Wednesday, April 10, 2024

"You are witnesses of these things," is the closing line of our Gospel for Sunday. As you look through the posts in this week's newsletter, do you see each item as a different way for you to be a witness to Christ? 

Whether you are a family with a child coming to First Holy Communion as part of the Church community, donating diapers in our diaper drive, attending the "Roaring Knight" or Cleo's Spirit of Hecker celebration with so many others across the country at the Paulist night at the end of the month, each is a recognition of witnesses, and a call for more witnesses. 

In a time in our culture when witnesses are under more scrutiny than ever, to recognize what most identifies true disciples of Jesus is the ability to tell what we have discovered about him through our experience of him. 

The Gospels of the Easter Season offer us different images of Jesus (shepherd, vine, and branches...), and different situations of encounter with him (friend on beach, and mountain top, stranger on the path as they walk). Our lives too have situations of encounter if we can pause a moment to see the grace around us and tell people what we've seen. 

Jesus is here with us. That is our understanding, and that is our call. We are witnesses in all these situations, as well as in the breaking of the bread. 

Fr. Brad

We will celebrate First Communions at the following Masses during the month of April. Please pray for our First Communicants.

To learn more about the Signature Event,

click the link below:

https://www.osmschool.com/signature-event

In a joint effort, the OSM parish-school will collect diapers to be distributed throughout the Chicagoland area. Ms Peggy Johnson at Catholic Charities is overseeing the service project.

If you want to volunteer to pack diapers for distribution to families, please contact at pjohnson@catholiccharities.net. 

Diaper Drop-off will be at the school and the Parish Commons. 

Letter to OSM Community

Dear Old St. Mary’s Community,

Happy Easter! May the joy and call to action of our Risen Lord be with you. 

On behalf of Lauren Huelster (Lifelong Faith Formation Administrator) and me, I would like to say thank you for being so welcoming to and supportive of us as we have taken the helm of lifelong faith formation. We have been hard at work on reshaping the structure and ministerial strategy of lifelong faith formation for all ages in our parish and school as well as forming a truly united program between the parish and school. We are grateful to the teachers, catechists, and other groups we have asked to meet with and who have taken the time to meet with us. 

In collaboration with April Greer as Principal of our school and with Fr. Brad’s affirmation as Pastor, we want to take this opportunity to share the changes we are making to the sacramental preparation and administration structure starting next year (2024-2025 school year). We strongly believe that these changes will help build stronger support for formation and accompaniment of parents/caregivers as catechists in the domestic church and give our students the opportunity to be accompanied in faith formation that is more developmentally appropriate in exploring the deep mysteries of our Catholic faith. 

2024-2025 Sacramental Year Changes 

Children who are currently in 1st Grade (2023-2024) will be “grandfathered” in and receive First Reconciliation and

Communion in the 2024-2025 year. 

Youth who are currently in 6th and 7th Grade (2023-2024) will be “grandfathered” in and receive the sacrament of

Confirmation in May of 2025. 6th Grade is considered being “grandfathered” due to the fact they will have only

completed one full year of sacramental preparation rather than the standard two years required by the Archdiocese. As this is a transitional year, an exception will be made. 

These exceptions are only made for enrolled students in Sunday Faith Formation and Old St. Mary’s School in the

2023-2024 school year. New students will be required to enroll in the appropriate year based on the new structure. 

We want to thank you in advance for your support of this new structure. More information will be forthcoming as we look forward to next year and beginning a renewed lifelong faith formation program at Old St. Mary’s. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. 

In Christ,

Oblate James Holzhauer-Chuckas, ObSB,

Director of Lifelong Faith Formation

for our annual celebration of the Spirit of Hecker Award. This year we will be celebrating, Cleofe Garcia, one of the stalwarts of Old St. Mary’s Parish who has always helped with ministry at Old St. Mary’s when we were at VanBuren and Wabash, as well as here, and she helped with the transition and encouraging all parishioners to be involved at the parish.

Congratulations Cleo!

Special Event Coming Up.

You do not want to miss it.

You want to be at Old St. Mary’s the weekend of May 4/5

for this big celebration.

Hint: It’s a 50 year anniversary.