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An Open & Affirming Community of Faith
We Welcome All Beliefs!
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UPCOMING NEWS
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LGBTQ+ Hybrid Discussion Group (formerly Sage) meets every Friday at 1 PM. Check here for the church calendar for the link.
- We have updated our Amazon needs list. Please see below!
- Worship Team Meeting Thursday, April 2nd, 7pm via Teams
- Next Board meeting is March 19th via Teams Meeting at 7pm
- March is Women's History Month
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Support Holy Covenant MCC
with Your Generosity Today!
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Giving Needed Weekly (5 WEEKS) $280 -
The end of the month difference is -$180
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Our bills are listed for the month of February 2026. Your generosity helps us pay the bills. Any amount helps us meet our obligations.
If you would like to pay one of the bills,
please designate that in your donation.
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SEASON OF LENT - THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
BY ELDER HATTIE ALEXANDER-KEY
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Reading 1: Exodus 17: 1-3
Reading 2: John 13: 5-42
I bring you greetings from MCC Detroit, MI, USA. I am Elder Hattie Alexander-Key.
During the season of Lent, we are reminded of Christ’s ministry of love, healing and sacrifice for our sake. We acknowledge our desperate need for God’s guidance as we navigate the dry and desolate areas of our own lives. Our desire is to be filled with the Spirit of the living God, to bring refreshing at a times when we feel loss, anger or fatigued by the forces of the world. We need direction. My God, we are thirsty for you!
In the text from the torah, we see how the wanderers grumbled their dissatisfaction with the way they were being led. How many of us have felt that our leaders are misleading us? How often have we felt like we are lost in a place where there is no water? We are angry, dissatisfied, frustrated, yet we hear God telling us to love our neighbors and pray for those who are hateful towards us. Our humanity cries out, “That’s not the way I want to do it!” Our frustration urges us to repay bitterness with bitterness. Still in our lashing out, we feel dried out, because, as Jesus told the tempter in his desert experience, “One cannot live by bread alone.” (Matthew 4:4).
Our spiritual hunger and thirst can only be satisfied by Jesus, the Bread of Life and fount that is ever-flowing!
In the Gospel reading we see how one who was considered learned; a teacher of teachers, came to see Jesus late one evening, seeking the wisdom of God. He was thirsty for knowledge and understanding. But, the natural mind wars against spiritual things. “But if the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, it will give life, refreshing, peace to our life in this bitter earth.
Jesus says to us, “Follow me,” through this desert place. Seek the love and peace of God and do not trust in your own understanding. Love God with every fiber of your being and your neighbor (even the hateful ones) as you love yourself.
Just as Jesus wandered through the desert, we too must wander through dry places and remember to reach out for the refreshing that only God’s presence, power and passion can bring.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Amen.
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THRIVE WITH PRIDE/AGING CARE CONNECTIONS EVENTS
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INTERGENERATIONAL COOKIES AND CONVERSATIONS
Join us for this special intergenerational event where people of all ages can come together for cookies and conversation, particularly about LGBTQIA+ topics. We will be exploring queer history with Gerber-Hart LGBTQ+ Library and Archives.
Monday, March 9 | 12:30pm | Oakton College – Skokie Campus (RSVP required)
Click on the image to download the PDF.
| | PARENTING A SECOND TIME AROUND - WORKSHOP SERIES | | |
FREE 8-week series designed to provide support to grandparents and relatives who have stepped into a parenting role. This workshop will provide support, connection, tools, and resources. Topics and themes discussed include mental health, legal concerns, developmental stages, communication, parenting styles, living with teenagers, and more!
Where: Zoom
Time: 11 am - 1 pm
When: February 10 to March 31st on Tuesdays
Click on the image to download the flyer.
For more info or to register, please call Cynthia Ayala at 708-934-2229!
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Are you grieving the death of someone you cared about? Do you feel like you could use support and community with others who are grieving?
Join our friends at The HAP Foundation for their monthly virtual grief circles offered in English and Spanish. These groups, facilitated by HAP Community Health Workers (CHWs), utilize a peer support model for honoring and processing grief. This group is open to any adult who is grieving the death of any person.
Held on the third Tuesday - English third Wednesday - Spanish at 6-7:30 pm on Zoom
Questions? Email English -mburns@thehapfoundation.org
Spanish - Email mgomez@thehapfoundation.org
| |  | LGBT+ PROGRAM MONTHLY BOOK CLUB | |
Join the West Suburban LGBT+ Program for a new Monthly Book Club, moderated by Frank Serafino, lecturer at College of DuPage.
Click on the image to download the flyer.
March meeting:
Tuesday, March 17th
Time: 12:00 pm
In-Person or Zoom
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Thriving Aging Survey Open through April 3
Are you an LGBTQ+ older adult in suburban Cook County or an older adult ally to this community? If you were not able or did not feel comfortable sharing your wants, needs and ideas for affirming aging experiences at our recent community roundtables, AgeOptions still wants to hear from you! Be a part of the changes you wish to see in your community as you age!
Questions are based off those asked during recent live listening sessions. Responses are optional and anonymous. Complete as much or as little as you'd like before Friday, April 3, by clicking here.
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Free Quarterly Lunch & Learn
When: Wed, March 11 | 10:30am - 1pm
Where: 6323 S. Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago
Join Pride in Aging's next quarterly Lunch & Learn hosted at the Center’s Woodlawn location. The topic is Navigating Today’s Health Care System presented by Joan Ente with Renewal Memory Partners. All are welcome, no RSVP needed. Lunch will be pizza. There’s ample free street parking and it’s one block from the Green Line.
To view or share event flyer, click here!
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Illinois LGBTQ and HIV Long-Term Care Bill of Rights Fact Sheet
LGBTQ older adults and Illinoisans aging with HIV face significant disparities in access to care rooted in discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, racism, lack of legal and social recognition, reliance on chosen family, and other social determinants of health and well-being. These communities are more likely to rely on institutionalized settings for care because they lack adult children or other family members who can provide informal caregiving.
The Illinois LGBTQ+ and HIV Long-Term Care Bill of Rights protects residents of long-term care facilities from discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV status. The new legislation builds on existing protections...To view the full fact sheet, click here!
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Learn Computer Basics
Ready to improve your computer skills? Join a free online training with assessments to take your knowledge to the next level! What's in it for you?
- Basic computer skills step-by-step
- Job search and resume skills
- Excel, Powerpoint, Word and Google Docs
- Computer skills employers value
- Email and social media
- Safety tips to avoid internet scams
To view or share AgeOptions informational flyer, click here. Still have questions? Contact Laona at laona.fleischer@ageoptions.org
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WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
JUNE ALMEIDA -
October 5, 1930-December 1, 2007
June Almeida serves as a role model for determination and innovation. As the person to identify the first human coronavirus, scientists, and people all over the world, are indebted to her work.
June Dalziel Hart was born on October 5, 1930 in Glasglow, Scotland. Her father, Henry Leonard Hart, drove a bus and her mother, Jane (Steven) Danziel worked at a local shop. Growing up in a tenement in Alexandra Park in northeast Glasglow, Almeida excelled in school, but money was always tight. In 1947, she won the top science prize at her school and wanted to continue pursuing a career in science after her high school graduation. However, there was no money to pay for her college tuition, so Almeida took a job to help her parents pay the bills. She started at age 16 as a lab technician in histopathology (studying and diagnosing tissue disease) at the Glasglow Royal Infirmary. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to London and Almeida took up the same job at St. Batholomew’s Hospital in the city. She worked diligently at her job, but—without a college degree—it was hard to advance.
In 1954, Almeida married Enriques (or Henry) Rosalio Almeida, a Venezuelan artist; the marriage ended in divorce. The two had one daughter, Joyce, and moved to Canada. While in Canada, Almeida found more opportunities than in London for someone without a college degree, and it was in Canada where her career took off. She took a job as an electron microscopy technician—meaning she used a powerful electron microscope to take photos of specimens for research and diagnosis—at the Ontario Cancer Institute (now the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) in Toronto. As she made images with her microscope, she acquired the reputation for being an expert in the process. In the 1960s, detecting viruses was painstaking and slow work. Examining a single cell could take hours, and images were grainy and hard to see. Despite this context, Almeida was able to make these images clearly and quickly. She perfected a technique called negative staining, which helped her find and identify viruses.
After working for years in Canada, Professor A.P. Waterson, a virologist, persuaded Almeida to go back to London in 1964. She started at St. Thomas’ Hospital and then moved with Professor Waterson to the Royal Post Graduate Medical School in 1967. It was during this time that her career began to blossom; she co-authored many scientific publications and continued identifying and imaging many viruses. In her career, she became the first to visualize the rubella virus and she provided invaluable research on HIV and Hepatitis B, of which she helped identify the structure. She also perfected a technique called immune electron microscopy (a process that makes identifying viruses easier) and taught many other virologists her techniques.
It was while she was working in London that she came to the attention of Dr. David Tyrell. Dr. Tyrell was a researcher working on the common cold, but he had one sample (B814) that he could not identify. Hearing of Almeida’s expertise, he sent her the sample to identify. Using her negative-staining technique, she created a sharp, clear picture of the mysterious virus. Not only was she able to clearly see it, but the virus looked familiar to one she had seen years before. But scientists had rejected her earlier identification, saying that what Almeida identified as a different virus was in fact a blurry image of a flu virus.
But Almeida was proved right in the end—that “blurry photo” and Tyrell’s B814 virus were the first identified human coronaviruses. She and others called it a “coronavirus” because each piece of virus looked like a crown, which in Latin is corona.
Almeida continued to write scientific papers and conduct research on viruses. Due to her contributions, the University of London awarded her a master’s degree in 1970 and a Doctor of Science in 1971—she finally had the college degrees she had wanted since high school. Most virology review articles and textbooks contain images of viruses she produced.
Almeida finished her career at the Wellcome Research Laboratories in London where she worked on vaccines and diagnostics. In 1985, she retired and moved to Bexhill (a town in southeast England) with her second husband, Philip Gardner, who was also a virologist. In retirement, Almeida taught yoga, traded antiques, and restored China with Gardner until his death in 1994. Almeida could not stay away from her microscope for long though, and in the late 1980s she returned to St. Thomas’ as an advisor and applied her expertise to produce some of the first high-quality photos of HIV.
June Almeida died on December 1, 2007, in Bexhill at the age of 77. When a new, unidentified virus first appeared in China in 2019, researchers used Almeida’s pioneering work and techniques to identify it as another coronavirus. While her discovery may have been overlooked during her lifetime, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world’s attention to Almeida’s important work. Without it, things may still be blurry today.
“Meet June Almeida, the Scottish virologist who first identified the coronavirus,” The World, May 7, 2020"
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MEDICARE & TRANSGENDER OLDER ADULTS: WHAT ADVOCATES NEED TO KNOW: SAGE AND JUSTICE IN AGING
Transgender older adults are navigating health systems that can be complex. This resource explains what to expect from Medicare coverage.
Click here to download the fact sheet in PDF.
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POTLUCK MARCH 22nd
"FOOD FROM YOUR HERITAGE"
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PIEROGI'S? TACOS? IRISH STEW? LASAGNA? KIBBIE?
Food has a beautiful way of telling our stories. Every recipe carries memories — grandparents in the kitchen, holiday tables filled with laughter, and traditions passed from one generation to the next. A Heritage Potluck gives us the chance to honor those memories and celebrate the diversity, history, and culture within our church community.
Each person is invited to bring a dish that reflects their family background, ancestry, or cultural traditions. It might be a recipe passed down through generations, a favorite childhood meal, or something that represents the country or region your family calls home. When we gather this way, an ordinary shared meal becomes a powerful experience of storytelling and connection.
A heritage‑themed potluck does more than fill plates — it builds bridges.
- It honors identity — reminding us that every person has a story worth sharing.
- It fosters understanding — as we taste and learn about one another’s cultures.
- It strengthens community — because gathering around the table helps us remember that we belong to one another.
- It sparks conversation — where “What’s in this?” becomes “Tell me about your family.”
In our faith community, sharing food reflects hospitality, unity, and gratitude. When dishes from around the world come together, we catch a glimpse of the beauty of diversity. The table becomes a place where differences are celebrated and common ground is discovered.
A Heritage Potluck is more than a meal — it’s an opportunity to listen, to learn, and to love one another more deeply.
So set the table, open the doors, and bring a piece of your story. Together, we’ll create a meal — and a moment — worth remembering.
| | BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES | | |
Attention all members of the Holy Covenant community! We've heard your voices loud and clear - birthdays and anniversaries deserve to be celebrated and recognized. That's why we're excited to announce that we will begin posting these special occasions in the upcoming weeks, using the records we have at hand. If you want your milestone to be included,
simply drop us an email at socialmedia@holycovenantmcc.org with your name, the details you want to share, and the important dates. Remember, years are optional for birthdays. Let's make every celebration count!
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HOLY COVENANT BOARD MEETING
MARCH 19th VIA TEAM MEETING
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The next Board meeting will be held on Thursday, March 19th, 7pm via Team Meeting. If you would like to attend a meeting, please contact Roxann Victory for the link so you can listen and observe.
You can find all the 2026 Board agenda, minutes and financials on our website. They are also posted on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.
You can find a PDF of the past Board Meetings Agenda, Minutes and church financials here
| | WEEKLY SERVICE INFORMATION | | |
HYBRID - IN PERSON AND ON YOUTUBE
ROXANN VICTORY - CELEBRANT
10:00 AM CST
Lent 3 - "Power That Sustains Us"
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Our worship celebration this Sunday is at 10:00 am CST. If you would like to join us, you may join us in person or go to our YouTube page and click to watch the service or previous services.
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Exodus 17:1-17
John 4:5-42
Romans 5:1-11
Message "Sustained by Love"
Have a candle ready to light, a cookie or bread, and a glass of your favorite libation for communion if you are watching online.
You can also find previous services on our YouTube Channel here.
If you have any pastoral needs, please send an email to board.hcmcc@outlook.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Want to help with service: reading, offering prayer, usher etc. Click on this link and sign up for MARCH!
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Join us all month long for informative seminars, health programs, fitness, entertainment, and more!
Hello Neighbors! Below is our February 2026 schedule. Join us all month long for informative seminars, brain health programs, fitness, history, entertainment, and more online and in person! Just click here for the list of classes.
We encourage you to share our class schedule with friends, family, and neighbors, near & far, of any age – everyone is welcome to join us! All of our classes are free & no advance registration is required. We hope to see you soon on Zoom!
Thank you all for being a part of the Aging Well Neighborhood!
For questions about the programs listed, please email AWN@agingcareconnections.org.
| | SHARE FOOD, SHARE LOVE FOOD PANTRY | |
Hey there, amazing community! Let's get real for a sec food insecurity is a major deal right now, and its hitting families hard, especially with those recent SNAP cuts. But guess what? We're not just going to sit around and let this happen! We have an incredible opportunity to come together and make a real difference through our awesome partner, Share Food Share Love. This organization is like a superhero for those in need, and they need our help more than ever!
Can you believe that with just a buck, you can provide THREE meals to a family? That's right! Your small change can become a big game-changer for someone struggling to put food on the table. It's not just about giving; it's about creating a lifeline for our neighbors who are facing hunger every single day. So, lets rally together and support the Share Food Share Love Food Pantry because every little bit helps, and together, we can totally smash food insecurity!
You can drop off your non-perishable food items at super easy locations like the outside box at Tischler's or right here at the church. Let's show our community that were all in this together, hand in hand, heart to heart. Thank you for being a hero in someone's story. Your kindness matters, and we appreciate every single one of you! Let's do this!
They have also launched an Amazon Wish List which a link is below and their new Families First Wishlist that provides essential early needs for mothers and young children. Anything you order for them on the wish list is automatically shipped straight to the pantry. Check out the list and see if you can help out with any needs.
Check out the new video from Share Food Share Love here.
If you are in need of food, you can stop in on Tuesday evenings 7 pm to 9 pm and Saturday mornings 10 am to 12 pm to apply and gather up some food for you and your family. If this is your first time, please have some identification with you. Please try to bring your own reusable bags but if you forget, we will have bags for you.
Thank you!
| | WSSS (SAGE) CALENDAR, EVENTS & MENU | |
West Suburban Senior Services (previously known as West Suburban SAGE) a social support group for LGBTQ seniors, meets both via ZOOM here and in person on Fridays at 1 pm.
For questions about lunch or activities, please contact Senior Center Director Maggie Dodd at 708-234-1869 or maggie.dodd@cmsschicago.org.
You can click on the blue links below to bring up each of them to see what is going on. We hope to see you soon at 439 Bohland Ave in Bellwood!
West Suburban February Activity & Neighborhood Events - Meal Calendar
West Suburban Senior Services website click here
WSSS Facebook Page click here
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AMAZON HAS OUR LIST OF NEEDS!
UPDATED LIST! CLICK HERE TO SEE IT!
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We have updated our "needs" list online at Amazon. We ask that you look at our list of what items we are in need of and purchase something for the church.
This list is available to see here HC Need List and is updated as needed. You can order and pay for anything off this list and have it shipped directly to the church. We appreciate anything you can order for us!
We thank you for your continued support of Holy Covenant!
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MAYO CLINIC
IMPROVING CANCER OUTCOMES FOR
LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES
Cancer experts know a lack of specialized care has contributed to poorer outcomes for people in the LGBTQ+ community. Mayo Clinic is working to change that. You can read more here.
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GRIEF GROUP FOR LGBTQ+
Center on Halsted is starting a new 10-week LGBTQ+ Grief Therapy Group. The group is for those 50+, is offered a no cost and will be held in-person at Center on Halsted starting in mid-January.
An intake is required for participation in the group. Please see additional info on the attached flyer and share with your networks. Click on the image to download the flyer.
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NEED POWER OF ATTORNEY OR WILL? | | | |
T-SHIRTS FOR
HOLY COVENANT
NOW AVAILABLE! ORDER NOW! Show your support of Holy Covenant by buying a t-shirt. Many sizes, shirt types and colors to choose from. These shirts will be used throughout the year when we attend Pride parades or fests and for our garage sales so we are known to our neighbors. A small portion of the proceeds goes to Holy Covenant. Any questions please see Roxann Victory or email her at roxann.victory@outlook.com.
Click here to order! https://www.bonfire.com/holy-covenant-mcc/
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We mourn and pray for all the families who have suffered personal losses from gun violence at our schools, churches, hospitals, public venues and other places.
Prayers for the victims of the war in Iran including our troops.1
Prayers for Cathy's eye surgery to be successful so she can see again.1
Prayers for Tony & Jim's friend John R.1
Prayers for Barbara R's sister-in-law, Mary who is very ill and her sister Donna, who is caring for her.2
Prayers for safe travels for the St. Ledger family as they move to England.2
Prayers for Roxann gets the role that will be best for her.2
Prayers for Karen B. who has discontinued her chemo and wants to enjoy her life with her dog Skye.2
Prayers for Connie to heal from her knee replacement surgery.3
Prayers for all who are ill.
Prayers for all who are traveling.
Prayers that all that are unemployed or underemployed find gainful employment.
Prayers for those with harden hearts that feel the need to deface places of worship.
Prayers and strength for Ukraine, for those who are relocating, and to end the war and unnecessary deaths.
Prayers for all our first responders that they stay safe while helping others.
Prayers that God will provide for those who are hungry, unemployed, and homeless,
or in financial difficulties.
All those affected by HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, COVID-19, and other life-threatening illnesses.
All communities of faith.
| | LINKS AND OTHER INFORMATION | | There is a universal help line 211 for Cook County. They can help residents with housing, food, health services and more. It is a 24 hour seven day a week operation and have trained professionals answer the phone and are able to help you | | |
Missed a sermon?
Click here to catch up and watch on the Holy Covenant YouTube channel!
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If you or someone you know is in an emergency call 911 for help.
Need someone to talk to? Call the suicide lifeline by dialing 988.
NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Health
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Dial 988
Other Useful Links
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Every day brings something new—
and God is with us always!
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9145 Grant Ave
Brookfield, IL 60513
Phone: 708.387.1611
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