Dear Parishioners,

I am pleased to share with you that our Oak Park Catholic Community of our two parishes now has a subscription to FORMED, a premier online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, and even cartoons for our children. FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, and the Knights of Columbus, with material that is professionally produced, engaging, and solid in its catechism. Best of all, this material is free to us all thanks to the generosity of the Ascension Knights of Columbus.

Our parishes will be using the material on FORMED to support our ministries and provide continuing education for staff members and parishioners, as well as outreach for our sick and homebound members. Much of FORMED’s content is available in both English and Spanish.

You have easy access to all of the material on FORMED to support your own faith journey and that of your family members.

Here are some ideas that may appeal to you:

Are you hesitant to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation after a long absence? Watch Forgiven: The Transforming Power of Confession.

Would you like to be more confident in answering your teenagers’ questions about the validity of the Gospels? Watch Lectio: The Case for Jesus.

Do you search for a reliable source of Catholic teaching on current issues? Tune in each week to The Augustine Institute Show with Dr. Tim Gray.

Have you despaired of finding good movies that your family can enjoy together on a Friday night? Start with Mother Teresa, the story of the selfless saint who brought hope and love to the poorest of the poor.

You can enjoy FORMED on your computer or on your television with an inexpensive Roku device or Apple TV. You can even listen on your phone as you commute to work or do chores.

I hope that you will find that the content on FORMED will enrich, deepen, and inspire your faith. I am grateful for the Ascension Knights of Columbus for this gift to us all.

To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:

  • Go to https://signup.formed.org/
  • Enter the zip code 60304, and choose “Ascension and St. Edmund Parish”
  • Enter your name and your email address.

That’s it! You’re in. Now you can get the free FORMED app for your phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store.

With you a Christian. For you a priest.

Fr. Carl Morello
Pastor
St. Catherine of Siena – St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish
Ascension and St. Edmund Parish