beautiful surroundings. Our faith filled community strives to bear witness to Jesus Christ by loving and serving one another to bring about the Kingdom of God. Parish Boundaries The Village of Willow Springs, The Village of Burr Ridge (Cook County only). Unicorporated Lemont Township along Archer Avenue, Bell Road, and Route 83. Mass Schedule Weekends: Saturdays, 5:30 p.m. Sundays, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30 a.m. Holy Days: 8 :15 A.M. and 7:00 p.m. Weekdays: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 8:15 a.m. Wednesdays: 7:00 p.m. Confession Schedule Tuesdays from 6:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Baptisms Sundays after the 11:30 A.M. Mass by appointment. At least one parent must be a registered parishioner. Weddings Minimum eight months in advance. At least one partner must be a registered parishioner. Funerals For families of registered parishioners. For nonparishioners to be buried in our own cemetery. Religious Education Classes 1st through 8th Grade Tuesday evenings, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. September through April. At least one parent must be a registered parishioner. Rectory Office Hours Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 9:30 A.M. to 12:00 Noon 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 p.m. Thursdays, Closed Marriage preparation by appointment only. Parish Ministerial Staff Father Thomas Koys, M.A.,S.T.L., Pastor Father Edward Gleeson, Pastor Emertius Wilkinson, CKM, Minister of Care/RCIA,DRE Mrs. Pamela Stafford, Music Coordinator Mrs. Pamela Mikrut, Organist Mr. Rodney Poynter, Holy Name President Mrs. JoAnn Starha, Altar & Rosary Sodality President Mrs. Diane Wall, Accountant Rectory Support Staff Mrs. Jane Mayer, Administrative Assistant/Bulletin Editor Mrs. Bronislawa Raj, Housekeeper/Cook
Page Two December 29, 2013 FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR BEDIENCE & L OBEDIENCE Last week I brought up the topic of prophecies and the strange nature of the prophecy of Isaiah 7. We considered the fact that the sign of the coming Messiah was in all practical purposes a very bad sign. Ahaz was told that a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. We need to ask ourselves, What in the name of Sam Hill is God doing with us? To be blunt, a sign, if it is to be a good sign should be easy to read and visible to all, right? Right. But this Messianic sign is neither. If the Illinois Department of Transportation paid a sign company a gazzilian dollars to put up road signs on I-55 and the company tore down all the existing signs and went around each exit and put a little yellow post-it notes on the trees near the exits with the words Exit 294 North, keep right etc., that company would be fired in about 5 minutes. (Oh, wait a minute, this is Illinois, perhaps the company would not be fired, since it would probably depend on the amount of the kick back the officials received from the money they saved) But you get the point. Why is the sign of the Messiah such a bad sign? I believe this question can only be answered by appreciating the difference in our faith between obedience and love. This sign given to the world is similar to the response that Jesus gives to St. John the Baptist. When John asks Jesus, Are you the one or must we wait for another? Jesus says, Tell John what you see. The sick are healed and the dead are raised. The question about the Messianic sign, which takes the form of a spiritual puzzle, corresponds to these words of our Lord. We can similarly ask God, Why doesn t Jesus just tell John, & LOVE Yes, I am he, do not look for another. Wouldn t that have made the whole saving of the world project a lot easier? I mean, really, why is God so darn difficult to figure out? If I was a big Hollywood movie producer and God asked me to figure out the best way to convince the world s population that Jesus Christ is the long awaited Messiah I would write Him one really good script. It would include every special effects technique I could imagine. Jesus would not only be the greatest looking guy money could buy, he would be accompanied by flashes of lightning, followed by a voice from the sky that continually said, This guy is the one. Accept him as your Messiah or pay the consequences. Everyone who accepted him as Lord and Savior would immediately find themselves millionaires with the most attractive spouses and children imaginable. And everyone who didn t accept him would be rejects, outcasts and never be invited to the Jay Leno show or featured on CNN news. Or maybe I would just have Bruce Willis go around asking people, Do you believe in Jesus, yes or no? If they said no, he d just shoot them. Well, you may say my advise to God is a bit odd, but it would be real clear and people would fall in line real fast. People would certainly obey God. Oh, but then the greatest human achievement known as love would be severed from our thoughts of God. God wants us to obey, but He really wants us to discover His greatness, especially while meditating on the crib and the cross. that God will lead us to make our nation, unlike other nations... FATHER THOMAS KOYS, M.A.,S.T.L., PASTOR
Feast of the Holy Family Page Three A Prayer for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph THANK YOU to ALL the contributing Parishioners of St. James for the beautiful array of Christmas Flowers surrounding our altar and crib scene. HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR! The collection for St. James on the weekend of December 15, 2013 was $3,066.58. Maintenance on 12/15/13 was $70.00 Sharing on 12/15/13 was $42.00 Christmas on 12/15/13 was $125.00 Clergy Retirement was $1,098.15 Immaculate Conception was $35.00 Solemity of Mary was $5.00 The number of December 15th Offertory Envelopes handed in the weekend of December 14th and December 15th was 117. The amount of money coming out of those envelopes was $2,190.00 which averages out to be $18.80 per envelope. Our many thanks to the 117 contributing families. Due the New Year holiday, the bulletin printer requires all bulletin copy to be submitted far in advance of the normal schedule. Therefore, Offertory Envelopes information will be delayed by a week (i.e. December 29th collection will be published in the January 5th bulletin etc.). God the Father, draw us into your arms, that we might know how cherished we are as members of your family. May our homes and our hearts be living expressions of your desire to gather all people into your family, now and forever, Amen. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE SICK OF OUR PARISH, ESPECIALLY: Frank Angotti, father of Maria Gallagher Mary Bartik Anna DiNello, mother of Carl DiNello Tom Fitzgerald Nathan McKenna, grandson of Ruth & Norm Kaminski Margaret Mohlfeld Isabella Murphy Theresa Dykas Marsha Liczwek Harold Kopping Jerry Neadly Barbara Pieprzyca Adam Raj Mo Reilly David Reiniche Michael O Shea Clara Gene Schmidt Nick Spore Ambrose Sobczek Fr. Ben Reese Lillian Simanavicius - Aunt of Bridget Curry Mary Tadda, wife of Donald Tadda Melanie Williams, grandniece of the Tadda s PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR LOVED ONES SERVING IN THE MILITARY: Col. Daniel T. Lasica, serving in Afghanistan. Christina Garcia, serving in the Army, Afghanistan. CPL. Michael Bunetta, USMC, serving in Afghanistan. BLESS YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED AND VALUED SUPPORT.
Page Four Second December Sunday 29,of2013 Advent Page Five Led by Fr. Koys and Bronislawa, a crew of 14 helpers; individuals, men, women, youngsters and a family volunteered to tackle jobs not attended to in years. There will be an opportunity for families and individuals to dust and vacuum weekly. On the bulletin board at the back of church on the confessional side there will be a sign-up sheet. There is room for four individuals each week: Saturdays, at 9:00a.m. and would take approximately an hour. As an extra bonus, Fr. Koys hears confessions at 9:30a.m.
Feast of the Holy Family Page Five To all who have chosen to participate in St. James Floor Project. We pray to accomplish our goal in the weeks ahead. Thankfulness & Heartfelt Appreciation -- Wilkinson & Fr. Thomas Koys Mary T. Anderson Thomas & Linda Arra M/M George Bartik Glenn & Mary Berry Tess Blinstrub Dale Butalla M/M James Carduff M/M William Channell Richard & Loretta Chudzik M/M Robert Cushing Dr. Eugene & Rosemary Diamond M/M Michael Dillenburg Carl & JoAnn DiNello Dr. Robert & Eileen Dolehide Marty Fleckenstein Joseph Felonk M/M Wojciech Fugiel M /M Tim Gorniak The Guzior Family Foundation Alan & Adrianne Hansen Lawrence & Jackie Heavey Holy Name Society Mariano & Giovanna Imbarrato Keith & Kathleen Killacky Fr. Thomas Koys M/M Gregory Krob M/M Richard Landis Anthony & Dolores Lang M/M Tim Malloy William & Pamela Neville Thomas & Barbara Nayder M/M Jerome Neadly M/M Eugene Noska James & Elaine Nurczyk Angela Schrimpl/John Oldershaw Joan ONeill M/M Henry Pabin Greg & Carrie Peters M/M Leon Pieprzyca M/M Joseph Petrich M/M Rodney Poynter Mary Jane Purkart Maureen (Mo) Reilly M/M Bob Reitz Susan D. Sih Joseph & Christine Slowik Dennis & Geraldine Super John & Mary Vallortigara D.L. & Pierce Van Auken George & Rosemarie Walschlager Mike & Diane Wall M/M Casimir Wodynski William Wrobel Shelia & Frank Yaeger Byron & Augusta Zawaski
Page Six Second December Sunday 29, of 2013 Advent Page Five Christians can't be gloomy because Jesus always brings joy, pope says: VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Sadness is a sign of being far from Christ because Jesus offers everyone the strength to persevere with hope and joy, Pope Francis said. "God is the one who came to save us and offer help, especially to hearts gone astray," he said before praying the Angelus Dec. 15, Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. "The church is not a refuge for sad people, the church is a house of joy" because the Christian message is "Good News" -- "a proclamation of joy for all people," he said. Despite the rain, tens of thousands of pilgrims turned out in St. Peter's Square for the weekly prayer and to have the pope bless the figurines of Baby Jesus that children bring and then place in their Nativity scene at home or at school. The pope asked the children to remember him when they pray in front of their Nativity scenes just as he remembers them in his prayers. Before the Angelus, the pope said that no matter how big people's sins and limits, Christians are not allowed "to be weak and waver before difficulties and our own flaws." Ordaining 31 Legionaries, cardinal says they are part of order's reform: ROME (CNS) -- Ordaining 31 new priests for the Legionaries of Christ, Cardinal Velasio De Paolis told them they were not responsible for the scandals that threatened to destroy their order, but they have been part of the effort to renew and reform the order. "You who have stayed are not personally responsible for the painful facts relived over the past three years" as the Legionaries acknowledged the sexual abuse and sinfulness of their founder, the late Mexican Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, Cardinal De Paolis said in his homily Dec. 14 at the ordination Mass. The Legionaries are scheduled to begin a general chapter meeting Jan. 8 to vote for new leaders for the order and to adopt a new constitution. The new structure and rules will be submitted to Pope Francis for his approval or for further instructions for the future of the order, which has about 950 priests and hundreds of seminarians. During the ordination Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Cardinal De Paolis said the new constitutions "are not simply the result of a juridical process; they are the fruit of a long examination of conscience by the entire congregation." Chaldean patriarch says extremism threatens Christians and Muslims: ROME (CNS) -- "Extremist political Islam is growing in the Middle East," prompting Christians to flee and causing death and upheaval among Christians and moderate Muslims alike, said the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Patriarch Louis Sako of Baghdad said moderate Muslims must be more courageous in defending a pluralistic Middle East and the region's Catholics should consider writing a document that explains to Muslims the Christian faith and the importance of religious freedom using terminology familiar to Muslims. The patriarch spoke Dec. 14 in Rome at an international conference on "Christianity and Freedom: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives." The conference was sponsored by the Religious Freedom Project of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University in Washington. More than 10 years after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, "we don't have security yet," the patriarch told conference participants. "In 2013 alone, 6,200 persons were killed. There are daily attacks, explosions, kidnappings and murders." Quebec archbishop hopes Holy Door will draw Americans closer to faith: TORONTO (CNS) -- Quebec Archbishop Gerald Lacroix hopes the Holy Door being installed at the Basilica-Cathedral Notre Dame de Quebec will draw more than a million North Americans closer to their roots and faith. "The idea is not to just come to the door," the archbishop told the Canadian weekly The Catholic Register. "People love to go to the roots of their faith. We get over a million visitors already a year in our cathedral, (and) we'll certainly get a lot more." At a special Mass marking the opening of the Holy Door and a jubilee year for the 350th anniversary of Notre Dame de Quebec, the oldest parish in Frenchspeaking North America, Archbishop LaCroix told the congregation that "passing through the Holy Door is a great sign of hope. When people decide to embark on this journey toward encountering and following Christ, anything becomes possible. A New World can be achieved," he said. The Holy Door is in the wall of the Chapel of the Sacred Heart on the north side of the basilica. It will remain unlocked for visitors to pass through until Dec. 28, 2014. Wisconsin woman makes home for Holy Family with Nativity set collection: NEW LONDON, Wis. (CNS) -- Every Christmas season, Verna Bechard's home is transformed into a gallery of Nativity sets. Scenes of the first Christmas in Bethlehem fill nearly every curio cabinet, coffee table, mantel, window sill, hutch and cupboard in her spacious New London home. Today the collection of Nativity sets numbers 193, with 30 from foreign countries. Bechard purchased the first set in 1950 to replace one her mother owned. "It was (made of) painted plaster of Paris and the creche itself was made out of cardboard. I figured it was old and thought we should have a new one," she said. Twenty-two years later, she bought a second one in Las Vegas. She explained she was there with her husband, Dick, who was attending a convention. "I went to the gift shop at the hotel we were at and I saw this Nativity set," she said. "I thought, oh my kids would really like that (but) I couldn't afford to buy it." So she went to play a nickel slot machine and hit a jackpot. "I went right down to the gift shop and bought it." After that, the collection just started to grow. "One here and one there," she told The Compass, newspaper of the Green Bay Diocese. "Whenever my husband and I would go anywhere, I would buy one. The kids, after they were out of college and working, every Christmas they would come with new ones. It just kind of got out of hand."
Feast of the Holy Family VOTIVE CANDLES Votive offering for the week of December 29, 2013 St. James Altar & Rosary Sodality the Arra Family In honor of Florence Bernacchi In honor of John P. Bernacchi Janice Macfarlane, Christmas for sister James Macfarlane, Christmas for Dad Barbara Medala In honor of the brother of Al Landa the soul of grandma, Jenny Lesniewski at Christmas 10:00 A.M. Cross Right Candle Left Candle EPIPHANY 1/4/14 & 1/5/14 Celebrant Altar Servers Lector LEM Ushers 8:15 AM the Holst Family Tuesday December 31 New Years Eve Prayerful Wishes Society Living & Deceased Parishioners 10:00 AM Special Birthday int. for Bronislawa Raj Thursday January 2 SS. Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen 8:15AM Friday January 3 Holy Name of Jesus 8:15 AM Saturday January 4 Sunday January 5 Kay Lewandowski J. Mordejko VIGIL: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 5:30 PM God Blessing & Thanksgiving for Anna & Dan Jarema Lawler Lawler Lawler Lawler/Lawler S. Hillstrom J. Quigley C. Hughes 5:30PM December 30 6th Day of the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord Wednesday January 1 St. Sylvester, I family health & son s job for C. Szymczak Celebrant ALTAR SERVERS Monday 5:30 PM 10:00 PM the soul of grandfather, Frank Lesniewski at Christmas New Years Day 1/1/14 Lector LEM Ushers Page Seven THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 8:30 AM James Mulligan 10:00 AM Richard Meister 11:30 AM First Wedding Anniversary for Kathy & John Zapala 8:30AM 10:00AM A. Bertucci F. Zabilka J. Zabilka Podkowski 11:30AM E. Dooley M. Dooley M. Ramirez L. Pieprzyca J. Beecher J. Beecher Dillenburg C. Stach-Pearman M. May J. Szarzynski T. Szarzynski S. Hagen S. Hillstrom J. Quigley C. Hughes J. H. Dillenburg M. Hally T. Lang F. Pearman D. Butalla M. Lavery J. Pajkos J. Wall B. Czaja J. Neadly R. Poynter M. Fleckenstein