St. Emily and St. Thomas Becket Parishes
 February 18, 2020
Dear Families,

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 26.  We will have class that night, and will bring the students to church for the 7:00 PM mass.

Please plan on joining us for mass!

We will dismiss from the church after mass, so come there to pick up your child.  It will be a bit later than usual, about 8:00 PM.

You can find the full Ash Wednesday schedule for both St. Emily and St. Thomas Becket below.

fortyhoursAs we come closer to Lent, we'll be hold a Forty Hours Devotion at St. Emily from February 23-25. Please feel free to sign up for 30 minutes or an hour of Eucharistic adoration .  If you can't make the full time commitment, stop in during that time by yourself or with your children to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.

During Lent, parents are welcome to participate in a "House Church" - a small group sharing experience - during the time that students are in Religious Education on Wednesdays.  Check out the details.

Thank you to everyone who brought in items for Project Exodus!  It is a wonderful response.  If you have not contributed, you can still drop it off. We have not yet been assigned a family.  I will let you know as soon as I hear that news. 

McLoraineSt. Emily is fortunate to have an endowment fund, the McLoraine Trust, which provides scholarship funds for St. Emily parishioners attending Catholic high schools.  If you have an eighth grader, it is worth checking it out.  Information is here.    Application form is here. 

ashweds
Ash Wednesday
Please join us at St. Emily or St. Thomas Becket on February 26

At St. Thomas Becket

6:30 AM
Prayer Service with Distribution with Ashes (English)               
9:00 AM
Mass with Distribution of Ashes (English)
12:00 PM      
Prayer Service with Distribution of Ashes (English)
6:00 PM            
Mass with Distribution of Ashes (Bilingual)
8:00 PM 
Mass with Distribution of Ashes (Polish)
 
At St. Emily

6:30 AM 
Prayer Service with Distribution of Ashes
8:30 AM
Mass with Distribution of Ashes
12:00 PM
Prayer Service with Distribution of Ashes
5:00 PM
Prayer Service with Distribution of Ashes
7:00 PM
Mass with Distribution of Ashes  The Religious Education students will attend this mass.

Please remember that Ash Wednesday is a  day of abstinence from meat.  All those who are between the ages of 18 and 59 (unless pregnant, nursing or ill) are  obliged to fast. This means eating one meal, with the possibility of two smaller meals that do not together equal a meal.

housechurchJoin a "House Church" for Lent
A Faith Sharing Group that Meets While the Kids Are in Class

This is a tradition at St. Emily. We'd like to make it available to the families of Religious Education students while the kids are in class on Wednesday.  Melissa Hajdu is leading the group. 

This year, the groups will read and discuss the book,  Give Up Something Bad for Lent . Change a bad habit or way of relating that hurts your life with God and others. The books will be available for purchase for $10.00 each. (Melissa will have them for sale in February during RE.  They are also available in the parish office.)

The group will meet on March 4, 8, 11 and April 1 in the school faculty room. You can drop off your kids, sit down and have a cup of coffee, and then you'll be close by to pick them up at the end of class at 7:30 PM.
familymass
Family Mass
Join us on February 29 at 5:00 PM

Family Mass is a great opportunity to not only worship together, but to minister together.  It is a joyful and spiritual lift.

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

The next Family Mass is Saturday, February 29 at 5:00 PM.   Sign up here for the ways you and your child can participate.
welcomeWoman's Welcome Weekend
A great way to jump start your spiritual life

St. Emily has sponsored Christ Renews His Parish (CHRP) for many years.  Welcome is the '2.0 version' and will take place here on February 29 to March 1.

Welcome is a renewal experience for all Christian women 18 years and older. It's an experience that promises to remind us there's MORE to life.

For more details, and to register,  go here.
 
matthew
winterEmergency 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 is cancelled.

Dates to Save
  • February 26 - Ash Wednesday.  Mass at 7:00 PM.
  • February 29 - Family Mass - 5:00 PM
  • March 4 - First Lent House Church meeting 
  • March 7 - First Reconciliation at 1:00 PM
  • March 10 - Confirmation Rehearsal at 7:00 PM
  • March 15 - Confirmation at 2:00 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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