A Vocation View God knows what we want before we ask. God knows who we are before we discern. God invites us to pray: to ask and to discern. LAST CALL for THEOLOGY ON TAP 2007 August 1 Come and hear Sarah Jarzembowskil, Apostolic Board of Advisors for Charis Ministries, the Jesuit outreach to young adults in Chicago, and a consultant for Jenny Craig weight loss center, discuss "God's Gym: Health & Spirituality for Young Catholics", and mingle with other young adults on Wednesday night, August 1, at 7 pm at Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in Elmhurst (426 N. West Avenue), the Northeast DuPage Collegiate Site. College-age to mid-20s young adults are invited to hear this exciting speaker. For further information, contact Joe Goryl at joseph_goryl@yahoo.com MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW! The Annual Parish Picnic will be held on Sunday, September 16th from 12:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on the Parish Grounds. Come and spend time with your family and friends! Enjoy the food, games and good old family fun. Watch the bulletin for further details. Many hands are needed to help with the games and concessions so if you would like to volunteer a couple hours of your time, please give us a call. To volunteer or information, please call Bob Glick (833-5725), Sheila Reiter (833-6657), Mike Launius (220-6927) or Mary White (833-9809). Yoga It is about balance, strength, and mobility. July 31st 9:00a.m.-10:00a.m. $4.00 per class ($6.00 for families) Call Debbie Styka at 941-7224 if you have questions Please bring a non-slip yoga mat if you have one. Required: comfortable clothing, socks that can come off Come and visit a classroom! Meet the teacher and make a craft! Mary Queen of Heaven Preschool is mission-driven, play-based, and has a multiple intelligence curriculum. Serving children ages 3-5 3 day Morning Program 2 day Morning Program Tuition competitive with other local programs Approved by the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools Mary Queen of Heaven Preschool registration continues! Please see our website at www.maryqueenpreschool.org and contact the school office for more information and registration. (630) 833-9500 Preschool tours scheduled on request. PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE JULY 31st Tuesday 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m. 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 We need your help! The summer of '07 is in full swing, but before you know it, we will be seeing those "back to school" ads in the newspapers. While enjoying all the wonderful events of Summer, please consider helping in our Religious Education program. Your children, your God, and your parish will be most grateful. At this time we need people at every session time at many grade levels. The time slots are 3:15 - 4:30, 5:15 - 6:30, and 7:00- 8:15PM respectively. 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. We look forward to hearing from you. Registrations are still being taken for 07/08 RE year. If you have not mailed yours in yet, please do so as soon as possible. We would appreciate your help in getting that word out to your friends and neighbors as well.. ST. VINCENT DEPAUL SOCIETY "BACK TO SCHOOL" CLOTHING COLLECTION We will be holding a special drive this weekend and the weekend of August 4th and 5th, in an effort to help Catholic Charity's 16th Annual "Back to School" Fair. We are looking for clean gently used fall and winter clothing and coats for children newborn to 18 years. Please take a little time out of your busy day to go through your children's wardrobes and donate their outgrown clothing especially coats and jackets to this special drive so that the needy of our area can present their certificates at the St. Vincent DePaul Stores and receive clothing for their children. Thank you again for "HELPING US HELP OTHERS!" Are you widowed? Do you know someone who is widowed? If you have been recently widowed (within the last several years), and are still struggling with the loss, of if you have been widowed for some time and need something to get you "over the hump" because you seem stuck in one spot, this program is designed to help you move on with your life while treasuring your past and its precious memories. What: Weekend retreat for widowed men and women. When: August 18-19, 2007 Where: Immaculate Conception Parish, Elmhurst, Illinois Donation: $75 - includes meals (Adjusted if needed) For further information, call: (708-354-7211). WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS The Twenty-ninth Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, August 19, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet. All couples and their families, no matter how many years married, are invited to attend the event (maximum of four guests per couple, please). Bishop J. Peter Sartain will distribute certificates to those couples celebrating 25, 50, and more than 50 years of marriage. Please pre-register by completing and returning the form by August 10, 2007. For more information, please call 815-838-5334. WEDDING ANNIVERSARY MASS Registration Form Celebrate the Anniversaries of Marriage at the Cathedral of St. Raymond, Joliet Sunday, August 19, 2007 3:00 P.M. Last Name of Couple_________________ Husband___________Wife____________ Address____________________________ City______________Phone____________ Parish you attend_____________________ City_______________________________ Date of Marriage_____________________ # of Yrs. Married_____________________ # of children____ # of grandchildren_____ # of great-grandchildren_________ A reception will be held in the Joyce Center following the mass. ___We will attend the mass and reception. _____We will attend the mass only. ____# of additional guests attending (Limit of 4, please) Please return this form by August 10 to: The Center for Family Ministry 402 S. Independence Blvd. Romeoville, IL 60446-2264 FAX: 815-834-4045 Email: familyministry@dioceseofjoliet.org For more information, call (815) 838-5334 Eucharistic Adoration The saints, the artists and experts of love, were faithful, ardent adorers of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. ...Eucharistic Adoration has always been considered the closest likeness we have to the eternal adoration in which will consist the whole of our paradise. (Jesus our Eucharistic Love) The Worship Commission would like to thank all who have signed up to watch one hour with Jesus at our monthly Eucharistic Adoration with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament over the last 2 years. 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, Monday, August 6, 2007 from 9 AM to 7 PM. The day of adoration and prayer closes with Benediction at 7:00 PM. All are invited to join us any time during the day as well as for Benediction. We are in need of people to sign up for an hour of adoration, especially in the middle of the day. Please see the large sign-up poster in the back of church. 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 Joyce Belasiek Pam Bondfide Pat Caffarelli Rose Caffarelli Kathy Calzante Cosmore Ciancio Dennis Ciancio Lou Ciancio George Cibula Paul Cirone Ida Corriedo Cynthia Catalano Family Rosemary Davis 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 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 Rest in Peace 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. High School Students enjoy an evening devoted exclusively to you! Current high school students can learn why Benedictine University is their best choice for the next phase of their education during "Benedictine University At A Glance" from 6:15 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 2 on the 2nd floor of the Krasa Student Center. For more information, please call the Enrollment Center at (630) 829-6300 or visit Benedictine University at: www.ben.edu/admissions SCHOOL SECRETARY POSITION St. Charles Borromeo School, 145 E. Grand Ave., Bensenville, has a part time position available for a school secretary. If you enjoy being with children and would like additional information, please contact our school office at 630-766-0116. Looking for a place to sell your beautiful, clever and useful handcrafts? Try St. Alexander's Annual Crafters' Holiday St. Alexander's Hall 230 S. Cornell, Villa Park, Scheduled this year for Saturday, October 27, 2007 9:00AM-3:00PM $30.00 per space with your table; $40 with our table; Call Pat (941-8592) or Marianne (834-2183) For an application and further details. U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS LETTER ON IRAQ WAR The U.S. Catholic Bishops International Policy Committee has been urging Congress and the Administration to work for an end to the Iraq War. This recent letter to Republican members of Congress is part of the Bishops' effort to encourage a bipartisan consensus. The letter also refers to their website for more articles: Dear Mr. Boehner: The Catholic Bishops of the United States are concerned for the dangerous and deteriorating situation in Iraq. Too many Iraqi and American lives have been lost. Too many Iraqi communities have been shattered. Too many civilians have been driven from their homes. The human and financial costs of the war are staggering. Representatives of our Conference would welcome an opportunity to meet with you and other policy makers to discuss ways to pursue the goal of a "responsible transition" to bring an end to the war in Iraq. The current situation in Iraq is unacceptable and unsustainable, as is the policy and political stalemate among decision makers in Washington. Our Conference hopes to work with the Congress and the Administration to forge bipartisan policies on ways to bring about a responsible transition and an end to the war. Prior to the war when too few members of either party in Congress opposed authorizing the use of force, our Conference of bishops, in solidarity with Pope John Paul II, repeatedly raised grave moral questions about military intervention in Iraq and the unpredictable and uncontrollable negative consequences of an invasion and occupation. Sadly many of the tragic consequences we and others had feared have come to pass. In November 2006, our Conference expressed the hope that the report of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group would lead to the candid assessments and honest dialogue that our nation needs to find a responsible way to end U.S. military engagement in Iraq. We subsequently noted with satisfaction that the Iraq Study Group shared our goal of a "responsible transition." Although as bishops and pastors we have not taken positions on all of the detailed proposals in that Report, its broad outlines mirror the benchmarks and new approaches that our Conference has advocated in promoting a "responsible transition" with U.S. troops leaving "sooner rather than later." U.S. military action in Iraq brought with it new moral responsibilities toward the Iraqi people. For more than a year and a half our Conference has called for a "responsible transition" and withdrawal in Iraq. In January 2006, our Conference stated: "Our nation's military forces should remain in Iraq only as long as their presence contributes to a responsible transition. Our nation should look for effective ways to end their deployment at the earliest opportunity consistent with this goal." Our Conference has expressed particular concerns for Christians and other minority groups who have suffered in the aftermath of military action in Iraq along with the rest of the Iraqi population. In a special way, our nation must make provisions for refugees who have fled their native land in search of safety and security for their families. In our most recent public statement this year, our Conference reminded policy makers that each course of action in Iraq ought to be evaluated in light of its moral and human consequences and the traditional principle of "probability of success." The moral measure of "probability of success" weighs more heavily with each passing month. Our Conference is under no illusions regarding Iraq. None of the alternative courses of action are without consequences for human life and dignity. There is no path ahead that leads to an unambiguously good outcome for Iraq, our nation and the world. It was for this very reason that we raised serious moral questions regarding military intervention in Iraq in the first place. Nevertheless, our nation must have the moral courage to change course in Iraq and to break the policy and political stalemate in Washington so that we can walk a difficult path that does the most good and the least damage in human and moral terms. Representatives of our Bishops' Conference will be in communication with your office to explore the possibility of meeting. In preparation for potential discussions, I have enclosed our Conference's three most recent public statements on Iraq. These and other public actions of our Conference both before and after the decision to invade Iraq can be found at this website: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/iraq.shtml. Our shared moral tradition can guide this effort and inform our dialogue with other leaders as we seek a way to bring about a morally responsible end to the war in Iraq. Sincerely yours in Christ, Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski Bishop of Orlando Chairman, Committee on International Policy United States Conference of Catholic Bishops