May 29, 2020: Pentecost
Parish Newsletter
The Church of St. Mary :: 201 E. Illinois Lake Forest, IL 60045
Virtual Office: 847-234-0205 :: Email: receptionist@churchofstmary.org
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From the Desk of Fr. Mark Augustine, Administrator
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May 29, 2020
Dear Church of St. Mary,
Today is the last day of formal class instruction for the School of St. Mary academic year. There are still activities next week, including a fly-up for students to meet their teachers for next year, a (virtual) field day of activities, and an All School Mass to conclude the school year on Wednesday, June 3rd. Like everything else these past 10 weeks, it has been a whirlwind of change and learning in our school. I want to formally recognize and thank our faculty and staff, under the guidance of Dave Wieters, our Principal, and Kathy Thompson, our Assistant Principal, for their tireless effort to shift to an entirely e-learning environment overnight and continue to strive for a quality education of all of our students as we finished the school year Crusader Strong.
Thank you also to all the parents who worked to make the e-learning possible at their homes. I know it has presented many challenges and frustrations at times, but I sincerely appreciate the efforts of all involved as we continue to deal with the current pandemic. Finally, thank you to all of our students. We know that everybody was expecting to return to the classroom at some point this year. Unfortunately that was not able to take place. Walking through the hallways and classrooms, it is almost as if a giant timestamp was placed over the school. Everything still said: March 13th. It is truly as though time stood still on that day, and for many of us, it did.
To our 8th graders and 103rd graduating class of the School of St. Mary, you in particular are in my prayers. I know the loss and grief of so many activities and events often looked forward to for years that simply did not take place this Spring. It has been very difficult for sure. May you go forth from here, as you begin your high school career, strengthened by the challenges presented during this time. May you face difficulties well, and have the strength of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary to watch over and protect you! May you look back at your years at the school with fondness and faith, even in the face of many obstacles encountered this Spring.
All of us have experienced some loss this year. Loss of vacations, travel plans, pilgrimages, financial security, a sense of comfort and peace, many other freedoms, and even the loss of the sacraments, at least temporarily. As we begin to reopen not only our Churches but the State as well, may all of us bring wisdom and understanding from this unparalleled time. I pray that we not be struck in grief of all that could have been and all that was unable to take place. Rather, may we enter into these coming weeks with hope. New life will emerge. I pray though that we also go forth more mindful of caring for our neighbors; being able to place the needs of others before our own. That is, after all, how Christ showed us to live and love through his own example of dyeing on the Cross for our sake.
Hope endures above all else. Faith endures. Yes, so much has been shifted and altered during this time, but the love of God, our faith, and the grace of the Holy Spirit have remained steadfast!
In the love of the Holy Spirit on this Pentecost Weekend!
Fr. Mark Augustine, Administrator
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Guidelines as We Begin Re-Opening:
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Below are a few guidelines for being in the Church. An additional email will be forthcoming. There are numerous signs around the exterior and interior of the Church to help facilitate these new patterns.
- Volunteers: Parish volunteers will be on site to help direct and guide all of us as we begin to open and re-enter the Church.
- Masks/Face Covering: Mask or face coverings are required to be worn by all individuals at all times while in the Church building.
- Hand Sanitizer: Sanitize your hands as you enter the Church building.
- Social Distance: Maintain proper social distancing of 6 feet apart, unless you are with somebody who lives in the same household as you. There are floor markings to help facilitate this.
- 10 Persons Maximum: A maximum of 10 individuals (excluding the priest and other ministers) are allowed in the Church at one time. In inclement weather, personal vehicles would be a necessary shelter while waiting.
- Church Entrance: The south door, near the elevator, is the only entrance into the Church. If there are 10 individuals in the Church, please form a line along the exterior south wall of the Church and a volunteer greeter will let you in.
- Church Exit: The north doors onto the main plaza will be the only exit from the Church (unless you require use of the elevator).
- Church East Entrance - Emergency Exit Only: Please do not use the East doors onto the stairways for either entering or exiting.
- Surface Sanitizing: For Reconciliation a plastic chair will be available for you to use during the sacrament and a volunteer will sanitize the chair prior to another individual using it.
- Restrooms Unavailable: For the safety of all, the restrooms will not be available during Reconciliation, but will be available for a wedding or funeral.
Request for Volunteers:
Please see the letter, Church of St. Mary Re-Opening regarding the request for volunteers so we can gradually open for private prayer, adoration and more time for reconciliation. Volunteers are critical for the ability to stay open. The Reopening Leadership Team and Fr. Mark will make sure that all volunteers are properly trained. Please SIGN UP HERE to indicate your willingness and ability to volunteer.
May God grant you peace and comfort in this time. As we continue to plan, you may direct questions to
information@churchofstmary.org
with the subject heading: "Reopening"
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May 31, 2020: Pentecost Gospel Reflection
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Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the Easter Season and return to Ordinary Time. The joyousness of the Easter Season has been fulfilled and it is time for us to take this renewed Spirit into the world to share with everyone!
In both our first reading and gospel we hear stories of the disciples and believers being fulfilled and barriers broken down. What once separated people is now gone! To find oneness with God is to find oneness with each other. God is love and we cannot love God fully while holding grudges with each other. We must look at everyone, every group of people and ask ourselves, do the labels we put on them as individuals &/or groups unite us or keep us apart?
In the first reading we hear of how the wind filled the house, tongues of fire were on everyone and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, there we no longer language barriers as everyone could understand other groups in their native tongue! In the gospel the risen Christ first allays any fear those gathered may have by offering the Peace of Christ. Not the peace of the world which we know is fragile and tends not to last, but the Peace of Christ which is constant and never-ending. After the risen Christ takes away their fear he breathes on them giving those gathered the Holy Spirit and commissions them to carry on his mission to the ends of the earth. He lets them know they can either forgive others, thereby becoming one with them or if they chose retain their sins- retaining barriers to oneness. The choice is ours; we have free will after all. If we wish to be forgiven, we must in turn forgive others.
Pentecost is truly Spirit filled! The love of God poured upon and within us as the Holy Spirit invigorates us to do the will of God and bring about the kingdom here on earth! We are filled with the Holy Spirit; we are the beloved of God! Knowing this; living this truth out, then truly all things are possible!
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Archdiocese of Chicago's Online Grief Groups
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Each online grief group consists of a small group of adults (18 years of age or older) who have lost a family member or a friend. In the absence of our usual in-person parish life, our online grief groups are places to share stories and feelings with others who have also experienced loss. Our online grief group facilitators are not counselors and do not give advice, but they will be present to listen and to guide each grief group in prayer and discussion. As Jesus comforted Martha and Mary after the death of their brother, Lazarus, a grief group is a place of comfort in our tradition. If you have experienced loss and are interested in joining us, please
sign up here
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Additional Resources:
National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline: (800) 950.6264
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273.8255
GetHelp@catholiccharities.net
Catholic Charities Lake County: (847) 782.4000
Catholic Charities Cook County: (312) 655.7700
Catholic Charities Counseling Support Line: (312) 948.6951
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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!
The Church of St. Mary has a YouTube channel! Once we have 1000k subscribers, we can stream live! Look for the black and white image of the Church of St. Mary when searching for the channel or click on either image here to go straight there! Don't forget to subscribe!
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.
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Family Resources & Activities
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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
Religious Education Registration is now open!
- Religious Education Registration - Early Registration closes this Monday, June 1st and classes are filling up! Our program is here to support our families with children entering Kindergarten-8th grade for the 2020-2021 year. Please visit the website for class offerings, online registration, and other details. Information about curriculum can be found here. We look forward to supporting your family in their growth and knowledge of our Catholic faith.
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Plenary Indulgence in Time of Crisis
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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. To see some of the ways we can still participate in the life of grace and the life of the Church during the Covid-19 pandemic please click here.
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To find ways to volunteer within our community and to seek assistance from the parish
please click here.
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Community Celebration of Mass via Facebook Live
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Mass will be streamed on our
Church Facebook page
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- 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. Starting Saturday, May 30th, Daily Mass on Mondays-Saturdays will return to 8:00am.
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TV, Radio & Online Mass Offerings
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Here is a List of Places You may watch Mass on TV, Radio or Online:
- TV: EWTN
- DirecTV Channel 370
- Dish Network Channel 261
- Verizon Fios Channel 285
- XFinity Channel 33, 291, 1668
- Online:
- Relevant Radio:
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Prayers for the Sick and Deceased
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Please remember in your prayers those who are sick, especially:
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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
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Abby Furco
Esperanza Galikay
Dorothy Gimbut
Jenny Green
Jeanne Gross
Jesus Guzman
Edward Halle
Elizabeth Hand
Margaret Hartman
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
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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
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Please remember in your prayers those who have gone to their eternal rest with Our Lord, especially:
Aloysius Machak (father of Robert Machak)
Suzanne Blesius Coon
(mother of Debbie Trieschmann [Brian] Fox, Michael [Cheryl] Trieschmann, Tom [Susan] Trieschmann,
Jamie Trieschmann, and Owen "Trey" L. [Barbara] Coon III)
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Mass Intentions will be prayed for during a private daily Mass.
May 29, 2020:
Kurt Gronau; Wally Bergen; Lily Mizzi; Eleanor Gazinski
May 30, 2020:
Christopher Weier; Mark Poker; Joan McHugh; Eliseo Elisei
May 31, 2020:
Jack & Mildred Kilhoffer; Dan & Catherine Bernish; Ethel Blahunka; Joseph W. Steele;
Timothy Conant; Stanislaw Stachyra; The People of St. Mary's
June 1, 2020:
June Mininni; Reveriano Martinez; Josephine Glab; Gwen Labus
June 2, 2020:
Jim Tollaksen; Americo Andreini; Robert LeClercq; Alison Buck
June 3, 2020:
Peter Gillespie; Cimarrusti-Valentino Family
June 4, 2020:
Robert Zengeler; Frank Tredore; Maurice Mendis; Nora Broderick Ehret
June 5, 2020:
Silvio & Rita Giannelli; Cathryn Delaney; Frank Funai; O'Meara & Dietrich Families
June 6, 2020:
Jac Shim; Catherine Grandus; Lois & John Koeller; Dorina Mentuccia
June 7, 2020:
Teresa & James Yim; Betty Milite; Scopelliti Family; Rob LeClerq;
Anne & Ted Clifford; Diana Alfini Gust; 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!
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"To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."
1 Corinthians 12:7
To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit you must open your heart and let Him in! Open your heart and be grateful for all the gifts God has given us. Regardless of our circumstances, God has given us all blessings. What we do with those gifts is our gift back to God. Generously sharing our gifts keeps us more "God-centered" and less "self-centered."
Bulletin Posting 5/31/2020
Sunday Collection Actual Budgeted Surplus/(Shortfall)
May 24, 2020 $13,112 $26,000
($12,888)
Total Sunday Collections Fiscal 2020 YTD
(
$64,416
)
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THANK YOU for CONTINUING TO SUPPORT the Church of St. Mary
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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!
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Donate or Register for Events
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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!
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