Dear Parishioners,

I know that many people were glad that the tsunami of political ads is over. They were tired of the blathering and partisan attacks. It was ton of information about nothing of substance. It was too much and yet too little.

Our Advent Mission, November 26th-27th, led by Father Mike Knotek, will give us some substance and hope as we prepare for Christmas. He will speak at all the Masses on the weekend and then lead the mission reflection on Monday and Tuesday evening, November 28th and 29th at 7:00 p.m. He promises to feed us with solid food, rooted in the gospel.

Father Mike’s focus will be to remind us that our faith is first lived out in the home and strengthened by our Sunday worship and acts of charity. Seniors, couples, teens, and children will be invited to claim their faith and bring their unique gifts to a world looking for hope and peace. He will prompt us to ask the questions that need to be asked. He will affirm us because he knows that the Christ Child is always present when people come together in prayer.

Advent Calendars were given out last weekend and again this weekend to all Parishioners. Yes, everyone! I encourage families, single people and those who live alone to say the prayers and take the time to spiritually walk through the four weeks of Advent. Perhaps a little gratitude journal would be helpful. In the midst of so much trouble and sadness in the world, we need to recognize our blessings!

It is not too early to think about Christmas and how you will make this year’s celebration a prayerful time filled with joy for you and your family.

Christmas is a time of gift giving. Like all good gifts, we give without thought of return. We give out of love and desire to please God — the giver of all gifts. Please pray over your gifts to family and friends; and, do not forget yourself!

Advent begins on the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 27th). All parishioners are invited to prayerfully prepare for Christmas by taking home the Advent Calendars that will be distributed at mass next weekend. To get off on the right foot, Father Knotek will speak on the Advent Parish Mission on November 26th-27th. He will speak at all the Masses that weekend and then lead the mission reflection on Monday and Tuesday evenings, November 28th-29th at 7:00 p.m. Please invite family and friends to enter into this sacred time.

Father Michael Knotek, 64, was born in Chicago and   attended St. Simeon School, Bellwood; St. Joseph, Downers Grove; Benet Academy, Lisle; Holy Redeemer College,   Waterford, Wisconsin; Catholic Theological Union; and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.

He was Associate Pastor of St. Damian, Oak Forest (1996-1998); St. Clement (1998-2001); and St. Denis (2001-2003). He was Pastor of St. John de la Salle (2003-2011); Administrator of St. Helena of the Cross (2010-2011), Pastor of St. Columbanus (2011-2013), and Administrator of St. Stephen, King of Hungary (2016-2019). He also has been Executive Secretary of the Priest Placement Board (2013-2019), Director of the Office for Extern and   International Priests (2013-2015) and Vicar for Priests (2019-present).

The season of Advent will begin on Sunday, November 27th. For the Catholic Church, the Advent wreath is a special way to celebrate the month leading up to Christmas Day.

To begin, you’ll need to decide where to place your wreath. If your family has young children, plan to position the wreath so that they can safely and independently view it.

Next, choose a time and place for your personal/family devotions. There is one devotion for each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas and a daily devotion. Traditionally, each candle is “lit” on Sunday. If celebrating with family, talk with your family members and come up with a plan that best fits your family. You can even share a special time every Sunday with friends and family near and far – by lighting the candle at the same time and knowing that all are taking a moment for prayer together.

St. Agatha, our Sharing Parish, will be accepting gift cards instead of gifts. However, we still need to assist the families in need. One of our volunteers will email or call you with a wish list for a Parishioner of St. Agatha. We will have a  signup sheet at the weekend’s Masses of November 5th and 6th, in the Gathering Space of our Church. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email Missy. THANK YOU in advance for all your assistance to our area’s needy!

Request your Letter ID today! Wait until Dec. 1 to make your donation and take advantage of the 1-for-1 Matching Program. Please view bit.ly/TCSSteps to find further detailed instructions on completing your donation. As a reminder, under the Invest in Kids Act, corporate donors are not permitted to direct their donation to a specific school.

Have Questions? Need Help? Please contact Julie Villegas-Suarez at 708-598-8200 ext 31 or [email protected]

Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 3rd! St. Patricia will be hosting our annual Festival of Lights, featuring a special visitor from the North Pole, hot cocoa and cookies, games, and fun for the whole family! We can't wait to celebrate the season, please invite family members and friends to join you! The event will directly follow Saturday 4:00 pm Mass and will take place in the Parish Center.

Game #3 - Week 7- It’s a Rollover! Position #14 was chosen revealing the 9 of ❤️!

Jackpot is over $2,8500.00 and climbing! Will you find the Queen? 👑❤️

Our online store for St. Patricia RE Spiritwear is officially open! We are offering short sleeved t-shirts, long sleeved t-shirts, sweatshirts, hooded sweatshirts, quarter zip cadet jackets, and jogger sweatpants! You can even request to have your name printed on the back of the t-shirts and sweatshirts for an extra $3!

The online store will be open from now until Sunday, December 18th, so please place your order soon. Orders will be fulfilled in January.

SPS honored our Veterans at an All School Mass on November 11th led by the 2nd grade class. We are grateful to the brave men and women who have served our country! Thank you 2nd grade students for your hard work, you did a great job leading us in prayer!

Please click to play the video below!

A great way to support SPS this holiday season! Purchase electronic gift cards online and use the gift cards to purchase your holiday ham, turkey, sides, or desserts at The HoneyBaked Ham store in Orland Park or other locations nationwide.

Purchase a gift card for yourself, a friend, or family member today! Simply follow the link on this fundraiser and put in your desired dollar value amount of the gift card you'd like to purchase. Our school will receive 20% of each purchase. Consider your next holiday, special occasion, or weeknight dinner an easy win by purchasing these gift cards today! There's so much to choose from!

Join us at St. Patricia Church every 1st Saturday of the month. Our next gathering is on December 3, 2022 at 8:00 a.m.