St. Cletus Canticle January 18, 2009 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time 600 West 55th Street La Grange, Illinois 60525 708-352-6209 www.stcletusparish.com All are welcome. Handicapped parking is located in front of church. Personal hearing devices are available from the ushers/greeters.
Page Two Second Sunday in Ordinary Time January 18, 2009 Mass Intentions for the Week of January 19 - January 25, 2009 Day Time Intentions Monday 8:00am Purgatorial Society - Jozef Slowik, Alexander Majercik, John Wagner, Sr. Tuesday 8:00am Alexander Majercik, Denise Kuchta-Special Intention Wednesday 8:00am Alexander Majercik, Christopher Wyczolkowski Thursday 8:00am Alexander Majercik Friday 8:00am Purgatorial Society - Alexander Majercik, Erik Geyer Saturday 8:00am Alexander Majercik, Stan Mokrycki 5:00pm Donna Czerwinski, Ed Smithy Sunday 7:00am 8:00am 9:30am 11:00am 6:00pm People of St. Cletus Dr. Rudy Necz, Hans Güenter Linsmaier Bernadette Sheehan, Dolores Magdziarz, Eugene Sorrentino, Alexander Majercik Timothy Benrus, Karen Marie Wilson, Bernie Pompe Hispanic Ministry 5:00 PM 7:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:30 AM 11:00 AM SM Swindall, V. Zmuda, R. Dunkovich, A Samuelson, D. LR Levitske, C. Loch, L. McDonnell, M. Okkema, M. Staelgraeve, M. McMahon, H. Augustyn, R. B2 Swindall, V. Zmuda, R. Dunkovich, A. Samuelson D. B3 Hockman, S. Zmuda, L. Borsilli, H. Herzog, T. B4 Kuchta, A. Wiley, J. Bliss, G. Provan, J. B5 Ford, M.B. Hagen, C. Walsh, M. J. Nilles, C. B6 Zaremba, E. Hagen, J. Biesadecki, B. Severino, S. C1 Koch, B. Warren, C. Hoskins, C. C2 Swindall, T. Kwak, T. Mangahas, A. C3 Kalata, M. DalPorto, K. Pristo, B. C4 Ryva, J. Severino, L. Provan, K. C5 Curnutt, R. Okkema, A. Garske, E. C6 Saban, J. Biesadecki, C. Haggerty, F. Altar Servers Ashe, E. Cherny, D. Rogan, L. AUXILIARY MINISTER SCHEDULE WEEKEND OF JANUARY 24/25, 2009 Roll, C. Mrazek, M. Roll, D. Valek, B. Reisel, D. Oboikovitz, C. Catholic Schools Week Wuerl, K. Curtin, B. Garvey, S. Dombro, J. Pett, D. Bendyk, D. Thank you so much for serving our parish as an Altar Server, Lector, Extraordinary Minister of Communion or Usher. Your skills and training are so valuable and we count on you and look for you at Mass. Paulette Bolton Director of Liturgy Please Pray for Our Deceased and Their Families Joyce Conerty, Mother of Joy Wallace & Dan Gibbons Ruth Cowdrill Cecelea Staszak, Mother of Cathy Wojtowicz May they rest in peace. Amen. Sunday: Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Saturday: SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Second Sunday in Ordinary Time; Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Orthodox Theophany (Epiphany) St. Fabian; St. Sebastian; Inauguration Day St. Agnes St. Vincent; Day of Penance for Violations to the Dignity of the Human Person St. Francis de Sales
January 18, 2009 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Page Three NOTES FROM FATHER BOB Second Sunday in Ordinary Time There is a sense of a momentous event in today s Gospel. We are told the exact time when those two disciples of John the Baptist first met Jesus: the tenth hour, about 4 o clock in the afternoon. This is an unimportant, trivial fact perhaps, but an indication of just how important, how life-changing that first encounter was for Andrew and the other disciple, who was possibly St. John, the evangelist himself. Their lives changed so much that they can tell us exactly when and where it happened. Tantalizingly, the evangelist doesn t tell us the content of that encounter. He doesn t tell us what Jesus said to him and Andrew, nor what questions they asked. He doesn t describe Jesus or where he was living. John simply says that they accepted his invitation to come and see and they stayed with him for the rest of the day. Perhaps the conversation was too personal to be recorded, or perhaps a written account would not be able to convey its effect or the power of the presence of Jesus. Certainly the Lord had a profound effect: the two disciples left John the Baptist to become followers of Jesus, and Andrew wasted no time in telling his brother Peter: We have found the Messiah. Perhaps, too, the gospel writer realizes that an encounter with the Lord must be a unique event, something which each potential follower has to experience personally. It s not something which can happen second-hand; it cannot be experienced vicariously. The Lord issues an invitation, but it is up to us to respond. We have to be in a state of readiness, open to hear the Lord s call. Samuel was already living in the Lord s sanctuary in the right place to hear the call. And the two disciples were already followers of John the Baptist predisposed to the coming of the Messiah. When the call came, they responded without hesitation. As Christians, we believe that we have been called, and that we are following the Lord, however falteringly or hesitantly. But we must have a real personal meeting with the Lord, and not simply go by what others have told us about him. Whether or not we can pinpoint an exact moment when we first encountered him, we need to allow our relationship with Christ to change our lives irrevocably. By spending time in his presence, we learn to see as he sees, judge as he judges, act and speak as he does. The call to follow, the invitation to spend time with the Lord, is never a once and for all experience. It is a daily happening. As we grow in discipleship, as we learn to recognize his voice and walk in his ways, we learn that he speaks in many ways: not just through the authentic teaching of the Pope and Bishops who, like Eli and John the Baptist, are able to point us in the right direction. Christ is also able to speak to us through everyday events and people. Peter, remember, was brought to the Lord by his brother Andrew. As Samuel shows us, recognizing the Lord s voice and presence can be a gradual affair, just as discipleship is a life-long commitment, not a one-off decision. Perhaps today the Lord is calling to us most persistently in the faces of those in need: in the faces of the poor, the homeless, the victims of war, violence or oppression, the sick and the dying, the lonely and the unloved. Whenever we can see and serve the Lord in these people, we know that we really have become his disciples. In the love of Christ one disciple to another, Father Bob
Page Four Second Sunday in Ordinary Time January 18, 2009 Invest just five minutes a day, and your faith will deepen and grow a day at a time. SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2009 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME; WEEK OF CHRISTIAN UNITY BEGINS - Come and see Remember that nasty teacher in grade school who nobody liked? Well, imagine instead of just being in the same classroom for a few hours a day you had to live with that teacher 24/7. In the ancient world students didn t only go to school with their teachers. They lived with them and learned by example as much as by words. Those who would be students of Jesus must take up his way of life, which is the way of unity. Click up the website about the Week of Christian Unity, which is certainly what Jesus wanted for his church: www.geii.org/ wpcu_index.htm. TODAY S READINGS: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42 Anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. MONDAY, JANUARY 19 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY - Promises to keep Martin Luther King Jr. promised that the nation would get to the promised land on racial equality someday. Tomorrow Barack Obama will become the first African American president in U.S. history. In his election night speech Obama spoke of 106-year-old voter Ann Nixon Cooper: She was born just a generation past slavery; a time... when someone like her couldn t vote for two reasons because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. As we celebrate Christian Unity Week, we still have a ways to go in overcoming divisions in our nation, but tomorrow we can indeed celebrate a big step toward the Promised Land. TODAY S READINGS: Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 2:18-22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins... but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 INAUGURATION DAY - Hope stays alive A new birth of freedom is the 2009 U.S presidential inaugural theme. The theme is drawn from Lincoln s Gettysburg Address. The words, according to the government website, inaugural.senate.gov, express Lincoln s hope that the sacrifice of those who died to preserve the United States would lead to a new birth of freedom for the nation. With today s swearing in of the first African American president, 200 years after Lincoln s birth, we are witnesses to an important milestone in the fulfillment of Lincoln s hope. As Christians we must carry on this hope beyond a new birth of freedom to the abolition of war and the presence of enduring love and mercy. TODAY S READINGS: Hebrews 6:10-20; Mark 2:23-28 We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21 FEAST OF AGNES, VIRGIN, MARTYR - Think outside the box Determining good and evil is rarely a simple affair. Saint Agnes refused to obey a Roman official and marry his son, so she was considered a defiant citizen and was tortured and beheaded. Jesus healed on the Sabbath and so was considered a lawbreaker and was tortured and hanged. Every age has its citizens and religious leaders who see things in black and white and stand ready to accuse any who would dare to admit to shades of gray when it comes to right and wrong. Be careful not to join their ranks. The world is filled with mystery, subtlety, and divine truths that can t be prepackaged in one-size-fits-all boxes. TODAY S READINGS: Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17; Mark 3:1-6 They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure the man on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. THURSDAY, JANUARY 22 Diversity in unity From all of recorded history, it seems, we humans have always tried to distinguish ourselves from one another, to be individuals standing out from the crowd, to be original, unique, distinct. The result is that we end up separating ourselves from one another, creating differences where there are none, and somehow forgetting we are all children of God. Meanwhile, God never ceases to try to bring us together. The story of our lives in four words can be: We divide, God unifies. This is Christian Unity Week, a time to remember that the differences among Christians derive from our interpretations of the story of Jesus, not the story itself. In truth, we all follow the same Christ. TODAY S READINGS: Hebrews 7:25-8:6; Mark 3:7-12 They came to him in great numbers Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 A baker s dozen, and then some The gospel writers saw significance in the number 12 to number the apostles, echoing the 12 tribes of Israel a sign of the new covenant in Christ. But that initial dozen was temporary. Even in Christ s lifetime, and certainly soon after his resurrection, others were likewise becoming apostles and disciples: Paul, Barnabas, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman, and quite a few others. While not everyone is called to be an apostle, prophet, evangelizer, or missionary, these are tasks all the baptized share. As Jesus said to his own apostles who once wanted to silence a group of strangers preaching in Jesus name, Do not silence them. The one who is not against me is for me. Not a bad thing to remember during Christian Unity Week. After all, the faith of every Christian alive today, if we just had the right genealogy, could be traced back to one of those first 12, or 13, or 14.... TODAY S READINGS: Hebrews 8:6-13; Mark 3:13-19 Jesus appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message. SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 FEAST OF FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH Crazy like a fox You have to be a little crazy to expect miracles, because when God intervenes in history, all the normal stuff goes out the window. Christ s family thought Jesus was out of his mind because of all the things he was saying and doing. Sixteen centuries later people thought Francis de Sales was nuts for starting a religious order of sick and broken-down women who could not follow the conventional rules of religious life. Yet together they practiced gentleness with a valiant spirit, and today the Order of the Visitation numbers approximately 3,000 sisters in 168 monasteries located in most countries, making the world a better place. TODAY S READINGS: Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14; Mark 3:20-21 When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, He has gone out of his mind. 2009 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. PHONE: 800-942- 2811; E-MAIL: mail@takefiveforfaith.com; WEBSITE: www.takefiveforfaith.com. Licensed for noncommercial use. All rights reserved. Scripture quotes come from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Contributors: Father Paul Boudreau, Alice Camille, Daniel Grippo, Father Larry Janowski, Ann O Connor, Joel Schorn, and Patrice J. Tuohy
January 18, 2009 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Page Five Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 19, 2009 I have a dream I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers I have a dream today. CASH & CARRY MANNA NEXT WEEKEND! MANNA will be available after Masses in the church vestibule NEXT WEEKEND January 24-25. Because of Catholic Schools Week Open House, on Sunday, January 25. MANNA will only be available after the 7:00am and 8:00am Masses. Please call Erin Rhoads (708) 588-0510 or Leslie Doherty (708) 482-0257 with any questions or concerns. ST. CLETUS SCHOOL NEWS UPDATE St. Cletus School offers a full-day preschool as well as 3 and 4 year-old half-day preschool, a half-day or a full-day kindergarten option and an average class size of 23 students in grades 1-8. Our well-rounded educational program offers Spanish, art, music, physical education, library, and computers as part of the student s schedule. Daily religion classes, service hours, and school Masses provide further opportunities for students to enhance the school experience. Junior Great Books, Student Council, boy and girl scouts, athletic programs, band, choir, and before and after care programs are available. If your child is beginning his/her education, or if you are considering a change, please call the school to make an appointment to visit or to register. Limited openings are available in all grades. Please call the school office at (708) 352-4820 between the hours of 7:00AM and 3:15PM if you have questions or would like to make an appointment to visit our school. Come Discover St. Cletus! Jolene Hillgoth Principal Please remember our sick in your prayers: Therese Wess, Marguerite May, Scott May, Patti Boland, Rose Delaloye, Dr. Karen Chermel, Denise Kuchta, Jerry Pietras, Anna Ciszek, Blasé Cinquegrani, Trudy Pacanowski, Roberta Zeman, James Prucha, Pauline Cuttill, Emma Fontana, Mark Ronchetti, Adrienne Welenc, Kathryn Super-Wilson, John Burke, Larry Rincon, Joseph Fajdich, Betty Niwa, Donal Fox, Mary Barnish, Elaine Bianco, Freda Guide, Leslie Imholt, Ryan Cosgrove, Ann Fahey, Joan Klein, Rosemary Sylvester, Rose Olferchek, Steve Zeman, Sister Arlene Gibson, Zach Sperka, Mike Patzelt, Rita D Onofrio, Marilyn Matesevac, Hunter Peters, Cacilia Ziegler, Ruth Calandriello, Ann Marie Nabor, Nadine Pankow, Patty Johnson, Agnes Suennen, Joseph Johnson, Stephanie Yakowicz, Gail Pankow-Locker, Josie Spoto, Larry Wojnar, Louise Jaunich, Frank Werner, Agnes Olszowka, Marie Krolecki. Also pray for our parishioners who are in nursing homes or are homebound unable to attend Mass. Please know we pray daily for our sick.
Page Six Second Sunday in Ordinary Time January 18, 2009 ROE VS WADE - 2009 January 22nd is the 36th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade; the Supreme Court legalized abortion at any stage. Today 4,400 babies are killed each day by abortion. That is one million six hundred and six thousand each year (1,606,000)! (OVER 50 MILLION since 1973!) In a message Our Holy Father says: As you, your Bishops and great numbers of the faithful from throughout the United States gather at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to pray for an end to the tragedy of abortion in your country, I assure you of my spiritual closeness and my sharing in your concern for the continuing holocaust of innocent human lives. This anniversary of the decision which effectively legalized abortion on demand in the United States is a call to people of good will to reflect seriously on the devastating consequences of that step. You can join the Vigil Mass For Life brought to you LIVE from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC at 6:00pm, Wednesday evening, January 21, over the Eternal Word Television Network EWTN Comcast Cable Channel 119 and on Thursday morning, January 22, at 6:30am. Thursday, January 22, at 10:00am, EWTN brings you LIVE and complete coverage of one of the most important prolife events of the year, the annual March for Life in Washington, DC. You ll be a part of it all, from interviews with participants across the U.S. including preeminent, pro-life speakers. Follow the March for Life procession up Constitution Avenue, and join the Rally for Life at the Washington Monument. This 4-hour telecast encores at 9:00pm on Thursday, January 22, and again at 8:00am on January 23 and on Saturday, January 24 at 8:00am on Comcast Cable Channel 119. Wayne & Marianne Hamilton Coordinators, St. Cletus Parish Committee for Respect Life Activities. FOOD PANTRY UPDATE! Thank you for your generosity enabling us to have more than 170 bags ready for our January food distribution. Once again we ask your help as we restock our shelves and begin making up bags for our next distribution. Here are a few things to keep in mind: At this time we are short on many of our staples, including rice, dry pinto beans, jelly, pasta, pasta sauce, tomatoes, meals in a can/box, tuna, canned fruit, macaroni & cheese, and paper goods. We are also low on our extras. Some favorites include coffee, powdered or evaporated milk, oatmeal, juice, crackers or cookies, diapers (especially sizes 4 & 5), toiletries, laundry detergent and dish washing soap. All non-perishables are greatly appreciated. Please remember to check all expiration dates to avoid out-of-date goods which we cannot use. These items can be dropped off in the designated food bins located in the Madonna della Strada shrine in the Church vestibule. You can bring them when you come to Mass over the weekend, or daily, from 7:45 AM 4:00 PM. The Food Pantry distributes groceries from the vestibule of the Church on the second Thursday of each month, from 6:30-8:00 PM. Our next distribution will be on February 12. If you have any questions, please contact me at (708) 215-5418 or mford@stcletusparish.com. Mary Beth Ford Director of Social Concerns
January 18, 2009 Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Page Seven STEWARDSHIP Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, What are you looking for? -John 1:38 What are you looking for? That is a question Jesus asks each of us. It has been said there is a God shaped hole in every soul that only God can fill. Instead of spending time with God, though, we fill our days working for things that do not satisfy us but that society says we need to impress one another. Weekly Giving Summary Sunday Collection, January 11... $ 23,156 Year-to-Date.. $ 25,343 Total Collection: Year-to-Date.... $745,919 Previous Year-to-Date.... $776,911 Needed for Budget thru 01/11/09... $793,100 The St. Cletus Women s Club Christmas Tea was held at the La Grange Country Club. The tea was a huge success. Attendees sipped tea, enjoyed finger sandwiches and were serenaded by the St. Cletus Children s Choir. The 140 women that attended raised $2,500 that will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society to help those in need. In addition, more than 100 children's books were collected for the St. Cletus Giving Tree program. The Women s Club wants to extend a special thank you to all the local business owners whose generous contributions made the tea such a wonderful success. The rectory office will be closed Monday, January 19, 2009 in tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. FISCAL 2008 CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS Please Note: Registered parishioners will receive a 2008 contribution statement. Anyone who gave regularly but is not registered will also receive a contribution statement. Statements will be in the mail by February 2, 2009. Heads Up! Please take extra care walking in and out of church this time of year. With cold and icy weather, floors and sidewalks tend to be slick. HEALING FROM DIVORCE - COME AND REST IN THE DIVINE - JANUARY 24, 2009 Portiuncunla Center for Prayer - 9263 W. St. Francis Road, Frankfort, IL (815) 464-3880 - Fee $75 If you have felt the pain and loss of divorce come and take this time for yourself to refresh your body, mind and spirit. Through prayer, sharing and music explore how you can begin the healing process. Realize new strengths, qualities and treasures that reside in you. Time will be set aside for massage or reflexology. Additional fees apply for these services. Facilitators: Eugenia Callison and Susan Hockman.
Page Eight Second Sunday in Ordinary Time January 18, 2009 PARISH STAFF Rev. Robert Clark Pastor Rev. Edgar Rodriguez Associate Pastor Rev. Charles Watkins Associate Pastor Rev. Charles Gallagher Pastor Emeritus Rev. Mr. Jesús and Silvia Casas Deacon Couple PASTORAL STAFF Paulette Bolton Director of Worship (708) 352-4834 Deacon Jesús Casas Director of Hispanic Ministry (708) 215-5440 Amy Cranny Director of Youth Ministry (708) 215-5419 Mary Beth Ford Director of Social Concerns (708) 215-5418 Debbie Lestarczyk Director of Facilities & Grounds (708) 215-5405 Derek Sawicki Supervisor of Maintenance (708) 215-5406 Justin Sisul Director of Music (708) 215-5423 Christopher Wagner Director of Technology (708) 215-5420 Dolores Wouk Director of Ministry of Care (708) 215-5407 SCHOOL STAFF Jolene Hillgoth School Principal Kathy Lifka Assistant Principal Denise Parlier Administrative Assistant Mary Zwolinski Receptionist/Office Assistant (708) 352-4820 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION STAFF Patricia Kahl Director of Religious Education Holly Kallal Administrative Assistant (708) 352-2383 RECTORY STAFF Patricia Drobny Bulletin Editor Nora Gardner Rectory Receptionist Bobbie Kallal Administrative Assistant Michele O Brien Director of Financial Operations (708) 352-6209 PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL Pastor - Rev. Robert Clark Associate Pastor - Rev. Edgar Rodriguez Associate Pastor - Rev. Charles Watkins Co-Chairpersons: Anne Babirak, Tom Finucane Recording Secretary: Sue Schiller Worship Ministry: Sue Schiller, Jackie Wiley Parish Representative: Joe Bamberger, Lori Ashe Education Ministry: Anne Babirak, (School) Sharon Gleich (Religious Education) Development Ministry: Maggie Nelson, Tom Finucane Vice - Chairperson: Rita Mayer Corresponding Secretary: Lori Ashe Finance Liaison: Brian Kapusta Youth Ministry: Barb Mitchell, Rita Mayer Pastoral Care Ministry: C. Rodger Brown, Xavier Polanski Staff Representative: Jolene Hillgoth Hispanic Ministry: Tim McCormick, Marynez Llanes, Social Concerns Ministry: Maureen Soldat, Ignacio Saavedra Jim Ryva Technology Representative: Julie Lenz MASSES Saturday Evening: 5:00pm Sunday: 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:00am, 6:00pm (Spanish) Weekdays: Mon., thru Sat., 8:00am Evening before Holy Day: 7:00pm Holy Day: 6:30am, 8:00am BAPTISMS 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month at 1:00pm. Parents must be registered parishioners and attend the Baptism Preparation Class. Please make arrangements by calling the Rectory office (352-6209) WEDDINGS Dates and times are reserved for registered parishioners. Initial arrangements must be completed five months in advance of the wedding date. HOME/HOSPITAL VISITATION AND COMMUNION CALLS Please contact the Ministry of Care office (215-5407). EUCHARISTIC ADORATION AND BENEDICTION 1st Monday of the Month immediately following the 8:00am Mass with Benediction at 6:45pm. CONFESSIONS Confessions every Saturday of the month 4:15-4:45pm. BULLETIN ARTICLES The deadline for Canticle article submission is 5:00pm Friday, one full week prior to Sunday s publication. Articles may be submitted electronically to canticle@stcletusparish.com. RECTORY OFFICE HOURS Monday thru Saturday: 9:00am-5:00pm Sunday: 8:00am-1:00pm