February 27: The Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 27, 2022:

The Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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/

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter from Fr. Mike went to publication shortly before the death of his mother, Loretta "Lorrie" Nacius.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. Amen.

Funeral arrangements and the obituary may be found HERE.

------My faith and spiritual journey has very deep roots. My mom and dad, each in their own way, impacted and influenced me as a child, boy, a young adult, and a priest. If it were not for the power of prayer, there would have been challenges, crosses, and difficulties in my life and in my family’s life that we would have struggled through. Knowing the importance of prayer, trusting in God and surrendering to God throughout each day, sometimes multiple times a day, peace and hope have been blessings of our lives lived in faith, remaining ever close to God.

------Earlier this month my Mom suffered from a series of TIA’s or strokes. Her condition warranted an ambulance trip to the hospital in Waukegan where she stayed for a week. After a few days in the hospital she entered into the hospice care program. As I write this article on Tuesday afternoon, my Mom, a woman of prayer and deep trust is being transported to a hospice facility in Glenview that many of our families have used for their loved ones. It is my hope and my prayer that she will breathe her last breath in peace, supported by the love of her family and ministered to with care and compassion by those who staff the hospice center. My family has been told that her death is imminent. God is in charge and we pray the days of my mom’s suffering are over, and soon she will be welcomed by Jesus, Mary, and all the saints, as well as all of the departed family members who have preceded her in death to her eternal reward.

------My Mom has a well worn prayer book that she would devotedly recite in her life of faith. The book started small and grew in size as she added “new” favorite prayers, as well as many memorial cards she received from supporting family and friends at wakes of loved ones. I hope and pray this photograph of her prayer book is able to capture the beauty, the depth, and the years of usage as she flipped from page to page, name of loved one to the name of another loved one, from prayer to prayer she recited with care, love, and trust in God’s mercies.

------Frequently Mom would ask me to print out the following prayer, make copies of it for her, so she could include it in a note to people she was praying for. The US Postal Service was very helpful in assisting my Mom in extending her prayers to the hearts and homes of family, friends, parishioners, and loved ones.

------ Please join me offering this prayer for my loving, caring, and beautiful mother as she journeys from “death to new life.”

------We begin our Lenten journey in prayer, beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 2. Please review the bulletin or parish website for information about Mass times and prayer services offered at St. Mary’s in Lent 2022.

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.

Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. Contemplate the meaning and origins of the Lenten fasting tradition in this reflection. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).

Find many Lenten resources at usccb.org/Lent

Children's Worship Bulletin for February 27, 2021:

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

St. Mary's Religious Education

Confirmation Retreat: Thank you to all our Confirmation Candidates for their openness to the Holy Spirit at work during the retreat this weekend and to their families for the continued support during this time of preparation. A special thank you to all our High School Leaders and Adult Leaders who shared their gifts and talents in leading the Prayers, Session Talks, and Activities!

First Communion Parent(s) Meeting: The upcoming meeting will take place in the Multipurpose Room located in the Upper Grade Center (UGC). This meeting is for parents only. Please select one of the following times:

· Sunday, February 27 at 1:15pm OR
· Monday, February 28 at 7:00pm

First Communion Retreat: Please hold our First Communicants and their families in prayer as they go on retreat next Saturday, March 5. May this time spent in prayer, community and deepening their understanding of the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist draw them closer to the love of God.

Reminders:

· February 27: Religious Ed (In-Person)
· February 27 at 1:15pm OR February 28 at 7:00pm: First Communion Parent(s) Meeting
· February 28: Religious Ed (In-Person)
· March 1: Religious Ed (In-Person)

religiouseducation.churchofstmary.org

Questions? Contact 847.234.0090 | religioused@churchofstmary.org

School of St. Mary

Registration is now OPEN!

Registration for the 2022-2023 school year is now open and classes are filling fast! If you want to learn more about any of the programs please join Mandy Castle, Director of Admissions, at one of our upcoming events. All programs are virtual, current and prospective students are encouraged to attend.

Friday, March 4: Virtual Early Elementary (1st-3rd Grade) Information Session

Thursday, March 10 at 9:00 a.m. Virtual 5th-grade Preview Coffee, get a look at what 5th grade is like at the School of St. Mary.

All sessions start at 9:30 a.m. and can be accessed at this link. Please reach out to Mandy Castle, Director of Admissions, at mcastle@schoolofstmary.or g for more information.

Annual Fund = Crusader Fund

The Crusader Annual Fund is the new name for the SOSM Annual Fund. New branding, same mission; to bridge the funding gap and ensure that our students and teachers can continue to live our motto: To Learn. To Serve. To Lead.

SAVE THE DATE! Tickets for the 2022 Gala will go on sale on April 1.

Be a Crusader and give today at Crusader Fund (via givecentral.org)

HOLY COMMUNION TO THOSE IN CARS

In the months ahead, we will be offering you the opportunity to come and receive the gift of the Eucharist in Holy Communion from your cars. This will take place on the last Sunday of each month, our next opportunity will be Sunday, February 27. All are welcome. This opportunity is especially for those who are not able to worship in person at St. Mary’s.

Please follow the directions below:

Starting at 1:00pm, after the congregation leaves the Noon Mass, cars may line up entering from the east Oakwood entrance.
Driving through the parking lot, proceed under the school breezeway and drive behind the church, stopping by the south church/elevator entrance where the priest will be.
Please stay in your car, with a mask fully covering your nose and mouth, waiting in prayer to receive the Eucharist.
The priest will process from car to car, offering the Eucharist.
After you receive the Eucharist you can pull over, parking your car in the parking lot, offering a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist.

CHURCH SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE: Saturday, February 26 - Sunday, March 6, 2022

Saturday, February 26, 2022:

+ 7:30am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 5:00pm: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

Sunday, February 27, 2022:

+ 8:00am: PUBLIC MASS

+ 10:00am: Livestream & PUBLIC MASS

+ 12:00pm: PUBLIC MASS

+ 1:00pm: Communion to those in cars - Oakwood parking lot

Monday, February 28, 2022: