May 15, 2020:  Sixth 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

From the Desk of Fr. Mark Augustine, Administrator
May 15, 2020

Dear Parish families,

            I have some good news to share! Late this week I received guidelines from the Archdiocese of Chicago regarding the reopening of our parish and the celebration of Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, and Confession. There are numerous steps required for us to reopen, but I am actively working on those requirements, along with a small team of staff and parishioners, to enact a plan and be able to celebrate these sacraments as soon as possible while safely welcoming people back into our Church.

All of these celebrations will follow current CDC guidelines and be restricted to groups of 10 or fewer individuals. This is part of a multi-phase process which will be enacted to, in time, fully reopen our Church for public liturgy and private prayer. I wish to be very clear that Phase I does NOT include the public celebration of Mass. That will be part of Phase II which will occur further down the line. A letter from Cardinal Cupich to all the faithful can be read below. A copy of the Executive Summary he mentions will be made available under the COVID-19 tab on our parish website.

I want to keep this letter brief so the focus can be on the message from Cardinal Cupich. I do ask though that you keep me in prayers as Monday, May 18th I will celebrate my 7th anniversary of priesthood! Fr. Nacius will be celebrating his 31st anniversary on Wednesday, May 20th. May we continue to remain faithful to our priestly promises and have shepherd's hearts!
May God bless us all and keep us safe,


Fr. Mark Augustine, Administrator
From Cardinal Blaze Cupich
 
Office of the Archbishop 
835 North Rush Street 
Chicago, IL 60611-2030
312.534.8230
 
May 13, 2020
 
Dear Friends in Christ,
 
These fifty days of Easter, leading to Pentecost, are marked by unprecedented suffering, as humanity has fallen victim to a perilous contagion. In addition to the threats to our physical well being, we are suffering spiritually as the Covid-19 pandemic has required restrictions of our worship and active participation in the sacramental life of the Church. Surely, there have been moments in history when governments and rulers have persecuted Christians and banned their public worship. This is not one of them. Rather, the present restrictions come in response to an extreme medical emergency as local, state and federal authorities - specifically public health officials - legitimately fulfil their responsibilities to safeguard human life and the common good. They have based their reasonable guidance on careful consideration of empirical data and the best available disease-mitigation practices as they seek to contain the pandemic's rampage through our communities.
 
While everyone must exercise good citizenship in observing these restrictions, I call on the Catholic faithful, as advocates for justice and charity, to comply with these regulations. From the first pages of Scripture we learn that we indeed are "our brother's keeper," a truth that must inspire us as we are called to sacrifice. We should also be motivated to cooperate with public safety norms, given our reverence for life and human dignity. This is, at its heart, a moment to proclaim the breadth and depth of what it means to be pro-life, particularly as this virus preys on the most vulnerable in our midst.
 
The good news is that a plan for a gradual reopening of our churches has now taken shape, as I note below. However, since our movements will be restricted as that plan unfolds in different phases, your pastors and bishops will continue for the present time to offer Mass in private each day and to livestream and broadcast Masses from our parishes and the archdiocese. I am particularly grateful to ABC-TV, Univision and Polvision in Chicago for giving us airtime every Sunday. These celebrations surely are not the same as gathering in our churches for Mass, but I know from hearing from many parishioners that they provide a great deal of solace and support in this time of uncertainty.
 
We must be honest. We expect this situation to continue for some weeks, and any plan for reopening our Churches for public worship must include every precaution to ensure public  gatherings do not create a second wave of contagion, thus squandering the gains made through our sacrifice in these days.
 
With those realities in mind, I am heartened to announce that the Catholic Bishops of Illinois have reached an agreement with the Office of the Governor on a multi-phase Plan for re- opening our churches for the celebration of the sacraments, private prayer, adoration and Mass. As I share the Plan with you, both by way of an Executive Summary and the full Plan in the attachment, I want to assure you of my prayers for you and your family's personal, material and spiritual well being. I also express my appreciation to the many people on the archdiocesan staff and in the Office of the Governor for the many hours they have given to designing and fine tuning this agreement. Again, I call on all Catholics to seize this moment to exercise faith-filled citizenship in a way that reflects our deep regard for life, our calling as disciples of Jesus and our love of country.
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
 
  Archbishop of Chicago
   
-enclosures-

Please read the Archdiocese Plan for Reopening.
May 17, 2020:  Sixth Sunday of Easter Gospel Reflection
Jesus is still addressing his disciples at the Last Supper as he was in last Sunday's gospel. When Jesus says "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." he doesn't mean it in a "prove yourself" manner. Jesus is saying that if we truly love him; are one with his mission and ministry then we cannot help but keep his commandments. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is a relational flow of love between God and us and sharing that love with our neighbors all over the world. The more we live out Jesus' mission the deeper our love grows.

Jesus knows that soon he will no longer exist in the physical realm but he will always exist in the spiritual realm. This may be difficult for the disciples to understand and they are already at a heighten space of fear for the coming events. So Jesus again allays their fears as best he can by assuring them that he will send another Advocate (Jesus was the first). He is of course referring to the Holy Spirit.

Not everyone will be able to see the Spirit. Those whose lives center around gaining money, status, power, etc. they will not be able to see the Spirit just as they could not see or understand what Jesus was about. This isn't seeing with the eyes rather it is seeing with the heart, the soul; to allow the Spirit dwell in us and guide us so that we do remain in God and God in us. When our lives center on God and carrying out the ministry of Jesus, then we will see the Spirit. This asks us to constantly reflect on our lives and be sure that we live and act for God and not ourselves. That sounds like a lot, and it is. However we are never alone! The Spirit, Jesus and God are always with us to guide us, we just have to listen.
Family Resources & Activities
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
  • Month of Mary - looking for more ideas to help celebrate Mary during the month of May? See the new resource tab for activities that include: making your own Marian Shrine, Creating or Tending to Your Mary Garden or become detectives and investigate Marian Apparitions.

 

Religious Education Registration is now open!
  • Religious Education Registration - All families are welcome to register for the 2020-2021 RE year. Please visit the website for class offerings, details for registering, and to register online. We look forward to supporting your family in their growth and knowledge of our rich Catholic faith. 
If we can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at  religioused@churchofstmary.org.
Plenary Indulgence in Time of Crisis
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.
Volunteer & Assistance
 


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 

Gorton Contact person is Pim Alley 312-933-3142 pimalley@gmail.com


The Soup Kitchen at Most Blessed Trinity is still serving those in need, but on a "take out" basis.  As we have for the last two months, we will prepare "brown bag suppers" for our guests again on May 15. Our packets contain a well-filled meat and cheese sandwich, bag of chips, granola bar, a piece of fruit, and a drink (water or juice). We will need between 75 and 90 meals, and would welcome contributions of:

  • Loaves of sandwich bread, preferably whole wheat
  • Ham or turkey
  • Sliced cheddar, American, or Swiss cheese
  • Individual bags of chips
  • Granola bars
  • Oranges, apples, tangerines
  • Juice boxes or bottles/cans of water

Any and all contributions are welcome. Since the Parish Center is closed, we would ask that you deliver them to Ellen Tierney. Please contact Ellen if you need any additional information: at ellenkelly@comcast.net or (847.295.4649)

Family Meal Kit Donations-
EXTENDED THROUGH JULY 31
 
Thank you for supporting your neighbors in distress! With your help, Roberti Community House has been distributing food to families at risk, providing over 800 meals each week to Waukegan, North Chicago, Highland Park and Highwood. The needs of the high-risk population we serve is growing every week. Please help us sustain this effort.
 
Roberti Community House (RCH) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has been serving the needs of those residing in a distressed neighborhoods since 2011. The services we provide are considered part of the Essential Critical Infrastructurefor Human Service Operations.

 
PLEASE HELP US BY PROVIDING THE  ESSENTIAL  INGREDIENTS FOR A
FAMILY MEAL KIT OPTIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

FAMILY MEAL KIT-provide all ingredients for one or more kits and bundle each meal in a brown bag or box

 
Chicken Noodle Casserole Meal(for 8)                   Rice/Bean Skillet Meal (for 8)
1   pkg noodles or pasta                                                 1 lb bag rice

2  cans cream of chicken soup                                    2 cans beans (kidney, pinto,black)

1 can mixed veggies                                                   1 can diced tomatoes

1  can peas                                                                  1 can tomato sauce

3-12.5 oz ans chicken                                                 1 jar salsa OR hotsauce

Optional: Dried Parmesan Cheese                             3-12.5 oz cans chicken or 2-12 oz cans SPAM

 
Pasta Meal (for8)
2   boxes pasta (penne, spaghetti,etc) 
2 jars pasta sauce
2 cans vegetable (gr beans, peas, mixed veggies) 
2 cans fruit
 

SINGLE SERVICE MEALS - there is a growing demand for meal options for those who only have access to a microwave, so we need READY-TO-HEAT options, such as:

 
Hormel Compleats (9 oz) - asst varieties, microwavable bowl 
Dinty Moore Beef Stew - can or microwavable bowl
Hormel Chili - can
Campbell's Ready Meals (9 oz) Chef Boyardee pasta meals
Marie Callender's Home Style Creations (6.6 oz) 
Velveeta Shells & Cheese
Kraft Easy Mac

EXTRA ITEMS ALWAYS IN NEED:
Toilet paper 
Bar soap 
Vegetable oil 
Corn tortillas 
Instant coffee
Dried beans - pinto, lentil Bags of rice

PLEASE BUNDLE MEAL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER IN A BROWN BAG/BOX TO AID DELIVERY

WHAT NEXT? Delivery of Donation

Through July 31, please assemble your goods in a bag and drop of at one of these locations:
 
MONDAYS
Home of Kristin Keevins, St. Patrick's Womens Group volunteer
109 Surrey Lane, Lincolnshire, Illinois
(off Route 22 and Riverwoods Road)
questions? Contact  keevinsk@gmail.com
Drop off area will be clearly marked at the house
 
WEDNESDAYS
St. Patrick Church
991 S. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, IL
place bags at south-west side doors
questions? Contact  sallykwillis@comcast.net
 
THURSDAYS
  Home of Lisa and Gary Doyle, Lake Bluff residents and
volunteers at the Roberti Community House
545 East Scranton Avenue,Lake Bluff, Illinois
questions? Contact  batwinters@yahoo.com or  garydoyle1@yahoo.com
Drop off area will be clearly marked at the house

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?

Like and follow Roberti Community House on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Visit our website:  www.roberticommunityhouse.org
Sign up for our newsletter (via website)
 
DONATE: Roberti Community House accepts:
-       Checks, payable to
       Roberti CommunityHouse
-       Venmo(@Roberticommunityhouse)

We sincerely appreciate your support in helping us to provide for this at risk community. In this perilous time, the greatest needs are for emergency housing and food. This critical need for food is driving our efforts DAILY. We are grateful for YOU.
   
For more information, contact: Pam at  volunteerRCH@gmail.com
Let's thank our local Fire Departments!  Firefighters are the first people to respond to Covid-19 patients.  They, like so many other first responders work long shifts and make their own meals at the firehouse.  A great way to say "Thank you" for all their dedication to keeping us safe is to purchase gift cards from local restaurants for them to use as needed!  All you have to do is call a local restaurant and purchase a gift card.  The restaurant will drop off the gift card to your local fire department for them to use when needed.  Super easy and a huge help to the firefighters who won't have to worry about cooking for that meal! 
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.


Community Celebration of Mass via Facebook Live
Mass will be streamed on our  Church Facebook page :  
  • Sunday Mass from the Church of St. Mary via Facebook Live at 10:00am
  • Daily Mass from the Church of St. Mary via Facebook Live at 12:00pm
TV, Radio & Online Mass Offerings
Here is a List of Places You may watch Mass on TV, Radio or Online:
Daily Scripture Readings
To read the Daily Scripture readings you may go to usccb.org and select that day on the calendar to the right.

You may also go to "Today's Reading" at  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings
Prayers for the Sick and Deceased
Please remember in your prayers those who are sick, especially:
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
Abby Furco
Esperanza Galikay
Dorothy Gimbut
Jenny Green
Jeanne Gross
Jesus Guzman
Edward Halle
Elizabeth Hand
Margaret Hartman
Jack Hempstead
John Herbert
Hannah Hodgson
Edward Hoover
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
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
Marie Pfeiffer
Lisa Pommer
Lil Porter
Marianne Powers
Carol Pozdel
Marcia Ries
Mathew Rowley
Susan Schey
Bill Shafer
Colleen Sheerer
Tai (Pascal) Shin
Martin Sobey
Joan Sparrow
Ellen Sreenan
Debbie Sternberg
John Sternberg
Maureen Strassburger
Elzbieta Szymanska
Leonard Teifeld
Richard Thomas
Linda Trueblood-Lambert
Joseph Urso
Amanda Van Vleet
Brittany Van Vleet
Jim Wenzel
Martha Williams
Barbara Wilson
Robert Yale
Please remember in your prayers those who have gone to their eternal rest with Our Lord, especially:

Leroy Schwaba    (father of Ann [David] Dingman, Virginia [Richard] Prybell, Catherine Clemmer, and
Leroy, Jr. [Janelle], James [Sharon] and Mary [Doug] Schwaba)

Nadia Tazzioli   (mother of Caroline Leider and David [Misty] Tazzioli)

George Riseborough   (he is the father of Amy Riseboroough, Mark Riseborough; grandfather of Owen and Griffin Riseborough Kearns)

Donald Dieball   (husband of Donna Dieball)
Mass Intentions
Mass Intentions will be prayed for during a private daily Mass.

May 15, 2020:   Camila Eklund; Timothy Conant; Peter Muehr; Betty Milite
May 16, 2020:   Michael Ohr; Lloyd Vlies; Bob Pommer & Anna & Carl Deckmeyer; Souls in Purgatory
May 17, 2020:   Theresa & John Lee; Kathleen & Charlie Sutherland; Deceased Members of the Stroh Family; Maria & Sam Scopelliti & Mary Gabrielsen; Millie Insera; Robert Scott; People of St. Mary's
May 18, 2020:   Walter & Marilyn Rahn; Special Intention for the Bernish Family; Linda Fontana;
The Souls in Purgatory
May 19, 2020:   Sara Capeller; Jack & Mildred Kilhoffer; Gretchen & Peter Mordini; Ehret & Carey Families
May 20, 2020:   Bryant Thompson; For the Intentions of Fr. Mike Nacius
May 21, 2020:   Helen T. Kiwala; Willim & Michael Lorenz; For the Intentions of Fr. Michael McGovern
May 22, 2020:   Joan P. McKenna; John Gazinski; George Grumley; Special Intention for the 6:05 Rosary Group
May 23, 2020:   Walter Elferingl Malik Mendis; Joseph & George Muzzarelli; Dorina Raganelli
May 24, 2020:   Betty Milite; Gregory Bloom; Peter Gillespie; James Cullen Barr; Han Roderwald;
Richard Biondi; The 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!  
Stewardship
"For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be God's will, than for doing evil."                                                                                                
                                                                                                                 1 Peter 3:17

The old line says, "if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Many of us are diligent in our planning, making sure things are progressing smoothly, then disaster strikes, we don't get the result that was intended. An unforeseen problem arises. Many times, we may respond negatively. Why me? I did everything right. Here's the thing - God has a different and better plan in store for you.


Sunday Collection     Actual            Budgeted         Surplus/(Shortfall)

May 10, 2020                $15,696          $26,000                      ($10,304)

Total Sunday Collections Fiscal 2020 YTD                           ($44,877)

 
Sunday, May 17 is our opportunity to help our Sharing Parish, Most Blessed Trinity in Waukegan. Now, more than ever, the needs of the people served by Most Blessed Trinity are great. They have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19. Because of this, the numbers of families needing help from the Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen have increased and the parish has also begun delivering food and meals to the home bound who have been affected by the virus. Requests for assistance in paying medical bills have also increased.

Donations to Most Blessed Trinity can be made online via GiveCentral (Church of St. Mary GiveCentral) or return your Sharing Parish offering envelope by mail to the Church of St. Mary, 201 E. Illinois, Lake Forest, IL 60045. If sending a check without the offering envelope, please indicate Most Blessed Trinity in the memo field.
THANK YOU for CONTINUING TO SUPPORT the Church of St. Mary
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!  
Quick Links

Bulletin
Calendar
Donate or Register for Events
Stay Connected
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!   
 
 

Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved.