St. Mary of the Assumption

Maple Park, Illinois

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Last week as part of our celebration of the 20th anniversary of Deacon Greg Urban’s ordination on October 20, I wrote briefly about the history of the Permanent Diaconate prior to Vatican II. This week I want to share some things about the Diaconate after its revival following Vatican II.

The bishops of Vatican II approved the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate on September 29, 1964. The Council left it up to the local episcopal (bishops) conference, with the approval of the pope, to determine when and where deacons would be assigned. In April 1968 the United States bishops voted to ask the pope to authorize the restoration of the Diaconate in our country.

Our bishops pointed to two reasons for restoring the Diaconate here. First, to complete the hierarchy of sacred orders (the Sacrament of Holy Orders), which in its fullness includes bishops, priests and deacons. Second, to show the importance of the sacramental principle in Christian life, since deacons can bestow sacramental graces that lay people cannot.

Permanent deacons have a ministry with three general areas, and every deacon is involved in some way in these areas. First is the ministry of the Word, and the deacon can proclaim Gospel and to preach, as well as instructing Catholics in the Faith, counseling, and conducting retreats.

Second is the ministry of the liturgy, not only by assisting at Mass, but also by baptizing, witnessing marriages, bringing Viaticum (Holy Communion to those who are dying), presiding over funerals and burials, conducting Holy Hours and other prayer services, and administering certain sacramentals of the Church.

Third is the ministry of charity and justice. This is the primary ministry of the deacon.  Ministry to the poor and the needy includes things like visiting the sick and home bound, doing drug and rehabilitation work, ministering to convicts and their families, assisting children in the court system, reaching out to the poor, the homeless and other needy and troubled groups in society. We could say that the deacon is the parish leader in this special area of Church ministry.

In sum, the deacon is not an assistant to the priest because we don’t have enough priests to do the work. Rather, the deacon is vital member of the ordained ministry in the Church, and deacons would still have a place in ordained ministry, even if we had more than enough priests. When we pray for an increase for vocations, we should never leave out prayer for an increase in deacons, for their ministry is important for the full life of the Church.

Important Messages from Bishop David J. Malloy

Dispensation from Mass attendance ended July 1

Bishop David Malloy advised priests of the Diocese of Rockford in a June 11 letter, that the dispensation from the obligation of attending Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation would be lifted July 1, 2021. Both Bishop Mallory and St. Mary's ended live-streaming Masses on June 27. It's time to come back to Mass in church!

Read the Press Release Here

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Other News Items

• COVID-19 Guidance - Masks are required at all Masses and inside parish buildings regardless of vaccination status. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation! To view the current guidance given to us by Bishop Malloy, please visit the diocesan website at www.rockforddiocese.org.
• Daily Mass Schedule - Monday through Friday at 8:00 am (unless posted otherwise)
• Confession Schedule - Wednesdays: 11:00 AM to 12:00 (Noon); Thursdays: 7:00 to 8:00 PM; Saturdays: 11:30 AM.
• Year of St. Joseph - In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, Pope Francis has proclaimed a specia l “Year of St. Joseph.”  It is a wonderful opportunity to increase our love for St. Joseph and knowledge, “to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal" (Patris Corde). Fr. Ariel has assembled a worship aid and we encourage you to Down-load it here and use it during the year. You may also pick-up a printed copy at church.

 

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St. Mary's Harvest Drawdown - November 6

We WILL be having our annual St. Mary’s Harvest Drawdown at the Novak Center on Saturday, November 6, 2021. The format will be the same as last year with a drive-thru dinner from 4:30–7:00 pm. The Drawdown will be live-streamed on the parish Facebook page. 

The Grand Prize will be $2500.00 (with additional prizes awarded).

This is still our major fundraiser of the year. Ticket prices are $25.00 per ticket which includes your dinner and entry into the Drawdown. 

The meal will be similar to the past. You can choose 2 pork chops, 2 chicken pieces OR one of each. If you buy additional tickets just to enter in the raffle just mark none under meal choice so we can get an accurate count for food.

Get your Draw Down tickets now! Tickets will be sold mainly online by way of our Ticket Reservation Form, in the parish office or from a committee member.

After you submit the form you will need to either Pay Online by check, credit or debit card through our parish online giving system, or by mailing a check to the parish office at: Drawdown, PO Box 70, Maple Park, IL 60151-0070. When we receive your payment we will email you your ticket(s). We will record and keep your stub for the drawdown, bring your email ticket for your dinner. There will be limited physical tickets available for purchase from a committee member. We encourage everyone to share this information on your social media. 

We will also be having a Silent Auction in conjunction with the Draw Down. Silent Auction Items will be posted as they are received. Bidding will start at 8:00 am on Saturday, October 30th and end at 8:00pm Saturday, November 6th. Please check back often since new items may be added. Feel free to share the link on your own social media.

You can help out by donating silent auction baskets and/or $25 gift cards and volunteering to help package meals.
  

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Religious Education

CLASSES ARE UNDERWAY, Sundays, 9:15-10:30 AM, in the Novak Center. Download the RE Calendar and Combined Registration Form here, or pick up a form in the back of church or in the Novak Center.

If you have questions, please call our RE Coordinator Leila Rivers at 815-827-3205 x3.
  

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Mass Intentions

Please remember your loved ones with a Mass intention. We can pray for anyone, they do not have to be deceased. It can be for a wedding anniversary or birthday, a Mass of Thanksgiving, or any other special intention. Weekend Masses fill up quickly, but we do have daily Masses each week that are available. You can also use these Masses while you are away and cannot be here to pray for those loved ones. Please call or stop in the parish office for more information.
 

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New Parishioners Welcome!

If you are new to our parish or just visiting - WELCOME!!  If you would like to officially claim St. Mary’s as your Parish Home - we would love to have you!  Contact the Parish Office (815-827-3205) for information and a registration form.  Forms can be mailed or emailed to you or you may stop in and pick them up.
 

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Volunteers - We Need You!

The Catholic faith community of St. Mary, Maple Park is in need of people to be involved in our liturgy. During this time of COVID, we are in need of cantors, lectors, ushers, and greeters. Make an effort to actively participate at Mass and step up! Contact the parish office if you feel called to serve in a ministry.
 
 
  

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Remember Your Parish...

Just like for your family, it is important that the parish continue paying its bills. Please continue your Sunday contributions to the parish, by mail to: St. Mary Church, PO Box 70, Maple Park, IL 60151, or use our Online Giving service. Thanks and may God bless you!

Please also remember St. Mary’s with a gift in your will or estate plan.

Church Stained Glass Window Work (Update)

The latest phase of work installing vented clear protective glass over our beautiful sacred stained-glass windows is now complete. That being said, we will continue to raise funds for rebuilding the actual interior of our 100+ year-old stained-glass windows as this becomes necessary.

The Diocese has granted us permission that donations we receive for “Stained-Glass” will be exempt from the diocesan assessment (used as a basis of setting our Annual Diocesan Appeal goal) until December 31, 2024.  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 continued generous support in this endeavor to help properly maintain our beautiful church building.