January 8, 2021 | Mass Sign-Up Reminder and Weekly Update

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome to 2021!   The year has had a crazy start, but we know that Jesus has a plan and is in control. We entrust our nation to the protection of our country’s patroness, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Let us pray a rosary for our country in these coming days.

The Weekly Update is back in the New Year with a lot of information on the handful of upcoming spiritual offerings, we pray to see you at any of them!

THIS COMING WEEK

Weekend Mass Links and Livestream of the Mass 

• Father Bill Etheridge will be preaching at the 4pm, 8am, and 10am weekend Mass times.  And Father Don will be preaching at the 12pm and 5:30pm Mass times.  Come Holy Spirit to the Fathers!
• The Livestream Team is coming together slowly.  Thank you for your patience as we grow together as a team so as to meet the livestream needs of our parish.  Please keep the team in your prayers.  Interested in helping, please reach out to zara@olmercy.com.
• A new year and a new way of signing up for the weekend Holy Masses; we are using Flocknote for registrations for the following main reasons.  Please proceed to this link to register.  If it is your first time using Flocknote, please don’t forget to look for an email that says “Verify your email address” so you can receive the Confirmation emails and be able to modify or cancel your registration.
  • One-click sign-ups; there is no need to re-enter your name once you’ve registered for a weekend Holy Mass.  For example, if you registered for Mass this coming weekend, when you register for Mass the following weekend or any other weekend, all you will need to do is select the Mass time and how many people are coming with you to Mass.
  • It shows you the availability of spots in each Mass.
  • You can cancel or modify your registration.
    • For example, if you decide to attend another Mass time, just cancel your existing registration and then sign up for another Mass time.
    • If the number of people coming with you to Mass has changed, you can change the number of your existing registration.

Alpha @ OLM registration https://olmercy.com/alpha/ What is Alpha?  Alpha is the first step in our parish game plan/discipleship pathway.  It’s a series of interactive sessions where guests have the opportunity to explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly and informal environment.
We pray you consider attending this semester’s Alpha if you have not already done so.

• Are you growing weary of the pandemic life, of the isolation?  Are you looking for a place to find an authentic community right now?  Is one of your spiritual challenges for the New Year a spiritual renewal?  Do consider attending Alpha.  It may turn out to be something you didn’t even know you might need during this time.
• Or who will you invite to try Alpha; we all know someone who either does not know Jesus, could benefit from a spiritual renewal in their life, or someone who has fallen away from the Church, invite them to Alpha and even consider attending with them?
• Alpha is both/and.  Meaning it’s to reach people who are seeking God but would never attend a church service.  And it’s also for those who are looking for a deeper encounter with Jesus.
• Register now, we would love the opportunity to welcome you with love, both virtually online or in a safe socially distant manner at the in-person Alpha.
• Sign up at this link In-Person Alpha and Virtual Alpha starting January 20th & 21st.

Marriage Course starts Sun 1/10th

• Is your Marriage or Relationship going through a tough time?  Has the pandemic life put a strain on it?   Or has it been a while since your marriage or relationship has gone through a ‘tune-up’?
  The Marriage Course can help.  Check out the trailer here.  Check out the website for details or register here.
• Sundays starting January 10, 2021  from 7:30pm – 8:45pm | Via Zoom Meeting.  1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21
• The Marriage Course is a series of seven sessions, designed to help couples invest in their relationship and build a strong marriage. The course helps couples to
  • Communicate more effectively
  • Understand each other’s needs
  • Resolve conflict
  • Recognize how upbringing affects your relationship
  • Develop greater sexual intimacy

Come Alive Informational Meetings on Thurs 1/14th and Sat 1/16th

• Come Alive! ® Begin 2021 with a renewed spirit of love, hope, and well-being! Come Alive!® is an 8-session online program that helps us connect our spirits, bodies, minds, and emotional well-being. Adults ages 18 and older are invited on a Christ-led small group journey to a more abundant, joy-filled spiritual and physical life! You’ll discover spiritual practices to strengthen your relationship with God while learning about nutrition, physical activity, and healthy habits.
• Experience how a Come Alive! session is led over Zoom at one of the two Introductory Experience meetings: Thursday evening, January 14 – 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST OR
  Saturday morning, January 16 – 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. CST
  (Each meeting will have the same content)
  The Zoom meeting link will be provided when you register to attend by contacting Jolene LeRoy RN Faith Community Nurse and Director of Pastoral Care at  jolenel@olmercy.com to register or with questions.
• The planned dates for the sessions are 7pm – 8:30pm on Tuesday evenings on 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16.  View more information at www.LivingAbundantlyMinistries.org

Eucharistic Procession for Life 1/16th

• Take part in a March for Life Eucharistic Procession with Bishop Hicks on Saturday 1/16th from 1pm to 4pm that will process from Benet Academy to Saints Peter and Paul through Lisle & Naperville.
• Starts at Benet Academy Football Field, 2200 Maple Ave, Lisle, IL 60532, where we will hear two testimonies from Pro-Life speakers followed by a Eucharistic Procession through downtown Naperville.
• Parking is available at both Saints Peter and Paul Parish or at Benet Academy. Shuttle buses available for those in need of transportation returning to Benet following the procession. Reserve shuttle spots at this link.
• Dress appropriately for this outdoor procession, COVID protocol will be in place.  Invite others. Be the silent advocate for the innocent unborn and their parents by sharing this with everyone you know or coming out to pray for there is so much power in prayer.  For any questions, connect with Jackie at Benet Academy for questions jbedore@benet.org

LOOKING AHEAD

Mobile Food Pantry on Weds 1/20th

• Please spread the word on the Mobile Food Pantry this month.  Share this link. If you have a Facebook account, share the Facebook post from our page, this is an easy way to help someone you may be unaware that is in need of food.

Magnify on Weds 1/27th 

• Are there Spiritual Challenges you’ve taken up at the onset of the New Year; for example, if I watch 20 minutes of the news, I’ll spend 20 minutes in prayer?  If so, perhaps, spend that prayer time or that spiritual challenge at Magnify, a personal time with just you and Jesus.
• Come and join Father James as he leads us in adoring Jesus, accompanied by Josh Goodman. Father James will be hearing Confessions up until sometime before Benediction after he leads us in a scriptural reflection.
• Bring your family, friends, and neighbors.  Jesus loves the little children so please bring them with you as well (Mark 10:14).  It was wonderful to see a lot of families with children at the last Magnify.
• Sign-in at the door or ahead of time at this link.

Walking With Purpose (Catholic Women’s Bible Study) starts 2/1st

• Calling all women.  Do you desire to grow in your Catholic faith? Would you like to connect with other women in our parish community? Are you searching for something more in your life? We invite you to consider joining Walking with Purpose (WWP), a women’s Catholic Bible study on Tuesday evenings both in-person or online. 
• Weekly group meetings kick off with an Introductory Session on Feb 1st 6:30pm – 8pm. Bring a friend to check it out.
• The study will start out with Opening Your Heart, our foundational study which is designed for a woman new to WWP with or without any Bible study experience; come as you are to learn how the Scriptures apply to our everyday lives.
• Details and registration are found at this link or connect with Wendy Jo Burnett at wendyburnett0907@yahoo.com for any questions. 

Bulletin

• Don’t forget to check out Father Don’s insightful weekly Bulletin article is located here.

Supporting OLM | Parish Sacrificial Giving

• OLM is only able to do any of this because of YOU! Your continued prayers and words of encouragement keep us going and your generosity continues to create more opportunities for OLM to keep our family connected and bring people to Jesus, form them as disciples and send them on mission.
• If you are experiencing hardship during this time, please reach out and let us know how we can help, here is a private link.
• If you are not experiencing hardship at this time, please consider supporting our efforts and support our community through your giving, our Give page is accessed here or text an offering amount to (630)647-8105, follow the rest of the instructions.

Archbishop Gomez’s Statement 

• Please proceed here to view or share the statement from Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in response to the violence in the United States Capitol.  You can also read it below.
  “I join people of goodwill in condemning the violence today at the United States Capitol. This is not who we are as Americans. I am praying for members of Congress and Capitol staff and for the police and all those working to restore order and public safety.“The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of this great nation. In this troubling moment, we must recommit ourselves to the values and principles of our democracy and come together as one nation under God. I entrust all of us to the heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May she guide us in the ways of peace, and obtain for us wisdom and the grace of a true patriotism and love of country.”  

Calling All Seniors

• Qualified senior citizens, aged 65 years and older are invited to apply for the Senior Citizen Real Estate Tax Deferral Program.  The program allows participants to defer property tax payment until the property is sold.  The deferral is treated as a loan and accrues 6 percent simple interest until paid.  To qualify, the applicant’s household income cannot exceed $55,000.  Additionally, the property must be used exclusively for residential purposes.
• The application period closes March 1, 2021.  For more information, contact the DuPage County Treasurer’s Office at 630-407-5900 or www.dupageco.org/treasurer Gwen Henry, Treasurer.

Thank you so much for being mindful about keeping each other safe by observing social distancing, wearing masks, and sanitizing your hands while inside the Church and PLC.  Your cautious way of following the social distancing parameters helps us to stay open and hold the Sacraments.