December 30, 2022
News from St. Patricia Parish
“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” -Luke 2:19
Dear Parishioners and Guests,

This year we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family on Friday, December 30th. The gospel for the feast in Year A (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23) provided us an opportunity to reflect on the human condition and how families may endure situations of hardship and distress.

The passage follows the Wise Men being questioned by Herod and told to locate the child Jesus and report back to him. Herod’s fear of royal competition from the child born to be king of the Jews drives his wish to seek and kill Jesus, the child competitor. After their subsequent visit, the Wise Men are warned in a dream to not return to Herod, and an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and told him “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” The Wise Men listen to their dream and departed from another route. Herod, being tricked by them, flew into “furious rage” and “he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and all in that region who were two years old and under.” 

Like the displaced and desperate refugee families of our present times, the Holy Family knows hardship and distress in their search for a safe place. The feast reminds us that even among people of immense love and goodwill, rejection and unimaginable evil,
misunderstandings and deep sorrow are, at times, part of the fabric of life together. The Holy Family did not deliberately invite this, they certainly did not want it, but it happened. It is built into the limitations of humanity. We need to remember these things in faith when troubled times strike our own families.  

Mutuality is important in community relationships. Christians are challenged to practice everyday the virtues of love, forgiveness and peacemaking within the context of the family. 
As we begin the New Year, we all reappraise our current situation personally, socially and financially. How does our faith in Christ Jesus shape our decision-making process? None of us are above reproach. We all need one another to keep us honest and grounded in lives of integrity.  
Today, January 1st, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God has also been designated as the day on which the Church prays for world peace. The solemnity focuses us on Mary who contemplates the meaning of her child and dreams about what the future might hold. 
My friends, it is the Peace of Christ that we hope and dream for at the beginning of a New Year: peace in our own hearts and in our families, in our church and in our world. 

Happy New Year!
Father Mike Meany
Parish Happenings
SPRED Christmas Celebration
The St. Patricia SPRED helpers come from all walks of life and all ages. They have a full life apart from SPRED and yet they are fully committed.

The devotion of these dedicated helpers goes beyond words: Michaela Conway, Carey Cuniffe, Frank Gogola, Judy Hendrickson, Anna Marie Jezuit, Theresa Lechert, Nina Pedraza, Ruth Poskus, Debbie Rutkowski, Debbie Surin, Renee Togher and Yvonne Wagner.

Formerly dedicated helpers who have stepped down: Judy Demma, Linda Karl, Sandie Mahoney, Angie Michonski

The allegiance doesn’t end with one group but extends to our church and community. SPRED continues to exist because Father Meany allows us to meet in St. Patricia school. Father Kituli served a private prayer service for our friends, Bertha Castro and Missy Keegan give us full support. We held a festive Christmas gathering in the Hickory Hills Community Center on Tuesday, December 13 because of Mayor Mike Howley, Bill Spatz, and Tina Memeh.  Of course, there was pizza. We tried Pizza Castle and it was a success. Santa surprised us with a visit because of Joe Alber. The celebration really hit a high note thanks to our Music Director, Freddy Villegas, and the St. Patricia choir: Joe Alber, Nita Alber, Rosanne Arnold, Emma Carlino, Barb Correll, Karen DeRose, Elsa Hurlock, Julie Martini, Rebecca Martini, Gerry Rempala, Jessica Snell, Sophie Swiech, and Kathy Washburn.  Behind the scenes, I want to thank Kim Cappelletti from St. Colettas who organizes transportation for our Justice, Hickory, and Tinley CILA homes as well as our contacts from Park Lawn in Alsip to include the drivers for all homes.  I wish to include my son Scott, his wife Linda, and children Alex and Kaya who have been our elves for the past 5 years as well. Joe Alber was the main person in organizing Santa’s visit and the communication with the choir. Thank you, Joe!

To fund these wonderful gatherings we have to thank Joe Kunnengode and the Knights of Columbus Council #282, St. Patricia Holy Name Society, Patrick and Marciann Kosnick, Tom and Sherry Case, William Housey and all of the parishioners whom support our Mother’s Day carnation sale.
Holy Name Society News
Dear Friends and Parishioners of St. Patricia,
The St. Patricia Holy Name Society would like to thank all of you for your ongoing support for our Holy Name Society throughout our Christmas season as well as all throughout the 2022 year. We wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest and Healthiest New Year!

We look forward to seeing you at one of our monthly Holy Name Masses. May you have a most Blessed 2023!

Sincerely,
St. Patricia Holy Name Society
Queen of Hearts 50/50 Raffle
We would like to offer a big THANK YOU for our volunteers' generosity and commitment to the Parish.  Selling and purchasing tickets does not just happen! Week after week, our Parish ministries and their members support selling raffle tickets in our Gathering Space at the Queen of Hearts’ table and at The Prime Time Restaurant on Wednesday nights before each drawing. They give their personal time and commitment to the Parish each and every time they sell.  

We also thank our Parishioners who regularly purchase raffle tickets weekly. Your financial support benefits our Parish! Looking forward to a growing Queen of Hearts raffle jackpot in 2023!  Happy New Years!
School Hall and attached Kitchen Construction Update
Upcoming Events
St. Patricia School Employment Opportunity
The Catechism in a Year
Join us in a great New Year’s resolution that will change your life – let’s read the entire Catechism in a year!
 
St. Patricia is inviting our parishioners and friends to join us in reading the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church together using Fr. Mike Schmitz’s podcast, “The Catechism in a Year,” beginning January 1st. With this podcast, we won’t just read the Catechism in 365 days… this podcast will help us understand what it means to be Catholic and allow those truths to shape our daily lives!
 
You can find this podcast on any podcast app, on YouTube, or just by clicking this link! www.ascensionpress.com/pages/ciy-registration-parish
First Saturday Devotions at St. Patricia
Join us at St. Patricia Church every 1st Saturday of the month. Our next gathering is on January 7, at 8:00 a.m.
Stay Connected to St. Patricia
As we continue to rely more on email communication and online interactions, we encourage you to share this email with your contacts!

Please visit our Facebook Page for photos, announcements, and updates on Parish happenings. Be sure you are signed up to continue to receive our weekly newsletter. Stay connected with St. Patricia Parish!



Get Involved!
St. Patricia Ministries help our parish and local community grow in the faith. The Ministry Booklet contains a description of each Ministry here at our Parish, along with contact information about joining. Please consider joining a new Ministry to grow your relationship with St. Patricia’s faith community.

Enroll in Online Giving Today!
St. Patricia Parish uses GiveCentral for online giving. Set up regular donations, your weekly Sunday Offering, pay school and religious education fees, and more. Online giving is a great way to save time and manage your charitable giving without ever writing a check!

Please click the link to learn more. God bless you for your generosity!
Support St. Patricia on Amazon Smile
Please keep St. Patricia in mind if you shop on Amazon. When you order from Amazon.com, you may designate that a contribution of 0.5% of your total Amazon.com order will be donated to St. Patricia Church. Simply visit www.smile.amazon.com, login, and search for St. Patricia Church as your charitable organization, or follow this link: smile.amazon.com/ch/36-2428437

Be sure to log in through smile.amazon.com each time you place an order so it credits to our account. Please consider doing this every time you place an order with Amazon.com. It’s free to you and it’s a wonderful way to benefit our parish and school!
St. Patricia Parish
9050 S. 86th Ave, Hickory Hills, IL, 60457

Rev. Michael G. Meany - Pastor
MASS SCHEDULE:
Saturday: 4:00 p.m. (Anticipated Mass) 
Sunday: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. 
Weekdays: Monday thru Friday: 8:30 a.m.
CONFESSIONS:
Saturdays: Before 4:00 p.m. Mass (3:00-3:45 p.m.) By appointment anytime.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
RECTORY OFFICE: 708-598-5222
Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Closed 12 p.m. -1 p.m.) 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
St. Patricia School Contact Information:
9000 S. 86th Ave, Hickory Hills, IL 60457
Phone: 708-598-8200
School Website: www.stpatriciaschool.org
Fax: 708-598-8233

Religious Education Contact Information:
9000 S. 86th Ave, Hickory Hills, IL 60457
Phone: 708-599-1221