Happy Father's Day to all of our Dads! As I write this, I think of a conversation I had yesterday with my son Jason, whose first child Emma Michelle is due to be born on or around July 15. I told Jason that I know he will be a wonderful father. He is someone naturally gentle with children. He will be a wonderful father to a girl because he also has a natural respect for women. In fact, he probably had a feminist consciousness before I did. I remember when he was little, probably about 7 years old. One night at the dinner table, he asked me, "Mom, if we say we are all born in God's image, then why do we always call God a 'He'?" The question took me by surprise! In saying this, Jason provided a wonderful opportunity for reflection on the ways we image God and each other. In any case, I have never forgotten and have seen again and again the depth of Jason's insight. Emma will be blessed with a loving father - someone devoted to his wife Briana and his daughter. This is so wonderful because the relationship girls have with their fathers affects all the other relationships they will have with men in their lives. With sons, fathers can help to shape the kind of men their sons will be. Thank you to all of those who are fathers, or grandfathers, or godfathers, and those men who have tried to fill these roles for others.
I am also aware that Father's Day can bring sadness for some people. I hold in my heart fathers of our parish who suffer the illness of their children or who mourn their loss. There are also those who grieve the loss of their father in death. There are those, too, who lament the loss of a father they never really had because of absence or neglect. Today is a day to remember all of these people in our prayers, even as we give other fathers all of the praise and recognition they deserve. Happy Father's Day to my own father, who reads this column every week, and to both of my sons who are new fathers (who will also read these words). Happy Father's Day to the clergy who serve our faith community. And happy Father's Day to all fathers of our parish!
Joseph - Looking back to last weekend, I want to once again thank everyone who was involved in our Music Ministry's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. If you were not in attendance, you have probably already heard from those who were that the concert was incredible and it was an amazing display of the talent we have in our parish. More than this, it was a magnificent example of what happens when people share their God-given gifts with the church. People were drawn not only by the music but by the joyful Christian spirit of our parishioners. This, in turn, draws people to Christ because they yearn for what they see. This service in faith to the parish also helped the entire parish since this was a major fundraiser. Thanks to all the singers and musicians, to all of those who labored over stage-building, to all who helped with ticket sales or soliciting advertising, and for all of those who financially supported the parish through their donations and/or ticket sales. Most of all, thanks to Molly Lindberg, whose own gifts offered in directing music ministry here have made such a difference. Molly, thank you again.
New Wine - I would also like to take a moment to look ahead just a little bit. You may have seen another bulletin column earlier this year that mentioned the New Wine program. This is a three-year lay ministry formation program of our Diocese, intended to help educate and inform volunteer lay leaders of any kind of parish ministry. The program can benefit those already serving in ministry by deepening their understanding of the church, scripture, ministry and theology, at the same time that it provides formation in stronger leadership. The program can also be good for others who are interested in beginning or new parish ministry.
I serve on the steering committee for the New Wine program and classes for the new session which will begin this fall will be held at Mary Queen. We already have three parishioners who have made a commitment to becoming part of the New Wine program. They are: Terri Kevil, Ellen Walker, and Rory Villamil. Applications are still being accepted through July 6. So, if you think you might like to consider this opportunity, please get in touch with me as soon as possible. It is a terrific program. Many of the New Wine instructors teach in graduate theology programs. So, in New Wine, you can receive a top-notch teaching but you do not have the cost or homework involved in graduate school. I would especially recommend New Wine for people who are or have been part of the RCIA team, for those interested in Adult Education and Spirituality or Young Adult Ministry, or for anyone now involved in parish ministry who would like to go a step further - either becoming a stronger leader in what they are doing now or preparing for new possibilities in the parish. Again, please contact me if you would be interested in New Wine or if you would like more information about this good program.
Happy Father's Day to all of our fathers. Also - happy summer vacation to all of our young people and those who are catechists or school teachers. Enjoy these days with your families!
Mary
A Vocation View
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Never let the sun set upon your anger. If you are to forgive,
follow the Master of forgiveness: Jesus the Lord.
Like many other parishes in our diocese, we hold an annual
discernment process rather than elections for new PPC members.
This prayerful process can help people to know more about what is
involved in serving on the PPC and it helps to discern those
persons with the gifts most needed at a particular time in the
life of our parish.
The discernment process will begin when nominations are taken
after weekend Masses on June 23-24 and June 30-July 1. If you
are interested in being nominated (or nominating yourself) for
the PPC, you may want to consider attending the next PPC meeting,
which will be held on June 25 at 6 p.m.
Those who are nominated must attend an orientation session and
Discernment Day to continue in the process. These are the steps
involved in selecting our new PPC members for next year:
1. All nominations will come from the parish at-large. All
registered parishioners, adults and teens, are invited to
nominate a candidate. A nomination must include the name of
the person being nominated and the reason why he or she is
being recommended for the PPC.
2. Those eligible for the PPC must be Roman Catholics in good
standing with the Church, who have already received the
Sacrament of Confirmation and who support the parish. There
will be two positions open for adults and two for youth
members.
3. All nominees will be contacted by telephone on July 1.
4. Those accepting the nomination will be required to attend both
an orientation session and Discernment Day.
5. The orientation session is scheduled for July 5 at 7 p.m.,
with an alternate date available for anyone on vacation that
week. The orientation session will be held at the Parish
House, where PPC meetings usually take place.
6. The Discernment Day will be held on Sat. Aug. 4 from 9 a.m. to
noon in Barrett Hall. Attendance is required and there is
only one date available because we use an independent
facilitator to help us.
7. Attendance at one of the orientation sessions and at
Discernment Day is mandatory for nominees. These dates are
being published in advance so that anyone who is interested in
serving on the PPC can hold these dates on their calendar.
Those who cannot make the sessions may consider entering the
process the following year.
Our parish will once again use as our Independent Facilitator,
Ms. Rita Kattner, Director of the Office for Consultative Bodies
for the Archdiocese of Chicago. She has served as a consultant
for many years for parishes in Chicago and also in the Diocese of
Joliet. Rita is a specialist in Parish Pastoral Councils who
earned her doctoral degree on this subject from the University of
St. Mary of the Lake. She also works at the national level to
develop tools and processes for parishes.
The Orientation Session is designed to help nominees know if this
is a ministry to which they are truly called. During the
Discernment Day, those present will prayerfully discern our new
PPC members. Some of the nominees may discover that they are
well suited to service on the PPC. Others may find themselves
interested in another ministry or to service on one of the PPC
Commissions.
The PPC is a visioning and planning body. PPC members should not
be the "do-ers" in the parish. This should be their primary
ministry and they should be able to devote the time their service
requires. Qualities that are desirable in candidates include the
following:
* Persons who possess good "people-skills"
* Persons who are able to see the parish in its "big picture"
- beyond special interests
* Persons of compassion, care, and integrity
* Persons open to the Holy Spirit
* Persons that model tolerance, as Jesus did
* Persons who are bridge-builders
* Prior experience serving on a Commission would be helpful
but this is not a requirement.
* Persons who have a sense of humor
Please prayerfully consider nominations and submit yours after
one of the Masses during the weekends of June 23-24 or June 30-
July 1. Thank you for your consideration!
DISCERNMENT PROCESS FOR NEW PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS
NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED JUNE 23-24 AND JUNE 30-JULY 1
In two weeks, parishioners of Mary Queen of Heaven will be
invited to nominate candidates for our Parish Pastoral Council.
For the coming year, we are in need of adding two adults and two
teenagers. Please read the important information that follows
about our PPC Discernment Process.
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.
University of St. Francis to offer "Kidz Camps" in June and July.
Parents can choose from nine different educational and
motivational camps for their children to express their creativity
and teamwork that may put them a step ahead when they go back to
school. Topics include Art Workshops, Kid Biz Entrepreneur, and
Investigations in Forensic Science among others. For more
information call (815) 740-3600 or visit:
www.stfrancis.edu/news/kidzcamps.htm
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
Pat Caffarelli Rose Caffarelli
Kathy Calzante Cosmore Ciancio
Dennis Ciancio Lou Ciancio
George Cibula Paul Cirone
Ida Corriedo Cynthia Catalano Family
Deacon Bob Delbeke Trudi Dolato
Baby Dobrowolski Virginia Feret
Kathy Filipiak Cecilia Garstki
Mary Goggins Mary Hagerty
Anna Heffel Jen Huwalt
Tom Huwalt Michelle Humann
Maureen James Richard Jones
Kathy Johnston Irene Kmieciak
Bernadette Kohn Anne Kostas
John Larkin Baby Emma Lynde
Marie Mangano Robert Manion
Dennis McCabe Kathryn Passarelli
Mary Piszczor Raymond Mitchell
Fred Moss Mary Sabel Oye
Geri Pstrzoch Baby Faith Reid
Robert Restivo Vera Rossiano
Agnes Sabel Patricia Sabel
Joaquina Scroppo Jess Smith
Mary Spierowski Rachael Thompson
John Unger Richard Vanni
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.
Volunteer Tutors Needed
The Congregation of St. Joseph (formerly the Sisters of
Joseph of La Grange Park) is in need of volunteers for its adult
literacy program, School on Wheels.
Tutors are needed to teach one hour per week from 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Hodgkins, Summit, Westmont, and
Woodridge.
A Two-day training will be provided from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. on two consecutive Saturdays: June 23 and June 30.
Volunteers must attend both training sessions. No prior second
language skills are needed.
For more information,
call 708-354-9200 Ext. 5060, 5085, or 5037.
If you have any questions or need more information, please call
Mary Ann Woods at the REO, 832-8962.
FYI: Just so you are aware, we are in the RE office during the
summer. If you need to contact us for any reason, please feel
free to call and leave a message - 832-8962.
Religious Education
Catechists are still needed for next fall. Before you pack up the
family for your summer vacation, please consider helping out in
our RE program. At this time we have several openings at various
grade levels at all 3 sessions. If you love children and you love
your faith, we invite you to join our staff. We will help you
with the rest. Our Religious Ed Program is one of the best in the
area, which is reflected in our continually growing enrollment.
But we cannot do it without you. Please call for more information
to see how you can help.
Have you mailed in your RE registration form? Classes are filling
up quickly. In order to insure your first choice of session time,
please mail in your registration forms today.
THE SOCIETY OF
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
SENDS OUR SINCERE
APPRECIATION
TO THE COMMUNITY OF
MARY QUEEN OF HEAVEN CHURCH
FOR THE GENEROUS DONATIONS RECEIVED FROM THE CLOTHING DRIVE
THANK YOU FOR
HELPING US TO HELP PEOPLE
Theology on Tap 2007
July 11, 18, 25, and August 1
Mark your calendars!
Mary Queen of Heaven in Elmhurst will be the Northeast
DuPage Collegiate Site for Theology on Tap this summer.
College-age to mid-20s young adults are invited to hear
exciting speakers four Wednesday nights in July.
July 11 - "From the Pew to the Street" - presented by
Bill Johnson, an ordained deacon and Director of
Campus Ministry at Marmion Academy in Aurora.
July 18 - "Why Should I Tell My Sins to a Priest" -
presented by Bishop Roger Kaffer, Auxiliary
Bishop of Joliet.
July 25 - "You Have a Call" - presented by Sal Solo,
Director of ACTS Evangelism and Worship and
former British rock star.
August 1 - "God's Gym: Health & Spirituality for Young
Catholics" - presented by Sarah Jarzembowski,
Apostolic Board of Advisors for Charis
Ministries, the Jesuit outreach to young adults
in Chicago, and a consultant for Jenny Craig
weight loss center.
Come and hear interesting speakers and mingle with other
young adults. For further information, contact Joe Goryl at
joseph_goryl@yahoo.com
Message to the Parish from the Finance Council:
Toward the end of the last calendar year, the Finance
Council agreed to support the development of a Catholic Preschool
at Mary Queen of Heaven. We recognized the deep commitment and
involvement of members of the parish to make this program happen.
At the time, since we were still facing a shortfall of offertory
revenue and we were not meeting parish operating expenses, we did
not want to add to overall expenses for the parish. With strong
faith and prudent responsibility we authorized financial planning
for the program so that start-up costs would be raised in
advance.
At this time, we are pleased to say that we will have all
of the funds needed to start-up our preschool with both a three
day program and a two day program using our first classroom.
These costs total approximately $11,500. This amount includes
costs for consultant fees, open houses, all classroom
furnishings, playground improvements, and a new telephone and
security system. The actual total startup expenses for this
program will be well below what we estimated, thanks to many
parishioners helping to offset startup costs with their labors
and a minimum of actual out-of-pocket expenses.
Preschool start-up costs have been covered by the following
sources:
* The John Michael Talbot Concert fundraiser - $1,725
* Contributions designated for the Preschool - $9,876
The Pre-School budget anticipates expenses and revenues
which are proportioned to class size expectations that are
reasonable and appropriate for these grade levels. The operating
budget of the Preschool has been planned so that operating
expenses will be completely covered by tuition. In addition to
the money raised for start-up costs, an additional amount of more
than $6000 has already been received in registration and fees for
the coming year, with first tuition payments due by June 30. The
Pre-School program will be self supporting and we do not expect
any operating subsidy from the parish.
There are no other startup costs that we anticipate for
this program and we are pleased to report that our financial
objective with regard to start-up costs was a success. We would
like to congratulate not only those who diligently worked very
hard to achieve this milestone, but also, we would like to
gratefully send thanks to all those of you who continue to
support the Preschool with your generous gifts of time, talent
and treasure.
Gene Suwanski, Chair, Mary Queen of Heaven Finance Council
Market Day
Orders for June are due by Monday, June 18, at noon. Turn
in your order form in the box in the back of church or at the
rectory. Pickup on Saturday, June 23, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. in
the Social Hall.
If you have questions or would like to place an order,
please call Maria at 279-2238 or Karen at 279-4108.
Christian Service Commission
Come and see a classroom and meet our Preschool Director
Open House, Thursday, June 21, 2007
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Even the smallest action in our lives-like giving to the Catholic
Ministries Annual Appeal-can be an opportunity to praise and
serve God. As God is generous to us, He asks us to be generous
to those in need. Please give in proportion to your own
blessings.
Meet our new Preschool Director
Mrs. Elizabeth Lowrey
We are happy to announce the newest addition to our staff,
Elizabeth Lowrey. Mrs. Lowrey is recognized as a Master teacher
in the Archdiocese of Chicago. She brings with her experience in
Early Childhood and Elementary education. She is involved with
the National Association of Education for Young Children (NAEYC)
and has had classroom accreditation by NAEYC for the past ten
years. Her enthusiasm for the development of young children is
evident in her dedication to providing best practices for her
students. She has served on the Early Childhood Advisory Council
for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and has presented workshops for
parents and teachers. She will be introducing herself at next
weekend's Masses. Join us in welcoming Mrs. Lowrey to our Parish
family.