September 23, 2018 Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This weekend we are celebrating the feast of our parish patroness, Our Lady of Mercy. (The actual feast day is on September 24th). As we continue the celebration of our parish 30th anniversary through the end of this year, the celebration of our parish patroness reminds us that “together we are one!” Please stop by the Parish Life Center for fellowship and refreshments following Masses today.
This weekend we welcome back seminarian Senovio Sarabia for his teaching parish assignment. He was with us last year on weekends for the fall semester and full-time during the spring semester for his internship. He lived here this past summer while doing a student chaplain assignment at Northwestern Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. He will be with us this fall semester on most weekends. The spring semester ’19 he will be studying in the Holy Land. Senovio is in his third year of theology at Mundelein. He is on track to be ordained a transitional deacon in March ’19 and a priest in May 2020.
We have been blessed to have another one of our Diocesan seminarians assigned to Our Lady of Mercy for his teaching parish assignment. Joining Senovio this fall semester is Luis Miguel Garcia. Luis is in his first year of theology at Mundelein. We welcome Senovio and Luis Miguel!
Well, our Religious Education program is in full swing with classes for K – 5 beginning last week, EDGE for Junior High and LIGHT for High School have all begun as well. I want to thank all who have volunteered as catechists, aids and for various other positions supporting our Religious Education program. We can’t do it without you! Also I want to thank our new DRE, Mary Jo Trapani as well as Candy Rice and Dave Miserendino for their leadership. And a special word of thanks goes to Cheryl Lohse and Jean Rehmer for all their hard work in the RE office and the support they give to our RE staff and families. We are looking forward to a great year!
Finally, MercyFest is only two weekends away!! If you haven’t signed-up to help yet, you can do so online or at the table in the lobby of the Parish Life Center. There are new music groups this year, and, the Sunday 10:45AM Mass will be celebrated outdoors under the big tent with Fr. Hugh Fullmer coming back to preside. Fr. Hugh started Mercyfest 17 years ago and it is only fitting that he come out of retirement to celebrate Mass during our parish 30th anniversary year.
This year we will again donate a portion of the profits from MercyFest to Hesed House. I have also designated profits to upgrade/replace the sound system in our church. Last year’s profits were used to install new pads on the kneelers in church.
Come out and support MercyFest with your presence….bring family, friends, and neighbors too!!
Have a blessed week!
Father Don