April 24, 2020: Third Sunday of Easter
Parish Newsletter
The Church of St. Mary :: 201 E. Illinois Lake Forest, IL 60045
Virtual Office: 847-234-0205 :: Email: receptionist@churchofstmary.org
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From the Desk of Fr. Mike Nacius, Pastor
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From the heart of Fr. Mike,
I thank God, for God being God. I give thanks to God for God's presence and guidance in my life of faith. I give thanks for God sending His Son, to be our Risen Lord and Savior. In this Easter season I give thanks to God for
revealing H
imself so that people of faith are able to come to know that God is present in each and every one of us, in the world, and especially in our longing and suffering.
During the Octave of Easter, one of the psalm prayers offered in praying Morning Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours states, "We put our trust in
your faithfulness
and proclaim the wonderful truths of salvation." (emphasis mine) Each and every day during the octave those beautiful words kept penetrating my heart and soul. It is
your
faithfulness
that we celebrate God,
your faithfulness
.
During these days, these troubling times we may ask where is our God? We may struggle in anxiety, in worry, in concern, in frustration. I have been recalling many times shared with parishioners of St Mary's and the statement is made, "How do people make it through this world without faith? How do people get up each day, leave the house without faith and trust in God?" I am and have been blessed to be part of a community that shares our faith, our be
lief, our trust in God's faithfulness.
God's faithfulness is recognizable in celebrating sacraments. God's faithfulness is recognizable whenever two or three people gather in His Son's name. God's faithfulness is palpable when we practice and sh
are the Corporal and Spiritual W
orks of Mercy. God's faithfulness is felt when we reflect on His powerful Word in the Sacred Scriptures. God's faithfulness is part of our personal and quiet prayers offered from our homes, our hospitals, our grocery stores - those
moments we venture beyond the safety and security of our homes as we shelter in place for the love of one another.
How often, when you light a vigil light at the Church of St. Mary, pausing for a silent prayer, do you gaze up at the beautiful image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help? I have learned about the importance and the significance of Our
Lady of Perpetual Help / Our Mother of Perpetual Help in the lived faith of the Redemptorist community, in Tucson and around the world. At the Redemptorist Renewal C
enter there are many images of Our Lady of Perpetual Help throughout the 120-acre
campus. Her beautiful image is depicted in mosaics, in posters, in paintings, on the walls of buildings, above an outdoor chapel, in the rooms of the hermitages. Each and every image invites one to meditate, to pray, to turn to Mary for peace, for consolation and for inspiration.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, a special prayer is offered to be included in a n
ovena to Our Lady of Perpetual H
elp. I offer it to you toda
y, two months before the Universal Church celebrates the feast day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on June 27
th
. May Mary bring solace and comfort to our world, our
communities, our parish and our
selves in these days of prayer.
NOVENA PRAYER TO OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP
(ADAPTED TO BE PRAYED IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 SITUATION)
Mother of Perpetual Help, with the greatest confidence we come before your holy picture to beseech your intercession. We think of you, Mother, at the foot of the Cross. Your heart must have bled to see your Son in agony. But your joy was great when He rose from the dead, victorious over the powers of evil.
Mother of Sorrows, pray for us in this time of trial. Help us not to lose heart. Intercede for your people who are afflicted with Coronavirus. Comfort your people who are vulnerable and anxious. Protect
healthcare workers who put their lives at risk. Inspire our leaders to make good decisions. Change our hearts so that we may act responsibly. Teach us to trust in God's love and mercy and to share with you the joy of having courageously faced up to all the challenges of Life. Amen.
I invite you to follow this link to learn more about the devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help in the Redemptorist communities and in the lives of faithful around the world.
https://redemptorists.net/redemptorists/devotion-to-omph/
Some in our family, parish, community, nation and world are dealing with small challenges. Others are dealing with much larger challenges. May prayer be our first r
esponse to the challenges before us.
Together let's continue to thank God, for God being God. Let's give thanks to God for God's presence and guidance in our faith. Let's give thanks for God sending His Son, to be our Risen Lord and Savior. In this Easter season may
all believers in life over death gi
ve thanks to God for revealing H
imself so that people of faith are able to come to know that God is present in joy and graces and in longing and suffering.
May the peace of the Risen Lord be yours.
Fr. Mike Nacius
Pastor
This is a digital copy of the original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help,
housed in the Redemptorist "Mother Church" of St. Alphonsus Liguori
in Rome.
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From the Desk of Fr. Mark Augustine, Administrator
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As I continue to recover this week, I invited my good friend and former pastor here, Bishop George Rassas to share a few thoughts with us this week. May God bless you all!
Fr. Mark
3rd Sunday of Easter
Dear Friends at St. Mary,
It is a great pleasure to send you a message during this Easter Season. I am grateful to Father Mark Augustine, your very talented and capable Administrator, for giving me this opportunity. We have been good friends since his days at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary.
Each and everyone of us is experiencing a situation not of our own making. A pandemic our country has not had to deal with since 1918. In so many ways we are struggling with what is referred to as "The New Normal." We are being required to adjust our lifestyle and daily routine in ways that we most probably would never have imagined. And we wonder what "normal" will be when the worst of this pandemic has passed.
I hope that you and your family, in the midst of the uncertainty and anxiety, have also discovered some of the benefits. A father of a family with high school and college students now home full time remarked to me recently, "Every night is like Sunday dinner. We sit around the table and have wonderful conversations"! Perhaps your family is having the same experience. This begs the question of course, "How many different recipes can the chef come up with?" For myself I'm just happy that drive thrus and pickups are available. I do check the "Flavor of the Day" everyday within a 20 mile radius. And gas is less expensive than many of us remember in our lifetimes!
One of the benefits readily available for us is to make time for personal and family prayer and reflection. Many resources near and far are available through the mediums of tv, radio and the internet each day. Bishop Bob Barron, who was a regular weekend helper here at St. Mary, is available each day through his "Word On Fire". Among many others are EWTN cable, and WSFI 88.5 FM - Lake County Catholic Radio. You might also make suggestions of resources you and your family have found helpful.
My own suggestion is based on today's Gospel story of the two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus that first Easter afternoon. We need to take time to appreciate what we may have so often taken for granted. That is of course the opportunity and gift we have to gather each weekend and more often as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ. In doing so we experience the presence of Our Risen Lord and Savior in hearing the Word and sharing in the Eucharist.
Think of the two Disciples who were so discouraged and sad, and I might add confused and afraid. In their conversation they encountered a stranger walking along with them. His question, "What are you discussing on your journey?" In their sorrow (and perhaps even self-pity) they did not recognize who He was. That is until they invited the "stranger" to join them for supper. It was in the Breaking of the Bread that they recognized the presence of the Risen Lord. In their excitement and joy the got up immediately and returned to Jerusalem to share the Good News "He is Risen as He Said"!
With each of you I am looking forward to doing the same aa soon as we are able to gather around the table of the Eucharist at St. Mary or wherever we attend on the weekends.
You are in my thoughts and prayers each day. Please keep me in yours.
Bishop George J Rassas
(Pastor of St. Mary 1990-2004)
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April 26, 2020: Third Sunday of Easter Gospel Reflection
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We are in the third Sunday of Easter and yet our gospel is still on the first day of the new week. We are still at the very beginnings of a new way of being unfolding.
Two of Jesus' followers have left Jerusalem and are heading towards Emmaus. Many, if not most, of Jesus' followers scattered once Jesus was arrested for fear that they themselves may be arrested & put to death as well. These two walking along on the road away from Jerusalem, away from the heart of Jesus' mission, are deeply saddened by the events that have taken place. They meet another person who wishes to know what they have been talking about. They are incredulous as to how this person does not know what occurred in Jerusalem. But this isn't a story about a stranger who doesn't understand what has happened; this is about how Jesus' followers did not understand what happened! They saw, but did not truly see.
The two followers' recount how the one they knew of as a prophet and had hoped would be their redeemer was arrested and put to death. This is their understanding of the events. Those same events have very different meaning for Jesus. Jesus knows that his false arrest and crucifixion were part of his living out God's mission for him all the way to the end, even if that is death. Of course he also knows he rose and is alive in a new way! Those same events the followers saw as evidence that Jesus was not the Chosen One are in fact evidence that he
is the Chosen One! Jesus doesn't reveal anything yet as these two do not see him for who he is. Again, they do not see who he really is they are too focused on how those events affect them they fail to see the deeper meaning.
Even when they acknowledge that some of the disciples went to the tomb earlier that morning and saw the tomb was empty, they did not see nor understand the meaning. One can only imagine Jesus listening to their retelling and wanting to say "Exactly, the tomb- a place for the dead was empty because I am not dead! I am alive in a new way!" Instead Jesus wants them (and us) to come to that knowledge on their own. He delves into scripture that foretold his coming in the hopes they with that understanding they will fully see who is right with them!
Jesus is invited to dine with the two travelers and it is then when Jesus takes the bread, blesses it and breaks it to give to them,
then, they see and understand that Jesus is with them! Jesus had been with them for some time and it wasn't until he repeats his action of blessing the bread and giving it to others for nourishment that they understand who he is!
How often do we see others and not truly see them for who they are? God is always with us, do we look at others and realize if God is always with me then so too is God always with everyone else? Would that change how we treat people?
Jesus disappears as soon as they recognize him and the two followers are so excited that they return to Jerusalem, the heart of Jesus' ministry where he gave his mortal life so we could have eternal life, and they tell the disciples and others what had just happened to them! Once we see God, have an experience with and of God, we are forever changed! May we all see God in each other this week and beyond. Let the knowledge that God is in all of us shape how we treat each other. Let us see with the eyes of our hearts and souls.
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In lieu of the annual on-campus event hosted by Mundelein Seminary every spring, a virtual May Crowning ceremony will be streamed online on Sunday, May 3 at 1 p.m. to allow Catholics across the country and around the world to participate from their homes.
The ceremony will be led by Mundelein Seminary rector Father John Kartje and feature readings and musical contributions from Mundelein seminarians who are currently sheltering in place and helping to serve at parishes across the country, while also completing their academic semester through distance learning.
"While it is unfortunate that we cannot welcome people to our campus this year, we are grateful for the opportunity to gather virtually and continue the seminary's tradition of honoring Mary, the mother of God," said Father John Kartje. "We hope the online event will allow even more people to become connected through prayer during these uncertain times."
You can sign up to receive a link to the online video stream on May 3 at
www.usml.edu/maycrowning. The ceremony will also be posted on the Mundelein Seminary website and social media outlets on that day.
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"Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?"
Luke 24:32
How often do we take the time to discern what Jesus wants from us? Are our prayers always petitions, asking Jesus to do things for us? If so, that's a one-sided relationship. Living our faith means developing a personal relationship with Jesus. Take time in silence to listen to what He is asking of you.
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Family Resources & Activities
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We are here to support your family as you discover new ways to share faith. New content continues to be added to help families dive deeper in their relationship with God and the celebration of our Catholic identity. There are activities for children to better understand the Mass as you attend from home, faith-filled videos to enhance your family's celebration of Easter, as well as various faith activities you can incorporate into your child's day. These resources can be found on the
Religious Education website, under the "Formation at Home" tab.
Highlights Include:
- Mass Resources: Children's Missalette Videos, Printable Mass Prep Coloring Sheets, Printable Tiny Saints Mass Reflection and more
- Home Catechesis Links: Strong Catholic Families Materials, Growing Up Catholic, Word on Fire by Bishop Barron
- Easter Video: A collection of videos that can be shared throughout the season to help celebrate and discuss this blessed time
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Plenary Indulgence in Time of Crisis
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Plenary Indulgence
The Apostolic Penitentiary, a branch of the Vatican offices which focuses on mercy and the forgiveness of sins, issued a
decree granting a Plenary Indulgence
during this extraordinary time. Here are some of the ways we can still participate in the life of grace and the life of the Church during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- As a refresher, here is a brief summary on the Church's teaching on grace, or participation in the divine life:
- Fundamentally, indulgences (plenary/full or partial) refer to a repairing and healing of the damage inflicted by sin.
- In the English language, the word "indulgence" carries the connotation of "permission" or "license to do something." In the Church and with regard to sin, this certainly is not the case.
- In traditional language, this is the "remission of temporal punishment due to sin." That we, through prayer and action recommended by the Church, can engage in this healing and repair is not because of our own efforts, merit, or power.
- The Church, drawing on the doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints speaks of drawing grace from the "treasury of the Church."
- In this moment of isolation and disconnection, the proposal to seek an indulgence re-affirms our connection in the Body of Christ and with the saints.
- The Plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful suffering from Coronavirus, who are subject to quarantine by order of the health authority in hospitals or in their own homes if, with a spirit detached from any sin, they:
- unite spiritually through the media to the celebration of Holy Mass, the recitation of the Holy Rosary, to the pious practice of the Way of the Cross or other forms of devotion,
- one way to carry this out would to be pray one of the seven penitential psalms, which are: Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 138 and 143.
- or if at least they will recite the Creed, the Lord's Prayer and a pious invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and charity towards their brothers and sisters,
- with the will to fulfill the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the Holy Father's intentions), as soon as possible, when the suspensions are lifted.
- In addition, health care workers, first responders, family members and all those who, following the example of the Good Samaritan, exposing themselves to the risk of contagion, care for the sick of Coronavirus according to the words of the divine Redeemer: 'Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends' (Jn 15: 13), will obtain the same gift of the Plenary Indulgence under the same conditions.
- Especially in this challenging moment, seeking an indulgence is a way of doing something spiritually and a way of praying for ourselves and for others.
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Beneficiary:
-Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD)
-Phoenix Rising Foundation (North Chicago)
-A Safe Place
Drop off Location: Gorton Community Center south driveway outside of solarium
Start Date: April 27 until needs are fulfilled
Drop off days: Monday-Friday not on Saturdays or Sundays please
Drop off times: 10:00-4:00pm
please check expiration dates
ONLY SHELF-STABLE ITEMS NEEDED:
* Peanut butter
* Canned or dried beans
* Canned soup (no tomato soup);
Canned chili / stews
* Canned fruit
* Canned vegetables
* Canned fish and chicken
Participating Churches:
Community Church of Lake Bluff
Church of St. Mary
Christ Church of Lake Forest
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During these uncertain times some of our parishioners have reached out to the Parish Office either wanting to volunteer while others need assistance. If you would like to volunteer or are in need of assistance, please fill out the appropriate form and someone will be in touch with you.
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Community Celebration of Mass via Facebook Live
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TV, Radio & Online Mass Offerings
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Here is a List of Places You may watch Mass on TV, Radio or Online:
- TV: EWTN
- DirecTV Channel 370
- Dish Network Channel 261
- Verizon Fios Channel 285
- XFinity Channel 33, 291, 1668
- Online:
- Relevant Radio:
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Prayers for the Sick and Deceased
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Please remember in your prayers those who are sick, especially:
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Pierre Adam
Renata Adamiec
Peggy Adams
Beny Alvarez
Alexa Anderson
Baby Bower Triplets:
Rose Marie, Adelaide Marie,
and Josephine Marie
Baby Mercer
Baby Peter John O'Rourke
Elvera Baeza
Dolores Beck
Beverly Beinlich-Pasquesi
Jack Brown
Mason Jeffrey Browner
Baby Virginia Bunimovich
Jerry Burns
Francesco Camoletto
Nancy Carani
Nova Carlson
Sember Carlson
Luis and Maria Cardenas
Michael Carpenter
Jeffrey Chicoine
Carolyn Cimarrusti
Jacqueline Cimarrusti
Marianna Cimarrusti
Charles Cook
Virginia Cordoba
Mary Elizabeth Cran
Greg DeBoer
Louis Degaetano
Mimi Degaetano
Mike Dellefield
Lewis Dilts
Joan Dolan
Annamarie Elfering
Hannah Erickson
Susan Ewert
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Abby Furco
Esperanza Galikay
Dorothy Gimbut
Jenny Green
Jeanne Gross
Jesus Guzman
Edward Halle
Elizabeth Hand
Margaret Hartman
Jack Hempstead
John Herbert
Hannah Hodgson
Patricia P. Huber
Juan Hurandas
Rafael Ibarra
Shirley Jacksack
Dolores Jansyn
Dick Jaworski
Christian Jenko
Dr. Mickey Jester
Mark Kalbus
Raine Kamm
Oceana Kashul
Mason Kelly
Genevieve Kluza
Patsy Leonard
Caroline Lyczko
Fely Macalalad
Angela Martinez
Carolina Martinez
Ralph Mastro
Will Matthei-Schmidt
Derrick Mathews
Donna Mathews
Kathryn McConnell
Janet McCue
Margaret Mary McIntyre
Mary Anne Minich
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Dolores Morrison
Rick Nacius
Barbara Neis
Dana Nelson
David O'Brien
Peter O'Brien
Joaquin Padilla
John Paleczny
Tom Palella
Mary Margaret Pawl
Mary Butterfield Peddle
James Dean Penar
Lisa Pommer
Lil Porter
Marianne Powers
Carol Pozdel
Marcia Ries
Mathew Rowley
Susan Schey
Leroy Schwaba
Bill Shafer
Colleen Sheerer
Tai (Pascal) Shin
Martin Sobey
Joan Sparrow
Ellen Sreenan
Debbie Sternberg
John Sternberg
Maureen Strassburger
Elzbieta Szymanska
Leonard Teifeld
Linda Trueblood-Lambert
Joseph Urso
Amanda Van Vleet
Brittany Van Vleet
Jim Wenzel
Martha Williams
Barbara Wilson
Robert Yale
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Mass Intentions will be prayed for during a private daily Mass.
April 24, 2020:
Sara Cappeller; Melburn & Suzanne Laundry, Sr,; June Lorge; Morgan Fellows
April 25, 2020:
Tom McDougal; Helen J. Kiwala; Aldo Raganelli; Eliseo Elisei
April 26, 2020:
Robert LeClercq, Jr,; Zofia Adamiec; Mary Margaret Center; Joseph Steele; Megan Starsiak;
Deceased Members of the Atkinson Family; People of St. Mary's
April 27, 2020:
Kurt Gronau; Morgan Fellows; Clarence Simpson Tarr; George Grumley
April 28, 2020:
Karen Olson; Eric Steven Bower; Michael Gannon; Megan Starsiak
April 29, 2020:
Kevin Mack; John Stewart Meany
April 30, 2020:
Bob Lindemuth; Bruno Helbig; Msgr. Frank Cimarrusti; Lorraine O'Connor
May 1, 2020:
Megan Starsiak; Morgan Fellows; Allen Englehardt
May 2, 2020:
Mae & Peter Jans; Gerry Fernando; Dorina Mentuccia; Rita Paluga
May 3, 2020:
Terry Lucari; Zofia Adamiec; Megan Starsiak; Rob LeClercq; Catherine & Tom Sullivan; Robert Fitzgerald; People of St. Mary's
If you would like to request a special Mass Intention, please email our Parish Receptionists at: receptionist@churchofstmary.org and they will kindly assist you!
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THANK YOU for CONTINUING TO SUPPORT the Church of St. Mary
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THANK YOU for CONTINUING TO SUPPORT the Church of St. Mary.
We are grateful for the outpouring of support from parishioners while we navigate financially with no public Masses. Thank you for continuing to support your parish as well as our sharing parish, Most Blessed Trinity. Thank you for mailing your contribution to the Parish Office or scheduling your online donation.
Ways To Give
Mail Your Contribution:
Church of St. Mary
c/o Business Office
201 E. Illinois
Lake Forest, IL 60045
OR
Online Giving:
Schedule your recurring donations via our online Giving safe and secure portal, GiveCentral Go to:
Church of St. Mary GiveCentral or click the image below.
Thank you!
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Donate or Register for Events
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Church of St. Mary Website
Bookmark our parish website for information on all parish ministries, events, contact information and more!
Information on our Mass Schedule, Sacraments, School, Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Guild of St. Mary, Liturgical Ministries, Bible Study, RCIA, Bulletins, Gospel Reading Podcasts, Homily Podcasts and more can all be found on our webpage.
Like the Church of St. Mary Facebook Page
Like the Church of St. Mary Facebook page to see regular updates from popular Catholic pages such as the Archdiocese of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, and the USCCB. See news from the School of St. Mary, Guild of St. Mary, Religious Education Program, Youth Ministry and upcoming events at our parish!
Homilies & Gospel Readings!
Listen to past Gospel Readings and homilies anytime, anywhere! Click on the podcast image or goto our website. Click on Multimedia/Podcasts.
Enjoy!
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