April 9: Easter Sunday

April 9, 2023:

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

PARISH NEWSLETTER

The Church of St. Mary :: 201 E. Illinois Lake Forest, IL 60045

Parish Office Hours: 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday - Friday

Phone: (847) 234.0205 :: Email: receptionist@churchofstmary.org

www.churchofstmary.org :: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchofStMaryLF/

From the Desk of Fr. Mike Nacius, Pastor

-------Joyous Easter! Jesus our Lord and Savior is Risen!

-------They crucified Jesus on Good Friday! God would not allow death to be the final word, of His Son’s life. Jesus is the Living Word of God. Jesus is Emmanuel – God with us. Life in Jesus turns our despair to hope, our darkness to light, and our sadness to joy. Jesus our Lord and Savior is Risen! Joyous Easter!

-------We welcome all those celebrating with us today. Perhaps you were at the Easter Vigil welcoming the newest members of our parish into the Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Maybe you are standing in the back of the church singing Alleluia. Because of your faith and desire to live Easter, you may be in the gym of the Upper Grade Center, knowing that wherever we are, we are to live, share, and proclaim the hope of the Resurrection in our lives of faith.

-------We give thanks to God that Easter is a season, not a day. For 50 days we live Resurrection, reading the Acts of the Apostles, learning how the early Church - the first followers - those closest to Jesus, kept living the lessons and sharing the joy they found in their Lord. That very same joy is available to all of us. If you were to look at a calendar, you would realize that we celebrate the season of Easter through the end of May. The feast of Pentecost, celebrated this year on May 28, concludes the Easter season. We are to be led by the Spirit, sent from Jesus, so we can be His witnesses to the ends of the world.

-------I am glad you are here today and invite you to celebrate Easter with us, in prayer, up to and including the feast of Pentecost.

-------A few weeks from now, on Sunday, April 23 and Monday April 24, Greg Kozak will be back for the third of his presentations on Living the Liturgy, The Other 167 Hours of the Week. Greg shared with us ideas and a focus in which to live Advent and Lent. He concludes his trinity of presentations on how we are to live the joy, the hope, and the promise of resurrection with our family, co-workers, parishioners, and friends. The presentations take place in the church and last for 75 minutes. You are invited to bring a family member or a friend with you to grow from this Adult Education opportunity this Easter Season.

-------I want to thank everyone who helped with the 5:00pm evening Masses on Sunday’s during Lent. Chase Hawkins, our Youth Minister, worked with teenagers who served as ushers, lectors, servers, and cantors. Special thanks to Cammie Edwards and Clara Bartusiak who were the teen cantors, in addition to “Microscope” an a cappella group from Woodlands Academy. The Parish Staff and Parish Liturgy Committee continue to discuss and discern the Mass schedule at the parish that will fit the majority of our parishioners’ schedules. Thanks to Marek Rachelski for working with the cantors for the Sunday evening Masses during Lent. I will communicate to the parish in the future any plans to add an additional Mass to the existing weekend Mass schedule.

-------I would like to remind you about the “Gun BuyBack” program in Waukegan on April 29 at the Holy Family Parish site of our Sharing Parish, Most Blessed Trinity. Bishop Grob, our Auxiliary Bishop in Vicariate 1, is working with the pastor of Most Blessed Trinity, Fr. Tim O’Malley, on this project and we have an opportunity to help bring safety, peace, and hope to the streets and towns around us. An anonymous St. Mary’s parishioner is donating $5,000 with hopes that others can come together and match that amount. Checks can be returned to the parish marked on the envelope – “Gun BuyBack” or you may give electronically at bit.ly/waukeganstrong or by using the QR code to the right.

-------God bless you in living Easter joy in our Risen Lord and Savior,

Reminders:

April 9 & 11: No Religious Ed classes (Happy Easter!)
April 15: 9:00 -11:30am & 1:00-3:30pm: First Communion Retreats
April 16 & 18: Religious Education Sessions Resume
April 19 & Thursday April 20: First Communion Rehearsals
April 22: First Communion Celebrations

Religious Education Classes 2023-2024

Online Registration opens on May 7 and is available for grades K through 8 for all registered parishioners at the Church of St. Mary. There is an early registration discount for registrations completed with fees and tuition paid in full by June 1. Additional Information can be found on the Religious Education Website.

Sundays: K-5^th grade from 9:30am-11:00am
Tuesdays: 1^st Year-6^th grade from 4:15-5:30pm
Tuesdays: 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade from 7:00-8:30 pm
Intensives: June 12-16 from 8:45am-12:00pm and Second Semester Meets Once a month, 9:00-11:45am

*INTENSIVE PROGRAM for Grade 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th

Intensive classes are open for our students who are:

COMMITTED to attending longer class periods for Confirmation Preparation
CAPABLE of working independently between class sessions
and would benefit from a condensed schedule

First Semester takes places June 12-16, daily 8:45am-12:00pm. Second semester meets once a month beginning in October. Students are expected to work independently and submit assignments outside of class time.

*If your child is currently enrolled in Intensives, all assignments (including Mass Reflection sheets) must be turned in prior to registering for 2023-2024.

Sacramental Preparation Guidelines

Preparing for Sacraments offers an opportunity for children and our youth to grow in their knowledge of our faith, relationship with God and strengthens our Church. This is a special time for families to help prepare their children by praying together, sharing in faith discussions, and helping them understand the graces that will be freely given by God through these Sacramental celebrations.

The Archdiocese of Chicago has offered guidelines to parishes in order to help prepare children, and their families, in the following Sacraments:

First Reconciliation/First Communion: Two-year prep period, beginning in the 1^st grade. Sacraments are celebrated during children’s second-year, which is considered the immediate preparation period. Our parish offers 1^st Year Classes (with 1^st & 2^nd Grade Students) and 2^nd Year [Immediate Prep] (with 2^nd and 3^rd Grade Students).
Confirmation: In our parish we offer a three-year prep period, beginning in 6^th grade. Immediate Preparation takes place during your youth’s 8^th grade year.

If you have a child(ren) who have not received the Sacraments of Baptism (over the age of 7), First Reconciliation (3^rd grade or above), First Communion (3^rd grade or above) or have not had the opportunity to prepare for Confirmation beginning in grade 6, please contact the Religious Education Office and explore how we can provide support to your family in helping your children receive and celebrate these important Sacraments.

Learn more by visiting or contacting the Religious Education Office

religiouseducation.churchofstmary.org or call (847) 234.0090

Children's Worship Bulletin for April 9, 2023:

Click for ages 3+ HERE and for ages 7+ HERE.

CHURCH SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE: Saturday, April 8 - Sunday, April 16, 2023

Saturday, April 8, 2023: ~ Holy Saturday

+ 8:00am: Livestream & PUBLIC MORNING PRAYER

+ 8:30am: Confession - Church

+ 1:00pm: Easter Basket Blessing - Church

+ 8:00pm: Livestream & Public Easter Vigil Mass - Church

(no 5:00pm Mass on Holy Saturday)

Sunday, April 9, 2023: ~ Easter Sunday

+ 8:00am: PUBLIC MASS

+ 10:00am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 12:00pm: PUBLIC MASS

Monday, April 10, 2023:

Parish Office Closed