Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Church
426 N. West Avenue
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2171
Parish Office: 630/279-5700
Fax: 630/279-4667
A Vocation View
God does not ask you to be successful:
God does ask you to be faithful.
Put your vocation ahead of your career.
Widowed?
You are invited to join us for a 2-day, faith-based program
designed especially for widowed men and women.
What: Retreat for Widowed Men & Women
When: February 24 & 25, 2007
Where: St. Hubert's Parish
729 Grand Canyon St. in Hoffman Estates
Register by calling: 708-354-7211
Benedictine University Open House
For adult undergraduate & graduate students
Saturday, March 10, at 9:30 a.m.
The event begins in the Krasa Center. Students can meet
with deans, program directors and faculty. They will also hear
from representatives of Benedictine University's adult
accelerated undergraduate and graduate business, education and
health programs.
For more information, please call the Enrollment Center at
630-829-6300, or visit Benedictine University on the Web at
www.ben.edu.
Joliet Area Vocation Association
The Joliet Area Vocation Association (JAVA) is sponsoring a
Jeremiah Day for boys from the Joliet Diocese in grades 7, 8, 9 &
10 at Mundelein Seminary on Saturday, March 10. This is a day
for boys to grow closer to God and to visit a seminary.
Activities include a tour of Mundelein Seminary, talks about how
God calls us, lunch, recreation time, open gym and Mass. It is
hosted and lead by the Joliet Diocese seminarians at Mundelein
Seminary. The day begins at 10:30 a.m., and ends with Mass at
4:30 p.m. For more information call the Joliet Vocation Office
at 815-834-4004.
JAVA is also sponsoring a Marian Day for girls from Joliet
Diocese in grades 7, 8, 9 & 10. The girls are invited to spend a
day at Loretto Convent in Wheaton and explore vocations in
religious life. The day will include talking about how God calls
each person , meeting sisters of different communities, lunch,
and various activities. It will be held on Saturday, March 10,
beginning at 10:00 a.m. including Mass at 4:00 p.m. at Loretto
Convent in Wheaton. For more information call the Joliet
Vocation Office at 815-834-4004 or Sr. Claire at 630-868-2904.
Deadline for registration for both events is March 1.
Parish Mission
February 5, 6, and 7, 2007
Mark it on your Calendars!
As part of the Parish 50th anniversary activities, the Adult
Education and Spirituality Committee and the Liturgy Committee
are sponsoring a Parish Mission on Monday, February 5; Tuesday,
February 6; and Wednesday, February 7; at 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in
the Church. The theme of the Mission is "Does my life make a
difference?"
Fr. Richard Fragomeni, an Associate Professor of Liturgy
and Preaching at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, will
be the presenter. Mark your calendars for this not-to-be-missed
pre-Lent experience.
MQH Men's Group Sponsoring
Super Bowl Sunday, February 4, in Barrett Hall
A family friendly football event. Come join us as the
Chicago Bears compete in Super Bowl XLI. Pre-Game 5:00 P.M. Bring
your own beverage. Pizza will be served. A nominal fee will be
charged. For reservations or more information. please contact
Mike Launius (941-8773) or Bob Glick (833-5725).
Eucharistic Adoration
Eucharistic Adoration will be held on Monday, February 12,
instead of Monday, February 5, because of our parish mission.
Family Dinner and Game Night
The 50th Anniversary Committee in conjunction with the
Religious Education Program and the Mary Queen of Heaven Men's
Group are sponsoring a "Family Dinner and Game Night" on
Saturday, February 17, immediately following the 5:00 p.m. Family
Mass. Mark your calendar now and invite your family and
relatives to attend. It's an evening planned for all: moms,
dads, grandparents, relatives, children of all ages, parishioners
of all ages.
Dinner will be served in Barrett Hall and the Family Game
Rooms will be in the school building. There are plans being made
for several game rooms with fun for all ages. There will be a
game room for younger children, several rooms for older children,
teens and their families. Plenty of games for other parishioners
and seniors too. A cake walk, a room with raffle baskets,
cookbooks to purchase, spirit clothing, 50th Anniversary MQH key
chains, etc. Some of the activities we have planned are Uno,
Yahtzee, Various Card Games, Bunco, and Kid's Bingo and Adult's
Bingo. A room for "Twister" and room for the younger children
with the Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Bozo's Buckets, a Bean
Bag Toss, etc.
Dinner at the "Family Game Night" will include a salad,
Mostaccioli, Meatballs, bread, butter, coffee, tea, pop and
dessert (make your own Sundae) served buffet style. Donation for
dinner is $8.00 per adult (ages 12 and up), $4.00 per child (ages
6 thru 11), children 5 and under are free.
Your ticket donation includes dinner and entrance to the
game night activities (with exception of the Cake Walk and
Raffles, Spirit Wear and Key Chains). All children are expected
to be accompanied by a parent(s) or an adult who is responsible
for their well being.
Tickets will be available for purchase after all the Masses
beginning the weekend of February 3/4 and 11/12, and can also be
purchased at our Religious Education Office on Wednesdays.
For more information, please contact Sheila Reiter (833-
6657), Phylis Twardowski (279-6239) or Karen Vicary (279-4108) .
Parish News
Religious Education News
HELP!!
We are still in need of assistant catechists at a few grade
levels at the 5:30 session on Wednesdays beginning immediately.
Please call the REO for more information if you are interested.
Attention Parents of First Communicants: There will be a special
gathering for all parents & guardians of 2nd graders on Wednesday,
February 14, at 7:15 p.m. in Barrett Hall. Yes we know that it
is Valentine's Day, but what better way to celebrate than by
doing something very special for one of the loves of your life,
your second grader. Besides you will be home by 8:30 p.m..
Please call us if you cannot attend this very important sessions.
For more info on any of the above, please call Mary Ann
Woods at the REO, 832-8962.
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 Doresa Brugler
Pat Caffarelli Rose Caffarelli
Kathy Calzante Cosmore Ciancio
Dennis Ciancio Geroge Cibula
Paul Cirone Margaret Conroy
Ida Corriedo Cynthia Catalano Family
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
Johanna Mesner Mary Piszczor
Raymond Mitchell Fred Moss
Geri Pstrzoch Baby Faith Reid
Robert Restivo Vera Rossiano
Agnes Sabel Patricia Sabel
Joaquina Scroppo Jess Smith
Mary Spierowski Rachael Thompson
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.
St. Charles Borromeo Grade School
Now accepting Fall 2007 registrations for all grades:
Full-day Kindergarten - 8th grade with
After-school Day Care until 6:00 pm
145 E. Grand Avenue, Bensenville
For more information, please call 630-766-0116.
Communications From the Bishop
Home Missions
Dear Friends in Christ:
This Sunday, Catholics in parishes across our diocese are being
asked to contribute to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Some
of you may be wondering, "What is a 'home mission'?" The answer
to that question is close to my heart, because I served in two
Home Missions dioceses for 28 years: Memphis and Little Rock.
If you have ever visited eastern Kentucky or Tennessee, driven
through rural Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, spent time on
the Mexican border, or passed through scattered small towns in
Wyoming, Montana, or Oregon, you have been in mission territory.
The little brick or clapboard churches you see along the way,
housing pockets of Catholic faithful, are the home missions.
This Appeal also benefits Catholic communities in Puerto Rico,
the Virgin Islands, and island chains in the Pacific with ties to
America.
Consider these facts:
* The Archdiocese of Anchorage has 19 active priests to serve
the towns and villages of central Alaska.
* The Diocese of Lubbock in the Texas panhandle has 34 priests
to cover 62 parishes and missions.
* The Diocese of Little Rock, which covers the state of
Arkansas, has 90 priests for 123 parishes and missions. I
know that diocese very well!!
* There are 70 priests in the sate of Utah, 57 in Idaho, and 45
in Wyoming.
The Church is quite fragile in many parts of the United States
where Catholics are a small minority. Some 90 dioceses rely on
the Catholic Home Missions Appeal for
* Poor parishes
* Youth Ministry
* Training lay ministers
* Educating seminarians
* Training deacons
* Religious education
* Work with growing populations of Hispanics, African Americans,
and other minority Catholics
* Evangelization
* Migrant Ministry
Please help strengthen our Church at home. From personal
experience, I can tell you that the funds are desperately needed
and used prudently to fulfill the mission of Church. Thank you
for your generous support!
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain
Bishop of Joliet
New Catholic Charities Program
"Out of Poverty"
Starting Monday, February 26
For 10 consecutive Mondays, at 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Catholic Charities, 26 W St Charles Rd, in Lombard.
Catholic Charities plans to hold an "Out Of Poverty" program
in an effort to prevent homelessness and improve people's lives.
"Out of Poverty" is a program of personal change which affirms
that change is possible.
By following a step-by-step process within a group context,
participants take responsibility for their life and choices,
commit to learn and practice new behavior, and finally share
experiences and thus find a road to a more prosperous life. In
letting go of unproductive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and
replacing them with new ones, participants move towards a better
quality of life.
If you know of someone you think could benefit from this
program, please encourage them to enroll by contacting Dennis
Haffron (dhaffron@cc-doj.org) or Larry Cada (lcada@cc-doj.org)
630-495-8008.
Council of Catholic Women
"Woman of the Year" Nominations
Nominations for Mary Queen of Heaven's "Woman of the Year"
will be held the weekends of February 10/11 and 17/18.
Nominations slips will be distributed in the pews. All
parishioners, ages 18 and older, will be asked to nominate a
woman they feel leads a life of faith and love and who has given
generously of her time and talent to the various ministries and
organizations in our parish. They will also be asked to give a
reason why they feel their nominee should be chosen. To be
eligible for the "Woman of the Year", nominees must be MQH
parishioners, not on the Parish staff, over 18 years of age, and
not have held the title in the last 10 years. The following
weekend, February 24/25, information on the nominees will appear
in the bulletin to assist you in electing the "Woman of the
Year."
The election for the "Woman of the Year" will be held the
weekend of March 3/4. The lady chosen will be invited to the 29th
Annual "Woman of the Year" Mass and Luncheon at the Cathedral of
St. Raymond and will be honored at our "Ladies Night Out" dinner
in June. Please pray and think about this and be prepared to
make your nomination on February 10/11 or February 17/18.
Please Note: There is no class at the 7:15 session on Wednesday,
February 7, to allow all catechists and RE families to attend the
last night of the Parish Mission. The first two sessions meet at
their regular times.
Youth Group News
A special thank you to Stephanie Japczyk, Mary Alex
Japczyk, David Gusloff, Bridget McGing, Katie Mueller and Marisa
Stefani. These awesome high schoolers gave up their Saturday to
be leaders for our 8th grade Confirmation retreat. What great
witness they demonstrate to our community.
Wings to Heaven
There will be no Wings to Heaven meeting on Super Bowl
Sunday. Mark your calendar now for our Wings to Heaven lock in
Friday, April 13. Permission slips will be available very soon.
Destiny high school youth group
Our next Destiny meeting will be Wednesday, February 7, at
8:30 in the school building. All high school students are
welcome. Planning for the lock in will be starting then.
Any questions or comments please call Kathleen Gusloff 832-
4348
Thank You
To our entire Faith community. We want to thank each and
everyone of you for your kind words, cards, food and most
especially prayers. We are truly overwhelmed by the outpouring
of love our entire family has received. As the scripture so
clearly stated last week. we are many parts, and Fr Bennett said
when one part of the body suffers the whole body suffers. Well
it is also true that when one part of the body is comforted the
whole body is comforted. Mary made a comment yesterday about the
beauty of our community and how we continue to grow in love and
communion with each other. We have been privileged to witness
this first hand. God is present in each and everyone of us and
we the family of Mary Queen of Heaven are blessed beyond measure
to know what the true love of God feels like and to witness it in
each of our parish families. We are a family in the true sense
of the word. We get upset with each other at times, we love each
other and we support each other. Words can not adequately
express how much we appreciate all you have done for us, and we
pray that our community continues to be the shining example of
God's love that we are meant to be. Blessings,
The Gusloff Family
Volunteers for Katrina Missions
People from the parish have previously indicated that they
were interested in participating in a Katrina disaster recovery
mission. The Katrina Hurricane aftermath is still a very real
disaster to the people in the Gulf Coast. There is a great need
in terms of volunteers to help in the recovery.
The Catholic Construction Corps of the Joliet Diocese has
been active in providing volunteer help over the past year and we
plan to continue to provide help. It has secured two work weeks
with the Mennonite Disaster Service and will schedule additional
weeks as needed.
The first week is February 19-23 and the second is March 5-
9. (We will be traveling on Saturday and Sunday prior to the
work weeks and returning on the following Saturday and Sunday.
If your are interested in volunteering for this service
work, please call Milt Honel (279-7078, Bill Barnds (782-5966) or
the Office of Peace and Social Justice at the Diocese of Joliet
(815-834-4028).
Please respond as soon as possible: We will be scheduling
an information and planning session shortly.
Diocesan News
University of St. Francis
Campus Visit Day
Saturday, February 24, at 9:15 a.m.
High school juniors and seniors are invited to take a look
and experience USF. Complimentary breakfast at 9:15 a.m.; begins
at 10 a.m. Information on all facets of the university including
admissions, scholarships, financial aid, housing and
extracurricular activities.
A student panel with Saints Ambassadors and tours of campus
are included. RSVP today by calling 800-735-7500 or online at
www.stfrancis.edu/visitday.
Finding Work Without Losing Heart:
A Retreat for Women and Men in Job Transition
When: February 20 and 21, this two-day retreat begins with
registration at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday and concludes with dinner
Wednesday evening.
Where: Warrenville Cenacle, in Warrenville, Il
Cost: The actual participant cost of the retreat is $95, covering
materials, meals and overnight accommodation in a private room
at the Cenacle retreat center. For those who cannot afford
$95, a minimum fee of $15 is acceptable. If your financial
situation allows, please give more than the minimum.
Register: Call 312-906-9908 or visit www.ctcchicago.org
Making the retreat:
* Participants come to understand the stages of a transition and
how the transition process is fundamental to human
development.
* The spiritual and psychological dimensions of transition are
explored to help answer, "Who am I now?", "Where is God in all
this?", "What's next for me?"
* Lead speakers are persons who have endeavored job or career
transition and speak from their experience.
* Structured personal reflection and thoughtful exercises
provide the opportunity to gain insight and wisdom.
* Participants learn ways to pray and find peace during a time
of transition and how to make this time fertile for growing
deeper in their relationship with God.
* Spiritual directors and bereavement counselors are available
for one-on-one consultation.
A Message from the Parish Finance
Council:
Mid-Year Report
We are very grateful to all the parishioners who
increased their donations this year. This is helping
us to make good progress. Our financial situation
continues to improve each year and we expect to end
this year with less of a deficit than was projected.
We are continuing to work toward full financial
stability. Thank you for your generosity and let us
keep up the good work! A complete mid-year financial
report will be mailed to all parishioners at the end of
the month.
Development Committee
We are looking for people who would like to be part of
a new Development Committee, which will serve as a
subcommittee of the Finance Council. The Development
Committee will be trained in diocesan and parish
finance policy and relevant canon law, and will be
responsible for seeking sources of grant funding and
for implementing and overseeing parish fundraising
activities. We are looking for people skilled in grant
writing, marketing, and fundraising. Please contact
the parish office of you can volunteer some time to the
parish by serving on our new Development Committee.
LET US PRAY
The greatest joy ..... Giving
The most satisfying work ..... Helping
others
The most endangered species ..... Dedicated
leaders
The greatest "shot in the arm" .....
Encouragement
Most effective sleeping pill ..... Peace of
mind
The most powerful force in life ..... Love
The most dangerous pariah ..... A gossiper
The most incredible computer ..... The brain
The worst thing to be without ..... Hope
The deadliest weapon ..... The tongue
The greatest asset ..... Faith
The most prized possession ..... Integrity
The most beautiful attire ..... A smile
The most powerful channel of communication
..... Prayer
The most contagious spirit ..... Enthusiasm
The most important thing in life ..... GOD
Parenting Classes
Are you a stressed out parent who wants to learn effective
discipline, communication and better ways to deal with your pre-
teen or teenager? Do you want to feel support, encouragement and
learn new parenting techniques?
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet is offering
Parenting Classes on three consecutive Saturdays - February 10,
17 and 24, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Classes will be held at 26
W. St. Charles Road in Lombard and are $20 per class. A reduced
fee is available for those who qualify based on income.
To register, or for more information, call Catholic
Charities toll-free at 1-800-240-7011. Register by Feb. 7.
Important Parish Dates to Remember
February 5-7 Parish Mission with Fr. Fragomeni 7:30
- 9:00 p.m. each evening
February 9-10 Youth Choir "Lock In" 6 p.m.
February 10-11 Blessing of Married couples at all
weekend Masses
February 10-11 Nominations for MQH Council of Catholic
"Woman of the Year"
February 11 Ushers Luncheon 11:30 a.m.
February 12 Eucharistic Adoration 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
February 17 RE Family Mass 5 p.m. Family Dinner and
Game Night 6 p.m.
February 17-18 Nominations for MQH Council of Catholic
"Woman of the Year"
February 20 Eucharistic Ministers Meeting at 7:00 p.m.
February 21 Ash Wednesday Mass: 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Prayer Service with Ashes
12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
March 3-4 Election of MQH Council of Catholic "Woman
of the Year"
March 4 Family Mass 8:30 a.m.
March 20 CCW Tea and program on Interior Decorating
7:30 p.m.
March 24-25 Easter Food Collection at all Masses
March 26 Sort food for Food Baskets 7:30 p.m. in
Church
March 30 Distribution of Easter Baskets to Needy 6:30
p.m. in Church
Grand Raffle at 11:45 a.m.
April 3 Bishop Thomas Gambeson of Detroit here to talk
about Peacemaking at 7 p.m., followed by Parish
Lenten Reconciliation Service at 8 p.m.
April 5 Holy Thursday Mass at 7:30 p.m.
April 6 RE Living Stations 3 p.m.
Good Friday Service at 7:30
p.m.
April 7 Easter Vigil Mass at 8:00 p.m.
April 8 Easter Sunday Masses at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
and at 12:30 p.m.
April 14 RE First Communion Retreat 9-11 a.m.
April 15 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat:
Introduce cast and kick off ticket sales 10:30
Treble Choir Concert (All girls) 12:30 p.m.
April 21-22 Carnation Orders taken this weekend and next in
memory of mothers deceased and living
April 22 Closing Mass for 50th Jubilee Year at 10:30
a.m.
Drawing of 50th Anniversary Raffle Winner
11:45
April 29 Family Mass and First Communion Small Group
10:30 a.m.
May 5 First Communion Mass Large Group 11 a.m.
May 6 First Communion Small Group 10:30 a.m. Mass
May 12 8th grade Confirmation Celebration 5 p.m.
Mass
May 13 May Crowning 10:30 Mass
May 21 Adult Ed. Scripture Study begins "The
Psalms"
June 8 Joseph performance 7:30 p.m. Church
June 9 Joseph performance 7:30 p.m. Church
June 19 Women of the Year Dinner 7 p.m.
Mary Queen of Heaven Preschool registration continues!
Please see our website at www.maryqueenpreschool.org and contact
the parish office for more information and registration.
Preschool tours scheduled on request.
Eucharistic Adoration
The Worship Commission would like to thank all who have
been able to come and spend some time with Our Lord during our
days of adoration.
For those who haven't had the opportunity, if there's
anything you need to thank or praise God for, to express sorrow
for, or to ask for, know that He waits for you to come and spend
some time with Him present in the monstrance at our next Day of
Eucharistic Adoration.
Due to the parish mission, this will be on Monday, February
12th, from 9 AM to 7 PM. The day of prayer closes with
Benediction at 7:00 PM. All are invited to join us any time
during the day and for Benediction.
The Worship Commission
- Journey Of Faith-
Small Faith Community
at Mary Queen of Heaven
The Tuesday afternoon Community, Journey Of Faith, would like to
welcome new members. Would that be you?
* Not a Bible study group, although Scripture is a key
element
* Not a social group, even though socializing and caring for
one another as friends is very important
* Not a prayer group, but prayer is its foundation
* Not a ministry committee, but service is a vital aspect of
community life.
A Small Faith Community is all of these. It is an opportunity to
come together in a manner similar to the very first Christians
almost 2,000 years ago, in each other's homes. A small church
within a larger one.
How can you tell if this is for you?
COME AND SEE!
Call Monica Babcock at 630-279-4844
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