Dear Parishioners,

On July 11, 2023, our parish staff celebrated the feast of St. Benedict with Mass at 8:15 and a festive midday lunch at which Abbot Austin Murphy OSB from St. Procopius Abbey honored us with his presence. In addition to his company, Abbot Austin presented our parish with a check for $100,000.00 as the Abbey’s contribution to our capital campaign. This very generous gift from the monks of St. Procopius community will greatly assist us in our efforts to repair and enhance the place where we worship which is a major aspect of our upcoming centennial celebration.

Our capital campaign, Cherishing Tradition, Creating Vision, continues to accept gifts from parishioners who wish to show their love for our faith community by contributing to this project. It is my hope that by the end of this summer we will have the necessary funds required by the Diocese to secure contractors and begin establishing more specific plans so that the actual remodeling can commence in June of 2024. You will recall that the three major areas of this remodeling project are to: repair and re-stain the pews, replace the carpeting with terrazzo and paint the walls and ceiling. During these summer months we will conduct our liturgical rites in the school gym and elsewhere on our parish campus. If all goes as planned (which it seldom does, but we can always hope) we will return to church by September.

A word of caution is in order for couples hoping to get married in the fall of 2024. There is no guarantee that the church will be usable as we plan. It is not uncommon to experience delays and setbacks in projects of this size. Couples are certainly welcome to have their wedding celebration in the school gym, but somehow I doubt that this is the ideal environment that every bride has dreamed of for her wedding. LOL So I ask all our parishioners to keep this church project in your prayers so that it can be accomplished in a manner that is timely, beautiful and safe.

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July 11, 2023
Feast of Saint Benedict
St. Joan of Arc Parish
820 Division Street
Lisle, IL 60532

Dear Fr. Gabriel,

We congratulate you and the parish on its 100th Anniversary! The St. Procopius Abbey Endowment is please to support the St. Joan of Arc Parish centennial campaign fund with the enclosed donation of $100,000.00.

As St. Joan of Arc Parish heads into its second century, may God continue to bless all its members, especially through the intercession of our holy father, St. Benedict. Be assured of our ongoing prayers.

Peace in Christ,
Rt. Rev Austin G. Murphy, O.S.B.
St. Procopius Abbey

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