February 5, 2022 | Weekly Update

February 5, 2022 | Weekly Update

“Grow Disciples”

Last week Father James started a 3 part series on faith, hope, and love as a lens for better understanding our vision statement. Join us this weekend for part two as he shares about what hope is and how we can grow as Jesus’ disciples

If you missed Father James’ homily last week or would like to reflect on the first part of our vision statement to prepare to hear the second part, watch it below.

See you soon at the weekend Mass times or stop by and visit Jesus at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel or at daily Mass during the week.

“To offer every person a life-changing encounter with Jesus, grow disciples, and send them on mission.”
—Our Lady of Mercy Vision


LOOKING AHEAD

St. Peregrine Prayer Service 2/15
  • All are invited to attend the in-person St. Peregrine Prayer Service on Tuesday, February 15 in the church after the 6:30pm Mass (at 7pm) with Deacon Tony Leazzo and Jolene LeRoy RN Parish Nurse and Director of Pastoral Care.
  • St. Peregrine is the patron saint of the sick, especially those experiencing cancer, serious illness, or chronic illness. Anyone experiencing physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual health concerns would benefit from attending the prayer service. The relic of St. Peregrine will be present.
Mobile Food Pantry 2/16
  • The Mobile Food Pantry is on Weds Feb 19th, please note the time change of 4:30pm to 6:00pm.  Don’t forget to share the Our Lady of Mercy social media posting on your network; you never know who among your network is in need of food.
  • The Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet Mobile Food Pantry delivers healthy food (meat, produce, and non-perishable items) to people in need. No identification or information will be required or collected. This event is open to anyone in need of food! Mobile Food Pantries use a “drive-thru” method to distribute food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please clear space in your trunk or backseat so volunteers can load boxes of food directly into your vehicle. Catholic Charities helps people of all faiths and beliefs. Mobile Food Pantries take place snow or shine!
CRHP Christ Renews His Parish Men’s and Women’s Weekends 2/19 – 2/20 & 2/26 – 2/27
  • The weekends are just around the corner, come and be uplifted and strengthened at the Renewal Weekends: Men’s Renewal Weekend is on 2/19 thru 2/20. Women’s Renewal Weekend is on 2/26 thru 2/27,
  • Proceed to this link for details and sign-up.  We pray you sign-up soon.  COVID safety notes: we follow the Diocesan Covid guidelines.
  • Connect with Kevin Nemetz @ 630.301.2312 Kevin@tix4cause.com, Brian Cancio @ 847.571.6358 or Lauren Baier @ 630.267.6868 crhpolm@gmail.com for any questiions.
Open HEARTS Ministry 2/21
  • Open HEARTS Ministry is the mental and emotional health and wellness ministry of the parish. If you are a mental health professional or are a champion for mental health and wellness, please consider joining the ministry. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental and emotional health concerns, there is support and resources available at Our Lady of Mercy and in the community. The next scheduled in-person gathering for the Open HEARTS Ministry is Monday, February 21 from 7pm to 8:30pm in Room 218.
MAGNIFY 2/23
  • Our monthly MAGNIFY adoration, praise and worship is on Weds 2/23rd @ 7pm. Save the date!
Invitation to Seniors to Defer Property Taxes apply by 3/1
  • 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 on March 1, 2022. For more information, contact the DuPage County Treasurer’s Office at 630-407-5900 or www.dupageco.org/treasurer. Gwen Henry, Treasurer.
Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) Grants apply by 3/1
  • The Diocese of Joliet is accepting applications for 2022-2023 for Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) grant. Please mail in your application by 3/1st.
  • Qualifications and details of the application process can be found at this link.
  • The Campaign for Human Development is the domestic anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Catholic Bishops. Its mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America through the promotion and support of community-controlled, self-help organizations and through transformative education. The grants and education for justice program of the Campaign, implemented in collaboration with local dioceses, is supported by the annual collection received each November.
Alpha in-person starts 3/3
  • Who will you bring with you to in-person Alpha on 3/3rd?  Experience the Alpha culture if you have not had a chance already.  Alpha isn’t just a program. It’s a tool for evangelization. We all know people who are far away from the Lord, who may be asking questions about whether or not God even exists.
  • Details and registration are found at this link.
  • Invitations can be intimidating, so we want to make inviting your friends and family to Alpha as easy as possible. Read some tips that can help you invite anyone in your life to join us for Alpha!  You can do it! We’re praying for you https://olmercy.com/alphainvitations/
Salt and Light Grow Group 3/9
  • Be loved & be fed; come and experience family, hospitality, and intentional community at Salt and Light Grow Group.
  • We weren’t meant to do life alone. “Encounter/Grow/Witness” is the threefold dimension of the Christian life.  Once we encounter Jesus, we are then called to grow daily as His disciples.
    Grow Groups are one way Our Lady of Mercy (OLM) is responding to our missionary identity where we are called to help parishioners grow continually in discipleship.
    To follow Jesus is to commit to lifelong learning and growth. Like Jesus’ disciples, our walk with the Lord today is not one lived in isolation but rather one immersed in community and enriched by authentic friendship with others. At OLM and in the company of friends, Grow Groups provide a place of deep transformation where people can be known, loved, and cared for as they strive to deepen their friendship with Jesus and one another.
  • For more information, connect with Bob Maxwell our Salt and Light Grow Group Leader at bmaxwell@deltadentalil.com
  • Details and registration are found at this link.
Parish Mission – Unbound 3/18 & 3/19
  • Save the dates for our 2 day parish mission on Friday evening 3/18 from 6:30pm to 9:15pm and all day Saturday 3/19 from 9am to 8pm (catered lunch & dinner included)
  • Led by Father Burke Masters, Father Steven Borello, and our very own Father James Guarascio! 
    Please keep an eye out for further details on the talks and registration (to help us in the materials and catering).
  • These past two years have been a difficult time for us and we need a place to process what we’ve been through; from a number of things from our past or from our time during the lockdown, that we had either forgotten about or had never really dealt with.  With this in mind and our vision of providing ways to encounter Jesus, grow as disciples, and experience more power for mission, our parish mission this year is an Unbound Conference. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Bishop Hicks’ Monthly Column
  • For January is now posted, it’s entitled “A New Year’s resolution: Re-educating ourselves on the Eucharist” read it here.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word CLOW Volunteers
  • Every Sunday at the 10am Mass is the beautiful ministry of the Children’s Liturgy of the Word.  Do you love children and caring for them while they listen to the Gospel?  Please connect with Mary Jo Trapani maryjot@olmercy.com or Jean Palasz jeanp@olmercy.com to volunteer.
St. Vincent de Paul Society Volunteers
  • Thank you for your support of our clothing drive. Your clothing donation, as well as your financial donations throughout the year, allows us to help our parishioners and neighbors in need. In 2020 over 120 people/families were provided assistance.
  • The ministry is always looking for volunteers to join our St. Vincent de Paul Society in assisting our neighbors in need. If you would like to volunteer or learn more, send an email at olmsvdp@gmail.com with your name and contact information.
Bulletin
  • Read Father Don’s insightful weekly Bulletin article located here. 
Check out the January AMA with Father James
  • Checking-in, A Near-Death Experience, Is cohabitation sinful? – these are just some of the items we covered at the January AMA with Father James.
  • If you click on the YouTube description, it itemizes all the questions and talking points with the time stamp so you can jump ahead if you wish.
  • We will be hosting Father Don at a future AMA, do you have a question for him or both of them? Submit your question here!

Don’t Get Scammed by Fake Fathers!
  • Did you get an email or a text message from (a fake) Father Don this past week? Please remember, Father Don and Father James DO NOT send texts or emails asking for money or gift cards.  If you receive a message appearing to be from Father Don or Father James, please discard it and DO NOT SEND ANY ELECTRONIC MONETARY AID.
For the Hispanic Community
  • Please proceed herefor the OLM Hispanic Ministry’s upcoming events and resources.
    Continúe aquí para conocer los próximos eventos y recursos del Ministerio Hispano de OLM.
  • There will be Stations of the Cross in Spanish every 2nd Wednesday of the month after the 12pm Mass.
    A partir de la próxima semana, habrá Estaciones de la Cruz en español cada segundo miércoles del mes después de la misa de las 12 pm.
A Note from the Intercessory Prayer Ministry
  • How can we be praying for you today?
    There are times when life is overwhelming when all we have is questions. In those moments, hope can feel far away. The great thing about prayer is that it shifts our perspective toward the One who stands ready to listen. No matter what you’re facing, we’d love to pray with you. Submit your prayer requests at this link
  • Prayer Ministry takes place monthly at MAGNIFY and at the last weekend of the month Mass times.  Prayer ministry is an opportunity for those in need of physical, emotional, or spiritual healing or with a specific intention. Come as an individual, as a couple, or as. a family and receive prayer for yourself or request prayers for someone in need. Listen and receive the prayers while being open to the Holy Spirit’s movement. Trained prayer ministers are available.
Have you downloaded our myParish App yet?
  • If you haven’t done so, we encourage you to download the Our Lady of Mercy app available to download for iPhone and Android smartphones.  Or text APP to 88202 to download.
    • Stay connected with our parish throughout the week with instant notifications, an easy-to-access event calendar, and the ability to quickly reply to or share messages via Facebook or Twitter. Also enjoy a bunch of additional features like prayers, daily readings, helpful reminders to silence your phone before Mass or Confession, and much more.


HALLOW – A CATHOLIC PRAYER & MEDITATION APP

Hallow is a Catholic prayer & meditation app that helps users deepen their relationship with God through contemplative prayer and strengthen one’s mental health in the process. Easy-to-use, audio-guided sessions anywhere from 1 to 60 minutes long. Pray your own way with a personalized prayer plan pulling from 3,000+ unique sessions including the Lectio Divina on the Daily Gospel, Rosary, Examen, Night Prayer, Calm & Humility “Praylists” and much more. Hallow Light is free. Hallow Plus is $5 per month ($60 per year). Sign up for either one here.