I know that you will be reading this message on a very important weekend. Sometimes, it is a strange feeling to feel like I do now, hoping for things to come which will already have happened by the time this column is read! Yet, even this is a good spiritual exercise, for it reminds me that this is the way our prayer life always is. We hope and pray for what we cannot see. One day, our prayers will be answered. Sometimes in ways we expect, sometimes in ways we do not, sometimes in wonderful, surprising ways. We walk by faith and not by sight. We are hopeful people. On this day, I would like to share with you some of the hopes that are in my heart for this weekend.
Commitment Sunday
As you know, this is the time of our Fall Stewardship Program. Part of this involves our Sunday Offertory Renewal. This year, we did not hire a special company to do this for us. The Stewardship Committee and I have only written a couple of letters to parishioners, asking them to let us know what kind of financial commitment they are able to make for the next year. We know that many are giving all they can. We also know that if everyone who comes to church were to give just a little bit more, then we could finally achieve a balanced budget! This is a fact. My hope is that this will happen soon. My hope is that those who are able to give more can help to make up for those who cannot. My hope is that those who are not able to give more financially may be able to give more time in prayer for our parish. My hope is, too, that everyone will know of my gratitude for their generosity.
Part of what we are calling Commitment Sunday this year also involves our examining of the ways we share our time and talents, as well as our Treasure. This weekend, we host our Ministry Fair. My hope is that many, many people will explore the information tables in Barrett Hall and Mary's Gathering Space, in order to learn more about the life of our parish. My hope is that some people will find themselves moved in a new way to share something of themselves with the parish. My hope is that everyone will gain a greater appreciation for all of our many blessings at Mary Queen of Heaven.
You may not know that the very first time I came to Mary Queen of Heaven was in 1993, on the day you held your Ministry Fair that year. I was in discernment with the diocese about accepting this new ministry. I started coming to Mass here, "incognito," so to speak, in order to learn for myself what this parish was like. What a wonderful gift of God it was to arrive on that day, with the gifts of the parish spread before my eyes. How I still remember that day! I remember people representing the liturgical ministries inviting me to look at their materials. I remember talking to Deacon Tom about baptismal ministry here. I remember picking up literature about many ministries. What I especially remember is Ron Stefani's cheerful greeting as I passed by the Men's Group table. He invited me to have my husband join the group and I thanked him. I am not married, but his greeting encouraged me to later invite other men to join the Men's Group. I came to love this parish from that very first day. My hope is that people who come to our Ministry Fair this weekend will feel just as welcomed as I did and that they will explore how they might be able to give of themselves to this parish.
Finally, I would like to share one more hope I have. At a meeting I was part of last night, some teenagers expressed their own hope that our parish will continue to grow and that parish groups will not seem so separate from each other. I am sure that most of us would be surprised to hear this from our young people. We take pride in being a welcoming parish and the phrase "parish family" has much more meaning here than in many places. Yet, as children always do, they see things that we do not always pay attention to. I hope that this weekend's Commitment Sunday and Ministry Fair may re- ignite within us the desire to be in genuine communion with one another and God. Children are especially sensitive to in-group/out- of-group dynamics. My hope is that the events of this weekend will help us all make a deeper commitment to serving God and one another. No one ministry is more important than another. All are needed and deserving of support. We are all parts of one body. My hope is that more and more, we can be seen more as a body joined together than as parts separate from each other. My hope is, too, that our young people will increasingly have the courage to stand up in faith to say what they feel needs to be said, and that they will be willing to take on increasing roles of responsibility and leadership within our parish.
John Michael Talbot Concert
By the time you are reading this, the concert will be over. My hope is that the evening of the concert will be a wonderful memory for a long time to come. My hope is that this concert will help us to begin raising funds for our preschool. My hope is that as more time goes by and more people become involved, the development of our preschool will be something that will bring new life to our parish, as it serves to bring more families to God through the Church.
Bobbi Nannini
Another important event this weekend is Bobbi Nannini's funeral Mass. Bobbi was a well-loved member of this parish who suffered greatly over the last few years. My hope is that the hope she held through the time of her suffering may be a sign for all to see of the power of love over darkness. May God bless her family. May God bless us all.
Mary Foley, Pastoral Life Coordinator
Market Day Help us earn a school freezer in October. Order Today. Spread the Word! Our school will earn a free freezer when we reach our sale goal of $3,854.14 and have 58 or more customers at our Market Day sale in October. A new freezer will be raffled to one of our Market Day customers who support the sale at Mary Queen of Heaven. Orders for October are due Monday, October 16, at noon. Turn in your order form in the box in the back of church or at the rectory. Pickup on Saturday, October 21, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. in the Social Hall. Your order will help us reach our goal! If you have questions or would like to place an order, please call Maria at 279-2238 or Karen at 279-4108. Faith Sharing (Use with your family or to open meetings) 1. Read the daily gospel. 2. Pause for a minute of silence. 3. Read it again slowly. 4. What word or phrase "jumps out" at me? 5. Share the word or phrase (no explanation). 6. Share a sentence or two about why this touched you. 7. Thank your friends or family. 8. Thank God for the opportunity to share faith (brief prayer). Volunteer Work To Fit Your Schedule Debbie and Randy Styka need a few helpers every month or two, on a Sunday morning early, 6:00-7:30 a.m. Bethel Church and Mary Queen will be taking care of the 4th Sat/Sun of each month to serve the homeless at a PADS site at the Salvation Army at 1S415 Summit Avenue in Oakbrook Terrace (one block north of Butterfield Rd). Duties may include serving breakfast, cleaning up after breakfast, and putting away bedding. Call Debbie at 941-7224 if you can help one time or more. She will add you to her monthly e-mail reminder list. Thank you for considering this work. Parish News "Evening Under the Stars" Auction/Dinner Dance Friday, November 3rd Plans are well underway for our 50th Anniversary "Evening Under the Stars" Auction/Dinner Dance, to be held on Friday, November 3, at Alta Villa Banquets in Addison. Cocktails at 6:30 and dinner at 7:30 p.m. Our celebrity guest for the evening is Carla Eboh, a reporter for NBC Channel 5 News Get your table together now! The Auction/Dinner Dance is less than a month away. Tables are arranged to accommodate 10 people and the Ticket Donation is $40 per person.. Tickets will be on sale at all the masses the weekends of October 14/15, October 21/22 and October 28/29. Reservations can also be made by contacting Joel and Diane Bernstein at 630-279-7252. This is our 50th anniversary year and we are hoping to make this event a really special occasion, so please invite your friends and relatives to join us and don't forget about inviting previous parishioners. This year we have engaged a new DJ for the Dinner Dance/Auction. Guests of the dance may request songs in advance. If there is a particular song you would like to hear, you can access the request web page at http://www.kausphoto.djintelligence.com/request/queenofmary Once the web page is accessed you can type in a request or search for songs by both artist and song title. The DJ will do his best to play all the songs that are requested. If you have any questions, please contact Eileen Glick at 630-833-5725 or by email: eileenglick@gmail.com There are many other areas where volunteers are still needed: helping set up and with decorations at the restaurant, parishioner donations, ticket sales, raffle tickets, helping as ushers, etc. If you would be willing to help, you may call Sheila Reiter at 630-833-6657 and let her know you are willing to help in a certain area. The proceeds from this benefit will be used to help support our Church Mission of reaching out to those who are hungry, sick and otherwise in need; supporting our youth who are the future of the Church and our world; and supporting the various ministries in our parish which allow us to live our lives through faith, hope, and loving service to all. With the start of RE, please be very cautious in the parking lot on Wednesday afternoons and evenings. Our little ones and even our not so little ones are our precious gifts from God. Religious Education News Reminder to all RE families Wednesday, October 18 at 7:15 PM, all of our 8th graders will participate in a "Service Night" in Barrett Hall. Please be advised that there will be no 5:15 p.m. session for Gr. 8 this coming Wednesday. They will meet at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, October 22 at 10:30 AM will be our first Family Mass of the year. Sixth graders will receive their Bibles in a special presentation. As always, all of our RE families are invited to attend. For more info on any of the above, please call Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962. St. Vincent DePaul Clothing Drive October 14th & 15th Our fall clothing drive for the St. Vincent DePaul Society takes place this weekend October 14/15. The SVDP Truck will be in our parking lot from 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, until 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15. Your donations will benefit the needy! Now is good a time as ever to clean your dressers, closets and cabinets, and clear out all of those items that you no longer need. Especially needed are clean gently used clothing, coats, shoes and accessories. Small household items are also needed: Dishes, glassware, cookware, small clean working appliances, knick- knacks, lamps, linens, toys, books, jewelry, etc. For donations of furniture and other large items, please call 630-231-4658 to schedule a pick-up from your home. Receipts are always available. Thank you for helping us to help others! Wedding Banns There is a promise of marriage between (3) Timothy Hurley and Kerry O'Reilly who will be married on Saturday, October 21 May God grant many blessings to you! Prayer Requests To pray for our sick is an important privilege of our parish family. We hope that you will pray for these persons every day. Natalie Baker Pam Bondfide Heather Brennan Kathleen Bryers Doresa Brugler Pat Caffarelli Rose Caffarelli Kathy Calzante Cosmore Ciancio Dennis Ciancio Paul Cirone Margaret Conroy Cynthia Catalano Family Ida Corriedo Trudi Dolato Baby Dobrowolski Virginia Feret Cecilia Garstki Modesta Goggins Mary Hagerty Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt Tom Huwalt Michelle Humann Maureen James Kathy Johnston Irene Kmieciak Bernadette Kohn Anne Kostas Tim Kowalski Baby Emma Lynde Marie Mangano Robert Manion Dennis McCabe Raymond Mitchell Fred Moss Geri Pstrzoch Baby Faith Reid Robert Restivo Della Schroedl Joaquina Scroppo Jess Smith Mary Spierowski Rachael Thompson Cathy Ward Rest In Peace John Thies If you or a family member would like to be included in our prayers, please call the rectory at 279-5700. Also, please let us know when a name should be removed. Attention Catholic Lawyers! The St. Thomas More Society of DuPage County is sponsoring the 3rd annual Red Mass with brunch immediately following for lawyers and their spouses, on Sunday, November 19, at Noon at St. Michael Catholic Church in Wheaton. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Sartain. The featured speaker at the brunch will be federal judge the Honorable Joan Lefkow. For further information on the Red Mass or the brunch, please call Eddie Wollenberg at 630-668-2415. Finding Work Without Losing Heart This retreat sponsored by Chicago Transitions Center/Old St. Pat's takes place October 17-18 at Warrenville Cenacle, in Warrenville. The retreat fee is partially subsidized, assessed on a sliding scale from $15 to $95, according to what participants can afford. Spiritual directors and bereavement counselors are available for one-on-one consultation throughout the retreat. Visit www.ctcchicago.org for more information. Senior Fair Offers Facts, Freebies and Fun on October 20 Senior citizens are invited to attend the DuPage County Seniors' and Caregivers' Fair on Friday, October 20. The fair will take place from 8:30-12:30 at the DuPage County fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton. Free Parking is available. Many free health services will be available, including blood pressure, glucose (2 hour fast required, water and medication allowed), vision, hearing, podiatry and bone density screenings as well as numerous brochures, free giveaways, raffle prizes and refreshments. For a nominal charge, DuPage County residents can obtain flu shots. Flu Shots are subject to availability, and appointments are necessary. A representative from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program will be there to accept applications and provide information on help with heating bills. The fair is sponsored by the DuPage County Senior Citizen Services, and cosponsored by DuPage County Health department, Northeastern Illinois Area Agency on Aging, Metropolitan family Services, and Association of Senior Service Providers-DuPage. For more information about the DuPage County Seniors' and Caregivers' Fair, or to make an appointment for a flu shot, call DuPage County Senior Citizen Services at 630-407-6500 or toll free at 1-800-942-9412. Elmhurst Catholic M.O.M.S. (Moms Offering Moms Support) Elmhurst Catholic M.O.M.S. is a social and spiritual organization that provides an opportunity for mothers of young children from Elmhurst Catholic parishes to meet other mothers. Bi-monthly meetings include one morning mother/child activity and an evening activity just for moms. There are no membership fees, and everyone is welcome. M.O.M.S. meets in Msgr. Plunkett Hall, lower level of the Immaculate Conception chapel, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., unless otherwise noted. On Thursday October 26, top off the fall season with the EC MOMS annual Halloween Party! Spooktacular music, ghoulish dancing, a frighteningly fun Halloween craft and terrifyingly yummy treats will be the order of the day! Be sure to dress your little ones up for fun photo opportunities! MQH Garden Club Calling all Garden Club enthusiasts! Come one! Come All! Join us on Saturday, October 28 at 9:30 AM to tear down the MQH gardens. We will gather the hoses and dispose of plant material. What to bring: gloves, yard-waste bags, manual trimmers, etc. Meet on the south side of the church. Questions can be addressed to Sheila Reiter at 833-6657 or Rose Wilkes at 833-7238. Bereavement Ministry Table of Remembrance On October 21st our Table of Remembrance will be set up in the back of church. Please place a photo of your deceased loved one on the table as a way to honor the special role they have in your life. Also, please put your phone number on the back of the picture. The photos will stay up until November 12th. Did you mark your calendar for the November 2nd All Souls Day Mass? It will be held at 7:30 p.m. and ALL are invited. Dinner & Dialogue with the Wheaton Franciscans This session on Franciscan Spirituality will be presented on Monday, November 6, 2006 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Our Lady of the Angels Convent, 26 W. 171 Roosevelt Road, Wheaton. The "Dinner..." will begin with a simple meal, followed by a prayer, engaging presentations, and then a table discussion. This session: The Prophet walks in the light, nourished by a distinctive relationship with God. Presenters will be Sr. Rosemarie Burian, OSF, Healing Touch Practitioner and Workshop Facilitator and Sr. Diane Pryzborowski, OSF, Pastoral Counselor and Spiritual Companion. Cost $15 for this final session in 2006. To register, please call the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office at (630-784-25555, or email us at justicepeace@wheatonfranciscan.org. Cenacle Retreat House Rev. Johnpaul Cafiero, OFM, will present "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Reflections on the Peace Prayer of St. Francis" on Oct 27-29. For further information or to register, please call 630-393-1231. A Vocation View If we really believe in something, it dos not seem to be a sacrifice to give up everything else to pursue that one dream. Jesus asks for total dedication, promising in return rewards that no one else can promise: "Go and sell everything you own...then come; follow me." Tree of Light Infant Memorial Mass: Sunday, November 5, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. St. Charles Pastoral Center All families and individuals are welcome to attend this Mass in remembrance of babies who have been lost through miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death, other pregnancy losses or early childhood death. A special outdoor tree-lighting ceremony for family members will take place to commemorate these babies. Family members may wish to arrive at 2:30 to sign in and to gather in the chapel. Friends and all family members are invited. A reception with light refreshments will be served immediately following. To register, please call (815-838-5334) to indicate the number of those planning to attend or if you cannot attend, please call us to include your baby's name in the mass. Immaculate Conception High School Open House Night Tuesday, Oct. 17th and Sunday, Nov. 5th ICHS invites you to our OPEN HOUSE for 7th and 8th grade students and/or parents. We hope you take the time to come and see the many opportunities we have to offer. To begin the evening, a general presentation will take place at 7:00 p.m. After the presentation, IC students and parents will be available as tour guides. In addition, the administration, faculty and coaches will be available to answer your questions. To learn more about this special event, call Kathy Kowieski in our Admissions Office at 630-530-3484. New Permanent Diaconate Classes to Begin Soon Men who are 35 years of age or older are invited to consider if God might be calling them to the ministry of Permanent Deacon for our parish. This is what Deacon Tom is, someone who works in the world but is ordained for particular ministries in the church. The Diocese of Joliet is holding informational sessions on the following dates: * St. Joseph Parish in Bradley on Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. * St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center in Romeoville on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. * St. Joseph in Downer's Grove on Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Those who are married are invited to bring their wives. If you are interested in exploring the Permanent Diaconate as a vocation or would like more information, please contact Mary Foley, the parish office at 279-5700.