Letters from a Pastor to His People

“On the first day of the week."

This one phrase is filled with so much meaning. In our Gospel this morning, Mary of Magdala comes to the tomb and is one of the first to see that the tomb is open.  She runs to share the distressing news with Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. But when the disciples return to the tomb and see that it is empty, it is John who sees and believes. This will be the first confirmation that Jesus is alive. 

Easter is a day of transformation. Death is conquered, and darkness is replaced with light. That is what we all celebrate in our parish and in our homes. Through our belief in Jesus and the relationship that we have fostered with him, we can joyfully proclaim that Jesus is alive! This is the Easter message. We believe that any darkness in our own lives, in our own world, can be transformed to light in Jesus. The symbols of resurrection surround us on this Easter morn. Water, flowers, eggs, chicks, lambs, music, and delicious food remind us that God has given us an abundance of life in Jesus and his resurrection. The Eucharistic celebration is the living embodiment of the life Jesus gives us. All we have to do to receive his life is say, “Yes.”

This past winter we all experienced a bit of transition at Saint Juliana. On December 20th, 2024 the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed me an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago. On February 26, 2025 I was ordained a bishop at Holy Name Cathedral and became the Vicar of Vicariate II. All this happened while retaining my position as pastor of Saint Juliana Parish. The upside of this is that I am able to remain in the parish and walk with all of you. If there is a downside, it is that now I will also lead and care for about forty more parishes in Vicariate II. I am a firm believer that God gives us what we need to accomplish his work on earth, so I am confident that this new adventure will unfold just as the Lord is expecting. We all simply need to be open to God’s work

During Lent, while all that was going on, Saint Juliana continued to be a beacon of light in renewal and evangelization. Parishioners participated in daily Mass, adoration, Alpha, bible studies, The Chosen, as well as the men’s and women’s retreats. The Taizé reconciliation service brought comfort and healing to many. And our weekly Stations of the Cross reminded us of the gift we received in Jesus’ death and resurrection. This excitement and growth in our faith is what Easter is all about. We are all called to share that “Good News” with one another. 

On behalf of Fr. Prasad, Fr. Roger, the parish and school staff, and myself, we wish everyone a blessed Easter.

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, and we begin our journey into Holy Week. The week begins in triumph as Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem with “Hosannas” and joy. But as Holy Week continues, the story shifts and we see Jesus’ impending death on the horizon. But Jesus’ death is not the end. Jesus’ resurrection is the final chapter! Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins is accompanied with the new life we have received in his resurrection. I encourage everyone to join us for all of our Holy Week celebrations.

On Holy Thursday we begin the celebration of the Easter Triduum. These three days—Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil—are seen as one celebration. Once the celebration begins on Holy Thursday, it does not end until the completion of the Easter Vigil. On Holy Thursday we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We will begin the celebration at 7:00 PM. During the celebration we hear the Gospel of Jesus’ final supper with his apostles. This meal signifies the Eucharist that Jesus gives us through his death and resurrection. During that meal we are reminded of our call to serve one another. Jesus gets up from the table and begins to wash the feet of his apostles. During our service, we also will wash the feet of our parishioners as a sign of that service. Finally the evening ends with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

On Good Friday we will have two services. The first is at 3:00 PM. This is the Passion of the Lord. We once again listen to the Passion Gospel. After the gospel is completed we offer universal petitions for the world. The second part of the service is our Veneration of the Cross. During this time we expose the cross as the sign of our redemption, and then venerate it by kisses, bows, genuflections, or touch. Finally, this service concludes with our reception of the Eucharist. At 6:00 PM on Good Friday, we will have our stations of the Cross.

The Easter vigil begins at 7:30 PM. Rituals of light and darkness are celebrated. New water of baptism is blessed and through the telling of our story of salvation from the beginning of time to Jesus, our faith comes alive once again. We also celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation with the elect, who have been on their own journey of faith. This night we begin our Easter celebration.

There will be no morning Masses celebrated on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. There will be morning prayer celebrated on Good Friday and Holy Saturday at 9:00 AM. On Holy Saturday we will have a blessing for food to be used at our Easter celebrations. Check this bulletin on page 3 for the time of the blessing, as well as the rest of the Holy Week schedule.

Once again I invite you to join us for all of the Holy Week celebrations.

Today we celebrate the Fifth Sunday of Lent. The theme for this week is presented to us in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah. He tells the people, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not, see, I am doing something new.” We are shaped by the things of the past. They make us who we are, but yet we are told to be open to what is to come. In the gospel, Jesus is asked what to do to the women caught in adultery. The old option is to stone her. Jesus comes up with something new for the scribes and pharisees, as well as the women. He tells the scribes and the pharisees who have no sin to cast the first stone. Eventually no one is left. Finally Jesus tells the women to sin no more. Lent gives us new eyes. To see events and things in our life in a new way. Jesus tells all of us to go and sin no more.

Thanks to all of the eighth graders who participated in the Living Stations of the Cross. Stations of the Cross began as a substitute for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to experience the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Because most people will never get to Jerusalem, the Stations developed so we could participate in the journey from wherever we are. Almost every Catholic church has stations on their walls or outside in a garden. By participating in the Way of the Cross, we participate in Jesus Passion and death. The presentation of the Living Stations of the Cross are a way to bring this devotion to the next generation. They are just as unlikely as the rest of us to get to the Holy Land, but yet they can participate in this journey of faith in our local church. So thanks again to all of the eighth graders who were able to participate, and to Janie Lidgus and Glenn de Castro for all their help.

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday. Traditionally all around the world our Christian churches will fill up as we begin Holy Week. In one week, we will see as our whole faith in Jesus Christ unfolds before us. It is a time to remember why we are here. The week begins with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but is quickly replaced with Jesus’ passion and death. In between we celebrate the last supper he shared with his disciples, and finally we experience the new life we received on Easter morning with his resurrection. I encourage everyone to join us for as many of the Holy Week celebrations as you can. A strong effort during Holy Week will help make the Easter joy even better.

Thanks to the Saint Juliana Men’s club who hosted our Final Four bash this weekend. Through the events they sponsor throughout the year, they contribute to the life of Saint Juliana. This year the Men’s Club have made a commitment to our Generation to Generation Capital Campaign. Through their help, we will be able to continue to move the faith forward for years to come. Next weekend the Saint Juliana Mother’s Club will hold their Big Night Out bash. Their efforts help the school community in so many ways. Thanks to everyone who generously support the Men’s Club and Mother’s Club at Saint Juliana.

Finally, Holy week schedules are a bit different, and attendance at many of our celebrations are high as well. It is a time for all of us to welcome all the extra family and guests who will join us for the Easter celebrations. So check the bulletin or website for times of services, and come early. 

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The story of the Prodigal Son is a story of sin and redemption. It is also a story about the love of a parent for his child. A father had two sons—one chose to obey his father and the other chose to squander his life and inheritance. Eventually the destitute son chooses to come back home and face his shame and his father. It is the story of the father that captures our hearts in the Lenten season. Every day that his son is missing, the father goes out and looks for his lost son. When he is finally sees his son, the father, filled with compassion, goes out to meet him. He puts beautiful clothes on his son and rings on his fingers. He restores his son to his original place in the family. This is a story about God. God waits for all of us and is ready to throw a party when we turn from sin and become his light in the world once again. Lent is a season of homecoming in our faith. Through our Lenten prayer, activities, and charity, we once again choose light over darkness. God is waiting for each of us.

This week the men of the parish had their Lenten retreat. About twenty-five men of the parish gave six hours of their weekend to prayer and reflection. I often hear people ask why they need a retreat. I myself have asked that same question at different points in my life. I have come to believe a day away allows us to put the everyday responsibilities on hold and allows us to think. We live 24/7. Often even in sleep our minds can’t stop. A day without phones, work, or distractions allows us to reset. We get a chance to refocus ourselves on what is important in our lives. Thanks to the men who prepared this day of reflection and thanks to the women who also led the women’s retreat.

Another Lenten activity available to you this season is adoration on Tuesday evenings. Fr. Prasad is presenting a “Lenten Walk with Jesus” during the adoration period. We also have Stations of the Cross every Friday at 6:30 PM in the church. Reconciliation is offered an hour before the Stations. On April 4th, some of our eighth grade students will present the Living Stations of the Cross. Parishioners are invited to either presentation at 2:00 or 6:30 PM. Daily Mass is also another activity that is available at 8:30 AM. I hope these days of Lent enhance the Easter celebration for all of us.

We continue to have our prayer basket in the back of church. As parishioners add their prayers to the basket, other parishioners take one out and pray for their fellow parishioners. It is another way to connect us spiritually with our fellow parishioners. It also changes the focus of our prayer. It helps us look beyond ourselves and our needs to the needs of others. Please take a petition card this weekend and together we will raise up our prayers to God. 

Finally, thanks to all the parishioners who showed up for the lector and Eucharistic minister training meeting last Sunday. We will work quickly to get you on our Sunday schedule. Thanks to Marie and Tom Dombai for hosting the meeting.

Today we celebrate the Third Sunday of Lent. In the first reading from the book of Exodus we are reminded of God’s covenant with us. Seeing the suffering of Israel in Egypt, God picks Moses to go and tell the people the covenant is not exhausted. God will prevail. We are part of that covenant. God will save us, but we must also respond to God’s call. In the gospel, Jesus tells the people that we need to repent. We have to turn away from evil and follow God. He gives the example of the fig tree that after three years will not produce figs. The owner tells the caregiver to cut it down. The caregiver asks for one more year, before he has to destroy the tree. The owner relents and gives the caregiver and the tree one more year to produce. Is this the year given to us? Will are lives show repentance and light? Will we produce fruit under Jesus’ care?

Thanks to the Saint Juliana Fine Arts Association for another great spring production. Mean Girls, Jr. tells a tale of hurt, and redemption. It calls everyone to find their better self. It also calls us to be who God created us to be. The children and their advisors worked very hard to get ready for the play. We are blessed to have a vibrant fine arts program at Saint Juliana. Thanks to everyone who came to the shows over the weekend. Your support allows the Fine Arts Association to thrive!

This week the women of the parish had their spring day of reflection. Over fifty women participated in the retreat. The team worked hard for over six months to prepare the program. For those who participated it was another chance to reflect on their relationship with Jesus and share how that relationship has changed their lives.

This coming Saturday, March 29th, the men will host their day of reflection. You can still sign up by calling the parish office or talking with Deacon Tom Dombai. Thanks to the men and women who worked hard to give us these days of reflection.

Today we begin our first Scrutinies for the Elect who will be receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil this year. The Cycle A readings will be used at the 9:30 AM Sunday liturgy for the next three weeks. You can find the QR code for these readings in the bulletin on page 4. Please pray for our Elect as they more fully enter into the Easter mystery.

Finally, in the back of church there is a basket with prayer petitions from our parishioners. I encourage those who are willing, to take a card from the basket and pray for that petition through the season of Lent. We are a family of faith who are strengthened when we pray for each other.

Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent. Today’s gospel reading is the story of Jesus’ transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up the mountain to pray. While they are there, Jesus is transfigured before them. He begins to glow, and his clothes become dazzling white. The disciples want to capture the moment. They don’t want it to end. But God has other plans. God speaks from the cloud acknowledging who Jesus is, but then it is over. The disciples are dumbstruck, but when they regain their composure, everything is back to normal. The disciples tell no one about what happened. Transfiguration moments are not that frequent in our lives. They may come only once or twice in a lifetime. Once we have an experience like the disciples did though, it becomes a marker for the rest of our life. The transfiguration moments feed us in the ordinary days of life. Knowing God is with us allows us to live as disciples.

This week we will have our Rite of Sending for our OCIA candidates. They have each been on an individual journey to a new relationship with God and Jesus. They all have different reasons for beginning the journey, but together now they can see the Easter sacraments. We will send them to Holy Name Cathedral today for the Rite of Election. Cardinal Cupich will accept them into the Elect with others from all over the archdiocese. We continue to pray for them on this journey and promise to be examples for them of living faith. Next week we will celebrate the Lenten Scrutinies with them as well. Congratulations to these Elect of God.

Last weekend we asked you to list prayer intentions on cards during our celebration of the liturgy. We received a lot of cards listing prayer intentions for our parishioners. This week I am asking those who are willing to take a card from the basket in the back of church and pray for the intention listed. Carry the intention card with you during this Lenten season and pray for the needs of another parishioner. Prayer builds community and family. We believe in the power of prayer, and together we will build a faith family who prays for each other and lifts each others’ needs to God. These prayers are outward-looking prayers. These intentions call us to look beyond our own needs.

Last week we celebrated Mass with our Confirmation candidates and their sponsors. We were reminded of all God offers us through scripture. We asked the candidates and their sponsors to take time to reflect on the stories given to us each week at our liturgy. The bible teaches us and guides us on our life journey. Please pray for these students and sponsors as they continue to prepare for their Confirmation on May 6th, and please keep praying for the bishop who will confirm them—me! Come, Holy Spirit, Come!

Finally, over the next two weekends we will be holding retreats for the women and men of the parish. Information is included in the bulletin. Please consider taking some time out of your busy schedules to reflect on how God works in your own lives. Please also pray for the teams of parishioners who will be hosting the retreats.   

Today we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent. Saint Paul writes to the Romans, “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” This past week at my ordination as bishop, the book of the gospels was held over my head as a reminder of Paul’s words. God is that close to all of us. Jesus’ words and actions fill our hearts and direct our lives. This first week of Lent we are reminded of the power of temptations in our lives. In the short term there are many things that look shiny and good and we often try to grab for them, but at what price? This week we are encouraged to judge wisely and make decisions that will give us life. Jesus is our compass who leads the way.

This week began my first week as bishop and pastor. I wanted to make sure everyone is aware that I will remain pastor of Saint Juliana, even as I take on the duties of vicar of Vicariate II in the Archdiocese of Chicago. As pastor I will continue to oversee Saint Juliana and, whenever possible, continue participating in the activities that I am already a part of. As vicar of Vicariate II my duties will include the oversight of about forty additional parishes that begin in Lincoln Park and form a wedge out to the Mission of Our Lady of Hope in Rosemont. There is a second staff to help me in my role as bishop. My initial work will be trying to coordinate two calendars into one. Then it will be necessary to make scheduling decisions that work for the vicariate, the parish, and me personally. Basically, we are teaching an “old dog”— me—some new tricks. With the help of both staffs, I believe we can make accommodations that work for everyone. Everyone will need to be patient as I embrace my new reality. More to come, as I become aware of it!

I would like to take a moment and thank everyone who made my ordination celebrations so special. I especially want to thank Fr. Prasad for coordinating my Mass of Thanksgiving and Felicitation ceremony. As I have stated before, the success of a pastor is due to all of the people who support his work in a parish. So, my Mass of Thanksgiving is really an acknowledgment of all the ways you have made me successful as your pastor, and all the ways you have supported and strengthened Saint Juliana. Priests and bishops will come and go, but it is your day-in and day-out journeys of faith that continue to make Saint Juliana strong. We need strong, faithful men and women in our parishes. That is why I continue to encourage people to look for ways to update, strengthen, and share their faith. Jesus is the center of who we are and all the good work that we do. Thanks also to all of the liturgical groups who made the celebration so beautiful. A special thanks to all of the choirs that came together for the occasion. I am full of gratitude and am thankful to all of you!

Now it is time to once again focus on the Lenten season of preparation. I encourage you to participate in daily Mass, adoration, and Stations of the Cross. Sign up for the women’s or men’s retreats. Come to an Alpha session on Tuesday evening or jump into the small faith-sharing group that will meet on Mondays. There are many opportunities to reignite your relationship with Jesus. All it takes is for you to make a decision and say yes! Check out the bulletin or parish web site for information on all that is offered.  

Today we celebrate the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings today are preparing us all for the season of Lent. Are we ready to do the work necessary to honestly look at our spiritual health? In the gospel we are told to take the log out of our own eye before we look for splinters in other people’s eyes. In other words, we should not be judging others. Also in the same gospel, we are told that good produces good, and that evil produces evil. It is up to us to make a choice for good. So this week as we begin the season of Lent, let us all seek ways to bring more good into our world and weed out the bad in our own lives.

I would just like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has worked so hard to make to make the celebration of my ordination to auxiliary bishop of Chicago so beautiful. There were a number of celebrations throughout the week and each one reminded me of how lucky I am to have such a great family, good friends, and parishioners who have made my ministry so fulfilling. Wherever God has called me, I have always found generous, joyful people who work hard to live their faith and serve one another. The Holy Father calls us to be people of hope! I see hope in each one of you every day of my life. Now together we will walk in a new way. I am still learning what it means to be bishop, but I know with your help and support we will bring more hope and light into our world. Thank you all.

This afternoon I will be celebrating my first Confirmation. I will be calling on the Holy Spirit to fill the children who will receive the sacrament. I will also be asking that same spirit to work through my life as well. Every day we need that same spirit to fill our hearts and lives. I look forward to having the chance to celebrate that spirit with young people and their families. God gives us so much power! We just need to ask for it! Wish me luck.

Lent begins this Wednesday. The visible sign of ashes on our foreheads reminds us that our time on earth is limited and that we are called to bring about the kingdom now. We take forty days to transform and renew ourselves so that we will be ready to receive all the gifts presented to us at Easter. I encourage you to take time for prayer and fasting during the Lenten season. We have many opportunities to take time and reflect. Check out the bulletin or parish web page to see what may fit in your schedule. Each of our journeys is different, but our goal is the same—to know Jesus more fully and to continually invite him into our daily lives.

Finally, make sure you support the scouts pancake breakfast Sunday in the school cafeteria. Before the fast of Lent, there is always room for delicious pancakes!

Today we celebrate the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today’s gospel is full of lessons from Jesus. Jesus starts with telling his disciples that they should love their enemies. He encourages the disciples to do good to those who have harmed them. Wow! This is not the lesson the disciples were hoping for. It was probably their hope that those who lorded over them would be removed, and they would assume higher office. But for Jesus, higher status is related to who can love the most, forgive the most, or serve the most. This lesson is for us as well. Lessons learned are lessons lived. There are some today who are trying to limit Jesus today. They want to relegate Jesus to an hour on Sunday and let the rest of the hours, days, and years be lived out in freedom and without moral teaching. Being a disciple, being a baptized Catholic Christian is a 24/7 job. The last line of the Gospel is important: “For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Today across the Archdiocese we are holding our Annual Catholic Appeal. Many of you have been contributors from the start of the Campaign in the 1990s. Cardinal Bernardin, Cardinal George, and now Cardinal Cupich ask all of us to support the Church beyond our parishes. Many of you have done that through your gift to the Generation to Generation Campaign last fall and won’t be able to support the annual appeal this year. That is fine. Each of us is asked to do what we can, when we can. As always, I thank you for all the ways you work to make Saint Juliana and the archdiocese strong. Thank you!

This Tuesday, February 25th, the fourth season of Alpha will get underway. Alpha begins with a shared meal at 6:30 PM. Then a short video is shown, and the participants discuss the topic from the video. It is a way for participants to think about their faith and then express that faith to others. The team have all been participants in the past and now will share the program with all the new participants. There are no boundaries on Alpha, so invite your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. All are welcome.

Next Sunday the Cub Scouts are hosting a pancake breakfast in the School Hall. It will be a great way to support the scouts and have a great breakfast. It also is the last Sunday before we begin the season of Lent. So join us for a delicious pancake Mardi Gras!

Lots of good things to celebrate in the parish. Yesterday Frank Rottman received the Order of Reader. Frank is working toward the diaconate, and the first step along the way is reader. Frank has been reading since he was in grade school, so he passed this milestone with flying colors. Keep Frank and his wife Mary in your prayers, and also pray for other men who might be considering the diaconate as well.

Finally, this week is a week of celebration for me, my family and the parish. Today much of my family will be gathering for a pre-ordination celebration. We don’t often get everyone together so we are taking this moment to gather and celebrate. On Wednesday, February 26th, the archdiocese will ordain five of us as bishops. This celebration will be held at Holy Name Cathedral and begins at 2:00 PM. The whole ordination will be livestreamed. Then next Saturday, March 1st, at the 5:00 PM Mass we will have a parish celebration of the ordination. I said it when I was first named as one of the candidates for bishop. Priests are successful because of all the faithful parishioners around them who support them and love them. I have felt your love and support from the first day I arrived at Saint Juliana. So this whole week of celebrations is really a celebration of all of you. You support your priests, you keep the parish strong, and you work hard to create a piece of the Kingdom right here in Edison Park. Thanks to all of you!

Today we celebrate the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the first reading from the prophet Jeremiah, we are reminded to stay close to the source of all life. Jeremiah uses the image of a tree that is planted near running water. The tree stretches out its roots to receive the benefit of the stream. Because it has this source of life, the tree never withers, even when the heat comes. Jesus is our source of life. In the Gospel of Luke today, Jesus teaches the people on the plain. He gives them a lesson that we have come to know as the Beatitudes. It is a lesson filled with hope for those who are suffering now. It also is a directive for those who can ease the suffering of others. If we have the ability to help others, we should do so now. Through Jesus’ teaching we continually partake in his life giving water.

Lent is fast approaching. Lent is a time to get close to the Lord and be mindful of his teachings. Early in Lent we will be having two retreats. One of the retreats is for women, and the other is for men. The teams for both of the retreats have been preparing for the retreats since the fall. I encourage everyone to consider taking the time on a Saturday and participating in the retreats. The women’s retreat will be held on Saturday March 22nd. The men’s retreat is a week later on March 29th. These are two opportunities to get closer to the source of life-giving water, Jesus. We hope to see you there.

Next Tuesday, February 25th, we will begin our next Alpha session at Saint Juliana. Alpha is another way for all of us to grow in our faith. Alpha is a soft entry point for people who are searching for meaning in their lives. It is also a place for those who may have walked away from Jesus or their faith. Finally, we have seen that Alpha has been beneficial even for people who are strong in their relationship with Jesus and strong in their faith. The program pushes those faithful to express their faith and share it with others who are searching. So if you are looking for another opportunity to recharge your relationship with Jesus, join us on February 25th.

Congratulations to all of the Cub Scouts who received their religious awards last weekend. The Parvuli Dei Award and the Light of Christ Award are given to students who have worked with their parents on strengthening their relationship to Jesus. The Light of Christ award is given to second graders as they are preparing themselves for Holy Communion. Parvuli Dei is given to fourth graders who are continuing to build their relationship with the Lord. We are proud of these boys and their parents who are constantly working to build a strong relationship with Jesus.

Thanks to everyone who donated to the Saint Vincent de Paul food drive on Super Bowl Sunday. It is always great to remember those less fortunate then ourselves. On a day when everyone in the country is celebrating football and food, it is good you were all so generous in your donations for those who are hungry. Thanks to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society for hosting the food drive and reminding us to share our gifts when we are able.

Finally, next Sunday the Archdiocese will be asking everyone to support the Annual Catholic Appeal. I will be speaking at all of the Masses.

Today we celebrate the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. All three readings today speak of unworthy people who have been entrusted by God to do great things. The prophet Isaiah, Saint Paul, and Peter all find themselves in unchartered waters. Yet God speaks to each of them and transforms their weakness into power—power to spread God’s teaching and light throughout the world. God wants to transform us as well. Most of us stand before God and are very aware of our shortcomings and sins, yet God doesn’t give up on us. Rather God will always work to help us find our good and use it for God’s delight.

Thanks to the Alpha participants who spoke at all of our Masses last Sunday. In a couple of weeks, we will begin our fourth Alpha journey. I encourage everyone to consider trying Alpha out. Also, if you do, bring a friend with you. It is always easier to do new things when you have a friend by your side. The cards in the pew can help you register and get more information. If by chance you are a bit less techy like me, call the parish office and we can help you register. 

Today the Saint Vincent de Paul Society is having their Souper Bowl food drive! On a day when many of us will be overeating and drinking, it is good we are reminded to also help those who are hungry. The Saint Vincent de Paul society is always working to help those who might need a lift up. We are blessed to have them in Saint Juliana Parish.

This week the bishop elects of the archdiocese will be going on retreat together. Ove the last month I have gotten to know the other four men better. They are very good and generous, and we will be blessed in Chicago to have them as bishops. I ask you to please pray for us. We stand before all of you aware of our shortcomings and sins, as well as our gifts. With your support and prayers, we too hope to be transformed into the best we can be. Also know that we will be praying for each of you as well. You are the communities that have formed us and continue to walk with us on our journey in Christ Jesus. Thank you.

Wednesday, February 26th will be the bishop ordination. The celebration will begin at 2:00 PM and it will be livestreamed. Once they give us the link for the livestream, we will publish it in the bulletin. Because there are five of us, there are limited tickets that were available for the ordination. On Saturday, March 1st, at 5:00 PM I will be celebrating a Mass of thanksgiving with the parish here at Saint Juliana. It will be a chance for me to say thank you to all of you who have been a part of my journey. These are exciting days, and every one of them has opened my eyes to God’s call for me.

Finally, on March 2nd, the scouts will be hosting a pancake breakfast. It is a perfect celebration before we start the season of Lent. Invite your family and friends and support the scouts in the parish. The scouts will be selling tickets at all Masses next weekend, or you can purchase them at GiveCentral. See the bulletin for more details.

Today we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord. As the Gospel states, “When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” We don’t often celebrate the Presentation of the Lord on a Sunday, but today the feast falls on a Sunday in Ordinary Time and takes precedence. Mary and Joseph are doing what every faithful Jew would do with their firstborn son. They realize the blessing they received in Jesus’ birth and present him to God in thanksgiving. This was a normal tradition up until they encounter Simeon and Anna. Simeon and Anna are two devout Jews who are waiting for the promised savior. On seeing Mary, Joseph, and the child Jesus, both Simeon and Anna breathe a sigh of relief because they recognize the child as the long awaited savior. This was news to Mary and Joseph. Though they had experienced unusual occurrences since and during the time leading up to and after Jesus’ birth, they are still amazed. What does God have planned for their son and each of them? As we celebrate the Presentation this year, we may ask ourselves the same question: What does God have planned for you? Have you been listening? Are you willing to say yes to God’s plans? What are the things that cause fear or hold you back?

As we enter the month of February, we begin to experience more light. The temperatures may still say “winter,” but the light fills us with hope for what is to come. We often bless candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This symbol reminds us of who we are. When we are told that all the world is dark and we have to be afraid, the Presentation reminds us that we are people of light. Jesus’ presentation reminds us that we are called to unleash the light into the world around us. I encourage everyone to reflect on that thought. Are we people of light? Have we been caught up in darkness and forgotten who we are in Christ? Light will conquer darkness unless we hide it under a bushel basket. Jesus calls us to be lampstands in the face of darkness.

Next weekend the Saint Vincent de Paul Society will be holding their annual Mary Berg “Soup”-er Bowl food drive after all of the Masses. This drive is a visible sign of the light that you bring into the world. Many find it difficult provide for their families and themselves. Your gifts of non-perishable foods or monetary donations turn their darkness into light. Please contribute as you can. Thank you.

This month I will be meeting with Bishop Bartosic to give a report on the state of Saint Juliana. I wanted to once again take this time to thank all of you for your continued support of the parish. The parish is in excellent shape. We just completed the Generation to Generation capital campaign and exceeded expectations, raising $1, 390,000. We were well over our goal. In a few weeks we will once again be asked to support the Annual Catholic Appeal. This past year we exceeded our goal and will be receiving $7,000 back in rebates. This past year we replaced all the windows in the school, replaced the fence on Touhy, and resurfaced the parish parking lot. Through the Generation to Generation pledges and gifts, we now hope to begin renovations on the parish office building for more meeting space and accessibility. These are the tangible things that I will report to the bishop. For all of them, I say thank you.

Less tangible, but just as important, is how so many of you are choosing to push yourselves in your own faith development. We are running out of space as more and more of you are participating in programs and prayer like Alpha, The Chosen, bible study, adoration, men’s and women’s retreats, Friendship Club, Cancer Support Group, book clubs, Saint Vincent de Paul, OCIA, Missionary Spirit Team, to name a few. The growth in these programs and others like them are the sign that the parish continues to grow and remains vibrant. Thanks to all of those who are leading us and challenging us to share our faith with each other. I look forward to sharing the Saint Juliana “good news” with Bishop Bartosic. 

Today we celebrate the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the first reading from the book of Nehemiah, and in the gospel, we are once again told that God is nearby,  that God is present in our time. In the book of Nehemiah God is present in the law that was given to Israel. Ezra read the law to Israel out loud. It took hours to get through all the laws. The people welcomed the laws and saw it as a sign that God was with Israel. In the gospel we hear from Jesus himself. Jesus picks up the scroll in the synagogue and reads from the prophet Isaiah. It begins with, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” When he finishes the passage, he tells the people that the passage is fulfilled in their hearing. In other words, he is the anointed one of God. Paul also speaks of God present in the community of believers. So, God is with us in the law, in the community, and in Jesus himself. We only need to accept His presence.

This weekend we begin the celebration of Catholic Schools Week at Saint Juliana. Several events are planned for the school children, the faculty, and the parish this week. It is a week to celebrate the impact Catholic schools have had on the Church and the world over the years. After our 9:30 AM Mass today, there will be an open house in the school. If you haven’t been in the school for a while, we encourage you to take a tour and see how Saint Juliana is preparing children to be future Christian leaders.

Seasons one and three of The Chosen are now being shown at Saint Juliana on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings. Everyone is invited to attend. After each session, there is discussion of how we also are chosen and how we live out our call to be disciples of Jesus. Check the bulletin or web page for more information.

In February we will begin our fourth Alpha program. Alpha brings people together to share a meal, watch a video on a different topic each week, and then discuss the video with others on a journey of faith. It is a place people can reconnect with their faith in Jesus and search for new ways to find him. Once again please check out the bulletin or web page to register for this fourth season of Alpha. 

Finally, I encourage everyone to pray for our OCIA (new name for RCIA) candidates as they are in their final preparation for reception of the Easter sacraments. Pray also for the team who has led them along the way. In the coming month they will celebrate the Rite of Election at Holy Name Cathedral. They are filled now with joyful expectation for the sacramental gifts to come.

Today we celebrate the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Winter Ordinary Time is sandwiched between the Christmas festivities and the Lenten preparations for Easter. It is a time to regroup and renew after a wonderful but exhausting season of celebration of God coming to us. This week we have the story of the wedding at Cana in our Gospel. Even with all the best of preparations and plans, the wedding is running short of wine. Mary steps in and asks her son to take care of it. Jesus seems reluctant, but in the end, there is an abundance of good wine. What can we learn from this Gospel? Well, sometimes even when we have done our best, and worked as hard as we can, we fall short. When that happens, it is good to ask God to intervene and give us what we need. Another lesson comes from Mary. At this point in her life Mary is confident in God and her son. She tells the waiters to do what he tells them. She doesn’t worry about the outcome, because with God all things are possible.

Thank you to everyone who filled out our Parish Pulse survey last weekend. As I said last weekend, it is a quick snapshot on how we are doing as a parish. We hope to hear if you are being fed spiritually. Is your relationship with Jesus growing? Are there programs we are doing that have been helpful? Would you recommend Saint Juliana to someone? Our hope is to do the survey every six months. This first survey will be our baseline, and, in the future, we will be able to see if we have grown spiritually and where we still need more work. I know I sometimes ask a lot of you all but thank you again for your participation in this important tool.

This weekend please include President Trump in your prayers as he once again assumes the office of president. Pray also for the new Congress who were sworn in a few weeks ago. We are blessed to live in a democracy where we all have a vote in the direction of the country. May God bless our country and the men and women who defend it daily.

I also encourage everyone to pray for our first responders here at home and those who are fighting the fires in California. We too often take for granted the sacrifices they make to keep us safe. We also pray for all of the families who now find themselves asking, “What’s next?” As a family we need to work and come up with ways to once again bring stability to their lives. This will be a long process. But as followers of Jesus we are in it for the long haul. Thanks again to our first responders.

Next weekend we begin our celebration of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese. Our Catholic schools come in many shapes and sizes. Our schools are there for grade school, high school, and college students. The charisms may be different at different schools; but there is one constant, and that is Jesus Christ. With Jesus as center, our children grow spiritually, academically, and wholly as a person. Thanks to all our parents and grandparents who are able to support Saint Juliana. We are a family that walks in the pathway of Jesus. Next Sunday our children will participate at some of the Masses and there will be an open house in the school following the 9:30 AM Mass.

Today we end the Christmas season with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Though the stable scene is still up and the Christmas trees as well, our story of faith has fast forwarded to Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan. God’s affirmation after his baptism is a reminder for all of us that Jesus truly is God with us. Just as this baptism was the beginning of Jesus’ public journey, our baptism is our pledge and promise that God will be with us as we journey as well. As we grow in faith, we begin to experience the God who is in us and around us. Each of us grows into our relationship with Jesus at our own speed. No two journeys are the same. May we all be renewed and recommit to Jesus on this celebration of his baptism.

So much has happened over this Christmas season. First, I would like to say thanks to everyone who made our Christmas celebrations so meaningful. Thanks to our cantors, choirs, musicians, and Glenn. The music was uplifting and joyful. Thanks to our lectors, and Eucharistic ministers, both of whom fed us through word and sacrament. Thank you to the ushers who made everyone feel welcome at Saint Juliana. Thanks also to those who decorated the church and reminded us of God’s glory and beauty. Thank you to all the children who served at our celebrations, so many of us began in their shoes. A final thanks to everyone who showed Prasad, Roger, and me kindness through the holiday season. Though we try, we sometimes miss sending everyone a thank you. You all have made the holidays so special. Now we once again go back into ordinary time and experience the Lord’s call in our daily lives.

As we began the New Year, the Generation to Generation, Answer the Call Capital Campaign far exceeded our goal of $1,215,000. We are now over $1,400,000 and more gifts and pledges continue to pour in. Thank you all for a generosity that ties each of us to the past while we look joyfully into the future. We hope that as 2025 continues we will begin architectural and permitting work for the projects in the former convent. Accessibility and meeting space will serve us all as we look to the future. I will keep everyone abreast of our progress going forward.

This weekend we have asked everyone to do a short survey about Saint Juliana and how we are doing on evangelization and outreach. Some of you may do it immediately using the QR code in the bulletin (page 9). Others may choose to take it home and then fill it out. The survey is short, but through it we want to know if we are meeting your spiritual needs as we work to become disciples of Jesus. Please fill out a survey if you are able.

Besides the normal Christmas gifts I usually receive from family and friends , I received a surprise over the Christmas holiday as well. On December 20th, I was named an auxiliary bishop of Chicago. Since that day my life has sped up and filled up. The ordination is set for February 26th at Holy Name Cathedral. We have many more meetings to go before I know what the future looks like for me and the parish. I know God has a plan, and I hope that in the next few weeks that plan will be clearer. I have always believed that the success of a priest or bishop comes from the people who walk with us. I have never had a bad assignment because I have been blessed with people like you throughout my ministerial life. Thank you! Please keep me in your prayers as we navigate the road ahead. 

Today we continue the Christmas celebration with the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The family is the foundation of society. We are formed through the connections of our family. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters all weave together to make us who we are. Sometimes our families are chosen. Because of distance or experiences, we create family with friends, neighbors, or coworkers. It is the connection with other people that is important. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are a great model for all of us. Their lives were chaotic. Their lives didn’t necessarily go as planned. Yet what was the common theme for each of them? They all had a faith that God was central to their lives. With God as their rudder anything could be handled. Through our baptism we are part of the Holy Family. We too have access to the rudder who is Jesus Christ.

Today I would like to give a big thanks to our Saint Juliana family. The Saint Juliana commitment weekend for the Generation to Generation: Answer the Call capital campaign put us over our goal by almost $185,000! To date we have collected gifts and pledges totaling $1,400,000. Your generosity is not a surprise to me, because since coming to Saint Juliana I have experienced so many examples of your giving spirit. Truly as needs have risen, you have all answered the call. Saint Juliana is a generational family that is built on the foundation of the past with a focus on the future. The Generation to Generation campaign will add to the legacy we leave for the future.

I would also like to thank in a special way our mighty campaign team. Our parish team was small, but it did great things. Thanks to Donna Furlan and Ray Balcarcel who were enlisted for our staff team. Thanks also to our parishioner team. This team included Todd and Melody Steffen, Steve Baggio, Fran and John Pelrine, David Plier, Chris and Maureen Floss, and Bob Ryan Jr. With all their help we once again achieved our goal. Thank you all for the time and effort you gave to our campaign. Now we get to begin the exciting work of adding meeting space to the parish office building and making it accessible for everyone. 

This week as we welcome in the New Year, we will celebrate one Mass at 10:00am on New Years Day. On January 1, we not only celebrate the beginning of the new year, but we also continue the Christmas celebration with the feast of Mary the mother of God.  The new year allows all of us a chance to commit once again to building a better world. Just as Mary said yes to God’s call, we too are asked to build up God’s Kingdom through our lives and actions. Please join us for our New Year celebration. 

The parish offices will be closed for January 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We will be checking the phones for emergencies.

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent. It is almost here! The celebration we have all prepared for is about to happen. When I was a child, an Advent calendar was a great way to build up to the Christmas celebration. Each morning, we woke up and opened another door as we moved through the month of December. We counted how many doors were left to open. It was a time of great anticipation. Now as an adult I still look forward to Christmas with excitement and hope. However now I want to experience the crowds at our Christmas celebration. I want to sing Christmas carols I haven’t sung for a year. Though I love the Christmas radio stations, they focus more on reindeer, snowman, bells, etc., but not so much angels, shepherds, mangers, and Jesus’ birth. Our mouths water for the meals we will share, but I really look forward to time spent with family and friends. In the craziness of these final few days of Advent I encourage you to take some quiet time in front of the manger and tree and give thanks for all of the blessings God has given us. God truly is with each of us.

This fall Saint Juliana embarked on the Generation to Generation: Answer the Call capital campaign. On the heels of installing new windows throughout the school, we began preparations to make the parish office building (former convent) accessible and to add more meeting space. Because of the work we are doing on evangelization, the need for more meeting space has become a necessity. Each new project, renovation, or repair is a lasting reminder of the hopes and dreams of the Saint Juliana family. As the title of the campaign says, for “Generation to Generation,” families have found a home at Saint Juliana, and we look joyfully to what lies ahead. Now that we have reached our goal for the campaign, 80% of any new pledges will remain in the parish. Please consider a gift during this Christmas season.

This week we gather for our Christmas celebration. There will be two Masses on Tuesday, Christmas Eve at 3:30pm and 5:30pm. On Wednesday, Christmas Day, we will celebrate Mass at 7:30, 9:30, and 11:00am. All our Masses will have bigger crowds then we are used to. Many families join us for the celebration, so please offer a heartfelt welcome to everyone who chooses Saint Juliana this Christmas. Also, just a reminder once again, parking will be crazy for the celebrations, so if you live close and the weather is good, consider walking with your family to church.

During the holiday season, the parish office will be closed on December 25th, 26th, and 27th, and we will also be closed on January 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We will check voicemail during those days.

On behalf of Fr. Roger, Fr. Prasad, our deacons, the parish and school staff and myself, we hope everyone has a very joyful Christmas celebration.

Today we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent. The Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday which is Latin for “Rejoice.” As we gather, our salvation is near. We prepare to celebrate the first coming of God in the Christmas story, while we also prepare ourselves for when God will come again. Our first two readings speak to us of joy; and in the gospel, Jesus tells several people how they are to prepare for God’s coming again. As we celebrate the waning days of the Advent season, we ask God to help us prepare ourselves in ways that transform us and our world.

This Thursday, December 19, we will once again host the Saint Juliana Living Nativity. The animals will be here between the hours of 6:00 and 8:00pm. The eighth grade is working on the story as well as the music. Barb Ernat is getting the hot chocolate and cookies lined up and the Scouts are preparing a small bonfire to keep us all warm. All we need now is you, your families, and your neighbors. All are welcome, and it is a simple way to get together with parish friends to remember how lucky we are to have Jesus with us. Thanks to everyone who is working on this celebration.

Thanks to Glenn de Castro and all the choirs, cantors, and musicians who gave us the beautiful Taizé reconciliation service earlier this month. The soft lighting and abundance of candles reminded us of the “light” we wait for. Jesus the light of the world is coming, and we celebrate the Lord’s dawn. The service was a reminder to embrace the Advent season of preparation and action. We are blessed to have such talented people in the parish who share their gifts with us every week.

Christmas is fast approaching. Please remember these are our busiest celebrations of the year. If the weather is nice, and you live close, I encourage you to walk to church for our Christmas Masses with your family. Parking is always difficult. Oftentimes I see people drive and then drive back home and walk because of the parking. Come early if you want a spot in the parking lot. Also please be respectful of our neighbors. We cannot park in front of driveways or fire hydrants. Being crowded is a great problem to have! I hope we have standing room only at all the Masses.

Finally last week we had our commitment weekend for the Generation to Generation campaign. I want to thank everyone who generously gave to the campaign. Your gifts assure us that the parish will be around when you need it for school, religious education, weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc. We reached our goal of $1,215,000. Now that we are over our goal, 80% of all pledges that come in will stay in the parish. We hope to begin some of our projects in the 2025 calendar year. Thanks to everyone who participated in the campaign and thanks to the parish team who have worked for months making it a success!

Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent. In the gospel we hear John the Baptist in the desert proclaiming, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” We often associate Advent with quiet waiting and expectation for the coming of Jesus once again. But John’s proclamation is clear, and we are called to act. Just as we all read the signs of the season—Christmas carols on the radio, stores filled with decorations, movies proclaiming the season, Black Friday deals—we begin to move and prepare our homes for what each of us will be our traditional Christmas. We don’t just sit and hope it will happen, rather we go out and make it happen. John the Baptist calls on us to do the same spiritually. We are not just supposed to sit and wait. We need to actively prepare ourselves for Christ’s coming.

There are several ways for us to prepare ourselves for the Lord. Last Thursday, December 5, at 7:00pm we had our Taizé prayer and reconciliation. The service included song, readings, and silence. Whether you chose to avail yourself of the sacrament of reconciliation, just the hour of prayer settled those who attended and helped prepare them for the Lord. We hope you can take some quiet time for yourself this week.

On Wednesday, December 11th, at 7:00pm and again on Thursday morning December 12th, The Chosen series Christmas celebration will meet at Saint Juliana. There will be Christmas carols, hot chocolate, and cookies for all. Then we will show the “Christmas with the Chosen: Holy Night.” Everyone is invited, and feel free to bring some friends.

On Thursday, December 19th, at 7:00pm we will also have our Living Nativity in the parish parking lot. The animals and actors are ready to share the Christmas story with all our parishioners and neighbors. Once again hot chocolate and cookies will be served. These are just a few of the ways to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Always check the bulletin or web page to see what is coming up during the holiday season.

Today at our 9:30am Mass we will celebrate our Rite of Acceptance with the RCIA. These individuals have been preparing themselves to meet the Lord in the Easter Sacraments. Today they make a public declaration of their intent to prepare and receive the sacraments, and we declare our welcome, prayers, and example as they make this journey. Congratulations to Jackson Grisheau, Kylie Konior, Bailey Scianna, Tony Scianna, and Cynthia McAlister, and thanks to Chris and Maureen Floss, and the RCIA team for all of your work in preparing our candidates.

This week is our commitment weekend for the Generation to Generation capital campaign. To date the campaign has raised $1,100,000 in gifts and pledges. That is just above 90% of the parish goal. Four of the fourteen parishes in the pilot wave of the Campaign have already reached their goal, and we are hoping that this weekend we also will reach our goal of $1,215,000. At all Masses every family will be asked to fill out a pledge card. Whether you already gave a pledge, will make it today, or even if you can’t at this time, all will be asked to complete a card. The Cardinal is grading me on participation, so don’t get me in trouble. Together we will meet and possibly exceed our goal. Thanks!

Today we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. Jeremiah tells Israel and all of us that the days of the Lord are coming. That God is going to fulfill his promise and that justice will reign over the earth. The Gospel of Luke says the same thing. Luke tells the people that when it seems darkest, when natural disasters happen, we are to stand erect and face the danger. Our faith in the one to come will give us courage in times of trouble. As we light the first candle on the Advent wreath, we are reminded to live in the light and to focus our lives so that more light may come into our world.

This week we invite everyone to join us for our Taizé evening of reconciliation and renewal. We will gather on Thursday, December 5th at 7:00pm in the church. Through music, stillness, and prayer, we will experience the light we are waiting for. Jesus, the light of the world, calls us to prepare ourselves and our world for his birth. During the service, the sacrament of reconciliation will be available for those who would like to receive the sacrament. Whether you choose to receive the sacrament or not, the evening will bring healing and peace. In the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, take some time to experience stillness and peace.

Next weekend we will be celebrating the Rite of Acceptance at our 9:30am liturgy. The Rite of Acceptance is the first public statement made by the RCIA candidates as they continue their journey to the Easter sacraments. The candidates will proclaim their readiness to continue in the process and we as a parish accept their promise and tell them we will be praying for them on the journey. We also promise to be good examples of living faith for them as well. Please join us next Sunday as we celebrate with the candidates and the team.

We are now beginning the final push for our Generation to Generation capital campaign. Over the last few weeks, we have had a great response to the campaign and now have a total of $1,021,000 in gifts and pledges. These gifts come from about 150 of our 1,800 registered families.  I am sure that when the rest of our families make their pledges, we will top our goal of $1,215,000. We hope to complete the pledge process in the next two weeks. Then we can joyfully celebrate our Christmas celebration knowing that we have worked to strengthen Saint Juliana for generations to come.

Today we celebrate the last Sunday of the Church year. We celebrate the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The feast of Christ the King is the natural follow-up to the preceding weeks that spoke of the end times. We are faced with death. We are aware that our sins are holding us back.  We know that we don’t always answer the call to bring about the kingdom in our world. So what can we do? We are to rely on Jesus. Our faith in Jesus as king of a universe that we can only imagine is what allows us to have hope. Hope that conquers sin. Hope that conquers death. And hope that in Jesus we can bring about the kingdom through our words and actions. Even if all else may fail us, we have a king who knows us and protects us. Jesus is the true king, the center of our being as Christians.

This past week we finished our third season of Alpha. Through Alpha many parishioners have strengthened their faith in Jesus and recommitted themselves to share their faith stories with each other. Alpha creates leaders who reflect on their faith and then share their stories with other friends, family, and coworkers. It is through the sharing of faith stories that others are emboldened to look at their own journey of faith. They answer the question with fresh eyes; how has God touched my life? Where have I or my family encountered Jesus. As we take a break for the holidays, the newest participants of Alpha will be trained on leading small groups, sharing their stories, creating hospitality, and listening to others as they start their own journey of renewal in Jesus. This is the heart of evangelization, and the journey continues.

Thanks to all the leaders who led Alpha this fall. Your commitment to your own faith journey is a sign to all of us. Thanks also to the participants. You have received a gift that we hope you will share with others. Finally, a big thanks to Marie Dombai who has led the Alpha program for the parish. We now encourage the parish to pray and consider if Alpha in the winter might be right for you. Keep watching for upcoming information.

This past week we also finished the second season of The Chosen. The Chosen has been another path of evangelization that many have taken. It is always great when there is good media that speaks of our faith in Jesus. The Chosen has been a series that looks at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. It pushes those who watch to answer the call of discipleship. What is God asking me to do? Again after the holidays we will begin showing the third season of The Chosen (and a chance for those who missed seasons one and two to join us and catch up!) We hope you will join us and bring along some of your friends. 

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving I would like to report on the progress of the Generation to Generation capital campaign. We have made great progress and are now past 70 % of the parish goal. We have received gifts and pledges totaling over $850,000. As we all rely on our faith and parish to give us hope, I hope that all of you will consider giving some gift to the campaign. Your gift does become a legacy for generations to come. Thanks to everyone who has already committed to the campaign.

Finally, this week the nation celebrates Thanksgiving. It is a time to gather with family and friends and remember the blessings we are freely given by God. For those who are able, we invite you to join us for morning Mass on Thanksgiving. The Mass on Thanksgiving will be celebrated at 8:00am so that everyone can get home before the Edison Park Turkey Trot takes over the neighborhood. Good Luck to the runners and walkers, and we hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we celebrate the Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time. We are nearing the end of the Church year. Next week we will end the Church year with the Feast of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Our readings today mimic the daily readings we have been hearing for the last couple of weeks. The readings ask us, are we prepared for the end times? Unless something dramatic happens, our personal end time will be our death. When we live our best life in Jesus Christ, we do not fear death. We see it as a continuation of our life here on earth. Our prayer is one of hope and expectation.

This week we have published the Annual Fiscal Report for Saint Juliana. This report is for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2023 and ending on June 30, 2024. Our Sunday and Holy Day income rose slightly. Our school income grew more substantially as we enrolled more children. The biggest jump in income this year was on interest and investments.

On the expense side we added new staff to both the school and parish side of the ledger, so salaries and benefits increased. After that some expenses increased slightly and others went down.

So the net operation income for the parish was $383,154.

Extraordinary income was $112,122 and extraordinary expense was $496,797. The extraordinary expense was due to payments that occurred in the fiscal year for the new school windows. This was a planned expense. So, when we put together the operation and extraordinary report we ended the year down ($1,521).   

Once again you have shown your support and commitment to Saint Juliana. Thank you for your ongoing generosity for our daily needs and your support of projects that prepare the parish and school for the future.

We have listed several big projects that were completed in the fiscal year and have also included the new renovations to the former convent that will be part of the Generation to Generation: Answer the Call campaign.

Our sacramental stats have remained consistent, and our October count rose slightly, bringing us back to our count before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, we are a year into the co-implementation plan on evangelization with the Archdiocese. We have seen a jump in both leadership and participation in activities and programs that bring us closer to the Lord. This really is the goal of the Church. We are called to open ourselves to new encounters with Jesus and then share those stories with our families and friends. Thank you all for your continuing support of Saint Juliana. 

Today we celebrate the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today our first reading from the Book of Kings and the gospel speak of generosity. In both readings the main character is a poor widow who chooses to share what little she has, not knowing where her next meal will come from. In the first reading, the prophet Elijah asks the widow for water, and some cake to eat. She is about to prepare her last meal for herself and her son, yet she invites Elijah to join them. Because of her generosity they have enough flour and oil to last a year. In the gospel Jesus is watching people give to the temple treasury. Wealthy people are giving a lot, but it is from their surplus. Eventually a widow comes and gives two coins. Jesus celebrates the widow’s generosity because it came from her need, not her surplus. Each of us is asked to share with others from the blessings we have received.

It is a joke among Catholics that we do guilt better then any other religious group around. Today I am going to help keep the joke going by asking everyone to prayerfully consider the blessings you have received throughout your life and then, like the widows in our readings today, prayerfully consider a gift to the Generation to Generation: Answer the Call capital campaign. To those who have much, much is expected. We often hear people who feel that things aren’t going well. We don’t feel that we have an abundance of money, or we feel our bills are too high. Like you, I know those feelings; but in the end, it seems like I do always have what I need. God is generous. And I am now asking you to be generous as well.

To date the Generation to Generation campaign has exceeded $779,000 in pledges. This is about 65% of the parish goal of $1,215,000. That 65% has come from about 71 families. Now we are asking everyone else to consider being part of the parish success. We plan to use our portion of the funds to make the former convent totally accessible and to add much needed meeting space. Every generation of parishioners has made lasting contributions to Saint Juliana. Our school is an example of that. Even though it looks like one building, the school is made up of five buildings that were built to meet the needs of the time. Your five-year pledge will not only help us in the present, but will be used by generations to come. So please consider helping.

In the past two weeks everyone should have received a packet of information in your home as well as a pledge card. Today after all the Masses I will have a presentation in the school cafeteria on the campaign. We also will have several of the volunteers present to answer your questions as well. We need all of you. Join us after this weekend’s Masses.

After this weekend we are asking that everyone turn in their pledge cards at the masses on November 16th and 17th. Hopefully we will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving as a parish knowing we have reached our parish goal and are providing for the future.  

Today we celebrate the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time. November marks the last month of the Church calendar. The month begins with our celebration of All Saints and All Souls. On All Saints we were presented with all the people who have followed Jesus faithfully and are considered models for us to follow. The saints were not perfect. We can relate to them because, like us, they also sinned. But still their lives give some example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. On All Souls we celebrate our personal saints, our family and friends who have gone before us but are not forgotten. Their gifts and traits live on in all of us. We celebrate and commend them to God. Beginning this weekend we have set up our Tables of Remembrance in the sanctuary of the church as a place to remember and celebrate our loved ones. They are still with us; and as we celebrate together, these pictures represent their spirit in our midst. The tables will remain up through our celebration of Thanksgiving.

In the first reading from the book of Deuteronomy and in the gospel, we are given two commands. The first command is to love God with our whole being and to make God the center of our lives and decisions. The second command extends that love of God to our neighbors. I think the love of neighbor is the lived experience of loving God. If we don’t love the people around us, can we truly love the God who created everyone? That is the question given to us this weekend. 

This week Fr. Prasad will begin a bible study program. The group will meet twice a month on the first and third Monday of each month. It will be held in the parish library in the office building. Each session will last one hour. I encourage everyone to consider joining the group, especially as we near the beginning of the Advent season. The first topic will be the epistles of Saint Paul. Check out the bulletin or web page for more details.

This week all registered parishioners of Saint Juliana should have received a small packet of information on the Generation to Generation Capital Campaign. Next weekend, November 9th and 10th, after all of our Masses, we will be having Generation to Generation gatherings in the school cafeteria. These gatherings will be a chance for the whole parish to learn about the campaign and what we hope to do with the campaign proceeds in the parish. It is also a chance for us to answer any questions you may have about the campaign. To date about sixty families have generously made a five-year pledge that has brought our pledge total to $700,000. That is about 58 percent of our parish goal. Now we need all of you to prayerfully consider a gift to the Generation to Generation campaign.

Today we celebrate the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, and we hear that Bartimaeus is a blind man begging on the roadside. Through his encounter with Jesus, who is on his way to Jerusalem, Bartimaeus can now see. Because of this miraculous encounter, Bartimaeus follows Jesus to Jerusalem. Bartimaeus is strengthened and willing to follow the Lord wherever he is led. What blindness are we hoping to be shed of in our lives. Do we let our encounter with Jesus in the scripture and the bread and wine, transform us? Are we ready to take on the good and bad that seem to be a part of life?

Last weekend we celebrated marriage by blessing couples who stepped forward asking to have their marriages blessed. I think one of the vows a couple agrees to is to stand together for better or for worse. We all love to celebrate the joyful moments in our lives. We want to gather people around us to let them know how lucky we are, yet in marriage the worse often strengthens us. The commitment to love one another through good times and bad is the commitment that Jesus asked of his disciples and Bartimaeus. It is the same commitment Jesus asks each of us. Congratulations to all of our married parishioners who celebrated their marriage last weekend. 

Last Sunday we also are celebrating the commitment the students have made as they prepare to receive the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation this spring. These students are now in the second year of their preparation for the sacrament. They promised to continue to walk with Jesus and seek a transformation of themselves and the world. This commitment is not to be taken lightly. Their parents, families, and teachers have been their guides. Now we as their faith family accept their commitment and assure them of our support. Please keep our Confirmation students in your prayer in the months ahead. Then in spring we will joyfully celebrate their reception of the Holy Spirit.

Today at all of our Masses we will celebrate the Anointing of the Sick. We believe that through the Anointing of the Sick we can receive healing. Sometimes the healing is physical, but other times we receive a healing of our spirit. People have come because of physical illness, psychological illness, and just old age. We all want to be made new and we call on the Lord to heal us. Please pray for those in the Saint Juliana family who have come forward to receive this blessing.

This Friday we celebrate All Saints Day. We gather to celebrate the men and women whom the Church has put before us as examples of holiness. The saints weren’t perfect, but through some aspect of their lives they helped bring about the kingdom. Please join us for Mass in the morning at 8:30am or 7:00pm in the evening.

Next Saturday, on the Feast of All Souls, we will have our parish remembrance for those in the Saint Juliana family who died in the last year. We will call the names of our deceased and light a candle in their memory. The candle is a reminder to all of us that our loved one’s light still burns brightly. Please join us for this celebration of remembrance on November 2nd at the 5:00pm Mass. Also we will once again have our tables of remembrance in the front of church to remember our loved ones in the month of November. So please add a picture to our tables.

Finally, we invite everyone to join Fr. Prasad as he begins a twice a month bible study in November. The group will meet on the first and third Monday of each month. The study lasts an hour and begins at 6:30pm. Fr. Prasad will begin with the epistles of Saint Paul. Please call the parish office to sign up for the class.

Today we celebrate the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today we are reminded that there is one person who saved us, and that is Jesus. The prophet Isaiah predicted that Jesus would come and shoulder all our sin and weakness. In the letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded that even though Jesus was God, he was also one like us. He was flesh and blood, yet he didn’t sin, but rather bore our sins. The sacrifice of Jesus plays out in the gospel as the disciples ask Jesus to give them leadership in the coming kingdom. Jesus asks them point blank if they can bear the load of sin, hurt, frustration, and anger of the world. They reply with a resounding yes. Then Jesus sends them out to serve the world. How will we answer the same question? Are we ready the shoulder the burdens of those around us? Are we ready to serve the whole world, including those we love and those we don’t?

This weekend we celebrate the gift of marriage at our 5:00pm Mass. During this celebration we ask all couples in attendance to rededicate themselves to each other in the presence of the community. For many it will be the first time they publicly declare their love since their wedding day. I believe privately they have declared their love repeatedly through action. Today the Saint Juliana family joins them in asking God’s continued blessing on their journey ahead.

This weekend we are hosting our October fall hospitality Sunday. We invite everyone to hang around after the Masses and catch up with neighbors and friends. This Sunday we will also have a Saint Juliana information booth set up for anyone who might have questions about something that is happening at the parish. Our bulletin and web pages are full of information, but sometimes it is nice to have a person-to-person chat about something you have seen or heard. We may not be able to answer every question, but we will make sure that someone gets back to you quickly. Thanks to Barb Ernat and the Hospitality Team for their work at building up the community. We are always stronger as a community!

Next weekend we will be celebrating Anointing of the Sick at all of our weekend Masses. The Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament of healing within the Church. We can receive the sacrament multiple times, often as we face health issues or as we get older. We believe the sacrament can provide healing—sometimes that healing is physical and sometimes it is in the form of peace to face whatever is ahead. We encourage those who need the sacrament to join us next week.

For those who know me, I am not one who likes to talk about money. I sometimes think it comes from starting life in a large family where the treasure we had was each other, rather then lots of money. That being said, this fall the parish and I chose to be part of the pilot for the Generation to Generation: Answer the Call capital campaign in the archdiocese. By now everyone should know that it is a five-year pledge campaign to raise money for accessibility and more meeting space in our former convent. As I write this, I want to thank the first fifty-five families who have pledged to the campaign, for a total of $650,000. We are already halfway to our goal! I now ask everyone to prayerfully consider what gift you will make to the campaign. For some of you, Saint Juliana has been your home for generations. For others, you are just starting out. It has been a place of support, healing, and strength in good times and in difficult times. Please answer the call and make a pledge for the future. In the coming weeks you will be receiving calls from parishioners or myself asking your support. Please answer the call as you are able.

Thanks to Cindy Brennan our parish health coordinator for taking time to distribute flu shots to our parishioners who wanted them. It is always nice to be able to get some of our services locally. Cindy is a great person to call when we have health questions. Thanks, Cindy!

Today we celebrate the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The question posed this week is whether we want wisdom or possessions. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom makes clear that wisdom is the correct choice. The writer says that if we possess wisdom, live by wisdom, and follow God, other blessings will come as well. In the gospel, Jesus answers the young man who is asking to be justified, telling him he has done good things and only one stumbling block remains—his possessions. We struggle daily for our possessions. Then we worry about them and forget other more important things like relationships. The man went away sad because he had many possessions. The reading doesn’t say he didn’t listen to Jesus. I always hope eventually he made the right choice and began to take care of the poor. We can have both, possessions and wisdom.

Next Saturday, October 19th, we are celebrating our Saint Juliana marriage anniversary Mass at the 5:00pm Mass. Many of us pick special anniversaries and decide to celebrate them. We encourage all our married parishioners to join us for a blessing and recommitment to your marriage. You might be married twenty-five years, fifty years, or more. You might be married two months or seven years. Every marriage deserves to be blessed by God and celebrated in the community. So please join us next Saturday, and during the Mass we will renew vows and ask God to bless your love once again.

The archdiocese is once again taking count during the month of October. You may ask what we are counting. At Saint Juliana wisdom has shown us what is important. We are counting who may have been touched by programs like Alpha, The Chosen, bible study, adoration, or retreats. What really counts is how many people feel closer to Jesus today and if they are sharing that story of closeness with others. With that in mind I believe we have a great October count of recommitted Catholics who are opening themselves to opportunities to encounter Jesus anew! I encourage all of you in the coming year to be included in the October count of recommitted followers of Jesus. Don’t let an opportunity to meet Jesus pass you by.  

Thanks to all the parishioners who supported the Mission Spirit Team’s Uncle Pete’s fall lunch return and all of you who supported the Saint Vincent De Paul coat drive. Sometimes we don’t even get a chance to announce these drives at the Mass, yet both have become a part of Saint Juliana and you always step up. Thanks to all the volunteers who collect and disperse your generosity. Go Saint Juliana!

Finally, we have had several good weeks as we unfold the Generation to Generation capital campaign. As of this bulletin, we have collected $550,000 in pledges. This represents 45% of our parish goal. We need everyone helping to successfully reach our goal of $1,215,000. In the back of church, we have some simple renderings to show what some of the work will look like.  Please help us keep the momentum going. Consider prayerfully a five-year pledge to the Generation to Generation capital campaign.

Today we celebrate the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. This week the readings talk about creation, relationships, and marriage. In the Book of Genesis, God is looking for a suitable partner for man. The whole story of creation is the story of God’s love that flows into creation of the world and all living things. God’s love doesn’t stop there, though. He wants the man he created to be happy. God creates a partner that is his equal, and both are made in the image of God. And God says it is good. The gospel continues a discussion on relationships, and asks what we are to do when relationships break down or fall apart. First and foremost, couples need to put their time, effort, and energy into ongoing building up of the marriage they entered before difficulties arose. We live in a society that looks for instant and constant gratification. All of you who are married know that life isn’t always perfect. Sometimes it is in the struggle that our relationships can get stronger. But sometimes even with our best effort, our relationships break down. Two thousand years after Jesus’ conversations with the Pharisees, the Church still tries to grapple with the breakdown of marriage.

When a marriage comes to an end, the Church asks couples to go through an annulment process. The annulment process helps the couple recognize things that they missed when they began their marriage or things within the marriage that led to the breakup. Was a couple immature? Did they not understand the sacrifice that marriage entails? Were there things beyond their imagining that made the marriage fail? Finally, the Church takes all the information gathered and asks, “Why wasn’t God’s grace present?” We believe that God’s grace is present in our sacraments, so when a marriage ends the Church tries to find an answer. In thirty-five years, I have found the annulment process to be helpful for couples who are looking to move on from a failed marriage. It allows couples to have a fresh start. I encourage everyone who has experienced a divorce or knows someone who has to consider the annulment process. Self-reflection is never a bad thing.

Today at our 9:30am liturgy we will be celebrating with all the students who are receiving their First Communion in the spring. It is a Mass in which the parish lets the children know that we support them and are excited for them. These children are excited as well. It is also a time for parents to recommit themselves to the weekly celebration of the Eucharist as well. We believe that Jesus is the center of our lives. Every week we put Jesus front and center in our celebration, and then we invite him to be the center of our being through our reception of the Eucharist. The children are excited about inviting Jesus into their lives. Please pray for all our First Communion families.

Fr. Prasad is continuing home visits in honor of our Blessed Mother. Fr. Prasad leads the rosary and then blesses the participants, as well as their home. Call the office if you would like a visit from Fr. Prasad and our traveling Blessed Mother.

Finally, thanks to everyone for your response to the appeal made last week for the Generation to Generation: Answer the Call capital campaign. Appointments are being made and pledges are coming in. We are now at 40% of our goal, with $478,000 being pledged.  We will soon have a thermometer in the back of the church to track our progress. Please pray for the success of the campaign and join us in making it successful.

Today we celebrate the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The first reading and the gospel today speak about jealousy in ministry. The question is who has the right to proclaim God’s good news. In the first reading God takes some of the spirit given to Moses and shares it with seventy other elders. Two more elders weren’t present when the spirit was bestowed, but they also seem to have received the spirit and are prophesying. The seventy are jealous that the two also received the spirit. In the gospel, John tells Jesus that there are people driving out demons in Jesus’ name and they are not part of his following. Jesus and Moses are both glad that others are proclaiming the good news. They both hope that everyone will speak and spread the good news. Jesus also encourages all of us to spread the faith as well. Our words and actions are an example for others of all that God can do in the lives of people who believe and proclaim his good news.

This week as we begin the month of October, Fr. Prasad and parishioners will once again be visiting homes in honor of our Blessed Mother, Mary. October and May are dedicated to our Blessed Mother. Fr. Prasad began the visits last year and looks forward to bringing the image of Mary to our parishioners’ homes and saying the rosary with everyone there. The visits also include a blessing for all present and a blessing on the home. Please call the parish office if you would like to schedule a visit in October.

This past week Saint Juliana has begun the second season of The Chosen. Parishioners gather and watch an episode of the show, and then discuss what the episode and discipleship mean in their lives. The Chosen is presented twice a week on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7:00pm, and a repeat is presented on Thursday mornings beginning at 9:30am. Please join us for season two!

Next Sunday we will celebrate the commitment Mass for the children who will be receiving their First Communion this year. We invite families to join us at our 9:30am liturgy. The children will receive a blessing as they say yes to learning more and more about Jesus and work to make Jesus a part of their daily lives. We ask all the parish to join us in prayer for these young children.

This coming Saturday, October 5th, in honor of Saint Francis, we will be having our blessing of pets. The blessing will take place at 9:00am after the morning Mass in front of the church. Saint Francis of Assisi had a great love and devotion to all of God’s creation. He saw all of us as stewards of the earth God gave us. Today Francis is more relevant then ever as we discuss climate change and the impact people have on the planet. Near his feast day, we ask Francis to watch over the pets that have become part of our families. Join us if you would like to have your pets blessed this year.

Finally, next Sunday, October 6th, Fr. Elliott will officially be installed as the pastor of Our Lady of the Woods Parish in Orland Park. Our Lady of the Woods is located at 10731 W. 131st St., Orland Park, IL. Fr. Elliott served Saint Juliana for three years after being pastor of Saint Pascal Parish. We knew he wouldn’t be with us for long, and last July he was named pastor of Our Lady of the Woods. Fr. Elliott’s installation Mass will be held at 11:00am, and there will be a light reception after the Mass. Everyone is invited to the celebration. Please pray for Elliott and his new parish community.

Today we celebrate the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the gospel this week, Jesus tells the disciples that the one who serves others will be the greatest in the kingdom. He says we must gently care for each other as we do a child. In the book of Wisdom, we see people are not ready for Jesus’ teaching. Rather than spend their time doing good for each other, they use their time to trip each other up. They do not want to change themselves, but rather think everyone else needs to change. Saint James in the second reading tells us that wisdom is peaceable, gentle, compliant, merciful, and full of good fruits. Where do we fall? What do our words and works show the world?

This weekend we begin the public phase of the Generation to Generation: Answer the Call capital campaign. Over the last two months, several parishioners have been asked to be early participants in the campaign. They also have been asked to help us get the word out as the campaign builds and ask their friends and neighbors to join as well. The Saint Juliana Parish goal for the campaign in $1,215,000. To date, we have collected $360,00 in cash and pledges and are at thirty percent of goal. We are one of fourteen parishes in the pilot phase of the campaign. The campaign is a multi-year pledged campaign that runs for five years from the start date in each parish. The archdiocese and the parish each have projects that will be part of the campaign. All money collected in the campaign is split 50/50 with the archdiocese. This morning at all the Masses you will hear me speak on the campaign. If you haven’t yet, soon after this weekend you will be receiving calls from volunteers who are working to make our campaign a success. I ask you to please welcome the volunteers and consider making a gift to the Generation to Generation campaign.

Saint Juliana will use the funds raised to continue renovations in the parish office building (former convent). These renovations will include making the whole building accessible and adding more meeting space for parish and school use.

There will be two pieces to the accessibility portion of the project. The first will be an exterior ramp built on Osceola to make the current first floor of the building accessible. Presently you must climb five steps to access the office and meeting rooms on the first floor. The second piece of the accessibility will be adding an elevator inside the building so people can access the chapel (three steps down), the first floor, and the second floor of the building. This will make the whole building accessible and usable for all parishioners.

The second piece is adding more meeting space on the second floor of the former convent. We presently have three meeting spaces on the first floor. These were created when Fr. James renovated the first floor. Each space has a different capacity, with the biggest holding about 55 people. We plan on creating a new room upstairs that would accommodate about 75. We will also include a full kitchen. Aside from the new meeting space and kitchen, we will also provide office space for all the staff. Because the school is now full at 570 children, we need the meeting space for school and parish alike.

The archdiocese has three main foci: evangelization, priest care, and help to parishes and schools who need financial help due to demographics and economic situations.

Evangelization: The first phase of Renew My Church was structural. It was “right sizing” the archdiocese for future ministry. This structural piece was painful and included closing and merging of parishes. Now though the important part of renewal has begun with a new emphasis on evangelization. Saint Juliana has been a pilot for this new evangelization for about a year. We are blessed to have Brian Romer Niemiec as an extra staff team member given to us by the archdiocese to help us begin to build a culture of evangelization in the parish. If everything goes well, every parish in the future will have a “Brian” helping with outreach and culture building.

Priest care: This is often seen as seminary training, but now Cardinal Cupich has initiated a more comprehensive program to help priests at all stages of their priesthood. Like many of you, we now are asked to set yearly goals—in spirituality, education, and health. The archdiocese helps us with the goals and provides resources to help us meet our goals. The second piece of priest care is the actual health and wellbeing of our priests. Presently we have about 220 retired priests in the archdiocese. We have about 310 active priests. Those numbers will soon become equal. This has put a large strain on healthcare costs for priests, and the pension fund that supports priests in retirement. Sometimes it is important to hear, but a priest receives $1,500 monthly as pension. This portion of the collection will make sure that at least that small amount of pension is still available as priests retire in the future.

Help for parishes and schools who struggle financially: Before Renew My Church, 70% of parishes needed some financial support from the archdiocese. 30% of the parishes still need financial help. This piece will help those parishes and schools who have difficulty meeting their financial obligations.

You all have generously supported campaigns in the past which have kept Saint Juliana strong. Ten years ago, you supported our last capital campaign, the To Teach Who Christ Is Campaign. Besides completing all the original projects in that campaign, we were also able to put all new windows in the school this past summer. As a parish we live out the Generation to Generation theme! I ask you once again to support this new campaign as we look to the future of Saint Juliana. 

Today we celebrate the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the Letter of Saint James, we are told to show no partiality to anyone. In other words, we are being told not to judge anyone. Saint James uses the example of encountering a rich person and a poor person. Do we treat each of them the same? Or better yet, do we reach out to the one in need and lift them up? Saint James tells us that God has done that for us. God has lifted us up and called each one to come to the table. In the gospel, Jesus is passing through areas that were often off limits to the Jews. A deaf and mute man was brought to Jesus for healing. He did not ask the man’s status, religion, or nationality. Jesus took him aside and healed him. God knows no partiality.

This weekend we will honor our first responders at the 11:00am Mass. First responders live out the commandments we hear today in our readings. By their lives, the first responder answers every call. They don’t choose which calls they will take and which they will refuse. Every call is important. They often put their lives on the line for all of us. We expect it of them. Police, firefighters, and EMTs are living examples of what the scripture teaches us today. I probably would also add in nurses and doctors as well. First responders deserve our admiration and respect. Today we say thank you to all of our first responders.

This week I want to take a moment and acknowledge one of our parishioners who has decided to pursue the diaconate. Last year, Frank Rottman met with me and asked if I would support his inquiry into the deacon formation program of the archdiocese. Just like priests, we need deacons, and so I wholeheartedly gave my support. Frank and his wife, Mary, finished the year of inquiry and will now begin a three-year program that will end in his ordination. As pastor I am excited that Frank and Mary have accepted this call to service in the Church. Their “yes” to this call of service is a call to all of us to serve the Lord. Thanks to all our deacons serving at Saint Juliana and thanks to Frank and Mary. And if you are thinking, don’t we already have a Rottman as deacon?—that answer is yes. Frank’s uncle John Rottman is one of four deacons at Saint Juliana. The parish has a rich history of deacon service. So please join me in praying and supporting Frank and Mary on this journey!

This week we will begin our fall Alpha program. There has been a great response to Alpha and through it we are raising up parish leaders who see the need for welcome, hospitality, and dialogue as we journey and encounter the Lord every day of our lives. Evangelization is recognizing all the ways God is a part of our lives, how we are transformed by those encounters with God, and then sharing those stories with others. When we gather and share our stories, others realize that they also have had encounters with the Lord. Become a part of our living evangelization in the parish and join us for this fall season of Alpha.

Next Sunday, September 15th, we will begin the 2024-25 RCIA program. I encourage everyone to invite family and friends to join the RCIA if they are baptized Catholic but did not receive any other training or sacraments. If someone was baptized in another Christian tradition and now would like to become Catholic they also should join, and finally those who have never been baptized but now are interested in finding out more about the Catholic Church. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is for you. Chris Floss leads the program on Sunday mornings. Call the office if you have questions.

Finally, next week at all of our Masses we will be blessing teachers and catechists from the parish. Our teachers in the school, and our catechists help pass on the faith to our children. They deserve our gratitude and prayers.

Today we celebrate the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings this Sunday speak about laws. One question posed is do we have to follow the law? Another topic is the purpose of laws. Are some laws more important then others? Jesus, through his ministry, did categorize laws. He picked two laws to highlight. He asks all of us to love God and love our neighbor. In other words, are the things we do, our actions, done with love of others and God in mind? Jesus doesn’t condemn laws that create civil society. He doesn’t fight the need for governments and laws, but Jesus does change the focus of all our laws and actions. Do we keep them because they show love of God and neighbor?  Do our laws and actions lift all the people in our lives up and not just a few we are comfortable with? 

This weekend we also celebrate the national holiday of Labor Day. God and nation asks us to celebrate the work we have been given to do. We believe that work gives us dignity. By our work we are a part of a bigger whole. Our nation is formed by hard working people who see their work as part of the great work that is the United States of America. Please pause this weekend to pray for work for all who are seeking employment. And celebrate the work you have been entrusted with at this point in your life.

Registration continues for the new season of Alpha. Over fifteen people have already signed up. Alpha asks us all questions of life. Together with parishioners, we then get share our faith and belief on the topics presented. Alpha is a safe place to ask questions. Please join us for this third season of Alpha.

The RCIA program is also about to begin. The Rite of Christian Initiation is designed for adults. It is for adults who want to learn more about our Catholic faith. There are Catholics who have been baptized but then did not receive any of the other sacraments. RCIA is for you. There are Christians of other denominations who have been baptized in other faith traditions but now want to become Catholic. The RCIA is for you. And there are many people who have never been baptized and want to know who Jesus is and what a relationship with him can do for them. RCIA is for you. Please call the parish office and ask for Marie Dombai to register for our RCIA classes.

Next week we will celebrate the work our first responders do every day. We want to pray for them and let them know that we support them. When there is a crisis or disaster, a first responder answers the call and puts themselves in danger so we can be safe. Sacrifice is the center of following Christ and we see it over and over again in the men and women who answer the call to serve. We encourage first responders to come in uniform so we can recognize your work and say thank you. Join us next Sunday for this important celebration.

This past week the Chicago Public Schools opened their doors. Now all of our children are back in school. I encourage you to drive safely on Touhy for the children of Saint Juliana and Ebinger. Other incentives are the tickets being given out when you don’t. Someone asked me why we put speed cameras up. The cameras are a city and county function. But safety is for all of us. We pray for a safe year ahead for our children.

Today we celebrate the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time. In both the first reading from the Book of Joshua and in the Gospel of John, people are given a choice. They must decide whom they will choose to follow. We all like options; the more the better. But making the choice between several options can be difficult. We often put off the decision until it is too late. No decision becomes a decision. I do believe the world has become more complex. We did have fewer options fifty years ago then we do now. But we still had to make choices. Jesus asks us to choose him. All the other “shiny” objects in our lives distract us from what is important. We may want money, fame, promotions, possessions, etc., but they will not bring lasting happiness. Jesus, the “Bread of Life,” will. The prophet Joshua and the people of Israel chose the Lord. Jesus’ disciples also chose the Lord. So, what will we choose to bring us happiness? 

Last Wednesday Saint Juliana School began the 2024-25 school year. Prior to opening day the teachers and school staff gathered for a retreat. As we continue to work on evangelization, it made sense that our teachers and staff should also take some time to reflect on their relationship with the Lord. Each day our teachers and staff work to help our children build a relationship with Jesus. So it made sense to spend time with the Lord in prayer and reflection. After the retreat, the meetings began. This Wednesday, August 28th, we will have a parent meeting and open house for our school families. On Thursday, August 29th, we will speak to our religious education families at a mandatory meeting. These events are important so that everyone has a clear knowledge of the expectations of our children and parents. I look forward to being with you at these important meetings.

Thanks to Brian Romer Niemiec for leading our evangelization leadership team training for the parish. This two-session training is a way to continue the parish work of evangelization. The more people who experience these opportunities to reflect on their relationship with Jesus will help the parish incorporate evangelization in all programs we run in the parish. Fifteen parishioners have taken the time to participate in the program. Thanks to Marie Dombai and Brian for the presentations.

On September 10th, we will begin our third Alpha at Saint Juliana. The team is ready and registrations are already coming in. Thanks to Leo Miller, Jon Peters, John Pelrine, and Chris Floss for speaking at the Masses last weekend. They did a great job describing their experiences with the Alpha program. Please feel free to call Marie Dombai in the parish office for more information or use the QR code from the bulletin to get more information.

This past week we finished season one of The Chosen. We will begin season two on September 25th and 26th. Parishioners gather and watch an episode each week and then take time to discuss the episode afterward. You can join us for season two even if you were not able to be with us for season one. We can help people catch up on the first season. Again, call the office and ask for Marie Dombai if you would like more information on this program.

Finally, thanks to Barb Ernat and her hospitality team for the great back-to-school block party last weekend. All of our schools have different start days, but the party was a great way to celebrate all students and teachers. Our families had a fun time and the hot dogs were delicious. Our prayers go out to everyone as the new school year begins.

Today we celebrate the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus continues what today we call the “Bread of Life” discourse. He tells his disciples and followers that he is the bread that gives life. He tells us we must consume—or maybe we need to turn it around—we need to be consumed by this living bread. Every culture in the world has a special bread that is a sign of life. It may be fry bread for Native Americans, Italian bread for dipping, Irish soda bread with butter, the list is endless. Bread sustains our physical life; Jesus sustains our spiritual life. Often we try to fill our needs with things that do not give us life, such as power, alcohol, status, or recognition. The Bread of Life needs to be our all. Jesus needs to be our all! Do we feel this need, this hunger for the Lord?  Or are we trying to be filled by things that will not give us life?

Today at all of our Masses we offer blessings on all students returning to their studies. This may be first-time students in our three- or four-year-old preschools, or it may be adults pursuing a doctorate. Many of our college-age students are already in week two of studies. The new school year is a time of new beginnings. It is a time to start fresh and commit ourselves to the work ahead. This time is always a great time to also recommit to our faith. Millions are recommitting to their education journey and millions of us also can recommit to our journey with Jesus. Today after our 11:00am Mass we will be hosting our back-to-school block party for all of our students and families. It doesn’t matter where you go to school, our commitment is the same. Please join us today at noon.

I also want to give a shout out to our teachers, principals, and school staffs. They do not get the recognition and thanks they deserve. The teachers build the foundations that all of us live on. When they do their job well, our society is blessed. Make sure you say thanks to all the teachers you know. Make sure they know how thankful we are for their ministry.

Registration is now open for the fall Alpha program. We have completed two successful Alphas and we look forward to the next one beginning on September 10th. Alpha gathers people together to ponder and discuss the big questions of life. It leads participants on a gentle journey to Jesus and faith. For those who already walk with the Lord, it is a renewal of their faith. For those who never knew Jesus or have walked away from him, it is a first step to building that relationship with the Lord. We have a great team ready to welcome you this September.

Last call for religious education registration. Registration has been open since May and now it is time to begin another year. Friday is the last day for registration.

Finally, a joyful celebration for Deacon Bob Ryan and Peggy his wife. After thirty-nine years as an active deacon at Saint Juliana, Bob is officially retiring. For more then forty years, the Ryans have dedicated themselves to Jesus, faith, and our parish. They took classes together, went on retreats, and served Saint Juliana in so many ways. They also raised a family at the same time. They have been the ultimate multi-taskers! And Saint Juliana Parish has been the recipient of their love and dedication. Don’t worry—Bob and Peggy are not going anywhere. They will still be a part of the heart of Saint Juliana. Congratulations, Bob and Peggy!

Today we celebrate the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Our readings today remind us of the strength we receive through our relationship with God. In the first reading from the Book of Kings, Elijah is ready to give up. He has found success in vanquishing the prophets of Ba’al, but now he has once again fallen into fear. He runs to the wilderness; and rather than ask God for help, Elijah asks for death. God will have none of this. God is the God of life and not death. So, Elijah is told twice to get up and eat so he has the strength for what is ahead. Elijah lets go of his fear, does what God asks, and can walk for forty days and nights on his next mission.

Jesus in the gospel tries to convince his disciples and those who are following him that he is the one who will nourish them. He tells them to bring their fears, their concerns, their needs, and he will give them life. We are Jesus’ newest disciples. We to are encouraged to lay our hopes and worries at the feet of the Lord. In the end though it will come down to trust. Do we trust Jesus with our hopes and dreams? Are we willing to lay our burdens at the feet of the Lord?

I invite everyone to join us for our Saint Juliana Parish back-to-school celebration next Sunday at our 11:00am Mass. We will offer blessings to all those returning to school this fall. Everyone is included—preschool, grade school, high school, college, or tech schools. It doesn’t matter if you are in a Catholic school or a public school. We all need blessings for our journey ahead. We will also offer a blessing for our teachers as well. After Mass we will have a celebration in the street in front of the church. It will be a chance to reconnect with friends we haven’t seen over the summer. Thanks to Barb Ernat, our school and parish ambassadors, and our hospitality team for organizing the event. And thanks to the Men’s Club and Mother’s Club for financially backing our celebration.

Thanks to everyone who supported the Saint Vincent de Paul school supply drive last weekend. I remember growing up how important it was for me to be able to go to school with fresh supplies—a new notebook, pencils and paper, scissors and such! Your generosity helps young learners succeed. Thanks to the Saint Vincent de Paul group for reminding us how important these little gifts can be in the life of a child.

Thanks to Tammy and Dan Pritt for all of the beautiful landscaping around the church and parish. Not a week goes by when someone doesn’t tell me how nice everything looks. Tammy and Dan enjoy doing the work and have taken most of it on by themselves. So just a shout out to the Pritts for all their work at Saint Juliana.

Today we celebrate the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings today ask everyone to remember who it is we rely on. In the first reading the Israelites are angry that Moses has led them into the desert. They forget the years of pain and slavery they endured in Egypt. Somehow, they think the past was better then their present and future. God reminds them that they exist because of him. He also tells them they need to rely on his goodness and providence. So, each day God feeds them. He doesn’t give them any extra. Every day they receive what they need for that day, fowl in the evening and manna in the morning. Saint Paul tells the Ephesians that they shouldn’t rely on their old ways or habits, but rather Jesus is the new way that brings light and life. Finally, Jesus confounds everyone in the gospel by telling the people he is the true bread from heaven. He is the food for our soul not just our body.

We are beginning the crunch time for the start of school, religious education, RCIA, and fall parish programing. Dan and Carlos have been working hard to make sure the school and surrounding property are once again in tip top shape. There is limited time and space for registrations for Saint Juliana School and the Saint Juliana religious education program. I encourage everyone to make sure your child or grandchild has their space reserved. Ms. Scotkovsky, our principal, and Mary Petrash, our Religious Education Director, have worked hard filling positions for the coming year. And now the teachers and catechists are beginning their preparation for the year ahead.  We look forward to once again welcoming back our children for the new year.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in also revving up. Chris Floss, our coordinator, has been in contact with those who have already shown an interest in the program. The RCIA is a pathway for people to become Catholic. Participants gather, and together they learn about the Catholic faith. It is a place to bring questions as they journey toward the Lord. In the beginning the RCIA group discuss what it means to have a relationship with Jesus and then how that is lived out in the sacraments in the Church. If you know people who might be searching in your family or circle of friends, encourage them to call the parish office and we will connect them with Chris. Everyone of us has a part in the mission to invite others to Jesus. 

Thanks to everyone who was able to support our summer Mission Appeal. Fr. John Khongsai appreciated the welcome and support he felt at Saint Juliana. This is another way that we can participate in the missionary discipleship of Jesus.

Today we celebrate the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Two of our scripture readings today tell stories of hungry people being fed. If that were the only story, there might not be any reason for us to even think more about the stories. But we hear in both that there wasn’t enough food to go around, yet everyone was fed. We also marvel that in both stories there was extra bread leftover. These are stories that speak to us of God’s care. God gives an overabundance of care to us. We don’t always recognize the blessings we receive, so these readings remind us to go back and look at the blessings we have received in life. Then like God, we are called to share our blessings and not hoard them. Blessings aren’t supposed to be hidden in a closet or put under a bushel basket. Rather they are to be shared with people hungry for them. We live in a society that tells us there aren’t enough blessings for everyone. We are told to build up our own blessing stockpile and don’t worry about others. Jesus tells us that our blessings will grow in relationship to how we share them with others. May we all strive to be as generous as Jesus.

Today we are having our summer mission appeal. Rev. John Khongsai will be speaking today at all our Masses about the mission work going on in the diocese of Imphal in the state of Manipur in Northeast India. Know that you can make an immediate difference by donating to this mission appeal. We will have an actual collection today for the church in Manipur. Please be as generous as your means allow.

As summer continues, we are preparing for some fall programs in the parish. The RCIA program will once again begin in early September. The Rite Of Christian Initiation of Adults is a program for those ready to join the Catholic faith. These might be family or friends who have never been baptized, but now would like to know Jesus and receive the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. The RCIA is also for those baptized in another Christian faith tradition that now want to join the Catholic Church and profess their faith in the Catholic Church. Finally, it is also for those who were baptized as Catholics, but for whatever reason have not received the sacraments of confirmation and Eucharist.   I encourage you to call us if you fall into one of these groups and want to begin a journey toward the sacraments. Chris Floss is our RCIA director and he would be glad to answer any of your questions. If you call the office, we will put you in contact with Chris.

We still are in need of catechists for the upcoming religious education year. The classes meet on Wednesday evenings beginning at 6:15pm. You may be concerned that you can’t make all the classes. I encourage you to think about asking a family member of friend to teach jointly with you. That way if you need to miss a class there will be seamless transition. Two adults in a classroom are always great as well. Please contact Mary Petrash if you are able to volunteer for this ministry this year.

Today we celebrate the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Last weekend we witnessed the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. Both former president Trump and current president Joe Biden agreed in their separate statements that there was a need to end all violence in our politics and work needed to be done to unite the country. As a parish we join them both in their prayer for unity and an end to violence. Paul speaks to the Ephesians today about unity and peace.  Obviously, there is disunity in the followers of Jesus in Ephesus. I quote St. Paul, “For he (Jesus) is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall on enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself one new person in place of two, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it.” As followers of Christ, we are called to work for an end to all division in our world and bring and end to divisions that threaten all of us with violence.

This Saturday, July 27th, the Saint Juliana Book Club is meeting and will be discussing John Steinbeck’s book, Travels with Charley in Search of America. Everyone is invited to join the discussion beginning at 9:15am in the parish office building.

Parishioners continue to meet for viewing and discussion of The Chosen. There is one group meeting on Wednesday evening at 7:00pm and another group meets on Thursday morning at 9:30am. Everyone is invited to these discussions as well.

Calling all golfers! The Saint Juliana Men’s Club is hosting their annual golf outing on Saturday, August 17th at the White Pines Golf Course. This is one of the Men’s Club’s biggest fundraisers. Please come out and support the Men’s Club and all their charitable work.

I don’t even want to mention school yet, but the St. Vincent De Paul Society will be hosting their annual school supply drive on August 3rd and 4th. Once again any donations you can offer would be greatly appreciated. 

Next weekend we will host our summer mission appeal. Each year we have two opportunities to participate in mission work. The first is the yearly collection for the propagation of the faith. The second is the summer mission appeal where we receive groups from around the world who ask for our prayers and financial support for their missionary work. This year we will be welcoming a representative from the diocese of Imphal in Northeast India. We thank God for the courage that Christian missionaries have shown in the diocese and I encourage you to be as generous as you can be for the collection.

Finally, thanks to our scouts for their work at cleaning up the cars of the parish. Thanks to all of you for supporting the Boy Scouts and their activities. This weekend Chris Zayia is collecting funds for his Eagle Scout project. He plans to build raised vegetable planters for the residents of Saint Benedict Village. Please consider helping if you are able. 

Today we celebrate the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. This week we continue to encounter prophets who are not welcome. Amos is called by God to speak to the tribe of Judah, asking that they change their ways. Amos was a shepherd and caregiver of trees when he received God’s call. But Judah is stubborn, and instead of considering Amos’ words, Judah banishes Amos from the kingdom. In the gospel Jesus sends out the apostles two by two to bring the good news to the people. Jesus tells them that they will be taken care of and so they shouldn’t worry about what they will wear or what they will eat. They should focus only on the good news they have been given and share it with those who will listen. He also tells the disciples to not focus on rejection, rather shake the dust off their feet from those people who reject them and move on to more fertile ground. There isn’t enough time to get caught in the naysayers. It is the same today. We are the missionary disciples sent out by Jesus. We are to focus on good news and not let ourselves get trapped in negativity. Good news equals light, and we are to be people of the light.

As we continue into the middle of July, forty parishioners are gathering each week to watch The Chosen. This is the first season of the hit show on Jesus and his disciples. There is a group meeting each Wednesday evening in the parish office library beginning at 7:00pm. There is also a second group meeting on Thursday mornings at 9:30am. The groups watch the episode and then take some time to unpack the content. It is a great way to sharpen our faith and learn from one another. Please join us if you are able.

The Saint Juliana Book Club continues even without their fearless leader Fr. Elliott. The next meeting will be held on Saturday, July 27th at 9:15am in the parish office building. The book that will be discussed will be Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck. Everyone is welcome to join.

We have a month left for religious education registration. The last day to register your children or grandchildren for classes is August 23rd. We will not be taking late registrations. You can register on line at our webpage or contact Mary Petrash at [email protected]. There will be a mandatory parent meeting on Thursday, August 29th for those who have registered and their children.

Finally, Mundelein Seminary is hosting a retreat for high school boys who may be considering the priesthood. The retreat runs from Sunday July 28 through Wednesday July 31st. Please contact Donna in the parish office if you are interested in joining other high school students from the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Joliet. Scholarships are available for this retreat.

Today we celebrate the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. All three of our scripture readings speak about prophets. In the first reading we are given the prophet Ezekiel’s call. He tells us that when God called, the Spirit entered him and he couldn’t sit still. The Spirit compels him to go to Israel and let them know that God is not happy with their ways. In the second reading we hear from Saint Paul, also a prophet. He is so excited by what he has been asked to do, that God sends him a thorn to bare. We don’t know what that thorn is, but it does help him to see grace in weakness. Finally, Jesus is the prophet who isn’t accepted in his hometown. Being a prophet isn’t an easy job. Being a follower of Jesus isn’t easy either. It requires patience, forgiveness, love, compassion, generosity, joy, and hope. Jesus the prophet speaks to all of us. Are we willing to answer his call?

As the summer break continues, work continues here at Saint Juliana. Last week I spoke about our Blessed Mother statue being rejuvenated and the window replacement in the school. Two other projects that are being completed are the repainting of the Ahearn Center (gym) and new floors in two of our classrooms. All these projects happen because of your ongoing generosity.

Ten years ago, we had the Teach Who Christ Is capital campaign. That campaign was a success, and it provided the funds for the school windows we just installed. Now the archdiocese and Saint Juliana are beginning a new campaign. The Generation to Generation: Answer the Call capital campaign will help us to continue renovation of the convent/parish office building. We look to make the whole building accessible with ramp access to the first floor and an elevator to go up to the second floor and down into the chapel. We also will blow out part of the second floor to make a larger meeting room than we have on the first floor, along with a full kitchen. The archdiocese will use their portion of the funds to support the new evangelization efforts we have been a part of here at Saint Juliana. They will also use the funds to make sure the priests’ pension remains solvent so we can take care of our elderly priests. Finally, a portion of the money will go to help parishes that are not able to sustain themselves due to demographics and location. Over the next few months, you will be invited to join us at campaign events or have visits in your home as we ask for your support of the campaign. The campaign is a five-year pledged campaign and we look forward to completion of our project to provide more meeting space for both the parish and school, along with accessibility. Please pray for the success of our campaign!

Finally, I want to let people know that the Saint Vincent DePaul bins that are located in the alley behind the parish office will be removed soon. This past year we have experienced issues with bins not being emptied, large donations stacked outside the bins in the elements, and donations strewn all up and down the alley. It is not fair to our neighbors who have to look at that all the time. We have a short list that we compiled for you to consider when you want to donate something, which we will include on the website and in next week’s bulletin. I am sure there are other organizations as well that will take your donations. This does not affect the Saint Juliana Saint Vincent de Paul Society or the collections they sponsor each year. Thank you for your cooperation.

Today we celebrate the Thirteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time. In the first reading from the book of Wisdom, we are told that God did not make death, rather he is the creator of the living. Though it is a statement, it also is a directive. Like God we are called to bring life into our everyday world. We are to work hard to steer clear of sin or actions that lead to death or darkness. You have heard me say that good actions or words lead to more good, and that bad actions and words lead to more evil. Jesus asks us to fill our days with good for the coming of the kingdom. When we feel overwhelmed or filled with worry, it is nice to know that Jesus knows and lived our craziness. Look at today’s Gospel and a day in the life of Jesus. The day begins with large crowds pressing in on Jesus to hear his word and experience his presence. In the midst of teaching the people, a synagogue official comes to him and asks him to heal his daughter. Jesus follows the official, as does the whole crowd. Along the way another woman, who has suffered for years, decides she just needs to touch Jesus cloak and she will be healed. Jesus feels the healing power leave his body as the women experiences physical healing. Then Jesus is told that the daughter of the synagogue official is already dead. He is not defeated by the news and wakes her from the dead. Jesus knew busy days! He experienced great joy and moments of sadness! Yet whenever he could he brought more light into the world by his words and actions. We are asked to do the same.

Just a couple of updates to report on and thanks to give. First, the statue of our Blessed Mother is back after a very necessary rejuvenation. The statue had faded over the years and was very dirty. Pieces of the original statue were missing, including a few fingers on our Lord. The artist who restored our statue believes it was originally made somewhere between 1890-1910. When he began to clean the statue he also found two or three layers of paint on some parts of the statue from earlier repairs. After more work he found the gold trim along her blue mantel. I want to thank all of you who supported the gala last fall. The restoration of our Blessed Mother statue was one of the projects that was part of the gala fundraising. Thanks again to everyone who worked to make the gala a success.

The second update is the replacement of our school windows. The school building is really four or five buildings that were built in stages as Saint Juliana grew. Some windows were original to when a new building was added to the school. Other windows were updated at different times throughout the 100-year history of the school, but in the end it was time to replace the windows as we prepare for the future. The bronze windows unify the school and now all the windows can be opened and closed safely. Every classroom also has a exterior access window if it is ever needed by police or fire. The cost for the windows was around $800,000. The funds for this project came from the To Teach Who Christ Is account. Thanks to everyone who supported that campaign ten years ago.

Thanks to Marvin Bornschlegl for all his work with our Totus Tuus summer camp. It was a great week of fun, faith, and friends for our children. Thanks also to the young adults who led the program and all the adult volunteers who gave time and food for the camp.

Finally, this week we celebrate Independence Day. This is a yearly reminder of how God has blessed us and our country. We live in a polarized world that works to highlight what divides us. On July 4th we will gather with family and friends to celebrate what happens when we work together. We have freedom because we choose freedom. We continue to ask God’s blessing on all that we do as a nation. Happy Independence Day!

Today we celebrate the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The first reading from the book of Job is short, but it reminds us of who God is. God has the power to create and to bring order out of chaos. Job struggles to believe that concept, just as many of us do as well. In the gospel that doubt comes to the forefront when the disciples believe they will die at sea in a storm. Jesus happens to sleep through the storm until someone wakes him and makes him aware of the situation. Are we comfortable making God aware of our situations? Do we give our personal chaos to God and ask God to help us sort it out? We can use the excuse that God knows everything, but God doesn’t intervene unless he is asked. It is another of those relationship lessons. We believe our spouses or friends should know what we need. We live together and have known each other for years, but oftentimes those closest to us are not aware of our concerns or worries. Today God tells us to simply share ourselves and listen for God’s answer.

This past week the priests of the archdiocese completed our summer camp! Just like I am telling all of you, priests also need to constantly renew our relationship with Jesus. The convocation is a way for us to receive new content that furthers our faith journey and discuss the journey with fellow priests. It provided time for the priests to pray together. Shared meals, prayer, and lectures helped us remember what our call to priesthood looked like. We all received a call through baptism, and each of us needs to constantly take time to reflect on and keep that call fresh. This is part of the new evangelization for all of us. I am thankful for the time, and I encourage you to take advantage of opportunities for renewal offered in the parish.

Summer is a great time in the parish to reflect on upcoming activities in the future. I will start today with the RCIA program. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a program for people who would like to join the Catholic Church and receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. It might be your spouse, or a neighbor, or a friend at your high school or college. The RCIA is also for Christians who were baptized in another Christian faith tradition (Lutheran, Methodist, etc.) and would now like to become Catholic. They would make a profession of faith, and then receive Confirmation and Eucharist. Or you or a friend may have been baptized Catholic, but have not received the sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. The program is designed for adults and begins with an inquiry phase. Along the way everyone is given the option to continue or take a step back if they need more time to make this faith decision. I encourage you to talk to family or friends who might be ready to take this leap of “faith.” Chris Floss directs the program and is always willing to talk to possible candidates. Just call the office and we will put you in touch with Chris.

We need religious education teachers for next year. The program runs on faith-filled individuals who work to pass on the faith to the children of the parish. We provide training and material for the classes so that you can feel prepared for the ministry. Please consider volunteering for this important work.

Finally, I hope you get a chance to participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage this week. The Masses, processions, and adorations are listed on the webpage as well as this bulletin. If you can only pick one event, I would encourage you to join Bishop Bartosic at Queen of All Saints Basilica on Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 5:00pm. This is our vicariate celebration! Some of the deacons and parishioners have already told us they will be there, so please join us if you can. We are blessed to be able to celebrate the Eucharist and know that God is with us! 

Today we celebrate the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. As the summer season gets into full bloom, two of our Sunday readings talk about plants and how they produce. In the first reading, God takes a small, tender shoot off the of the cedar tree. He plants it on a high mountain and tends to the tree he has planted. The fruit of God’s work is God’s Jewish faithful and all of us Christians who came forth from God’s care and protection. In the gospel we have another image of a seed that is planted in the ground. The writer tells us that the seed is planted, and we don’t know how it springs up. The gospel goes on to talk about a specific seed. The mustard seed is the littlest of seeds, but when it grows it becomes a large bush and home to many birds and animals.  These stories give us a lesson as we continue to build a relationship with Jesus and one another. To become a disciple of Jesus, we must show up. What do I mean by this? Well, if we don’t put ourselves in God’s presence, or don’t listen to God’s word, or don’t use the opportunities presented such as Alpha, The Chosen, retreats, Sunday Mass, and prayer experiences, we are like a seed that is left in the packet and doesn’t produce. There will be no vegetables or flowers if the seeds are still in the bag. They need to encounter the soil to produce all their potential. It is the same with us. We need to encounter Jesus, put ourselves in activities that build our relationship with the Lord, and through those activities we begin to produce the fruit of faith. We become what God intended us to be.

This past week over twenty-five people came out for one of the two showings of The Chosen. That was a great response! Even if you didn’t make the first session you are welcome to come to the other sessions. Each week there is a bit more of Jesus’ story told and the response of those he chose to follow him. Questions are provided to help bring it to life in our own day-to-day living. Thanks to the team who is hosting the program. They are like the ushers at the movie theater, working to make us comfortable. So bring your friends and join us either this Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Totus Tuus summer youth camp is beginning tomorrow, Monday, June 16th. There is a day session for first through sixth graders and an evening session for seventh through twelfth graders. Thanks to all of the volunteers who are helping to make the camp a success. In a special way thanks to Marvin Bornschlegl, who is running the whole week. Please keep the college-age leaders in your prayers.

Once again, just a reminder that registration for Religious Education is now open. There are two months to register before we close registration. There will be no late registrations, so make sure you get the word out to family and friends to sign up now! We will have a parent/student meeting in August to go over expectations for both students and parents. We look forward to sharing this time with our parish children. If any parents wish to volunteer as catechists or aides for the program, please contact Mary Petrash through the parish office or email.

Today we also celebrate Father’s Day. Each year our parents only get one day for all the good they do for us. Today our dads get to be in the spotlight. We are thankful for their guidance and help as we grew up. We see our fathers as role models for us to emulate. Jesus always referred to his father, and today is our chance to make sure our fathers know how much we love and appreciate them. Happy Father’s Day!

Finally, this week the priests of the archdiocese will be at our convocation. That means the priests will be out of the parish from late afternoon Monday until late afternoon on Thursday. The parish deacons will be handling communion services during those days. Please keep all the priests of the archdiocese in your prayers. 

Today we celebrate the Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Saint Paul tells us in the second reading that all of us share a faith in Jesus Christ. He also tells us that because of that faith, we can not be silenced. Faith in Jesus causes us to want to live out his teachings and also tell others about the treasure we have received through Jesus. This is the basis for our discipleship. The disciple not only hears the Word, but then must share it with others. In the gospel, Jesus calls us all brothers and sisters and asks each of us to do the Father’s will.

Today at our eleven o’clock Mass we will say our goodbyes to Fr. Elliott and wish him well as he goes forth to pastor Our Lady of the Woods parish in Orland Park. Elliott came to us as the former pastor of Saint Pascal parish in Chicago. His experience as associate pastor and pastor showed in all he did at Saint Juliana. He has been a gift to all of us. Parishioners appreciated his thoughtful homilies. They were excited when he led Bible studies. We all could see and experience his love for the Word of God and also how it has impacted the history of the Church. The SJ Book Club was always challenged by his selections and appreciated his openness to their choices as well. We will all miss Elliott, but he is not going that far. I feel gifted having been able to serve with Elliott here at Saint Juliana and see him as a good friend. Good luck, Fr. Elliott! The thoughts and prayers of Saint Juliana go with you!

This week we will begin the showing of The Chosen. There will be two times available for those who want to join the viewing. There will be one showing beginning on Wednesday, June 12th at 7:00pm. A second matinee is available beginning on Thursday, June 13th at 9:30am. There will be some questions for discussion. Please beat the summer heat with friends viewing The Chosen.

Totus Tuus summer youth camp begins next week. There will be a day program for children in first through sixth grades. There will also be an evening program for seventh-twelfth graders. Call your friends and sign up for this week of fun and faith.

Thanks to everyone who made our parish picnic a success last Sunday. I will start with God, who gave us a perfect day. Then to the whole committee who worked so hard setting up, taking down, and providing the food. Thanks to the chefs and all the food helpers who gave us a great meal. We are grateful to the Friendship Club for working the registration tent, and the Boy Scouts for handling first aid! Finally, a big thanks to Marie who directed and worked with the committee to ensure success. Summer has now officially begun!

Next week the priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago will gather for our convocation. It is a chance for fellowship, relaxation, and time for renewal. What that means practically for the parish is that there will be no morning Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, June 18-20. Our parish deacons will be leading communion services on these three days. We will have 8:30am Mass on Monday and on Friday. As the archdiocese has restructured the parishes and downtown offices, the priests have experienced the same sadness and unsettledness as many others in the archdiocese. The convocation gives us a chance to support one another and look to the future ahead. Please keep all the priests of the archdiocese in your prayers.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharist is the center of our faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is present to us in the Word, the assembly, but most importantly in the Eucharist. When we consecrate the bread and wine, we are called to be part of the sacrifice that happened over 2000 years ago. Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins is ongoing. We are invited to the cross every time we celebrate the Eucharist. We also participate in the Resurrection as well. Through our participation in the Eucharist and reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, we become the Body of Christ. We are called as disciples to take the Body of Christ out into the world, into our homes, workplaces, and communities. Jesus is alive. He is not history, but rather a presence we can access every day in our daily lives. We need to always give time to building and strengthening the relationship we have with the Lord.

This month the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will be coming through the Archdiocese of Chicago. The bishops of the United States are hoping that we can reawaken the importance of the Eucharist in our daily lives. We have been publishing the Archdiocesan events in the bulletin for the last month. A short recap, Wednesday, June 26, 4:00-7:00pm Mass, adoration and procession at Mundelein Seminary, youth focused. Thursday June 27, 12:00-9:00pm Masses, adoration, and procession at she shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines. Friday, June 29, 6:30-10:00pm Mass, adoration, and procession at Saint Alphonsus Church, Chicago. Saturday, June 29, Mass, adoration, and procession at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago. This evening is for all of us in Vicariate II. And on Sunday June 30, Cardinal Cupich will be hosting Mass, adoration, and a procession at Holy Name Cathedral. After the Sunday celebration the pilgrimage will move on to Indianapolis. I know several parishioners are already scheduled to go to Indianapolis. I encourage you if you can, to go to the Vicariate II celebration of Saturday, June 29th at the Queen of All Saints Basilica. Bishop Bartosic will be hosting that event. Most importantly, take time to renew your relationship once again with the Lord.

To build your relationship with Jesus and to live out his call to be disciples, I encourage you to participate in the parish watch events and discussions around the Chosen series. On June 12th, we will have an evening viewing and discussion beginning at 7:00pm. On June 13th, we will have a morning viewing and discussion for those who find the morning easier. It begins at 9:30am. Both sessions will be held in the library of the parish office building. Please register so we have enough popcorn for the showings.

Please remind family and friends that registration is now open for religious education classes for the 2024-2025 school year. We will close registration on August 23rd. This gives everyone three months to register. There will be no exceptions for late registration. Get your registration in now before you forget. 

Finally, now is the time to register the parish children for the Totus Tuus Summer camp to be held on the week of June 16th-21st. Grades 1-6 will have a day program and grades 7-12 will have their own evening program that same week. More details about registration are in the bulletin.

Today we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity. We celebrate the God who is with us. God is present in many ways, yet we know God is one. God the Father reminds us of the God who creates—the God, who out of extreme love, formed us from nothing. We celebrate the Son who became one of us so that we might experience new life when we had sinned. We celebrate the Holy Spirit who continues to guide us and help us as we make decisions each day. At Christmas we use the word “Emmanuel” to describe God. This is a God who is with us in many forms.

The Trinity is also an example of relationship for us. The perfect relationship within the Trinity between Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a model for our own relationships with one another and God. We are called to be one, just as the Father, Son, and Spirit are one. The closer we get to that unity in our daily lives, the more we experience peace and joy. We are not perfect, but we can look to the Most Holy Trinity as an example to follow.

This weekend as a country we also celebrate Memorial Day. This holiday was created to celebrate the men and women who have given their lives to protect our freedoms. It is a day to celebrate those who sacrificed to make our lives better. It has also become a day to remember those who actively serve now in all our armed services. These men and women put their lives on the line for us. Memorial Day has also become a day to remember all the deceased members of our families. Many people will visit our local cemeteries as they remember and honor their grandparents, parents, family, and friends. We do not want to forget. It is in the sharing of stories that our loved ones once again are alive in our lives. We also gather as families on Memorial Day for picnics and barbeques. These celebrations connect us to the celebrations our deceased family celebrate with God. We hope you have a good Memorial Day celebration this year.

Next Sunday Saint Juliana will host the parish picnic at the Bunker Hill Woods Forest Preserve. We will gather at Grove 5 beginning at 11:00am. There will be music, food, and games for all ages. There will be a petting zoo and pony rides. At 12:30pm we will have a Mass under the picnic shelter. And then after Mass food will be served. Bring some comfortable chairs and join us as Saint Juliana begins its celebration of summer.

During summer, activities often start to slow down in the parish, but this year we have a number of upcoming events and classes and events for all ages! Totus Tuus, our summer youth camp, starts in mid-June. Our discussion of The Chosen also begins around that time. Registration information is included in this bulletin.

This week the Saint Juliana School Class of 2024 will celebrate their graduation. The eighth graders are ready for the next stage of their lives. Their work here at Saint Juliana has given them the foundation for whichever high school they have chosen. We are proud of these students, and we send them off with our prayers. We also remind them that they will always have a home at Saint Juliana. Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the end of the Easter season. Even though we follow this Sunday up with the feast of the Most Holy Trinity and the Body and Blood of Christ, the Easter season is now complete. On Pentecost we celebrate the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles. They receive gifts that allow them to be Jesus’ disciples who go out and share the good news that they have received in Jesus. There are different versions in the scriptures as to how and when the Holy Spirit came to Jesus’ followers; but no matter the story, the result is the same. The disciples were filled with passion that made them share all they had received in Christ. We, too, receive that same Holy Spirit through our receipt of the sacraments. Today we celebrate God’s gifts that continue to pour out over each one of us. These gifts are meant to be shared!

In the last couple of years there has been a lot of talk around the TV show The Chosen. It is a fictional depiction of Jesus’ life and the lives of all who followed him. It is well done and has made many people look at their own faith in Jesus and what it means to be a follower of him. Beginning this June, Saint Juliana will be viewing and discussing the first season of The Chosen. We will hold two viewing sessions, depending on your preference. For those who prefer the evening, we will meet on Wednesdays, starting June 12th. The daytime viewings will be on Thursdays, starting June 13th. We will view the weekly episode together and facilitate group sharing around some questions that pertain to the episode. We look forward to some good dialogue and insights, and we hope you will join us! See page 10 in the bulletin for more information.

On June 2nd, Saint Juliana will host our parish picnic in the Bunker Hills Woods, Grove 5. This is the second year for the reincarnation of an old staple from the past. There will be food, music, and lots of activities for the young and the young at heart. New this year will be a petting zoo, pony rides, and frozen treats for the children. We will host an outdoor Mass beginning at 12:30pm in the shelter, and food will be served after the Mass. The parish has the grove from 11:00am until 6:00pm. So, grab your family, friends, and most comfortable lawn chairs and enjoy an afternoon with your parish family. Please see the flyer on page 9 for registration information.

Summer is fast approaching, and Saint Juliana is once again hosting the Totus Tuus summer youth camp. The camp will be held on the week of June 16th-21st. Grades 1-6 will meet during the day, and grades 7-12 will have a separate evening program. Registration is now open. Check the bulletin or webpage for registration information.

Finally, the Niles Metropolitan Chorus will be hosting Donizetti’s Requiem at Saint Juliana on Thursday, May 23rd in the church. The concert is open to all and will begin at 7:30pm. The chorus is performing the requiem as a remembrance for all those we lost throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Several of our Saint Juliana choir members sing in the Niles Metropolitan Chorus, so it is an honor to have them perform here at Saint Juliana. For more information you can go to www.nilesmetropolitanchorus.com or call 224-585-3768.

Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. So now what? That is the question we hear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus tells the apostles that they are to stay together and wait for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will give them power and courage to live in Jesus’ way. But then he is taken up in a cloud. So now what? The gospel gives us the answer to their question. Jesus tells his disciples to “go out into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” This is our call as believers in Jesus. We are missionary disciples who are called to go out and proclaim our encounter with Jesus to the world. These encounters with the Lord should change our lives. In the gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that they will be saved, drive out evil, and speak new languages. Recently I have come to believe that the new languages we will speak are peace, forgiveness, hospitality, generosity, kindness, and hope. We have lost touch with these “original” languages and often work out of division, chaos, and despair. Today let’s reclaim our original languages and together share our stories of hope with one another.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our moms. Our mothers are the first teachers of a life of hope. They teach us what it means to be self-giving.  They nurture us and teach us follow in their footsteps. Today we take time to say thank you to our moms for all of their love, care and sacrifice. We pray for all of them living and deceased.

This Wednesday evening, May 15th, we will be having a new parishioner social. Over the past couple of years we have had many people register as parishioners at Saint Juliana. We are grateful to all of you, who have decided to make Saint Juliana your faith family. Now we want to welcome you in person and answer any questions you may have about the parish. It doesn’t matter if you just signed up or have been with us for a few years. It will be an evening to meet other new comers and staff. We will meet in the parish office library and outdoor patio between 6:30-8:30 pm. We look forward to putting faces with names.

This June Fr. Elliott will be leaving Saint Juliana. Fr. Elliott was named pastor of Our Lady of the Woods parish in Orland Park. He will take up his duties as pastor beginning on July 1st. Elliott has gifted us with his homilies and his scriptural knowledge. He can make scripture come alive. Whether it was in his scripture studies or just at a staff meeting we looked to Elliott to give us more insight into what the words were saying. He also loves to read and has led our parish book club. Change is not easy, but we are happy for Fr. Elliott as he is once again able to lead a parish community. On June 9, 2024 ,Fr. Elliott will celebrate the 11:00am Mass. There will be a reception for Fr. Elliott after the Mass. Please mark your calendars so you can join us in saying thank you to Fr. Elliott. 

Today we celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Easter, and we get two important teachings through the scripture. The first teaching is that God will come to anyone who accepts him. What does that mean? It means that everyone who has heard Jesus’ word and tries to follow his teaching has been accepted. It means that family and friends we know are accepted. It also means people we may have written off in our lives are also accepted. We are all called through this teaching to take a fresh look at our own judgements and prejudices. We are called to see everyone as a child of God.

The second lesson is to love one another. It seems straight forward. Though clear, the commandment to love is not easy. We hold onto hurts and slights. Words injure us, and often they come from those who have the power to hurt us—family and friends. But Jesus’ teaching reminds us that we are to forgive seventy times seven times. To love someone means we know them. So, another lesson is that we can’t generalize or make assumptions about people we don’t know. We need to spend time forming relationships with them, just as we need to take time and grow our relationship with Jesus.

Congratulations to all the Saint Juliana parish children who received their First Communion last weekend. We had two wonderful celebrations. Our children inspire us to be better. Their hard work and preparation is a reminder to all of us that we also need to work and prepare each and every time we receive the Lord. Like the children, we need to joyfully accept the mission to be the Body of Christ in our world. May Christ’s light shine forth from these children and from all of us.

Congratulations to all the Saint Juliana parish children who were confirmed this past Friday. Like the younger children, they prepared and were ready when Bishop Bartosic called down the Holy Spirit. The difference is that as junior high students the expectations to live as Jesus wants them to, can seem daunting. It is hard to always make the right decisions. Hopefully with the help of the Holy Spirit they will live out their call to be the Light of Christ in the world.

Thanks to all of our teachers and catechists. It is hard to be a teacher. Like the children, teachers also must chose to be the Body of Christ. We are blessed with great teachers and catechists who continue to inspire our parish children. Thanks to all!

The conclusion of the Easter season is fast approaching. Next Sunday, May 12th we will be celebrating the Ascension of the Lord. We also will be celebrating Mother’s Day. You have a week to do something nice for your moms!