The Family of Our Lady of Loretto A Roman Catholic community embracing the gospel of Christ, as a welcoming, caring, family of faith. WEEKEND MASSES: 5pm Saturday - 8:30 and 11:15am Sunday WEEKDAY MASSES: 8:15am - Monday thru Saturday RECONCILIATION: 4-4:45pm Saturday
OUR LADY OF LORETTO HOMETOWN - OAK LAWN PAGE 2 Dear Parish Family, Dear Parish Family, My golden retriever and bulldog, Nicholas and Jerome, always recognize and listen to my voice. They ll hear my voice and look up, and if they feel like it, they will even listen to my command. How many times have we read in the Gospels that Jesus stretched out his hand and touched someone with his healing Everyone, everybody, all of us those are words that I hear a lot. Most often it doesn t mean everyone, everybody or all of us ; it only means power, That me. I is, think grace, unless or believe and they love. this or are that eating, and so everyone chewing else on must a also bone, think or or believe having this way, a belly and so I rub can use by everyone someone to give on credence, the staff authority and strengthen to my way of thinking and acting. We a visitor. hear the apostles Otherwise, tell Jesus that, Nicholas everyone and is looking Jerome for you. listen But, Jesus to my knew every better, they command. were looking Actually, for him to perform they signs, just wonders, ignore and miracles. We ourselves But, when have he took three up options the Cross that on his do shoulders, nothing almost to help everyone others disappeared or help ourselves from his side. grow as the family of God. We can keep And, me even and our though hands my voice everyone in our until pockets was searching they and hear for do Jesus nothing. the to be sound healed, We can of to be dog cross feed, food or to see fold him being our perform arms poured signs, and wonders, hands into together their and miracles; bowls. in disgust Jesus took of time those to be we one with consider the Father sinners. prayer. We can even clinch our hands into fists of anger. We don t need everyone with us all the time, but; we do need Jesus with us and we need to be one with the Father through Christ. In the middle of his extremely hectic public ministry, Jesus always finds time to go aside to a lonely place and pray and to be one with the Father. Finally, Do we Today s we always can Gospel do recognize tells as Christ us that did and it was and listen long continues to the before dawn to do voice that through of Christ, he did this. the It may Church. our have been We Good can his usual extend Shepherd? practice our to hands Or pray early out do in in the prayer, we hear morning or he may friendship, his have voice been only welcome, restless when after and the it events help. is convenient of Of the course, previous the and day Church and lets the us can thought continue only of what do these lay at ahead. our things comfortable Jesus in provides imitation us with of routine? Christ, a model when of using we prayer stretch to reflect out our on events hands. and to prepare ourselves for the day ahead to be with everyone who is looking for us. We also do need each other, as followers of Jesus, our family and trusted friends. Together, with Christ at our side, we can win over everyone to Christ s way of thinking, acting, and praying. With Where out does reaching the hands voice we of grow Christ as our come parish from? family; It we comes build from up our the community. cries of the Without poor, stretched the hungry, hands, we and catch each other when we fall. With outstretched hands, we pray together that we may be healed from hands that our clinched the weak. Sincerely, in anger It comes or crossed to us or from folded the in disgust. Scriptures, especially in the four Gospels and the writings of St. Paul. The voice of the Lord also comes to us through the Eucharist and the Seven Sacraments. The As we begin Lent this Wednesday, we take up the Cross. And, as Catholics, we believe that our sharing in the Cross of Christ voice through of the Fr. our Lord Tom pains, speaks sufferings, to us and in the illnesses whispers is a part of of the the Holy salvation Spirit. history. While we do not fully understand when suffering comes into our lives; we do believe that our sharing in Christ s Cross draws us close to him in holiness and draws us closer to one another, for we all must take up our crosses; if we are to find ourselves and life with Christ. But to hear the Lord s voice requires that we take time out to listen and hear him speak to us. Too Not often ever we Christian allow religion our own believes voices in the to become life giving confused and healing with power the of voice the Cross of as the we Lord. do; we We surely replace know that his much of society does not believe as we believe. Some Christians believe suffering is a curse from God; while lives without suffering, wealthy lives are a sign of God s favor. And, when hardship and suffering enters into their lives their rela- words with our own words that tell us that the path to a fulfilling and satisfying life is through tionship power, with wealth, God also and suffers social or status. comes to an end. And so, as Jesus taught us, we must teach others; otherwise they will not know or understand the meaning and power of We the do Cross. not They want will to not hear understand the words that of Christ the and Lord his that death tell on us the the Cross path is the to source a fulfilled of our life redemption is by caring and our for hope of life in the kingdom. Only through our sacrifices and embracing the Cross, will the world end its thirst for power, its self-centeredness, and it s believe that materialism will bring meaning and satisfaction into our hearts. one another with compassion, respecting each other, and being willing to lay down our lives for one another by using our time, gifts, and talents to bring nourishment, comfort, and life to others We must teach by our words and behavior towards each other the value and importance of doing good works. We in the image of Christ, our Good Shepherd. must show the value of sacrifice and taking up the Cross of Christ. We must teach others the ways of our Faith. Finally, Sincerely, as Jesus, our Good Shepherd, knows each of us and calls us each by name, we must come to know and call each other by name. As we recognize the voice of Jesus in our lives, we must be Fr. Tom his voice to others. For others to hear and recognize the voice of Jesus, they must hear and recognize our voices - caring, friendly, and concerned voices. Sincerely, Fr. Tom
SUNDAY APRIL 22, 2018 PAGE 3 PARISH ACTIVITIES Women s Guild Too tired to cook???? Come and Join the Women s Guild for their Annual Spaghetti Dinner THIS Sunday, April 22, from Noon until 5pm. The cost is $7 for Adults, $3 for Kids (ages 3-9), (Children under 3 are free). The Dinner includes ALL YOU CAN EAT spaghetti with meatballs, salad, bread, and an assortment of homemade desserts!!! There will be LOTS of amazing Raffle Prizes and Gift Certificates. Leave the cooking to us, and come and support our Women s Guild!!! Any questions, call Elaine at 708.636.9415. The OLL Men s Club and Chef John invites everyone to The OLL Italian Night Dinner and Dance, on Saturday, May 12. Doors open at 6pm, and Dinner is served at 7pm. The Menu includes Eggplant Parmesan, Lasagna, Pasta, Meatballs, Sausage and Peppers, Antipasto, Salad and Dessert. Music and Accompaniment provided by Jack Miuccio, and beverages will be available. The cost is $30 for Adults, $25 for Seniors, and $20 for Children. There will also be Raffles and Split the Pot. Tickets can be purchased from a Men s Club Member, or from the Rectory. You can also contact John at 708.424.1287 or Rick at 708.422.0217. Women s Guild You should soon receive your OLL Women s Guild Grand Raffle ckets in the mail. Thank you for your con nued support and assistance. The drawing will take place at the Women s Guild Luncheon on Sunday, May 20. Luncheon ckets will available at the Rectory during the first week of May, at the cost of $15 per person. Purchased Grand Raffle ckets can be sent/returned to the Rectory, or dropped in the collec on basket in Church on Sunday. Please mark your envelope Women s Guild Grand Raffle. Thank you for your generosity of heart!! OF SPECIAL INTEREST St. Germaine Catholic School New Student Scholarship Program St. Germaine School offers a unique faithbased education. Students are nurtured not only in their academics, but also in the teachings of Christ. There is $25,000 available in scholarships (based on financial need to eligible new families). Eligible PRESCHOOL families can apply as well! Over the past few years, St. Germaine graduates have been senior class valedictorians/salutatorians; others have been ranked in the top ten of their classes; several have been named as Illinois State Scholars. We believe that St. Germaine School has contributed in real ways to their success. For further details, visit the website at stgermaineschool.com The Christian Women s Fellowship of Hometown Christian Church, 4340 W. 87th Street, will host their Annual SPRING SALAD LUNCHEON on Wednesday, April 25, at Noon. A large assortment of delicious salads and desserts will be offered. Tickets are $7 for Adults, and $3 for Children 6-12, and may be purchased at the door. A Chair Lift is available. Lay Down My Life In the Old Testament, God is described many times as the shepherd of the people of Israel. So when Jesus claims this image of God to describe himself, it is startling even to his disciples. In today's Gospel, he takes the image one step beyond the Old Testament: as the Good Shepherd, he is to "lay down his life." This phrase is stated, with slight variation, five times in today's short passage. Jesus is describing the meaning of his life and of his death. With firm roots in the story of Israel and their God, Jesus is now starting a new chapter. He is helping his disciples make sense of his death on the cross, and to describe how to follow this particular shepherd. When Jesus lays down his life, he is revealing the infinite love that he and the Father have for the flock. To follow Jesus, to be a part of Jesus' flock, means participating in that same sacrificial love.
THOSE TO SERVE AT LITURGY DURING April 28 and April 29 5:00PM Sat 8:30AM Sun 11:15AM Sun Lectors J. Coffelt D. Heitz T. Aldworth J. Ceh K. Gilmartin C. Cavazos M. Dwyer T. Gilmartin T. Kramer C. Fadden D. Grochowski L. Kurysz Sunday Readings for April 29, 2018 First Reading: Acts 9:26-31 Second Reading: 1 John 3:18-24 Gospel: John 15:1-8 Ann Contorno Debbie Heitz Keith Slansky Frank Roti Kayla Smyth Dean Ojeda Kim Lewis Patsy Galecki Myriam Florez Emmett Egan Ron Washkevich Mary LaMantia Pray for our Sick Jericho Jeffrey DeVivo Karen Javorski Mary Kenny Raul Osornio Gina Jakelski Elaine Bridgeman Drew Enselman Jim McNerney Ron Ditzler Mary Gunty Arnold Sunday, April 22, 2018 Fourth Sunday of Easter 8:30 - Robert Bridgeman, Sr. Ditzler Family 11:15 - Loretta Connelly Susan Rooney Joan Manoogian Kathleen Schultz Monday, April 23, 2018 Ss. George and Adalbert 8:15 - Bob Stevens Phil and Mary LaMantia Bonnie Dickman Tuesday, April 24, 2018 St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen 8:15 - Purgatorial Society Wednesday, April 25, 2018 St. Mark, Evangelist 8:15 - Robert Bridgeman, Sr. Thursday, April 26, 2018 8:15 - Robert Bridgeman, Sr. Friday, April 27, 2018 8:15 - People of the Parish Saturday, April 28, 2018 Ss. Peter Chanel and Louis Grignion de Montfort 8:15 - Sr. Juanita Gutierrez 5 PM - Lee Sears John O Donnell Bill Showtis Sunday, April 29, 2018 Fifth Sunday of Easter 8:30 - Robert Bridgeman, Sr. Mary LaMantia 11:15 - Maureen Terry Susan Rooney Emmett Egan Page 4
Week of April 15, 2018 Page 5 Received: $2919.00 +Direct Deposits: 530.00 $3449.00 Easter Sunday (Week 3) $1075.00 Food Pantry $400.00 Year-to-Date Collected: $182,684.00 Thank you for your generous support! Active Senior Expo All Seniors of the parish are invited to attend Active Senior Expo at no charge (regular admission $2). The event will be held on Wednesday, April 25, at Chicago Gaelic Park, 6119 W. 147th Street, in Oak Forest. Active Senior Expo features hundreds of products and services for Seniors: free seminars, free health screenings, entertainment, and door prizes. Hours are 9:30am-2pm, and parking is free. Bring a copy of this Bulletin, and you and your friends will be admitted free of charge. Sun. April 22nd Tues. April 24th Wed. April 25th RE Classes at 9:30am All Grades Family Mass @ 11:15am WG Spaghetti Dinner 12-5pm Scouts 6pm Bible Study after Morning Mass Choir Rehearsal at 5pm Scouts Roundtable 6:30pm SPRED Adults Room 114 6pm Thurs. April 26th Parish Council 7pm Fri. April 27th Girls Night Out 6pm Bulletin articles are due in writing by noon Monday. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: WEEKEND MASSES: WEEKDAY MASSES: 5 p.m. Saturday - 8:30 and 11:15 a.m. Sunday 8:15 a.m. - Monday thru Saturday RECONCILIATION: 4-4:45 p.m. on Saturday BAPTISMS and WEDDINGS: Please call the rectory office for information at 708-424-7471 (8:30 am to 4 pm) RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Classes for Kindergarten thru 8th grade are Sundays, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Reconciliation is received in 2nd grade, First Communion is received in 3rd grade and Confirmation is received in 8th grade. Call the RE office for more information at 708-499-0832. PARISH ORGANIZATIONS Parish Transformation Committee Ministers of Care Women s Guild Bereavement Committee Men s Club PARISH STAFF Rev. Thomas S. Cabala, Pastor Jackie Watt, Parish Office Marianne Powers, Catechetical Leader Patti Washkevich, Bulletin Editor Steve Kittler, Music Director, Parish Office OUR LADY OF LORETTO PARISH Phone: 708-424-7471 8925 South Kostner Ave. - Hometown, Illinois, 60456 www.ourladyloretto.com A Roman Catholic community, embracing the gospel of Christ, as a welcoming, caring, family of faith.