St. Mary of the Assumption

Maple Park, Illinois

 

Sunday Masses:
Saturday:  4:00 PM 
Sunday:  8:00 AM

Weekday 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)

            

Part-time Music Director position available at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Maple Park.  Masses are on Saturday evening at 4:00 PM and on Sunday morning at 8:00 AM.  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.

The Lion's Roar

Old Testament Presentation...

The Old Testament is an indispensable part of Sacred Scripture. Its books are divinely inspired and retain a permanent value, for the Old Covenant has never been revoked. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 121).

Whenever we celebrate Mass we, more often than not, we hear a reading from the Old Testament. It is that first part of the Bible, if you may. Some people may consider it out of date, but for us Christians it is still a very important part of Sacred Scripture as the paragraph above from the Catechism teaches us.

The Catechism points out that the Old Testament is a preparation and a declaration in prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ. The 46 books in it help us get a better picture of Jesus Christ. They also provide “a storehouse of sublime teaching on God and of sound wisdom on human life, as well as a wonderful treasury of prayers; in them, too, the mystery of our salvation is present in a hidden way." (Dei verbum, 15)

It is my intention to help you understand the Bible better. With that in mind I will be giving a presentation on the Bible: Old Testament on August 21 at Ss. Peter and Paul and August 22 at St. Mary. Both presentations will begin at 7:00pm. Please bring your own Bible.

New Testament Presentation...

"The Word of God, which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, is set forth and displays its power in a most wonderful way in the writings of the New Testament" which hand on the ultimate truth of God's Revelation. Their central object is Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Son: his acts, teachings, Passion and glorification, and his Church's beginnings under the Spirit's guidance. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 124)

The New Testament is the second part of the Bible, if you may. It is made up of 27 books. As the paragraph above from the Catechism teaches us, it contains what we know about Jesus Christ. In particular, the Gospels “are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Saviour.” (Dei verbum, 18)

The Catechism emphasizes the unity of the Old and New Testaments, asking us to read both the Old and New Testaments. St. Augustine once said “The New Testament lies hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New.”

In order to complete a better understanding of the Bible, I will be giving a presentation on the Bible: New Testament on August 28 at Ss. Peter and Paul and August 29 at St. Mary. Both presentations will start at 7:00pm. Please bring your own Bible.

New Bell Tower Construction Underway

If you haven't noticed, the new bell tower construction is in progress in front of the church. Take a look at the pictures of the construction as it happens in the photo albums section on this page. The bell being used was removed years ago from the raised top section of the North tower of the church and has been refurbished. A big thank you to the many volunteers and generous donors that have contributed their time, talent and treasure to make this happen.
 

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Altar Server Appreciation

The parish is hosting an Altar Server Appreciation event at Funway, in Batavia, on Sunday, September 2, in the afternoon. There will be bowling and pizza. This is a fun way to express appreciation to our children for their stewardship of time and talent.
  

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Books Needed!

The Respect Life Ministry and the Cenacle Guild needs gently used children’s, teens, fiction, non-fiction, and Christian-themed books as well as music CDs and movie DVDs for the Used Book Sale to held on the Labor Day weekend. Anyone wishing to donate, please place materials in the box in the church vestibule. For more information contact Delores at 630-466-3423.
 

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Religious Education

RE is coming up! The first class will be on September 9th at 9:15 am. Please register your children if you have not done so already. Download a  Registration form here or they can be found in the back of the church or at the Novak Center. We are in need of a 6th grade catechist,  a 9th grade catechist, and several aides. If you hear God's call to assist this year please contact Sarah, our R.E Coordinator. Thank you!

Church Stained Glass

The Buildings and Grounds Committee has proposed that we continue renovation work on the church’s 100+ year-old stained-glass and clear exterior windows. 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. The work will be done in two approximately equal phases. The combined cost for these two phases is estimated at $103,600. We have received permission from the Diocese to begin this work as funds become available. The Diocese has instructed us that only monies received for “Stained-Glass” for the next three years would be exempt from diocesan tax (used as a basis of setting our diocesan appeal goal).  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 meet our diocesan goal!
 

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.