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Mass Schedule
Sunday Masses:
Saturday: 4:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AMWeekday Masses:
Monday thru Thursday and First Fridays of each month: 7:15 AM
Other Fridays: Check bulletin (Either Mass or Communion Service @ 7:15 AM) -
Today's Readings
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Reading 1 1 Tm 3:14-16Responsorial Psalm Ps 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6Gospel Lk 7:31-35
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From the Desk of Fr. Ariel Valencia (September 15, 2019)
The Lion's Roar
September 15, 2019 is Catechetical Sunday. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity to reflect on our role in sharing the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. This is a time to rededicate ourselves to our mission as a community of faith. The theme for this year is “Stay With Us.”
According to the 2018 Saint Mary’s Press study, The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics, youth stop identifying as Catholics at a median age of 13 for reasons ranging from disbelief to dissatisfaction with Church teaching. Many of the young people who have stopped identifying as Catholics tended to have “weak signs of attachment to the church” in the first place. In other words, they were not formed very well in the faith.
We need to walk with our youth and their families. Always engage the young people in your family to know and grow in the Catholic faith. And if that means you yourself should know and grow in the faith, so be it. Hopefully, they will see your relationship with Jesus Christ alive and making a difference. Thus, they will be attracted to stay with us. -
Ministry Schedules
Ministry Sign-Up Here
Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, and Lectors sign-up using SignUpGenius by using the following links:
Sept. 2019 Ministry Sign-Up
Oct. 2019 Ministry Sign-Up
Nov. 2019 Ministry Sign-Up
We are using this method to schedule volunteers at Masses to allow you to choose dates and times convenient to you and make it easier for families to schedule to serve together. SignUpGenius will send you an email to confirm when you schedule and a reminder a few days before you're scheduled to remind you that you're on! -
Online Giving
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Parish Calendar
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Sunday, September 22Saturday, Adoration 2:45 PM, Confessions 3:00-3:45 PM, Mass 4:00 PM; Sunday, Mass 8:00 AMRead More
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Sunday, September 29Saturday, Adoration 2:45 PM, Confessions 3:00-3:45 PM, Mass 4:00 PM; Sunday, Mass 8:00 AMRead More
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Sunday, October 6Saturday, Adoration 2:45 PM, Confessions 3:00-3:45 PM, Mass 4:00 PM; Sunday, Mass 8:00 AMRead More
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Sunday, October 13Saturday, Adoration 2:45 PM, Confessions 3:00-3:45 PM, Mass 4:00 PM; Sunday, Mass 8:00 AMRead More
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Safe Environment Program
The revised diocesan Safe Environment Program now requires all parish volunteers complete Protecting God’s Children, undergo a background check, and read a few important documents. Please contact the parish office for more details with any questions you may have. -
Catholic News Service
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IMAGE: CNS photo/Randy Sager, ABC photo archives By Carol Zimmermann WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Cokie Roberts, a broadcast journalist and political commentator who spoke publicly about her Catholic faith...
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IMAGE: CNS photo/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A delegation of U.S. bishops and laypeople came to Rome to share with Pope Francis and Vatican officials the joyful experiences and...
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National Catholic Register
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By Edward Pentin | The well-known Catholic Italian writer Vittorio Messori has said he and “many Catholics are concerned, some are even desperate” about the current state of the Church, but that he...
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By Janet Morana | The abortionist Ulrich Klopfer admitted in court in 2016 to aborting some 50,000 babies at his businesses in Indiana. Following his death earlier this month, the medically preserved...
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Parish News & Events
Drawdown Tickets are $30 each and are available after Masses, from a committee member or in the parish office.
►Save The Date
St. Mary’s Harvest Drawdown & Hawaii Raffle Saturday, November 2nd
Registered parishioners should have recieved Hawaii Vacation raffle tickets in the mail. Please return payments with stubs in the weekend collection or to the office by October 27th. Feel free to pick up more tickets to sell from the table at the back of church or in the Novak Center.
Religious Education Classes Start September 8
Parents, have you turned in your R. E. registration forms yet? If not, please do so as soon as possible! Classes resume next Sunday, September 8th.
Seeking Coordinator of Religious Education
St. Mary of the Assumption and Sts. Peter and Paul parishes are seeking a coordinator of Religious Education. The position is part-time. Salary negotiable based on education and experience. Qualifications: practicing Catholic, teaching experience in religious education, must have a minimum of Level II in the Diocesan Catechist Certification Program. Responsibilities: Report to Pastor, attend Parish council meetings, coordinate Religious Education activities like Sacramental preparation and celebration, teach a class when necessary, provide catechist formation, ensure Novak center is clean. Please call the Fr. Ariel in the parish office if interested.
Seeking Music Director
We are seeking a part-time Music Director. Services are on Saturday evening at 4:00 PM and on Sunday morning at 8:00 AM. Applicant also needs to be available for Holy Days of Obligation and occasional funerals and weddings. Please contact Fr. Ariel at 815-505-7471 or the Parish Office at 815-827-3205 for more information.
Remember Your Parish...
Please remember St. Mary’s with a gift in your will or estate plan.
Volunteers - We Need You!
The Catholic faith community of St. Mary, Maple Park is constantly in need of people to be involved in our liturgy. We are very much in need of cantors, accompanists, choir members, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, lectors and altar servers. Make an effort to actively participate at Mass and step up! Online sign-up using SignUpGenius is available on this page. -
From the desk of Msgr. Tom Dzielak (September 15, 2019)
YOU HAVE MADE US FOR YOURSELF, O GOD, AND OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL THEY REST IN YOU[St Augustine, THE CONFESSIONS]The Church encourages devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows during the month of September. This devotion has ancient roots and is based on a recognition that Mary participated in the suffering and death of Jesus through the events of her life with Him. There is a prayer called the “Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows,” and it may be something helpful in your own prayer life and growth in Christian living. Here are the Seven Sorrows which make up this devotion.
1: The Prophecy of Simeon: read Luke 2:25-35. This recalls that when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple, the elderly Simeon predicted a “sword of sorrow” would pierce Mary’s soul.
How does one pray the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows? (1) Begin the Chaplet by praying an Act of Contrition. (2) Then for each Sorrow, do the Scripture reading, followed by the Our Father and 7 Hail Marys.
2: The Flight into Egypt: read Matthew 2:13-15. This recalls the journey of Mary and Joseph to Egypt to protect the life of Jesus from King Herod’s massacre.
3: Jesus is Lost in the Temple and Found after Three Days: read Luke 2:41-50. This recalls the incident we all know so well.
4: Mary Meets Jesus as He Carries His Cross: read Luke 23:27-29. This recalls the anguish of Mary as she experiences Jesus’ carrying the cross to Calvary.
5: Mary at the Foot of the Cross: read John 19:25-30. This recalls the great anguish of Mary’s presence during Jesus’ agony on the cross.
6: Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus: read Psalm 130. This is the scene so often painted, the “Pietá” (pronounced “pee-ay-TAH”), and a staple for Christian meditation.
7: Mary Witnesses the Burial of Jesus: read Luke 23:50-56. This recalls the experience of Mary between His death and the resurrection on Easter.
The devotion has been popularized in our day by a visionary in Rwanda, Africa, who said our Blessed Mother appeared to her during the 1980s. There Mary has become known as “Our Lady of Kibeho.” -
From the Desk of Deacon Greg Urban (July 21, 2019)
Church Stained Glass Window Work
The Buildings and Grounds Committee has proposed that we continue restoration work on the church’s 100+ year-old stained-glass and clear exterior windows.
Some time ago, the Committee presented a proposal to the Pastoral and Finance Councils at a combined meeting to finish rebuilding all the exterior clear windows that help protect the interior stained glass. This work should delay the need for rebuilding more internal stained-glass windows. This work has been completed on the stained-glass windows that have already been rebuilt.
UPDATE...
The Finance Council and Buildings and Grounds Committee met on July 16, 2019, and recommended to Fr. Ariel that we proceed with a revised proposal received from Daprado Rigali for installing vented clear-glass on the five exterior windows on the North side of the church and the four windows in the upper church sanctuary (Altar area). The cost for this work will be approximately $80,000. Through your generosity and our fundraising activities (many thanks to our volunteers and guests!), we have most of the funds on-hand to complete this work. We will NOT require borrowed funds. There will be three remaining windows on the South side of the church that will still require this work when additional funds become available.
For your information, the Diocese has granted us permission that monies we receive for “Stained-Glass” will be exempt from diocesan tax (used as a basis of setting our diocesan appeal goal) until December 31, 2020. Therefore, we ask that you use the “stained-glass” offering envelope, online giving selection, or write “stained-glass” on your checks for contributions for the window work. We sincerely thank you for your past donations and ask for your generous support in this endeavor to help properly maintain our church.
And, please don’t forget your contribution to this year’s Diocesan Appeal. Help us exceed our diocesan goal! -
2019 Diocesan Annual Appeal
Your gift to the 2019 Diocesan Appeal supports ministries like these: Seminarian Education, Lay Ministry Formation, College Campus Ministry, Retired Priests, Life & Family Evangelization, Youth Ministry, Religious Education, Catholic Charities, St. Elizabeth Center, Deaf Apostolate Ministry, and many more!
It is important that every family participate. Thank you for giving generously!
Click here to view the 2019 Diocesan Appeal Video
Click here to securely donate online -
Word on Fire
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