St. Emily and St. Thomas Becket Parishes
February 25, 2020
Dear Families,

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday tomorrow, February 26.  We will have class 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.

During Lent, we are encouraging all the students to Read to Feed to benefit Heifer International.  This great organization supports sustainable agriculture, raising the standard of living in over 100 countries.

Both St. Thomas Becket and St. Emily are organizing Fish Fries on the Fridays of Lent. Plan to eat, or to help out.  Details are below.

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.

heiferRead to Feed
Our Lent Project Will Benefit Heifer International

Heifer International is a wonderful organization that provides breeding pairs of animals to help raise the standard of living in communities in over 100 countries.

Read to Feed is a way for kids to help buy the animals.  It is like a track-a-thon, but instead of getting pledges for running or walking, kids solicit pledges for how many books/chapters/pages/minutes they read.

Tomorrow night, your child will be coming home with a packet to get started.  We hope that you encourage this act of charity.

We'll be handing out envelopes to collect the money closer to the end of Lent.
 
fishfryFish Fry to Benefit Religious Education
Check out the Friday of Lent
Sign up to help staff the St. Emily Fry on April 3

Both St. Emily and St. Thomas Becket parishes are sponsoring Fish Fries during Lent.

Bring your family to enjoy the freshly cooked food and community fun.

The St. Thomas Becket Fries begin this Friday evening.

The St. Emily Fish Fry directly benefits the Religious Education program.  It is on April 3.  See Cathy Crino to volunteer or to sell ads.

Word of mouth is key!  Tell your friends and neighbors and invite them to join you!
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 29 - Family Mass - 5:00 PM
  • March 7 - First Reconciliation at 1:00 PM
  • March 10 - Confirmation Rehearsal at 7:00 PM
  • March 15 - Confirmation at 2:00 PM
  • March 25 - Spring Break - no class
  • April 3 - St. Emily Fish Fry to benefit Religious Education
  • April 4 - First Communion Retreats
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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