Pastoral Staff Pastor Rev. Denis Condon Rev. Henry Kricek Associate Pastor Pastor Emeritus Rev. John Hergenrother Deacon Mr. Dave Brencic School Principal & Faith Formation Coordinator Ms. AnnMarie Mahay Youth Minister Mrs. Karyn Miller Business Manager Ms. Lynn Waterloo Music Director Mr. Jim Harrold, 201-755-7716 Secretary/Bulletin Editor Spiritual Companion Ms. Maureen Johnson, 352-7388 Mrs. Jane Kucera, 579-1785 Parish Council Chair Mrs. JoAnna Leon, 354-4205 Rectory 1144 Harrison Ave., 352-7388 FAX 352-0714 School 1125 Harrison, LaGrange Park, 352-2202 Faith Formation 482-8814 Weekend Mass Schedule Sunday Masses: 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m. Saturday Evening: 5:00 p.m.; Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 a.m. Weekday: Monday thru Friday 8:30 a.m. Sacraments and Ministries Reconciliation/Confessions Saturdays 4:00 4:30 p.m. or on request. Baptisms Second Sunday: 12:30 p.m. A baptismal class is necessary prior to scheduling a Baptism. Marriage Contact the rectory six months prior to wedding. Home Communion Visits Contact the Rectory 352-7388 Parish Nurses, 352-4322 Hours as posted in church. New Parishioners Register at the rectory. Website www.slmparish.org E-mail parishoffice@slmparish.org Bulletin Deadline Monday at 10:00 a.m. Traveling? Call 1-410-676-6000 or www.masstimes.org The Son of Man did not come to be Served but to Serve
Last week we published a letter from Archbishop Cupich about the priests meeting he called to discuss the realities of the Church in our time, which he called exciting days for the Church. He quoted the Holy Father s Philadelphia homily: One of the great challenges facing the Church in this generation is to foster in all the faithful a sense of personal responsibility for the church s mission, and to enable them to fulfill that responsibility as missionary disciples, as a leaven of the Gospel in our world. (my italics) The Church has a mission - Go make disciples of all nations - and we are to be missionary disciples to complete that task. In other words, while we have the same mission as before, we can t do church as we have always done it. We have to change. In his address to the priests the Archbishop made a big point of this being exciting days, days that call on us to be open to what the Lord is trying to accomplish in and through us in the 21st century. He said, we need to open ourselves to the working of the Spirit and offered the San Damiano cross for meditation. That s the cross associated with St. Francis of Assisi who brought about major changes in the Church of his time. Archbishop Cupich pointed out that on the San Damiano cross Christ, who called St. Francis to rebuild his Church, is alive while looking toward eternal life - resurrection. The Archbishop called us to renew our faith in the Resurrection by meditating upon that cross. To arrive at Resurrection we must first die. There s no other way. Our dying is letting go of the way we have experienced Church up to now which won t be easy or painless; death never is. But Resurrection calls us into a new life, a life better than this one, a life with new vitality. While emotion may tie us to certain buildings and ways of doing things, faith seeks ways to express itself in these exciting days for the Church. Why? Why can t we continue as we are? To be faithful, to be creative, we need to be ale to change. To change! And why must we change? So that I can adapt to the situations in which I must proclaim the Gospel. (Pope Francis) In Chicago the number of Catholics declined 43% since 1980 and there are 1,000 fewer priests. Baptisms are down 10,000, weddings down 5,000 and there are 33% fewer funerals. The biggest statistic to consider is this: half the diocesan priests in the U.S. will retire in the next five years! That alone should cause us to stop and think. Current projections indicate that, if things remain the same, by 2045 there will only be 250 pastors for the entire Archdiocese of 350 parishes. Moreover, there are many parishes that can t afford to pay the day-to-day bills which the Archdiocese must then pay and some parishes have 400 or less households. We simply don t have the money or the priests to continue as we are. There s no doubt our Church is shrinking. Yet worse things have happened to the Church in centuries past: think of the schism with the Eastern Church (the Orthodox) and the Protestant Reformation. Each of those events dealt a huge blow to the Church but the Church survived, thanks to its changing to meet the current events. The Gospel will be preached and the Church will continue. That s not the question; the question is how do will we adapt to current realities. We can look negatively at the current reality allowing ourselves to become bitter or resentful. Sadly, that accomplishes nothing except spreading misery and a sense of hopelessness. On the other hand, by viewing what s happening as the action of the Holy Spirit we can (granted with some anxiety and fear) embrace the new life the Spirit is trying to give us. Remember, the Spirit is Lord of life as we proclaim in our creed each Sunday. God gives life, a better life than we ve had before. Our new title - missionary disciples - given us by Pope Francis may feel a bit awkward now, but in time I m sure we will wear it with pride. The Lord of Life calls us to a new life in Christ that will look different from before. It will still be a life in Christ celebrated in Sacraments which enable us to serve others and thus proclaim the Gospel to the world. The Body of Christ may be changing clothes, but remains the Body of Christ. Fr. Denis Condon October 18, 2015 Page 2
Monday, October 12 2:45pm 6:30pm Scouts-PC Tuesday, October 13 2:45pm 2:45pm Jr. Girl Scouts-M 3:30pm Drama Club-C Wednesday, October 14 2:30pm Children s Choir 4:30pm 1:00&7:00pm Prayer Shawl-CH 5:00&6:30pm Faith Formation 7:00pm Adoration-CH Thursday, October 15 4:30pm SPRED-R 7:00pm Scout Committee-M Friday, October 16 2:45pm 6:30pm Girl Scouts-PC 7:00pm Mom s Night-M Saturday, October 17 10:00am-10:00pm 9:00am Bitty Camp-PC Sunday, October 18 10:30am Faith Formation 12:00pm 2:30pm Play Practice-PC 6:00pm BEDS-C 8:00 p.m. Alcoholics Anonymous-R PRAY FOR PEACE The radical group ISIS in the Middle East repeatedly and specifically threatens Christians, fellow Muslims, Israel, the U.S., and even American doctors ministering to the sick and needy around the world. What makes ISIS especially dangerous is its possession of both the means and the will to carry out these threats. Pray for those in the medical field who, under dangerous conditions, continue their work and for those who have already given their lives in the caring for others. COAT DRIVE: The Catholic Women s Club and the St. Louise Girl Scouts are sponsoring a winter coat drive beginning Sunday, October 25. Coats will initially be collected at the Pancake Breakfast that day and then bins will be in the back of church and near the school office until November 16. We are collecting men s, women s and children s coats. Check your closets and help keep folks warm this winter. Questions? Call Kari 352-7638. Appalachian Service Project is planning their Summer 2016 trip. We are looking for interested adults and teens who would like to travel to Kentucky to help make homes warmer, safer, and drier for families in need. Meetings and additional information coming in future bulletins. If interested and want more info, call Kari at 352-7638 or email kekeegan87@sbcglobal.net. Watch the bulletin for more information. MEN OF THE PARISH All men of the parish are invited to the new St. Louise Men s Club meeting at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 30 in the Marillac Room. Men, have you ever gone on a retreat-an opportunity to go off by yourself and reflect on your life and relationship with God? A Grateful Heart is the theme of the men s overnight retreat November 6-7 at St. Mary s Retreat House in Lemont. Led by Deacon Dave Brencic, we will explore how God has blessed us in our lives and what is our response to those blessings. The retreat includes reconciliation, Mass, meditations, and quiet time. The retreat runs from 7p.m. Friday until 3p.m. Saturday. Cost is $45 and includes breakfast and lunch. Deadline to sign up is Monday, November 2. For more info and to register, call Deacon Dave, 708/485-6614. GOD S WORK OF SALVATION is the focus of this weekend s readings. From Jesus understanding of the human condition in Hebrews, concluding with Jesus paying our ransom in Mark, Jesus is in control. There may be failings and misunderstandings along the way. We may move away from God, but at our conversion, God leads us back. Jesus has paid our ransom to ensure that we will share in the Kingdom. It is not unusual to think of Jesus ransom as a punishment that he endured. However, it is more accurate for us to recognize ransom as God s gift to us. Copyright J. S. Paluch Co. October 18, 2015 Page 3
FALL PANCAKE BREAKFAST October 25 8:00 to 11:00am Colonnade Room Menu: All-You Can-Eat Pancakes, Sausage, Fresh Fruit, Orange Juice, Coffee Donation: $5 person, six and older with a max of $20 per family (includes grandparents) Great Breakfast!! Great Service!! Halloween Blood Drive: It s Ghoul to Donate Blood Youth Ministry will be sponsoring a blood drive on Halloween, from 8am until noon. Sign up on line: http://tinyurl.com/slmblooddrive or after Masses this weekend. R.C.I.A. Any adult who would like to be Baptized or Confirmed at Easter 2016, should contact the rectory for information about the R.C.I.A. program. BIBLE STUDY Bible Study will meet every Tuesday, led by Father Henry at 7:00 pm in the rectory meeting room. We will discuss the Book of Genesis. Sponsored by St. Louise Men s Club Miscarriage~ Although we may feel unsure how best to comfort those who mourn, we must stand with them in their time of suffering. Miscarriage touches the lives of many people, yet all too often this tragedy remains unaddressed. This lack of response often leads to unresolved grief, but fails to manifest that each person, from conception onward, is precious and unique. Educating Minds, Inspiring Hearts~Join Archbishop Blase Cupich, and guest speaker, Damon Owens, of the Body Institute, at the benefit dinner to support programs benefiting The Chastity Institute. Dinner is Thursday, November 5, 6p.m. at Drury Lane. Cost $90, Teens $60. Reservations: 312/534-5355 or www.respectlifechicago.org. BINGO-TODAY, October 18, 2:00 pm Doors Open at Noon $2100 in CASH Prizes Raffles, Pull Tabs, Excitement Tasty Refreshments October 18, 2015 Page 4
> TEEN CLUB: No Teen Club until November. Come help transform the Colonnade Room into our fantastic Haunted House! 2015 Haunted House Hours: Schoolhouse Shock! Hours for this week: Sunday 12:30-2:30pm; Monday, 3:00-5:00, 6:30-8:30pm; Tuesday, 3:30-5:30, 6:30-8:30pm.Watch website for schedule and updates: slmteenclub.weebly.com. All teens in grades7-12 needed! If you are using this for Confirmation service, remember you need at least 8 hours during the construction phase. Sign up on Sign-up Genius! Tinyurl.com/SLMHHsignup Safety Meetings: Anyone wanting to work during operation of Schoolhouse Shock! must attend a mandatory Safety Meeting. Meetings last about 30 minutes and will be offered on Wednesday, October 21 at 4:30, 5:00, and 7:00 pm, and on Thursday, October 22, at 3:00, 3:30, 4:00, 6:30, 7:00, and 7:30. Bible Breakfast Youth Ministry will sponsor our first Bible Breakfast of the year next Sunday, October 25 in conjunction with the Men s Club Pancake Breakfast, following the 8:30 Mass. Enjoy your pancakes while nourishing your soul with lively discussion of this week s Scripture! Good food, Good friends, and the Good Book! National Catholic Youth Conference On November 19, Ms. Miller and Fr. Denis will accompany six teens representing St. Louise at the National Catholic Youth Conference. They will attend a special Mass of Blessing and Sending with Bishop Manz this evening at St. Edna. Continue to pray for our pilgrims as they prepare to join over 20,000 youth from all over the U.S. to celebrate our Catholic faith in Indianapolis. October 18, 2015 Page 5
October 19-25 Monday, St. John Brebeuf 8:30 - Otto & Mae Weiler Tuesday, St. Paul of the Cross 8:30 - Leslie Russ, Sr. Wednesday 8:30 - Joseph & Elizabeth Smuda, Scott Richardson Thursday, Blessed John Paul II 8:30 - Ray Meath Friday, St. John of Capistrano 8:30 - Matheson Family Saturday 5:00-50th Wedding Anniv.-Mario & Maria Imparo, Josephine Bukowski, Regina Condor, Angie Trksak Sunday 7:30 - Ray Szafranski 9:30 - Virgil Schmidt 11:00 - Ray Meath, Felix Frances, Christine Pomponio, Irene Cortesi, Maria de Lourdes, Robert Mitre Altar Servers Mon. - Wed., October 19, 20, 21 8:30 - T. Swanson, A. Gonzalez Thurs. - Fri., October 22, 23 8:30 - E. Kimmelman-Wyles, T. Bosshart Sat., October 24 5:00 - B. Copp, G. Sventy, K. Keegan Sun., October 25 7:30 - E. Kimmelman-Wyles, M. Hanson, D. Hanson 9:30 - A. Thomas, M. Schaffer, M. Adams 11:00 - A. Porras, K. Keen, K. Valdez Our Sympathy to the Family of Sharon Young Presiders October 24 October 25 Confessions - Fr. Denis 7:30 - Fr. Denis 5:00 - Fr. Denis 9:30 - Fr. Henry 11:00 - Fr. Henry Readers October 24 October 25 5:00 - K. Bell 7:30 - S. Bratta 9:30 - Family Mass 11:00 - Men s Club Eucharistic Ministers October 24 5:00 - R&B. Stepina, D.&J. Kucera, S. Czarnik, J. Lisiecki, R. Williams October 25 7:30 - P. Libedinsky, W.&K. Prokop, P. Szymczak, A. Copp, A. Porras, B. Strnad 9:30 - M.Golden, B. Boyd, D. Juday, R. Jevorutsky, A. Malagon, L. Sroka, L. Waterloo 11:00 - Men s Club L et us throw ourselves into the ocean of God s goodness, where every failing will be cancelled and anxiety turned into love. -St. Paul of the Cross WEEKLY OFFERTORY October 11, 2015 Sunday Collection This Year $ 9,600 Last Year $ 7,500 Sunday Collection, Year-to-Date: This Year $ 139,900 Last Year $ 137,700 Year-to-Date Collection Budget $ 143,000 Envelopes Returned This Year 317 Last Year 334 October 18, 2015 Page 6