All Masses remain canceled through May 3rd.

PSR: Our faith reveals meaning and God's Presence in every situation in life - our children need that! The home is the domestic Church - the first place our children learn about God and what it means to live as a child of God. Please help them learn more! Pick up your child's religion book in the back of church and help him or her to complete it.

First Communion Families
Banners are due May 4th on the table in back of church - we were able to give you a month of extra time!

We're still waiting for word on the First Communion Celebration.
We'll let you know as soon as we have more information!

Please send me pictures of the completed Bread Making and Last Supper Skit stations!

The Church is open from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Let us know if you have any questions or concerns!

Confirmation

8th grade: Patron saint names are needed soon!
Please encourage your youth to have chosen a patron saint and be completing the research to know more about his or her saint.

7th grade: Be accessing the Decision Point modules online and
conversing through the assigned chapter with them.
It is a gift for opening dialogue with them!
Peter preaches in the First Reading
to all of the Jews in Jerusalem who will come and hear. 
He makes clear that Jesus was sent by God, that the people unlawfully killed Him, and that God raised Him –
the good acts were from God, the people committed the evil.
 
To help them connect Jesus to their faith, to their lives, he explains David’s role in salvation history –
David was one of their greatest heroes and wrote most of the Psalms. 
In his message, Peter conveys: Jesus is relevant and relevant to them.
 
What a perfect Psalm for now! Lord, you will show us the path of life. 
In these uncharted times, what path is God trying to show you? 
Will you use the current unusual opportunities
to seek His message for you and to follow it?
 
In the Second Reading , St. Paul reminds us that if we are to call and embrace God as Father, a loving Being Who cares more for us than anyone else will care for us, then we must live according to what it truly means for Him to be our Father. A good father doesn’t ignore the ill acts of his children, but rebukes them in love to teach them the better way. He does not allow one child to take advantage of his other children, nor does he allow one child to shirk his responsibilities thus placing greater burdens on others.
 
In the Gospel we hear one of the favorite Gospel readings - On the same day as the resurrection, followers of Jesus were traveling away from Jerusalem, heartsick over Jesus’ death. In the midst of one of the darkest times in their lives, bereft and confused, having thought God was in their midst and seeing only evil triumph, they walk the path to their homes. A man appears who gives understanding to the events in light of their faith. 
He helps them to see the horrible events as God sees them,
their hearts are lifted, and then
He reveals Himself in the breaking of the bread.
Through that which we cannot right now receive, the Eucharist,
is how they came to know Him in their midst –
to help them see Him and know He is there.
Pray for our return to receiving the gift of the God's Real Presence, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, through the return to Mass! 
Watch the Mass this Sunday and the days in between! )
Pray the following during reception of Communion
until we can receive the Real Presence of our Lord again.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

My Jesus, I believe that You are
present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things and
I desire to receive You into my soul.
 
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
EASTER SEASON
Adoration before the Tabernacle
The Church building is open from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Can't make it to Adoration?
View Perpetual Adoration at MarytownChapel in Chicago.
First Communion Pictures are being rescheduled to be held the morning of the First Communion Celebration.
Newsy Notes
Keep praying for the restoration of community!

NEW OPPORTUNITY!

One of the greatest threats to our children's lives is the incorrect understanding of our human nature , particularly in relationships with God and one another.
Help yourselves and your children better understand God's incredible love for you, your child, and every person, and what that means for how we are to live out - through actions, words, and thoughts, loving one another.
TOBET is a publisher with age-focused materials to help children first understand how to use their bodies to express God's love through kind deeds and words. To address the current crisis, they developed a new at-home catechesis plan for grades K-8.
We don't usually promote items for purchase, but there is a crisis leading so many to actions they later regret because of a lack of understanding of the nature and purpose of our human nature - body and soul.
We wanted you parents to know of these materials - to help connect the-birds-and-the-bees discussion with the reality in which we live and
with the reality of God's purpose for our creation.
You don't have to be familiar with the Theology of the Body
(although there are many resources online at Catholic sites to help you).
For $ 30 you receive the two Lesson Books and two digital Educator Guides for your child's grade level ( retail price: $180 ). 
This is limited time plan to help bring
St. John Paul’s Theology of the Body into your home.
Meditation
“Know that the greatest service that man can offer to God
is to help convert souls.”
-St. Rose of Lima
Greetings Parents!
        
     Full in to the Easter season now, a time for celebration - and so fitting to have everything becoming green and blooming as we go! More restlessness in the home, becoming more bored with that which we previously struggled to tear them away. Oh prayer answered! But now what? Be careful what we wish for! The answer is not always in the form we would like.
 
     Our boys have a renewed interest in cooking - you want a cake? - make it! You're bored in your room? - clean it then rearrange. You're bored inside? Go outside! You're bored with your own entertainments? You have brothers - go toss a frisbee! Easier for us with the ages of our sons, not sure how calm I would be by now if my children were younger - OK - time for another round of mud pies, I no longer care about the dirt - just be happy together for awhile!

     Even as adults who are keeping very busy, the routine is becoming a bit too routine in the very same spaces, so what to do? We've cleaned in places that were quick and easy so I can continue my work-from-home tasks without having something lingering and tearing up the house. Tearing up the house doesn't sound like such a bad option anymore...

          It does offer more opportunity to pray, "Lord, help me not lose patience," is heard much more frequently in our home, as is "Guardian angel, please go to his guardian angel and you two chat and sort things out then inspire us into a peaceful talk; or just have his angel make him reasonable!!" Actually, more often are quick prayers sent up for the many people we hear of who are struggling at this time - either because of the pandemic or because of what would have been happening now anyway. The extra prayers are a good thing! Having a little more time to ponder the realities of other people's lives is a very good thing - both for our souls, but also for our sanity. It is a helpful reminder that other people are existing through difficulties too, and that by praying for them, I get my mind out of sole focus on me, bring myself closer to God, and retain a sense of community that we're struggling to retain.
           
             Hug your children tight and remind them that others are struggling too. Have them take a pretty twig of tree or ground flowers and place by a neighbor's window or back porch - or perhaps ask them to chalk a pretty picture or words of encouragement on the driveway. Maybe tie a pretty ribbon around a lonely neighbor's mailbox or light post - or just find another way of giving cheer to those who have no one to share with at all right now.

-- Linda Bader, Coordinator of Religious Education

  • P.S. Did you know... Virtues and Powers are the names of the next two choirs of angels. The Virtues are said to control nature and all things physical - including the moon, stars, and seasons.They are associated with the happening of miracles. The Powers battle evil to defend the created world and humans. These warriors angels fight to prevent the fallen angels from bringing chaos.