St. Mary of the Assumption

Maple Park, Illinois

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When you and I were baptized we were told that we share in the mission of Christ as “priest, prophet and king.” This is because the Sacrament of Baptism unites us to Jesus and to His mystical Body, the Church. I have to remind myself of that fact from time to time, because it’s easy to forget in all the experiences of daily life.

The great St. Augustine, a bishop, said to his priests, “first, I am a Christian … then I am a bishop.” We might paraphrase his comment: “first, I am a Christian … then I am a husband (wife, father, mother, etc.).” By “Christian,” he meant Catholic, of course, for there were no Christian Protestants until eleven centuries after the time of Augustine.

This weekend’s readings remind us that God works through people other than those who have a special authority from Him (Moses, the Apostles) as well as through those chosen for a special purpose. God gives us priests a particular role in the life of the mission of the Church, but He also has given every baptized person a role to play. In the early Church St. Paul called all baptized persons “saints” (“saint” is a translation of “sanctus”) because each one was united to Christ unless he or she alienated himself or herself from God by committing mortal sin.

There is a certain false humility which is a temptation in the lives of Catholic lay people. We see it when a Catholic in the state of grace assumes that sacredness is found in priests or bishops, but not in lay people. I see that when some people refuse to receive Holy Communion in the hand when mandated by the bishop during the pandemic crisis because, as someone put it to me “your hands are consecrated, mine are not.” It’s true that the priest’s hands are blessed at the time of his ordination because he will consecrate the bread and wine at Mass. But that doesn’t mean that a lay person’s hands are “spiritually dirty” because his or her hands have received no special blessing. We might ask ourselves: “Do I commit more sins with my hands than I do with my tongue (e.g., gossip, hateful comments, using the name of God in vain)?” Your own conscience can tell you the correct answer to that question.

Remember: you and I, with all our faults, have been chosen to be united to Christ in our baptisms. That means that when we are in the state of grace, we share in the holiness of Our Lord.  God desires to carry out His work through each one of us in the way and at the time He chooses. Saying, “oh, not through me!” can be false humility. Better to echo our Blessed Mother: “Let it be done to me as You will.”

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

• Latest COVID-19 Guidance - Effective immediately, masks are required at all Masses and inside parish buildings regardless of vaccination status. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation! To view the latest guidance given to us by Bishop Malloy, please visit the diocesan website at www.rockforddiocese.org.
• Daily Mass: Daily Masses are now celebrated here Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM.
• Confession Schedule:

        Wednesday 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
        Thursday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
        Saturday 11:30 pm to 1:00 pm

• 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 special “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

It's time to sign-up for the 2021/2022 Religious Education Program.  You can choose in-person classes following appropriate safety guidelines or homeschool.  Download the RE Calendar and Combined Registration Form here.

CLASSES BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 9:15-10:30, in the Novak Center. REGISTRATION FORMS available for download above, in the back of church, and 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.