Tax Credit Scholarships will be available
St. Emily and St. Thomas Becket Parishes
March 12, 2019
Dear Families,

stationsThis week, half our classes will be praying the Stations of the Cross in church.  There will be two 'shifts' - one at 6:30 PM and one at 7:00 PM.  Please feel free to join us for this devotion.  (The other half of classes will pray the Stations on April 3.)

Please join us for the Fish Fry this coming Friday.  A great committee has been working to make it fun and successful.  All the proceeds go to help fund the Religious Education program.

Also, during Lent, we will be holding our traditional Penny Slam to help fund an important clean water project in East Africa.  Please see below for more info about Fields of Life and how a Penny Slam works.

exodusWe received the exciting news that we will welcome a refugee family coming from Syria on Thursday, March 21.  They have two young daughters, ages 3 and 4.  (Currently they are in Jordan.)

The many, many things you donated through Project Exodus to furnish their new home are waiting here to be delivered to them the day they arrive in the United States.  If you would like to join in the caravan to bring them their gifts, please let Cathy know.

There are many, many ways to grow closer to Christ during Lent.  Check out the opportunities at both  St. Emily and at St. Thomas Becket.

mcloraine The information about the McLoraine Scholarship, which is awarded to St. Emily parishioners who wish to attend Catholic high schools , is here. Please look it over and apply!

In addition, if you thought you could never afford Catholic school tuition, you will want to check out the information about the Tax Credit Scholarships.  Due to a generous donation by a parishioner, there are funds available for qualifying families.

Women of the parish are invited to the next Christ Renews His Parish weekend and to the Women's Club tea . 

fishfryWe're Having a Fish Fry!
Friday, March 15 from 6:30 to 9:00 PM
To benefit the Religious Education Program

Come and join in the fun. 
There will be fish, mac'n'cheese, coleslaw and lemonade. $12.00 for adults and $8.00 for kids. ($5.00 for the mac'n'cheese plate only.)

It will be BYOB.

There will also be games for the kids.

In Hajdu Hall at St. Emily.

All the proceeds will go to benefit the Religious Education program.  (Your tuition pays only a portion of the total costs.)

Ways to be involved:
pennyslamLent in our Religious Education Program
Help to build Pete's Well



Remind your kids to  bring in their money for the Penny Slam  - a friendly competition between classrooms.

For those unfamiliar with the process, you put everything except pennies in your own class bucket.  A cent from either silver or paper money equals a point.  Pennies are used to 'slam' the other classes, since each penny is a minus point.

The proceeds will go to fund a well being built in Uganda in honor of our own Deacon Pete Hajdu.  You can check the pictures his daughter took in the village a short while ago on the bulletin board outside the Religious Ed office.
choirJoin the St. Emily Children's Choir for Easter
Rehearsals at 5:15 PM, right before RE begins

The Children's choir needs singers for Easter Sunday! Would you like to have your child sing on Easter in Church? Please sign up your child with this form or online at www.stemily.org.

The sign up form includes the calendar for a schedule of practices.  Lastly, please contact Mary Caldrone with any questions or concerns.
familymass
Family Mass
Join us on March 31 at 9:30 AM

Family Mass is a great opportunity to not only worship together, but to minister together.

Each month, different families sign up to be the greeters, readers and gift bearers for our community.

The next mass of the year is Sunday, March 31 at 9:30 AM.  You can sign up here.
  • The greeters will welcome parishioners upon their arrival to mass and hand out bulletins as they leave. 
  • For readers will read the first and second readings.
  • The gifts of bread and wine can be brought to the altar by the whole family.
taxcreditApplying for a Tax Credit Scholarship
A way to afford a Catholic School education for your child

Through the "Invest in Kids Act," tax credit scholarships are available to Illinois children, in grades K-12, from low-income households who want to attend private schools, including our 209 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

This program started during the 2018/19 school year and many families in our Catholic schools are benefiting. The scholarships are funded by donors who receive a 75 percent credit on their Illinois state income tax as a result of their donation.

The scholarships offered through the program could cover up to 100 percent of tuition and eligible fees for one year and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis, subject to the availability of funds.

To find out more about eligibility and application, go here.
emergencyclosing
Emergency Closing Information
Know how to be informed

We hope that all our Wednesdays are sunny and dry, but it is Chicago and we realize that winter weather is no joke.

If we find it advisable to close, we will send a blast email to all families that day.

We will also post any closings at the  Emergency Closing Center.  Please check there to make sure.   You can also sign up there for email alerts that tell if and when the Religious Education program cancels.

Dates to Save
  • March 15 - Fish Fry sponsored by the Religious Education program
  • March 21 - Welcoming our Project Exodus family
  • April 2 - Confirmation rehearsal at 7:00 PM (not April 4)
  • April 7 - Confirmation at 2:00 PM
  • April 13 - First Communion retreats at 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM
Quick Links
St. Emily Parish
Catherine Crino, DRE
847-299-5865
St. Thomas Becket Parish
Renata Sosin, CRE
847-296-9051
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