Hurray! It’s Vacation Bible School Week!! Welcome to all the children who will attend and be Shipwrecked only to be rescued by Jesus. A big thank you to all the adult and teen volunteers who will lead our children through a week of fun, games, and learning about Jesus. VBS takes place from 9:00AM to 12:00Noon this Monday – Friday.
Today is the annual Seminarian Send-Off sponsored by the Serra Club of DuPage County. Founded in 1958, the members of the Serra Club encourage and affirm vocations to the priesthood and religious life through prayer and active fellowship. Though a member of the international vocation apostolate Serra International, the DuPage club devotes most of its energies to fostering and promoting vocations in the Diocese of Joliet. For 41 years, they have proudly sponsored the Diocese of Joliet Annual Seminarian Sendoff each August before the men return to the formal studies, priestly discernment and formation. Nearly 400 people attend including the seminarians and their families, bishops and priests of the diocese, Sarrans, and many others who support vocations and the priesthood. Today’s event is held at the Krasa Center on the campus of Benedictine University in Lisle. If you are interested in joining the Serra Club, contact: jmatyasik@SerraDuPage.com for more information.
So today we send-off parishioner Dave Diesem, who spent part of his summer in the Holy Land, to begin his 2nd year of theology at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein. Also, our intern seminarian, Senovio Sarabia, Jr. will be returning to St. Mary of the Lake to begin his 3rd year of theology. While seminarian Ramon Sida didn’t have any ministerial responsibilities at OLM, he lived here this summer while he and Senovio did a chaplain intern program at Northwestern Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. He will begin his third year of theology as well. We wish Dave, Senovio and Ramon all the best, along with all our diocesan seminarians, as they continue their studies and discernment for the priesthood.
I hope you all enjoyed the Newman Singers with their director Joe Mattingly from the University of Iowa who led us in song at all the Masses on the weekend of July 14/15. And their concert on Sunday evening was truly beautiful and inspirational! I want to especially thank parishioner Carrie Nadziejko who arranged for them to be here and took care of all the details surrounding the Newman Singers visit. Carrie sings in our choir, but has a special fondness for the Newman Singers, as she sang in the choir back when she was an undergraduate at the University of Iowa. As St. Augustine said….those who sing pray twice!! And as I say….if God gave you a rotten voice, give it back! SING!!
Have a Blessed Week!
Father Don