Dear Parishioners,

Autumn is a month when change and transition is poignant. The trees give us one last blast of color and then their leaves shrivel, die and fall back to the earth. Temperatures become cooler announcing the bleak months of winter that are yet to come. Autumn sunsets fill the evening skies with resplendent reds and oranges, which although strikingly beautiful, are the colors of war. In classical Christian mythology the archangel Michael, whose feast day is September 29, is thought to replace the warrior god Mars who was always clothed in red. Not surprisingly, so is the angel Michael.

Dear Parishioners,

The autumn weeks of September and October are especially rich with the unique array of saints’ days that are celebrated during this time. On September 8 we commemorate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, only one of three birthdays that are featured in the liturgical year. September 21, is the feast of the apostle and evangelist (once tax collector) St. Matthew.

Given how violently tax collectors were despised by their own Jewish people, this day assures us that conversion is possible for anyone – both those who are despised and those who do the despising. September 23 honors the beloved Padre Pio whose visible signs of Christ’s Passion (i.e., the stigmata) invite us to look beyond what we immediately see in others to discover what sufferings they endure below the surface of the skin.

Dear Parishioners,

Reentries can often times be difficult, disconcerting and even dangerous. Whether it’s reentry into the earth’s atmosphere from outer space, reentry into a family or society from which one was alienated, or reentry into a building, such as a place of worship, the action of coming back to some reality from which we were separated, poses numerous challenges. It demands giving up a familiar way of doing things from the past.

Dear Parishioners,

Most of us are probably familiar with the colloquial expression The walls have ears. More often than not, this expression serves as a warning to those who are under the impression that their “private” conversations are truly private. Whether the conversations were at home, a workplace or some other context, experience indicates that confidentiality is not always as diligently observed as one would expect. Information gets leaked.

"I don’t have time for this!” These were the words that were on replay in my head as I drove from Joliet to Mundelein Seminary a few weeks ago. I was headed to a 3-1/2 day regional retreat for all the bishops from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. In my justified view, my saturated work schedule simply did not leave any room for this spiritual “indulgence.” Yet, motivated mostly by duty, I checked into my room and asked the Lord to help me check my bad attitude at the door.

Dear Parishioners,

I am pleased to introduce our newly hired Director of Religious Education (DRE) Julie Dillenburg. Julie comes to our parish with twenty-six years of having served in this ministry at number of parishes in the Joliet Diocese. She has a vast array pastoral experiences that include: teaching general education with certification to teach kindergarten through 9th grade, as well as, religious education, coordinating Religious Education programs, working as a Youth Minister as well overseeing the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA).