Daily Mass Schedule (during the School Year):
Monday, Thursday & Friday:
6:30am and 8:00am
Tuesday: 6:30am and 9:00am
Wednesday: 8:00am and 9:10am (9:10am is at St. Patricks)
Saturday: 8:00am
Weekend Mass Schedule:
Saturday: 5:00pm
Sunday: 8:00am, 10:00am, NOON & 6:00pm
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Saturday: 8:30am or by appointment with a parish priest
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From the Desk of Fr. Mark Augustine, Administrator
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February 28, 2020
Happy and Blessed Lent!
Many people may not feel that "Lent" and "Happy" should go together. It is a time of stripping things away, a journey into the spiritual desert, and often a time of giving something up through fasting. So why is it happy? It is happy because these 40 days are a journey for us to enter deeper into our own spiritual lives as the Church prepares to enter into the Paschal Mystery of Christ during Holy Week. Taking a dedicated time to work on our spiritual lives and grow on the path of discipleship is a reason to be happy, even if the season of Lent may suggest otherwise.
Eleven years ago I went on a mission trip with Catholic Relief Services to Ghana and Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is currently ranked by the United Nations as the seventeenth poorest nation in the world. There was abject poverty everywhere we went. At one point my group visited a school that only went up to the 3
rd
grade, yet it was the highest education anybody in that village had ever received. Two elements of that day visiting the school and nearby village struck me and have remained with me. First, there was a beautiful lush garden that the children all helped tend in order to have vegetables with their lunch. It looked amazing, especially considering we were on the edge of the desert with very little plant life anywhere else. The faculty said, "well, we have to grow this or we don't eat." It was as simple as that. It wasn't a question of botany and getting the necessary nutrients and water to grow the vegetables, it was a question of survival. No garden means no nutrition.
The second point which remained with me was actually one of the teachers. I think she was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life. I was simply mesmerized and drawn in by her beauty. Now it is interesting when I go back and look at photos from that day. Yes, I still see the teacher as rather pretty, but not the same level of beauty I felt in her presence. The garden is nice, but not as lush and overflowing as I remember it. Why is it different? Is my memory that flawed? Or have I just become more jaded or cynical and not as open to God's wonders and beauty? I brought it all to prayer and came to a powerful conclusion.
I look at the teacher and the garden today and I don't have the same sense of wonder. The reason for that is that I am no longer in the desert. When we were physically in the desert, everything was stripped away. There was very little life present; no shade; there was no change in the landscape; and no songs of birds or animals. In one sense, there was virtually no distraction. With all of those distractions gone and removed I was able to see things differently, or perhaps more clearly. What may appear as more common and ordinary to me now, was in fact truly beautiful because I could focus on them with new and dedicated eyes.
The beauty is there, it still remains. My eyes have again been filled with distractions around me - a flurry of buildings, people, cars, smart phones, readily available food, etc. Just because my eyes may have become dimmed does not take away the inherent and authentic beauty that exists all around us. When we journey into the desert this Lenten season, may we gain the eyes of faith. May we learn to see that which is around us, be it people, places, or things, for the beauty which they encompass. To strip away the distractions allows us to see what may tend to be ordinary and common in our everyday life with new wonder. We begin to see people and the world around us as God created and sustains it. So enter into the desert with joy the Lenten season. Allow your eyes to grow brightly. See the beauty that is already present and around us, and understand how God remains present in these times.
Lent is not simply about giving something up. It is about reorienting our spiritual lives and directing everything, in proper proportion, to a life dedicated to God. I pray that the parishioners of the Church of St. Mary may truly receive the graces God wishes to grant all of us as we enter further and further into our Lenten journey.
So again, may we all have a happy and blessed Lent!
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Click the GiveCentral Logo to securely and conveniently donate to the
Phase Four and More for St. Mary's, Fr. Barry Preservation Fund.
Thank you for your generosity!
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An Unanswered Question: What Causes Catholic Women to Stay in or Leave their Church?
The Archdiocesan Women's Committee (AWC), an advisory group to Cardinal Cupich focusing on women's issues is currently gathering information to discuss with the Cardinal in March regarding What Causes Catholic Women To Stay In Or Leave Their Church?. We have a tremendous opportunity to Bring the Voices of Women Forward---however we cannot do this without you!! Please help us by completing one of our Discussion Guides found online or at the entrances of church.
We would like to hear from you if you attend church, but we also want to hear from those who no longer attend. If you have daughters, granddaughters or friends who don't attend church, we would also like to encourage them to answer these questions.
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Click the image to register or get more information
here.
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Click on the image to register or go to our website
here for more information.
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Children's Sacrament Upcoming Schedule
2nd Grade First Communion Retreat
Retreat is for child and at least one parent (both parents are welcomed)
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Saturday, February 29 from 9:00am-Noon
Last Names A-L
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Saturday, March 7 from 9:00am-Noon
Last Names M-Z
Confirmation Rehearsals
Confirmation Candidates and their Sponsor should plan to attend their assigned Rehearsal Time. If your sponsor is not available, a parent should stand in place of the sponsor for the rehearsal.
-10:00am Mass:
Monday
,
March 9
: 7:00 - 8:00pm
Last Names A- K
-2:00pm Mass:
Thursday, March 12
: 7:00 - 8:00pm
Last Names L - Z
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The Roaring into the Twenties Silent Auction is open! Click on the link below to start bidding on your favorite items and spread the word to your family and friends!
You will need to create an account and add a credit card in order to submit bids. Every dollar raised goes towards our kids' education! So bid well and often - have fun, Crusaders!!!
Click on the image to go to online Silent Auction site!
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For Rules and Regulations click in the image.
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For more information please see our website,
here or email Mandy Castle at
mcastle@schoolofstmary.org
Please consider donating to Empower Illinois and designate School of St. Mary. We will be able to accept more families with generous donations, particularly if donations are completed by February 29, 2020. Please contact Mandy Castle with any questions on how to donate (
mcastle@schoolofstmary.org
).
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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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